Question: ...He set firm mountains upon it so that your earth would not move. (Holy Quran 16:15)
This is what the divine verse states. However, the Earth rotates on its own axis and revolves around the Sun; rotation and revolution are forms of movement. Yet, the divine verse says mountains were established to prevent movement! This is confusing. Please provide an explanation.
- G. Muhammad Jaleel, Nagapattinam
Answer: The Tamil translation you cited for Quranic verse 16:15 is incorrect. It cannot be interpreted as "so that the earth does not move with you." The correct meaning is "so that the earth does not cause you to sway or shake."
The Earth we inhabit consists of various layers. These layers are not uniform in size or density; the upper layer is softer, while the lower layer is harder.
If a sphere structured this way were to spin at the Earth's rotational speed, the softer section would spin faster than the harder section. Consequently, the upper section would lose its gravitational bond with the core, causing objects on the surface to fly off.
If you place a piece of cardboard on a wooden plank and push the plank rapidly, you will observe the cardboard flying off and landing in the direction opposite to the plank's movement. This happens because they differ in density and lack a connection between them.
However, if you were to fasten the cardboard to the plank using four nails, the cardboard would move in unison with the plank's speed and direction, no matter how fast you pushed it.
Similarly, mountains have been established—acting like nails—to bind the Earth's softer layers to its harder layers. That is precisely why all the layers are able to rotate in unison.
Without mountains, the Earth's surface would spin erratically—moving in the opposite direction to the interior and breaking away from the central core's hold. We would all be tossed about like a ball. It is this profound scientific principle that the verse conveys.