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
