Al-Nahl: (15-16) And He cast upon the earth...

Know that the purpose of this verse is to mention some of the blessings that Allah Almighty created on Earth.

The first blessing is His saying: {And He cast upon the earth firm mountains, lest it should shake with you} (An-Nahl: 15). Regarding this, there are two issues:

This means "so that it does not shake with you" according to the Kufans, or "and He dislikes that it should shake with you" according to the Basrans. We have discussed this previously concerning His saying: {Allah clarifies for you so that you do not go astray} (An-Nisa: 176). Mayd (shaking/trembling) means movement and instability to the right and left. It is said: māda yamīdu maydan.

The well-known view among the majority of scholars in interpreting this verse is that when a ship is placed on the surface of the water, it sways and rolls from side to side. If heavy objects are placed in that ship, it stabilizes on the water surface and becomes level. They say that similarly, when Allah Almighty created the Earth on the surface of the water, it shook and swayed. So, Allah created these heavy mountains upon it, and it stabilized on the water surface due to the weight of these mountains.

Someone might object to this explanation for several reasons:

First Objection: This reasoning is problematic whether we assume that the Earth and water are naturally heavy or if we deny this principle and hold that the movements of these bodies are either natural or caused by the Creator's will.

1. If we assume natural heaviness: It is certain that the Earth is heavier than water. That which is heavier than water sinks in it and does not remain floating upon it. If it does not remain floating, it is impossible to say that it sways, tilts, and rolls. This is unlike the ship, which is made of wood containing cavities filled with air. For this reason, the wood remains floating on the water, and then it sways and rolls on the water surface. When heavy objects are placed in it, it stabilizes and becomes still. Thus, the difference is clear.
2. If we deny natural heaviness: If we say that neither the Earth nor the water has inherent natures that necessitate heaviness and sinking, and the Earth only settles because Allah has established a custom of making it so, and the water surrounds the Earth merely by the continuation of that custom—with no inherent nature dictating a specific state—then the reason for the Earth's stillness is that Allah creates stillness within it, and the reason for its swaying motion is that Allah creates movement within it. Under this assumption, the claim that the Earth was swaying and Allah created the mountains to stabilize it becomes invalid. This claim is only sound if the nature of the Earth necessitates swaying and the nature of the mountains necessitates stabilization. We are currently discussing the assumption that denies natures causing these states. Therefore, this reasoning is problematic under all assumptions.

Second Objection: The stabilization of the Earth by the mountains is only conceivable if the Earth remains on the water surface without swaying or tilting from side to side. This is only conceivable if the water upon which the Earth rests is stationary. So, what necessitates the stillness and rest of that water in its specific location?

1. If you say: The necessity for its stillness in that specific location is its inherent nature that requires it to remain in that specific place, then why don't you say the same for the Earth—that the specific nature of the Earth requires its stillness in that specific location? This would support the view that the Earth remained still because Allah stabilized it with mountains.
2. If you say: The necessity for the water's stillness in its specific location is that Allah Almighty stills the water by His power in that specific location, then why don't you say the same for the stillness of the Earth? In that case, this reasoning is also invalidated.

Third Objection: The Earth as a whole is a massive body. If it were to sway and roll on the surface of the surrounding sea, that movement would not be apparent to people.

If it is argued: Does not the Earth move due to vapors accumulating inside it during earthquakes, and these movements become apparent to people? Why do you deny the one who says that if it were not for the mountains, the Earth would move, but since Allah stabilized it with heavy mountains, the winds could not move it?

We reply: Those vapors accumulate inside only a small section of the Earth. When movement occurs in that small section, that movement becomes apparent. Those who hold this view say that the appearance of movement in that specific section of the Earth is like a twitch occurring in a specific limb of a human body. However, if the entire Earth were moved, that movement would not be apparent. Do you not see that a person inside a ship does not feel the movement of the entire ship, even if it is moving at the fastest and strongest pace? Similarly here.

This covers the subtle and deep discussions in this section. What I find problematic here is this: It has been established by certain proofs that the Earth is a sphere, and it has been established that these mountains on the surface of this sphere act as roughnesses occurring on the surface of this sphere.

Once this is established, we say: If we suppose that these roughnesses did not exist, and the Earth was a true sphere devoid of roughness and undulations, it would move in rotation with the slightest cause. A simple, spherical body either must rotate on its axis, or if not logically necessary, it moves in this manner with the slightest cause. However, when these mountains formed on the surface of the Earth, acting as roughnesses on the sphere's surface, each of these mountains is directed by its nature toward the center of the universe. The direction of that mountain toward the center of the universe, with its great weight and strong force, acts like a peg preventing the Earth sphere from rotating. Thus, the creation of these mountains on the Earth's surface is like pegs driven into the sphere, preventing it from rotational movement. Therefore, they prevented the Earth from swaying, tilting, and trembling, meaning they prevented the Earth from rotational movement. This is what my research has reached in this chapter. And Allah knows best His intent.

The second blessing that Allah Almighty manifested on the face of the Earth is that He caused rivers to flow upon the Earth. Know that there are two inquiries here:

His saying {and rivers} is conjoined to His saying {And He cast upon the earth firm mountains}. The implication is: He cast down firm mountains and rivers. Creating rivers is not far from being called "casting down," as He said: {And We cast therein firm mountains} (Qāf: 7). "Casting down" means making or establishing. Do you not see that in another verse He said: {And He placed therein firm mountains above it and blessed it} (Fussilat: 10)? "Casting down" is close to "bestowing," as "casting down" implies throwing something from above to below. However, the meaning of this casting down is making and creating, as He said: {And I cast upon you love from Me} (Ṭā-Hā: 39).

It is established in rational sciences that the sources of most rivers spring forth in the mountains. For this reason, when Allah Almighty mentioned the mountains, He followed it by mentioning the gushing of springs and rivers.

The third blessing is His saying: {and paths, that you may be guided} (An-Nahl: 16). This is also conjoined to {And He cast upon the earth firm mountains}. The implication is: And He cast upon the earth paths. This means that Allah Almighty made them apparent and clear so that you may be guided by them in your journeys. Similar to this is His saying in another verse: {And He made paths for you therein} (Ṭā-Hā: 53). And {that you may be guided} means so that you may be guided.

Know that when Allah mentioned that He revealed specific paths on Earth, He then mentioned that He revealed specific signs therein so that the accountable person could use them for deduction, reaching his objective through them. Thus, He said: {and signs}. This is also conjoined to {And He cast upon the earth firm mountains}. The implication is: And He cast upon the earth firm mountains, and He cast therein rivers and paths, and He cast therein signs. The meaning of the signs ('alāmāt) is the landmarks of the roads—the things by which one is guided. These signs are the mountains, the winds, and I have seen a group of people who smell the dust and, by means of that smell, recognize the paths. Al-Akhfash said that the statement ends at {and signs}, and {and by the stars they are guided} is a separate statement from the first. The term an-najm (the star) refers to the genus, like your saying, "Dirhams became plentiful in people's hands." According to As-Suddi, it refers to the Pleiades, the two Pole Stars, the Bear Stars, and Capricorn. Al-Hasan recited {wa-bi-n-najmi} with two ḍammahs, or with a ḍammah followed by a sukūn, which is the plural of najm (like ruhun and ruhn), and the sukūn is for abbreviation. It is also said that the wāw in an-najm was omitted for abbreviation.

If it is asked: His saying {lest it should shake with you} is an address to those present, while {and by the stars they are guided} is an address to absent people. What is the reason for this?

We reply: The Quraysh frequently traveled seeking wealth, and whoever travels often has more complete knowledge of the benefits gained from guidance by the stars. Therefore, His saying {and by the stars they are guided} is an indication toward the Quraysh for the reason we mentioned. And Allah knows best.

The commentators differed. Some said that {and by the stars they are guided} is specific to the sea, because when Allah mentioned the description of the sea and the benefits within it, He clarified that those who travel upon it are guided by the stars. Others said it is general, encompassing travel on land and sea, and this view is preferable because it is more comprehensive as a blessing, and guidance by the stars can occur in both situations. Some jurists take this as evidence that if a traveler's Qibla becomes obscured, it is obligatory for him to deduce it using the stars and the signs on the Earth, which are the mountains and the winds. This is correct, because just as guidance by these signs is possible for knowing roads and paths, it is also possible to deduce the direction of the Qibla by them.

Know that the ambiguity of the Qibla is either with apparent signs or without them. If there are apparent signs, it is obligatory to exert effort (ijtihād) and face the direction where one has a strong presumption of the Qibla. If error becomes apparent, repetition [of the prayer] is obligatory because he was negligent in what was required of him. If the signs are not apparent, there are two paths here:

The First Path: He is given the choice to pray in any direction he wishes, because since the directions are equal and preference is impossible, nothing remains but choice.

The Second Path: He prays in all directions, and by doing so, he becomes certain that he has fulfilled his obligation. This is like what the jurists say regarding one who forgets a prayer whose exact identity he does not know: it is obligatory for him, in making up the missed prayer, to perform the five daily prayers so that he is certain of having made up what was incumbent upon him. Some say only one of them is obligatory, which is incorrect, because since it was incumbent upon him to perform all of them, all of them are obligatory, even if the reason for the obligation of all these prayers was the missing of a single prayer. And Allah knows best.

{Is then one who creates like one who does not create? Will you not then remember? And if you should count the favors of Allah, you could not enumerate them. Indeed, Allah is Forgiving and Merciful. And Allah knows what you conceal and what you declare. And those whom they invoke besides Allah do not create anything while they themselves are created. [They are] dead, not alive. And they do not perceive when they will be resurrected.} (An-Nahl: 17-21)