Is there evidence in the Book and the Sunnah regarding the rotation of the earth?

The questioner : I heard from one of the scholars in Saudi Arabia... in *Nur 'ala al-Darb*, a fatwa from one of the scholars, in which he says: There is no evidence in the Qur'an or the Sunnah regarding the rotation of the earth. He cites Qur'anic verses stating that the earth is stable and settled, and that mountains were placed in it so that it would not tilt or tremble. So, is there evidence for the rotation of the earth and the sun, or not?
Is there, to summarize the question: Is there evidence in the Book and the Sunnah for the rotation of the earth or its movement, or is there no evidence?

The Shaykh : Personally, it does not concern me whether there is evidence in the Qur'an for a part or an issue of the science of astronomy; because Islam, the Qur'an and the Sunnah, did not come to teach people the science of astronomy, geography, nature, and the like. But it is sufficient for me to believe that there is nothing in the Qur'an or the Sunnah that contradicts a scientific fact, and that the earth is spherical and is a planet among the planets that Allah (Mighty and Majestic) suspended in the sky by His power, and He is the One who holds it so that it does not move; so this is a scientific fact that cannot be denied from a scientific standpoint, and consequently, we do not imagine that there would be a text in the Sunnah, let alone the Qur'an, that contradicts such a scientific fact.
This is what I say, and nevertheless, in the Qur'an there is what can be used as evidence for the sphericity of the earth and its rotation, but the problem is that people are mostly overcome by—except for those whom Allah protects, and they are few—taqlid (following a scholar without knowing his evidence); whether in tafsir (Qur'anic exegesis) or in fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence). Then, added to that, is a psychological complex in some people among the scholars toward these disbelieving Westerners who, through their effort and their immersion in their worldly affairs, were able to discover things that people did not know before. This psychological complex leads them to stubbornness and denial of the facts. And I believe, and I have heard, that even today there are some people who do not believe that some of the disbelievers went up to the moon; because they did not see it, and it is only news that came from the disbelievers. This exists even today, and this psychological complex may lead a person to force an interpretation of some of the Qur'anic texts to strike down these scientific facts. And I never find in the Shari'ah (Islamic sacred law) anything that denies the sphericity of the earth and its rotation; rather, I find what supports it; especially since some of our previous scholars, such as Ibn Taymiyyah and others, said so. So, saying this is not, as some people imagine today, taqlid (following a scholar without knowing his evidence) of the disbelievers and being deceived by them and believing them in what should not be believed, but rather it is an opinion that some Muslim scholars previously held.
We, for example, if we recite some verses from Surat Ya-Sin, when it begins by mentioning the earth, it says: , then it says: ; each of the verses regarding the earth, the moon, and the sun in an orbit in which they swim, does not require ta'wil (figurative interpretation), and does not require forcing an interpretation; whether to support this opinion or to strike it down. The verse is very clear: ; everything mentioned of the earth, the moon, and the sun in an orbit in which they swim.
As for the verses they cite as evidence, they never indicate what they claim. So, that , for example, ; the spreading (dahu) initially does not mean spreading out like this crystal, for example, but it means sphericity. However, the meaning of sphericity means the preparation and laying of the foundation of this earth for its inhabitants. And there is no doubt that the Muslim who believes in Allah and His Messenger, when he believes that this earth in which Allah created us and subjected it for us, in which we set out and seek our provision and travel to its farthest points, is spherical; there is no doubt that this verse is more indicative of the power of Allah (Mighty and Majestic) than imagining it as a flat surface. No, there is no doubt that, although it is spherical as some of the absolute ones say: if it were spherical, we would have fallen from here and here, for example. The fact that we do not actually fall is evidence of the power of Allah (Mighty and Majestic) and His wisdom in binding these people who are standing on the face of the earth, not falling and not flying, but rather they walk on the earth as their Lord of the worlds created them.
The summary: No, it is not necessary for us to find in the Qur'an what indicates or supports a scientific opinion; because the Qur'an was not revealed for that. But, the truth is we say: there are many texts in the Qur'an that indicate scientific matters, some of which were not known until today, and some have not been known, and perhaps will not be known until the Hour stands; because this is the knowledge of Allah (Mighty and Majestic), and He said: .
And this is sufficient, and praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds.