islamic Geocentric World

Who Still Thinks the Qur’an Says the Earth Is Flat?

Let’s be honest — the internet is full of confident people who don’t read.
Every once in a while, one of them appears with a smirk and claims, “The Qur’an teaches that the world is geocentric, flat, and that the sun goes around the Earth!”

Really? Which verse, exactly?

Because every time you ask, they’ll mumble something about “the sun running” or “the earth spread out,” then call that a scientific discovery of stupidity.
But if we actually open the Qur’an, read it in its original Arabic, and grasp the eloquent style in which it speaks, we’ll quickly realize that the problem isn’t with the Qur’an at all. Even when reading the translations, it’s impossible to interpret it the way critics claim.
It’s with people pretending to be scholars after watching three YouTube shorts.

What “Geocentric” Means

The geocentric model is an ancient belief that places Earth at the unmoving center of the universe, with the Sun, Moon, and stars revolving around it.

Some critics claim that the Qur’an supports this outdated idea. But such accusations almost always stem from reading verses in a purely literal way, without understanding their linguistic depth or context.

The Misquoted Verses

Let’s take their greatest hits.

surah yasin

And the sun runs [on course] toward its stopping point. That is the determination of the Exalted in Might, the Knowing.

Surah Ya-Sin 36:38

Critics jump on this verse, claiming it proves the Qur’an thought the Sun orbits the Earth.

The verse simply describes the sun is moving. Something we know is scientifically accurate. The sun does move, orbiting around the center of our galaxy at about 828,000 km per hour.

So the verse isn’t saying the sun goes around the earth. It just saying the sun moves in its path. That’s like accusing someone of being geocentric because they said, “the sun rises.”

What about “the stopping point”? Doesn’t it say the sun stop?

No my friends. It doesn’t. Look and read again. It simply says the sun moves. It still moving though…towards a stopping point.

Where is the stopping point you ask? Well, nobody knows! However, we all know it’s going to stop one day. The universe is dying you see.

surah al-kahf

Ah yes — the classic Surah Al-Kahf (18:86) argument:

Until, when he reached the setting of the sun [i.e., the west], he found it [as if] setting in a body of dark water, and he found near it a people. We [i.e., Allāh] said, “O Dhul-Qarnayn, either you punish [them] or else adopt among them [a way of] goodness.”

Surah Al-Kahf (18:86

Anti-Islam polemicists love this verse. But anyone who has ever watched a sunset knows exactly what it means.

The verse is describing what Dhul-Qarnayn saw from his perspective, not what the Quran claims as literal cosmology. Don’t tell me I need to explain what does “he found it” means. This simple English clearly indicates a perceptual observation, not a physical fact. It’s like saying, “the sun set into the ocean.” Nobody thinks the sun literally sinks into the water.

So if someone still reads this verse and insists the Quran teaches the sun literally plunges into mud, maybe the problem isn’t the scripture. It’s absolutely with the reader – Can’t accept the loss!

Surah Al-Anbiya:

And it is He who created the night and the day and the sun and the moon; all [heavenly bodies] in an orbit are swimming.

Surah Al-Anbiya 21:33

They say this verse implies that the sun and moon orbit the Earth. In reality, it doesn’t specify around what. Moreover, the verse can be seen as implicitly refuting the long-held belief that the Sun is stationary at the centre of the universe. For instance, in the early 20th century Harlow Shapley showed that the Sun is not at the centre of the Milky Way but lies tens of thousands of light-years from it and is in orbit around the galaxy’s centre.^[1] Later, Jan Oort provided stronger evidence of the Milky Way’s rotation and calculated that the Sun (and the solar system) orbit the galactic centre.^[2]

In short, the verse actually implies all celestial bodies are in motion, which perfectly matches modern cosmology.

What the Quran Actually Says About the Cosmos

Nowhere does the Quran claim that the universe revolves around the earth. In fact, the Quran constantly describes a dynamic, expanding, and ordered cosmos:

“And the heaven We constructed with strength, and indeed, We are [its] expander.” (Surah Adh-Dhariyat 51:47)

That verse alone refutes the idea of a stagnant, geocentric universe. It implies motion, expansion, and design. A concept modern science confirmed over a thousand years later.

What About the Shape of the Earth?

Then we have the flat-earth claim. Critics love to “weaponize” the translation “spreading out” as mentioned in Surah Taha:

[It is He] who has made for you the earth as a bed [spread out] and inserted therein for you roadways and sent down from the sky, rain and produced thereby categories of various plants.

Surah Taha 20:53

Tell you what. Spreading a carpet, bed or whatever need not be flat.

This issue is very simple to understand and it’s not rocket science. I won’t go into detail here since I’ve already written a full article on the topic. But if you’d like to learn more, you can check it out at this link. | The Shape of Earth |

What the Great Muslim Scholars Said

Long before Europe even settled the question, Muslim scientists already understood the earth was round and not the center of the universe.

Al-Biruni (973–1048) measured the earth’s circumference with astonishing precision, and wrote explicitly that the earth is spherical.
Ibn Hazm stated that “the earth is a sphere, and so are the heavens.”
Ibn Taymiyyah, in Majmu’ al-Fatawa, said: “It has been agreed upon by scholars that the heavens are spherical, and the earth as well.”
Al-Farghani (Alfraganus) and Ibn al-Shatir made astronomical models that anticipated heliocentric principles centuries before Copernicus.

When you have a millennium of Islamic scholarship describing a spherical, orbiting earth, the claim that “Islam says the earth is flat” becomes embarrassingly unserious even if it’s coming from tafsir Al-Jalalyn.

The Real Issue

Let’s be honest. This isn’t about science. It’s about pride. Some people are so desperate to make the Quran look wrong that they’ll twist language, ignore context, and skip 1,400 years of scholarship just to “win” an argument.

But if the goal is truth, not ego, then the evidence speaks for itself:

The Quran describes an expanding universe.
It acknowledges the motion of celestial bodies.
It portrays the earth as a sphere suitable for life.
And Muslim scientists have always understood it that way.

So the next time someone says “The Quran is geocentric”, maybe ask them a simple question:

“Which verse says that — or did you just read that from another Reddit comment?”

theology reflection apologetics miracles

References:

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. (2025, October 16). Harlow Shapley. Encyclopaedia Britannica. Retrieved from https://www.britannica.com/biography/Harlow-Shapley
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. (n.d.). Jan Oort. Encyclopaedia Britannica. Retrieved October 22, 2025, from https://www.britannica.com/biography/Jan-Oort

#AlBiruni, #DefendingIslam, #DhulQarnayn, #FaithAndReason, #FlatEarthMyth, #Geocentrism, #IbnTaymiyyah, #IslamAndScience, #IslamDebunkedMyths, #IslamicCosmology, #IslamicGoldenAge, #MuslimScientists, #QuranAndAstronomy, #QuranGeocentricDebunked, #QuranIsScientific, #QuranMisinterpretation, #QuranTruth, #SunSetsInMuddySpring, #SurahAlKahf, #TafsirExplained, 000 km per hour. In other words, 000 km per hour. So the verse isn’t saying the sun goes around the earth — it’s saying the sun moves in its path. That’s like accusing someone of being geocentric because they said, 000 km), 1, 10th–11th, 1149–1209 CE) Verses discussed: (79:30) “He spread (dahaha) the Earth.” (88:20) “And at the Earth, 11th, 12th, 21:33) “He wraps the night over the day…” (39:5 again) 🔹 His commentary: In Al-Fisal fi’l-Milal wal-Ahwa wal-Nihal, 339.6 km — only ~1% off modern values (6, 340 km). ThatsMaths Yabiladi article: “Muslim scholars knew that the Earth was round” — notes that Al-Biruni regarded the Earth as a sphere and computed its circumference, 371 km). He also discussed day-night cycles, 39:5) 🔹 Al-Biruni’s reasoning: He explained that the verb يُكَوِّرُ (yukawwiru) means to roll or wind around, 400 locations on a spherical Earth. His maps assumed a curved globe, 400 years ahead of its time. Muslim Scholars Were Never “Flat-Earthers” Now, 400 years later, 400 years of scholarship just to “win” an argument. But if the goal is truth, 400 years. It’s fascinating how these people, 79:30, 88:20, 965–1040 CE) While his Book of Optics focused on vision and light, 9th, 9th century) Verse referenced: “It is He who created the night and the day and the sun and the moon — all (celestial bodies) swim along, a published statement addressing “flat earth” specifically). Some observations: There is a summary article by Yayasan Dakwah Islamiah Malaysia (YADIM) titled “Sifat bumi bulat, about context, Actually hints at Earth’s motion “Qur’an speaks of sunrise/sunset literally”, affirms the Earth is “circle/spherical-like, Al-Athār al-Bāqiyah What he said: Al-Biruni explicitly stated that the Earth is spherical, Al-Biruni, Al-Farghani 79:30, Al-Idrisi explicitly stated that his world maps are based on the Earth’s spherical geometry, Al-Raghib, Al-Razi 67:3–4, Al-Razi 88:20, Al-Razi) linked this to Earth’s rotation or movement, Al-Tabari, Al-Tusi, Allah, Anbiya 21:33, and a little biting — sharp enough to make readers think, and about humility. The Qur’an’s Real Message The Qur’an doesn’t teach geocentrism or flat-earthism. It teaches reflection — to observe, and Al-Biruni, and Al-Farra’) understood it as expanding or making habitable, and call it a day. But here’s the question they never answer: where, and every level of intellect. So when someone says, and guide the public toward the correct Islamic view. It’s not a specific type of fatwa, and he even calculated its radius and circumference with a brilliant geometric method using trigonometry and horizon measurements. “The earth is spherical, and in numerous verses, and including the famous “sun sets in a muddy spring” verse (18:86) with explanation. The tone stays educated, and indeed, and it literally means “clarification for the people” or “explanation to the public.” Let’s break it down: Bayan (بيان) → means explanation, and moving according to divine order. That’s poetry, and ordered cosmos: “And the heaven We constructed with strength, and politely sarcastic, and skip 1, and so are the heavens.” Ibn Taymiyyah, and Tafsir al-Tabari on 18:86)? That would make the article publish-ready. You said: make tags. start with # close with comma ChatGPT said: #QuranGeocentricDebunked, and the classical tafsir context (which often emphasizes order and function, and the ease of walking and living on it, and the rising and setting of the sun.” He emphasized that the alternation of day and night can only occur on a rotating or spherical body, and the scientist can all understand. It invites you to think — not to memorize coordinates. And if someone still insists it says the Earth is flat, and the view that the Earth is spherical. WikiIslam 📝 Caveats Some of the quotes (especially from Ibn Hazm) are accessible in secondary sources (summaries, and their works were later studied by European scientists. Thus, and then we can weave in flat-earth refutations naturally — almost like, and understand how Qur’anic language actually works, and wrote explicitly that the earth is spherical. Ibn Hazm stated that “the earth is a sphere, Andalusia, as FLAT.” faithfreedom.org 🧮 Summary Some early Islamic commentators (e.g., as in wrapping a turban around a head — implying a spherical shape. He used this as linguistic evidence that the Earth must be round, as the verses ‘laid out’ etc. indicate.” WikiIslam +1 A site critical of Islam states: “The Qur’an describes the shape of the earth very clearly, as you like. Did the Quran Really Say the Earth is the Center of the Universe? Every few months, Atmospheric refraction, “dahaha” comes from “dahw”, “Islam teaches the Sun revolves around the Earth, “Shape of the Earth, “Spread out” = made habitable, “The Qur’an says the world is flat and the sun goes around the Earth!” Really? Which verse, “the sun rises.” What About “The Sun Sets in a Muddy Spring”? Ah yes — the classic Surah Al-Kahf (18:86) argument: “Until, “the sun set into the ocean.” Nobody thinks the sun literally sinks into the water. So if someone still reads this verse and insists the Quran teaches the sun literally plunges into mud, “يبين الحق” means “he clarifies the truth.” Li al-nas (للناس) → means for the people (li = for / to, “while we’re at it, “Yes, ” and 1, ” and call that a scientific discovery of stupidity. But if you actually open the Qur’an, ” and explains Qur’anic words like dahaha / sutihat as meaning “spread/made habitable, ” coordinates & maps, ” it doesn’t mean the carpet is an infinite plane — it means you made it accessible. And besides, ” it’s referring to its usability, ” maybe we can let the Qur’an use natural human speech too. Actually, ” you can smile and reply: No, ✅ Summary The Qur’an: Uses phenomenological language (how things appear to humans). Never says the Earth is flat or stationary. Describes a dynamic, balanced, Baqarah 2:258, Bayan Linnas, because it suggests motion of the Earth itself. The verse implies the Earth moves, because it’s meant for all people, because mountains appear stationary only from our limited perception. Classical scholars (e.g. Al-Qurtubi, both the Earth and Moon orbit, but more like a publication series or official bulletin of religious guidance. Example: “Bayan Linnas Siri ke-166: Polemik Bumi Rata — Suatu Perspektif Islam” → “Clarification for the People, but still professional enough to keep credibility. I’ll write this like a modern commentary article: conversational, but the Sun also moves (around the galactic center). The verse actually implies all celestial bodies are in motion, but to mock. But the irony is delicious: the very text they try to insult actually inspired the birth of Islamic astronomy, Central Asia, centuries of Muslim science — it’s not even a debate. The Qur’an never said the Earth is flat. It said the Earth is perfectly designed, Century, Circular/orbital motion, citing astronomical observation and Qur’anic hints. Al-Farghani, claiming “The Qur’an says the Earth is the center of the universe!” They’ll post a verse, claiming it proves the Qur’an thought the Sun orbits the Earth. Except that’s not what the verse says. The Arabic word tajrī means to move or to flow, clarification, Common human expression, confident, consistent with the Qur’anic description of cosmic order. 🕊️ 5. Al-Razi (Fakhr al-Din al-Razi, containing coordinates of over 2, Contribution, conversational, Correct Understanding Earth is flat, dahaha (spread/prepared), dahaha can also mean to shape like an ostrich egg — which is slightly oblate, Describes motion of celestial bodies in their own orbits — no frame of reference given “Qur’an assumes Earth is stationary”, does the Qur’an say that? Because once you open the book, each in its rounded orbit.” (21:33) 🔹 His insight: Al-Farghani used this verse to support the concept of circular orbits and celestial harmony, early tafsir, Earth orbits the Sun, eclipse proof, Egypt, emphasizing motion, every language, exactly, exactly? Because every time you ask, Expanded for life, expanding, expansion, flat-earth belief is mistaken, for the position of the horizon changes when we move north or south.” (Tahdīd Nihāyāt al-Amākin) His accuracy: He measured the Earth’s radius to be 6, geocentric universe. It implies motion, Gravity to Earth’s center, had already challenged geocentrism mathematically — centuries before Copernicus. Some developed heliocentric-like planetary models, hadith, how did all its believers produce centuries of anti-geocentric science? But What About the “Flat Earth” Verses? Ah yes — the “spread out” verses, how it has been spread out (sutihat).” 🔹 Clarification: Al-Razi explained that these verses do not mean the Earth is geometrically flat, how it has been spread out (sutihat)?” Claim: “Sutihat” means flattened, however, hujah berdasarkan firman Allah SWT” which references the Malaysian mufti’s statement. Yayasan Dakwah Islamiah Malaysia I didn’t locate (in my search) a comparable official fatwa in, I can search specifically for a list of statements/fatwas from other countries’ mufti offices (e.g., Ibn al-Haytham, Ibn al-Haytham 55:33, Ibn al-Shatir, Ibn al-Shatir — all refined planetary models that even influenced Copernicus. If the Qur’an were truly teaching geocentrism, Ibn Hazm, Ibn Hazm 21:33, Ibn Hazm said: “The Muslims are unanimously agreed that the Earth is round. Proof is in the Qur’an and in observable phenomena — day and night, Ibn Sina, Ibn Hazm) and explain that “spread out” (e.g., if the Qur’an had truly meant “flat, if you can pass beyond the regions of heavens and earth, ignore context, Imam Fakhr al‑Dīn al‑Rāzī, Implies vastness and spherical boundaries, implying a round Earth. 🧭 6. Ibn al-Haytham (Alhazen) (965 – 1040 CE) Work: Kitāb al-Manāẓir (Book of Optics) Though mainly known for optics, in all eras, in Arabic, in Majmu’ al-Fatawa, in Malaysia, including Ibn Hazm, indonesia, Islam, IslamQA, it actually describes celestial motion as a universal system — which aligns beautifully with modern astronomy. If anything, it does.” So maybe the critics should slow down before calling it “geocentric.” 2. “Each swims along in its orbit.” (Al-Anbiya 21:33) Here, it’s reminding us that everything in the universe obeys divine order. When it says the Earth was “spread out, it’s the opposite of geocentrism. 3. “You see the mountains and think them motionless.” (An-Naml 27:88) This one they usually skip, Key Word, Khwarezm, kullun fi falakin yasbahun (each in orbit), layer upon layer, let’s clear this one too.” Below is a rewritten, level, like sutihat or dahaha. Some claim these mean “the Earth is flat.” But the Arabic doesn’t say flat like a plate — it says expanded, made habitable. That’s a description of Earth’s surface, mapped, mathematically proved sphericity, maybe it’s not the Qur’an that’s out of date. Maybe it’s their reading skills. Would you like me to make a version with citations at the end (from Al-Biruni, maybe the problem isn’t the scripture — maybe it’s the reader. What the Quran Actually Says About the Cosmos Nowhere does the Quran claim that the universe revolves around the earth. In fact, Meaning / Implication, meaning an ostrich egg — implying a rounded, meaning “to spread out” or “to shape for habitation.” Some classical scholars even linked it to “duhiya”, meaning they claim it teaches that the sun revolves around the earth. This claim, Measured circumference & celestial distances, Measured Earth’s radius, mistranslating them as “flattened” — as if it means “flat like a plate.” But in Arabic, Misused Verse, moon, morality, Morocco/Sicily, Muslim astronomers like: Al-Battani, Muslim scientists already understood the earth was round and not the center of the universe. Al-Biruni (973–1048) measured the earth’s circumference with astonishing precision, Muslims never treated the Qur’an as geocentric — rather, my friend. The only thing that revolves here… is your misunderstanding. Would you like me to prepare a version with inline citations and references (like from Bayan Linnas, Naml 27:88, None, not a fixed Earth. 🧠 4. Conclusion Misinterpreted Claim, not a flat plane. 📐 3. Ibn Sina (Avicenna, not a flat surface. He also introduced mathematical methods for latitude/longitude, not a physical fact. It’s like saying, not ego, not flat, not flattening. b. Surah Al-Ghashiyah (88:20) وَإِلَى ٱلْأَرْضِ كَيْفَ سُطِحَتْ “And at the earth, not geocentric model, not geometric shape Earth is stationary, not its global shape. When Allah tells us to reflect on the earth being “spread out, not its path. And guess what? The Sun does move — it orbits the center of the Milky Way galaxy at nearly 828, not its shape. Just like when you say “I spread a carpet, not literal flatness, not making scientific statements. 🕌 6. Ibn al-Haytham (Alhazen, not physics lessons. ✅ Summary Claim, not scientific statement Would you like me to compile quotes from tafsir (Ibn Kathir, not to circle the Earth. It describes the Sun’s motion, one of them appears with a smirk and claims, optics, or declaration. It comes from the root b-y-n (ب ي ن), or other major Muslim-majority countries publicly addressing flat earth theory in the same way. For example, or prepare for life. In classical Arabic, or preservation of scripture, orbiting around the center of our galaxy at about 828, orbiting earth, orbiting system consistent with modern cosmology. Would you like me to show how early Muslim scholars (like Al-Biruni, Order and precision in cosmos, Perceived flatness, Persia, proud and loud, provide scholarly analysis with Qur’an and hadith references, Quran, Quran never says so; mentions movement (27:88) Sun revolves around Earth, Quran says both sun and moon orbit (21:33) Earth created before heaven, read the Arabic, Real Meaning “Qur’an says Sun orbits Earth”, Region, religion, said: “It has been agreed upon by scholars that the heavens are spherical, Sapience Institute, Saudi Arabia, say, Scholar(s) Who Used It 39:5, science said, seasons, Sequence verses vary but consistent with cosmic formation, showing how revelation and science aligned beautifully, similar to the Earth’s actual shape. Many early Arabic linguists (e.g. Ibn Abbas, since day and night roll over each other in continuous succession. In his Al-Qanun al-Mas‘udi, since some people love mixing up “geocentric” and “flat, slightly flattened at the poles. What the Great Muslim Scholars Said Long before Europe even settled the question, slightly flattened shape. That’s not a coincidence. The Quranic description fits perfectly with what we know today: the earth is spherical but not perfectly round, slightly sarcastic, smart, so the Earth is flat. Clarification: “Sutihat” means laid out or expanded — describing the human perception of flatness, Spherical Al-Farghani, Spherical Al-Idrisi, Spherical Al-Khwarizmi, Spherical ✅ In short Muslim scientists never taught that the Earth is flat. They measured, Spherical Ibn al-Haytham, Spherical Ibn Hazm, Spherical Ibn Sina, spread, spread for life, stability, Stated consensus of scholars Earth is round, sutihat (spread out), Tahdīd Nihāyāt al-Amākin, the ground does look flat. And Islam never told people to ignore observation or reason. So when we look at the weight of evidence — Qur’anic language, the more they expose how little they understand — about Arabic, the more they try to mock it, the mufti office (PMWP) has taken a clear stance: the earth is spherical, the phenomenological perspective (describing things as humans see them), the Quran constantly describes a dynamic, the Qur’an Hints the Earth Moves Here’s the verse critics usually avoid: “You see the mountains and think them motionless, the Qur’an said the Sun “moves, the scholar, the sun’s light would rise and fall over all regions simultaneously. That it does not, then pass, then weaving in the flat-earth misconception, they reach for cheap shots. They hope that misquoting one verse will make 1.9 billion Muslims doubt their faith. But the irony is, they reach for science — not to learn, they viewed these verses as spiritual metaphors or observable descriptions, they’ll mumble something about “the sun running” or “the earth spread out, thinking them motionless, this time focusing first on debunking the “geocentric Quran” claim, though it feels still to us. Thousands of years before seismology and astrophysics, to question. When it says the Sun moves, to think, toss in a smug emoji, translations) rather than all being available in easily-verifiable primary texts. For example, used trigonometry to estimate the radius (~6, Verse, View Al-Biruni, We are [its] expander.” (Surah Adh-Dhariyat 51:47) That verse alone refutes the idea of a stagnant, when he reached the setting place of the sun, when you look around, where all cosmic bodies — Earth included — move in curved paths. He mathematically computed the Earth’s circumference (~40, which has meanings related to making something clear or distinct. For example, which paved the way for modern science itself. The more they mock, while they pass as the clouds pass.” This indicates Earth’s movement, who probably never opened a tafsir (or even the Quran properly), witty, World map based on globe, Wrapping of day/night → spherical Earth, Yasin 36:38, yet the Earth beneath them is constantly in motion. That’s not geocentric. That’s observational genius, yet they pass like clouds.” (An-Naml 27:88) This one beautifully fits modern understanding — mountains appear still, You said: Al-quran says the world is flat and geocentric? which verse says that? ChatGPT said: No — the Qur’an does not say the world is flat or geocentric. However, yukawwiru (He wraps), شكل الأرض فتوى) and check websites of state mufti offices. If you like

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