Response to the Doubt_ Mount Qaf That Surrounds the Earth
The Substance of the Doubt
Christians claim that the Qur’an contains myths. They cite narrations that tell of an emerald mountain surrounding the Earth, and this mountain is called Mount Qaf. They claim that Mount Qaf is what is meant by the Almighty’s saying:
{Qaf. By the Glorious Qur’an.} [ Qaf 1]
Response to the Doubt
Firstly:
{Qaf} is just one of the disconnected letters found at the beginning of some chapters of the Holy Quran.
secondly:
The story of Mount Qaf is not true, and it is nothing but an Israelite story that was introduced and passed on by some of the early Muslims without investigation or deliberation, and it is not mentioned at all in the Holy Qur’an.
*Ibn Kathir said in his book (Interpretation of the Great Qur’an) the following:
[It has been narrated from some of the Salaf that they said: (Qaf) is a mountain that surrounds the entire earth, and it is called Mount Qaf. This was, and God knows best, one of the fables of the Children of Israel that some people took from them …, and this and its likes and similar things are the fabrications of some of their heretics with which they confuse people about their religion.]
Third:
Narrations were mentioned on the authority of Ibn Abbas about Mount Qaf, and all of them are fabricated and not authentic … For example:
A narration came in the book Al-Azmah by Abu Al-Sheikh Al-Asbahani:
[Abu (…) Abd Al-Rahman bin Abdullah Al-Amli told us, Muhammad bin Al-Fadl Al-Tabari told us , on the authority of Khalaf bin Maimun , Umar told us, on the authority of Muqatil bin Hayyan, on the authority of Ikrimah, on the authority of Ibn Abbas , regarding the statement of God: Qaf. By the Glorious Qur’an , he said : God caused a mountain to grow from the ruby, which surrounded the seven earths, in the same way as the creation of the ruby in its beauty, greenery, and purity…]
*This narration is not authentic; it contains three calamities:
- Abu (…) is an unknown person , and likewise Khalaf bin Maimon is unknown ; as it is mentioned at the bottom of the page: [I did not find his biography] , and unknown narrations are not authentic according to scholars.
Omar bin Subh , who is Omar bin Al Subh bin Imran Al Tamimi , is a liar and a fabricator. He invented this story and attributed it to Muqatil bin Hayyan.
- Al-Bukhari said in Al-Tarikh Al-Awsat : Yahya Al-Yashkuri told me on the authority of Ali bin Jarir , who said: I heard Omar bin Subh say: ” I fabricated the Prophet’s sermon ”… meaning that he lied and made up words and attributed them to the Prophet Muhammad without any justification.
Now, let us see what the opinions of other scholars of hadith and ta’dil are about Umar ibn al-Subh :
Abu Ahmad bin Adi Al-Jurjani said about him: He is a narrator of rejected hadiths, and most of what he narrates is not authentic, neither in terms of text nor chain of transmission.
Abu Al-Fath Al-Azdi said about him: He is a liar.
Abu Bakr al-Bayhaqi said about him: Weak.
Abu Jaafar Al-Aqili said about him: His hadith is not reliable, and he is not known for transmission.
Abu Hatim al-Razi said about him: He is a fabricator of hadith.
Abu Hatim bin Hibban Al-Basti said about him: He was one of those who fabricated hadiths based on trustworthy sources. It is not permissible to write down his hadiths except to astonish people of the trade only.
Abu Naim Al-Asbahani said about him: He narrated fabrications on the authority of Qatada and Muqatil.
Ahmad bin Shuaib Al-Nasa’i said about him: He is not trustworthy.
Ahmed bin Ali Al-Sulaymani said about him: He composed the last sermons of the Prophet.
Ishaq bin Rahawayh said about him: He is a liar.
Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani said about him: He is abandoned, and Ibn Rahawayh declared him a liar.
Al-Daraqutni said about him: He is abandoned.
Al-Dhahabi said about him: They left him.
Subat Ibn Al-Ajami said about him: He is one of the unknown people, not trustworthy or reliable.
All scholars of hadith criticism and authentication have agreed that Omar ibn al-Subh is a liar who fabricates words according to his whims and then attributes them to the Prophet, Muqatil ibn Hayyan, or someone else.
So the stories of Mount Qaf are fabrications and have no basis.