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Geocentrism and the Quran: Difference between revisions
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In several verses the [[Qur'an]] describes the movement of the sun and moon, a few times mentioning that they travel in an orbit or sphere/hemisphere (fee falakin فِى فَلَكٍ<ref name="LanesLexiconFalak">Falak [http://www.studyquran.org/LaneLexicon/Volume6/00000227.pdf Lane's Lexicon Volume 1 page 2443] and [http://www.studyquran.org/LaneLexicon/Volume6/00000228.pdf 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.</ref>), but does not mention once that the Earth does too. The geocentric (Earth-centered) view was the prevailing understanding of the universe prior to the 16th century when Copernicus helped explain and popularize a sun-centered (heliocentric) view of the universe. In the Qur'an, the sun's orbit is almost always mentioned in the context of night and day (Quran 13:12 being the only exception) and is always mentioned with that of the moon, which does in fact orbit the Earth each month, and appears, to the unaided eye, to traverse the sky each night when it is visible. | |||
[[File:Geocentrism2.jpg|thumb|300x300px]] | [[File:Geocentrism2.jpg|thumb|300x300px]] | ||
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==Introduction== | ==Introduction== | ||
Geocentrism is the notion that the Earth is the (immovable) center 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. | Geocentrism is the notion that the Earth is the (immovable) center 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. These was the theory of Ptolomy, who was followed by [[Islamic_Views_on_the_Shape_of_the_Earth#Greek_and_Indian_astronomical_knowledge|Muslim astronomers from the 8th century CE]], though some started to question his ideas from the 11th century. Aside from notable exceptions such as [[W:Heliocentrism#Aristarchus_of_Samos|Aristarchus of Samos]], heliocentrism was only advocated by occasional figures with small followings and widely rejected before the work of Copernicus. | ||
Geocentrism is not to be confused with | Geocentrism is not to be confused with the idea that the [[Flat Earth and the Quran|Earth is flat]]. However, while those who believe in geocentrism do not always hold the Earth to be flat, those who hold the Earth to be flat almost invariably believe in geocentrism. | ||
The Qur'an says that both the sun and the moon swim or float in a celestial sphere or, more likely, a hemisphere (a 'falak' in the Arabic<ref name="LanesLexiconFalak" />). 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 numerous other cultures in the region. | The Qur'an says that both the sun and the moon swim or float in a celestial sphere or, more likely, a hemisphere (a 'falak' in the Arabic<ref name="LanesLexiconFalak" />). 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 numerous other cultures in the region. | ||