And it has been alleged that its pillars are Mount Qaf, which encompasses the world, with the heaven above it like a dome (1).
“Then He rose over the Throne”: He rose above it (2). “And He subjected the sun and the moon”: He made them subservient for the benefit of His creation, and they are both under His dominion. “Each runs”: that is, they both run according to what Allah, exalted is He, wills. “Until an appointed term”: that is, until a known time, namely the end of the world. (3) Ibn Abbas said: By the appointed term, He meant their stages and stations, which they reach but do not go beyond. “He governs all affairs”: He decrees them alone. “He makes the signs clear”: He clarifies the proofs. “So that you may be certain of the meeting with your Lord”: so that you may be certain of His promise and believe it.
“And it is He who spread out the earth and placed therein firmly set mountains and rivers; and of every kind of fruit He made therein two pairs. He covers the night with the day. Indeed, in that are signs for a people who reflect.” (3)
“And it is He who spread out the earth”: that is, He extended it. “And placed therein firmly set mountains”: that is, fixed mountains; the singular is rāsiyah (firmly set mountain). Ibn Abbas said: Abu Qubays was the first mountain placed upon the earth (4). “And rivers”: that is, He placed rivers therein. “And of every kind of fruit He made therein two pairs”: that is, two kinds (5): red and yellow, sweet
(1) The use of the word za'ama (it is alleged) indicates that this view is weak, for, as the Arabs say, “za'ama is the mount of lying.” It is therefore appropriate to cite here a valuable statement by al-Hafiz Ibn Kathir, may Allah have mercy on him, from his commentary on Surah Qaf, 4:222:
“It is related from some of the early generations that they said: Qaf is a mountain encompassing the entire earth, known as Mount Qaf. It seems to me—and Allah knows best—that this is among the fables of the Children of Israel, which some people took from them after seeing that it was permissible to narrate from them matters that are neither affirmed nor denied. In my view, this and similar reports are fabrications of some of their heretics, by which they confuse people regarding their religion. For hadiths were fabricated against the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, even within this community, despite the lofty rank of its scholars, hadith preservers, and imams—and that was not long ago. So what then of the community of the Children of Israel, given the long passage of time, the scarcity among them of critical hadith preservers, their drinking of wine, and their scholars’ altering words from their proper places and changing the Books and verses of Allah? The Lawgiver only permitted narrating from them in His statement, ‘Narrate from the Children of Israel, and there is no harm,’ concerning matters that reason may deem possible. But whatever reason considers impossible, judges to be false, and is most likely a lie does not fall under this category. And Allah knows best.”
He then said: “Many of the early exegetes, as well as a large group of later scholars, have extensively transmitted material from the books of the People of the Book in interpreting the Noble Quran, although they have no need of their reports, praise and favor be to Allah.” He then cited an unusual report from Ibn Abbas, with an unsound chain of transmission, concerning Mount Qaf surrounding the earth, transmitted by Ibn Abi Hatim al-Razi, and stated: “The chain of this report is disconnected.” Shaykh Ahmad Shakir collected Ibn Kathir’s statements on Isra'iliyyat in Umdat al-Tafsir, 1:14-19.
(2) In manuscript B: “His knowledge.”
(3) In manuscript B: “And it was said.”
(4) Al-Qurtubi transmitted it from Ibn Abbas and Ata'; 9:280.
(5) The text within the parentheses is omitted from manuscript B.