Re: Earth is Round
Did Prophet or his campanions know that earth was round? Hadees like "sun rises between the horns of the devil" seems to say otherwise.
Was it an important information for them? Was it worth telling others expilicitly?
I once read a Jumma lecture by Ali where he mentions something in these lines "You cannot escape it (xyz) even if you enter from one side of the earth and come out from the other"
I don't remember the context, but does this line mean he knew that the earth was round?
Quran says "earth was laid out (much like a carpet) and mountains were installed (nailed on it) to prevent it from moving (or shaking)". This certainly does not portray a round earth, or does it?
first of all earth is not round rather oval
and that was predicted by quran 1400 years ago
Surah Naziat, Ch. No. 79, Verse No. 30…. It says. … ‘And thereafter, We have made the earth egg-shaped’. The Arabic word ‘Dahaha’ comes from root word ‘Duhya’, meaning an Egg-shape and it does not refer to any normal Egg. It specifically refers to the Egg of an Ostrich
so i don't agree with you that people of that time don't know because not only Quran says
Aristotle in about 360 BC discussed, knowing that the earth was round, by its shadow on the moon
and second even (for the sake of argument ) if they don't know
To analyse the meaning of a word, we have to see what was the meaning at that time when it was revealed’-At that time when the book was written. And you rightly said that to analyze the meaning, we have to analyze the meaning at the time it was revealed, and to the people whom it was meant for.
As far as this statement is concerned, regarding the Bible, I do agree with it totally - Because the Bible was only meant for the children of Israel, for that time. It is mentioned in the Gospel of Mathew, Ch. No. 10, Verse No. 5 and 6, Jesus Christ peace be upon him tells his disciples… ‘Go ye not in the way of the Gentiles.’ Who are the Gentiles? The Non-Jews, the Hindus, the Muslims ‘But rather go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.’ Jesus Christ peace be upon him said in the Gospel of Mathew, Ch. No. 15, Verse No. 24… ‘I am not sent, but to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.’ So Jesus Christ and the Bible, were only meant for the children of Isreal.
Since it was meant for them, to analyze the Bible, you have to use the meaning of the word, which was utilized at that time. But the Qur’an was not meant only for the Arabs of that time - Qur’an is not meant only for the Muslims.
The Qur’an is meant for the whole of humanity, and it is meant to be for eternity. Qur’an says in Surah Ibrahim, Ch. 14, Verse. 52, in Surah Baqarah Ch. No. 2, Verse 185, and Surah Zumar Ch. 39, Verses. 41, that the Qur’an is meant for the whole of human kind. And Prophet Mohammed, may peace be upon him, was not sent only for the Muslims or the Arabs. Allah says in the Qur’an in Surah Ambiya Ch. No. 21, Verse No. 107---That We have send thee as a mercy, as a guidance, to the whole of humankind.’ So as far as the Qur’an is concerned, you cannot limit the meaning only for that time, because it is meant for eternity
(source and for detail see: Quran and bible in the light of science
and Quran and modern science
Dr Zakir Nayak )