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Scientific Errors in the Quran: Difference between revisions
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→The Earth is Flat: General improvements in line with the rewritten flat earth page + moved Fasting and Prayer Requirements at the Poles to this section which is much more appropriate
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====Facing Toward Mecca==== | ====Facing Toward Mecca==== | ||
The Qur'an tells all Muslims to face in the direction of Mecca when they pray. However, | The Qur'an tells all Muslims to face in the direction of the Kaaba in Mecca when they pray. However, even if you suppose that alligning yourself with a great circle around the globe counts as facing the direction of Mecca, you are simultaneously facing opposite its direction as the circle can be traced behind you. Even worse, on the opposite side of the Earth every direction is equally facing towards and away from Mecca. Astronauts in Earth orbit or (one day) on the Moon and Mars would require even more contrived solutions. The author here presupposes a small world, local to Arabia, that is flat. Only in that world view can people everywhere face Mecca. | ||
{{Quote|{{Quran|2|149}}| | {{Quote|{{Quran|2|149}}| | ||
From whencesoever Thou startest forth, turn Thy face in the direction of the sacred Mosque; that is indeed the truth from the Lord. And Allah is not unmindful of what ye do.}} | From whencesoever Thou startest forth, turn Thy face in the direction of the sacred Mosque; that is indeed the truth from the Lord. And Allah is not unmindful of what ye do.}} | ||
====Fasting and Prayer Requirements Near the Poles==== | |||
{{Main|The Ramadan Pole Paradox}} | |||
The Qur'an commands Muslims to fast from eating and drinking from sunrise till sunset during Ramadan. The author of the Qur'an was apparently unfamiliar with the polar regions in which there are six months of sunlight and six months of perpetual night during Summer and Winter. Such fasting is not observable by anyone living in the polar regions, and very easy (depth of Winter) or extremely hard (height of Summer) in places within around 40 degrees latitude of the poles. Various contrived rules have been proposed by Muslim scholars for those at such latitudes to try to accommodate the inconvenient fact that we live on a round Earth. | |||
{{Quote|{{Quran|2|187}}| | |||
...then complete your fast Till the night appears;...}} | |||
A similar issue exists for the five daily prayers. Anyone living in the polar region would not be able to make a sunset or sunrise prayer for much of the year. Even for cities further south like Aberdeen in Scotland, the gap between the night prayer (Isha) and the dawn prayer (Fajr) is around 4 and a half hours in June, so anyone following these rules has to interupt their sleep around 3.20am, then go back to sleep before getting up for the day. Such issues would not have crossed the mind of a 7th century man in Arabia, who believed that everyone experiences sunrise and sunset when he does, and where it would be perfectly natural to arise at dawn any time of the year. | |||
{{Quote|{{Quran|17|78}}| | |||
Establish regular prayers - at the sun's decline till the darkness of the night, and the morning prayer and reading: for the prayer and reading in the morning carry their testimony.}} | |||
====Earth is Spread Out and Flat==== | ====Earth is Spread Out and Flat==== | ||
The author of the Qur'an mentions to his audience that the | The author of the Qur'an mentions to his audience that the Earth is 'spread out' and layed flat. The arabic word here ([http://www.studyquran.org/LaneLexicon/Volume4/00000081.pdf sataha]) was used to describe making the flat top or roof of a house or chamber and making a top surface flat. Words from the same root mean the flat top surface or roof of a house or chamber, a flat plane in geometry, a level place upon which dates can be spread, a rolling pin (which expands the dough), plane or flat. | ||
{{Quote|{{Quran|88|20}}|And at the Earth, how it is spread out?}} | {{Quote|{{Quran|88|20}}|And at the Earth, how it is spread out?}} | ||
The Qur'anic | The Qur'anic commentary of al-Jalalayn agrees with this understanding of the verse saying that most scholars at his time agree that the earth is flat and not spherical. | ||
{{Quote|Tafsir al-Jalalayn |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.}} | {{Quote|Tafsir al-Jalalayn |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 Earth is a carpet==== | |||
The arabic word used here means a thing that is spread or spread out or forth, and particularly a carpet. | |||
{{Quote|{{Quran|71|19}}|And Allah has made the earth for you as a carpet (spread out)}} | |||
====Earth is Like a Couch==== | ====Earth is Like a Couch==== | ||
The | The Earth is described using an arabic word that means a thing that is spread on the ground to sit or lay upon, | ||
{{Quote|{{Quran|2|22}}| | {{Quote|{{Quran|2|22}}| | ||
[He] who made for you the earth a bed [spread out] and the sky a ceiling and sent down from the sky, rain and brought forth thereby fruits as provision for you. So do not attribute to Allah equals while you know [that there is nothing similar to Him].}} | |||
Ibn-Kathir in his Tafsir agrees with this interpretation that the earth is flat and comfortable like a bed. | Ibn-Kathir in his Tafsir agrees with this interpretation that the earth is flat and comfortable like a bed. | ||
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The same root word for couch in 2:22 is used as a verb in 51.48 in the sense of to spread (the first word translated spread here). | The same root word for couch in 2:22 is used as a verb in 51.48 in the sense of to spread (the first word translated spread here). | ||
{{Quote|{{Quran|51|48}}|And the earth, We have spread it; how excellent (are) the Spreaders!}} | {{Quote|{{Quran|51|48}}|And the earth, '''We have spread it'''; how excellent (are) the Spreaders!}} | ||
====Earth is a Bed==== | ====Earth is a Bed==== | ||
The | The Earth is described like a bed (or carpet in Yusuf Ali's translation) in verse 20:53, and similarly {{Quran|43|10}}. The arabic word suggests something completely flat and spread out on the ground and not rolled up for storage. | ||
{{Quote|{{Quran|20|53}}| | {{Quote|{{Quran|20|53}}| | ||
Who hath appointed the earth '''as a bed''' and hath threaded roads for you therein and hath sent down water from the sky and thereby We have brought forth divers kinds of vegetation}} | Who hath appointed the earth '''as a bed''' and hath threaded roads for you therein and hath sent down water from the sky and thereby We have brought forth divers kinds of vegetation}} | ||
Sometimes the same Arabic word is translated as expanse as in this verse. Together with the next verse, the Earth is a thing spread out and pegged down by mountains. | |||
{{Quote|{{Quran-range|78|6|7}}|Have We not made the earth as a '''wide expanse''', And the mountains as pegs?}} | |||
The same root word is used as a verb at the end of 51.48 | |||
The | {{Quote|{{Quran|51|48}}|And the earth, We have spread it; how excellent (are) '''the Spreaders!'''}} | ||
====The Earth was stretched out==== | |||
In the verse below, as also in {{Quran|13|3}} and {{Quran|50|7}}, the Qur'an uses a word that meant to extend by drawing or pulling, stretch out, expand. | |||
{{Quote|{{Quran| | {{Quote|{{Quran|15|19}}|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.}} | ||
====Earth is Level==== | ====Earth is a Level Plain==== | ||
The Qur'an describes a time in the future when mountains will be removed | The Qur'an describes a time in the future when mountains will be removed. Verse 18:47 uses an arabic word that means entirely apparent to describe the Earth at this time. Verse 20:106 uses words that mean a level plain. This description assumes the Earth is already flat and level with only the mountains giving it shape. The author here appears to have no knowledge that the Earth is round and not level. | ||
{{Quote|{{Quran|18|47}}| | {{Quote|{{Quran|18|47}}|And (bethink you of) the Day when we remove the hills and ye see the earth emerging, and We gather them together so as to leave not one of them behind.}} | ||
{{Quote|{{Quran|20|105}}|They ask thee | {{Quote|{{Quran-range|20|105|107}}|They will ask thee of the mountains (on that day). Say: My Lord will break them into scattered dust. And leave it as '''an empty plain''', Wherein thou seest neither curve nor ruggedness.}} | ||
===Earth has Seven Atmospheric Layers=== | ===Earth has Seven Atmospheric Layers=== | ||