48,466
edits
Geocentrism and the Quran: Difference between revisions
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
m
I'm putting a lot of Lightyears' additions into footnotes. that is where they belong, otherwise an easy to read article becomes extremely broken and difficult for the average reader to digest
| [checked revision] | [checked revision] |
m (I'm putting a lot of Lightyears' additions into footnotes. that is where they belong, otherwise an easy to read article becomes extremely broken and difficult for the average reader to digest) |
|||
| Line 12: | Line 12: | ||
Even though some Muslims reject the Hadith and the [[Sunnah]] as being not-divinely inspired; that argument presupposes a priori that the Qur'an is divinely inspired and protected whilst these other documents are not. Obviously, such special pleading will not do in a scholarly examination of the Qur'an. The Qur'an alone cannot prove itself to be Prophet [[Muhammad|Muhammad’s]] words (let alone the words of [[Allah]]) without the support of hadiths. Not only are these sources useful as supporting evidence; they also indicate which interpretation is supported by Muhammad and (early) Muslims. This is also why this article includes the views of several medieval Muslim Astronomers: if the Qur'an had clearly described a cosmology that is not geocentric, they would simply not hold geocentric views. In addition, this article even includes the opinions of a modern-day Muslim astronomer. | Even though some Muslims reject the Hadith and the [[Sunnah]] as being not-divinely inspired; that argument presupposes a priori that the Qur'an is divinely inspired and protected whilst these other documents are not. Obviously, such special pleading will not do in a scholarly examination of the Qur'an. The Qur'an alone cannot prove itself to be Prophet [[Muhammad|Muhammad’s]] words (let alone the words of [[Allah]]) without the support of hadiths. Not only are these sources useful as supporting evidence; they also indicate which interpretation is supported by Muhammad and (early) Muslims. This is also why this article includes the views of several medieval Muslim Astronomers: if the Qur'an had clearly described a cosmology that is not geocentric, they would simply not hold geocentric views. In addition, this article even includes the opinions of a modern-day Muslim astronomer. | ||
The following is a summary of what makes the Qur'an geocentric: | |||
# It is very clear from the Qur'an and scientific observations that the moon makes rounds around the earth. The Qur'an mentions the sun and the moon in such a way as if they are following each other <BR>[ {{cite quran|91|1|end=2|style=ref}} - By the sun and his brightness, And the moon when she followeth him] <BR>What could this actually mean other than that the sun takes a path 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.<ref>Ta-Lam-Waw [http://www.studyquran.org/LaneLexicon/Volume1/00000350.pdf Lane's Lexicon volume 1 page 313]</ref> | # It is very clear from the Qur'an and scientific observations that the moon makes rounds around the earth. The Qur'an mentions the sun and the moon in such a way as if they are following each other <BR>[ {{cite quran|91|1|end=2|style=ref}} - By the sun and his brightness, And the moon when she followeth him] <BR>What could this actually mean other than that the sun takes a path 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.<ref>Ta-Lam-Waw [http://www.studyquran.org/LaneLexicon/Volume1/00000350.pdf Lane's Lexicon volume 1 page 313]</ref> | ||
# The floating/swimming/running (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 (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 [http://www.studyquran.org/LaneLexicon/Volume3/00000005.pdf Lane's Lexicon Volume 1 page 106]</ref> | # The floating/swimming/running (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 (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 [http://www.studyquran.org/LaneLexicon/Volume3/00000005.pdf Lane's Lexicon Volume 1 page 106]</ref> | ||
# <p>{{cite Quran|36|37|end=40|style=ref}} is a passage about night and day. Right after describing the change from day to night it says that the sun runs on to a resting place for it | # <p>{{cite Quran|36|37|end=40|style=ref}} is a passage about night and day. Right after describing the change from day to night it says that the sun runs on to a resting place for it.<ref>A few translations use instead, "appointed term", though in nearly all other verses where we find قرر (mustaqarrin (qaf-ra-ra) [http://www.studyquran.org/LaneLexicon/Volume7/00000029.pdf Lane's Lexicon Volume 1 page 2501]) as a participle they translate it as a place of settlement or an abode or resting place.</ref> 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.<ref>{{Muslim|1|297}}. For the Arabic of this hadith, see [http://sunnah.com/muslim/1/306 here]</ref> </p><p>The alternative view was that it refers to the sun's final resting on the last day.<ref>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 (لِأَجَلٍ مُّسَمًّى which does have that meaning - مُسْتَقَرٍّ in 36:38 is a different word).</ref> Another similar sahih hadith probably supports this view<ref>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: {{Bukhari|9|93|520}}. For the Arabic see [http://sunnah.com/bukhari/97/52 here]</ref> 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.</p> | ||
# There is only one moon and one sun in the entire Qur'anic universe. The position of all these celestial bodies within this universe are clearly described in the Qur'an. For example, the heavens are above the earth, and the sun, moon and stars are within the heavens. <BR>[ {{cite quran|71|15|end=16|style=ref}} - Have you not seen how Allah created the seven heavens one above the other, setting in them the moon as a light and the sun as a lantern? ] | # There is only one moon and one sun in the entire Qur'anic universe. The position of all these celestial bodies within this universe are clearly described in the Qur'an. For example, the heavens are above the earth, and the sun, moon and stars are within the heavens. <BR>[ {{cite quran|71|15|end=16|style=ref}} - Have you not seen how Allah created the seven heavens one above the other, setting in them the moon as a light and the sun as a lantern? ] | ||
# The Qur'an mentions heavenly bodies traveling in their own orbits, but so do the concepts of day and night each | # The Qur'an mentions heavenly bodies traveling in their own orbits, but so do the concepts of day and night each have an orbit. None of the bodies are supposed to run into each other. | ||
# The heavens are firmly held in place lest they move from where they are and fall on the earth. <BR>[ {{cite quran|2|22|end=29|style=ref}}, {{Quran|35|41}}, {{Quran|21|104}}, {{Quran|17|92}}, and {{Quran|34|9}} ] | # The heavens are firmly held in place lest they move from where they are and fall on the earth. <BR>[ {{cite quran|2|22|end=29|style=ref}}, {{Quran|35|41}}, {{Quran|21|104}}, {{Quran|17|92}}, and {{Quran|34|9}} ] | ||
Note that there is no mention of orbits for the heavens or the earth in the Qur'an. An orbit is only mentioned for the sun and the moon | Note that there is no mention of orbits for the heavens or the earth in the Qur'an. Their positions are fixed. An orbit is only mentioned for the sun and the moon. Not even the stars have an orbit, for they are as if hanging down from the heavens like a light bulb from the ceiling in a room. | ||
All the evidence in the Qur'an points very strongly to the fact that the author had been observing the universe, not from the heavens, but from the Arabian Desert. The author tells us that the heavens are above the earth. Why? Because he was looking at the heavens from the Arabian floor and not from the vast space above or below. Otherwise Allah would have seen the Milky Way as a disc. Our solar system too is a disc. The earth is just one of the planets moving around the sun. However, in the the Qur'an | For the Qur'an to be scientific, 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? | ||
All the evidence in the Qur'an points very strongly to the fact that the author had been observing the universe, not from the heavens, but from the Arabian Desert. The author tells us that the heavens are above the earth. Why? Because he was looking at the heavens from the Arabian floor and not from the vast space above or below. Otherwise Allah would have seen the Milky Way as a disc. Our solar system too is a disc. The earth is just one of the planets moving around the sun. However, in the the Qur'an, the sky is mistakenly being referred to as if it were a solid structure that could fall upon the earth and crush people and things between them. There are verses upon verses which lead to these conclusions. | |||
===The sun and moon are signs from Allah=== | ===The sun and moon are signs from Allah=== | ||