Effects on man’s life

In the Holy Qur’an there are nearly forty verses that deal with the mountains and their effects on man’s life.

... وَبَوَّأَكُمْ فِي الْأَرْضِ تَتَّخِذُونَ مِنْ سُهُولِهَا قُصُورًا وَتَنْحِتُونَ الْجِبَالَ بُيُوتًا فَاذْكُرُوا آلَاءَ اللَّهِ وَلَا تَعْثَوْا فِي الْأَرْضِ مُفْسِدِينَ  [1]

“[And remember when He made you successors after Ad,] and settled you in the land – you make mansions on its plains and hew out houses in the mountains – remember therefore Allah’s benefits and do not act corruptly in the land, making mischief.”

... وَجَعَلَ لَكُمْ مِنْ الْجِبَالِ أَكْنَانًا [2]

“….And He has given you in the mountains places of retreat.”

أَلَمْ تَرَى أَنَّ اللَّهَ يَسْجُدُ لَهُ مَنْ فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَمَنْ فِي الْأَرْضِ وَالشَّمْسُ وَالْقَمَرُ وَالنُّجُومُ وَالْجِبَالُ وَالشَّجَرُ وَالدَّوَابُّ وَكَثِيرٌ مِنْ النَّاسِ وَكَثِيرٌ حَقَّ عَلَيْهِ الْعَذَابُ وَمَنْ يُهِنْ اللَّهُ فَمَا لَهُ مِنْ مُكْرِمٍ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَفْعَلُ مَا يَشَاءُ   [3]

“Do you not see that Allah is He, Whom obeys whoever is in the heavens and whoever is in the earth, and the sun and the moon and the stars, and the mountains and the trees, and the animals and many of the people; and many there are against whom chastisement has become necessary; and whomsoever Allah abases, there is none who can make him honorable, surely Allah does what He pleases.”

وَتَرَى الْجِبَالَ تَحْسَبُهَا جَامِدَةً وَهِيَ تَمُرُّ مَرَّ السَّحَابِ صُنْعَ اللَّهِ الَّذِي أَتْقَنَ كُلَّ شَيْءٍ إِنَّهُ خَبِيرٌ بِمَا تَفْعَلُونَ  [4]

“And you see the mountains, you think them to be solid, and they shall pass away as the passing away of the cloud – the handiwork of Allah Who has made every thing thoroughly; surely He is Aware of what you do.”

...وَمِنْ الْجِبَالِ جُدَدٌ بِيضٌ وَحُمْرٌ مُخْتَلِفٌ أَلْوَانُهَا وَغَرَابِيبُ سُودٌ  [5]

“….and in the mountains are streaks, white and red, of various hues and others intensely black.”

وَالْجِبَالَ أَوْتَادًا  [6]

“And the mountains as projections.” The word “Autad” as used in this verse, is the plural of “Watad,” which means large and big pegs. Scientists tell us that the center of the earth contains burning fire some part of which sometimes erupts from the volcanoes and molten lava pours out, destroying anything that lies on its way. In the past, such eruptions have destroyed cities like Pompei.

There is a thin layer over this globe of fire on which creatures live. On the surface of the earth, mountains are scattered here and there. Thus, land pieces are connected together by those mountains. If the mountains did not protect those terrains, they would easily get disintegrated through the immense pressures caused by the molten materials inside the earth which are leveled at the continually. Thus, the gigantic tent of the earth surface is kept steady through the sturdy nails of the mountains.

And those who know the basic principles of meteorology realized that the destructive forces of the winds when it strike at the earth surface are softened by those mountains; or else these winds would severely disturb the life pattern of the earth inhabitants, and would root out the trees, and would make life miserable for mankind.[7]

وَإِلَى الْجِبَالِ كَيْفَ نُصِبَتْ  [8]

“And the mountains, how they are firmly fixed.”

There are some basic factors for the disintegration of the earth globe:

During the summer some portions of the water sea evaporates and ascends to the higher layers of the atmosphere. During winter they will return to the earth in the form of snow and rain and are kept in the natural reservoirs. The snow is accumulated on the top of the mountains but melts in the spring and flows in the rivers. Some portions of it penetrate into the earth. Since some of the underground water – stores are not able to contain all the water penetrated the earth layers burst and let some of the stored water pour out in form of springs. Some of the underground water may become extremely hot and may bring forth the danger of explosion.

The earth travels 180,000 kilometers each hour in the space around the sun; at the same time it spins around itself 1680 kilometers per hour. The earth globe looks like a marble that possesses fourteen different movements, each one of which might produce hazards.

The gases trapped inside the earth globe have inserted tremendous pressures onto the surface of the earth for the last thousands of years. But still it is strong and sturdy, why?

When the Creator was busy building the earth, He did not make it uniform. Rather, He built some parts of it with granite. He put them deep inside the earth.

Thus, the roots of the mountains are deep inside the earth; they protect the integrity of the earth. Therefore, the mountains have greatly served the earth inhabitants. However if these mountains did not exist, there would be no life on the earth. Is it not, therefore, a sign of the Creator’s Might and Power and Infinite Knowledge that He has stopped the annihilation of mankind?

The mountains also play a significant role in regulating the movements of the earth. They act as an anchor for the ship of the earth in the infinite ocean of the space.

The mountains act as a strong wall in front of the cold winds of the Arctic, or at least soften them. We will see this issue in the deserts in which horrible and destructive storms make trouble for creatures just because there is no mountain to hinder the wind assaults.

The mountains, as well create obstacles for the free movement of the clouds. They will then absorb the water deposits and these clouds to store them for the formation of the rivers. If the mountains did not exist, the cloud contents would be wasted. Then what would happen to the living things?

وَ رُسُلِكَ مِنَ الْمَلَآئِكَةِ إِلَى أَهْلِ الْأَرْضِ بِمَكْرُوهِ مَا يَنْزِلُ مِنَ الْبَلَآء وَ مَحْبُوبِ الرَّخَآءِ وَ السَّفَرَةِ الْكِرَامِ الْبَرَرَةِ وَ الْحَفَظَةِ الْكِرَامِ الْكَاتِبِينَ وَ مَلَكِ الْمَوْتِ وَأَعْوَانِهِ وَ مُنْكَرٍ وَ نَكِيرٍ وَ رُومَانَ فَتَّانِ الْقُبُورِ وَ الطَّآئِفِينَ بِالْبَيْتِ الْمَعْمُورِ وَ مَالِكٍ وَ الْخَزَنَةِ وَ رِضْوَانَ وَ سَدَنَةِ الْجِنَانِ

“O God! Send Your blessings to those Angels who will inflict calamities upon the criminals and aggressors, and who will bring mercy upon Your friends and lovers.

And send Your blessings to Your dear conveyers and messengers who took Your revelations to the apostles. Send Your blessings, as well to those Angels of Yours who protect man against plights. Send Your blessings to the Angel of Death and his associates for their jobs and send Your blessings to Nakir and Munkar, the two angels of Yours who interrogate the dead. Send Your blessings to the grave supervisors and to the angels who go round Baitul Ma’amur, and to the angels who supervise the Hell and to the key – bearers of the paradise,”