The short answer
No. The Quran describes the earth as "spread out" like a bed or carpet for us, which is how it is experienced by the people living on it. Classical and modern scholars explained that this does not contradict the earth being round, and some well-known classical scholars stated that the earth is round.
The Quran often says Allah "spread" the earth. "And at the earth - how it is spread out" 1. "Allah has made for you the earth an expanse, that you may follow therein roads of passage" 2. It is a "bed" with roadways 3. Some people read these verses as teaching a flat earth. The mainstream scholars did not.
These verses describe the earth from the point of view of the people who live on it. They invite the listener to look at what is in front of him: the camels, the sky above, the mountains, and the ground under his feet 1. The purpose is the same every time: the earth was made wide and easy enough for us to settle on, farm, build and travel 24, and this points to its Creator.
As-Sa'di explains in his tafsir of 88:20 that the earth's being "spread out" does not contradict it being a round sphere. Flattening would cancel the roundness of a very small body, he says, but a body as huge as the earth can be round while also spread out, and the two do not conflict 4.
Some people also point to the way the Quran describes night and day: Allah "wraps the night over the day and wraps the day over the night" 5. Ibn Kathir explains it as Allah making night and day alternate without ceasing, each following the other 6. The verse is about this alternation, so it should not be pushed further than the commentators took it.
So a Muslim does not need to choose between the Quran and a globe. The verses call us to gratitude: walk among the earth's slopes "and eat of His provision - and to Him is the resurrection" 7.
Look at the camels, the sky, the mountains, and the earth, how it is spread out.
أَفَلَا يَنظُرُونَ إِلَى ٱلۡإِبِلِ كَيۡفَ خُلِقَتۡ ١٧ وَإِلَى ٱلسَّمَآءِ كَيۡفَ رُفِعَتۡ ١٨ وَإِلَى ٱلۡجِبَالِ كَيۡفَ نُصِبَتۡ ١٩ وَإِلَى ٱلۡأَرۡضِ كَيۡفَ سُطِحَتۡ ٢٠
17 Then do they not look at the camels - how they are created 18 And at the sky - how it is raised 19 And at the mountains - how they are erected 20 And at the earth - how it is spread out
Allah made the earth an expanse so you may travel its roads.
وَٱللَّهُ جَعَلَ لَكُمُ ٱلۡأَرۡضَ بِسَاطࣰ ا ١٩ لِّتَسۡلُكُواْ مِنۡهَا سُبُلࣰ ا فِجَاجࣰ ا ٢٠
19 And Allah has made for you the earth an expanse 20 That you may follow therein roads of passage
The earth made a bed with roadways, watered by rain.
ٱلَّذِي جَعَلَ لَكُمُ ٱلۡأَرۡضَ مَهۡدࣰ ا وَسَلَكَ لَكُمۡ فِيهَا سُبُلࣰ ا وَأَنزَلَ مِنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ مَآءࣰ فَأَخۡرَجۡنَا بِهِۦٓ أَزۡوَٰجࣰ ا مِّن نَّبَاتࣲ شَتَّىٰ ٥٣
[It is He] who has made for you the earth as a bed [spread out] and inserted therein for you roadways and sent down from the sky, rain and produced thereby categories of various plants
{ وَإِلَى الْأَرْضِ كَيْفَ سُطِحَتْ } أي: مدت مدًا واسعًا، وسهلت غاية التسهيل، ليستقر الخلائق على ظهرها، ويتمكنوا من حرثها وغراسها، والبنيان فيها، وسلوك الطرق الموصلة إلى أنواع المقاصد فيها. واعلم أن تسطيحها لا ينافي أنها كرة مستديرة، قد أحاطت الأفلاك فيها من جميع جوانبها، كما دل على ذلك النقل والعقل والحس والمشاهدة، كما هو مذكور معروف عند أكثر الناس، خصوصًا في هذه الأزمنة، التي وقف الناس على أكثر أرجائها بما أعطاهم الله من الأسباب المقربة للبعيد، فإن التسطيح إنما ينافي كروية الجسم الصغير جدًا، الذي لو سطح لم يبق له استدارة تذكر. وأما جسم الأرض الذي هو في غاية الكبر والسعة ، فيكون كرويًا مسطحًا، ولا يتنافى الأمران، كما يعرف ذلك أرباب الخبرة.
Allah wraps the night over the day and the day over the night.
خَلَقَ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضَ بِٱلۡحَقِّۖ يُكَوِّرُ ٱلَّيۡلَ عَلَى ٱلنَّهَارِ وَيُكَوِّرُ ٱلنَّهَارَ عَلَى ٱلَّيۡلِۖ وَسَخَّرَ ٱلشَّمۡسَ وَٱلۡقَمَرَۖ كُلࣱّ يَجۡرِي لِأَجَلࣲ مُّسَمًّىۗ أَلَا هُوَ ٱلۡعَزِيزُ ٱلۡغَفَّٰرُ ٥
He created the heavens and earth in truth. He wraps the night over the day and wraps the day over the night and has subjected the sun and the moon, each running [its course] for a specified term. Unquestionably, He is the Exalted in Might, the Perpetual Forgiver
He has created the heavens and the earth with truth. He makes the night to go in the day and makes the day to go in the night. And He has subjected the sun and the moon. Each running for an appointed term. Verily, He is the Almighty, the Oft-Forgiving (5)He created you (all) from a single person; then made from him his wife. And He has sent down for you of An'am eight pairs. He creates you in the wombs of your mothers, creation after creation in three veils of darkness. Such is Allah your Lord. His is the kingdom. La ilaha illa Huwa. How then are you turned away (6) Evidence of the Power and Oneness of Allah Allah tells us that He is the Creator of what is in the heavens and on earth, and what is between them. He is the Sovereign and Controller alternating the night and day. يُكَوِّرُ اللَّيْلَ عَلَى النَّهَارِ وَيُكَوِّرُ النَّهَارَ عَلَى اللَّيْلِ ۖ (He makes the night to go in the day and makes the day to go in the night.) means, He has subjugated them and He causes them to alternate without ceasing, each seeking the other rapidly, as He says: يُغْشِي اللَّيْلَ النَّهَارَ يَطْلُبُهُ حَثِيثًا (He brings the night as a cover over the day, seeking it rapidly)(7:54). This is the meaning of that which was narrated from Ibn 'Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, Mujahid, Qatadah, As-Suddi and others. وَسَخَّرَ الشَّمْسَ وَالْقَمَرَ ۖ كُلٌّ يَجْرِي لِأَجَلٍ مُسَمًّى ۗ (And He has subjected the sun and the moon. Each running for an appointed term.) means, for a period of time that is known to Allah, then it will come to an end on the Day of Resurrection. أَلَا هُوَ الْعَزِيزُ الْغَفَّارُ (Verily, He is the Almighty, the Oft-Forgiving.) means, beside His might, greatness and pride, He is Oft-Forgiving to those who disobey Him but then turn to Him in repentance. خَلَقَكُمْ مِنْ نَفْسٍ وَاحِدَةٍ (He created you (all) from a single person;) means, He created you, with all your varied races, types, languages and colors, from a single soul, who was Adam, peace be upon him. ثُمَّ جَعَلَ مِنْهَا زَوْجَهَا (then made from him his wife.) who was Hawwa', peace be upon her. This is like the Ayah: يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ اتَّقُوا رَبَّكُمُ الَّذِي خَلَقَكُمْ مِنْ نَفْسٍ وَاحِدَةٍ وَخَلَقَ مِنْهَا زَوْجَهَا وَبَثَّ مِنْهُمَا رِجَالًا كَثِيرًا وَنِسَاءً ۚ (O mankind! Have Taqwa of your Lord, Who created you from a single person, and from him He created his wife, and from them both He created many men and women)(4:1). وَأَنْزَلَ لَكُمْ مِنَ الْأَنْعَامِ ثَمَانِيَةَ أَزْوَاجٍ ۚ (And He has sent down for you of cattle eight pairs.) means, He has created for you from among the cattles, eight pairs. These are the ones that are mentioned in Surat Al-An'am, eight kinds – a pair of sheep, a pair of goats, a pair of camels and a pair of oxen. يَخْلُقُكُمْ فِي بُطُونِ أُمَّهَاتِكُمْ (He creates you in the wombs of your mothers,) means, He forms you in your mothers' wombs. خَلْقًا مِنْ بَعْدِ خَلْقٍ (creation after creation). Everyone of you is originally a Nutfah, then he becomes an 'Alaqah, then he becomes a Mudghah, then he is created and becomes flesh and bones and nerves and veins, and the Ruh (soul) is breathed into him, and he becomes another type of creation. فَتَبَارَكَ اللَّهُ أَحْسَنُ الْخَالِقِينَ (So Blessed is Allah, the Best of creators)(23:14). فِي ظُلُمَاتٍ ثَلَاثٍ (in three veils of darkness) means, in the darkness of the womb, the darkness of the placenta which blankets and protects the child, and the darkness of the belly. This was the view of Ibn 'Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, Mujahid, 'Ikrimah, Abu Malik, Ad-Dahhak, Qatadah, As-Suddi and Ibn Zayd. ذَٰلِكُمُ اللَّهُ رَبُّكُمْ (Such is Allah your Lord.) means, the One Who created the heavens and the earth and everything in between, and created you and your forefathers, is the Lord. To Him belong sovereignty and control over all of that. لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ ۖ (La ilaha illa Huwa.) means, no one else should be worshipped except Him alone with no partner or associate. فَأَنَّىٰ تُصْرَفُونَ (How then are you turned away?) means, how can you worship anything besides Him? What has happened to your minds?
The earth is made tame for you; walk its slopes and eat of His provision.
هُوَ ٱلَّذِي جَعَلَ لَكُمُ ٱلۡأَرۡضَ ذَلُولࣰ ا فَٱمۡشُواْ فِي مَنَاكِبِهَا وَكُلُواْ مِن رِّزۡقِهِۦۖ وَإِلَيۡهِ ٱلنُّشُورُ ١٥
It is He who made the earth tame for you - so walk among its slopes and eat of His provision - and to Him is the resurrection
This answer was compiled with the help of AI, using only the verified texts shown here. Every reference links to its source. If you find a mistake, please report it. Updated 2026-09-24