Key takeaway
Quran 39:5 says Allah "wraps (yukawwiru) the night over the day and wraps the day over the night." The verb comes from kawwara, used for winding a turban around the head. Continuous wrapping of day and night around one another fits naturally with a rotating, spherical Earth. Note that a popular claim that 79:30 calls the earth "egg-shaped" is a mistranslation.
The verses
خَلَقَ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضَ بِٱلْحَقِّ ۖ يُكَوِّرُ ٱلَّيْلَ عَلَى ٱلنَّهَارِ وَيُكَوِّرُ ٱلنَّهَارَ عَلَى ٱلَّيْلِ ۖ وَسَخَّرَ ٱلشَّمْسَ وَٱلْقَمَرَ ۖ كُلٌّ يَجْرِى لِأَجَلٍ مُّسَمًّى ۗ أَلَا هُوَ ٱلْعَزِيزُ ٱلْغَفَّـٰرُ ٥
He created the heavens and earth in truth. He wraps the night over the day and wraps the day over the night and has subjected the sun and the moon, each running [its course] for a specified term. Unquestionably, He is the Exalted in Might, the Perpetual Forgiver.
وَٱلْأَرْضَ بَعْدَ ذَٰلِكَ دَحَىٰهَآ ٣٠
And after that He spread the earth.
Key Arabic terms
| Arabic | Transliteration | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| يُكَوِّرُ | yukawwiru | to wind or wrap around something, as a turban is wound (kawwara al-ʿimāma) |
| دَحَىٰهَآ | daḥāhā | "He spread it out": prepared and extended the earth for habitation |
The verb kawwara
Classical Arabic lexicons explain takwīr as winding or coiling one thing around another, as with a turban, and "wrapping" or "rolling up" generally. The image in 39:5 is of night and day continually coiling over one another in succession. On a rotating sphere that is exactly what happens: half the globe is always lit and half is dark, and the boundary sweeps continuously around it.
Historical honesty
Educated people knew Earth was spherical long before the Quran. Eratosthenes estimated its circumference around 240 BCE. The Quran does not use the verse to teach geography. It uses the cycle of night and day as a sign of Allah's power and order.
The "ostrich egg" claim about 79:30
Some websites claim that daḥāhā in Quran 79:30 means "made it egg-shaped," from udḥiyya, said to mean "ostrich egg." Classical lexicons give daḥā as "to spread out or extend." The related word udḥī refers to the hollow an ostrich scrapes in the ground for its eggs, a place that has been spread out. It does not mean the egg itself. Saheeh International renders the verse "And after that He spread the earth." The egg-shape reading should not be used.
Balanced assessment
Moderate A reasonable, accurate correspondence; the words have other valid meanings or the fact was partly known before.
The turban-winding image fits a round, rotating Earth naturally and is worth reflecting on. The "ostrich egg" claim is a mistake and should be dropped. Credibility depends on keeping strong points separate from weak ones.
Frequently asked questions
Does the Quran say the Earth is round?
The Quran does not state Earth's shape directly, but 39:5 describes night and day being "wrapped" (yukawwiru, like winding a turban) over each other, which fits a rotating sphere.
Does daḥāhā in 79:30 mean egg-shaped?
No. Daḥāhā means "He spread it out." The egg-shape claim comes from confusing it with a word for an ostrich's ground nest.
References
Quran
- Quran 39:5, Saheeh International translation (Quran.com)
- Quran 79:30, Saheeh International translation (Quran.com)
Science & history
Classical exegesis is summarized from the standard commentaries (e.g. al-Ṭabarī, Ibn Kathīr, al-Qurṭubī). See our methodology.
Cite this page
Quran Scientific Miracles. “Night "Wrapped" Over Day.” https://quranscientificmiracles.com/topics/earth-shape-day-and-night/ (reviewed 2026-10-20).