turn a blind eye to most occurrences of ʔl.ʔarḍ in the Qurān (الارض in 88:20 included) whereof it clearly denotes the earth as a whole
First off, neither I nor mia666 dispute the fact the the word earth (ard) can also mean the earth in general. The point we were making is that when the word earth (ard) is used it can also be referring to a/the land. Context will always determine which of the two is being referred to.
Secondly, your usage of 88:20 to indicate that the earth is flat is incorrect.. As has already be alluded to:
"The surface of the earth i.e. earth’s crust is less than 30 miles in thickness and is very thin as compared to the radius of the earth which is about 3750 miles. The deeper layers of the earth are very hot, fluid and hostile to any form of life. The earth’s crust is a solidified shell on which we can live. The Quran rightly refers to it like a carpet spread out, so that we can travel along its roads and paths.
A carpet can also be spread on other than an absolute flat surface
Not a single verse of the Quran says that the earth is flat. The Quran only compares the earth’s crust with a carpet. Some people seem to think that carpet can only be put on an absolute flat surface. It is possible to spread a carpet on a large sphere such as the earth. It can easily be demonstrated by taking a huge model of the earth’s globe covering it with a carpet.
Carpet is generally put on a surface, which is not very comfortable to walk on. The Quran describes the earth crust as a carpet, without which human beings would not be able to survive because of the hot, fluid and hostile environment beneath it. The Quran is thus not only logical, it is mentioning a scientific fact that was discovered by geologists centuries later."