Allah Almighty said that the earth is "egg-shaped":

The sections of this article are:

1- Allah Almighty said that the earth is "egg-shaped".
2- The earth had gone through different stages and shapes since it was first
      created.
3- The roundness of the earth in the Noble Quran.
      - The Arabic word "dahaha".
4- The proof that "dahaha" means "egg-shaped". My detailed rebuttal to the
     Christian "Answering Islam" article.
5- The changes to earth on the Day of Judgement.
6- Conclusion.

Allah Almighty in the Noble Quran talked in good details about the earth's past, present and future. He explained how it was created, the stages it went through, and what will happen to it when the Day of Judgement comes.

The earth had gone through different stages and shapes since it was first created:

It is important to know that Allah Almighty in the Noble Quran claimed that the earth had gone through different stages and shapes:

1- The earth was originally water, and life was originated from water:

"He it is Who created the heavens and the earth in six Days - and His Throne was over the waters - that He might try you, which of you is best in conduct. But if thou wert to say to them, "Ye shall indeed be raised up after death", the Unbelievers would be sure to say, "This is nothing but obvious sorcery!" (The Noble Quran, 11:7)"

"Do not the Unbelievers see that the heavens and the earth were joined together (as one unit of creation), before we clove them asunder? We made from water every living thing. Will they not then believe? (The Noble Quran, 21:30)"

"It is He Who has created man from water: then has He established relationships of lineage and marriage: for thy Lord has power (over all things). (The Noble Quran, 25:54)"

"And God has created every animal from water: of them there are some that creep on their bellies; some that walk on two legs; and some that walk on four. God creates what He wills for verily God has power over all things. (The Noble Quran, 24:45)"

For more details and scientific quotes that prove the Noble Quran's Truthfulness, please visit Life originated from water.

2- Allah Almighty separated earth from the universe:

"Do not the Unbelievers see that the heavens and the earth were joined together (as one unit of creation), before we clove them asunder? We made from water every living thing. Will they not then believe? (The Noble Quran, 21:30)"

This separation caused for the earth to totally change. Allah Almighty was preparing earth to become livable. All of its original characteristics had been changed.

3- The earth had gone through several shapings and formations to become livable:

The earth was split in fragments, stretched and flattened to become livable. After land was created from water on earth, Allah Almighty further spread out the earth and created mountains, roads, rivers, vegetations and animals:

"And We split the earth in fragments, (The Noble Quran, 80:26)"

"And when the earth is flattened out, (The Noble Quran, 84:3)"

"And the earth We have spread out (like a carpet); set thereon mountains firm and immovable; and produced therein all kinds of things in due balance. (The Noble Quran, 15:19)"

"By the Earth and its (wide) expanse: (The Noble Quran, 91:6)"

"And it is He who spread out the earth, and set thereon mountains standing firm and (flowing) rivers: and fruit of every kind He made in pairs, two and two: He draweth the night as a veil o'er the Day. Behold, verily in these things there are signs for those who consider! (The Noble Quran, 13:3)"

"(Yea, the same that) has made for you the earth (like a carpet) spread out, and has made for you roads (and channels) therein, in order that ye may find guidance (on the way); (The Noble Quran, 43:10)"

"It is God Who has made for you the earth as a resting place, and the sky as a canopy, and has given you shape- and made your shapes beautiful,- and has provided for you Sustenance, of things pure and good;- such is God your Lord. So Glory to God, the Lord of the Worlds! (The Noble Quran, 40:64)"

"It is He Who has made the earth manageable for you, so traverse ye through its tracts and enjoy of the Sustenance which He furnishes: but unto Him is the Resurrection. (The Noble Quran, 67:15)"

" 'And God has made the earth for you as a carpet (spread out), (The Noble Quran, 71:19)"

"And at the Earth, how it is spread out? (The Noble Quran, 88:20)"

"Have We not made the earth as a wide expanse, (The Noble Quran, 78:6)"

"And the earth, moreover, hath He extended (to a wide expanse); (The Noble Quran, 79:30)"

"Who has made the earth your couch, and the heavens your canopy; and sent down rain from the heavens; and brought forth therewith Fruits for your sustenance; then set not up rivals unto God when ye know (the truth). (The Noble Quran, 2:22)"

"When angels take the souls of those who die in sin against their souls, they say: "In what (plight) Were ye?" They reply: "Weak and oppressed Were we in the earth." They say: "Was not the earth of God spacious enough for you to move yourselves away (From evil)?" Such men will find their abode in Hell,- What an evil refuge! - (The Noble Quran, 4:97)"

"And the earth- We have spread it out, and set thereon mountains standing firm, and produced therein every kind of beautiful growth (in pairs)- (The Noble Quran, 50:7)"

"It is He Who has spread out the earth for (His) creatures: (The Noble Quran, 55:10)"

"He created the heavens without any pillars that ye can see; He set on the earth mountains standing firm, lest it should shake with you; and He scattered through it beasts of all kinds. We send down rain from the sky, and produce on the earth every kind of noble creature, in pairs. (The Noble Quran, 31:10)"

"He Who has, made for you the earth like a carpet spread out; has enabled you to go about therein by roads (and channels); and has sent down water from the sky." With it have We produced diverse pairs of plants each separate from the others. (The Noble Quran, 20:53)"

"And He has set up on the earth mountains standing firm, lest it should shake with you; and rivers and roads; that ye may guide yourselves; (The Noble Quran, 16:15)"

"And We have set on the earth mountains standing firm, lest it should shake with them, and We have made therein broad highways (between mountains) for them to pass through: that they may receive Guidance. (The Noble Quran, 21:31)"

The roundness of the earth in the Noble Quran:

Let us look at the following Noble Verse:

"30. And the earth, moreover, hath He extended (to a wide expanse); 31. He draweth out Therefrom its moisture And its pasture; 32. And the mountains Hath He firmly fixed -- 33. For use and convenience To you and your cattle. (The Noble Quran, 79:30-33)"

I numbered the Noble Verses to make it easier for us to follow through the original Arabic text as follows:

"30. Wal-arda bada dhalika dahaha"
"31. Akhraja minha ma-aha wa maraaha"
"32. Wal-jibala arsaha"
"33. Mata-an lakum wa li an-aamikum"

There is a mistranslation: In Noble Verse 79:30, the Arabic word "dahaha" doesn't mean extended (to a wide expanse). The word literally mean formed in "round shape" or "egg shape" as clearly proven below in this article. Also, In Noble Verse 79:31, "ma-aha" was translated as "moisture" as shown above. "ma-aha" in Arabic literally means "its water". The more accurate translation is: "He draweth out Therefrom its water And its pasture".

The reason why I pointed out the mistranslation about "ma-aha" is because (1) It is wrong; and (2) It is important to know that earth was originally water as shown in Noble Verse 11:7 above, and when Allah Almighty tells us that He draweth out water from earth, then this further proves that the earth had gone through different shapings and forms.

It appears from Noble Verses 79:30-33 above that Allah Almighty created land and life on earth at the time when He caused for the earth to become round; when Allah Almighty "daha" the earth or "dahaha", which means "daha" it.

The Arabic word "dahaha":

As we clearly saw above in the article, Allah Almighty caused for the earth to completely change in shape, form and characteristics several times until it became what we know of it today. In fact, even when land was created on earth, it is believed by scientists (as I saw on TV) that during the time of the dinosaurs, our continents today were all joined together as one big piece of land or island surrounded by water from all directions. If you look at the map of the earth today, you would see that they perfectly match each others. The shape of the continents actually looks like they were all one piece of land that got divided up.

Very Important Note: My point from all of this is that it is quite possible that when Allah Almighty initially created land from the earth's water, the earth was flat, and the dinosaurs probably existed back then. When Allah Almighty "daha" the earth and made it "round-shaped" or "egg-shaped", it is possible that the splitting of the continents as we have them today was done due to the rounding of the earth.

If you take any flat surface and bend it backwards to form a ball out of it, then you will easily notice that its surface will get stretched and anything written or painted on that surface will look stretched. It is quite possible that the same happened to the earth and its contents when Allah Almighty "dahaha", or "daha" it.

The proof that "dahaha" means "egg-shaped":

The quotes and main points in this section were taken from http://answering-islam.org/Quran/Science/earth_flat.html. This section as well as the entire my entire article are a rebuttal to the link.

They wrote:

The Earth: Flat or Round?

What does the Qur'an Say?

Do they not look at the camels how they are made.
And the sky how it is raised high.
And the mountains how they are fixed firm.
And the earth how it is spread out?
(Wa ilal'ardi kayfa sutihat.)
-- Sura 88:17-20

Interpretation given in Al-Jalalein:

At the earth how it is spread out(*) (Arabic: sutihat): meaning it was stretched, so they can see in it a sign for the power of Allah ... and his saying sutihat makes it obvious that the earth is flat, and this is certified by Ulama' ash-shar'a (the shari'a theologians), not a globe as it is said by ahlul-hay'a (the laymen)." (Tafseer Al-Jalalein. printed in Damascus 1964. Al-Mallah Printshop and Bookstore)

(*) The word "sutihat" is from the root word "sataha".

Note: The commentators are well informed about the scientific conclusion that the earth is a globe, but the scientists are considered to be laymen in regard to understanding the meaning of the Qur'an. Because revelation has primacy over science, the Qur'an is the decisive basis for the commentators to insist that the earth is flat.

My response:

It is true that the word "sutihat" is from the root word "sataha" which usually means "to flatten". As I proved above in the article, the earth had gone through shapings and formations. It is quite possible that Allah Almighty in Noble Verses 88:17-20 was referring to the initial creation of the land where the earth was *possibly* flat.

It is also possible that Allah Almighty is telling us that the earth is both flattened and round at the same time. This is not a contradiction. To the normal human being, especially 1400 years ago, the earth was clearly flattened. It wasn't too round with steep slopes. No, it was and still is a flat livable surface for all creatures. As I showed above in the article, Allah Almighty created land, mountains, roads, rivers, vegetations and animals all to exist on earth.

So when Allah Almighty said that the earth "sutihat" in Noble Verses 88:17-20, it doesn't really prove that the earth is not round, because these Noble Verses are not the only ones talking about and describing the earth in the Noble Quran.

As the Tafseer Al-Jalalein says above: "At the earth how it is spread out(*) (Arabic: sutihat): meaning it was stretched..." The stretching and the expanding of the earth to make it livable is what Allah Almighty referred to when He said the earth "sutihat".

Let us look at an example of Allah Almighty claiming that He expanded the earth in the Noble Quran:

"spread out the earth" here in Arabic is "madda al-ard", which literally means "expand the earth" or "spread out the earth".

"made for you the earth like a carpet spread out" here in Arabic is "Ja-ala lakum Al-ard mahda". "mahda" literally means a flat road, or a road that is easy to walk on. It is similar to our highways today. They are easy to drive on.

"And the earth We have spread out (like a carpet); set thereon mountains firm and immovable; and produced therein all kinds of things in due balance. (The Noble Quran, 15:19)"

"And the earth We have spread out" here in Arabic is "Wa Al-ard maddadnaha". "maddadnaha" literally means "We expanded" or "We spread out". It is derived from the root word "madda", which means "to stretch" or to "to expand" or "to spread out".

They wrote:

Furthermore, the Qur'an says:

And after that He spread the earth.
(Wal'arda ba'da dhalika da-ha-ha.)
-- Sura 79:30

Again, let us consult Tafsir Al-Jalalein:

That is: "Basataha" as it was created before heaven without "Dahoo".

We see that Al-Jalalein us emphasizing the issue of "flattening". The interpreters are saying: "That is, He flattened it since it was not made flat before heaven was created."

Reading the context of this aya, Sura 79:27-33, the message of the Qur'an seems to be: Originally the earth was not flat (but somehow crumbled up?). After first creating the heaven over it (see 79:28-29), Allah flattened the earth (to make it inhabitable: ("A provision for you and for your cattle" 79:33).

My response:

Notice how the interpretation of the Noble Quran, Tafsir Al-Jalalein, says: "That is: 'Basataha' as it was created before heaven without 'Dahoo'. " It is suggesting that Allah Almighty "basata" the earth (flattened it) before He "dahaha".

Very Important Note: Notice in Noble Verse 79:30, Allah Almighty says in Arabic "bada dhalika", which literally means "after wards" or "after that" or "after the event finished", etc... This clearly and unquestionably means that Allah Almighty "daha" the earth last. The "Dahoo" of the earth came "bada dhalika" (after wards); after the earth "sutihat".

Again, please read the "The earth had gone through different stages and shapes since it was first created" section above to see the clear proofs from the Noble Quran that the earth had gone through several stages and formations.

They wrote:

COMMENT:

Udhi'ya or Udhu'wa, are two names for the egg of the ostrich. The verb Da'ha (Ydahoo: present tense) is not derived from Udhi'ya or Udhu'wa, because names are derived from the "verb of origin" (fi'l al masdar), and the verb of origin is not derived from a name. The verb of origin is "dahawa" from which the verb "da'ha" and "yadhoo" are derived, and so is the name of the noun denoting the egg. The verb "da'aha" does not mean "kaw'wara" (made round) or made something in the shape of an egg, whether it is an ostrich egg or a chicken's egg. As a matter of fact, the verb "da'ha" means the complete opposite to the concept of the roundness. Here is what "Al-munjid fil'lugha wal'alam" has to say:

"da'ha da'hwan ... God `da'ha' earth that is `basataha'."
And that is exactly what Al-Jalalein has said.
"da'ha idhiwa'an: `inbisatan'." (that is: flattening)
"al-udh'y, al-idhi'y, al-udhu'wa, al-udhi'ya: The egg of the ostrich in the sand."

We must pay attention to what Al-Munjid is saying here: "The egg of the ostrich `in the sand'" and the following is the reason for this expression:

When the female ostrich fears a danger threatening her egg, she immediately digs into the sand to hide the egg, then "tadhoo" (flattens) the earth above it, so that it would not be seen by the vultures of the air who are always in search of such a delicacy for their next meal. Therefore, the word "al-udhu'wa" is used as a name of the ostrich egg since it is something (with the sand) flattened (over it). That is where the name came from. The Arabic dictionary never states that the verb "da'ha" means "made round" or "made in the shape of the egg of an ostrich".

My response:

The Christian "Answering Islam" team are now contradicting themselves and are beginning to show their signs of weakness and desperation. Notice how at first they agree with the Tafsir Al-Jalalein interpretation by saying:

"Udhi'ya or Udhu'wa, are two names for the egg of the ostrich."

Udhiya and Udhuwa are not root words. Udhiya is simply a singular of Dahyyaat. Udhuwa is the same word as Udhiya. In the Arabic grammar, depending on the position of the word in the sentence, we sometimes substitute the pronunciation of the "y" with a "w". Udhiya and Udhuwa are not two different words. They are the same word. The Arabic word "dahaha" is derived from the root word "dahya" which literally means "egg". Udhuwa is the reference to "dahya". In Arabic, words that are referenced are sometimes written differently. Udhuwa and "dahya" are written differently, but they mean the same word.

A good example for this is "udhooka" and "duhka". "duhka" means "a laugh". If I say to someone "let me give you a laugh", I tell him "daani uteeka udhooka". "udhooka" is the reference word for "duhka".

Notice that I didn't write "daani uteeka duhka". No, I wrote "daani uteeka udhooka". Udhooka is the reference word for "duhka". It is grammatically WRONG to not use "udhooka" in the proper Arabic grammar.

The same grammar principle applies to "dahya" and "Udhiya" or "Udhuwa" reference words that they gave.

As to "yadhoo" and not "Ydahoo" (as they mistakenly wrote it), it is completely irrelevant, because "yadhoo" is an action and not a definition. It is the present tense of "dah", which is derived from the root word "dahya".

Important Note: Notice how the word "egg" or "egg of the ostrich" in Arabic is close enough to the Noble Quran's "dahaha". The Christian "Answering Islam" team are simply trying to divert the subject and deceive the reader in a desperate attempt to convince him that "dahya (egg)" is not related to the Noble Quran's "dahaha".

They shot themselves in the foot:

They said: "We must pay attention to what Al-Munjid is saying here: "The egg of the ostrich `in the sand'" and the following is the reason for this expression:

I am glad that they linked the ostrich's egg with the hiding of the egg under flat sand. This clearly proves that Allah Almighty has indeed used THE BEST ARABIC WORD to describe the whole situation of the earth:

1- The earth is round like the ostrich's egg.

2- The earth is flat like the flat sand covering the egg from predators. Isn't the earth flat for us and round astronomically both at the same time?

Even though they purposely avoided the Arabic word "dahya" which means a single "egg" and instead went with awkward reference words like "al-udhu'wa" (as they wrote it) in a desperate attempt to prove that the Noble Quran's "dahaha" has nothing to do with an egg (dahya) and "al-udhu'wa".

Muslim Scientists during the 14 century (800 years after Islam) concluded that the earth is round and moving in space:

Please visit The earth is round according to Islam.

They wrote:

Other verses in the Qur'an stated that earth is flat using other words. All of these words are interpreted as "flat" and none of them has been interpreted as round.

We read in Sura 96:6 (Ash'shams): "Wal'ardu wa ma ta'haha".
The word "Tahaha" is interpreted in Tafsir Al-Jalalein as "He made it flat". In Munjid Al-lugha Wal'alam, the word "Taha" is also interpreted as "to flatten or to stretch". Then, the noun "At'taha" is interpreted as "a flat part of the earth". Then, Al-Munjid gives a sentence as an example to confirm the meaning of "taha" as "to make a certain thing flat".

My response:

Noble Verse 96:6 actually says: "Nay, but man doth Transgress all bounds," You gave the wrong reference for the Noble Verse. Anyway, all of the Noble Verses that deal with this issue of spreading out the earth and stretching it had been covered in the "The earth had gone through different stages and shapes since it was first created" section above.

They wrote:

In Sura 15:19 (Al-Hajar), we read: "wal'arda madadnaha wa'alkayna feeha rawasi".
The word "madadnaha" is from the verb "madda", which is a very simple and easy word to understand. Not even a little Arabic child would use this word to describe the shape of a watermelon or a ball. It is the most simple way to describe something flat.

My response:

Actually your ignorance is what's stopping you from comprehending and appreciating Islam. "madadnaha" literally means "We stretched it out". I don't know where exactly you're getting your nonsense from about the earth being flat. I think you should look around you and see how flat the earth feels to you. If you do that, then you'll appreciate what Allah Almighty is Saying in the Noble Quran.

They wrote:

If Muhammad or the author of the Qur'an really had known that the earth is round, and had wanted to mention this fact in the book, he could have used a more simple word in Arabic to put an end to this puzzling issue. We have no doubt that Muhammad was aware of the existence of other words in the Arabic language that can describe the shape of something round. In fact, we read in sura 81:1 (At'Takweer - meaning: Rounding!):

"Itha'sh-shamsu kuwirat": "When the sun is folded up."

In this verse, Muhammad is predicting that "the sun shall be folded up" or "shall become rounded" (which would be a better translation). This means first of all that Muhammad believed that the sun is also flat and that it will become round when the hour comes. And this also means that he knows that there is a better word to describe a round shape. Therefore: Why he didn't use this term to to spare the Muslims this confusion?

Yes, Muhammad did indeed believe that the sun is flat as Al-Jalalein comments on this verse by stating: "`kuwirat' that is `lufifat' i.e. folded up and its light taken."

My response:

It is important for you know that Allah Almighty in the Noble Quran didn't just speak to the Bedouin Arabs 1400 years ago in His Holy Revelation. He spoke to all of Mankind for all times and all places. Let me give you few examples:

1- Scientists proved that the universe is expanding. Allah Almighty too said in the Noble Quran that He is expanding the Universe.

2- Allah Almighty spoke to the Computer Age today with His number 19 Miracle in the Noble Quran.

3- Allah Almighty spoke about how mountains prevent the earth from shaking. Science proved today that mountains do prevent the earth from shaking while rotating around itself.

For more topics and details, please visit Science in Islam and the Noble Quran.

Anyway, to answer your question about why did Allah Almighty use the word "dahaha" in Noble Verse 79:30, well it's because the word is the most precise out of all. It describes the roundness and the flatness of the earth at once. Allah Almighty is talking to the astronomers and science in this Noble Verse. As I showed above, Muslim scientists in the 14th century came to the conclusion that the earth is round and it is swimming in the space like the other planets.

As to the sun in Noble Verse 81:1, I suggest for you to take some Arabic courses, because "kuwwirat" means to fold up. The Noble Verse is saying that the sun will be folded from outside to inside, where no light from it shall emerge again. "Takweer" in Arabic also means "folding up". You are obviously mixing up and confusing the modern slang Arabic word "Kura" which means "ball" to the Noble Quran's "kuwwirat" which existed long before 1400 years ago when the Noble Quran was revealed.

You said: "Yes, Muhammad did indeed believe that the sun is flat as Al-Jalalein comments on this verse by stating: "`kuwirat' that is `lufifat' i.e. folded up and its light taken." "

No where in the Noble Quran or the Sayings of Prophet Muhammad do we see any mention of the sun being flat. Again, you badly mixed the modern word "kura" for ball with the very old Arabic words "kuwwirat" and "takweer" (thousands of years before 1400 years ago when the Noble Quran was revealed). Your interpretation about the sun being flat in Islam is false.

As to "lufifat", it means to "wrap around", or to "wrap up". Allah Almighty will not wrap Himself around the sun to turn off it's light. This word would not be appropriate to use in the Noble Quran because it wouldn't be accurate. Again, you made an error in your Arabic interpretations, grammar and vocabularies.

Please visit The Big Bang Theory and the Cosmic Crunch in the Noble Quran to see how it is possible for the sun to lose its light as Allah Almighty said in the Noble Quran when the Hour comes.

The changes to earth on the Day of Judgement:

Let us look at what Allah Almighty said about the future of the earth in the Noble Quran:

"One day the earth will be changed to a different earth, and so will be the heavens, and (men) will be marshalled forth, before God, the One, the Irresistible; (The Noble Quran, 14:48)"

"One Day We shall remove the mountains, and thou wilt see the earth as a level stretch, and We shall gather them, all together, nor shall We leave out any one of them. (The Noble Quran, 18:47)"

"At it the skies are ready to burst, the earth to split asunder, and the mountains to fall down in utter ruin, (The Noble Quran, 19:90)"

"No just estimate have they made of God, such as is due to Him: On the Day of Judgment the whole of the earth will be but His handful, and the heavens will be rolled up in His right hand: Glory to Him! High is He above the Partners they attribute to Him! (The Noble Quran, 39:67)"

"God created the heavens and the earth for just ends, and in order that each soul may find the recompense of what it has earned, and none of them be wronged. (The Noble Quran, 45:22)"

"The Day when the Earth will be rent asunder, from (men) hurrying out: that will be a gathering together,- quite easy for Us. (The Noble Quran, 50:44)"

"Do ye feel secure that He Who is in heaven will not cause you to be swallowed up by the earth when it shakes (as in an earthquake)? (The Noble Quran, 67:16)"

"And the earth is moved, and its mountains, and they are crushed to powder at one stroke,- (The Noble Quran, 69:14)"

"One Day the earth and the mountains will be in violent commotion. And the mountains will be as a heap of sand poured out and flowing down. (The Noble Quran, 73:14)"

"Nay! When the earth is pounded to powder, (The Noble Quran, 89:21)"

"When the earth is shaken to her (utmost) convulsion, (The Noble Quran, 99:1)"

"And the earth throws up her burdens (from within), (The Noble Quran, 99:2)"

It appears from the above Noble Verses that at the Day of Judgement, Allah Almighty will shake the entire earth, flatten it by crushing and flattening its mountains, open it to swallow up all of the creatures on it, and everything on earth will be in violent commotion.

Please visit The Big Bang Theory and the Cosmic Crunch in the Noble Quran.

Conclusion:

We clearly saw above how Allah Almighty caused for the earth to go through different stages and formations. Allah Almighty talked about the earth's past, present and future in good details. I also proved that Allah Almighty did indeed claim that the earth was round beyond any doubt. I also refuted in good details the Christian "Answering Islam" team's misunderstandings about the Noble Quran and its interpretations regarding the earth. Accept Islam and you will be saved.

Science in Islam and the Noble Quran.

The Big Bang Theory and the Cosmic Crunch in the Noble Quran.

The earth is round according to Islam.

Please email me at Osama Abdallah

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