Nassir H. Sabah
Verse 4, Chapter 13, can be translated as: “And of Earth are pieces side by side…”͑ وَفِى ٱلْأَرْضِ قِطَعٌ مُّتَجَـٰوِرَٰتٌ….
The Arabic word “kita ͑a” means pieces that are physically detached from one another, and the Arabic word “mutajawirat” means sharing a boundary or running side by side. The Arabic preposition “fi” has several meanings, including “in” and “of”.
The pieces cannot be pieces on dry land, for these are not detached from one another, nor can they be continents or islands, for these are continuous with adjacent parts through the seafloor. What is then the meaning of pieces of earth that are detached, but running side by side?
According to modern geology, the outermost layer of Earth is composed of some 15 to 20 huge slabs of various sizes known as tectonic plates that float over a hot layer of molten rock that is in continuous churning motion causing the tectonic plates to move around very slowly. They can push towards one another, or slide past one another, resulting in earthquakes, volcanos, mountains, or ocean ridges.
The pieces of Earth that are side by side are an apt description of the tectonic plates of Earth. All this was unknown at the time the Quran was revealed. So, how can the Quran be of other than divine origin?
