The Meaning of the Saying of Allah the Exalted: "And the sky and what He built, and the earth and what He spread out."
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The Shaykh : Does "ma" here mean "man" (who)? In that case, Allah the Exalted would be swearing by the sky and by the one who built it, which is Allah, as He the Exalted said: [An-Naba 78:12]. Or does the meaning of "ma" mean it is a nominal relative (masdariyyah), i.e., "and the sky and its building"? This is closer, because expressing it with "ma" instead of "man" regarding one who has knowledge and will is rare. Accordingly, we treat "ma" as a nominal relative, meaning "and the sky, what? And its building." Similarly, we say this: "ma" is a nominal relative, and "what He spread out." What is the meaning of "spread out"? Allah explained it in the Qur'an, saying: What? [An-Nazi'at 79:31]. This is its spreading out. Now, a questioner asked about the earth: is it spherical or not? Is there a benefit to this question or not? I want the one who answers to provide a reason. If he says there is a benefit, we say, state the benefit. If he says there is no benefit, we say, perhaps we will find a benefit. Please.
The student: There is a benefit.
The Shaykh : There is a benefit. What is it?
The student: The mention of Allah (Exalted and Majestic is He) ... .
The Shaykh : What?
The student: The mention of Allah (Exalted and Majestic is He).
The Shaykh : This is the case even if it is not spherical; a person can remember Allah constantly. Rest. I am asking you now: a man died in al-Qasim, and his brother was his only heir, and another man died in al-Madinah, and his brother in al-Qasim was his only heir. Which one inherits from the other? Who knows? Which one inherits from the other? They all died at sunset. They all died at sunset. So, who inherits from the other? Please, here.
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : Answer, my brother. Say that the one in al-Qasim inherits from the one in al-Madinah, or the opposite?
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : These are two full brothers, one in al-Madinah and the other in al-Qasim. They died at sunset. - Sit down, boy, rest, may Allah bless you, until you are permitted to speak - Yes, I am asking for a specific answer. Say, does the one in al-Qasim inherit from the one in al-Madinah, or does the one in al-Madinah inherit from the one in al-Qasim?
The student: The one in al-Qasim inherits from the one in al-Madinah.
The Shaykh : The one in al-Qasim inherits from the one in al-Madinah. This is a grave error. Yes. Only one remains. Rest. Yes.
The student: The one in al-Madinah inherits.
The Shaykh : The one in al-Madinah inherits from the one in al-Qasim. Why?
The student: Because ... .
The Shaykh : How?
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : And this is a defective reasoning. Rest. Yes.
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : No, the other one went. And this is worse. There is no power or might except with Allah. I say, may Allah bless you: the one in al-Madinah inherits from his brother in al-Qasim. Why? Because the sun sets in al-Madinah after it sets in al-Qasim. Accordingly, the heir is alive after the death of the deceased. This is the benefit of it being spherical, because if the earth were not spherical, the setting of the sun would be the same in all parts of the earth. And this is clear. This is a very tangible proof and it has a benefit. That is, if someone asks, what is the benefit of us knowing that it is flat and spherical? We say to him, there are benefits, among them this one, and among them this one. Then, the tangible proof is clear. If an airplane took off from Jeddah Airport heading west and traveled in this direction, where would it come back to? It would return to Jeddah. It must, because it will circle the earth; this is a known thing. And there is no problem with it. The earlier scholars said it, such as Ibn Hazm, the Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah, and others. And there is no problem with it. There is also a second question, which I see has no benefit in wasting time on, and that is: does the earth rotate or not?
The student: It rotates.
The Shaykh : We do not say it rotates or that it does not rotate, because the research into this is a research with no benefit. In my view, there is no benefit in it. And accordingly, leaving it is better.
And the sky and what He built, and the earth and what He spread out
والسماء وما بناها والأرض وما طحاهاThe sky and what He built
السماء وما بناهاAnd constructed above you seven strong [heavens]
وبنينا فوقكم سبعا شداداAnd the sky and what built it.
والسماء وما بناهاAnd the earth and what He spread out
والأرض وما طحاهاAnd the earth, after that, He spread it out
والأرض بعد ذلك دحاهاHe extracted from it its water and its pasture,
أخرج منها ماءها ومرعاهاThe student: There is a benefit.
The Shaykh : There is a benefit. What is it?
The student: The mention of Allah (Exalted and Majestic is He) ... .
The Shaykh : What?
The student: The mention of Allah (Exalted and Majestic is He).
The Shaykh : This is the case even if it is not spherical; a person can remember Allah constantly. Rest. I am asking you now: a man died in al-Qasim, and his brother was his only heir, and another man died in al-Madinah, and his brother in al-Qasim was his only heir. Which one inherits from the other? Who knows? Which one inherits from the other? They all died at sunset. They all died at sunset. So, who inherits from the other? Please, here.
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : Answer, my brother. Say that the one in al-Qasim inherits from the one in al-Madinah, or the opposite?
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : These are two full brothers, one in al-Madinah and the other in al-Qasim. They died at sunset. - Sit down, boy, rest, may Allah bless you, until you are permitted to speak - Yes, I am asking for a specific answer. Say, does the one in al-Qasim inherit from the one in al-Madinah, or does the one in al-Madinah inherit from the one in al-Qasim?
The student: The one in al-Qasim inherits from the one in al-Madinah.
The Shaykh : The one in al-Qasim inherits from the one in al-Madinah. This is a grave error. Yes. Only one remains. Rest. Yes.
The student: The one in al-Madinah inherits.
The Shaykh : The one in al-Madinah inherits from the one in al-Qasim. Why?
The student: Because ... .
The Shaykh : How?
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : And this is a defective reasoning. Rest. Yes.
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : No, the other one went. And this is worse. There is no power or might except with Allah. I say, may Allah bless you: the one in al-Madinah inherits from his brother in al-Qasim. Why? Because the sun sets in al-Madinah after it sets in al-Qasim. Accordingly, the heir is alive after the death of the deceased. This is the benefit of it being spherical, because if the earth were not spherical, the setting of the sun would be the same in all parts of the earth. And this is clear. This is a very tangible proof and it has a benefit. That is, if someone asks, what is the benefit of us knowing that it is flat and spherical? We say to him, there are benefits, among them this one, and among them this one. Then, the tangible proof is clear. If an airplane took off from Jeddah Airport heading west and traveled in this direction, where would it come back to? It would return to Jeddah. It must, because it will circle the earth; this is a known thing. And there is no problem with it. The earlier scholars said it, such as Ibn Hazm, the Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah, and others. And there is no problem with it. There is also a second question, which I see has no benefit in wasting time on, and that is: does the earth rotate or not?
The student: It rotates.
The Shaykh : We do not say it rotates or that it does not rotate, because the research into this is a research with no benefit. In my view, there is no benefit in it. And accordingly, leaving it is better.