And He it is Who stretched the earth {1} and made in it mountains {2} and rivers. And of every fruit in it, He has made pairs of two. He covers the night over the day. In that there are certainly signs for a people who reflect.
According to the ‘Theory of continental drift’, about 250 million years ago, the earth’s surface consisted of a single large continent (Pangaea) and the rest of the earth’s surface was covered by the Panthalassa Ocean. Later on this single continent, Pangaea, split into two land masses, Laurasia in the north and Gondwanaland in the south which subsequently broke into several continents. These then drifted away to their present positions. Even today these continents appear to fit as a Jig saw puzzle. This is how the earth was stretched. Making of mountains is mentioned immediately after drifting continents – when two land masses approach each other, the sediments at the bottom of the ocean between them, get compressed and sometimes rise above the sea level as mountains. A good example of this is the Himalayan mountains which rose from the bottom of the ocean Tythus due to compression of India towards Tibet. In Arabic the word ‘Mursaha’ is used for anchoring of ships. The anchor is dropped into the ocean and it rests on the bottom under water, when the ship is to move, it is lifted above the sea – level. The word ‘Rawasiya’ from the same root alphabets used for‘mountains’ could mean those mountains, the material of which was originally deposited in water as sediments and later lifted up, i.e. the ‘Sedimentary Mountains’. This is how Allah (SWT) has explained the whole process of sedimentary mountain formation through one word,. ‘Rawasiya’. These and other natural phenomenae provide proofs of the existence and powers of Allah (SWT)
Drifting Continents:
It is slated mat Millions of years ago, all the southern continents formed one single land mass. Later they drifted apart to occupy their present positions. This is popularly known as the theory of ‘Drifting continents. If one closely examines the world map, even today these continents appear to fit as a jig-saw puzzle.
Sedimentary Mountains:
When two land masses approach each other, the sediments at the bottom of the ocean between them get compressed and sometimes rise above the sea level as mountains. A good example of this is the Himalayan mountains which rose from the ocean named Tythus due to compression of India towards Tibet. In Arabic, the word ‘Mursaha’ is used for anchoring of ships in water. In this verse (3), the word ‘Rawasiya’ from the same root alphabets used for mountains could mean those mountains, the material of which was, originally deposited in water as sediments and later lifted up, that is, sedimentary mountains.
