THE REMOVAL AND SWELLING OF THE EARTH

 likewise you see the parched earth: as soon as We bring down water, it moves, swells, and makes all kinds of splendid couples of plants grow. (Surat al-Hajj, 5)

The Arabic word for "stirs" in the verse above is ihtazzat which means "to be in motion, to come alive, to shake, to stir". The word rabat translated by "swells" has the following nuances of meaning: "to increase, to increase, to swell, to grow, to develop, to grow (a plant), to fill with air". These terms best describe the changes that occur in the molecular structure of the soil during the rain.

Waving of the Earth: The electrostatic charge on the surface of the particle that appears after the rain fell in sufficient quantity on the ground can cause instability and thus tremor movements. This movement is stabilized only when this charge is neutralized by an opposite charge. Particle movement must also be attributed to its collision with water particles. Since water particles do not move in any particular direction, the earth's particles move because they are hit from all sides. Robert Brown, a Scottish botanist, discovered in 1827 that when water drops touch the ground, they cause a kind of vibration in the Earth's molecules. He named this movement of microscopic particles "Brownian motion". 1

The swelling of the earth: When it rains, these drops of water that touch the earth cause the swelling and the increase of volume of these particles. When water is abundant, the space between particles of the earth, which allows water particles and dissolving ions to enter, increases. As water and dissolved nutrients spread between layers, the size of the soil particles increases. Therefore these particles serve as water deposits giving life to the earth. Allah's infinite grace towards mankind wants this water to be stored in this way without sinking through the effect of gravity. If the earth could not retain water and these deposits of minerals, the water would sink into the depths of the earth, condemning the plants of life. However,

The germination of the earth: When there is enough water in the soil, the seeds become active by absorbing simple nutrients. Growing plants have their water supply for two or three months in these deposits.

The Qur'an describes in three stages what happens when rain falls on dry land: the earth's particles move, the earth swells and finally offers its fruits. Despite the age of these revelations (1400 years), they are perfectly accurate and conform to what science has unveiled.