The HOLY QURAN & Physical Geography

Holy Quran is a book abounding in all the knowledge on sciences. It makes very clear and concise statements about various subjects inviting the reader to verify the authenticity of these statements with investigation and research by saying:

‘Behold! In the creation of the heavens and the earth; in the alternation of the night and the day; in the sailing of the ships through the ocean for the profit of mankind; in the rain which Allah sends down from the skies, and the life which He gives therewith to an earth that is dead; in the beasts of all kinds that He scatters through the earth; in the change of the winds, and the clouds which they trail like their slaves between the sky and the earth;- (Here) indeed are signs for a people that are wise.’
(2:164)

Holy Quran is a book abounding in all the knowledge on sciences. It makes very clear and concise statements about various subjects inviting the reader to verify the authenticity of these statements with investigation and research by saying:
‘Here indeed are signs for the people who are wise.’

In this article, we will have a look at the mention of features of physical geography in the Holy Quran.

PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY
It is the study of physical features of the earth; some of them are discussed below with references from the Holy Quran:

EARTH
Quran says ‘Indeed, your Lord is Allah, who created the heavens and the earth in six days and then established Himself above the Throne. He covers the night with the day, [another night] chasing it rapidly; and [He created] the sun, the moon, and the stars, subjected by His command.’              (7:54)

Today, scientists assert that there are countless galaxies in the universe which are ceaselessly expanding. Our galaxy, the Milky Way, has 8 planets which revolve around the sun (a star).

Moreover, The GMT starts from midnight proving the fact that night is covered by the day.

Discussing further, earth rotates on its axis in 23 hours, 56 minutes, and 4.09 seconds which cause the day and night to occur and revolves around the sun in 365 days which causes the seasons.

In another verse Allah explains:
‘[He] Who made for you the earth a bed (spread out) and the sky a ceiling’               (2:22)
The modern atmospheric science tells that the earth is filled with air, from the ground all the way up to the edge from where the space starts. The atmosphere is composed of several layers, each defined and described regarding its unique properties and features.

The sunlight that reaches us is just a small portion. The rest is reflected back into the space or absorbed by a thicker layer of gas closer to Earth’s surface called the Ozone. By soaking up the deadly ultraviolet and x-rays, the atmosphere acts as a protective shield around the planet and also keeps temperatures from getting too hot or too cold.

Furthermore, the earth is surrounded by a magnetic field called ‘the magnetosphere’ that is tens of thousands miles wide. The magnetosphere acts as a shield to protect us from solar storms. According to new NASA observations, immense cracks sometimes develop in earth’s magnetosphere and remain open for hours.  This allows the solar wind to gush through but these cracks do not expose our earth’s surface.

MOUNTAINS
Quran says, ‘Have We not made the earth as a bed, and the mountains as pegs?’ (78:6-7)

Modern earth sciences prove the truthfulness of the ayah by stating that mountains have deep roots under the surface of the ground. They can reach several times their elevations above the surface just like a peg.

In another verse Quran says ‘And He has set firm mountains in the earth so that it would not shake with you’                (16:15)
The modern theory of plate tectonics holds that mountains work as stabilizers for the earth.

OCEANS
Quran says ‘Or [they are] like darknesses within an unfathomable sea which is covered by waves, upon which are waves, over which are clouds – darknesses, some of them upon others. When one puts out his hand [therein], he can hardly see it.’                    (24:40)

Advanced technology and modern equipments have shown that around a depth of 200 metres and below, the seas and oceans are full of darkness. Human beings are not able to dive more than 40 metres without the aid of submarines or special equipment.

The verse ‘It is covered by waves, above which are waves, above which are clouds’  means that the deep waters of seas and oceans have different layers of water waves. Scientists have recently discovered that there are internal waves which occur on density interfaces between layers of different densities.

The internal waves cover the deep waters of seas and oceans because deep water has a higher density.  They can also break, just like surface waves.  Internal waves cannot be seen by the human eye, but they can be detected by studying temperature or salinity changes.

Moreover Quran tells us that’ He has let loose the two seas (the salt and the fresh water) meeting together.’                     (55:19)

Science has discovered that in  places where two different seas meet, there is a barrier between them. This barrier divides the two seas so that each sea has its own temperature, salinity and density. The best example is when the water of Mediterranean Sea meets Atlantic Ocean’s.

CLIMATE
The Quran explains in detail about the formation of the clouds, descending of the rain and the changing of the weathers. Quran says, ‘See you not that Allah drives the clouds gently, then joins them together, then makes them into a heap of layers, and you see the rain comes forth from between them. And He sends down from the sky hail (like) mountains, (or there are in the heaven mountains of hail from where He sends down hail), and strike therewith whom He wills, and averts it from whom He wills. The vivid flash of its (clouds) lightning nearly blinds the sight.’
(24:43)

Meteorologists have unveiled the details of cloud formation, structure, and function by using advanced equipment. They also observed wind and its direction, measured humidity and its variations, and determined the levels and discrepancies of atmospheric pressure.

Moreover the hydraulic cycle is studied by the scientists, i.e. the sun makes the water evaporate, which is them turned into rain drops and reaches the earth again. The process, its periods, and the changes in the climate all are indicated in the Quran which science is able to prove now.