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Geocentrism and the Quran: Difference between revisions
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→Primary Evidence: I always tend to feel that "orbit" lends an undeserved air of scientific credibility to the Qur'an, so just a little note on that as falak can mean semi circle
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Lightyears (talk | contribs) (→Primary Evidence: Maybe contentious, but the hadiths and scientist only appear right at the end in a minor role so I've removed the preamble, which is partly duplicated there anyway. Better to shorten, get right into it before the reader gets bored.) |
Lightyears (talk | contribs) (→Primary Evidence: I always tend to feel that "orbit" lends an undeserved air of scientific credibility to the Qur'an, so just a little note on that as falak can mean semi circle) |
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# <p>Qur'an 36:37-40 is a passage about night and day.<ref>"''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).''" - {{cite Quran|36|37|end=40|style=ref}}</ref> 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> | # <p>Qur'an 36:37-40 is a passage about night and day.<ref>"''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).''" - {{cite Quran|36|37|end=40|style=ref}}</ref> 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.<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?''" - {{cite quran|71|15|end=16|style=ref}}</ref> | # 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.<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?''" - {{cite quran|71|15|end=16|style=ref}}</ref> | ||
# The Qur'an mentions heavenly bodies traveling in their own orbits, but so do the concepts of day and night each have an orbit. 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. | # The Qur'an mentions heavenly bodies traveling in their own orbits (or more precisely, each in a rounded course, "falak"), but so do the concepts of day and night each have an orbit. 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. | ||
# The heavens are firmly held in place lest they move from where they are and fall on the earth.<ref>{{cite quran|2|22|end=29|style=ref}}, {{Quran|35|41}}, {{Quran|21|104}}, {{Quran|17|92}}, and {{Quran|34|9}}</ref> 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. | # The heavens are firmly held in place lest they move from where they are and fall on the earth.<ref>{{cite quran|2|22|end=29|style=ref}}, {{Quran|35|41}}, {{Quran|21|104}}, {{Quran|17|92}}, and {{Quran|34|9}}</ref> 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. | ||