Islamic Views on the Shape of the Earth: Difference between revisions

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(Added links to new article + additional point re verses used by apologists)
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'''Transliteration:''' ''Waal-arda baAAda thalika dahaha''  
'''Transliteration:''' ''Waal-arda baAAda thalika dahaha''  
'''Literal:''' And the earth/Planet Earth after that He stretched/spread it. <ref name="ia-79-30">[http://islamawakened.org/Quran/3/default.htm#003_054 Islam Awakened - Quran 79:30]</ref> }}
 
'''Literal:''' And the earth/Planet Earth after that He stretched/spread it. <ref name="ia-79-30">[http://islamawakened.org/Quran/3/default.htm#003_054 Islam Awakened - Quran 79:30]</ref>  
}}
Word by word:
* وَٱلْأَرْضَ
** وَ - ''wa'' - and
** ٱلْ - ''al'' - the
** أَرْضَ - ''ard'' - Earth
*** feminine in Arabic
* بَعْدَ - ''ba'ada'' - after
* ذَٰلِكَ - ''dhalika'' - that
* دَحَىٰهَآ
** دَحَىٰ - ''dahaa'' - (he) spread
*** verb
** هَآ - ''ha'' - her
*** or "it" in the English translation, referring to the Earth.
 
دَحَىٰهَآ is a verb with a suffixed pronoun, so it cannot mean a noun "ostrich egg". In the apologist interpretation the verb would have to mean "he made it in a shape of an ostrich egg". It is absurd to think that such a little word could mean something so complex.
 
The هَا (''-ha'') suffix pronoun meaning literally "her" is also repeated in the surrounding verses as a literary device:
{{Quote|{{Quran|79|27-32}}|
أَأَنْتُمْ أَشَدُّ خَلْقًا أَمِ السَّمَاءُ ۚ بَنَاهَا 79:27
Aantum ashaddu khalqan ami alssamao bana'''ha'''
 
79:28 رَفَعَ سَمْكَهَا فَسَوَّاهَا
RafaAAa samka'''ha''' fasawwa'''ha'''
 
79:29 وَأَغْطَشَ لَيْلَهَا وَأَخْرَجَ ضُحَاهَا
Waaghtasha layla'''ha''' waakhraja duha'''ha'''
 
79:30 وَالْأَرْضَ بَعْدَ ذَٰلِكَ دَحَاهَا
Waalarda baAAda thalika daha'''ha'''
 
79:31 أَخْرَجَ مِنْهَا مَاءَهَا وَمَرْعَاهَا
Akhraja min'''ha''' maa'''ha''' wamarAAa'''ha'''
 
79:32 وَالْجِبَالَ أَرْسَاهَا
Waaljibala arsa'''ha'''
}}
So the ''-ha'' in 79:30 is a pronoun as well as in other verses and the pronoun is completely missing in the translation "ostrich egg".
 
==== Qur'an Translations ====
==== Qur'an Translations ====
{{quote ||  
{{quote ||  
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Almadhuwwath and almad’hiyyath see Dahin.<ref name="LanesLexiconDaHaWa"></ref>}}
Almadhuwwath and almad’hiyyath see Dahin.<ref name="LanesLexiconDaHaWa"></ref>}}
Note above that Lane also translates duhiyya to mean the place in the sand where the ostrich lays its eggs, and not the eggs themselves.
Note above that Lane also translates duhiyya to mean the place in the sand where the ostrich lays its eggs, and not the eggs themselves.
===="Ostrich egg" mentioned in a hadith====
No, there is no hadith saying that the Earth is shaped like an ostrich egg. But "ostrich egg" is mentioned in one hadith so we can check whether the word دَحَىٰهَآ (''dahaha'') is used in the original Arabic.
{{Quote|{{Ibn Majah||4|25|3086}}<ref>https://sunnah.com/urn/1281160</ref>|It was narrated from Abu Hurairah that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, concerning '''an ostrich egg''' (بَيْضِ النَّعَامِ) taken by a Muhrim:
“Its cost (must be paid as a penalty).”
}}
Of course it isn't, because "ostrich egg" needs two words! "Egg" is بَيْضِ (baydi) and "ostrich" is النَّعَامِ (an-na'ami). So ostrich egg is called ''baydi an-na'ami'' and not ''dahaha'' in Arabic.


=== Qur'an 88:20 - sutihat (spread out flat) ===
=== Qur'an 88:20 - sutihat (spread out flat) ===
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