By islamandsciences.com 
In ancient times, people believed that the Earth was flat. Fearing they might fall off the edge, travelers hesitated to venture far. It was Sir Francis Drake who, after completing a circumnavigation of the Earth in 1597, provided evidence that the Earth is spherical.
Let’s consider the following verse from the Qur’an regarding the alternation of day and night:
أَلَمْ تَرَ أَنَّ اللَّهَ يُولِجُ اللَّيْلَ فِي النَّهَارِ وَيُولِجُ النَّهَارَ فِي اللَّيْلِ
“Do you not see that Allah merges the night into the day and merges the day into the night?” (Surah Luqman: 29)
This verse refers to the gradual change from night to day and from day to night. This phenomenon can only occur if the Earth is spherical. If the Earth were flat, the change from night to day and day to night would have been sudden.
Dr. Alfred Kroner, a prominent geologist and professor at the Institute of Geosciences at Johannes Gutenberg University in Mainz, Germany, said: “Considering the time and place Muhammad lived, it is highly improbable that he could have known such things about the origin of the universe, as they are highly complex and have only been uncovered by modern science in the last few years.”
He further added, “I cannot imagine that 1,400 years ago someone knew anything about nuclear physics, and could reveal such information from their own mind, such as the origin of the Earth and other planets from the same source.” (This reference is from a video tape titled ‘This is the Truth’).
The Qur’an also states:
خَلَقَ السَّمَوتِ وَالْأَرْضَ بِالْحَقِّ يُكَوِرُ اللَّيْلَ عَلَى النَّهَارِ وَيُكَوِّرُ النَّهَارَ عَلَى الَّيْلِ
“He created the heavens and the earth in truth. He wraps the night over the day and wraps the day over the night.” (Surah Az-Zumar: 5)
The Arabic word “كَور” (Kawwara) means ‘to cover’ or ‘to wind’, like the wrapping of a turban around the head. The concept of day and night wrapping around each other can only occur if the Earth is spherical.
The Earth is not perfectly spherical but geoid-shaped, slightly flattened at the poles. The following verse from the Qur’an provides an indication of the Earth’s shape:
وَالْأَرْضَ بَعْدَ ذَٰلِكَ دَحَاهَا
“And after that He spread the earth.” (Surah An-Nazi’at: 30)
Here, the Arabic word “دَحَاهَا” (Dahaha) means ‘to shape like an ostrich egg’. The shape of an ostrich egg resembles the geoidal shape of the Earth. Thus, the Qur’an accurately describes the Earth’s shape, even though, at the time of its revelation, the widespread belief was that the Earth was flat.
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