The Spherical Shape of the Earth

The Dawah Center - Quran & Science

“...He wraps the night over the day and wraps the day over the night...”

[Quran 39:5]

The Arabic word for “wrap” is “yukowir” The word is used to depict the act of wrapping a turban around someone’s head.

This word was also used in the sense of overlapping of the night and day and vice versa.

The reason for the day’s turning into night and the night’s turning into day is due to the spheroid form of the earth.

“And after that He spread the earth.”

[Qur’ān 79:30]

The Arabic word “dahw” means to ‘spread’ or ‘spread out giving something a round shape’, i.e. like that of the ostrich’s egg. Many ancient cultures, including the Greek, Indian and Chinese, held the belief that the Earth is flat. The Europeans did not alter their view until the Middle ages.