A common argument made by muslims in my experience is the idea that the earth is round according to scholarly consensus. This argument is made in an attempt to convey the idea that the earth is not flat according to Islam and is usually made in conjunction with various arguments about the Quranic depiction of earth (such as the argument that Quran 39:5 describe a round earth). This argument to my knowledge originated from a fatwa site named Islamqa which posted a fatwa titled: “Consensus that the earth is round”.

In the introduction to their fatwa they declare: “More than one of the scholars have narrated that there is consensus that the Earth is round”. They then quote 2 muslim scholars to back up their point, Ibn Taymiyyah and Ibn Hazm.

.

Ibn Taymiyyah (1263-1328):

Imam Abu’l-Husayn Ahmad ibn Ja‘far ibn al-Munadi narrated from the prominent scholars who are well known for knowledge of reports and major works in religious sciences, from the second level of Ahmad’s companions, that there was no difference of opinion among the scholars that the sky is like a ball. He said: Similarly they were unanimously agreed that the Earth, with all that is contains of land and sea is like a ball. He said: That is indicated by the fact that the sun, moon and stars do not rise and set over those who are in different parts of the earth at the same time; rather that occurs in the east before it occurs in the west.

.

This evidence is very strange to me as well as problematic. The reason being that “the second level of Ahmad’s companions” means that this was not all muslim scholars, rather it was the view of the early Hanbalites. What about the Maliki, Shafi and Hanafites etc?

Second of all, Ibn Taymiyyah was largely seen as a liar, heretic and Kafir who simply made up claims of consensus. Salamah al-Azami al-Qadaei al-Shafi’i said: “The strange thing about this man is that whenever he produced a heresy, he lied and claimed that there is ‘Ijma’ on this from the previous and modern (scholars); and you might find him contradicting himself on the same page.”

.

Ibn Hazm (994-1064):

There is sound evidence that the earth is round, but the common folk say otherwise. Our response – and Allah is the source of strength – is that none of the leading Muslim scholars who deserve to be called imams or leaders in knowledge (may Allah be pleased with them) denied that the earth is round, and there is no narration from them to deny that.

.

This quote is a much more reliable one to use, however it should be noted that Ibn Hazm did have to admit that the prominent view of the public in his time was that the earth was flat. Secondly, his statement provides no evidence that the earliest scholars actually said the Earth is round (just that leading scholars didn’t say it was flat (which is partly true, but still dubious as we shall see). Furthermore it seems that Ibn Hazm is only referring to the scholars during his lifetime and not the 300 years between the death of Muhammad and his birth. Whether this is the case or not, we shall see in the next few sections that the claim of Ibn Hazm is rather dubious.

.

Part 1: The scholars who supported a flat earth.

.

Islamqa in their fatwa give the impression that their is a consensus from all scholars from all time as their title and introduction clearly suggest. So because of that, I think it would be a great idea to look at the works of scholars from the last 1400 years and see if the claim holds weight. Much like with Ibn Hazm and Taymiyyah, all the scholars will have their birth and death dates by their name.

But before I begin, I would like to thank two people. The first is “Badr Al-Zaman” whom is the author of an Arabic atheist website where the following scholarly opinions can be found. The second is a man whom goes by the name houndimus_prime on reddit. Without him and his translating of these works this article would never have been possible, so thank you Houndimus for giving up some of your free time to make this possible. If however you wish for a summary list of the scholars, scroll to the bottom of this article for a list of the scholars and their positions on the subject. Now, without further ado let us begin:

.

Abdullah Ibn Abbas (619-687):

.

The sayings of Sahabi Abdullah Ibn Abbas are regular citations by me and other individuals in the area of Islamic criticism for a few reasons, but the main one being the prayers that Muhammad made for Ibn Abbas regarding Quranic knowledge. For instance, in Ibn Majah 166 Muhammad said: “O Allah, teach him wisdom and the interpretation of the book”. In Bukhari 75 he said: “O Allah! Bestow on him the knowledge of the Book.” So for him to believe the earth is flat is a fairly big deal. His sayings regarding this issue are numerous, for example:

.

عن ابن عباس، قال «أوّل ما خلق الله من شيء القلم، فجرى بما هو كائن، ثم رفع بخار الماء، فخلقت منه السموات، ثم خلق النون فبسطت الأرض على ظهر النون، فتحرّكت الأرض فمادت، فأثبتت بالجبال، فإن الجبال لتفخر على الأرض» It was narrated from Ibn Abbas that he said: “The first of Allah’s creation was the pen, and He wrote what was to become. Then He raised the water vapor and from it He created the heavens. Then he created the whale, and the Earth was spread on the whale’s back. Then the Earth moved and it skewed. So it was fastened by the mountains, for it is the mountains that have dominance over the Earth.”

.

This was narrated by ‘Abd al-Razaaq in his Tafsir (2/307); Ibn Abi Shaybah (14/101); Ibn Abi Hatim – as mentioned in Tafsir Ibn Kathir (8/210); at-Tabari in Jami‘ al-Bayan (23/140); al-Hakim in al-Mustadrak (2/540); and many others. All of them narrated it via al-A‘mash, from Abu Zabyan Husayn ibn Jundub, from Ibn ‘Abbas.

This is an authentic narration traced back to Ibn Abbas. Al-Hakim after commenting on the whale narration in Al-Mustadrak said it is Sahih “according to the conditions of Bukhari and Muslim”. Dhahabi agreed with Al-Hakims assessment and deemed it Sahih. Imam Tabari after recording three narrations on the issue declared it a “sound tradition”. Islamqa said “this is a Sahih Isnad” and quotes Hakim and Dhahabi. For more information regarding the authenticity, origins, meaning and implications of the whale theory, see this article.

Another Hadith traced to Ibn Abbas says that the sun runs in the sky in its rounded course during the day, and when it sets it runs at night in its falak beneath the Earth. From Ibn Kathirs tafsir (who also grades the narration):

.

وقال ابن أبي حاتم حدثنا أبي، حدثنا أبو صالح، حدثنا يحيى بن أيوب عن ابن جريج عن عطاء بن أبي رباح، عن ابن عباس أنه قال الشمس بمنزلة الساقية تجري بالنهار في السماء في فلكها، فإذا غربت جرت بالليل في فلكها تحت الأرض حتى تطلع من مشرقها، قال وكذلك القمر، إسناده صحيح Ibn Abi Hatim recorded that Ibn Abbas said: “The sun is like flowing water, running in its course in the sky during the day. When it sets it runs during the night in its course beneath the earth until it rises from its rising place.” He said “the same is true of the moon.” Its chain of narration is Sahih.

.

Notice how he says it travels under the earth and rises in the east. This can only happen in the flat earth model. This hadith also strongly indicates his belief that the sun sets in a muddy spring as per Quran 18:86-90.

.

‘Abd al-Qahir al-Baghdadi (980-1037):

.

Qahir Al-Baghdādī was an Imam in fundamentals of Islam, heresiologist and mathematician. He wrote several books including Usul al-Din, a systematic treatise, beginning with the nature of knowledge, creation, how the Creator is known, His attributes, etc. It was in this book on page 124 that he said the earth was flat:

.

والباسط في الدلالة على بسط الرزق لمن شاء وعلى أنه بسط الأرض ولذلك سماها بساطاً خلاف قول من زعم من الفلاسفة والمنجمين بأن الأرض كروية غير مبسوطة. “Al Basit (one of the names of Allah) is indicative of the plentiful bounty given to those He wishes and that he spread the Earth flat, which is why He called it bisatan (that which is spread flat; a carpet) contrary to the allegations of those philosopher and astrologers who say that the Earth is spherical and not flat.”

.

Abu Mohammad al-Andalusi al-Qahtani (11th century):

.

Al-Qahtani was a prominent poet active in the 11th century. While little is known about the author, the poem he wrote is a piece that supposedly scholars from all areas of the Muslim World are familiar with. Qahtani also believed that the earth is flat as per the Quran as can be seen in his poem called nooniyah al qahtani on page 29:

.

والأرض عند أولي النهى لَسطيحة … بدليل صدق واضح القرآن And Earth in the reckoning of the rightly guided is flat … And their evidence is the truthful and clear Quran.”

.

Al-Mawardi (972-1058):

.

Al-Mawardi was an Islamic jurist of the Shafi’i school most remembered for his works on religion, government, the caliphate, and public and constitutional law during a time of political turmoil. He also had his own Tafsir book, in which he used the Quran to refute the idea that the earth was round.

.

قوله عز وجل: {وهو الذي مَدّ الأرض} أي بسطها للاستقرار عليها، رداً على من زعم أنها مستديرة كالكرة.

Regarding Quran 13:3: “Allah said: “And it is He who spread the Earth” which means that he spread it so that things may lie flat on it, which is a counter argument against those who claim that it is round like a ball.”

Tafsir Mawardi 13:3

.

Abu Hayyan (1256-1344):

.

Abu Hayyan was a celebrated commentator on the Quran and foremost Arabic grammarian of his era. His magnum opus Tafsir of the Ocean is the most important reference on Quranic expressions and the issues of grammar, vocabulary, etymology and the transcriber-copyists of the Quran. It was in this Tafsir that he stated his belief that the earth is flat:

.

بساطا وظاهره ان الارض ليست كروية بل مبسوطة Regarding the meaning of the word bisatan in Quran 71:19: “the obvious meaning is that the Earth is not spherical, but flat.”

Tafsir Abu Hayyan 71:19

.

Al-Khazin (12th century):

.

Al-Khazin Al-Baghdadi was a 12th century Islamic scholar most notable for writing a detailed 5 volume tafsir. In this tafsir, after commenting on the Quran verse 13:3 he said:

.

وهو الذي مد الارض اي بسطها على وجه الماء ….. الى ان قال وعند اصحاب الهيئة الارض كرة ويمكن أن يقال : إن الكرة اذا كانت كبيرة عظيمة فكل قطعة منها تشاهد ممدودة كالسطح الكبير العظيم ” فحصل الجمع ومع ذلك فالله قد اخبر ان مد الارض وانه دحاها وبسطها وكل ذلك يدل على التسطيح والله تعالى تعالى اصدق قيلا وابين دليلا من اصحاب الهيئة “ Allah said ‘And it is He who spread the earth’ meaning that he spread it over the water … according to astronomers the Earth is a ball and it can be said that if the ball is large enough then every piece of it can be seen as a large flat expanse… Even so Allah has told us that He expanded the Earth and that He spread it and flattened it, which all indicate that the Earth is flat, and Allah is more truthful and has better evidence than astronomers.”

.

Isam ul-Deen al-Qunawi (Unk.-1781):

.

I cannot find much information on this particular scholar, however what is known is that he is the author of Hashiat al-Qunawi Ala Tafsir al-Bayadi, a commentary on al-Bayadi’s Tafsir, in which he stated:

.

وإن صح إرادتها بل كونها مسطحة راجحة لأنها مختار ابن عباس عن ابن عمر رضي الله تعالى عنهم وظاهر قوله تعالى: وَالأَرْضَ مَدَدْنَاهَا وقوله تعالى: لَاتَرَى فِيهَا عِوَجًا وَلَا أَمْتًا وَالْأَرْضَ بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ دَحَاهَا يدل على كونها مسطحة، وابن عباس وجمع كثير من أهل العلم أعلم باللسان وأدرى بالبيان، فلا جرم أن الميل إليه مقبول لدى أولي العرفان، والكروية قول الفلاسفة، والظاهر أنها مختار المصنف تبعا للإمام الرازي فإنه قول الوجوه العقلية التي أقيمت على الكروية في تفسيره، والمصنف تبعه مع تقرير حدوثها فحينئذ لا محذور في كلا الاحتمالين لكن متابعة السلف أسلم. “Although the author’s claim (that the Earth is round) is well meant, the claim that it is flat is more likely to be correct because it was the opinion of Ibn Abbas and Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them) and the apparent interpretation of the verses ‘And the earth – We have spread it (15:19)’ and ‘You will not see therein a depression or an elevation (20:107)’ and ‘And after that He spread the earth (79:30)’ indicate that it is flat. And Ibn Abbas and a multitude of scholars are more knowledgeable of the Arabic tongue and its subtleties, so it is no crime to lean towards the opinion of those who have understanding. And the claim of sphericity is that of the philosophers, and apparently the author (Al-Bayadi) it is following opinion of Imam al-Razi and is based on the rationalist arguments for sphericity in his tafsir. The author believes that claim and while there is nothing wrong with that it is safer to follow the opinion of the salaf.”

.

Siddiq Hasan Khan (1832-1890):

.

Siddiq Hasan Khan was a leader of India’s Muslim community, often considered to be the most important Muslim scholar of the Bhopal State. He is largely credited alongside Syed Nazeer Husain with founding the reformist Ahl-i Hadith movement. He also authored a Tafsir book named Fath al-Bayan fi Maqasid al-Quran in which he repeats and endorses the statement of Ash-Shawkani:

.

(مددناها) اي بسطناها وفرشناها على وجه الماء كما في قوله والأرض بعد ذلك دحاها وفي قوله والأرض فرشناها فنعم الماهدون وفيه رد على من زعم انها كالكرة. “Meaning that Allah spread (the Earth) and laid it flat on the face of the water like He said in ‘And after that He spread the earth (79:30)’ and ‘And the earth We have spread out, and excellent is the preparer (51:48)’ and that is a counter argument to those who claim that it is like a ball.”

.

Ash-Shawkani (1759-1839):

.

Ash-Shawkani was a jurist and reformer and called for a return to the textual sources of the Quran and hadith. He is credited with developing a series of syllabi for attaining various ranks of scholarship and used a strict system of legal analysis based on Sunni thought. He was also the author of the prominent Tafsir Fath Al-Qadir, in which he stated the following:

.

(مددناها) اي بسطناها وفرشناها كما في قوله (والأرض بعد ذلك دحاها) وفي قوله (والأرض فرشناها فنعم الماهدون) وفيه رد على من زعم انها كالكرة. Regarding 15:19: “Meaning that Allah spread (the Earth) and laid it flat on the face of the water like He said in ‘And after that He spread the earth (79:30)’ and ‘And the earth We have spread out, and excellent is the preparer (51:48)’ and that is a counter argument to those who claim that it is like a ball.”

Tafsir Shawkani 15:19

.

Mohammad bin Yusuf al-Kafi (1861-1969):

.

I cannot find much information on this particular scholar, however he is likely most famous for his book Al-Masa’il al-Kafi yah which is a book of fatwas. In this book on page 70 he states:

.

قوله” كيف وقد دلت على ان الله حكيم مقتدر عليم حيث جعل الارض كرة لتكون فراشا ومهدا وذلولا قال: الامام محمد بن يوسف الكافي (غير صحيح) بالنسبة لكون الله جعل الارض كرة لانه لا شيء من ايات القران يدل على ذلك البتة كما تقدم واما كونه سبحانه وتعالى حكيما مقتدرا عليما فهذا ثابت له بنص الكتاب بقطع النظر عن كون الارض كرة دائرة او غير كرة وغير دائرة. “The claim that Allah is wise and powerful and knowledgeable enough to make Earth round for it to be a place of rest is incorrect for there are no verses in the Quran that indicate this at all as we have indicated earlier. As for them saying that Allah is wise and powerful and knowledgeable that is already proven by the Quran regardless of the Earth being round or not.”

.

Humood al-Tuwaijri (1916-1992):

.

Al-Tuwaijri was born in the city of Al-Majma’ah and learned from the book “Al-Usul ath-Thalathah” by Shaykh Muhammad ibn ‘Abdul-Wahab. He began learning the book “Al-Fiqh al-Akbar” with Shaykh ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abdul-‘Aziz al-‘Anawi the Judge of Al-Majma’ah and had mastered it at the age of 13. He learned many sciences and arts by his thirties; Tafsir, Hadith, Tawhid, Fiqh, Language, History, Literature and others. In one of his books he endorsed the opinion of Al-Kafi:

.

الكافي قال: “قوله” كيف وقد دلت على ان الله حكيم مقتدر عليم حيث جعل الارض كرة لتكون فراشا ومهدا وذلولا قال: الامام محمد بن يوسف الكافي (غير صحيح) بالنسبة لكون الله جعل الارض كرة لانه لا شيء من ايات القران يدل على ذلك البتة كما تقدم واما كونه سبحانه وتعالى حكيما مقتدرا عليما فهذا ثابت له بنص الكتاب بقطع النظر عن كون الارض كرة دائرة او غير كرة وغير دائرة. “As al-Kafi has stated: ‘The claim that Allah is wise and powerful and knowledgeable enough to make Earth round for it to be a place of rest is incorrect for there are no verses in the Quran that indicate this at all as we have indicated earlier. As for them saying that Allah is wise and powerful and knowledgeable that is already proven by the Quran regardless of the Earth being round or not.’ ”

.

Ibn Al-Akhshad (Unk. Presumably 10th century):

.

I cannot find much on this figure except that he was a Shiite scholar presumably active in the 10th century as he was mentioned by Al-Tusi, a man who was also active in the first half of that century. Tusi recorded this opinion of Al-Akhshad regarding chapter 18 verse 86:

.

No! It (the sun) does set in a muddy spring, exactly as the Quran clearly says.

Tafsir Tusi 18:86

This, of course, can only happen on a flat earth.

.

Ibn Mujahid (859-936):

.

Ibn Mujahid was a scholar of Islamic studies. He was most notable for establishing the seven canonical Quranic readings (Qira’at). Ibn Mujahid doesn’t have his own tafsir, but his opinion that the earth is flat is mentioned in Ibn Attiyah’s tafsir Al Muharar Al Wajeez. Ibn Attiyah is talking about the Earth being flat when commenting on 71:19, and quotes Ibn Mujahid as evidence:

.

يتركب على القول بالكروية نظر فاسد، وأما اعتقاد كونها بسيطة فهو ظاهر كتاب الله تعالى، وهو الذي لا يلحق عنه فساد البتة. واستدل ابن مجاهد على صحة ذلك بماء البحر المحيط بالمعمور، فقال: لو كانت الأرض كروية لما استقر الماء عليها. The opinion that the Earth is round is a false one, but believing that it is flat is the obvious meaning taken from the book of Allah, of which there is no falsehood. Ibn Mujahid proved the correctness of this by using the water of sea around elevated areas. He said: if the Earth were round then the water would not lie still.

Tafsir Ibn Attiyah 71:19

.

Part 1b: Controversial scholars and books

.

This section will include quotes from discredited scholars or fabricated works and will act as supporting evidence for this article.

.

Tanwir Al-Miqbas (Unknown):

.

For those interested in knowing why Tanwir Al-Miqbas is in this section, I recommend a read of the translators introduction of the PDF from the AlTafsir website. The passage in question that confirms the view of a flat earth is found in its commentary on Chapter 65 verse 12. I am using the Translated version by Mokrane Guezzou found on the AlTafsir website:

.

(Allah it is Who hath created seven heavens) one above the other like a dome, (and of the earth the like thereof) seven earths but they are flat. (The commandment cometh down among them slowly) He says: He sends the angels down from heaven with revelation, Scripture and calamities, (that ye may know) and acknowledge (that Allah is Able to do all things) relating to the dwellers of the heavens and the earths, (and that Allah surroundeth all things in knowledge) and that His knowledge encompasses everything’.

.

Part 1c: inexplicit flat earth statements

.

This section will include scholars who did not explicitly say that the earth is flat or endorse any serious flat earth belief like the sun setting in a muddy spring and the earth being flattened on a whale, but nevertheless give indications of believing in the flat earth model.

.

Ka’b Al-Ahbar (unk.-652-6):

.

Ka’b was a 7th-century Yemenite who converted to Islam. He was considered to be the earliest authority on Isra’iliyyat and South Arabian lore. According to Islamic tradition, he accompanied Umar in his trip from Medina to Jerusalem, and afterwards, became a supporter of Uthman. Ibn Hajar declared that he was trustworthy in hadith.

Ka’b was also a believer in the whale story, which I have previously mentioned. The reason I included him in this section is because he did not explicitly say the earth was spread on the whale, rather he said the whale carries the earth. This is taken from the Tafsir of Baidawi (as quoted by Islamqa):

.

Iblis managed to reach the whale on whose back the earth is carried and he whispered to it: Do you know what is on your back, O Leviathan – the name of the whale – of nations, animals, trees and mountains? If you shake them off, you will throw them off from your back. Leviathan thought of doing that, but Allah sent a beast that entered his nostrils and reached his brain, so the whale beseeched Allah because of it, and Allah gave it permission to leave. By the One in Whose hand is my soul, the whale is looking at the beast and the beast is looking at the whale, in case the whale wants to do that, in which case the beast is ready to jump back into its nostrils.

.

Ja’far Al-Sadiq (702-765):

.

Jafar Al-Sadiq was the sixth Shī’ah Imam and a major figure in the Hanafi and Maliki schools of Sunni jurisprudence. He was a descendant of Ali on the side of his father. Al-Sadiq is the 6th imam and recognized by all Shia sects as an Imam, and is revered in traditional Sunni Islam as a transmitter of Hadith, prominent jurist and mystic to sufis.

For this narration I would like to give credit to “Shiascans” for the translation of the following quote attributed to Ja’far Al-Sadiq. He is mentioned here for the same reason as Ka’b Al-Ahbar:

.

محمد عن أحمد عن ابن محبوب عن جميل بن صالح عن أبان بن تغلب عن أبي عبد الله (ع) قال: سألته عن الأرض على أي شيء هي؟ قال: هي على حوت قلت: فالحوت على أي شيء هو؟ قال: على الماء قلت: فالماء على أي شيء هو؟ قال: على صخرة قلت: فعلى أي شيء الصخرة؟ قال: على قرن ثور أملس قلت: فعلى أي شيء الثور؟ قال: على الثرى قلت: فعلى أي شيء الثرى؟ فقال: هيهات عند ذلك ضل علم العلما Muhammad reported from Ahmad, from ibn Mahbub, from Jamil ibn Salih, from Aban ibn Taghlib, from Abu Abdullah i.e. Al-Sadiq, who said, I asked him about the earth, ‘Upon which does it stand forth? To which he replied: “It stands forth upon a whale.” I asked: “Upon which does the whale stand forth? To which he replied: “Upon water.” I asked: “Upon which does water stand forth?” To which he replied: “Upon a rock.” I asked: “Upon which does the rock stand forth?” To which he replied: “Upon a bull’s smooth horn.” I asked: “Upon which does the bull stand forth?” To which he replied: “Upon the ground.” I asked: “Upon which does the ground stand forth?” To which he replied: “What an idea? Therewith is lost the knowledge of the men of knowledge.”

.

Qatadah (7th century) and Ibn Masud (594-653)

.

Ibn Masud was a companion of Muhammad and was extremely close to Muhammad to the point that outsiders perceived Ibn Masud and his mother as members of Muhammad’s household. He worked as a personal servant, taking care of Muhammad’s bedding, toothbrush, sandals and traveling hygiene. Muhammad also recognised Ibn Masud as one of the four foremost experts on the Qur’an. He once asked him to recite; when Abdullah protested, “Should I recite it to you when you are the one to whom it was sent down and revealed?” Muhammad replied, “I love to hear it from someone else.” Abdullah then recited it until Muhammad wept. Qatadah was also a Sahabi.

This following report from the Tafsir of Al-Tabari says that Ibn Masud and Ibn Abbas believed the sky to be a dome over the earth. Qatadah also said the sky was a roof over the earth.

.

حَدَّثَنِي مُوسَى بْن هَارُونَ , قَالَ : حَدَّثَنَا عَمْرو بْن حَمَّاد , قَالَ : حَدَّثَنَا أَسْبَاط , عَنْ السُّدِّيّ فِي خَبَر ذَكَرَهُ , عَنْ أَبِي مَالِك , وَعَنْ أَبِي صَالِح , عَنْ ابْن عَبَّاس , وَعَنْ مُرَّة , عَنْ ابْن مَسْعُود وَعَنْ نَاس مِنْ أَصْحَاب النَّبِيّ صَلَّى اللَّه عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ : { وَالسَّمَاء بِنَاء } , فَبِنَاء السَّمَاء عَلَى الْأَرْض كَهَيْئَةِ الْقُبَّة , وَهِيَ سَقْف عَلَى الْأَرْض .وَحَدَّثَنَا بِشْر بْن مُعَاذ , قَالَ : حَدَّثَنَا يَزِيد , عَنْ سَعِيد , عَنْ قَتَادَةَ فِي قَوْل اللَّه { وَالسَّمَاء بِنَاء } قَالَ : جَعَلَ السَّمَاء سَقْفًا لَك . Musa ibn Harun narrated and said that Amru ibn Hammad narrated and said that Asbath narrated from al-Suddi in the report mentioned, from Abu Malik, and from Abu Salih, from ibn ‘Abbas and from Murrah, from ibn Masud and from people of the companions of the prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): “…and the sky a building…” The canopy of the sky over the earth is in the form of a dome, and it is a roof over the earth. And Bishr bin Mu’az narrated and said from Yazid from Sa’id from Qatada in the words of Allah “…and the sky a building…” He says he makes the sky your roof.

Tafsir Tabari 2:22

.

Ibn Kathir (1300-1373), Iyas Bin Muawiyah (8th century), Al-Hasan (642-728), Mujahid Ibn Jabr (642-722)

.

Ibn Kathir was a highly influential historian, exegete and scholar during the Mamluk era in Syria. An expert on Tafsir, jurisprudence, he wrote several books, including a fourteen-volume universal history.

Iyas Bin Muawiyah was a Tabi judge who was renowned mainly for his cleverness.

Al-Hasan al-Basri was an early Muslim preacher, ascetic, theologian, exegete, scholar and mystic. Born in Medina, Hasan rose to become one of “the most celebrated” of the Tabi’un, enjoying an acclaimed scholarly career and an even more remarkable posthumous legacy in Islamic scholarship.

Mujahid Ibn Jabr was one of the leading Quranic commentators of the generation after that of the Prophet Muhammad and his Companions. He is the first to compile a written exegesis of the Quran.

Ibn kathir in his tafsir, much like Ibn Masud, Ibn Abbas and Qatadah, says that the sky is the roof elevated over the earth. He also quotes Iyas Bin Muawiyah saying the same thing. He also lists Ibn Abbas, Mujahid Ibn Jabr, Qatadah and Al-Hasan as saying the sky is held up with invisible pillars.

.

Allah said next, (..without any pillars that you can see.) meaning, `there are pillars, but you cannot see them,’ according to Ibn `Abbas, Mujahid, Al-Hasan, Qatadah, and several other scholars. Iyas bin Mu`awiyah said, “The heaven is like a dome over the earth,” meaning, without pillars. Similar was reported from Qatadah, and this meaning is better for this part of the Ayah, especially since Allah said in another Ayah, (He withholds the heaven from falling on the earth except by His permission.) 22:65 Therefore, Allah’s statement, (..that you can see), affirms that there are no pillars. Rather, the heaven is elevated (above the earth) without pillars, as you see. This meaning best affirms Allah’s ability and power.

Tafsir Ibn Kathir 13:2 (Eng)

Tafsir Ibn Kathir 13:2 (Arabic)

.

Dhahaak Al-Balkhi (Unk-723):

.

al-Dhahaak was a Tafsir scholar who probably born in Kufa where he grew up and obtained education. It is thought that he learned the Quranic interpretations of Ibn Abbas when he was in Ray.

In Shawkanis Fath al-Qadeer, he gives the opinion of Dhahaak regarding 65:12 (7 earths verse). Dhahaak concludes that the 7 earths are on top of each other.

.

They are in layers, one above another, with no gap in between, unlike the heavens.

Tafsir Shawkani 65:12

Translation by Islamqa

.

Al-Kalbi (737-819), Muqatil Sulayman (702-767), Al-Rajis (Unk), Al-Waqidi (747-823), Abu Yakthan (Unk)

.

Al-Kalbi was born in Kufa, he collected information about the genealogies and history of the ancient Arabs. According to the Fihrist, he wrote 140 works. His account of the genealogies of the Arabs is continually quoted in the Kitab al-Aghani.

Muqatil Sulayman was an 8th-century Sunni story teller of the Quran. He is known as one of the Fuqaha’ and Hadith scholars in Khurasan and had his own Tafsir.

Al-Waqidi is a scholar who is considered extremely controversial in todays time for his reputation as a hadith scholar. He was seen as weak in hadith but strong in the reports of wars.

I cannot find anything about Abu Yakthan and Al-Rajis.

These five men appear to be firm believers in the Nun whale story as told by Ibn Abbas. Their opinions can be found in the Tafsir of Al-Quartubi for 68:1.

.

Al-Kalbi and Mukatil stated that the name (of the whale) is ‘Al-Bahmout.’ Al-Rajis said, “Why do I see you all silent and the Lord my God created Al-Bahmout?” Abu Yakthan and Al-Waqidi stated that the name (of the whale) is ‘Leotha

Tafsir Qurtubi 68:1

Translated here

.

The early muslims of Basra, Kufa and Medina

.

In the tafsir of al-Tabari (839-923) for Quran 18:86, we see the following remarks about the nature of the spring into which the sun sets. The similar sounding words hami’ah (muddy) and hamiyah (hot) seem to have become confused at some point:

.

الْقَوْل فِي تَأْوِيل قَوْله تَعَالَى : { حَتَّى إِذَا بَلَغَ مَغْرِب الشَّمْس وَجَدَهَا تَغْرُب فِي عَيْن حَمِئَة }

يَقُول تَعَالَى ذِكْره : { حَتَّى إِذَا بَلَغَ } ذُو الْقَرْنَيْنِ { مَغْرِب الشَّمْس وَجَدَهَا تَغْرُب فِي عَيْن حَمِئَة } , فَاخْتَلَفَتْ الْقُرَّاء فِي قِرَاءَة ذَلِكَ , فَقَرَأَهُ بَعْض قُرَّاء الْمَدِينَة وَالْبَصْرَة : { فِي عَيْن حَمِئَة } بِمَعْنَى : أَنَّهَا تَغْرُب فِي عَيْن مَاء ذَات حَمْأَة , وَقَرَأَتْهُ جَمَاعَة مِنْ قُرَّاء الْمَدِينَة , وَعَامَّة قُرَّاء الْكُوفَة : ” فِي عَيْن حَامِيَة ” يَعْنِي أَنَّهَا تَغْرُب فِي عَيْن مَاء حَارَّة . وَاخْتَلَفَ أَهْل التَّأْوِيل فِي تَأْوِيلهمْ ذَلِكَ عَلَى نَحْو اِخْتِلَاف الْقُرَّاء فِي قِرَاءَته The meaning of the Almighty’s saying, ‘Until he reached the place of the setting of the sun he found it set in a spring of murky water,’ is as follows: When the Almighty says, ‘Until he reached,’ He is addressing Zul-Qarnain. Concerning the verse, ‘the place of the setting of the sun he found it set in a spring of murky water,’ the people differed on how to pronounce that verse. Some of the people of Madina and Basra read it as ‘Hami’a spring,’ meaning that the sun sets in a spring that contains mud. While a group of the people of Medina and the majority of the people of Kufa read it as, ‘Hamiya spring’ meaning that the sun sets in a spring of warm water. The people of commentary have differed on the meaning of this depending on the way they read the verse.

.

So he says of the Basra version:

.

بـمعنى: أنها تغرب فـي عين ماء ذات حمأة Meaning: that it sets in a spring of muddy water.

.

And of the people of Kufa reading hot spring:

.

يعنـي أنها تغرب فـي عين ماء حارّة It means that it sets in a spring of hot water

.

He goes on to quote various opinions such as Ibn ‘Abbas, that the sun sets in black mud:

.

حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّد بْن عَبْد الْأَعْلَى , قَالَ : ثنا مَرْوَان بْن مُعَاوِيَة , عَنْ وَرْقَاء , قَالَ : سَمِعْت سَعِيد بْن جُبَيْر ,قَالَ : كَانَ اِبْن عَبَّاس يَقْرَأ هَذَا الْحَرْف { فِي عَيْن حَمِئَة } Muhammad bin ‘Abd al-A’laa narrated and said: Marwan ibn Mu’awiya narrated from Warqa, he said: I heard Sa’id ibn Jubayr say: ibn ‘Abbas read this letter “in a muddy spring” وَيَقُول : حَمْأَة سَوْدَاء تَغْرُب فِيهَا الشَّمْس and he said: the sun sets in black mud. وَقَالَ آخَرُونَ : بَلْ هِيَ تَغِيب فِي عَيْن حَارَّة Others said: it disappears (تَغِيب) in a hot spring

Tafsir Tabari 18:86

.

From these comments and narrations in al-Tabari’s tafsir, we can reasonably conclude that many, and perhaps all, of the earliest Muslims took verse 18:86 to mean that the sun actually sets in a spring and thus that the Earth is flat.

.

Part 2: Scholarly consensus for a flat earth.

.

I would like to disclaim quickly that I personally do not believe there was ever any real consensus on this issue, however if Muslims dishonestly promote the false idea of a consensus of a round earth among scholars by quoting scholarly writings which say that, then surely I should be free to do the same? So I shall now quote scholars who believed in a consensus for a flat earth.

.

Al-Maḥalli (1389-1459) and Al-Suyuti (1445–1505):

.

Al-Suyūtī was an Egyptian of Persian origin. As an historian, biographer, jurist, teacher and scholar of Islamic theology, he was one of the most prolific writers of the Middle Ages. Al-Suyuti was named the mujaddid of the 9th century and he claimed to be a mujtahid.

Al-Mahalli was an Egyptian scholar known above all as co-author of the famous commentary called the Tafsir Jalalayn because it was completed by another al-Suyūtī, who had been his pupil for some time, the Tafsir in which these men reported flat earth consensus.

I would like to point out that the widely circulated English translation found for example on the AlTafsir website mistranslate the Tafsir by saying “most of” the scholars supported a flat earth. However these words do not appear in the arabic original.

.

﴿وإلى الأرض كيف سُطحت﴾ أي بسطت، فيستدلون بها على قدرة الله تعالى ووحدانيته، وصدرت بالإبل لأنهم أشد ملابسة لها من غيرها، وقوله: سُطحت ظاهر في الأرض سطح، وعليه علماء الشرع، لا كرة كما قاله أهل الهيئة وإن لم ينقض ركنا من أركان الشرع. And at the earth – how it is spread out? (88:20)’ meaning it was laid flat, and from that the power of Allah is inferred. This was linked to camels (in 88:17) because they are the animal most connected to Earth. And His usage of the ‘spread out’ literally suggests that the Earth is flat, and such is the opinion of the scholars of Islam, not a ball like astronomers claim, though claiming so is not a grave sin.”

Tafsir Jalalayn 88:20

.

Ibn Attiyah (1088-1146):

.

Ibn Attiyah was accomplished in the fields of fiqh, hadith, tafsir, and the Arabic language. He was appointed as a judge of Grenada. He authored a Tafsir named Al-Muharrar al-Wajeez fee Tafsir al-Kitaab al-‘Azeez, which was praised by Ibn Taymiyyah, Abu Hayyan and Thalabi.

.

سطحت وظاهر هذه الآية سطح لاكرة وهو الذي عليه اهل العلم والقول بكرويتها وان كان لاينقض ركنا من أركان الشرع فهو قول لايثبته علماء الشرع. “And the literal meaning of this verse (88:20) is that the Earth is flat not a sphere, which is the opinion of scholars. And the claim that it is a sphere – while it doesn’t violate any pillars of Islam – is a claim that scholars do not subscribe to.

Tafsir Ibn Attiyah 88:20

.

Abdullah Al-Quartubi (1214-1273):

.

Al-Qurtubi was a famous mufassir, and faqih scholar from Cordoba of Maliki origin. The hadith scholar Dhahabi said of him: “..he was an imam versed in numerous branches of scholarship, an ocean of learning whose works testify to the wealth of his knowledge, the width of his intelligence and his superior worth”. His tafsir is one of the most important in Islamic history, and in it he espoused flat earth belief multiple times. For instance here he endorses the idea and reports consensus:

.

في هذه الآية ردا على من زعم أن الارض كالكرة … فلذلك وقفت والذي عليه علماء المسلمون واهل الكتاب بوقوف الارض وسكونها ومدها . “And this verse (13:3) is a counter argument against those who claim that the Earth is like a sphere …. And this is my opinion and the opinion of the scholars of Islam and the People of the Book, that the Earth is static, unmoving and spread out.”

Tafsir Al-Qurtubi 13:3

.

Part 3: There is no consensus

.

This view is the one I personally endorse based on a reading of scholarly writings as well as basic common sense. In multiple scholarly writings it records that this issue was one of contention rather than consensus.

.

Ibn Adil Al-Hanbali (Unk.-1475):

.

Ibn Adil was a Hanbalite scholar most famous for his 20 volume tafsir Lubab fi ‘Ulum al-Kitaab which is considered one of the most important in discussing the sciences of Qur’an and implementing their rules in interpreting the verses. In this tafsir he said this regarding Quran verse 88:20:

.

وإلى الارض كيف سطحت ” ممهدة اي بسطت ومدت واستدل بعضهم بهذا على ان الارض ليست بكرة .قال ابنُ الخطيب: وهو ضعيف؛ لأن الكرة إذا كانت في غاية العمة تكون كل قطعة منها كالسطح. “Meaning that (the Earth) was flattened and spread which some have taken as evidence that the Earth is not a sphere. Ibn al-Khatib said that this is a weak claim, for if a sphere was large enough then each piece of it would be like a flat surface.”

Tafsir Ibn Adil 88:20

.

Ibn Juzayy (1321-1357):

.

Ibn Juzayy was a scholar, writer of poetry, history, and law from Al-Andalus. He is mainly known as the writer to whom Ibn Battuta dictated an account of his travels. He is also the author of the Tafsir al-Tashil li Ulum al-Tanzil. In which he stated:

.

شبه الأرض بالبساط في امتدادها واستقرار الناس عليها، وأخذ بعضهم من لفظ البساط أن الأرض بسيطة غير كروية، خلافاً لما ذهب إليه أهل التعديل، وفي ذلك نظر . Regarding 71:19: “Allah likens the Earth with a carpet in its expanse and people residing on it. Some have taken that this word means that the Earth is flat and not spherical, contrary to the opinion of reformers, and this is a matter of contention.”

.

Fakhr al-Din al-Razi (1149-1209):

.

Ar-Razi,was a Muslim theologian and scholar, and author of one of the most authoritative commentaries on the Quran in the history of Islam, known as the Great commentary. In this commentary he discussed the earths shape and while he said it was flat (not based on the Quran) he did report this as an issue of contention:

.

اعلم أن هذا القول إنما يتم إذا قلنا الأرض مسطحة لا كرة .. وأصحاب هذا القول احتجوا عليه بقوله : { والأرض بعد ذلك دحاها } .. و هذا القول مشكل من وجهين : الأول .. أنه ثبت بالدلائل أن الأرض كرة فكيف يمكن المكابرة ؟ فإن قالوا : وقوله { مد الأرض } ينافي كونها كرة فكيف يمكن مدها ؟ قلنا : لا نسلم أن الأرض جسم عظيم .. والكرة إذا كانت غاية في الكبر كان كل قطعة منها تشاهد كالسطح .. “I recognize that this interpretation can only be followed if we say that the Earth is flat and not a sphere. People who hold this opinion use Allah saying ‘And after that He spread the earth.(79:30)’ as evidence. This opinion is problematic for two reasons. First, evidence shows that Earth is a sphere, so how can you remain obstinate? And if the say: Allah saying He ‘spread the Earth (13:3)’ denies that it is a sphere for how can that be spread? Then we say: we cannot deny the Earth is a large body. And each piece of ball, if very large, can be seen as a flat surface.”

Tafsir Razi 13:3

.

Conclusion:

.

From the above evidence of scholarly writings from all across Islamic history from the Sahabah to the present, it should become abundantly clear to the reader that the claim of a round earth consensus propagated by muslim websites like Islamqa is a false one. Rather in my view, the correct opinion is that when this issue arose after the rise of astronomy and people learnt the earth is actually round, it created a division in scholarly circles with people like Razi and Ibn Hazm following the scientific reality while others stubbornly took the flat earth references in the Quran as fact.

Please note, that this article is not discussing the actual scripture on this issue of the flat earth, rather just the scholarly opinion and the claim of Islamqa and others. So please may I request that muslims do not post comments about how X and Y proves Islam says the earth is round.

Furthermore, this list can be added to at any time. So if you know of anymore scholars who supported a flat earth please let me know.

.

Summary of scholarly positions:

.

Ibn Abbas (619-687) says the earth is flat on a whale, the sun has literal setting and rising places, the sky is a dome over the earth and is held up by invisible pillars

Muqatil Sulayman (702-767) endorses Ibn Abbas whale theory

Al-kalbi (737-819) endorses Ibn Abbas Whale theory

Al-Waqidi (747-823) endorses Ibn Abbas whale theory

Abu Yakthan (unknown) endorses Ibn Abbas whale theory

Al-Rajis (unknown) endorses Ibn Abbas whale theory

Ibn Mujahid (860-936) says the earth is flat

Ibn Al-Ahkshad (10th century) says the sun sets on earth

Qahir Al-Baghdadi (980-1037) says the earth is flat

Al-Qahtani (11th century) says the earth is flat

Al-Mawardi (972-1058) says the earth is flat

Al-Khazin (12th century) says the earth is flat

Abu Hayyan (1256-1334) says the earth is flat

Al-Qunawi (d. 1784) says the earth is flat

Ash-Shawkani (1759-1839) says the earth is flat

Sadiq hasan khan (1832-1890) says the earth is flat

Yusuf Al-Kafi (1861-1969) says the earth is flat

Humood al-Tuwaijri (1916-1992) says the earth is flat

Ibn Attiyah (1088-1146) says the earth is flat and report flat earth consensus

Al-Maḥalli (1389-1459) and Al-Suyuti (1445–1505) say the earth is flat and report flat earth consensus

Al-Qurtubi (1214-1273) says the earth is flat and reports flat earth consensus

Ar-Razi (1149-1209) reports flat earth contention

Ibn Juzayy (1321-1357) reports flat earth contention

Ibn Adil (15th century) reports flat earth contention

Tanwir Al-Miqbas says the earth is flat

Ka’b Al-Ahbar (d. 656) says the whale carries the earth

Jafar Al-Sadiq (702-765) says the whale carries the earth

Qatadah (7th century) says the sky is a roof over the earth

Ibn Masud (594-653) says the sky is a dome over the earth

Ibn Kathir (1300-1373) says the sky is elevated above the earth

Iyas Bin Muawiyah (8th century) says the sky is a dome over the earth

Al-Hasan (642-728) says the sky is held up by invisible pillars

Mujahid Ibn Jabr (642-722) says the sky is held up by invisible pillars

Dhahaak Al-Balkhi (Unk-723) says the 7 earths are stacked on each other without layers

The early muslims of Basra, Kufa and Medina said the sun had literal setting and rising places