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Fatwa CenterMeaning of Quran 79:30
Question
Salamvalekum, This is regarding the verse of Surah Naziat 79: 30 where Allaah subhanawataala says in the Quran "And after that He spread the earth" Most of the Modern day scholars translate this verse to "Earth is like egg shaped". To exactly proof the shape of the earth is Spherical. Yousuf Ali, Picktall and Shakir have translated the word dahaha as "spread". The word dahaha by the modern scholars is also spread as well as ostrich egg shaped, which is exactly the shape of the earth. I would appreciate if you can provide me with the etymology of the word daha. I would also like to know can we change the meaning and quote is as egg shaped. JazakAllaah Khair
Answer
All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger. We ask Allaah to exalt his mention as well as that of his family and all his companions.
Allaah Says (what means): {And after that He spread (in Arabic the word used is Dahaahaa) the earth.} [Quran 79:30]. The Arabic word Dahaahaa is extracted from the root Daha which means spreading as interpreted by Imaams Al-Qurtubi, Ibn Manthoor and other interpreters of the Quran 
.
Indeed Allaah explained the fact of the Earth being spread just right after mentioning the above verse, as He Says (what means): {And brought forth therefrom its water and its pasture. And the mountains He has fixed firmly.} [Quran 79:31-32]. Therefore, it becomes evident that the verse does not mean that He made it egg-shaped.
This, of course, does not contradict the fact the Earth is round-shaped as agreed by the scholars .
Allaah Knows best.
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