Bumi datar vs bumi sfera: kacamata Astronomi dan Falak - Ahmad Irfan, Ikmal Hisham (2018)
Kertas ini merupakan kajian terhadap perdebatan mengenai bentuk bumi datar atau sfera daripada perspektif tafsir bahasa al-Qur'ān. Ia merupakan perbahasan klasik sejak tamadun manusia terawal dalam catatan sejarah. Pendekatan berdasarkan cerapan tradisional yang kerap mencadangkan bumi ini datar akhirnya berkembang ke zaman pencapaian sains moden, yang menatijahkan bahawa bumi ini sfera berasaskan kepada kaedah empirikal. Walau pun demikian, terdapat segelintir yang skeptik terhadap kaedah cerapan moden, lalu mengukuhkan hujjah bumi datar menerusi pemahaman daripada teks agama seperti sumber biblikal dan al-Qur’ān. Dengan menggunakan metodologi analisis bahasa tekstual dan kontekstual ayat-ayat al-Qur’ān terpilih, pengkaji membuat sorotan dan perbahasan terhadap permasalahan ini. Natijahnya, pendekatan memahami bahasa al-Qur’ān yang sebenar boleh mencadangkan bentuk sebenar bumi ini. ^^^^^^^^^ FLAT OR SPHERICAL EARTH: AN ANALYSIS BASED ON LITERAL QURANIC EXEGESIS APPROACH This paper is a research on the earth’s shape, either spherical or flat based on the Quranic literal exegesis. The debate started since the early human civilizations. The traditional observation of celestial objects and movements suggests that this earth is flat. However, based on the advancement in modern science and technology, it is suggested that the shape of the earth is spherical in accordance with the empirical evidences. Nonetheless, there are some community who become skeptical with the modern approach of spherical earth observation, by manipulating religious text such as biblical and Quranic verses to support the theory of flat earth. By employing the textual and contextual exegesis of selected Quranic verses, the researcher attempts to identify the role of religious text in understanding the earth’s shape. The research indicates that Quranic exegesis, despites the misinterpretations by flat earth community, can be used to seek the real understanding of earth’s shape.