GEOLOG

Y IN THE
 Abstract

 The Qur’an on Mountain:

 1st Principle: Formation of Mountains
 2nd Principle: Functions of Mountains
 3rd Principle: Movement of Mountains
 4th Principle: Mountains and Rains
 The Qur’an on Earth:
 1st Principle: Formation of Earth
 2nd Principle: Rotation of Earth
 3rd Principle: Cleft on Earth
 4th Principle: Spherical Nature of Earth
 5th Principle: The Earth’s Atmosphere
 5th Principle: Earthquakes
THE EARTH IN THE QUR’AN
 Look at the following verses of the Qur’an on Earth:
)48-‫ون (الذاريات‬ َ ‫ض فَ َر ْشنَاهَا فَنِ ْع َم ْال َما ِه ُد‬ َ ْ‫َواأْل َر‬ 
)64-‫ض قَ َرارًا َوال َّس َما َء بِنَا ًء (غافر‬ َ ْ‫اللَّـهُ الَّ ِذي َج َع َل لَ ُك ُم اأْل َر‬ 
)22-‫ض فِ َرا ًشا َوال َّس َما َء بِنَا ًء (اليقرة‬ َ ْ‫الَّ ِذي َج َع َل لَ ُك ُم اأْل َر‬ 
ْ َ‫صـب‬
﴾19﴿ ‫ت‬ َ ‫﴾ َوإِلَـى ْال ِجبَا ِلـ َك ْي‬18﴿ ‫تـ‬
ِ ُ‫فـ ن‬ ْ ‫فـ ُرفِ َع‬ َ ‫﴾ َوإِلَـى ال َّسـ َما ِء َك ْي‬17﴿ ‫تـ‬ ْ َ‫فـ ُخلِق‬ َ ‫أَفَاَل يَنظُرُو َنـ إِلَـى اإْل ِ بِ ِلـ َك ْي‬ 
)‫﴾ (الغاشية‬20﴿ ‫ت‬ ْ ‫ُط َح‬ ِ ‫ْف س‬ َ ‫ض َكي‬ ِ ْ‫َوإِلَى اأْل َر‬
﴾5-‫يج ﴿الحج‬ ٍ ‫ج بَ ِه‬ٍ ‫ت ِمن ُك ِّل َز ْو‬ْ َ‫ت َوأَنبَت‬ ْ َ‫ت َو َرب‬ ْ ‫ض هَا ِم َدةً فَإ ِ َذا أَن َز ْلنَا َعلَ ْيهَا ْال َما َء ا ْهتَ َّز‬َ ْ‫َوتَ َرى اأْل َر‬ 

 And the earth We have spread out, and excellent is the preparer (zariat-48).
 It is Allah who made for you the earth a place of settlement and the sky a ceiling (Gafir-64)
 [He] who made for you the earth a bed [spread out] and the sky a ceiling (Baqarah-22)
 Then do they not look at the camels - how they are created? (17) And at the sky - how it
is raised? (18) And at the mountains - how they are erected? (19) And at the earth - how
it is spread out? (20) (Ghashiyah)
 And you see the earth barren, but when We send down upon it rain, it quivers and swells
and grows [something] of every beautiful kind (Hajj-5).
THE EARTH IN THE QUR’AN
 The Qur’an on Earth:
 1st Principle: Formation of Earth
 2nd Principle: Rotation of Earth
 3rd Principle: Cleft on Earth
 4th Principle: Spherical Nature of Earth
 5th Principle: The Earth’s Atmosphere
 5th Principle: Earthquakes
 Principle 1: Formation of Earth: Seven
Layers
 The Noble Quran says:  “Allah is He Who Created seven firmaments and of the
earth the same number.  Through the midst of them (all) descends His command:
that ye may know that Allah has power over all things, and that Allah comprehends all
things In (His) Knowledge.  (The Noble Quran, 65:12)”
 Here Allah (swt) speaks about creating seven layers of earth which has been
discovered by the science many hundreds of years later.
The earth's seven inner layers:
Principle 1 : The Earth has seven
atmospheric layers
 Look at the following two verses of the Qur’an:
 “Then He turned to heaven when it was smoke.
In two days He determined them as seven
heavens and revealed, in every heaven, its own
mandate." (The Qur'an, 41:12)
 “Who has made the earth a resting place for
you, and the sky as a canopy, and sent down
water (rain) from the sky and brought forth
therewith fruits as a provision for you. Then do
not set up rivals unto Allah (in worship) while
you know (that He Alone has the right to be
worshipped)”
Principle 1 : The Earth is a ‘Resting Place’
 According to the two verses, the earth has been made a
‘resting place’ through spreading seven canopies upon
it, well indicating to seven atmospheric layers.
 "Scientists have found that the atmosphere consists of
several layers.
 The layers differ in such physical properties
 Each layer has vital duties for human life on earth
 Each layer has a particular function, ranging from
forming rain to preventing harmful rays, from
reflecting radio waves, to averting the harmful
effects of meteors.
1. The closest one to Earth is the TROPOSPHERE, which
contains about 90% of the total mass of the atmosphere.
2. The layer above the troposphere is the STRATOSPHERE
3. The OZONE LAYER is next absorbing ultraviolet rays.
4. The layer above that is called the MESOSPHERE.
5. The THERMOSPHERE lies above the mesosphere. The
ionized gases form a layer within the thermosphere called the
IONOSPHERE.
6. The outermost part of Earth's atmosphere extends from about
480 km out to 960 km. This part is called the EXOSPHERE.
Principle 1 : The Earth is a ‘Resting Place’
Principle 1 : The Earth is a ‘Resting Place’
 The surface area of the earth is estimated to
be about 510m km2;
 29% (149m km2) is land (lithosphere)
 71% (361m km2) is water (hydrosphere).
 About half of the surface (173 million km2) is made
up of epi-continental shelves submerged underwater.

 The land surface & the marine

(sea/ocean) subsurface are not entirely
flat but rise & fall in areas.
 Mount Everest, the highest peak on earth, is  The average height of land (about 840m
8,848m, whereas the lowest one, the Dead above sea level) and the average depth of
Sea Basin is 400 below sea level, though in seas and oceans (3729m) comes to about
part it reaches to 800 m below sea level. 4500m. When compared to the radius of
 The deepest region in the oceans, the the earth, the ratio would result in about
Mariana Trench in the Pacific Ocean near the 0.007%.
Philippines, is 11.033km deep.  Though Earth’s surface was initially formed
 The highest and the lowest point on earth of hardly high relief lands from mountains
differs at less than 20 km (19.881 km). and plateaus, these mountains have been
Comparing the radius of the earth (about weathered to form smooth moderate to low
height relieves from hills and plains through
6371 km on average), the highest and the
various factors of erosion (weathering,
lowest point on earth seems no more than 0.3
friction, transportation and sedimentation).
% of the earth’s radius
 Principle 1 : The Earth’s Cross-Section

 As the sketch shows, the inner temperature of the earth is as high as high as 5500°C. The
inner core is in the centre and is the hottest part of the Earth. It is solid and made up of
iron and nickel. This is the main reason for making life possible on the earth.
Principle 1 : The Earth’s Expansion (1/2)
According to Physics, after creation the earth started
accretion and rotation and this rotation of Earth should
be slowing down.
 Our solar system is 4.57 billion years old. Earth started accreting
concurrently with the sun and our neighboring planets 4.57 bln years ago,
with a few kilometers long and progressively increased. But the Surface
Area = 4πR2, that is, as the radius increases the surface area increases.
According to the Quran, Allah spread the Earth (‫ ) اــالرض مددناها‬meaning
increase in surface area during formation; from this we can deduce increase
in radius:
 And the Earth! We have spread it out, and set thereon mountains

standing firm, and have produced therein every kind of lovely pairs (of
plants). [Quran 50.7]
The Quran says that God spread out Earth, that is, increased the
surface area (not made it flat). This means increase in radius of
Earth during the formation process contrary to the Christian Bible
where the creation of Earth was spontaneous.
Principle 1 : The Earth’s Air Movement
The Air moves in the land and sea in different way, making the life possible
on earth and the movement and sailing of ships possible in the seas. The
direction of air in the seas is to a single direction and that in the earth is in
different directions. This facilitates life on earth and transportation in the
seas.
It is because ships sail in a specific direction by the force of the wind; if
winds that push them were of varied and opposite directions, the ships
would have difficulty going ahead. This air also resists ships of huge
freight to be sunk despite the fact that the air is a very soft and ethereal
body.
Whereas the wind of the earth is not unified, but of different directions,
to make the life easy-sailing. If it was of singular direction, it would
have driven us away from our places.
 The heat radiating from the sun heats the earth. In in Rotating, the
earth heats the atmosphere that touches it. Then the hot air rises,
replaced by cold air. This movement of the air is called ‘wind’.
If the atmosphere were a little thinner than it is, some meteors that
now burn by the millions in the atmosphere would hit all parts of
the earth, as a speed of anything from six to forty miles per second.
They would set on fire any combustible things.
Principle 1 : The Earth’s Air Formation

 The Oxygen is a constituent of the compounds of which the earth crust

consists, it constitutes 80% of the world’s water;
 If that rate increases to 90%, for instance, many of the living things on the
earth would burn.
 If it decreases to 10%, all creatures will die.
 Nitrogen is hard to dissolve, putting a limit to the spread of oxygen. It is
essential for the nourishment of plants, animal and the human beings.
 Principle 1 : The Earth’s Air Formation
The Holy Qur’an, while mentioning the winds, maintained the following issues:
 The singular direction wind in the seas has been referred to be as ‘winds of mercy’
and the multiple-direction winds as ‘winds of punishment’
 The multiple direction winds on the earth has been referred to be as ‘winds of
mercy’ and the singular-direction wind as ‘wind of punishment’
 Quite interestingly, the Qur’an generally maintained singular number for the winds
of seas and plural number for the winds of Earth.

< ‫ۖ َحتَّ ٰى < إِ َذا ُكنتُ ْم‬ ‫س <يِّ ُر ُك ْم فِ<<ي ا ْلبَ ِّر َوا ْلبَ ْح ِر‬َ ُ‫ ُه َو الَّ ِذي ي‬o  It is He who enables you to travel on land and sea
‫طيِّبَ ٍة < َوفَ ِر ُحوا بِ َه<<ا‬ َ < ‫يح‬ until, when you are in ships and they sail with
ٍ ‫فِ<<ي ا ْلفُ ْل ِك < َو َج َر ْي َن < بِ ِه<<م بِ ِر‬ them by a good wind and they rejoice therein,
<‫ص<فٌ َو َجا َء ُه ُم< ا ْل َم ْو ُج< ِم<ن ُك ِّ<ل َم َكا ٍن‬ ِ ‫َجا َء ْت َه<ا ِري ٌح< َعا‬ there comes a storm wind and the waves come
َ
<ُ‫ين له‬ َ <‫ص‬ ْ َّ َ ُ
ِ ِ‫ۙ َد َع ُوا اللـهَ ُمخل‬ < ‫َوظنوا أن ُه ْم < أ ِحيط < بِ ِه ْم‬ َّ َ ُّ َ upon them from everywhere and they assume that
<‫ين‬َ ‫نج ْيتَنَ<ا ِم ْن< َه ٰـ ِذ ِه لَنَ ُكونَ َّ<ن ِم َن< الشَّا ِك ِر‬ َ َ‫الدِّي َن< لَئِ ْن< أ‬ they are surrounded, supplicating Allah, sincere to
﴾22- ‫﴿يونس‬ Him in religion, "If You should save us from this,
‫ ( وه<و الذي يرس<ل الرياح بشرا بي<ن يدي رحمت<ه‬o we will surely be among the thankful.“(Yunus-22)
 And it is He who sends the winds as good tidings
‫حت<ى إذا أقل<ت س<حابا ثقاال س<قناه لبل<د مي<ت فأنزلن<ا‬
before His mercy until, when they have carried
‫ب<ه الماء فأخرجن<ا ب<ه م<ن ك<ل الثمرات كذل<ك نخرج‬ heavy rainclouds, We drive them to a dead land
‫) ( والبل<د الطي<ب يخرج‬57( ‫الموت<ى لعلك<م تذكرون‬ and We send down rain therein and bring forth
‫نبات<ه بإذن رب<ه والذي خب<ث ال يخرج إال نكدا كذل<ك‬ thereby [some] of all the fruits. Thus will We
(58 -‫نصرف اآليات لقوم يشكرون (االعراف‬ bring forth the dead; perhaps you may be
Principle 1 : The Earth is a ‘Resting Place’
 Principle 2 : The Earth Rotation
 It was shown that the earth isn't
stable as it was thought in the
past, but it revolves around the
sun and around itself. Therefore
as a result of this movement, the
length of the object's shadow
always changes due to the
movement of the earth around the
sun and around itself.

 The circumference of the Earth at the

equator is 25,000 miles. The Earth
rotates in about 24 hours. Therefore,
if one were to hang above the surface
of the Earth at the equator without
moving, one would see 25,000 miles
pass by in 24 hours, at a speed of
25000/24 or just over 1000 miles per
hour.
 Earth is also moving around the Sun
at about 67,000 miles per hour.
Principle 2 : The Earth Rotation in the Quran
 In the Quran, we see the following verses:
<‫﴾ َوا ْلقَ َم َر قَد َّْرنَاهُ< َمنَا ِز َل< َحتَّ ٰى< َعا َد َكا ْل ُع ْر ُجو ِن‬٣٨﴿ <‫ۚ ٰ َذلِ <َك تَ ْق ِدي ُر ا ْل َع ِزي ِز ا ْل َعلِي ِم‬ ‫س<تَقَ ٍّر لَّ َه<ا‬
ْ ‫س< ت َْج ِري لِ ُم‬ ُ ‫ش ْم‬ َّ ‫ َوال‬
﴾٤٠﴿ ‫ون‬ َ ‫س<بَ ُح‬ ْ َ‫ َو ُك ٌّل فِ<ي فَلَ ٍك ي‬ ۚ ‫ق النَّ َها ِر‬ َ <‫س< يَنبَ ِغ<ي لَ َه<ا أَ<ن تُ ْد ِر <َك ا ْلقَ َم َر َواَل اللَّ ْي ُل‬
ُ ِ‫ساب‬ ُ ‫ش ْم‬ َّ ‫﴾ اَل ال‬٣٩﴿ <‫ا ْلقَ ِدي ِم‬
)‫(يس‬
ْ َ‫﴾ ثُ َّ<م قَب‬٤٥﴿ ‫س< َعلَ ْي ِه< َدلِياًل‬
‫ضنَاهُ< إِلَ ْينَ<ا‬ َ ‫ش ْم‬َّ ‫س<ا ِكنًا ثُ َّ<م َج َع ْلنَ<ا ال‬
َ <ُ‫ف< َم َّد الظِّ َّ<ل َولَ ْو شَا َء< لَ َج َعلَه‬ َ ‫ أَلَ ْم< تَ َر إِلَ ٰى< َربِّ <َك َك ْي‬
﴾٤٦﴿ ‫سي ًرا‬ ِ َ‫ضا ي‬ ً ‫قَ ْب‬
 In the Quran, we see the following verses:
 And the sun runs [on course] toward its
stopping point. That is the determination of the
Exalted in Might, the Knowing. (38) And the
moon - We have determined for it phases, until
it returns [appearing] like the old date stalk.
(39) It is not allowable for the sun to reach the
moon, nor does the night overtake the day, but
each, in an orbit, is swimming. (40) (Yaasin)
 (Have you not seen how your Lord spread the
shadow. If He willed, He could have made it
still - But We have made the sun its guide, then
We withdraw it to Us a gradual concealed
withdrawal.) [Surat Al-Furqan, verses: 45, 46].
The first verse is explicit in the meaning that everything in the universe is
moving in its own orbit.
According to the second verse, the sun is a guide to the shadow's movement. As
per Astronomy, an indication on the movement of an object is the stable thing
that is measured according to it the moving object. For example, a car moves
with a speed of 100 km/hour according to a stable thing. That's how the shadow
moves according to the movement of the earth and the sun is stable with respect
to the earth because the earth rotates around it.
 This is a picture of the surface of the earth as it appears from the surface of
the moon. The length of the shadow changes because of the rotation of the
earth around itself. And due to the rotation of the earth around the sun, the
length of the shadow slightly changes and varies according to the four
seasons. And this is what the Quran referred to as God be He exalted says:
(Have you not seen how your Lord spread the shadow. If He willed, He could
have made it still - But We have made the sun its guide, then We withdraw it
to Us a gradual concealed withdrawal.) [Furqan:45, 46].
 Principle 3 : The Spherical Earth
As countless photos from space can attest, Earth is round—the
"Blue Marble," as astronauts have affectionately dubbed it.
Appearances, however, show that ‘Planet Earth’ is not, in fact,
perfectly round, it is rather a bit spherical.
Principle 3 : The Spherical Earth and Quran
 This is exactly what has been said in the Quran much earlier at a time when it
was held that the earth was fixed at the center of the world, and that the sun
moved around the earth:
 "See you not Allah merges Night into Day and he merges Day into Night“ (31:29)
 "He created the heavens and the earth in true (proportions). He makes the night
overlap the day and the day overlap the night“ (Surah 39, Ayah 5
 The above two verses provide interesting material on winding the night upon
the day and the day upon the night. The literal Arabic text for the verb "to
overlap" above is "to make a sphere." This is an astounding use of this verb
that refers to the earth as a sphere.
 Thousands of Astronauts’ photographs taken from great distances from the
earth show how the sun permanently lights up (except in the case of an
eclipse) half of the earth’s surface that faces the sun, while the other half is in
darkness, in twenty-four hours. This perpetual rotation of night and day is
quite clearly described in the above Ayah.
 Furthermore, the verses also mentioned the idea that there is more than one
east and one west ( For example: "Lord of Easts and Wests (70:40)“; "Now I
do call to witness the Lord of the two Easts and the two Wests. (55:17)"
 Principle 3 : The Spherical Earth
 Anyone who carefully watches the sunrise and sunset knows that the sun rises
at different points in the east, and sets at different points in the west,
according to the season. Each of the points of the east and the west are limited
between two extreme points for the east and the west. The two extreme points
of the east and the west are those that are referred to in the verses cited above.
 Principle 4 : Cleft on Earth
Earth Scientists have recently discovered that the Earth’s
outer rocky sphere (Lithosphere; which is about 65- 70 km
thick under the oceans and 120-150 km thick under
continents) is broken up by a network of deep faults (or rift
systems) into 12 main rigid plates, added to a number of
small ones (micro plates or platelets).
 These plates float on a semi-molten plastic layer known as the
asthenosphere (the sphere of weakness) and move freely away from
or towards each other, and past one another. At one boundary of each
plate (or micro plate) molten rock (magma) rises to form strips of new
ocean floor, and at the opposite boundary, the plate collides with the
adjacent plate and moves to sink underneath it, to be gradually
consumed in the underlying uppermost mantle layer (the
asthenosphere) at exactly the same rate of sea-floor spreading at the
opposite side.
 Principle 4 : Cleft on Earth
 An ideal rectangular asthospheric plate would thus have one edge growing at a mid-oceanic
rift system (divergent boundary), an opposite edge being gradually consumed into the
asthenosphere below the over-riding or colliding plate (convergent boundary) and other two
edges sliding past the edges of adjacent plates along a system of transform faults
(transcurrent or transform, fault boundaries). In this way, the lithospheric plates are
constantly shifting around the globe, despite their rigidity, and as they are carrying continents
with them, such continents are also constantly drifting away or towards each other. As a
lithospheric plate is forced under another plate and melts, viscous magmas are intruded and
squeezed between the colliding plates, while lighter and more fluid ones are extruded at the
opposite edge to form island-arcs. These eventually grow into subcontinents and continents,
are plastered to the margins of nearby continents or squeezed between two colliding
continents.
 During the early history of the Earth, its interior was much hotter and hence convection was much
faster with all the phenomena associated {volcanic activity, earthquakes, plate movements,
mountain-building movement and continental build-ups etc. During these processes, both the
atmosphere and the hydrosphere of the Earth were out gassed, the continents were constructed as
positive areas above the ocean basins and mountains were built.
 About 500 million years ago the early continents were dispersed across the surface of the Earth, in
positions much different than the ones occupied by the continents of today. Convection currents then
operating in the mantle ended up by pushing all the early continents together around 200 million
years ago, into a single super continent (Pangea) above a single super ocean (Panthalassa). The huge
landmass of Pangea acted as a hot lid, impeding heat flow from inside the Earth producing a welt
right in the middle of the mother continent, pushing different continents into different directions…
 Principle 4 : Cleft on Earth

The earth crust is broken up by a network of Mid-Atlantic Ridge

deep faults
 Principle 4 : Cleft on Earth
"And by the Earth which has its own
Sad'a (Fault)" (Quran 86:12)
 From the above mentioned discussion, it becomes obvious that the
magnificent network of deep fault systems (65-150 km deep) that
encircle the globe for tens of thousands of kilometers in all directions
{breaking its outer rocky layer (the lithosphere) into major, lesser and
minor plates, micro plates (or platelets), plate fragments and remnants}
is one of the most striking realities of our planet. Without these deep
fault systems the Earth could not possibly have been inhabitable. This is
simply because of the fact that it is through such deep faults that the
atmosphere, hydrosphere and lithosphere have been created and are
constantly rejuvenated, continents are steadily built and destroyed,
mountains are constructed, the crust is periodically enriched with new
minerals, lithospheric plates are moved, the accumulating internal heat
of the Earth is gradually and steadily released and the whole dynamics
of our planet are achieved.
Principle 5 : Earthquakes and the Quran
"And by the Earth which has its own
Sad'a (Fault)" (Quran 86:12)
 The earth is annually subjected to about one million earthquakes (with
an average of about 2738 earthquakes per day). Most are gentle to
moderate ones that can only be felt by seismographs.
 A hundred to hundred and fifty of these earthquakes are moderate to
destructive in populated areas, (20) twenty of which are of total
destructive capacity, and in every 5-10 years one reaches or exceeds the
peak of mass destruction, but this average has been lately accelerated.
 Most earthquakes occur in certain belts or earthquakes-prone zones, like
areas where two tectonic plates collide, diverge or slip past each other
(plate-margin earthquakes). But not a single spot on the Earth's surface
is immune to possible earthquakes (The Intra-plate earthquakes). The
type of plate contact can determine both the magnitude intensity and
depth of the earthquake. During the movement of lithospheric plates
continent-size slabs of the earth's lithosphere are shifted and intense
forces overcome the friction between them. However, if the plates are
"locked together", forces build-up and eventually must give way, with
the plates lurching into new position and creating an earthquake.
Principle 5 : Earthquakes and the Quran
 Other earthquakes form in association with volcanic activity, where the
build-up of heat and pressure often triggers smaller tremors and localized
earthquakes.
 The earth is subjected to about 20 volcanic eruptions every fifty years, with an
average of one volcanic eruption every 2.5 years. The focal point (center) of the
earthquake is the point under the earth's surface where the earthquake energy is
released. The point on the surface of the earth just above the focus (center) is
called the epicenter. Most earthquake centers occur at a depth of about 100 Km.
below the earth's surface, while some have much shallower (5-70 km) and others
have much deeper Foci (700 km) below the earth's surface.
 Seismic waves travel out from the focus of an earthquake in all directions.
Primary waves (P-waves) move in a back and forth direction and are the
fastest seismic waves. These reach the far side of the globe in 20 minutes,
traversing the Earth's molten outer core. Secondary waves (S-waves) move
sideways (in a side-to-side direction), being slower than the P-waves and can
move only through solids, stopping at the Earth's molten outer core. Love
and Raleigh waves (both called L-waves) travel along the earth's surface,
moving up, down and sideways, causing much of the structural damage
associated with earthquake.
 Principle 5 : Earthquakes and the Quran
 Glorious Qur'an emphasizes the fact that nothing happens in the universe without the
knowledge, will and wisdom of the Creator. Earthquakes - like many other natural
disasters - are part and parcel of the Divine plan for punishing the ill - doers trying the
pious ones, and teaching the saved individuals the lesson of their lives. Unless taken in
this context, human beings will never learn from their own mistakes or even from the
mistakes of others. Understanding the mechanisms by which earthquakes take place and
measuring both their intensities and magnitudes cannot help in their prediction. The only
way of avoiding this and other disasters is heeding the Creator and living according to
His guidance.
 The word "earthquake" is mentioned twice in the Glorious Qur'an, indicating "The
Last Hour Quake" which is much more devastating than all the earthquakes that have
affected and will affect our plant throughout its long history. The Glorious Qur'an
reads:
 "O mankind! Fear your Lord and be dutiful to Him! Verily, the earthquake of the Hour (of
Judgment) is a terrible thing. The Day you see it, every nursing mother will forget her nursling,
and every pregnant one will drop her load, and you shall see mankind as in a drunken state, yet
they will not be drunken, but severe will be the Torment of Allah.“ (Al-Hajj:1-2)   
 "When the earth is shaken with its (final) earthquake. And when the earth throws out its burdens.
And man will say: "What is the matter with it?" That Day it will declare its information (about all
that happened over it of good or evil). Because your Lord will inspire it. That Day mankind will
proceed in scattered groups that they may be shown their deeds. So whosoever does good equal
to the weight of an atom (or a small ant) shall see it. And whosoever does evil equal to the weight
of an atom (or a small ant) shall see it." (Zalzalah 1-8)
 Part II:
Mountains in the Holy
Quran
 Unanswered questions about
Mountains
Among the unanswered questions about
Mountains are these:
 The Qur’an on Mountain:
 1st Principle: Formation of Mountains
 2nd Principle: Functions of Mountains
 3rd Principle: Movement of Mountains
 4th Principle: Mountains and Rains
 The Qur’an on Mountains
 In 12 distinctive verses, the Qur’an outlines the basic geologic concepts of
mountains as follows:
 That mountains are not just the lofty elevations seen on the surface of the Earth,
but their downward extensions in the Earth’s lithosphere (in the form of pegs or
pickets) is highly emphasized. In as much as most of the picket (or peg) is hidden
in either soil or rock to hold one end of the tent to the ground surface, most of the
mountain must be hidden in the Earth’s lithosphere. The term “picket” or “peg” is
both literally and scientifically more correct than the term “root” which is
currently used for mountains.
1. In Surat an- Naba’: 6-7, the Qur’an reads:
 "Have We not made the earth as a bed, And the mountains as pegs?"
2. In 10 other verses, the Qur’an emphasizes the role of mountains as
stabilizers for the Earth’s outer surface (or lithosphere). These verses read:
 And it is He Who spread out the earth, and placed therein firm mountains and
rivers and of every kind of fruits He made two in pairs. He brings the night as a
cover over the day. Verily, in these things, there are Ayat for people who
reflect." (Surat Ar-Ra'd :3)
 And other verses are: (Surat Al-Hijr: 19), (Surat An-Nahl:15), (Surat Al-
Anbiya:31); (Surat An-Naml:61); (Surat Luqman: 10); (Surat Fussilat:10); (Surat
Qaf: 6); (Surat Al-Mursalat:25-27); (Surat An-Nazi'at:30-32)
3. In the twelfth verse of this group, the Qur’an is asking people to
contemplate a number of phenomena in Allah’s creation, including how
mountains are set up. Such speculation has led to the theory of Isostasy
which can explain how mountains are made to stand on the surface of the
Earth. The Qur’an reads:
 "Do they not look at the camels, how they are created? And at the heaven, how it is raised?
And at the mountains, how they are rooted and fixed firm? And at the earth, how it is spread
out? And at the earth, how it is spread out?" (Surat Al-Ghashiyah :18-21); 
4. In another verse
 "See you not that Allah sends down water (rain) from the sky, and We produce therewith
fruits of various colors, and among the mountains are streaks white and red, of varying
colors and (others) very black." (Surat Fatir:27), the Qur’an describes mountains as being
composed of white and red tracts of various shades of colors and of others that are black and
intense in hue. This is probably referring to both continental mountains, (which are
dominantly granitic in composition, with overwhelming white and red colors of various
shades) and oceanic mountains that are dominantly composed of black colored, basic and
ultra basic rocks.  
5. In the last verse of this group, the Qur'an emphasizes the fact that mountains
are non-stationary bodies that follow the movements of the Earth, as it
reads:
 "And you will see the mountains and think them solid, but they shall pass away as the
passing away of the clouds. The Work of Allah, Who perfected all things, verily! He is
Well-Acquainted with what you do." (Surat An-Naml (The Ants):88);
 Principle 1 : Formation of Mountains
 Mountains affect life on earth in many ways. Apart from
the obvious mineral, forest, agricultural, and recreational
resource values, they have a significant influence on
climate, economy, and history. Humans enjoy the glorious
scenery of mountains, and many sometimes feel humbled in
front of these gigantic structures. How and when did they
form? What are they for? What is the mechanism of
keeping them on the earth’s crust, in spite of their huge
weight?
The first question is answered by geologists, who presented
three ways of forming mountains:
By crustal uplift, that is, folding, faulting, or arching of the
earth’s crust.
By differential erosion or land sculpturing.
By volcanic activities.
 Principle 1 : Formation of Mountains
 The Creator of the mountains reveals: Surah 78, Ayah 6-7 "Have we not made the
earth as a wide expanse, and the mountains as pegs?
Allah states that the mountains are similar to pegs or wedges. A peg is used to fasten
things so they cannot move, like the peg that is used to fix the ropes of a tent. Or, you
can imagine the crust of the earth as a carpet, and the mountains as the nails that hold
the carpet in place. It is now known that the crust of the earth is much deeper under
the mountains, which indicate the existence of a root system under high mountains.
According to recent measurements, the depth of a mountain’s roots can reach 40 miles
underground, while the highest known mountain reaches only 5.6 miles above ground.
The similarity between mountains and pegs is quite obvious. Pegs sink underground by
the force of a hammer, while mountains sink underground by the force of gravity. Pegs
hold and fix the tent. Mountains hold and fix the earth’s crust. The thickness of the
fabric of a tent is small compared to its size. The crust of the earth is no more than 1
percent of the radius of the earth. Therefore, one can conclude that describing the
mountains as pegs is a perfect description. Muhammad used to worship Allah in a cave
in a mountain near Mecca, but he certainly did not take measuring instruments to get
information about the underground structure of the mountains. There is just no way
that Muhammad could have established this description on his own. No one can explain
the mountains with such accuracy except the Designer and Creator of the mountains
themselves.
 Principle 1 : Formation of Mountains
The balance and the stability of mountains are also explained in the Quran as
follows:
Surah 16, Ayah 15 "And He has set up on the earth mountains standing firm,
lest it should shake with you."
Surah 21, Ayah 31 "And We have set on earth mountains standing firm, lest it
should shake with them."
Think about the similarity of the above verses! Other verses in the Quran also
give the same meaning (Surah 31, Ayah 10; Surah 79, Ayah 32). When the
meaning of a verse is repeated like that, then this is an invitation to mankind
to take these words and examine them carefully. It should be also an invitation
to scientists to examine each verb, each noun, and each letter in the scientific
verses of the Quran, since that could well direct them to an explanation to an
existing fact. The Arabic verb that describes the standing of the mountains
indicates stability of ships in the sea as they dock alongside a pier. Ships in this
case do not go down because of the upward buoyant force that acts upon the
ship. This upward buoyant force is equal to the downward gravitational force;
hence the ship stays in equilibrium. The choice of the Arabic verb that
indicates the stability of mountains, and its similarity to docking ships, is just
beyond human comprehension.
 Principle 1 : Formation of Mountains
In another Ayah, Allah states that the mountains move:
Surah 27, Ayah 88 "Thou see the mountains and think them firmly fixed,
but they shall pass away as the clouds pass away. (Such is) the artistry of
Allah, who disposes of all things in perfect order: for he is well
acquainted with all that ye do."
In the above Ayah, Allah states clearly that mountains move like
clouds. However, people think that mountains are firmly fixed to the
earth. So if the mountains move, so does the earth. This is an obvious
reference to the motion of the Earth, and this information was not
available in the seventh century.
What do you think of Muhammad’s knowledge about mountains, ships,
Archimedes’ principle, density of the earth, density of mountains, and
motion of mountains and earth? If you think that he knew about any of
these subjects, then he must have been a great geologist. But if you
think that he had no information about these subjects, then it must be
considered factual that the Quran is the authentic Words of God.
Thank You
 The Earth in the Quran

Mountains
Earthquakes
The Spherical Earth
The Earth’s Atmosphere
Electricity and Lightening
The earth is mentioned in the Quran about 450 times! The Quran devotes many verses to the signs of God on the earth. Because we live on this planet, we are supposed to look for signs of its Creator. Also, scientists know about our beautiful planet more than any other object in the universe. They are on hand to experiment directly, to interpret the evidences and to draw conclusions. The verses of the
Quran that describe the earth are quite astounding. As in the case of any other scientific miracle, these verses are scattered throughout the Quran. They are presented in the context of spiritual enlightening for someone who looks around for the signs of Allah.
Mountains
Mountains affect life on earth in many ways. Apart from the obvious mineral, forest, agricultural, and recreational resource values, they have a significant influence on climate, economy, and history. Humans enjoy the glorious scenery of mountains, and many sometimes feel humbled in front of these gigantic structures. How and when did they form? What are they for? What is the mechanism of keeping
them on the earth’s crust, in spite of their huge weight?
The first question is answered by geologists, who presented three ways of forming mountains:
By crustal uplift, that is, folding, faulting, or arching of the earth’s crust.
By differential erosion or land sculpturing.
By volcanic activities.
The Creator of the mountains reveals:
Surah 78, Ayah 6-7 "Have we not made the earth as a wide expanse, and the mountains as pegs?
Allah states that the mountains are similar to pegs or wedges. A peg is used to fasten things so they cannot move, like the peg that is used to fix the ropes of a tent. Or, you can imagine the crust of the earth as a carpet, and the mountains as the nails that hold the carpet in place. It is now known that the crust of the earth is much deeper under the mountains, which indicate the existence of a root system
under high mountains. According to recent measurements, the depth of a mountain’s roots can reach 40 miles underground, while the highest known mountain reaches only 5.6 miles above ground.
The similarity between mountains and pegs is quite obvious. Pegs sink underground by the force of a hammer, while mountains sink underground by the force of gravity. Pegs hold and fix the tent. Mountains hold and fix the earth’s crust. The thickness of the fabric of a tent is small compared to its size. The crust of the earth is no more than 1 percent of the radius of the earth. Therefore, one can conclude
that describing the mountains as pegs is a perfect description. Muhammad used to worship Allah in a cave in a mountain near Mecca, but he certainly did not take measuring instruments to get information about the underground structure of the mountains. There is just no way that Muhammad could have established this description on his own. No one can explain the mountains with such accuracy
except the Designer and Creator of the mountains themselves.
The balance and the stability of mountains are also explained in the Quran as follows:
Surah 16, Ayah 15 "And He has set up on the earth mountains standing firm, lest it should shake with you."
Surah 21, Ayah 31 "And We have set on earth mountains standing firm, lest it should shake with them."
Think about the similarity of the above verses! Other verses in the Quran also give the same meaning (Surah 31, Ayah 10; Surah 79, Ayah 32). When the meaning of a verse is repeated like that, then this is an invitation to mankind to take these words and examine them carefully. It should be also an invitation to scientists to examine each verb, each noun, and each letter in the scientific verses of the Quran,
since that could well direct them to an explanation to an existing fact. The Arabic verb that describes the standing of the mountains indicates stability of ships in the sea as they dock alongside a pier. Ships in this case do not go down because of the upward buoyant force that acts upon the ship. This upward buoyant force is equal to the downward gravitational force; hence the ship stays in equilibrium.
The choice of the Arabic verb that indicates the stability of mountains, and its similarity to docking ships, is just beyond human comprehension.
In another Ayah, Allah states that the mountains move:
Surah 27, Ayah 88 "Thou see the mountains and think them firmly fixed, but they shall pass away as the clouds pass away. (Such is) the artistry of Allah, who disposes of all things in perfect order: for he is well acquainted with all that ye do."
In the above Ayah, Allah states clearly that mountains move like clouds. However, people think that mountains are firmly fixed to the earth. So if the mountains move, so does the earth. This is an obvious reference to the motion of the Earth, and this information was not available in the seventh century.
What do you think of Muhammad’s knowledge about mountains, ships, Archimedes’ principle, density of the earth, density of mountains, and motion of mountains and earth? If you think that he knew about any of these subjects, then he must have been a great geologist. But if you think that he had no information about these subjects, then it must be considered factual that the Quran is the authentic
Words of God.
Earthquakes
Humans stand helpless in front of a devastating earthquake. All the wealth and power of a human cannot help avoid the consequences of any natural catastrophe. In this case, all people are equal, and earthquakes do not differentiate between poor or rich, powerful or humble, or sick or healthy. A violent earthquake is a terrifying experience in its suddenness and its power of destruction to shake or uproot
the strongest buildings. With all our amazing technologies and power to solve complicated equations, yet no scientist is capable of predicting the place and time of the next earthquake.
The immediate cause of earthquakes is fracturing of crustal rocks. The earthquake map of the earth shows a strong concentration around the whole Pacific Ocean, in the middle of Atlantic Ocean, south of Europe in the Mediterranean Sea, and in the middle of the Indian Ocean. Statistics show the extent of destruction and consequences of major earthquakes in highly populated areas. In most cases
earthquakes last from few seconds to one minute and half. But the suddenness of the earthquakes and their short time still represent a major puzzle to seismologists.
The Glorious Quran addresses the subject of earthquakes in many places, and one chapter has the earthquake as its title, Surah 99:
Surah 99, Ayah 1-2 "When the earth is shaken to her utmost convulsion (earthquake), and the earth throws her burden (weights) from within."
The above Surah refers to the tremendous earthquake and the uprooting that will take place when the present order of the world is dissolved and the new world of Justice and Truth takes its place. The sign used is that of an earthquake which will shake our present material and phenomenal world to its very foundation. This overwhelming event, before the Day of the Judgment, will be a bigger and more
far-reaching convulsion than any earthquake we have ever known.
Will humans remember the frightful events of the Day of Judgment? Will they continue to neglect the purpose of their creation? How long will they persist in discrediting God and attach human attributes to Him? How long are they going to keep arguing about His Existence and His Unlimited Power? How long are they going to ignore the Quran and the message of Muhammad? Can’t we look at
earthquakes and other natural catastrophes in their right prospective? Read what Allah says:
Surah 22, Ayah 1 "O mankind! Fear your Lord! For the convulsion (earthquake) of the Hour (of Judgment) will be a terrible thing."
The Earth’s Atmosphere
In addition to many Ayat specifically related to the sky, the Quran contains many passages dealing with phenomena that occur in the atmosphere. The comparison between these Ayat and the present scientific data proves without any shadow of doubt that the Quran is the authentic Words of God.
It is a known fact that discomfort is experienced by man in high altitude, which increases the higher one climbs. As altitude is increased, the atmospheric density and pressure decrease. Humans cannot survive, or at least be comfortable, for a long period of time in atmospheric conditions higher than 8,000 feet. It has been also established that most humans could not survive atmospheric conditions
equivalent to altitude of about 40,000 feet for more than a very short period of time. This experience is expressed in the Quran as follows:
Surah 6, Ayah 125 "Those whom Allah willeth to guide, He open their chests to Islam: Those whom He willeth to leave straying, He make their chests close and constricted as if they had to climb up in the skies"
Some commentators explain the above Ayah as related to the will of God to guide one to the Truth. The above Ayah also means that in spiritual and physical worlds, there are laws of justice, mercy, grace, penalty, etc., which work surely as anything we know. If, then, a man refuses the guidance of God and becomes a rebel, then with each step he goes further and further astray, and his pace will be
accelerated. He will scarcely be able to take a spiritual breath, and his recovery, in spite of Allah’s mercy that he rejected, will be difficult as if he had to climb up to the skies.
Electricity and Lightening
Electricity in the atmosphere is a result of lightening and hails as referred to in the following Ayat:
Surah 24, Ayah 43 "Seest thou not that Allah makes the clouds move gently, then joins them together, then makes them into a heap? - Then wilt thou see rain issue forth from their midst. And He sends down from the sky mountain masses (of clouds) wherein is hail: He strikes therewith whom He pleases and He turns it away from whom He pleases, the vivid flash of His lightning well-nigh blinds the sight"
Surah 13, Ayah 12-13 "It is He Who doth show you the lightning, by way both of fear and of hope: It is He Who doth raise up the clouds, heavy with (fertilizing) rain! Nay, thunder repeateth His praises, and so do the angels, with awe: He flingeth the loud-voiced thunder-bolts, and therewith He striketh whomsoever He will. Yet these (are the men) who (dare to) dispute about Allah, with the strength of His power
(supreme)!"
Clouds form from existing water vapors in the atmosphere. As the height of the clouds increases, water vapors are then condensed into raindrops, hail, and freezing rain, due to the motion of air currents inside the clouds. Small raindrops move up and down in the cloud, until they become bigger and heavier. When their weights exceed the aerodynamic forces, rain falls down. Some clouds exceed high
mountains reaching a height of 6,500 feet. They look dark and usually produce rain, hail, or freezing rain.
The verb "join" in the above first Ayah indicates assembling or overcoming repulsion due to the different electrostatic charges that exist in these high clouds. It is not known exactly how electrostatic charges form in the clouds, because some clouds may have positive charges at the top, negative charges in the middle, and positives charge at the bottom. With these different charges, the significance of the
word "join" can be seen in spite of the repulsive forces between positive and negative charges.
The description of high and heavy clouds in the first Ayah is accurate. This Ayah also shows a relationship between forming hailstorms and lightening. Moreover, it indicates that hail is quite a local phenomenon. You see hail on one street while on the neighboring one, there is no sign of it! Sparks between positive and negative charges cause lightening. The temperature at the spark may reach 1,000 degrees,
and that expands the air rapidly causing the air to explode as in a thunderstorm.
Heavy thunderstorms and hailstorms are quite frightening. There is no telling of what may happen to any person or any property during these storms. It may be that someone may remember his Creator during these frightening moments. It fascinating that thunder, that sends shivers to our hearts due to its suddenness, praises the glory of Allah, while some people deny His existence!