surrounds the earth and naturally tends to rise above it. But Allah has made the earth level, laid it out, and spread it in the water, anchoring it with firmly rooted mountains that keep it from swaying and shaking. A ship at sea needs something to weigh it down and keep it steady; otherwise, it sways and shakes. This is not the place to elaborate on this, explain it, or discuss the objections raised against it.

The point is simply that we do not dispute what this al-Rāzī says about the spherical shape of the celestial sphere, though some ignorant people may dispute it, as he himself reports. For at times he joins the astrologers in associating partners with Allah and worshipping the stars, while at other times he disputes with them over established mathematical facts. Both are departures from the truth.