DISCLAIMER!
This article in no shape or form is designed to denigrate or disparage the respected Shaykh (Hafizahullah). The following models whether it is: Geocentric, Heliocentric, Flat earth or Globe earth are all opinions held by prominent and Muslim scholars of high calibre. This should not be the foundation for abusive or emotional refutation. If you are someone who does not agree with the concept of ‘valid differences of opinion in the ummah’ then please do us all a favour and DO NOT read any further or engage in the topic. The contents of this article are merely an academic presentation bringing supporting evidences for the ‘Flat earth theory’. As the following clips are being used in response to disprove the claims of the Muslim flat earthers, it is important to counter the objections for those that follow the opinion of those Sunni scholars that say the earth is flat. There should be no intolerance and hate in the case of non-agreement of the responses given.
Secondly, believing in or not believing in any of these models, does not fall into the category of usul-ul-aqeedah but rather faru-ul-aqeedah. Meaning, one cannot leave the fold of Islam or Ahle-sunnah-wal-jama’a by believing in or not believing in any of the aforementioned models, hence the topic falls under ‘minor aspects of theology’ not major and should be dealt with using this methodology accordingly.
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PLEASE NOTE: FULL TRANSCRIPT OF BOTH CLIPS USED IN OBJECTIONS ARE AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS PAGE
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Objection:
“Of course no Muslim scholar held the position that the earth is flat.
No Muslim scholar held the position that the earth is flat.
ALL the Muslim scholars said that the earth is rounded.”
(clip 1)
Answer:
There is a slight error in this statement as the following books, along with thirteen other names of prominent scholars held the opinion that the earth is flat:
Tafsir Ibn Abbas (65:12),
Tafsir Jalalayn (88:20) of Imam As-suyti & Imam Mahali,
Tafsir Qurtubi (13:3) of Imam Qurtubi,
Tafsir khazin (13:3) of Imam Ibrahim Khazin,
Fathul Qadeer (51:48) of Imam Showkani,
Those mentioned above should be sufficient to counter the claim.
Although the Sahykh did in the later video accept that: “while they may have been an odd number of people who interpreted the verses to mean flat.” (clip2)
Objection:
“Al Imam Faqar-ud-Deen al Razi (ra), one of the foremost Sunni theologians in his commentary of the Quran says there is ‘Ijma’ consensus that the earth is Geoid, circular in shape.”
(Clip 2)
Answer:
As far as my research has gone, I could not find any passage from Imam Razi about Ijma on this issue, but what I did find was Ibn Taymiyah and Ibn Hazam stating that “there is Ijma”.
Objection:
“we observe the planet Mars for instance, the planet Mars is not liveable, there are rocks and mountains that people cannot live on.”
(clip 1)
“Unlike planet Mars and Jupiter (which) are the planets that are unliveable, they have rocky surfaces, the planet Earth is liveable.”
(clip 2)
Answer:
This point, either I did not understand it or it is weak. As there are may habitable places on earth that have a mountainous terrain, such as the Holy cities of Makkah and Medina. Or other places like Kashmir and Afghanistan are known to have mountainous habitable terrains, and thousands of people live in these conditions.
Objection:
"But the word دَحَاهَا this one word دَحَا one of the linguistical meanings of دَحَا is also rounded. So if you check a lexicon, if you check the root دَحَى the verbدَحَى you will find that the same word is used for Rounded belly when someone gets a potbelly. They describe the belly with the same verb that is why because the belly starts rounding up, the same verb is used that the earth is also like this."
(clip 1)
“But if someone argues that the Quran cannot be interpreted such as atheists claim, they claimed دَحَاهَاdoesn't mean rounded, which is in fact wrong."
(clip 2)
Answer:
Although in the first clip the shaykh did acknowledge that one meaning of the word دَحَا does hold a meaning of being ‘flat and livable’ but one thing is to be kept in mind that the verse:
Quran 79:30 وَ الْاَرْضَ بَعْدَ ذٰلِكَ دَحٰىهَاؕ does give the meaning of flat/spread. (as the Shaykh also mentioned). This is the primary and most authentic meaning of this ayah. We know the best Tafsir of Qur'an is Qur'an itself, and the other Ayaats of the Quran mention the earth with reference to “flatness/spread” e.g.
Quran وَاللَّهُ جَعَلَ لَكُمُ الْأَرْضَ بِسَاطًا - 71:19
“And Allah has made for you the earth an expanse”
Quran وَإِلَى الْأَرْضِ كَيْفَ سُطِحَت - 88:20
“And at the earth, how it is spread out”
وَالْأَرْضِ وَمَا طَحَاهَا - 91:6
“And [by] the earth and He who spread it”
وَالْأَرْضَ مَدَدْنَاهَا - 50:7
“And the earth - We spread it out”
أَلَمْ نَجْعَلِ الْأَرْضَ مِهَادًا - 78:6
“Have We not made the earth a bed”
Therefore, taking all these Ayaats into consideration, then to say that there is also meaning of ‘roundness’ by similarity with a ‘pot stomach’ is far-fetched and disregarding of the explanation given by the Quran.
A contradiction between Ayaats, is not possible but contradiction in translation is, if we were to use the far-fetched translations, to mould them to fit modern day science, this can lead to errors. Hence, the first explanation to a word should be in conjunction with other Ayaats and their meanings. This is the safer option.
Objection:
“Then you get to the side part that could also be liveable because of the gravity that Allah subhan wa taala has made which is also mentioned in the Qur’an.”
(clip 1)
Answer:
I am yet to see an ayah (direct or indirect) that mentions "Gravity".
The whole Globe earth theory is based on gravity, which according to the shaykh is mentioned in the Qur'an. If anyone can please show me this mention in the Qur'an, Hadith or Tafsir, then please comment below.
The whole argument of the globe will break down if gravity is not proven.
Objection:
“So if you check a lexicon, if you check the root دَحَى the verbدَحَى you will find that the same word is used for Rounded belly when someone gets a potbelly.”
(clip 1)
Answer:
Although I personally could not find in any Arabic lexicons the meaning of 'roundness of the belly', par one. However, what I did find in many lexicons was the meaning of the ‘belly slumped’ or ‘drooping down’.
E.g.
دحا البطن : استرخى واسترسل إلى أسفل.
المعجم: الرائد
دَحَا البَطْنُ :- : اِسْتَرْخَى وَتَدَلَّى إلَى أَسْفَلَ.
المعجم: الغني
والدَّحْوُ: اسْتِرْسال البَطْنِ إلى أَسْفَلَ وعِظَمُه؛
المعجم: لسان العرب
As well as the aforementioned meanings, the following meanings are also mentioned:
"rounding of the bread" meaning (as the shaykh said) was found,
“Flattening of the bread” meaning
دحا الخباز العجين : بسطه ورققه.
المعجم: الرائد
A video is soon to be released on all of the above and also the eclipse point in clip 2
Conclusion:
In conclusion, scholars have given both interpretations: The ‘globe earth theory’ and ‘flat earth theory’. Whereas, from the first instance of looking at the Ayaats, without giving far-fetched translations, Taweelaat, and using the first meanings that are in agreement with the other Ayaats, it is definitely understood that these Ayaats allude more to the ‘flat earth model’ rather than a ‘globe earth one’.
والله اعلم بالصواب
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TRANSCRIPT OF CLIP 1 & 2 STARTS HERE
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Clip 1:
وَالْأَرْضَ بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ دَحَاهَا
now, دَحَاهَا someone asked me this, they said that the word دَحَاهَا means to be flattened, دَحَاهَا it means to be flattened.
Of course no Muslim scholar held the position that the earth is flat.
No Muslim scholar held the position that the earth is flat.
All the Muslim scholars said that the earth is rounded.
But the word دَحَاهَا one meaning, this shows us how the Quran may use one word with multiple meanings.
And each meaning does not contradict the other.
One meaning of the دَحَاهَا is to be flat and liveable, flat and liveable.
What that means is that when we observe the planet Mars for instance, the planet Mars is not liveable this, this heavens and this rocks and mountains that people cannot live on.
But the earth is such that Allah Subhanahu wa Tal’a has made the earth liveable.
This is what the favour is referring to. But the word دَحَاهَا this one word دَحَا one of the linguistical meanings of دَحَا is also rounded.
So if you check a lexicon, if you check the root دَحَى the verbدَحَى you will find that the same word is used for Rounded belly when someone gets a potbelly.
They describe the belly with the same verb that why because the belly starts rounding up, the same verb is used that the earth is also like this.
You have the when the person stomach gets big, the top part is liveable.
Then you get to the side part that could also be liveable because of the because of the gravity that Allah subhan wa taala has made which is also mentioned in the Qur’an.
So, if you do research, just leave the indication then people can do research on this themselves.
One of my students was asking, he said I checked the word that have the verb and it means to be flattened, or to be liveable.
But I said to him go check the lexicography you will find دَحَا and also the verb that دَحَى containing the word the meaning of being rounded that the poet describes the bread, describes the bread the Baker's making, and he mentions that دحاmeaning that he rounded the bread, So one word in the Quran can have multiple meanings that do not contradict one another.
End clip
Clip 2:
But this Shiri that I met rafidhi he said to me, he mentioned the Flat Earth Theory. Now the Flat Earth Theory goes against sensory perception and it contradicts the Quran because the Quran says
وَالْأَرْضَ بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ دَحَاهَا
وَالْأَرْضَ بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ دَحَاهَا
دَحَاهَا here alludes to the geoid shape of the earth.
Some of them have misconstrued verses of the Quran to mean flat earth, when in reality, those verses are in reference, like سطحت, or بسطت that the earth is liveable and it doesn't refer to a flat earth.
Unlike planet Mars and Jupiter are the planets which are unliveable, they have rocky surfaces, the planet Earth is liveable.
So the Quran refers to the earth as being livable,سطحت is a surface that the earth is like a surface that is liveable, it doesn't mean that the earth is flat.
And scholars never held this view.
Al imaaam fakhar-u-deen al razi the one of the foremost Sunni theologians in his commentary of the Quran says there is ‘Ijma’ consensus that the earth is Geoid, circular in shape, this is a position while they may have been an odd number of people whose who interpreted the verses mean flat.
According to imaaam fakhar-u-deen al razi, there is Ijma but we have sensory perception of this How?
How, firstly, the Flat Earth Theory has been debunked by scientists.
But how do we as common people debunk it?
When you observe a lunar eclipse, when you observe a lunar eclipse, the earth comes between the sun, the sun reflects its light on to the moon, so the moon reflects the light of the sun. And we observed the moon reflecting the light of the sun. When the earth comes in between there is a lunar eclipse, what shape do we see for the earth, we see a circular shape for the earth, we observed the shadow of the earth on the moon. This is observable, so flat earth theory goes against sensory perception that which we observe, it goes against the Quran also.
But if someone argues that the Quran cannot be interpreted as such as atheists claim, they claimed theدَحَاهَاdoesn't mean rounded, which is in fact wrong.
One of the meanings ofدَحَاهَا is rounded, if you check, lexicography, you will find that meaning, but the sensory perception of observing the rounded Earth being reflected on the moon is something that we observe.
So, if Muslims adopt theories like Flat Earth Theory, or the Anunnaki, or these various theories that I mentioned, like believing that the moon is not real, or these types of things, then this undermines our anti establishment pro freedom stances.
End clip