Surah An-Naml (27) — Ayah 61

61. Who made the earth a stable place [62], and placed rivers within it [63], and set mountains upon it, and placed a barrier between the two seas [64]? Is there any god with Allah? No, but most of them do not know.

[62]
Six Interpretations of the Earth Being a Place of Rest:

Within this single sentence, many powers of Allah Almighty are encompassed. It had become known to mankind thousands of years ago that our massive globe, the Earth, is round and suspended in the vast expanse of space. Most of the Earth's surface is ocean, and despite the Earth being round, water does not fall off it; the reason for this is that, like every celestial body, our Earth also possesses gravity. Because of this, objects can fall to the ground by themselves, but cannot rise up on their own without the use of some force, except for gases and water vapors, whose sphere is above the Earth. If any gas lighter than ordinary air escapes from the Earth, it will rise up by itself. If these wonders were not enough, further research in astronomy has added immensely to these marvels. For example, one is that our Earth, while facing the sun, rotates on its axis at a speed of about one thousand miles per hour, and its rotation is completed in one day and night, or 24 hours. Secondly, our Earth is 93 million miles away from the sun and completes one revolution around it in a year, so its speed of revolution around the sun is sixty-six thousand six hundred miles per hour. Despite these two types of rotations, Allah Almighty has so firmly held the Earth that we cannot even feel it, and we walk and live on it with ease. One meaning of the Earth being a place of rest is that, as mentioned in authentic hadiths, our Earth, due to these rotations, used to shake. So Allah Almighty placed mountains in various directions in such a way that the shaking stopped, and it became a place of rest for humans and all other things. Its third aspect is that if the Earth always remained in front of the sun, then one half of the Earth would always have day, and the other half would always have night. In this way, the entire Earth would become completely useless for plants and all living beings, because for the life and growth of plants and living beings, night is as necessary as day. Allah Almighty established the system of night and day on Earth, making it a place of rest for all creatures. Its fourth aspect is that if the distance between the Earth and the sun were less than it is now, all creatures would wither and eventually perish or be destroyed due to the intensity of heat and scorching. And if this distance were greater, it would be so cold that all creatures would freeze and eventually perish or be destroyed. In this way, the Earth could not become a place of rest for creatures. Its fifth aspect is that our Earth revolves around the sun at an angle of 66 degrees, due to which the duration of day and night gradually changes; sometimes the days start getting longer and the nights shorter, and sometimes the opposite happens. Then, based on this, the seasons change—sometimes it is summer, sometimes winter, sometimes spring, sometimes autumn, and sometimes the rainy season. These seasons have a deep connection with the growth of various types of crops, grains, and fruit-bearing trees, their development, and the ripening of crops and fruits. If Allah Almighty had not established this system, the issue of food for the inhabitants of this Earth could have become extremely problematic. In such a case, this Earth could not have become a place of rest for us. Its sixth aspect is that up to five or six hundred miles above our Earth, a dense layer of air has been created, protecting the Earth from celestial or atmospheric calamities. According to current research, about twenty million meteors head towards our Earth daily at a lightning speed of 30 miles per second. When they reach this atmospheric layer, they catch fire and are destroyed there. Sometimes, a meteor of larger size does fall to the Earth and creates a deep crater, but this happens rarely, as Allah wills. In normal circumstances, we remain safe from them. If Allah Almighty had not established this atmospheric system around the Earth, the Earth could never have become a safe place of rest. In short, there are so many aspects to this issue that the more one reflects on them, the more aspects come to light. Now the question is: does any other deity besides Allah have any share, however small, in this system of the universe? And if the answer to this question is negative, then how can others be associated with Allah in worship?

[63] By rivers are meant all streams, brooks, and rivers, etc. They are supplied with water primarily by rain; some of the rainwater is absorbed by the earth, and the remaining excess water flows towards the streams and brooks. Their greatest source is the mountains and the springs between the mountains. In winter, snow accumulates on the mountains, which melts in summer and first takes the form of streams and brooks, and then of rivers, or this water follows the course of already formed streams and brooks. Through these, those areas are irrigated where rainfall is scarce or does not occur on time. Rivers are especially mentioned because the life and growth of all plants and living beings depend on water. After air, water is such an essential thing that nothing can sustain its life without it.

[64] For its explanation, see the commentary on verse 53 of Surah Al-Furqan, footnote number 66.