Below are excerpts from Compton's Interactive Encyclopedia Deluxe, 1998 edition, explaining the contemporary scientific rationale on this subject.
"The most stable subdivision of continents is that of cratons. These old parts of continents have not withstood pronounced structural deformation since Precambrian time, which ended about 570 million years ago. Composed of ancient crystalline rocks that extend far downward, these so-called Archean basement rocks seem to be the stuff of which continents are chiefly made. Cratons, which occupy the greater part of every continent, have subdued topographies and lie close to sea level. Sometimes referred to as the nucleus of a continent, they date variously from about 200 million years back to 3.9 billion years. The shield areas provide a strong but not completely rigid foundation and are susceptible to broad wavelike warping. They are mostly free from modern volcanic and earthquake activity. Most shields are deeply eroded roots of ancient mountain belts. Some of the larger shield areas include the Canadian Shield of North America; the Guianan, Amazonian, and Platian shields of South America; the Baltic and Angara shields of Eurasia; the Ethiopian Shield of Africa; and the Indian and Australian shields."
True. However, the Qur’an passage that you provide is NOT talking about the pre-Cambrian shields, which are mostly flat, it is talking about the MOUNTAINS. After all, are their any pre-Cambrian "mountains" (not hills) on the Canadian or Amazonian shields?
"And we set mountains on the earth lest it should move with them..." "Have we not made the Earth a couch? And the mountains its tent-stakes?
"And We set in the earth firm mountains lest it should shake with them..." "Have We not made the earth as a bed, and the mountains as pegs?"
"And We have set on the earth mountains standing firm, lest it should shake with them..." "Have We not made the earth as a wide expanse and the mountains as pegs?" Holy Quran 21:31 and 78:6-7
The Qur’an is telling us that Allah set mountains on the earth to prevent earthquakes and this is completely wrong! The mountains that Allah "set" on the earth are of the same rock strata as the earth below them! Additionally, if mountains are supposed to prevent earthquakes, I suggest that they are doing a very poor job. Some of the earth’s greatest seismic activity can be found in areas with mountains including the west coast subduction zone in North and South America, the Zagros Mountains in the Middle East, and the Himalaya Mountains in South Asia.
Another discussion of this issue can be read here.
Responses to Akbarally Meherally
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