Geocentrism and the Qur'an

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This article will examine the evidence for Qur'anic geocentric cosmology.

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Introduction

Some may confuse geocentricism with the the idea that the Earth is flat. These are in fact two different ideas. Geocentrism simply is the notion that the Earth is the (immovable) centre of our universe, thus all celestial bodies move around it. The ancient Greeks and the Europeans of the middle ages thought that the celestial bodies (the sun, the moon and the 5 known planets) all moved in celestial spheres around a spherical Earth. It should be noted that even though not all geocentrists are flat-Earthers, invariably all flat-earthers seem to be geocentrists.

The Qur'an says that both the sun and the moon swim / float in a rounded course, or perhaps in a celestial sphere or hemisphere (a 'falak' in the Arabic[1]). It seems that Allah brings the sun from the east, it goes high above the Earth and ends after sunset with the Sun going to a resting place. All this took place around an Earth that was spread out and had a firmament of seven heavens built without pillars that can be seen above it. This was a common belief in the region at that time and can be found earlier with the Babylonians, ancient Hebrews, the Assyrians and other cultures in the region.

Primary Evidence

The following is a list of what makes the Qur'an geocentric. A detailed discussion of these and further evidence follows in the rest of the article.

  1. The courses taken by both the sun and moon are visible to the people addressed in the Qur'an.
  2. The Qur'an says that the moon follows the sun. The floating/swimming (the verb جري) of the sun is always mentioned with that of the moon, and in these verses they are nearly always mentioned in the context of night and day.[2]

  3. Qur'an 36:37-40 is a passage about night and day.[3] Right after describing the change from day to night it says that the sun runs on to a resting place for it (see footnotes regarding the Arabic word here, which differs from similar verses[4]). There are also sahih hadith that use the same Arabic word as in verse 36:38 to mean a resting place as part of the sun's daily cycle.[5].

    The alternative view was that it refers to the sun's final resting on the last day. Another similar sahih hadith probably supports this view.[6] Whichever interpretation was intended, the sun's movement is nevertheless mentioned right after describing day and night, just as the next verse mentions the different mansions appointed for the moon each night. The whole passage is about day and night and the sun and moon's movement in that context.

  4. The sun and moon each float in an orbit (verses 21:33 and 36:40), or more precisely, each in a "falak", a word with various meanings related to rounded or circular, and also hemisphere shaped things, as described in Lane's lexicon of classical arabic[1]. His main definition is the place of the revolving of the stars, the celestial sphere, generally imagined to be a hemisphere by the Arabs, or the pole of the heavens. The more common English translations, 'orbit', or 'rounded course', seem to be based on the meanings related to roundness or circling (around a hill) and on comments by ibn 'Abbas recorded in the tafasir (commentaries) of al-Tabari and of ibn Kathir, where he explains the sun and moon swimming in a falak to mean 'in a whirl (whorl), like the whirl of a spindle'[7]. It may also be based on another ibn 'Abbas comment, as noted by ibn Kathir, that the sun runs in its falak in the sky / heaven during the day, and when it sets, it runs at night in its falak underneath the Earth until it rises in the east.[8]Al-Tabari further mentions other opinions, such as that it means the pole of the heavens, and similarly, the shape of an iron [axis of a?] millstone.
  5. It is not for the sun to overtake the moon, though on the last day they will be joined together, which is rather suggestive of them orbiting the same body at a similar distance from us.
  6. The stars have settings (mawaqi) [9], but only the day, night, the sun and moon are mentioned as all floating in an orbit (falak), while there is no indication of the Earth's own orbit.
  7. Abraham is approvingly quoted as saying that Allah brings the sun from the east in one verse, and setting and rising places of the sun are reached and described in the Dhu'l Qarnayn story.

For the Qur'an to be scientifically credible, it must contain accurate statements in regards to all that is visible i.e. material objects and phenomena. How can Allah appeal to such things as signs of his power and existence if he fails to make his case obvious?


The visibility of the sun's movement

A common claim is that references in the Qur'an to the sun's movement concern its 225 million year orbit around our milky way galaxy rather than to a geocentric orbit. Yet the author of the Qur'an describes a movement of the sun (as well as of the moon) that he expects any of its listeners to see, hence it does not mean a galactic orbit.

Do you not see that Allah causes the night to enter the day and causes the day to enter the night and has subjected the sun and the moon, each running [its course] for a specified term, and that Allah, with whatever you do, is Acquainted?
Quran 31:29

The words 'and that' (wa anna) towards the end of the verse indicates that "Do you not see" applies to the entire verse, and leaves no doubt that not just the day and night, but also the running of the sun and moon were things that the 7th century listeners of the Qur'an were expected to know; they could 'see' the night turn into day and vice versa, they could see the sun and the moon running their courses around the earth. The people could see Allah's signs, and Allah could see them.

أَلَمْ تَرَ = Alam Tara (”Don’t you see?")

It could be argued that "don't you see" means "don't you know" or "aren't you aware" or "don't you realise". Of course this does not make much of a difference. In this case, the Qur'an clearly reinforces the common but incorrect beliefs of the time, and further uses these erroneous beliefs to support the existence of Allah.

The following verse says that the sun and moon running their courses are signs (ayaat) to mankind and thus they must be visible (or known) to a 7th century Arab audience. It says they are explained in detail in the Qur'an to strengthen the faith of Muslims. Yet the modern galactic orbit explanation requires outside knowledge and recent science, and these verses cause doubts in the minds of Muslims.

[…] He has subjected the sun and the moon! Each one runs for a term appointed. He regulates the matter, explaining the signs in detail, so you can be certain of meeting with your Lord.
Quran 13:2

yudabbiru (he arranges / regulates) al amra (the matter) yufassilu (he explains in detail) al ayaat (the signs) la allakum (so you may) biliqai (meeting) rabbikum (with your Lord) tūqinūna (be certain)

In the following verses the Qur'an clearly tells us that the sun follows a daily cycle, which ends every night when the sun goes to its resting place (ِمُسْتَقَرٍّ See the footnotes for the Primary Evidence section regarding this word). As usual in the Qur'an (13:2 being the only exception), the sun's movement is mentioned in the context of night and day.

A token unto them is night. We strip it of the day, and lo! they are in darkness and the sun runneth on unto a resting-place for him. That is the measuring of the Mighty, the Wise. And for the moon We have appointed mansions till she return like an old shrivelled palm-leaf. It is not for the sun to overtake the moon, nor doth the night outstrip the day. They float each in an orbit.
Qur'an 36:37-40

Waalshshamsu (and the sun) tajree (runs) limustaqarrin (a resting point) laha (of it). Notice how the sun's movement is almost always mentioned in the context of night and day.

The 225 million year galactic orbit interpretation would have no relevance to human timescales, nor would it be "a token" or sign for 7th century listeners, nor would it make sense in the context about the night-day cycle.

Moreover, saying that it is not for the sun to overtake the moon in verse 40 is a very strange thing to say unless speaking from a naive human perspective where they orbit the same world, and indeed, will one day be joined together (see below). The word translated 'for' in the phrase 'It is not for the sun...' in verse 36:40 is يَنۢبَغِى yanbaghee, which means is fit, suitable, or proper, or behoves, or is right and allowable, or good, or facilitated or easy, or practicable or manageable[10] and the word translated 'overtake' is تُدْرِكَ tudrika, which means catches up and comes upon[11])

In the following verse the Qur'an tells of an indirect observation of the sun's movement.

Have you not seen see how your Lord spread the shadow. If He willed he could make it stationary. Then do We make the sun its guide.
Quran 25:45

الشَّمسَ عَلَيهِ دَلِيل = ash shamsa (the sun) `alayhi (for it) dalilaan (a guide / an indication)

Aside from other light sources, shadows on Earth require the sun to exist, but it seems that for them to lengthen rather than being stationary requires the sun to guide them according to this verse. Yet if the Earth did not rotate (so shadows were stationary) and then the Earth was made to rotate (so that they could lengthen and draw in) the sun would not need to be made to do anything different in either case. Thus the most likely explanation is that the verse represents a geocentric worldview where the sun moves across the sky, guiding the shadows.

Interestingly, the length of the shadow cast by the sun is also used to determine the start of the Asr prayer time; the apparent movement of the sun is still used by Muslims as a clock of sorts.

The similar size and distance of the sun and moon

The Qur'an has some statements about the end of the world that are much as one would expect if the author believed the sun and moon to be of similar size and a similar distance from Earth.

And the moon darkens And the sun and the moon are joined,
Qur'an 75:8-9

The word translated "are joined" is Arabic jumi'a, a verb which means to collect together, gather together, bring together.[12] Now given that this would actually require the moon to travel 98 million miles away from Earth and into the sun, which is over 600 times wider, it is far less suitable as an apocalyptic event than if the ancient understanding of the cosmos was correct, and it is not credible that an author with accurate knowledge of the solar system would describe such an event using the words found in these verses.

The course of the sun in relation to the course of the moon

The courses of the sun and the moon are also a pair of sorts, according to the Qur'an.

By the sun and his brightness, And the moon when she followeth him
Qur'an 91:1-2

Waalshshamsi (and the sun) waduhaha (and its brightness) Waalqamari (and the moon) itha talaha (when it follows it)

This indicates that the sun takes a path or action similar to that of the moon (which does indeed go around the earth once per month, and to an ancient person seems to do so on a nightly basis). The word translated "follow" is used many other places to mean recite, but is primarily defined as to follow, go or walk behind, follow in way of imitation, of action etc., and is often used for animals like camels following behind each other. [13] Yet the Moon does not follow behind the sun's movement, nor does it provide its own light like the sun. It might merely seem to a naive observer to do these things.

There are many more verses where the sun and moon are paired:

A token unto them is night. We strip it of the day, and lo! they are in darkness and the sun runneth on unto a resting-place for him. That is the measuring of the Mighty, the Wise. And for the moon We have appointed mansions till she return like an old shrivelled palm-leaf. It is not for the sun to overtake the moon, nor doth the night outstrip the day. They float each in an orbit.
Qur'an 36:37-40

Notice also in the above verse that the sun's movement (as well as day and night) are a token, or sign, that the hearers can readily observe.

And He it is Who created the night and the day, and the sun and the moon. They all float in rounded courses.
Quran 21:33

...khalaqa (created) allayla (the night) waalnnahara (and the day) waalshshamsa (and the sun) waalqamara (and the moon) kullun (each) fee (in) falakin (a rounded course) yasbahoona (they swim)

He has made subject to you the Night and the Day; the Sun and the moon
Quran 16:12
And He hath made subject to you the Sun and the moon, both diligently pursuing their courses; and the night and the day hath he (also) made subject to you.
Quran 14:33
Among His Signs are the Night and the Day, and the Sun and the Moon. [...]
Quran 41:37

Here it is again: heavens and earth, night and day, sun and moon.

He created the heavens and the earth in true (proportions): He makes the Night overlap the Day, and the Day overlap the Night: He has subjected the sun and the moon (to His law): Each one follows a course for a time appointed. Is not He the Exalted in Power - He Who forgives again and again?
Quran 39:5

And again: the Qur'an explains, not only are humans created in pairs (male and female), so are the two bodies of flowing waters (one salt and one sweet), and the night and the day and the sun and the moon.

[…]1 And Allah did create you from dust; then from a sperm-drop; then He made you in pairs. And no female conceives, or lays down (her load), but with His knowledge. Nor is a man long-lived granted length of days, nor is a part cut off from his life, but is in a Decree (ordained). All this is easy to Allah. Nor are the two bodies of flowing water alike,- the one palatable, sweet, and pleasant to drink, and the other, salt and bitter. Yet from each (kind of water) do ye eat flesh fresh and tender, and ye extract ornaments to wear; and thou seest the ships therein that plough the waves, that ye may seek (thus) of the Bounty of Allah that ye may be grateful. He merges Night into Day, and he merges Day into Night, and he has subjected the sun and the moon (to his Law): each one runs its course for a term appointed. Such is Allah your Lord: to Him belongs all Dominion.
Qur'an 35:11-13

Notice how frequently the sun and the moon are mentioned together as a pair. Its clearly implied that the sun and the moon are a pair of sorts, just like (according to the Qur'an) the heavens and the earth or the night and the day. In Qur'an 36:36 and 35:11-35:13 this belief is expressly stated. The sun and the moon (along with their courses) are mentioned amongst a range of other things that are created in pairs.

The shape of the sun's course

Various verses explain the shape of the sun's course. Apparently Allah brings the sun from east, it travels high and eventually goes down. Most of these can be dismissed as the same kind of convenient language we would use today (Quran 20:059, Quran 20:130, Quran 17:078, Quran 6:77-78, Quran 18:17). Some are more interesting, however.

The Qur'an approvingly quotes a few lines from a debate between Abraham and a disbelieving King, where Abraham replies that Allah brings the sun (yatee biashshamsi يَأْتِى بِٱلشَّمْسِ) from the east. The arabic verb and preposition indicates that the sun actually moves.[14]

Abraham said, ‘Indeed Allah brings the sun from the east; now you bring it from the west.’ So the disbeliever was overwhelmed [by astonishment], and Allah does not guide the wrongdoing people.
Qur'an 2:258


The Qur'an also describes the locations where the sun actually rises and sets in response to a question about an existing legend. It can be seen by human eyes in the story of Dhul-Qarnayn (Alexander the Great):

Lo! We made him strong in the land and gave him unto every thing a road. And he followed a road. Till, when he reached the setting-place of the sun, he found it setting in a muddy spring, and found a people thereabout. We said: O Dhu'l-Qarneyn! Either punish or show them kindness. Then he followed a road. Till, when he reached the rising-place of the sun, he found it rising on a people for whom We had appointed no shelter therefrom.
Qur'an 18:84-90

For a detailed discussion of the key words in these verses, evidence showing that early Muslims took it literally, and contemporary Arabic and Syriac poems of the same legend, see the article Dhul-Qarnayn and the Sun Setting in a Muddy Spring

The Qur'an is quite clear about the course of the sun. It does not even describe a complete orbit, but merely a rounded course, probably in a hemisphere (falak[1]) that has a beginning, an end, and a highest point.

The regular cycle of the sun

According to the Qur'an, the sun's cycle is repeated on a regular basis (exactly computed even) just like that of the Moon and night and day.

[…] He made the Sun and the moon subservient (to you); each one pursues its course to an appointed time; He regulates the affair, making clear the signs
Quran 13:2
Seest thou not that Allah merges night into day and he merges day into night and he has subjected the sun, and the moon each running its course for a term appointed. And Allah is aware of what you do.
Quran 31:29
The Sun and the moon follow courses (exactly) computed
Quran 55:5

This Surah reads: Alshamsu (the sun) waalqamaru (and the moon) bihusbanin.

Husban can mean a number of things: definite reckoning, appointed courses, numbering, revolving firmament, running appointed and scheduled course. In many English translations we see the word 'course' or 'celestial sphere' but note that the word 'falak' isn't mentioned here; this verse only indicates that the sun and the moon behave in a calculated / scheduled / appointed manner.

There is a reason why this is important: the sun's daily cycle and the moons monthly cycle are used for timekeeping in Islam.


The movement of the sun and timekeeping

In the days of Muhammad it was common practice to use the sun for timekeeping, so there is little wonder that the Qur'an claims the supposed course of the Sun is regulated / scheduled (see previous section) and a sign from Allah to keep track of the time of day (and likewise the course of the moon is a monthly calendar)

He it is that cleaves the day-break (from the dark): He makes the night for rest and tranquility and the sun and moon for the reckoning [of time])
Quran 6:96
It is He Who made the Sun to be a shining glory and the moon to be a light (of beauty), and measured out stages for her; that ye might know the number of years and the count [of time]. Nowise did Allah create this but in truth and righteousness. (Thus) doth He explain His Signs in detail, for those who have knowledge.
Quran 10:5
And We have made the night and the day two signs, then We have made the sign of the night to pass away and We have made the sign of the day manifest, so that you may seek grace from your Lord, and that you might know the numbering of years and the reckoning; and We have explained everything with distinctness.
Quran 17:12

The moon (the sign of the night) is to be used to count the years (12 lunar years make up the Islamic year) and the sun is to be used to keep track of time. The only solar movement Muslims use for timekeeping is the apparent daily course of the Sun (from east up and then down to the west). To this very day, Muslims use the (crude) lunar calender, and the waqt (prescribed time) of their daily salats (prayers) is determined entirely by the position of the Sun along it’s apparent course.

Daily salats:

  1. Salat Al Fajr – right before sun rise. (mentioned in Quran 17:78 Quran 20:130 Quran 24:58)
  2. Salat Al Zuhr – right after the Sun’s zenith, but before the shadow of the Sun becomes twice its length from midday. (Mentioned in Quran 20:130)
  3. Salat Al Asr- between zenith and sunset, when the length of a shadow of a stick is either once or twice its length. (Mentioned in Quran 20:130))
  4. Salat Al Maghrib – right after sunset. (Mentioned in Quran 17:78 Quran 20:130)
  5. Salat Al Isha'a – between sunset and sunrise. (Mentioned in Quran 20:130)

The picture is pretty clear: the apparent daily course of the sun dictates the time of each and every daily prayer and the only examples of the sun being used for timekeeping in the Qur'an employs the sun's daily movement along the sky.

Counter-arguments

Despite all the verses discussed above that strongly indicate a geocentric worldview, Islamic websites present a few counter arguments to try to prove heliocentricism in the Qur'an. We saw above that the galactic orbit interpretation for the sun's falak does not stand up to scrutiny. In the same section above we also saw that 36:40 ('it is not for the sun to overtake the moon...') is evidence of geocentrism rather than heliocentrism. Two other verses are sometimes used to try to demonstrate knowledge that the Earth rotates on its axis.

By the sun and his brightness, And the moon when she followeth him, And the day when it revealeth him, And the night when it enshroudeth him
Qur'an 91:1-4

Waalnnahari (and the day) itha (when) jallaha (it displays it) Waallayli (and the night) itha (when) yaghshaha (it covers it)

At first it seems plausible to suppose that 'day' and 'night' refers to the process of the Earth's rotation revealing and obstructing the view of the sun (though the verse also fits with a geocentric view where 'day' and 'night' are processes when the sun is above or below the horizon). But this idea quickly falls apart when comparing with other verses as detailed below, but also even examining the verse in isolation. For the Earth is actually a globe, and there are no specific times 'when' (itha) the day reveals the sun or the night conceals it. Rather at all times half the Earth is in daytime and half in nighttime, so the sun is at all times both revealed and concealed. This problem wouldn't arise if the word 'when' (itha) was absent in these verses.

There are other verses that mention the night covering (with the same Arabic verb as 91.4), which show that the verb in this context does not simply mean the body of the earth blocking the line of sight to something. Verses 92:1-2 use identical words as 91:3-4, but without the pronoun suffix at the end. So the night is when things generally are covered, not just the sun on the other side of the Earth, and the day is when things generally are revealed. Clearly the verbs are meant in a poetic sense.

By the night enshrouding, And the day resplendent
Qur'an 92:1-2

Waallayli (and the night) itha (when) yaghsha (it covers) Waalnnahari (and the day) itha (when) tajalla (it displays)

Indeed, in the verse below the night's cover (same verb as 91:4) can apply to anything, not just the sun, so how can night covering the sun in 91.4 literally mean the body of the earth covering the sun on the other side? (The word "pieces" in the translation means portion or piece cut off from the whole[15]).

they will have no one to save them from Allah; as if their faces are covered with pieces of the dark night
Qur'an 10:27

With the same arabic word for cover yet again in verse 7:54, this time it is the day doing the covering, or possibly the other way round (the Arabic is ambiguous and translations differ, while tafsirs take the view that it means both) and it is quite a stretch if not impossible to interpret this as the rotating Earth blocking the night (whatever nonsense that could mean) in analogy to their interpretation of 91:4. Rather it seems that the day and night are active entities in the Qur'an.

He covereth the night with the day, which is in haste to follow it
Qur'an 7:54


The other verse used as evidence of heliocentrism is 39:5. Here the word translated wraps (kawwara, as with a turban, for example) supposedly indicates the rotation of the Earth.

He created the heavens and earth in truth. He wraps the night over the day and wraps the day over the night and has subjected the sun and the moon, each running [its course] for a specified term.
Qur'an 39:5

But as with 7:54 mentioned above and the verses where the day and night (as well as the sun and moon) have a falak[1], it actually indicates that the night and day are active entities rather than any sign that the Earth revolves. You could reasonably describe the Earth as passing through night and day. Perhaps, at a stretch, you could even say that night and day wrap around the earth as you could spin an item in order to wrap it with something. But it would be utter nonsense to describe what really happens by saying that the the day or night wrap each other, for they are always on the sunward and opposite sides of the Earth.

To even try to make it work you would have to suppose that 'day' means the half of the Earth that is currently sunward, and 'night' means the shadow of the Earth cast by the sun, but then to make the next phrase work you have to suppose that 'night' means the half of the Earth that is currently opposite the sun, and that 'day' means the light from the sun. So at the halfway point in the sentence you have to change your definition of the word 'day' and the definition of 'night' to make it fit the real situation!

A common claim by some of those who believe that 39:5 is a reference to the Earth's rotation is that this phrase is the most perfect that Allah could use without causing 7th century Arabs to dismiss Muhammad as a lunatic. Yet the Qur'an itself records that Muhammad was much mocked anyway by those who disbelieved what he said, and the Qur'an contains many claims that sounded absurd even to many of his contemporaries, so it is reasonable to ask why the Qur'an could not give even some vague indication that the earth itself is revolving or that it has an orbit.

There are also two nearly identical verses to 39.5. These are 31:29 and 35:13 (also with the similar phrase are 3:27 22:61 and 57:6) where instead of 'he wraps', the verb 'he causes to enter' (yooliju) is used. Together, along with 7:54 where the day covers and chases the night (or vice versa), they present a picture of the day and night successively wrapping across each other and in so doing covering the other and entering into it, though the night never outruns (sabiqu) the day (36:40).

Supporting Evidence

Ancient and modern-day Muslim astronomers

Muslims living in Muhammad’s day unequivocally accepted the Qur'an's geocentric cosmology. References in the Hadith of any of the ansari or others in Muhammad's environment arguing about this point with their prophet or amongst themselves are unknown. Famous Muslim astronomers (people who certainly read, and knew the Qur'an) like the Arab astronomer Ibn al-Shatir and the Persian Nasir al-Din al-Tusi used Greek (geocentric) astronomy to create complex models of our ‘universe’ (basically only our solar system, which they believed constituted the entire universe) that were geocentric just like the Qur'an.

In a televised debate aired on Iraqi Al-Fayhaa TV (October 31, 2007), Muslim Researcher on Astronomy Fadhel Al-Sa'd also declared :

The sun circles the Earth because it is smaller than the Earth, as is evident in Koranic verses. Have you ever seen how the sun moves? I have seen the sun moving. The sun makes one move every 24 hours.

What I say is based on Koranic science. He bases his arguments on the kind of science that I reject categorically -- the modern science that they teach in schools. This science is a heretic innovation that has no confirmation in the Koran. No verse in the Koran indicates that the Earth is round or that it rotates. Anything that has no indication in the Koran is false.
Iraqi Researcher Defies Scientific Axioms: The Earth Is Flat and Much Larger than the Sun (Which Is Also Flat)
MEMRI TV, Video No. 1684

According to Fadhel Al-Sa'd, the moon's diameter is 1,200,000 km, while that of the sun is only 2,400,000 km.

Muslims around the time of Muhammad

In the Hadiths we read Muhammad's own words, and they clearly paint the same picture: the sun moves around the earth and goes to "its resting place" at night, and will one day be told to go to "the place of your setting".

It is narrated on the authority of Abu Dharr that the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) one day said: Do you know where the Sun goes? They replied: Allah and His Apostle know best. He (the Holy Prophet) observed: Verily it (the Sun) glides till it reaches its resting place under the Throne. Then it falls prostrate and remains there until it is asked: Rise up and go to the place whence you came, and it goes back and continues emerging out from its rising place and then glides till it reaches its place of rest under the Throne and falls prostrate and remains in that state until it is asked: Rise up and return to the place whence you came, and it returns and emerges out from it rising place and the it glides (in such a normal way) that the people do not discern anything (unusual in it) till it reaches its resting place under the Throne. Then it would be said to it: Rise up and emerge out from the place of your setting, and it will rise from the place of its setting. The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said. Do you know when it would happen? It would happen at the time when faith will not benefit one who has not previously believed or has derived no good from the faith.
Sahih Muslim 1:297

Similar versions of this hadith can be found in Sahih Bukhari and elsewhere in Sahih Muslim. In another hadith Muhammad tells the sun to stop moving and it does so. This hadith is also found in Sahih Muslim:

…So, the prophet carried out the expedition and when he reached that town at the time or nearly at the time of the ‘Asr prayer, he said to the sun, ‘O sun! You are under Allah’s Order and I am under Allah’s Order O Allah! Stop it (i.e. the sun) from setting.’ It was stopped till Allah made him victorious…
Sahih Bukhari 4:53:353

Even though these Hadiths are all deemed 'sahih' (authentic) according to Islamic scholars, some apologists will deny them without any valid reason other than for their anti-scientific nature. Of course the Hadiths, at the very least, indicate what Muslims around the time of Muhammad (or not long after his demise) believed about the sun and how to interpret the Qur'an correctly.

Conclusion

A lot of details about the sun’s movement are contained within the Qur'an.

According to the Qur'an, the supposed course of the sun:

  1. is seen by 7th century listeners without knowledge of galactic orbits.
  2. is (almost always) compared to the Moon's course.
  3. is followed by the moon
  4. will on the last day be physically joined to the moon
  5. is almost always mentioned with that of the moon in the context of night and day.
  6. is to be used by the Muslims for timekeeping.
  7. has setting and rising places. Allah brings it from the east, it goes up high, then goes down, and it has a resting place.

In addition to all these facts; great ancient, and even modern-day, Muslim astronomers agree that the Qur'an is geocentric, and the Hadiths also affirm this geocentric cosmology (so Muhammad or at least the people around him agree with it).

What else can one conclude, other than that the Qur'an is geocentric? Whoever wrote the Qur'an thought that the sun orbits our planet. It is now known this is not true: the sun is not orbiting our planet and it is certainly not in a daily rounded path that looks like half a circle.

In ancient times, many people - but certainly not all - did not know any better than what they seemed to observe everyday: the sun appeared to be going around the Earth through our skies. This belief could be expected from a 7th century Bedouin, but not from an omnipresent, omnipotent, omniscient creator, who should be able to produce a perfect book that doesn't require acrobatic apologetics to defend.

This page is featured in the core article, Islam and Science which serves as a starting point for anyone wishing to learn more about this topic
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See Also

  • Cosmology - A hub page that leads to other articles related to Cosmology

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References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Falak Lane's Lexicon Volume 1 page 2443 and page 2444 Lane also says that the Arab astronomers said there were seven of these spheres for the sun, moon, and the five visible planets, rotating about the celestial pole. This must reflect the post-Qur'anic influence of Ptolemy, whose astronomical work was translated for the Arabs from the 8th century onwards.
  2. ↑ 21:33, 39:40, 31:29, 35:13, and 39:5; the exception being 13:2. See also 14:33, though note that the word translated "constant in their courses" is daibayni, which is simply a verb meaning to strive, toil, labour, hold on or continue. Ref: dal-alif-ba Lane's Lexicon Volume 1 page 106
  3. ↑ "And a Sign for them is the Night: We withdraw therefrom the Day, and behold they are plunged in darkness; And the sun runs his course for a period determined for him: that is the decree of (Him), the Exalted in Might, the All-Knowing. And the Moon,- We have measured for her mansions (to traverse) till she returns like the old (and withered) lower part of a date-stalk. It is not permitted to the Sun to catch up the Moon, nor can the Night outstrip the Day: Each (just) swims along in (its own) orbit (according to Law)." - Qur'an 36:37-40
  4. ↑ A few translations use instead, "appointed term", though in nearly all other verses where we find mustaqarrin (qaf-ra-ra قرر Lane's Lexicon Volume 1 page 2501) as a participle they translate it as a place of settlement or an abode or resting place. There are other verses (35:13, 31:29, 39:5, 13:2) that mention the sun and moon floating/swimming (with the same verb as is translated "run" in 36:38) for a term appointed, but these use the words لِأَجَلٍ مُّسَمًّى which do indeed mean a term appointed, but note that mustaqarrin مُسْتَقَرٍّ in 36:38 is a different word.
  5. ↑ Sahih Muslim 1:297. For the Arabic of this hadith, see here
  6. ↑ With a different ending indicating that the مُسْتَقَرٍّ (resting place) in 36:38 refers to the end of the world when the sun is asked to rise from its setting place (مِنْ مَغْرِبِهَا). Ref: Sahih Bukhari 9:93:520. For the Arabic see here
  7. ↑ The Arabic reads:فِي فَلْكَة كَفَلْكَةِ الْمِغْزَل fee falka, ka-falkati almighzal - at-Tabari and ibn Kathir on 36:40 quran.al-islam.com (select the tafsir, surah and ayah). Similarly for 21:33 in ibn Kathir, "Ibn Abbas said, 'Spinning like as spins the spindle in a whirl'". Lane translates the exact same words attributed to ibn 'Abbas as "the whirl of a spindle...thus called because of its roundness...it is a piece of wood, generally of hemispherical form, or nearly so, through the middle of which the upper part of the spindle-pin is inserted" (see link to his lexicon page 2444 in an earlier footnote for falak above).
  8. ↑
    Ibn Abi Hatim recorded that Ibn `Abbas said, "The sun is like flowing water, running in its course [falakha] in the sky [alssama] during the day. When it sets, it travels [at night - bi al-layli (omitted in the translation)] in its course [falakha] beneath the earth until it rises in the east. He said, "The same is true in the case of the moon. Its chain of narration is Sahih.
    Tafsir ibn Kathir for Qur'an 31:29

    For the Arabic, see quran.al-islam.com
  9. ↑ [Qur'an 56:75]
  10. ↑ ba-ghayn-ya Lane's Lexicon Book 1 page 233
  11. ↑ dal-ra-kaf Lane's Lexicon Book 1 page 873
  12. ↑ Jama'a Lane's Lexicon Book 1 page 455
  13. ↑ Ta-Lam-Waw Lane's Lexicon Book 1 page 313
  14. ↑ alif-taa-ya Lane's Lexicon Book 1 page 15 The verb means to come, and when it has an object with the bi preposition it means to bring, as in many other instances in the Qur'an.
  15. ↑ qaf-taa-ayn Lane's Lexicon Suppliment page 2990
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