The Perspective of Zaqlūl al-Najjār on the Centrality of the Kaaba on Earth from the Qur’ānic Viewpoint

Throughout history, numerous locations have been proposed as the center of the Earth, including cities such as Çorum in Turkey, Giza in Egypt, Tulsa in Oklahoma, Shiz in Iran, Jerusalem, and Mecca in Saudi Arabia. However, with the exception of Mecca, advocates for these sites have generally failed to provide compelling evidence for their centrality, often basing their claims on cultural or religious traditions rather than empirical data. Egyptian scholar Zaqlūl al-Najjār asserts that Mecca is the true center of the Earth, supporting his view with both religious and scientific arguments. This study employs a descriptive-analytical approach to outline al-Najjār’s perspective on the centrality of the Kaaba and explores the possible manifestations of this centrality. The discussion highlights the role of religious interpretation in addressing scientific debates and substantiates the claim that the Kaaba in Mecca can be regarded as the center of the Earth. Key arguments include the global call to Islam originating from Mecca, Qur’ānic verses that reference the expansion of the Earth from Mecca-such as concepts like "Ṭaḥwul al-ʿArḍ," "Dahwul al-ʿArḍ," and "Mad al-ʿArḍ" and the alignment of these concepts with scientific evidence and the semantics of terms such as "al-Bayt al-‘Atīq" and "Umm al-Qura.".

کلیدواژه ها:

Qur’ān ، Center of the Earth ، Mecca ، Dahwul ʿArḍ ، Zaqlūl al-Najjār