Mountains in The Quran

By: Maged Taman

The Mountains like the seas in the Quran mentioned in great things and not trivial things since Quran is the word of God. The glory in the Quran everywhere in the use of words, its wisdom and style. The mountains in the Quran are used as signs of creation, related to a holy places like in Mount Sinai or Mecca. It is used also to give examples to the magnificent wave of the flood of Noah and the huge clouds of Hurricanes. The most impressive will be in the day of judgment when these mountains will be blown up and away and will be like a carded wool.

1- Mountains are signs of God great creation:

77:27 And placed therein high mountains and given you to drink sweet water therein? وَجَعَلْنَا فِيهَا رَوَاسِيَ شَامِخَاتٍ وَأَسْقَيْنَاكُم مَّاء فُرَاتًا (77:27)

35:27 Seest thou not that Allah sends down rain from the sky? With it We then bring out produce of various colours. And in the mountains are tracts white and red, of various shades of colour, and black intense in hue. أَلَمْ تَرَ أَنَّ اللَّهَ أَنزَلَ مِنَ السَّمَاء مَاء فَأَخْرَجْنَا بِهِ ثَمَرَاتٍ مُّخْتَلِفًا أَلْوَانُهَا وَمِنَ الْجِبَالِ جُدَدٌ بِيضٌ وَحُمْرٌ مُّخْتَلِفٌ أَلْوَانُهَا وَغَرَابِيبُ سُودٌ (35:27)

2- The mountains are like anchors that prevent the earth from shaking: From: http://www.islam-guide.com/ the verse 78:7 the mountains as pegs: Modern earth sciences have proven that mountains have deep roots under the surface of the ground (see figure 9) and that these roots can reach several times their elevations above the surface of the ground. So the most suitable word to describe mountains on the basis of this information is the word ‘peg,’ since most of a properly set peg is hidden under the surface of the ground. The history of science tells us that the theory of mountains having deep roots was introduced only in the latter half of the nineteenth century.
Mountains also play an important role in stabilizing the crust of the earth. They hinder the shaking of the earth. God has said in the Quran:
And He has set firm mountains in the earth so that it would not shake with you... (Quran, 16:15)
Likewise, the modern theory of plate tectonics holds that mountains work as stabilizers for the earth. This knowledge about the role of mountains as stabilizers for the earth has just begun to be understood in the framework of plate tectonics since the late 1960’s

16:15 And He has set up on the earth mountains standing firm, lest it should shake with you; and rivers and roads; that ye may guide yourselves; وَأَلْقَى فِي الأَرْضِ رَوَاسِيَ أَن تَمِيدَ بِكُمْ وَأَنْهَارًا وَسُبُلاً لَّعَلَّكُمْ تَهْتَدُونَ (16:15)

78:7 And the mountains as pegs? وَالْجِبَالَ أَوْتَادًا (78:7)

3- The Quran is very powerful using the mountains as an example to give you this impression: If the mountain can understand Arabic he would rent asunder by fear of God. Similarly it could cause the mountains to move, the earth to shatter and the dead to listen. So take him seriously the speaker is God.

59:21 If We had caused this Qur'an to descend upon a mountain, thou (O Muhammad) verily hadst seen it humbled, rent asunder by the fear of Allah. Such similitudes coin We for mankind that haply they may reflect. لَوْ أَنزَلْنَا هَذَا الْقُرْآنَ عَلَى جَبَلٍ لَّرَأَيْتَهُ خَاشِعًا مُّتَصَدِّعًا مِّنْ خَشْيَةِ اللَّهِ وَتِلْكَ الْأَمْثَالُ نَضْرِبُهَا لِلنَّاسِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ (59:21)

13:31 Had it been possible for a Lecture to cause the mountains to move, or the earth to be torn asunder, or the dead to speak, (this quran would have done so). Nay, but Allah's is the whole command. Do not those who believe know that, had Allah willed, He could have guided all mankind? As for those who disbelieve, disaster ceaseth not to strike them because of what they do, or it dwelleth near their home until the threat of Allah come to pass. Lo! Allah faileth not to keep the tryst. وَلَوْ أَنَّ قُرْآنًا سُيِّرَتْ بِهِ الْجِبَالُ أَوْ قُطِّعَتْ بِهِ الأَرْضُ أَوْ كُلِّمَ بِهِ الْمَوْتَى بَل لِّلّهِ الأَمْرُ جَمِيعًا أَفَلَمْ يَيْأَسِ الَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ أَن لَّوْ يَشَاء اللّهُ لَهَدَى النَّاسَ جَمِيعًا وَلاَ يَزَالُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ تُصِيبُهُم بِمَا صَنَعُواْ قَارِعَةٌ أَوْ تَحُلُّ قَرِيبًا مِّن دَارِهِمْ حَتَّى يَأْتِيَ وَعْدُ اللّهِ إِنَّ اللّهَ لاَ يُخْلِفُ الْمِيعَادَ (13:31)

4- The waves of the flood of Noah were like mountains:

11:42 So the Ark floated with them on the waves (towering) like mountains, and Noah called out to his son, who had separated himself (from the rest): "O my son! embark with us, and be not with the unbelievers!" وَهِيَ تَجْرِي بِهِمْ فِي مَوْجٍ كَالْجِبَالِ وَنَادَى نُوحٌ ابْنَهُ وَكَانَ فِي مَعْزِلٍ يَا بُنَيَّ ارْكَب مَّعَنَا وَلاَ تَكُن مَّعَ الْكَافِرِينَ (11:42)

5- Mountain of Sinai is glorious and holy place to the Jews and all of us: God revealed himself to Moses and raised Mount Sinai above the Israeli as a Miracle to them.

19:52 And we called him from the right side of mount (sinai), and made him draw near to Us, for mystic (converse)وَنَادَيْنَاهُ مِن جَانِبِ الطُّورِ الْأَيْمَنِ وَقَرَّبْنَاهُ نَجِيًّا (19:52)

4:154 And for their covenant we raised over them (the towering height) of mount (sinai); and (on another occasion) we said: "Enter the gate with humility"; and (once again) we commanded them: "Transgress not in the matter of the sabbath." And we took from them a solemn covenant. وَرَفَعْنَا فَوْقَهُمُ الطُّورَ بِمِيثَاقِهِمْ وَقُلْنَا لَهُمُ ادْخُلُواْ الْبَابَ سُجَّدًا وَقُلْنَا لَهُمْ لاَ تَعْدُواْ فِي السَّبْتِ وَأَخَذْنَا مِنْهُم مِّيثَاقًا غَلِيظًا (4:154)

28:46 Nor wast thou (Muhammad) at the side of (the mountain of) Tur when we called (to Moses). Yet (art thou sent) as Mercy from thy Lord, to give warning to a people to whom no warner had come before thee: in order that they may receive admonition. وَمَا كُنتَ بِجَانِبِ الطُّورِ إِذْ نَادَيْنَا وَلَكِن رَّحْمَةً مِّن رَّبِّكَ لِتُنذِرَ قَوْمًا مَّا أَتَاهُم مِّن نَّذِيرٍ مِّن قَبْلِكَ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَذَكَّرُونَ (28:46)

6- The praise of King David to God was reciprocated by the mountains and birds:

34:10 We bestowed Grace aforetime on David from ourselves: "O ye mountains! Sing ye back the Praises of Allah with him! and ye birds (also)! And We made the iron soft for himوَلَقَدْ آتَيْنَا دَاوُودَ مِنَّا فَضْلًا يَا جِبَالُ أَوِّبِي مَعَهُ وَالطَّيْرَ وَأَلَنَّا لَهُ الْحَدِيدَ (34:10)

7- The mountains would almost fall in ruins that people ascribe a son (Jesus- PBUH) to God:

19:88 And they say: The Beneficent hath taken unto Himself a son. وَقَالُوا اتَّخَذَ الرَّحْمَنُ وَلَدًا (19:88)
19:89 Assuredly ye utter a disastrous thingلَقَدْ جِئْتُمْ شَيْئًا إِدًّا (19:89)
19:90 Whereby almost the heavens are torn, and the earth is split asunder and the mountains fall in ruins, تَكَادُ السَّمَاوَاتُ يَتَفَطَّرْنَ مِنْهُ وَتَنشَقُّ الْأَرْضُ وَتَخِرُّ الْجِبَالُ هَدًّا (19:90)
19:91 That ye ascribe unto the Beneficent a son, أَن دَعَوْا لِلرَّحْمَنِ وَلَدًا (19:91)

19:92 When it is not meet for (the Majesty of) the Beneficent that He should choose a son. -
وَمَا يَنبَغِي لِلرَّحْمَنِ أَن يَتَّخِذَ وَلَدًا (19:92)
19:93 There is none in the heavens and the earth but cometh unto the Beneficent as a slave. -
إِن كُلُّ مَن فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ إِلَّا آتِي الرَّحْمَنِ عَبْدًا (19:93)
19:94 Verily He knoweth them and numbereth them with (right) numbering. لَقَدْ أَحْصَاهُمْ وَعَدَّهُمْ عَدًّا (19:94)
19:95 And each one of them will come unto Him on the Day of Resurrection, alone. وَكُلُّهُمْ آتِيهِ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ فَرْدًا (19:95)

8- The clouds can be huge in size in hurricanes so they would look like mountains:

24:43 Seest thou not that Allah makes the clouds move gently, then joins them together, then makes them into a heap? - then wilt thou see rain issue forth from their midst. And He sends down from the sky mountain masses (of clouds) wherein is hail: He strikes therewith whom He pleases and He turns it away from whom He pleases, the vivid flash of His lightning well-nigh blinds the sight. أَلَمْ تَرَ أَنَّ اللَّهَ يُزْجِي سَحَابًا ثُمَّ يُؤَلِّفُ بَيْنَهُ ثُمَّ يَجْعَلُهُ رُكَامًا فَتَرَى الْوَدْقَ يَخْرُجُ مِنْ خِلَالِهِ وَيُنَزِّلُ مِنَ السَّمَاء مِن جِبَالٍ فِيهَا مِن بَرَدٍ فَيُصِيبُ بِهِ مَن يَشَاء وَيَصْرِفُهُ عَن مَّن يَشَاء يَكَادُ سَنَا بَرْقِهِ يَذْهَبُ بِالْأَبْصَارِ (24:43)

9- Man can not reach the height of the mountains: God speaks to us through Prophet Luqman that man if to feel arrogant he is limited he can not pierce and walk through depth of earth or grow to reach the length of the mountains.

17:37 Nor walk on the earth with insolence: for thou canst not rend the earth asunder, nor reach the mountains in height. وَلاَ تَمْشِ فِي الأَرْضِ مَرَحًا إِنَّكَ لَن تَخْرِقَ الأَرْضَ وَلَن تَبْلُغَ الْجِبَالَ طُولاً (17:37)

10- The mountains will be blown away in the day of resurrection:

52:10 And the mountains move away with (awful) movement, وَتَسِيرُ الْجِبَالُ سَيْرًا (52:10)

77:10 And when the mountains are blown away, وَإِذَا الْجِبَالُ نُسِفَتْ (77:10)

101:5 And the mountains will become as carded wool. وَتَكُونُ الْجِبَالُ كَالْعِهْنِ الْمَنفُوشِ (101:5)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rvbgaw972c4

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