398
edits
Islamic Views on the Shape of the Earth: Difference between revisions
Islamic Views on the Shape of the Earth (view source)
Revision as of 21:16, 14 February 2024
, 14 February→The spring where the sun sets: Added another important early tafsir (the earliest) on this verse confirming the literal setting (rising and) place of the sun in a hot muddy spring, which is of course only possible on a flat Earth.
| [checked revision] | [checked revision] |
(→Greek astronomical knowledge: I have added in another section from an Islamic scholar on Greek astronomical knowledge being advanced upon and gaining traction with caliph sponsorship, highlighting one of Al-Ma'mun's accomplishments and patronaging, which can explain how later tafsir/commentators gained this knowledge.) |
(→The spring where the sun sets: Added another important early tafsir (the earliest) on this verse confirming the literal setting (rising and) place of the sun in a hot muddy spring, which is of course only possible on a flat Earth.) |
||
| (2 intermediate revisions by the same user not shown) | |||
| Line 355: | Line 355: | ||
===Seven stacked earths=== | ===Seven stacked earths=== | ||
''Main article: [[Science and the Seven Earths]]'' | |||
Various narrations describe seven stacked flat earths (not spherical layers, طوّقه means put on a neck-ring<ref>طوق tawwaqa [http://www.studyquran.org/LaneLexicon/Volume5/00000179.pdf Lane's Lexicon] p. 1894</ref>):{{Quote|{{Bukhari|3|43|634}}|Narrated Salim's father (i.e. `Abdullah): | Various narrations describe seven stacked flat earths (not spherical layers, طوّقه means put on a neck-ring<ref>طوق tawwaqa [http://www.studyquran.org/LaneLexicon/Volume5/00000179.pdf Lane's Lexicon] p. 1894</ref>):{{Quote|{{Bukhari|3|43|634}}|Narrated Salim's father (i.e. `Abdullah): | ||
| Line 409: | Line 411: | ||
===The spring where the sun sets=== | ===The spring where the sun sets=== | ||
{{Main|Dhul-Qarnayn and the Sun Setting in a Muddy Spring - Part One}} | {{Main|Dhul-Qarnayn and the Sun Setting in a Muddy Spring - Part One}} | ||
Early Tafsirs (commentaries on the Quran from Muslim Scholars) had no issue stating that the Quran supports a flat Earth cosmology. In fact the earliest surviving authentically attributed tafsir, Tafsir Muqātil ibn Sulaymān (d. 767 CE), i.e. who lived closer to the time of Muhammad than any other scholar, says on verse 18:86 that this means the sun is setting in a muddy spring, which is only possible on a flat (and geocentric) Earth. | |||
{{Quote|1=[https://www.altafsir.com/Tafasir.asp?tMadhNo=0&tTafsirNo=67&tSoraNo=18&tAyahNo=83&tDisplay=yes&UserProfile=0&LanguageId=1 Tafsir Muqātil ibn Sulaymān on Verses 18:83-86]|2={Until when he reached the setting of the sun, he found it setting in a spring of mud}, meaning hot and black. Ibn Abbas said: When the sun rises, it is hotter than when it sets.}} | |||
In the tafsir of al-Tabari (b. 224 AH / 839 CE) for {{Quran|18|86}}, the following remarks are made about the nature of the spring into which the sun sets. For another, full English translation of the relevant page in al-Tabari's tafsir [https://theislamissue.wordpress.com/2022/03/23/tafsir-al-tabari-for-q1886/ see this article]. The similar sounding words hami'ah (muddy) and hamiyah (hot) seem to have become confused at some point in the transmission of the Qur'anic script: | In the tafsir of al-Tabari (b. 224 AH / 839 CE) for {{Quran|18|86}}, the following remarks are made about the nature of the spring into which the sun sets. For another, full English translation of the relevant page in al-Tabari's tafsir [https://theislamissue.wordpress.com/2022/03/23/tafsir-al-tabari-for-q1886/ see this article]. The similar sounding words hami'ah (muddy) and hamiyah (hot) seem to have become confused at some point in the transmission of the Qur'anic script: | ||
| Line 532: | Line 538: | ||
The word "sutihat" in {{Quran|88|20}} [[Flat Earth and the Quran#Qur.27an_88:20_-_sutihat_.28.22spread_out_flat.22.29|means "laid out flat"]]. | The word "sutihat" in {{Quran|88|20}} [[Flat Earth and the Quran#Qur.27an_88:20_-_sutihat_.28.22spread_out_flat.22.29|means "laid out flat"]]. | ||
See also their commentary on [https://quranx.com/Tafsir/Jalal/91.6 91.6], [https://quranx.com/Tafsir/Jalal/71.19 71.19], [https://quranx.com/Tafsir/Jalal/13.3 13.3], [https://quranx.com/Tafsir/Jalal/15.19 15.19], [https://quranx.com/Tafsir/Jalal/51.48 51.48], [https://quranx.com/Tafsir/Jalal/79.30 79:30] etc. | |||
===Others=== | ===Others=== | ||
Many further examples of scholars expressing a flat earth interpretation of the Quran are collated in [https://theislamissue.wordpress.com/2019/03/22/scholarly-consensus-of-a-round-earth/ another article ]. These interpretations contrast with claims of an Islamic scholarly consensus for a round earth. As | Many further examples of scholars expressing a flat earth interpretation of the Quran are collated in [https://theislamissue.wordpress.com/2019/03/22/scholarly-consensus-of-a-round-earth/ another article.] One can see that all early mufassirūn (Quranic scholars who wrote commentaries/tafsirs) (''which can be viewed directly on [https://www.altafsir.com/ tafsir.com]'') that commented on the relevant verses took the view the Qur'an was describing a flat earth with the sun literally setting in a muddy spring. | ||
Adding to these lists of mufassirūn we can almost certainly add the main compliers of the hadith (Bukhari, Muslim, Abu Dawood, al-Tirmidhi, al-Nasa'i and ibn Majah), who were themselves extremely important scholars in early Islam. As while they may not have had a 100% consistent view of the cosmos in every aspect, it is clear they adhere to the ancient flat-Earth (with seven flat earths) geocentric worldview, as they would unlikely have trusted or contained so many statements in their collections (such as mentioned above), had they known or believed them to conflict directly with reality or the Qur'an. | |||
These interpretations contrast with claims of an Islamic scholarly consensus for a round earth. As Dr Omar Anchassi says '<nowiki/>''It is clear that the Aristotelian-Ptolemaic vision of the cosmos remained contested by theologians of all stripes to the end of the fifth/eleventh century''<nowiki/>'<ref>''[https://www.academia.edu/93485940/Against_Ptolemy_Cosmography_in_Early_Kal%C4%81m_2022_ Against Ptolemy? Cosmography in Early Kalām (2022).]'' Omar Anchassi. ''Journal of the American Oriental Society'', ''142''(4), 851–881. <nowiki>https://doi.org/10.7817/jaos.142.4.2022.ar033</nowiki></ref> in his article '''Against Ptolemy? Cosmography in Early Kalām''<nowiki/>' (2022). | |||
==Modern perspectives and criticisms thereof== | ==Modern perspectives and criticisms thereof== | ||