Soaring In Quran.

Flying without flapping wings.

In the Quran there are birds that fly without flapping their wings. Skeptics claim that whoever wrote the Quran made a mistake, birds cannot fly without flapping their wings. Today scientists confirm that flapping wings is very inefficient. For long distances and high altitude birds soar, that is, they ride rising air currents without flapping their wings.

"Gliding Flight

When in gliding flight, the upward aerodynamic force is equal to the weight. In gliding flight, no propulsion is used; the energy to counteract the energy loss due to aerodynamic drag is either taken from the potential energy of the bird, resulting in a descending flight, or is replaced by rising air currents ("thermals"), referred to as soaring flight. For specialist soaring birds (obligate soarers), the decision to engage in flight are strongly related to atmospheric conditions that allow individuals to maximise flight-efficiency and minimise energetic costs."

Wikipedia, Bird flight, 2026.

"When in gliding flight, the upward aerodynamic force is equal to the weight. " all forces are in equilibrium. If the lift is greater that the weight the bird will accelerate upwards; If the the lift is less than the weight the bird will accelerate downward. All forces must be in equilibrium. This was known recently, however it was portrayed in the Quran 1400 years ago.

Quran 67:19

Have they not seen the birds above them, spreading their wings, and folding them? None holds them except the Compassionate. He is Perceiver of everything.

١٩ أَوَلَمْ يَرَوْا إِلَى الطَّيْرِ فَوْقَهُمْ صَافَّاتٍ وَيَقْبِضْنَ ۚ مَا يُمْسِكُهُنَّ إِلَّا الرَّحْمَٰنُ ۚ إِنَّهُ بِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ بَصِيرٌ

Saffat " صَافَّاتٍ" in Araqbic means spreading their wings. Yakbidn "يَقْبِضْنَ ۚ" in Arabic means flapping their wings. In this verse birds fly both with and without flapping their wings. Today we know that for long distances and high altitudes birds soar, that is, they fly without flapping their wings.

The other miracle in this verse is equilibrium of forces. Yumsikhun "يُمْسِكُهُنَّ" in Arabic means hold them. When you hold something all forces would be in equilibrium.

Soaring

Flying without flapping wings.

Quran 67:19

How could an illiterate man who lived 1400 years ago have known about soaring?

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