On 20 Sep, 13:34, Hamady wrote:
* *1. The Geosynclines Theory:

http://www.elnaggarzr.com/en/main.php?id=62&Shift=1

There were large depositional basins from seas and oceans ranging from
hundreds of kilometers in length, tens of kilometers in width to more
than one hundred meters depth. Many clastic and non-clastic types of
sediments were deposited and accumulated in the floors of theses
basins, in the form of throwing from up to down to form sedimentary
rocks. The continuous thickening of these rocks caused loads and led
to subsidence of the basin floor. This subsidence was accompanied by
volcanic activity in the form of eruptions throwing the lava
upwardly. *The result was a thick intercalated sequence (about 1500m
thick) form sedimentary and volcanic rocks. However, the depositional
basins are bounded by active deep rifting faults which keep the
continuous subsidence of the basins and two opposite wards the
processes of deposition downwardly and the eruption of lava upwardly.

* *2. Plate Tectonic Theory: This recent theory depends on some facts
in explaining the origin of mountains as follow:

* *1. The earth’s crust is broken up into plates or partitions called
“tectonic plates” through cracks that can range from 65 to 150
kilometers in depth. The plate that forms the ocean floor is called
‘oceanic plate’ and that which forms the continent is called
‘continental plate’. Around the earth there are about 12 large plates
and several small ones. These plates which formed from continental or
oceanic crust float on hot, semi-molten materials of weak sphere
(Asthenosphere). There is continuous movement between the adjacent
plates, which is extensional, compressional or transformable
(sliding), occurs along a relatively narrow zone where plate tectonic
forces are most active. Usually, these movements are accompanied by
volcanic and seismic activities (earthquakes). The volcanoes erupt and
throw lava and magma to the surface until the magma gathers and
crystallize as volcanic rocks creating a mountain which can reach
heights of up to thousands of meters above sea level. This is because
volcano activity can last for 20- 30 years (although some volcanoes
have been recorded as staying active for more than a thousand million
years).

Examples of volcanic mountains include: Mount Ararat in Turkey
(5100m), Mount Etna in Sicily, Italy (3300m), Mount Vesuvius in Italy
(1300m), Kilimanjaro in Tanzania (5900m) and Mount Kenya in Kenya
(5100m).

* *2. Throughout the field studies it was noted that; orogenic belts
consist of rocks that have been folded intensively, thrust long
distances horizontally, often metamorphosed, intruded with granite and
elevated to form mountain chains. These belts result from the forces
of compression and convergent movements of the plates, which makes up
the solid outer part of the Earth’s crust. These forces usually rise
at the margins of discrete rigid plates and are accounted for by the
theory of plate tectonics. Two main types of plate are found as
mentioned befo continental plates that consist of relatively light
rocks and heavier oceanic plates, which lie under most of the ocean
basins of the world. Compression occurs when two plates converge and
one sinks below the other along a subduction zone. Convergence, and
the subsequent collision that generates compression, takes in three
forms: collision between oceanic plate with continental one, two
continental plates or between two oceanic plates.

The first of these forms develops when convergence occurs along active
continental margins where an oceanic plate is passing under the edge
of a continental plate. As the oceanic plate descends into the mantle
of the earth, it is melted and injected back into the crust, with
volcanic activity to form mountain chain consists mainly of volcanic
rocks. The second form of collision takes place between two oceanic
plates leading to the subsidence of one of them and forming a series
of islands in the form of ‘volcanic island arc’ in another oceanic
plate. If this process continues, the volcanic island arc can be
carried on the oceanic plate towards the continent where it collides
with the continental plate—this is called an arc-continent collision.
Sedimentary rocks which have accumulated in the sea basin between the
island arc and the continental plate are folded, faulted, and thrust
into an elevated position over the margin of the continental plate
towards the centre of the continent along a plane or surface known as
a decollement. The island arc eventually becomes involved in this
compression and the rocks of which it was composed are often
metamorphosed by heat and pressure and injected with granite.

The third form of compression and orogeny results from continent-
continent collision (two continental plates). Typically in this type
of collision, two continents converge, one with a passive margin in
which the continental and oceanic crust are welded together, the other
with an active margin where the subduction of the oceanic crust under
the continent eventually causes the closure of the intervening ocean
basin. As closure begins, slices of the oceanic crust and any sediment
that they carry are thrust on to the continental margins. As the
thrust continues the slices are folded and elevated and eventually
move horizontally, possibly sliding due to gravity on to the
continents to form huge folds or thrust-nappes. These nappes become
eroded to form the mountain chains. As compression continues in the
closing gap, high pressures and temperatures generate a linear zone in
which the rocks are metamorphosed, eventually welding the continents
together along a continental suture.

Forces associated with extension (spreading) or stretching in the
Earth’s crust also produce mountain ranges. Such forces occur where
two plates are diverging or moving apart. At the early stages of
development this divergence can lead to continental rupture where
arching upwards and splitting of the crust occurs. Along the line of
divergence a rift valley develops with the crack in the centre being
continually filled with rising magma. Blocks on either side fall or
slide down the side of the rift creating a mountainous landscape.

Description of the mountains as having deep roots and acting as
anchorages:

*The modern theory of plate tectonics holds that mountains act as
anchorages for the earth’s crust. *The crust is broken up into several
tectonic plates through cracks that range from 65 to 150 kilometers in
depth; there are about 12 large plates and several small ones. These
plates, which contain the world’s continents and oceans, float on hot,
semi-molten material, drifting and bumping against one another.
Movement between the plates occurs along a relatively narrow zone
where plate tectonic forces are most active i.e. in a weak zone of the
earth’s crust. Thus the movement of those plates floating on molten
magma coupled with the Earth’s movement around itself amount to a lot
of force.

In addition, as the ocean basin grows as the sea floor spreads, the
magma injected at the line of divergence creates a new mountain range
called a mid-oceanic ridge. Thus, the only factor that limits the
ferocity of the movement of the plates are the mountains that act as
definite stabilizers for the earth’s crust, safeguarding the
continents and oceans from constantly running into each other and not
only does it decrease their velocity, it also regulates their
movement!

Modern earth sciences have proven that mountains have deep roots under
the surface of the ground and that these roots are several times their
elevation above the surface of the Earth. We can thus safely conclude
that the Qur’an’s description is accurate; the mountains are actually
pegs in the earth’s weakest zones to anchor it firmly in the same way
that we use anchors to firmly pin ships to the ground.

The link between the formation of mountains, rivers and paths:

*A river is a flow of water along a channel from highlands to
lowlands. The great majority of rivers eventually discharge either
into seas or lakes, although some rivers disappear due to water loss
through seepage into the ground and evaporation into the air.

The importance of rivers dwarfs their volumetric size (0.006 percent
of all the fresh water of the earth). This is because river water
flows down with gravity, giving it the power to mould the landscape
through erosion, transportation and the deposition of rocks and
sediments, making it a dynamic and renewable natural resource for
human, plant, and animal life. The water cycle begins when water
evaporates from the oceans into the atmosphere. Atmospheric water
returns to Earth as precipitation in the form of rain, hail or snow.
The amount of water reaching the ground depends on many factors but in
general, highlands receive more precipitation than lowlands and most
rivers originate in mountains. When precipitation reaches the ground,
it usually seeps into the soil, either percolating down to the water-
table to become groundwater, or flowing slowly downhill as through-
flow. However, during heavy storms, due to human activity compacting
the soil surface or covering it with concrete, or if the soil is
already saturated, not all the water is able to infiltrate and the
excess collects on the surface before flowing downhill to the nearest
stream as overland flow. Water that reaches the river either by
through-flow or overland flow is termed run-off. The role of the river
in the water cycle is to complete the cycle by collecting run-off from
the surrounding area (drainage basin) and carrying it back to the
ocean or a lake in order to replace water that has evaporated. *At
this point, we can guess the obvious connection between rivers and
mountains explained to us in the Qur’an long ago.

However, with the ever changing climate, rivers can eventually dry out
leaving their channels as pathways and roads for humans and animals
alike to use; this is the association the Qur’an points out between
rivers and roads. Rivers are the best means that Allah created for
pathways in otherwise inaccessible locations such as mountains, hills
and plateaus.

Conclusion

These facts were unknown to man for a long time. He started to gather
information about nature and its mysteries slowly, but it was only in
the mid-nineteenth century that these explanations started to make
some sense and the bigger picture did not come into view until the mid
1960s.

The precise mention of such facts, is an assertion that the Noble
Qur’an cannot be man-made and bears witness to the Prophethood and the
message of the seal of the Prophet (SAWS) who received it. It proves
how the Prophet was connected to the revelation and taught by the
Creator. This come in assertion to the words of Allah that can be
translated as, “And those to whom knowledge has come see that the
(Revelation) sent down to thee from thy Lord, is the Truth, and that
it guides to the Path of the Exalted (in Might), Worthy of all
praise.” (Surat Saba' (Sheba): 6).

As I have said before Mohammed travelled widely. He was what might be
described in today's terms a "commercial traveller". He visited Syria
(which was then part of the Byzantine Empire and Persia. His scienific
views were a compendium of what the scolars of the time believed.

There is one philosoplical/theological point which I think you miss.
Scientific knowledge is not meant to be revealed. We have to discover
it for ouselves. We need, for example, to not only know that the
Universe is expanding and, if you like it, space isd being created. We
also have to observe it and understand it in terms of General
Relativity. We need, for example to understand that when we look at
2.7K we are looking acoss a region which has expanded to 80 GPc in
size and is not in communication.

What religion OUGHT to be saying to us is "Search, enquire honestly
and do not indulge in persecution". Dawkins is I think talking throgh
his hat when he talks about the impossibility of their being a God.
However he makes some pretty unanserable points about how religion is
conducted in practice. This is one of them. Faith is extolled and
skeptical enquiry is condemned - in practice if not in theory.

There is a German professor who has been threatened with death who is
researching the different possible readings of the Koran. Someone has
been put in jail in Afghanistan over a translation.

HOW CAN THIS BE CONDONED IF WE VALUE HONEST ENQUIRY?

I looked at Sura 51 and looked up "Mount". I looked up "mount" in my
downloaded Buckwalter dictionary. Note that Buckwalter Arabic is an
isomorphic Latin representation. It is thus case sensitive as it is a
one for one correspondence http://www.qamus.org/transliteration.htm
the text is case sensitive with capital lettters in the middle of
words.

The upshot is "Twr" (tür in Buckwalter text - capital T important. I
know I have it right since that was the spelling in my bilingual
Koran) means "stage/phase/period" in Modern Standard Arabic. It would
seem to me that there is a lot of research and explaning to do even
for native Arabic speakers. The period/phase of Revelation would also
seem sensible.

To me MSA provides a translation that seems superficially more likely
than the mount. Yet any reaearch is blocked. Pencho Valev et al witter
about the academic world and Relativity (there is in fact little doubt
about R). Thias to me however seems a serious assault on academic
freedom.


- Ian Parker