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

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Islamic Views on the Shape of the Earth (view source)

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The Qur'an frequently describes, in explicit terms, the creation of "al-'ard", which can be translated as either "Earth" or "land", as a flat structure. This use of metaphors and words intimately associated with flat objects (such as beds and carpets) is especially common in cases where the context of the verse makes it clear that the word "al-'ard" is being used to describe the creation of the Earth at the beginning of time alongside the creation of the "heavens" (rather than in the more limited sense of a certain portion of "land"). The best example of this is perhaps [[Islamic Views on the Shape of the Earth#Qur.27an 88:20 - sutihat .28spread out flat.29|verse 88:20]].  
The Qur'an frequently describes, in explicit terms, the creation of "al-'ard", which can be translated as either "Earth" or "land", as a flat structure. This use of metaphors and words intimately associated with flat objects (such as beds and carpets) is especially common in cases where the context of the verse makes it clear that the word "al-'ard" is being used to describe the creation of the Earth at the beginning of time alongside the creation of the "heavens" (rather than in the more limited sense of a certain portion of "land"). The best example of this is perhaps [[Islamic Views on the Shape of the Earth#Qur.27an 88:20 - sutihat .28spread out flat.29|verse 88:20]].  


===Qur'an 2:22 - firashan (thing spread to sit or lie upon)===
===Qur'an 2:22 - ''firashan'' (thing spread to sit or lie upon)===
{{Quote|{{Quran|2|22}}|'''ٱلَّذِى جَعَلَ لَكُمُ ٱلْأَرْضَ فِرَٰشًا''' وَٱلسَّمَآءَ بِنَآءً وَأَنزَلَ مِنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ مَآءً فَأَخْرَجَ بِهِۦ مِنَ ٱلثَّمَرَٰتِ رِزْقًا لَّكُمْ ۖ فَلَا تَجْعَلُوا۟ لِلَّهِ أَندَادًا وَأَنتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ
{{Quote|{{Quran|2|22}}|'''ٱلَّذِى جَعَلَ لَكُمُ ٱلْأَرْضَ فِرَٰشًا''' وَٱلسَّمَآءَ بِنَآءً وَأَنزَلَ مِنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ مَآءً فَأَخْرَجَ بِهِۦ مِنَ ٱلثَّمَرَٰتِ رِزْقًا لَّكُمْ ۖ فَلَا تَجْعَلُوا۟ لِلَّهِ أَندَادًا وَأَنتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ


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فِرَٰشًا = firashan = a thing that is spread upon the ground, a thing that is spread for one to sit or lie upon.<ref>فِرَٰشًا firashan - [http://www.studyquran.org/LaneLexicon/Volume6/00000155.pdf Lane's Lexicon] page 2371</ref>
فِرَٰشًا = firashan = a thing that is spread upon the ground, a thing that is spread for one to sit or lie upon.<ref>فِرَٰشًا firashan - [http://www.studyquran.org/LaneLexicon/Volume6/00000155.pdf Lane's Lexicon] page 2371</ref>


===Qur'an 15:19 - madad (extend, stretch out)===
===Qur'an 15:19 - ''madad'' (extend, stretch out)===
{{Quote|{{Quran|15|19}}|''' والارض مددناها''' والقينا فيها رواسي وانبتنا فيها من كل شئ موزون'''
{{Quote|{{Quran|15|19}}|''' والارض مددناها''' والقينا فيها رواسي وانبتنا فيها من كل شئ موزون'''


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مَدَدْ = madad = extend by drawing or pulling, stretch out, expand<ref>مد madda (مدد) - [http://www.studyquran.org/LaneLexicon/Volume7/00000223.pdf Lane's Lexicon] page 2695</ref>
مَدَدْ = madad = extend by drawing or pulling, stretch out, expand<ref>مد madda (مدد) - [http://www.studyquran.org/LaneLexicon/Volume7/00000223.pdf Lane's Lexicon] page 2695</ref>


===Qur'an 20:53 - mahdan (bed)===
===Qur'an 20:53 - ''mahdan'' (bed)===
{{Quote|{{Quran|20|53}}| '''الذي جعل لكم الارض مهدا''' وسلك لكم فيها سبلا وانزل من السماء ماء فاخرجنا به ازواجا من نبات شتى
{{Quote|{{Quran|20|53}}| '''الذي جعل لكم الارض مهدا''' وسلك لكم فيها سبلا وانزل من السماء ماء فاخرجنا به ازواجا من نبات شتى


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مَهْدًا = mahdan = cradle or bed; a plain, even, or smooth expanse<ref>مَهْدً mahdan - [http://www.studyquran.org/LaneLexicon/Volume7/00000267.pdf Lane's Lexicon] page 2739</ref>
مَهْدًا = mahdan = cradle or bed; a plain, even, or smooth expanse<ref>مَهْدً mahdan - [http://www.studyquran.org/LaneLexicon/Volume7/00000267.pdf Lane's Lexicon] page 2739</ref>


===Qur'an 43:10 - mahdan (bed)===
===Qur'an 43:10 - ''mahdan'' (bed)===
{{Quote|{{Quran|43|10}}| '''الذي جعل لكم الارض مهدا''' وجعل لكم فيها سبلا لعلكم تهتدون
{{Quote|{{Quran|43|10}}| '''الذي جعل لكم الارض مهدا''' وجعل لكم فيها سبلا لعلكم تهتدون


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مَهْدًا = mahdan = cradle or bed; a plain, even, or smooth expanse<ref>مَهْدً mahdan - [http://www.studyquran.org/LaneLexicon/Volume7/00000267.pdf Lane's Lexicon] page 2739</ref>
مَهْدًا = mahdan = cradle or bed; a plain, even, or smooth expanse<ref>مَهْدً mahdan - [http://www.studyquran.org/LaneLexicon/Volume7/00000267.pdf Lane's Lexicon] page 2739</ref>


===Qur'an 50:7 - madad (expand, stretch out)===  
===Qur'an 50:7 - ''madad'' (expand, stretch out)===  
{{Quote|{{Quran|50|7}}| '''والارض مددناها''' والقينا فيها رواسي وانبتنا فيها من كل زوج بهيج
{{Quote|{{Quran|50|7}}| '''والارض مددناها''' والقينا فيها رواسي وانبتنا فيها من كل زوج بهيج


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مَدَدْ = madad = extend by drawing or pulling, stretch out, expand<ref>مد madda (مدد) - [http://www.studyquran.org/LaneLexicon/Volume7/00000223.pdf Lane's Lexicon] page 2695</ref>
مَدَدْ = madad = extend by drawing or pulling, stretch out, expand<ref>مد madda (مدد) - [http://www.studyquran.org/LaneLexicon/Volume7/00000223.pdf Lane's Lexicon] page 2695</ref>


===Qur'an 51:48 - farasha (spread out) mahidoon (spreaders)===
===Qur'an 51:48 - ''farasha'' (spread out) ''mahidoon'' (spreaders)===
{{Quote|{{Quran|51|48}}| والارض فرشناها فنعم الماهدون
{{Quote|{{Quran|51|48}}| والارض فرشناها فنعم الماهدون


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}}
}}


===Qur'an 71:19 - bisaatan (carpet)===
===Qur'an 71:19 - ''bisaatan'' (carpet)===
{{Quote|{{Quran|71|19}}| والله جعل لكم الارض بساطا
{{Quote|{{Quran|71|19}}| والله جعل لكم الارض بساطا


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A hadith in Tirmidhi uses the word ''bisaatan'' to describe the spreading or rolling out of a mat:
A hadith in Tirmidhi uses the word ''bisaatan'' to describe the spreading or rolling out of a mat:
{{Quote|{{Al Tirmidhi||4|34|2369}}|...Then he came to hug the Prophet (s.a.w) and uttered that his father and mother should be ransomed for him. Then he went to grove of his '''and he spread out a mat for them''' (فَبَسَطَ لَهُمْ بِسَاطًا, ''fa-basata la-hum bisaatan'', literally "and-(he)spread for-them a-mat"). Then he went to a date-palm and returned with a cluster of dates which he put down....}}
{{Quote|{{Al Tirmidhi||4|34|2369}}|...Then he came to hug the Prophet (s.a.w) and uttered that his father and mother should be ransomed for him. Then he went to grove of his '''and he spread out a mat for them''' (فَبَسَطَ لَهُمْ بِسَاطًا, ''fa-basata la-hum bisaatan'', literally "and-(he)spread for-them a-mat"). Then he went to a date-palm and returned with a cluster of dates which he put down....}}
===Qur'an 78:6-7 - mihadan (bed)===
===Qur'an 78:6-7 - ''mihadan'' (bed)===
{{Quote|{{Quran-range|78|6|7}}|أَلَمْ نَجْعَلِ ٱلْأَرْضَ مِهَٰدًا وَٱلْجِبَالَ أَوْتَادًا
{{Quote|{{Quran-range|78|6|7}}|أَلَمْ نَجْعَلِ ٱلْأَرْضَ مِهَٰدًا وَٱلْجِبَالَ أَوْتَادًا


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مِهَٰدًا (same as مَهْدًا mahdan) = cradle or bed; a plain, even, or smooth expanse<ref>مَهْدً mahdan - [http://www.studyquran.org/LaneLexicon/Volume7/00000267.pdf Lane's Lexicon] page 2739</ref>
مِهَٰدًا (same as مَهْدًا mahdan) = cradle or bed; a plain, even, or smooth expanse<ref>مَهْدً mahdan - [http://www.studyquran.org/LaneLexicon/Volume7/00000267.pdf Lane's Lexicon] page 2739</ref>


===Qur'an 88:20 - sutihat (spread out flat)===
===Qur'an 88:20 - ''sutihat'' (spread out flat)===
{{Quote|{{Quran|88|20}}| وَإِلَى ٱلْأَرْضِ كَيْفَ سُطِحَتْ
{{Quote|{{Quran|88|20}}| وَإِلَى ٱلْأَرْضِ كَيْفَ سُطِحَتْ


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سَطَّحَ = spread out or forth, expand
سَطَّحَ = spread out or forth, expand


The word was used to describe making the flat top or roof of a house or chamber and making a top surface flat.
The word ''sataha'' is used to describe making the flat top or roof of a house or chamber and making a top surface flat. Words derived from the same root mean: the flat top surface or roof of a house or chamber, a bounded plane in geometry, a level place upon which dates can be spread, a rolling pin (which expands the dough), plane or flat.<ref>سطَح sataha - [http://www.studyquran.org/LaneLexicon/Volume4/00000081.pdf Lanes Lexicon] page 1357</ref> Indeed, the modern Arabic phrase used to refer to the "flat earth" today is الأرض مسطحة (''al-ard musattaha'')<ref>http://context.reverso.net/translation/english-arabic/flat+earth</ref>, the word ''musattaha'' is from the same root as the word ''sutihat''.


Words from the same root mean the flat top surface or roof of a house or chamber, a bounded plane in geometry, a level place upon which dates can be spread, a rolling pin (which expands the dough), plane or flat.<ref>سطَح sataha - [http://www.studyquran.org/LaneLexicon/Volume4/00000081.pdf Lanes Lexicon] page 1357</ref>
In the tafsir Al-Jalalayn (from the 15th century) the word ''sutihat'' is used to explain that the Earth. The author of this section, al-Mahalli (d. 1460), maintains that the flat-earth is "the opinion of most of the scholars".
 
{{Quote|{{cite web quotebox | url=https://tafsir.app/jalalayn/88/20 | title=Tafsir al-Jalalayn| author=al-Mahalli & al-Suyuti| publisher=الباحث القرآني | date= | archiveurl= | deadurl=no}}|And the earth how it was laid out flat? and thus infer from this the power of God exalted be He and His Oneness? The commencing with the mention of camels is because they are closer in contact with it the earth than any other animal. '''As for His words sutihat ‘laid out flat’ this on a literal reading suggests that the earth is flat which is the opinion of''' most [the word "most" is not included in the original Arabic: "وعليه علماء الشرع"; see citation for full text] '''of the scholars of the revealed Law and not a sphere as astronomers ahl al-hay’a have it''' even if this latter does not contradict any of the pillars of the Law.
In the tafsir Al-Jalalayn (from 15. century) we can read that the word ''sutihat'' means the Earth is flat which is the opinion of the Islamic scholars:
{{Quote|Tafsir Al-Jalalayn on 88:20|
And the earth how it was laid out flat? and thus infer from this the power of God exalted be He and His Oneness? The commencing with the mention of camels is because they are closer in contact with it the earth than any other animal. '''As for His words sutihat ‘laid out flat’ this on a literal reading suggests that the earth is flat which is the opinion of''' most '''of the scholars * of the revealed Law and not a sphere as astronomers ahl al-hay’a have it''' even if this latter does not contradict any of the pillars of the Law.
}}
}}
*(*) The Arabic original says "وعليه علماء الشرع", literally "and-on-it (are) scholars (of) law"<ref>http://www.altafsir.com/Tafasir.asp?tMadhNo=1&tTafsirNo=8&tSoraNo=88&tAyahNo=20&tDisplay=yes&UserProfile=0&LanguageId=1</ref>. The word "most" was added by English translators, probably to make it less embarrassing.
*The phrase "flat earth" today is commonly translated as الأرض مسطحة (''al-ard musattaha'')<ref>http://context.reverso.net/translation/english-arabic/flat+earth</ref>, the word ''musattaha'' is from the same root as the word ''sutihat''.


===Qur'an 91:6 - taha (spread out)===
===Qur'an 91:6 - taha (spread out)===
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