274. The journey that makes one realize earth is round.

This (verse 18:90) of the Quran talks about a long journey undertaken by king Zulqarnain. 

Zulqarnain begins his travel towards the East, and all of a sudden his travel turns towards the West says the verse. 

This can happen only if the earth is round, making one reach the west starting from the east.

For example, station a spherical object within a square and move your fingers on the surface outwards to bring them towards the start place.

The fingers that were moved towards east on reaching a semicircle start moving towards the west.

A person travelling towards east from Chennai keeps on travelling until he reaches an angle of 180 degrees and comes towards you waiting for him. He reaches you from the west.

Let’s imagine we have a vehicle that goes around the globe in an hour’s time. If a person starts his journey from Chennai on a straight course, will reach you back from the opposite direction, and not from the direction he started moving. 

Because the earth being round in shape the direction changes once half the distance is reached.

Ordinarily when you view any round object, only half of it can be viewed from one side while the other half faces its opposite side.If that does not happen, it can be concluded as not a round object. 

While narrating a historical event, the Quran reveals with care a scientific fact proving itself to be the word of God.