SURAH AZ ZUMAR (THE GROUPS): AYAT 5 (QURAN 39:5)
For centuries many believed (wrongly) the Earth was indeed flat. On April 12, 1633, chief inquisitor Father Vincenzo Maculani da Firenzuola, appointed by Pope Urban VIII, begins the inquisition of physicist and astronomer Galileo Galilei. Galileo was ordered to turn himself in to the Holy Office to begin trial for holding the belief that the Earth was spherical and revolves around the sun, which was deemed heretical by the Catholic Church. Standard practice demanded that the accused be imprisoned and secluded during the trial.
This was the second time that Galileo was in the hot seat for refusing to accept Church orthodoxy that the Earth was flat and also the immovable center of the universe: In 1616, he had been forbidden from holding or defending his beliefs. In the 1633 interrogation, Galileo denied that he “held” belief in the Copernican view but continued to write about the issue and evidence as a means of “discussion” rather than belief. The Church had decided the idea that the sun moved around the Earth was an absolute fact of scripture that could not be disputed.
This time, Galileo’s technical argument didn’t win the day. On June 22, 1633, the Church handed down the following order: “We pronounce, judge, and declare, that you, the said Galileo… have rendered yourself vehemently suspected by this Holy Office of heresy, that is, of having believed and held the doctrine (which is false and contrary to the Holy and Divine Scriptures) that the sun is the center of the world, and that it does not move from east to west, and that the earth does move, and is not the center of the world.”
Along with the order came the following penalty: “We order that by a public edict the book of Dialogues of Galileo Galilei be prohibited, and We condemn thee to the prison of this Holy Office during Our will and pleasure; and as a salutary penance We enjoin on thee that for the space of three years thou shalt recite once a week the Seven Penitential Psalms.”
Galileo agreed not to teach anymore and spent the rest of his life under house arrest. It took more than 300 years for the Church to admit that Galileo was right and to clear his name of heresy.
It was in this same era – that in the Arabian peninsula the Quran started its revelation in the year 610.
[Allah] Created the heavens and the Earth in truth. He overlaps the night over the day and overlaps the day over the night, and enslaved the sun and the moon. ALL MOVE to a prerecorded destiny. Is He not the Exalted, the Forgiver?
٥ خَلَقَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ بِالْحَقِّ ۖ يُكَوِّرُ اللَّيْلَ عَلَى النَّهَارِ وَيُكَوِّرُ النَّهَارَ عَلَى اللَّيْلِ ۖ وَسَخَّرَ الشَّمْسَ وَالْقَمَرَ ۖ كُلٌّ يَجْرِي لِأَجَلٍ مُسَمًّى ۗ أَلَا هُوَ الْعَزِيزُ الْغَفَّارُ
The Arabic word “Kura كرة” means ball; the Quran used its verb “Yukawer يُكَوِّرُ” meaning to make into a ball. The Quran says that the overlapping of the night and the day makes a ball (sphere).
“ALL MOVE (Kullon Yajree كُلٌّ يَجْرِي)” here the Quran is referring to ALL MOVING, not only the sun and moon but also Earth. In Arabic grammar there is difference between the singular (one), binary (two) and plural (three or more). The reference to binary is “Kulahuma Yajreean كلاهما يجريان” however the Quran said “Kullon yajree كُلٌّ يَجْرِي” referring to the plural (three or more). Since the sun and moon are just two but the Quran refers to three or more then according to the Quran all the three move: sun, moon and Earth.
Also – The Quran says that Earth has a diameter (diameter is twice the radius).
SURAH AN NAJM (THE STAR): AYAT 33 (QURAN 55:33
O company of Jinn and man, escape the diameters of the Heavens and the Earth if you can, You won’t escape without authority.
٣٣ يَا مَعْشَرَ الْجِنِّ وَالْإِنْسِ إِنِ اسْتَطَعْتُمْ أَنْ تَنْفُذُوا مِنْ أَقْطَارِ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ فَانْفُذُوا ۚ لَا تَنْفُذُونَ إِلَّا بِسُلْطَانٍ
Diameter in Arabic is Kutr قطر. Its plural is Aktar اقطار. Radii and diameters are properties of circles or spheres only. This conforms with the previous verse, to make into a ball (Yukawer يُكَوِّرُ).
Simply Miraculous – nearly 1400 years ago – when individuals were being persecuted for simply theorizing the earth was not flat – the Quran clearly verifies the more oblate spherical nature of the earth!