“Allah is the one who created the seven heavens and the same number from the earth...” (Sura “Divorce”; 12)
As stated in the Qur'an, the Earth's atmosphere consists of seven layers. They are separated from each other by transition layers. According to the Encyclopedia Americana (9/188), the atmosphere is divided into seven layers depending on temperature:
1st layer TROPOSPHERE: occupies the bulk of the atmosphere. Distributes to an average altitude of 8 km at the poles and 17 km at the equator. The temperature of the troposphere decreases with altitude by an average of 6.5 o C per kilometer. The troposphere is separated from the stratosphere by a transition layer - the tropopause with fast air currents and constant temperature –57 o C.
2nd layer STRATOSPHERE: located up to an altitude of 50 km. Ultraviolet rays are absorbed here, resulting in the release of thermal energy, and the temperature rises to 0 o C. During this process, along with the release of heat, the ozone layer is also formed, which is vital for the Earth.
3rd layer MESOSPHERE: reaches an altitude of 85 km. The temperature here drops to –100 o C.
4th layer THERMOSPHERE: there is a rapid increase in temperature here.
5th layer IONOSPHERE: gases in this region are in ionized form. Due to the reflection of radio waves by the ionosphere, communication on earth is ensured.
6th layer EXOSPHERE: located at an altitude of 500-1000 km. The features of this layer depend entirely on the activity of the sun.
7th layer MAGNETOSPHERE: this is an area resembling a huge void that is covered magnetic field Earth. Charged subatomic particles are trapped in a region called the Van Allen belts.
The layers of the earth's crust listed in the same source also consist of seven parts:
1st layer: Lithosphere (water)
2nd layer: Lithosphere (land)
3rd layer: Asthenosphere
4th layer: Upper mantle
5th layer: Lower mantle
6th layer: Outer core
7th layer: Subcore
Round Earth
“He created the heavens and the earth in truth. It encircles the day by night and entwines the night by day...” (Sura “Crowds”; 5)
The expressions used in the verses of the Koran when describing the universe also attract considerable interest. For example, the Arabic word takweer, translated as “to entwine” in the above verse, literally means “to entwine something round” (In the Arabic dictionary to express actions involving a round object, e.g. “to wrap a turban around your head,” this is the word used).
So the expression "The night encircles the day and the day encircles the night" from the above verse allows us to judge the shape of the Earth itself. Because the action indicated in the verse can only be carried out if the Earth has the shape of a sphere. That is, in the Koran, revealed in the 7th century, the shape of the Earth is indicated.
We should not forget that at that time astronomy perceived the Earth completely differently. The earth was considered flat, and all scientific calculations and conclusions were based on this. In the Koran we do not find anything that would have anything in common with the erroneous knowledge of that period. On the contrary, the verses of the Koran provide information that we have learned only at the present time. And when describing the universe, the Quran uses the most apt and precise expressions, for this Book is the revelation of Allah Almighty.
Layers of the atmosphere
The verses of the Koran contain detailed information about the structure of the Universe, as well as about the structure of the seven layers of the atmosphere:
He is the One who created for you everything on earth, and then turned to heaven and made it seven heavens. He knows about every thing. (Surah Cow, 2:29)
Then He turned to the sky, which was smoke;...He made them seven heavens in two days and instilled in each sky its duties.
(Surah Explained, 41:11-12)
The word “sky,” found in many verses of the Quran, is used both to express the entire Universe and to describe the concept of sky as the atmosphere above the Earth. In other words, the Quran mentions that the sky consists of seven layers.
Today, scientists have actually established that the earth’s atmosphere consists of various layers located on top of each other.20 When determining the layers of the atmosphere, indicators are used chemical composition and temperature. It has been experimentally established that the earth's atmosphere consists of 7 layers.21 Meteorology uses a 7-layer model of the atmosphere called the Limited Fine Mesh Model (LFMII) when making weather forecasts for the next 48 hours. In modern geology, the 7 layers of the atmosphere are distributed as follows:
1- Troposphere
2- Stratosphere
3- Mesosphere
4- Thermosphere
5- Exosphere
6- Ionosphere
7- Magnetosphere
Another important scientific phenomenon is reported to us in the 12th verse of Surah Explained:
...and He appointed His commandment to each of the heavens.
The verse indicates that the Almighty Creator, Allah, has established a specific function for each layer of the atmosphere. Science today has already established that each of the above layers of the Earth’s atmosphere performs many functions necessary to support the life of people and all living organisms on Earth: the formation of rain, the prevention of the penetration of harmful radiation, the reflection of radio waves and the destruction of meteorites penetrating into the earth’s atmosphere from space.
The verses of the Koran reveal to us the essence of the structure of the atmosphere from seven layers:
Have you not seen how Allah created seven heavens one above the other (Surah Nuh, 71:15)
He created seven heavens, one above the other. (Surah Authority, 67:3)
The Arabic word tibakan, translated in the verse as “in harmony with,” also has another meaning: “a layer, covering or shelter that exactly covers something,” emphasizing that each upper layer exactly matches the dimensions of the lower layer. Moreover, in this verse this word is used in plural, V Arabic sounding like “tobacco tobacco”, philologically completely reflecting the structure of atmospheric layers.
This knowledge became available to the scientific world and people only in the 20th century, thanks to the development of science and technology, the invention of modern measuring systems and instruments. Modern research confirm with all clarity that the knowledge sent down to Earth 1400 years ago in the Koran is a unique scientific phenomenon and was the absolute Truth.
This article will examine the claim that the Qur'an foretells the number of layers of the atmosphere.
Muslim statements
The starting point of this miracle is the following verses:
He is the One who created for you everything on earth, and then turned to heaven and made it seven heavens. He knows about every thing. - Koran, 2:29
Then He turned to the sky, which was smoke, and said to it and to the earth: “Come willingly or unwillingly.” They said: “We will come of our own free will.” He created them seven heavens in two days and impressed upon each heaven its duties. We have decorated the lower heaven with lamps and protect it (or to protect it). This is the predestination of the Mighty, the Knowing. - Koran, 41:11–12
The famous publicist Harun Yahya interprets these verses as follows:
The word "sky", found in many verses of the Qur'an, is used both to express the entire Universe and to describe the concept of sky as the atmosphere above the Earth. In other words, the Quran mentions that the sky consists of seven layers: ( … ) 1) Troposphere 2) Stratosphere 3) Mesosphere 4) Thermosphere 5) Exosphere 6) Ionosphere 7) Magnetosphere.
Analysis
The duality of the word "sky"
Harun Yahya by the word “sky” can mean either the entire Universe or the atmosphere of the Earth. This would be forgivable if in every verse where the word “heaven” was found, it was used in only one of two possible senses. However, in the case of the verses 41:11–12 doublethink is observed: when it is necessary to prove the seven-layer atmosphere, Harun prefers to understand the Earth’s atmosphere as the sky, and when it is necessary to prove the emergence of the Universe from “hot smoke”, the word “sky” takes on a broader meaning - “Universe”, despite the fact that in both “miracles” » the same verse is used 41:11 :
Therefore, one “miracle” excludes another. In this case, the “miracle” about the seven layers of the atmosphere is incompatible with the “miracle” about the creation of the Universe from “hot smoke”, since the same verse with the same word is used, and its meaning cannot change from one article of Harun to another .
Another publication discusses the following verse: "He created seven heavens one above the other", where the word “sky”, based on the context of the article, again implies the entire Universe. Thus, the selective nature of the choice of the meaning of the word “sky” is obvious: Harun Yahya simply chooses the meaning that he needs, depending on his goals, without bothering to explain why in one verse “sky” means the Universe, and in another - atmospheric layers.
Selectivity of layers
In practice, the Earth's atmosphere is divided into only 5 layers:
- troposphere;
- stratosphere;
- mesosphere;
- thermosphere;
- exosphere.
Harun Yahya included in this list magnetosphere, although it is not a layer of the atmosphere, but a region distinguished from a celestial body based on the signs of its magnetization. Concerning ionosphere, then it includes the thermosphere and partly the mesosphere and exosphere, which means that it has already been counted when listing the five layers of the Earth’s atmosphere described above.
If Harun Yahya had the goal of distinguishing layers according to their functional characteristics, he would not have forgotten to include in the list the ozone layer (despite the fact that it is located in the stratosphere, because the division is not by location, but by functionality), as well as the turbopause, exobase , mesopause, etc. However, these layers were not included in the list due to the fact that this would “spoil” the number of layers.
Contradiction with hadiths and other verses
Understanding the seven heavens as seven layers of the Earth's atmosphere contradicts the following authentic hadith:
It is narrated from al-Abbas ibn Abdul Muttalib, who said: “Once the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said to us: “Do you know what the distance is between heaven and earth?” We replied: “Allah and His Messenger know.” better". The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The distance between them is five hundred years, and from each sky to the next is also five hundred years. Each sky also extends over a distance of five hundred years. Between the seventh heaven and the Throne is a sea, the distance from the bottom to the surface of which is the same as between heaven and earth. Allah Almighty is above this, and nothing is hidden from Him from the deeds of the sons of Adam!
Ahmad 1/206, Abu Dawud 4723, at-Tirmidhi 3320, Ibn Majah 193, al-Bazzar 1310
Obviously, the distance between the Islamic seven heavens is too great, since it was estimated at "five hundred years", which contradicts the relatively small size of the Earth's atmosphere (when compared with the Universe).
We should remember the story of the ascension of Muhammad ( miraj). According to this story, the prophet met with Adam in the first heaven, with Yahya and Jesus in the second, with Yusuf in the third, etc. Therefore, all these meetings took place in the troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere and other layers of the atmosphere Earth?
{ … ) when I reached the lower heaven, I saw Adam there ( … ) when I reached the second heaven, I saw Yahya and Isa there ( … ) when I reached the third heaven, I saw Yusuf there ( … ) when I reached the fourth heaven, I saw Idris there ( … ) when I reached the fifth heaven, I saw Harun there ( … ) when I reached the sixth heaven, I saw Musa there ( … ) when I reached the seventh heaven, I saw Ibrahim there ( … ) - Sahih al-Bukhari (Abu Abdullah Muhammad ibn Ismail al-Bukhari), № 1513 (Russian)
According to the Koran, only the nearest sky is decorated with stars, that is, the sky where Muhammad, according to the legend of the ascension, met Adam:
We decorated the nearest sky with the beauty of the stars (or stars). - Koran, 37:6
Verily, We have decorated the nearest sky with lamps and set them up to be thrown at the devils. We have prepared for them torment in the Flame. - Koran, 67:5
If the Koran really predicted a seven-layer atmosphere, then the stars would be on the same level as the clouds.
Unoriginality of views
Mention of the seven-layered sky is found not only in the Koran, but also in Jewish religious texts:
Initially, the Shekinah was in the lower world, the sin of Adam banished her to the first heaven, the sin of Cain to the second, the generation of Enosh to the third, the generation of the flood to the fourth, the generation of the tower to the fifth, the people of Sodom to the sixth, the Egyptians of Abraham's time to seventh. Abraham stood up and brought the Shekinah to the sixth heaven, Moshe stood up and brought the Shekinah to the earth. - Bereshit Rabbah 19.7
The collection “Beresheet Rabba” was compiled several centuries before the Koran - in the 5th century AD. e. , which means that the Quran is not the first book to talk about the seven heavens.
Scientific errors
The verses discussed in this article ( 2:29 And 41:10–12 ) not only do not contain a miracle, but also contradict scientific data. According to these verses, first the Earth was created, and then the sky (Universe). This opinion is supported by numerous tafsirs:
In the verse in question [41:9–12 ] contains evidence that Allah began creation from the earth, after completing its creation He created the seven heavens. This can be observed during the construction of a building; construction begins from the bottom up. Commentators have spoken about this, which we will explain later by the will of Allah. “He is the One who created for you everything that is on earth”
That is Allah created the earth before the heavens. When He created the earth, smoke came out of it, as He said about it:
“Then He turned to the sky, which was smoke. And then he turned to the sky and made it seven heavens."That is, one above the other, he also created seven lands, one under the other. This verse proves the fact that the earth was created before the heavens, as it is said in Surah “Explained” (the verses of which we cited above).
The creation of the earth before the creation of the heavens is mentioned in the hadith reported by al-Bukhari from Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) that he was asked exactly about this. He replied that the earth was created before the heavens, but there was prostrate after the creation of the heavens. This was the opinion of many early and late experts on tafsir. We talked about this in detail in Surah “The Ones Who Pull Out”.
Atmosphere (geosphere) is the gaseous shell of the planet, the near-Earth part of outer space. The atmosphere has 5 different layers and, conditionally, 7 levels.
Layered Atmosphere
- 1. Troposphere
- 2. Stratosphere
- 3. Mesosphere
- Ionosphere (Karman Line)
- 4. Thermosphere
- 5. Exosphere
1. Troposphere - the layer in which the weather is formed (clouds, cyclones, convection, turbulence). The height of the layer is approximately 8-16 km, the height depends on geographical latitude(smallest in polar latitudes). This layer contains up to 90% air and water vapor. The higher you go in the troposphere, the colder it gets. At the edge of the troposphere there is a pause (this means that the temperature stops decreasing and stabilizes).
2. Stratosphere (ozone layer) - protection from ultraviolet rays. The height of the layer is 11-50 km. In the stratosphere, due to solar radiation, gas molecules disintegrate into atoms. Temperatures constantly increase with altitude (due to the absorption of sunlight) - this situation is the opposite of what happens in the troposphere. If at an extreme altitude a depressurization of a spacesuit or capsule occurs (God forbid), the blood will literally boil. This phenomenon is called "ebullism". But stable air currents (speed 300 km/h) create favorable conditions for the flight of supersonic aircraft (modern airliners prefer an altitude of 20 km).
3. Mesosphere - the layer in which asteroids burn up (their meteor trail of “falling stars” is visible in the night sky). The layer lies at 50-90 km from the Earth's surface. The layer is cold and very rarefied - a kind of “Dead Zone”: for aerodynamic aviation the air density is too low, but for artificial satellites the air density is still high. The pause (transition between the mesosphere and thermosphere) occurs at a temperature of -90°C (183.15K).
The ionosphere is a layer of the atmosphere ionized by solar radiation. Layer of quasi-neutral plasma. The degree of ionization is very significant already at an altitude of 60 kilometers, but ionization reaches its maximum at an altitude of 150-200 km. The ionosphere is not separated into a separate layer, but is considered as the upper part of the Mesosphere and the lower part of the Thermosphere.
The boundary between the near-Earth atmosphere and Space, in international terminology, is called the Kármán Line (scientist Theodor Von Kármán). At the altitude of this boundary - 100 km, the speed of the aircraft must be greater than the 1st escape velocity, and the concept of “sound barrier” loses its meaning - the aircraft is piloted only due to reactive forces.
4. Thermosphere (heterosphere) - covers hundreds of kilometers above the earth's surface, up to approximately 800 km. There is no uniform distribution of gases (gases do not mix well - they are stratified, layered). The temperature rises, reaching a maximum at an altitude of 300 km (about 1226.85°C / 1500 K). Then the temperature remains unchanged. It is here that artificial Earth satellites make their orbital flights and this is where the Polar Lights(ionization of atmospheric oxygen). Flights above the Karman line are carried out only along ballistic trajectories. Launching a satellite beyond the thermosphere, to a higher orbit, requires greater energy expenditure.
5. Exosphere (Crown of the Earth) - a layer where the gas shell flies into space. The leakage of particles into interplanetary space (dissipation process) occurs at a high rate, reaching a speed of 11.2 km/sec. The Earth's crown (exosphere) is capable of expanding tenfold - up to 100 thousand km. Other planets have different expansions. For example, the corona of Venus expands to 200 thousand km. The threshold height of the exosphere depends on solar activity. At the edge of the exosphere, the pressure of solar radiation on hydrogen atoms is a greater force than Earth's gravity. This boundary lies at an altitude of approximately 190,000 km - half the distance to the Moon.
Note: The planets and celestial bodies, whose atmosphere is extremely rarefied, like Mercury and the Moon, the atmosphere is entirely an exosphere.
