The shape and orbit of the earth (Part 1)


source: silsilat ul-hudā wa nnūr ~ the series of guidance and light ~ tape no.


435 & 436


Question #10/1: “Is the earth round or flat?”


Shaykh al-Albānī answers:


“It is round,[1] and the issue of the earth being round or flat is


not an affair related to actions nor faith, such that it is


obligatory for the Muslim to know the Islamically legislated


ruling about it if it is related to actions in order to worship Allāh


by it like the rest of the acts of worship, or for him to believe in


it in the depth of his heart and soul if it is a belief that every


Muslim is commanded to believe in. Rather, it is an issue that


can be understood upon two (different) ways from the


explanation of some āyāt in the noble Qur’ān. And no doubt –


as is the case with most issues – one of the views will be


correct and the other will be wrong. Thus, whoever makes


ijtihād[2] while he is qualified to do so – and the first condition


for this qualification is knowledge of the Arabic language –


then whether he is right or wrong, as (the questioner) himself


knows, whoever is right has two rewards and whoever errs


has one reward.[3] And these āyāt that have come with regard


to the earth, about whether it is moving, round or whether it is


stationary – there isn’t a decisive text that would support either


of the two different views. Therefore, we said that this is not an


affair related to belief about which there must be a united


opinion as we believe to the case with the ʽaqīdah (belief) of


the salaf (righteous predecessors). It could be understood


from some of the āyāt from the noble Qur’ān related to this


subject that the earth is stationary and flat, and it could be


understood from some other (āyāt) that it is moving and


orbiting. And this (latter) opinion is that which carries more


weight in our view and agrees with the natural reality which


every individual from the people perceives (to be true),


whether he is a Muslim or a disbeliever.


And it is sufficient for us to know that there isn’t a decisive


proof about this issue with those who insist on opposing that


which is established scientifically today: that the earth moves


and that it orbits around the sun. It is sufficient, for knowing


that there isn’t a clear text contradicting this idea or this


astronomical view, that many of the Muslim scholars whose


knowledge and excellence all of the Muslims acknowledge –


especially us Salafis[4] who believe in the leadership of


Shaykh ul-Islām ibn Taimiyyah in knowledge of the Book and


the Sunnah, and Ibn Qayyim az-Jawziyyah, let alone other


than them – used to believe the opposite of what is being


spread now based on some apparent indications of the


Qur’ān, such as the āyah {And the mountains He has fixed


firmly}[5] for example, {And after that He spread the earth}[6]


and similar āyāt. They did not understand (and deduce) this


opposing rigid opinion from (these āyāt), firstly due to the


apparent indications of other (Qur’ānic) texts, and secondly


due to astronomical, scientific fact. And the like of the āyah


that describes the mountains with respect to the earth to be


like anchors with respect to ships does not necessitate


linguistically that the earth does not move at all, but rather it


negates a disordered movement.[7] And similar to this āyah is


the āyah: {And the mountains [We have made] as pegs},[8]


because we know by observation that the peg with respect to


the animal does not prevent it from moving [i.e, when you tie


the animal to the peg], but rather the peg prevents it from


moving chaotically such that it would flee and go off however it


wants – no, our Lord has arranged the orbiting of the earth like


the circulating of the horse around the peg. Hence, Him


making the mountains as pegs is contrary to what they claim;


it (actually) confirms the movement of the earth, but it confirms


a scientific movement that is well-known today to be organized


and very precise throughout the year such that not it does not


change by a single second. Likewise, the anchors don’t


prevent the ship from moving.”


[1] the words that follow were said by the Shaykh upon request from the questioner to explain


more on the issue


[2] independent reasoning


[3] Sahīh al-Bukhārī #7352


[4] those who follow the way of the Salaf


[5] Sūrat un-Nāziʽāt, 79:32


[6] Sūrat un-Nāziʽāt, 79:30


[7] also refer to the āyah: “And He has affixed into the earth mountains standing firm, lest it


should shake with you…;” Sūrat un-Nahl, 16:15


[8] Sūrat un-Naba’, 78:7


The shape and orbit of the earth (Part 2)


source: silsilat ul-hudā wa nnūr ~ the series of guidance and light ~ tape no.


497


Question #10: “What do you say about the orbiting of the


earth?”


Shaykh al-Albānī answers:


“We in fact don’t doubt that the matter of the orbiting of the


earth is an indisputable scientific fact. At the same time, we


believe that it is not the purpose of the Islamic legislation in


general and the Qur’ān specifically to talk about astronomy


and its details. Rather, this is included in the generality of (the


Prophet’s) saying ( صلى الله عليه وسلم ) which Muslim brought out in


his Sahīh from the narration of Anas bin Mālik (radi Allāhu


ʽanhu) about the story of pollinating the date palm trees,[1]


when he ( صلى الله عليه وسلم ) said to them: ‘It was only an opinion


of mine, so if I order you to do something concerning your


religious affair, then do it as much as you are able, and


whatever I order you to do concerning your worldly affairs,


then you are more knowledgeable about them.’[2] So these


issues were not obligatory for the Messenger (of Allāh) ( صلى الله


عليه وسلم ) to talk about, and if he did talk (about them) in his


hadīth or if our Lord, the Mighty and Majestic, did so in His


Book, then it is only for (showing) a sign or miracle or the like.


Thus, we can say that there isn’t anything in the Book nor in


the Sunnah that would contradict this scientific fact that is wellknown


today, which states that the earth is round and that it


runs in an orbit by the Power of Allāh, the Mighty and Majestic,


in this vast space.


Rather, it is possible for the Muslim to find that which


suggests, if not clearly states, that the earth is like the sun and


the moon because they are all in this space, as He, the Mighty


and Majestic, says: {they all float, each in an orbit}; and (this is


so) especially if we remember that before this divine statement


with the word ‘all,’ (this word) means the three celestial bodies


due to the fact that He began with the earth. So He said: {And


a sign for them is the dead earth. We give it life, and We bring


forth from it grains, so that they eat thereof},[3] then He said:


{And the sun runs on its fixed course for a term (appointed).


That is the Decree of the All-Mighty, the All-Knowing / And the


moon, We have measured for it mansions (to traverse) till it


returns like the old dried curved date stalk / It is not for the sun


to overtake the moon, nor does the night outstrip the day.


They all float, each in an orbit}.[4] The word ‘all’ includes the


first āyah: the earth, then the sun, then the moon. Then He,


the Most High, says: {They all float, each in an orbit}.


This is what is apparent from the context of these āyāt, which


are no doubt amazing āyāt about the dominion of Allāh, the


Mighty and Majestic. All of this is while knowing that the


scholars of tafsīr[5] attributed the term ‘all’ to the closest thing


mentioned, which is the sun and the moon. However, there


isn’t anything that would ever prevent us from extending the


meaning of ‘all’ to include the earth which was mentioned


before the sun and the moon.”


[1] Sahīh Muslim #2363; the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم )) saw people pollinating date palm


trees and expressed that it may be good if they did not do so, but after they left doing


it, there was a negative impact on date production


[2] the Shaykh also mentioned some extra wordings; refer to Sahīh Muslim #2361,


#2362 and Sahīh ibn Mājah #2


[3] Sūrah Yā Sīn, 36:33


[4] Sūrah Yā Sīn, 36:38-40


[5] explanation of the Qur’ān