Indeed, as ansar Al-'Adl said, the claim that the earth is stationary in this verse is laughable, let us see how Ancient Scholars interpreted this, even though they actually did believe that the earth is stationary:
The word "Ard" got 2 meanings, one is EARTH, another meaning is GROUND, so Allah made the ground from shaking to stable!
This is obvious since Al-Jalalayn said "Shake beneath the feet of.." = Ground!
http://www.elnaggarzr.com/en/main.php?id=54
The exact same verse contains another miracle:
"and hath set a barrier between the two seas"
This is indeed proven, there is a unseen barrier between salty and sweet water!
Imam Tabari states:
ÇáøóÐöí ÌóÚóáó ÇáúÃóÑúÖ áóßõãú ÞóÑóÇÑðÇ ÊóÓúÊóÞöÑøõæäó ÚóáóíúåóÇ áóÇ ÊóãöíÏ Èößõãú
The one who made the earth stable for you in order that you may settle on it and that it doesn't wiggle or shake with you. (Ibn Jarir al-Tabari, Jami' al-bayan fi ta'wil al-Qur'an, Commentary on Surah 27:61, Source: http://quran.al-islam.com/Tafseer/DispTafsser.asp?l=arb&taf=TABARY&nType=1&nSora=27&nAya=61)
It does not mean that the earth is literally still and does not move. It is staying that it is stable so that it won't shake with you. See how in Surah 31:10 Allah said that the purpose of the mountains is to stabilize the Earth so that it won't shake with us. Similarly, Allah is trying to communicate the same thing in this verse when He tells us that the Earth is stable.
Also, Surah 35:41 can be interpreted in different ways.
The Arabic word tazoola could also mean "vanish". Hence Tafsir Jalalayn states:
Truly God sustains the heavens and the earth lest they disappear, in other words, He prevents them from disappearing. And if (wa-la-in: the lām is for oaths) they were to disappear there is none that can sustain them after Him, in other words, other than Him. Truly He is ever Forbearing, Forgiving, in deferring the punishment of the disbelievers. (Jalal ud-Din Siyuti, Tafsir al-Jalalayn, Commentary on Surah 35:41, Source: http://www.altafsir.com/Tafasir.asp...raNo=35&tAyahNo=41&tDisplay=yes&UserProfile=0)
Ibn Abbass takes the view that it is talking about the Earth not moving from its actual place:
(Lo! Allah graspeth) holds (the heavens and the earth that they deviate not) so that they do not move from their actual place because of the enormity of the claim of the Jews and Christians when they maintained that Ezra and Jesus were the sons of Allah, (and if they were to deviate) and if they were to move from their actual place (there is not one that could grasp them after Him. Lo! He is ever Clement) despite the claim of the Jews and Christians, (Forgiving) He forgives whoever repents of them. (Ibn Abbaas, Tanwîr al-Miqbâs min Tafsîr Ibn 'Abbâs, Commentary on Surah 35:41, Source)
However, we see that when the verse states that it stops the Heavens and the Earth from moving it does not mean that it is literally staying still (i.e. Earth not orbiting and Heavens remaining still), it is only saying that they will not move out of their places. See also Tafseer Al Jaza'iri. So just because I say that I will not move something out of its place that does not necessarily imply that it is actually still. For instance, it makes perfect sense for me to say that the fan on the ceiling stays in its place while it is twirling. So me saying that it stays in its place does not necessarily imply that it is staying still. Rather, it means that it is not moving out of its usual or ordinary location. Similarly, Allah is saying in the verse that the Earth and Heavens are in their proper order/place/function etc. and it is God that ensures that they remain that way.
As for the Sun setting in a sea, this is what Dhul-Qarnain saw, should Allah say:
"And when he reached the place (That seemed as it is a place of sun set, but it isnt) he..." ?????
Who in the world would understand this 1400 years back? Qur'an is not a science book, Allah just said what Dhul-Qarnain saw, he was not explaining cosmology, the earliest commentators agreed that this is merely according to the eye and not in reality, should we not care about these ancient scholars? Even though they believed that the sun orbits the earth, they said "No, this is according to the eyesight" to explain that the sun doesnt set in a muddy sea!
Ibn abbas stated:
Ibn Mas`ud and Ibn `Abbas, may Allah be pleased with them, recited this Ayah as: (وَالشَّمْسُ تَجْرِي لَامُسْتَقَرَّ لَهَا) (And the sun runs with no fixed course for a term,) meaning that it has no destination and it does not settle in one place, rather it keeps moving night and day, never slowing down or stopping, as in the Ayah:
﴿وَسَخَّر لَكُمُ الشَّمْسَ وَالْقَمَرَ دَآئِبَينَ
(And He has made the sun and the moon, both constantly pursuing their courses, to be of service to you) (14:33). which means, they will never slow down or stop, until the Day of Resurrection.
May Allah (swt) guide us and bless us All (Muslims)!
Ameeen!
The word "Ard" got 2 meanings, one is EARTH, another meaning is GROUND, so Allah made the ground from shaking to stable!
This is obvious since Al-Jalalayn said "Shake beneath the feet of.." = Ground!
The mountains do indeed stabilize the ground (Ard):
http://www.elnaggarzr.com/en/main.php?id=54
The exact same verse contains another miracle:
"and hath set a barrier between the two seas"
This is indeed proven, there is a unseen barrier between salty and sweet water!
Imam Tabari states:
ÇáøóÐöí ÌóÚóáó ÇáúÃóÑúÖ áóßõãú ÞóÑóÇÑðÇ ÊóÓúÊóÞöÑøõæäó ÚóáóíúåóÇ áóÇ ÊóãöíÏ Èößõãú
The one who made the earth stable for you in order that you may settle on it and that it doesn't wiggle or shake with you. (Ibn Jarir al-Tabari, Jami' al-bayan fi ta'wil al-Qur'an, Commentary on Surah 27:61, Source: http://quran.al-islam.com/Tafseer/DispTafsser.asp?l=arb&taf=TABARY&nType=1&nSora=27&nAya=61)
It does not mean that the earth is literally still and does not move. It is staying that it is stable so that it won't shake with you. See how in Surah 31:10 Allah said that the purpose of the mountains is to stabilize the Earth so that it won't shake with us. Similarly, Allah is trying to communicate the same thing in this verse when He tells us that the Earth is stable.
Also, Surah 35:41 can be interpreted in different ways.
The Arabic word tazoola could also mean "vanish". Hence Tafsir Jalalayn states:
Truly God sustains the heavens and the earth lest they disappear, in other words, He prevents them from disappearing. And if (wa-la-in: the lām is for oaths) they were to disappear there is none that can sustain them after Him, in other words, other than Him. Truly He is ever Forbearing, Forgiving, in deferring the punishment of the disbelievers. (Jalal ud-Din Siyuti, Tafsir al-Jalalayn, Commentary on Surah 35:41, Source: http://www.altafsir.com/Tafasir.asp...raNo=35&tAyahNo=41&tDisplay=yes&UserProfile=0)
Ibn Abbass takes the view that it is talking about the Earth not moving from its actual place:
(Lo! Allah graspeth) holds (the heavens and the earth that they deviate not) so that they do not move from their actual place because of the enormity of the claim of the Jews and Christians when they maintained that Ezra and Jesus were the sons of Allah, (and if they were to deviate) and if they were to move from their actual place (there is not one that could grasp them after Him. Lo! He is ever Clement) despite the claim of the Jews and Christians, (Forgiving) He forgives whoever repents of them. (Ibn Abbaas, Tanwîr al-Miqbâs min Tafsîr Ibn 'Abbâs, Commentary on Surah 35:41, Source)
However, we see that when the verse states that it stops the Heavens and the Earth from moving it does not mean that it is literally staying still (i.e. Earth not orbiting and Heavens remaining still), it is only saying that they will not move out of their places. See also Tafseer Al Jaza'iri. So just because I say that I will not move something out of its place that does not necessarily imply that it is actually still. For instance, it makes perfect sense for me to say that the fan on the ceiling stays in its place while it is twirling. So me saying that it stays in its place does not necessarily imply that it is staying still. Rather, it means that it is not moving out of its usual or ordinary location. Similarly, Allah is saying in the verse that the Earth and Heavens are in their proper order/place/function etc. and it is God that ensures that they remain that way.
As for the Sun setting in a sea, this is what Dhul-Qarnain saw, should Allah say:
"And when he reached the place (That seemed as it is a place of sun set, but it isnt) he..." ?????
Who in the world would understand this 1400 years back? Qur'an is not a science book, Allah just said what Dhul-Qarnain saw, he was not explaining cosmology, the earliest commentators agreed that this is merely according to the eye and not in reality, should we not care about these ancient scholars? Even though they believed that the sun orbits the earth, they said "No, this is according to the eyesight" to explain that the sun doesnt set in a muddy sea!
Ibn abbas stated:
Ibn Mas`ud and Ibn `Abbas, may Allah be pleased with them, recited this Ayah as: (وَالشَّمْسُ تَجْرِي لَامُسْتَقَرَّ لَهَا) (And the sun runs with no fixed course for a term,) meaning that it has no destination and it does not settle in one place, rather it keeps moving night and day, never slowing down or stopping, as in the Ayah:
﴿وَسَخَّر لَكُمُ الشَّمْسَ وَالْقَمَرَ دَآئِبَينَ
(And He has made the sun and the moon, both constantly pursuing their courses, to be of service to you) (14:33). which means, they will never slow down or stop, until the Day of Resurrection.
May Allah (swt) guide us and bless us All (Muslims)!
Ameeen!