سُوْرَةُ الْغَاشِيَةِ
Surah Al-Ghaashiya (88) — Ayah 20
وَإِلَى ٱلْأَرْضِ كَيْفَ سُطِحَتْ ﴿20﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
And at the earth, how it is outspread?
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
وَإِلَى
wa-ilā
And towards
ٱلْأَرْضِ
l-arḍi
the earth
كَيْفَ
kayfa
how
سُطِحَتْ
suṭiḥat
it is spread out
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran — Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran (Facilitation of the Quran) is a comprehensive Quran commentary by Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. Known for his eloquent and accessible writing style, Kilani authored this tafsir with a focus on clarity — making Quranic meanings understandable to the common reader. The tafsir provides detailed historical context for verses related to battles and expeditions, and firmly refutes modernist ideologies using strong scriptural evidence. It is widely regarded as an invaluable resource for understanding the Quran and countering deviant interpretations. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
And at the earth—how it is spread out? [9]
[9]
What Was the Entire Universe of the Nomads? And the Signs of Allah:
What were the observations of life for these nomadic Bedouins? Merely this: for moving from place to place, the camel served as their means of riding and carrying loads. Above was the sky, below was the earth, and all around were the vast ranges of mountains. These were the entirety of their universe. Their attention was drawn to each of these things. The expanse of the sky is such that millions upon millions of planets are revolving within it. The condition of the earth is that, despite being round, no matter how much one travels upon it, it appears level. And this too is evidence of the earth’s vastness. The mountains have been embedded in the earth in such a way that, while they themselves do not move even a little from their place, they have eliminated the shaking and trembling of the earth. These people are being asked whether they have ever thought about how camels came into being? Who is the creator of such a vast sky? How were these mountains installed in the earth? And how was this earth spread out? If Allah Almighty can create all these things, then why can He not create another world, and why can He not establish the Day of Judgment? Is it permissible for a human being to accept all these things simply because he sees them, and to deny the Resurrection and Paradise and Hell merely on the basis that he has not seen them or they have not come within his experience? After all, on what basis was he granted intellect and understanding? Was it so that, without any thought or reflection, he would deny whatever things he does not see?
[9]
What Was the Entire Universe of the Nomads? And the Signs of Allah:
What were the observations of life for these nomadic Bedouins? Merely this: for moving from place to place, the camel served as their means of riding and carrying loads. Above was the sky, below was the earth, and all around were the vast ranges of mountains. These were the entirety of their universe. Their attention was drawn to each of these things. The expanse of the sky is such that millions upon millions of planets are revolving within it. The condition of the earth is that, despite being round, no matter how much one travels upon it, it appears level. And this too is evidence of the earth’s vastness. The mountains have been embedded in the earth in such a way that, while they themselves do not move even a little from their place, they have eliminated the shaking and trembling of the earth. These people are being asked whether they have ever thought about how camels came into being? Who is the creator of such a vast sky? How were these mountains installed in the earth? And how was this earth spread out? If Allah Almighty can create all these things, then why can He not create another world, and why can He not establish the Day of Judgment? Is it permissible for a human being to accept all these things simply because he sees them, and to deny the Resurrection and Paradise and Hell merely on the basis that he has not seen them or they have not come within his experience? After all, on what basis was he granted intellect and understanding? Was it so that, without any thought or reflection, he would deny whatever things he does not see?
