Quran tells us the earth is oblate spheroid
The Quran, which is the word of Allah, contains many scientific miracles. The Quran tells us about many miraculous scientific events of the world, the universe, and nature. Some of these events were not fully understood at the time due to the limited knowledge and narrow perspectives of people.
One of the most important of these is related to the shape of the Earth. In ancient times, it was thought that the Earth was flat, and it was believed that some verses in the Quran provided information about the flatness of the Earth. However, if we pay attention to the words used by Allah in the Quran and the information in different verses, we can see that this is not true and that the Quran clearly and explicitly informed us about 1400 years ago that the Earth is round and even further, that the Earth has an "oblate spheroid" shape.
In Islam, the Quran has generally been learned or tried to be understood through interpretations up to this day, but this is both a big mistake and an act against the Quran. An interpretation is made by a human and is limited to that person's own knowledge, culture, and education. However, the word of Allah is not subject to such limitations.
The verses in the Quran about the shape of the Earth have been defined as "flat" due to these interpretations. However, the Quran has informed us in many verses that the Earth is round. While some of these verses are very clear and understandable, others require knowledge to comprehend.
The verses in the Quran about the shape of the Earth have been defined as "flat" due to these interpretations. However, the Quran has informed us in many verses that the Earth is round. While some of these verses are very clear and understandable, others require knowledge to comprehend.
The Quran clearly states that there are 12 months in a year (39:5). Additionally, Allah mentions in many verses that day and night continually follow each other, referring to the cycle of day and night (3:27, 22:61, 31:29, 36:38, 35:13, 57:6). Moreover, verses 91:4 and 92:1 also indicate that day and night wrap around the Earth.
As seen in these verses, the Quran explicitly states that the Earth is round. Day and night cycles can only occur if the Earth is round; if the Earth were flat, these cycles would not happen. The fact that the moon and the sun follow an orbit is also mentioned in verses 36:38 and 36:39.
In addition to these verses, the most important and noteworthy verse in the Quran about the shape of the Earth is in Surah Nazi'at, verse 90, where the shape of the Earth is likened to an ostrich egg. The word "dahāhā" (دَحَاهَا) in this verse has been accepted only as "spread out" due to people's ignorance and the narrow-mindedness of interpreters. However, the meaning of this word is much deeper and more significant.
Allah revealed the Quran as a complete miracle, and everything in the Quran is crafted in a mysterious way. Even the words used by Allah have special reasons because in some verses, Allah uses unusual words to give a special meaning to that usage. To understand these well, it is necessary to thoroughly study the Quran and the words in the Quran, paying attention to the root words and their uses during the time of the Prophet.
The Arabic verb "dahā" states that the Earth is egg-shaped. The noun form "diḥya" is still used in some Arabic dialects to mean egg, which supports this meaning of the word.
Arabic Root and Meaning
The root of the word "dahaha" is the verb "dahā" (دَحَى). The primary meanings of this verb are:
Proto-Semitic and Root Meanings
To understand Arabic roots, it is useful to look at Proto-Semitic roots. Words in the Semitic language family generally carry similar meanings and share common roots.
As seen, the root word "dahā" means "to spread." However, among the words derived from the root word itself, د ح و (d ḥ w), there are some interesting and noteworthy words. These words are all related to the ostrich. Generally, they refer to the place where the ostrich nests, the place where the ostrich lays its eggs, and the ostrich egg itself.
The Arabic word "دَحْيَة" (dahya) means ostrich egg. This word is connected to the root "dahā" (دَحَى) and is derived from the root that carries the meaning of spreading or paving. The word "dahya" can be used metaphorically, especially in the Quran, when referring to the spreading of the earth, and has been interpreted by some commentators as referring to the Earth's ellipsoidal shape.
Root and Meaning
In Arabic root word dictionaries, words derived from the root د ح و (d ḥ w) are seen. The words derived from the d-h-w root, such as udhiya (أدحوة), mean "the place where the ostrich lays its eggs" or "ostrich nest." Along with these, the meaning of the word "dahaha" is also highly likely to be related to the ostrich. The d-h-w root specifically talks about a "spreading" in a special sense, because there are many words in Arabic meaning "to spread," and these words are used in other verses in the Quran. However, the word "dahaha" is mentioned only in this verse in the Quran, and in this verse, it talks about the formation and shape of the Earth. The fact that Allah specifically uses the word "dahaha" instead of other words meaning "to spread" in this verse is another piece of evidence showing that the word has a special meaning.
Words Used in Other Verses
Some other words and expressions used in the Quran about the creation and shaping of the earth are as follows:
The Special Nature of the Word "dahaha"
The use of the word "dahaha" in Surah Nazi'at 79:30 might carry a special meaning regarding a specific stage in the creation process of the earth or Allah making the earth suitable for human habitation. Different derivatives and uses of roots in Arabic can express various nuances in different contexts.
The fact that the word "dahaha" is used only once in the Quran and that its meaning here is more than just "to spread" is related to its connection with the ostrich. It is known that some words used in the classical Arabian period and during the time of the Prophet are not used today. At that time, the only egg known to Arabs was the ostrich egg; other eggs were introduced to Arabia much later. Today, the Arabian ostrich is extinct.
The connection between the word "دَحَاهَا" (dahāhā) and the Arabian ostrich becomes clearer when we understand that the ostrich "spreads" the sand before laying its eggs on it. Therefore, the root word carries meanings related to spreading and eggs.
In this context, it is clear that in the 79th verse of the Quran, Surah Nazi'at, verse 30, Allah is describing how He formed the Earth and what shape He gave it.
Many scholars around the world have correctly translated this verse as referring to the shape of an ostrich egg. One of the best and most accurate translations of this verse was done by one of the best scholars of his time, Yaşar Nuri Hoca.
According to his translation, Nazi'at 30: "After that, He spread the Earth and shaped it like an ostrich egg."
The Quran is full of many scientific miracles and information, as exemplified by this verse, but people can only understand them within the limits of their own narrow views and knowledge. Therefore, it is necessary to thoroughly research and learn the Quran, as the Quran itself advises us to do so.