What does Quran say about the shape of the Earth?

12. Decoding the verses of Holy Quran 

The theory of a flat earth has been scientifically disproven. In 1577, Sir Francis Drake showed that the Erath is spherical. But, What does Quran say about the shape of the Earth? Contrary to popular belief, Qur’anic passages strongly hint that the Earth is spherical. In one of the many cases, it stated

“Do you not see that Allah causes the night to merge into the day and the day into the night, and has subjected the sun and the moon, each orbiting for an appointed term, and that Allah is All-Aware of what you do?”

Chapter 31 (Surah Luqman) verse 29

The shape of the Earth and Quran

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“Do you not see that Allah causes the night to merge into the day and the day into the night…..” Merging is a slow process. The night slowly and gradually merges into the day and the day slowly merges into the night. If the Earth was flat, than there would be a sudden change. In another chapter, Allah says:

“He created the heavens and the earth for a purpose. He wraps the night around the day, and wraps the day around the night. And He has subjected the sun and the moon, each orbiting for an appointed term. He is truly the Almighty, Most Forgiving.”

Chapter 39 (Surah Az-Zumar) verse 5

The use of the word “kawwara” is significant. A ball is “kurah” in Arabic.

“Kuwar” is to wind around? “Kawwara al-‘ imamah” is for winding the turban (around the head). Consequently, the going round of light and darkness is only possible if the earth is round. Yet in another place Allah says:

“He made the earth egg-shaped.”

Chapter 39 (Surah Az-Zumar) verse 5

 

What does the word “daha” mean?

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The word “daha” of the original carries two meanings: to spread, stretch, expand, as well as to “give a round shape.” It is  derived from the word duhiya, which means “ostrich egg”. The Qu an has used other words for spreading or stretching the earth, in several places. The words used there “madda” (mentioned three times ) or “bisata” (mentioned once). That’s why you see دَحَاهَا not used in other verses that use spread word.

“Daha? in the sense of a sphere is not merely a meaning of the classical times, but rather still used in our times for things of round shape. In Hejaz and parts of Middle-cast, an egg is a ” dahiyah.” The hole that an ostrich makes for its eggs is “ud-hiyyun” (the round hole). The hole that children make the ground for playing with marbles are known as “mid-ha.”  word daha may derive from the word duhiya, which is said to mean “ostrich egg”.

 

Mustafa Mahmoud view about daha

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Mustafa Mahmoud, a well-known Egyptian apologist from the 1970s, was one of the ‘pioneers’ in the field of scientific marvels. In some of his books in the early 1970s (e.g., ‘A Dialogue with my Atheist Friend’), he proposed the following:

The term ‘daha’ denotes two things: leveling and stretching, and forming into the shape of an egg.

Thus, he maintained that the use of the word in the Quran is a magnificent marvel because of its extreme precision, just as the Earth appears to us to be flat but is truly round. Furthermore, due to the disparity in polar and equatorial diameters, the globe is egg-shaped.

When we compare the shape of the Earth to that of the Arabian ostrich egg we see that out of all eggs this shape is the closest egg to an oblate spheroid.

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This is what a very famous dictionary says about this word:

دَحَا, (Ṣ, Mṣb, Ḳ,) first pers. دَحَوْتُ, (Ṣ,) aor. يَدْحُو, (Mṣb, Ḳ,) inf. n. دَحْوٌ, (Ṣ, Mṣb, Ḳ,) He spread; spread out, or forth; expanded; or extended; (Ṣ, Mṣb, Ḳ;) a thing; (Ṣ;) and, when said of God, the earth; (Fr, Ṣ, Mṣb, Ḳ;) as also دَحَى, (Mṣb, Ḳ,) first pers. دَحَيْتُ, (Ḳ in art. دحى,) aor. يَدْحَى, inf. n. دَحْىٌ: (Mṣb, and Ḳ in art. دحى:) or He (God) made the earth wide, or ample; as explained by an Arab woman of the desert to Sh: (TA:) also, said of an ostrich, (Ṣ, TA,) he expanded, and made wide, (TA,) with his foot, or leg, the place where he was about to deposit his eggs: (Ṣ,* TA:) and, said of a man, he spread,, &c., and made plain, even, or smooth. (TA in art. دحى.)

 

Ostrich Spread

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الأُدْحِيُّ و الإدْحِيُّ و الأُدْحِيَّة و الإدْحِيَّة و الأُدْحُوّة مَبِيض النعام في الرمل , وزنه أُفْعُول من ذلك , لأَن النعامة تَدْحُوه برِجْلها ثم تَبِيض فيه وليس للنعام عُشٌّ . و مَدْحَى النعام : موضع بيضها , و أُدْحِيُّها موضعها الذي تُفَرِّخ فيه.ِ

Translation: Al-udhy, Al-idhy, Al-udhiyya, Al-idhiyya, Al-udhuwwa: The place in sand where an ostrich lays its egg. This is because the ostrich spreads out (تَدْحُوه, tadhooh) the earth with its feet then lays its eggs there, an ostrich doesn’t have a nest.

This special spread is called an “ostrich SPREAD”. earlier Quran verses indirectly refer Earth as spherical shape but this one specifically refer Earth like egg shape. The only birdy animal there was in Arab was an Arabian ostrich. The connection with the word دَحَاهَا and the Arabian ostrich becomes more apparent by understanding the specific way the ostrich would lay its eggs was by SPREADING out the sand before laying on top of it. This is why the root word has the meanings to spread and that of an egg.

Yet another dictionary states:

والدَّحْوُ اسْتِرْسال البَطْنِ إلى أَسْفَلَ وعِظَمُه (لسان العرب)

“And’a-dahwu’ is used for a stomach that hangs down toward the ground, and for its bulkiness” (Lisan al- Arab).” A contemporary dictionary states:

دحا اللهُ الأرضَ: بَسَطَها ومَدَّها ووَسَّعَها على هيئة بيضة (معجم اللغة العربية المعاصرة)

“Allah has ‘daha’ al-ard’ means, ‘He stretched it, expanded it, extended it in the shape of an egg'” (Mu jam).

والأُدْحِيُّ من منازل القمر (لسان العرب)

“Uhiyyu is one of the phases of the moon” ; and, as we know, the moon goes round and round.

Thus, although not stated in direct terms, the Quran clearly implies that the carth is spherical in shape. The meaning was ignored by earliest witers because the concept was revolutionary and had to wait for a thousand years before it would receive credibility.

 

My final words

The glorious Quran says:

“We will show them Our signs in the universe and within themselves until it becomes clear to them that this ˹Quran˺ is the

truth. Is it not enough that your Lord is a Witness over all things?”

– Chapter 41 (Surah Fussilat ) verse 53 

Some people require only one sign, while others require numerous signs to embrace the truth. On the other side, there are others who, even after receiving thousands of indications, refuse to embrace the reality. The Quran describes these persons as:

“They are ˹wilfully˺ deaf, dumb, and blind, so they will never return ˹to the Right Path˺.”
– Chapter 2 (Surah Al-Baqarah) verse 18

The Bible says the same thing:

“Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand.”
– Gospel of Matthew verse 13 of chapter 13 

So which of the favors of your Lord would you deny?

My Blogs 

Hopefully, that was helpful to you and will assist you in strengthening your belief. You can also visit my other blogs:

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