Scientific Concepts in the Quran:

Mountains and Earth's Stability

Author:
G. Mustafa Shahzad, Research Scholar, Director Qalim Institute
Quranic Arabic Research Scholar | Discoverer of Islamic Meditation for Healing | Theorist of ADNS

Let us examine in detail the Quranic verse found in Surah Al-Furqan (25:48), which makes a strong connection between scientific observation, introspection, and divine truth. the Scientific Concepts in the Quran related to Geology, focusing on the remarkable role of mountains as stabilizers of the Earth, as described in the Quran. The verses convey deep geophysical truths that align with modern geological knowledge—particularly about tectonic plates, mountain roots, and seismic stability.

Al-Asr Dynamic Zero

📖 Primary Quranic Verse:

Surah An-Nahl (16:15)

📖 Arabic Verse:

وَأَلْقَىٰ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ رَوَٰسِىَ أَن تَمِيدَ بِكُمْ وَأَنْهَـٰرًۭا وَسُبُلًۭا لَّعَلَّكُمْ تَهْتَدُونَ

📖 Transliteration:

Wa alqā fī al-arḍi rawāsiya an tamīda bikum, wa anhāran wa subulan laʿallakum tahtadūn.

📖 English Translation:

"And He has placed firm mountains in the earth so it would not shake with you, and rivers and pathways so that you may be guided."
(Surah An-Nahl 16:15)

🧭 Word Analysis and Scientific Significance

📖 "رَوَاسِىَ (Rawāsiya)"

· From the root ر-س-و (r-s-w) meaning to anchor, to fix firmly.

· Indicates mountains are deep-rooted structures like anchors or pegs.

📖 "أَن تَمِيدَ بِكُمْ (an tamīda bikum)"

· "Tamīda" means to shake, sway, or be unstable.

· Suggests that without these mountains, the Earth would experience tremors or imbalance.

✅ Scientific Interpretation:
Mountains stabilize tectonic activity by:

· Acting as tectonic pressure relievers at plate boundaries.

· Having deep roots (isostasy) that help balance the Earth's crust.

🔬 Modern Geological Science: A Validation

📖 1. Mountains Have Roots Beneath the Surface

· Theory of Isostasy: Mountains extend deep into the Earth, similar to icebergs in water.

· This balances the crust over the denser mantle, preventing drastic lateral movement.

✅ Matches the Quranic use of "rawāsi" = anchoring structures.

📖 2. Mountains Form at Tectonic Boundaries

· When tectonic plates collide, mountains form (e.g., Himalayas).

· This absorbs pressure that would otherwise cause violent surface shifts.

✅ This reinforces the Quran’s phrase:

“...so it would not shake with you” = Prevention of seismic chaos.

📖 3. Earthquakes Still Occur — Why?

The Quran does not deny earthquakes, but suggests mountains minimize instability, not eliminate it:

"When the earth is shaken with its [final] earthquake..." (Surah Az-Zalzalah 99:1)

· Earthquakes are acknowledged but described as exceptional events, such as those in the end times.

📚 Supporting Quranic Verses on Mountains

📖 Surah Al-Anbiya (21:31):

"And We placed within the earth firmly set mountains, lest it should shift with them..."

Arabic:
وَجَعَلْنَا فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ رَوَٰسِىَ أَن تَمِيدَ بِهِمْ

✅ Emphasizes seismic function of mountains as counterweights.

📖 Surah An-Naba’ (78:6–7):

"Have We not made the earth as a bed, and the mountains as pegs?"

Arabic:
أَلَمْ نَجْعَلِ ٱلْأَرْضَ مِهَـٰدًۭا • وَٱلْجِبَالَ أَوْتَادًۭا

· "Awtād" (أوتاد) = tent pegs — driven deep into the ground.

· This metaphor implies that mountains are subsurface stabilizers, not just surface decorations.

✅ Modern geology confirms mountains have roots much deeper than their visible peaks.

📖 Surah Luqman (31:10):

"He created the heavens without pillars that you see, and has cast into the earth firmly set mountains..."

Arabic:
وَأَلْقَىٰ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ رَوَٰسِىَ أَن تَمِيدَ بِكُمْ

· The phrase "cast into" indicates a deliberate placement—not a random formation.

🌍 Summary Table: Quranic Geology vs. Modern Science

Quranic Concept	Arabic Term / Phrase	Scientific Equivalent
Mountains as stabilizers	رَوَٰسِىَ (Rawāsiya)	Deep crustal roots, tectonic anchors
Prevention of Earth shaking	أَن تَمِيدَ بِكُمْ	Isostasy and pressure absorption
Mountains as pegs	أَوْتَادًۭا	Iceberg-like subsurface structures
Mountains placed deliberately	أَلْقَىٰ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ	Tectonic mountain placement over geologic times

🧠 Final Reflections

The Quran presents a geologically accurate model of mountains long before plate tectonics was known. It describes them as:

· Anchors that stabilize the earth.

· Structures with deep roots (not just surface features).

· Protectors against instability (while acknowledging Earth’s motion).

"Indeed, in the creation of the heavens and the earth, and the alternation of the night and the day, and the ships that sail the seas... and the mountains standing firm... are signs for those who reflect."
(Surah Al-Baqarah 2:164, paraphrased)

Scientific Concepts in the Quran: Mountains and Earth's Stability