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Geocentrism and the Quran: Difference between revisions
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The moon (the sign, or ''ayah'', of the night) is used to count the years, which comprise the twelve [[Islamic Lunar Calendar|lunar months]] making up the Islamic year, and the sun is to be used to keep track of time. The only solar movement to be used for timekeeping is the apparent daily course of the sun (from east up and then down to the west). To this day, virtually all mainstream Islamic authorities use the (less precise and regularly unpredictable) lunar calendar to determine the date and the apparent position of the sun from any given location to determine the ''waqt'' (prescribed time) of daily [[Salah|''salats'']] (prayers). In some cases, as with the Burj Khalifa, which is one of the tallest buildings in the world and which is located in the United Arab Emirates, this means that prayer times differ one the top floor of the building from the prayer times on the bottom floor of the building, as the moment of sunset and sunrise varies as one ascends in elevation. | The moon (the sign, or ''ayah'', of the night) is used to count the years, which comprise the twelve [[Islamic Lunar Calendar|lunar months]] making up the Islamic year, and the sun is to be used to keep track of time. The only solar movement to be used for timekeeping is the apparent daily course of the sun (from east up and then down to the west). To this day, virtually all mainstream Islamic authorities use the (less precise and regularly unpredictable) lunar calendar to determine the date and the apparent position of the sun from any given location to determine the ''waqt'' (prescribed time) of daily [[Salah|''salats'']] (prayers). In some cases, as with the Burj Khalifa, which is one of the tallest buildings in the world and which is located in the United Arab Emirates, this means that prayer times differ one the top floor of the building from the prayer times on the bottom floor of the building, as the moment of sunset and sunrise varies as one ascends in elevation. | ||
==== '''The sun and the daily prayers''' ==== | ===='''The sun and the daily prayers'''==== | ||
The only examples of the sun being used for timekeeping in the Qur'an employ the sun's apparent daily movement along the sky. Each of the five daily prayers described either directly or indirectly or alluded to in some manner in the Quran. These references all involve mention of the physical, orbital position of the sun. The first prayer, ''salat al-fajr'', takes place right before sun rise and is mentioned in {{Quran|17|78}}, {{Quran|20|130}}, and {{Quran|24|58}}. The second prayer, ''salat al-zuhr'', takes place right after the sun reaches its zenith, but before the shadow of the Sun becomes twice its length from midday. This prayer is possibly mentioned in {{Quran|17|78}} as prayer at the "decline of the sun". The third prayer, ''salat al-asr'', takes place when the sun is between zenith and sunset, when the length of a shadow of a stick is either once or twice its length. This prayer is mentioned in {{Quran|2|238}} as "the middle prayer" and in {{Quran|20|130}} and {{Quran|50|39}} as the "exhalt[ing of Allah] with praise" before the sun's "setting". The fourth prayer, ''salat al-maghrib'', takes place right after sunset. This prayer is not clearly mentioned, but {{Quran|20|130}} and {{Quran|50|39}} mention the "exhalt[ing of Allah] with praise" before rather than after "sunset". The latter verse also mentions "the two ends of the day". The fifth prayer, ''salat al-isha'', takes place at night, between sunset and sunrise. This prayer is mentioned {{Quran|11|114}}, {{Quran|17|79}}, and {{Quran|20|130}}. | The only examples of the sun being used for timekeeping in the Qur'an employ the sun's apparent daily movement along the sky. Each of the five daily prayers described either directly or indirectly or alluded to in some manner in the Quran. These references all involve mention of the physical, orbital position of the sun. The first prayer, ''salat al-fajr'', takes place right before sun rise and is mentioned in {{Quran|17|78}}, {{Quran|20|130}}, and {{Quran|24|58}}. The second prayer, ''salat al-zuhr'', takes place right after the sun reaches its zenith, but before the shadow of the Sun becomes twice its length from midday. This prayer is possibly mentioned in {{Quran|17|78}} as prayer at the "decline of the sun". The third prayer, ''salat al-asr'', takes place when the sun is between zenith and sunset, when the length of a shadow of a stick is either once or twice its length. This prayer is mentioned in {{Quran|2|238}} as "the middle prayer" and in {{Quran|20|130}} and {{Quran|50|39}} as the "exhalt[ing of Allah] with praise" before the sun's "setting". The fourth prayer, ''salat al-maghrib'', takes place right after sunset. This prayer is not clearly mentioned, but {{Quran|20|130}} and {{Quran|50|39}} mention the "exhalt[ing of Allah] with praise" before rather than after "sunset". The latter verse also mentions "the two ends of the day". The fifth prayer, ''salat al-isha'', takes place at night, between sunset and sunrise. This prayer is mentioned {{Quran|11|114}}, {{Quran|17|79}}, and {{Quran|20|130}}. | ||
== | ==Modern heliocentric readings of the Quran== | ||
In light of the many verse describing a geocentric system and the difficulties this poses in reconciling the Qur'an with the findings of modern science, many modern Islamic scholars have attempted to re-read the Quran as describing a heliocentric system. A major factor in these re-readings, as mentioned above, has been identifying the "orbit" or ''falak'' of the sun described in the Quran as a reference to the sun's orbit in the Milky Way galaxy. Likewise discussed above, {{Quran|36|40}} ('it is not for the sun to overtake the moon...') has been re-read in a manner concordant with a heliocentric model. | |||
In addition to the above two re-readings, two other verses are advanced to suggest that the author of the Quran was aware of the Earth's rotation about its axis. | |||
{{Quote|{{cite quran|91|1|end=4|style=ref}}|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 | {{Quote|{{cite quran|91|1|end=4|style=ref}}|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 | ||
<br>'''Word by word:''' ''Waalnnahari'' (and the day) ''itha'' (when) ''jallaha'' (it displays it) ''Waallayli'' (and the night) ''itha'' (when) ''yaghshaha'' (it covers it)}} | <br>'''Word by word:''' ''Waalnnahari'' (and the day) ''itha'' (when) ''jallaha'' (it displays it) ''Waallayli'' (and the night) ''itha'' (when) ''yaghshaha'' (it covers it)}} | ||
In its plain sense, it appears that 'day' and 'night' here may refer to the process of the Earth's rotation revealing and obstructing the view of the sun (though the verse can also fit with a geocentric view where 'day' and 'night' are processes when the sun is above or below the horizon). While modern Islamic scholars frequently use this verse to defend a heliocentric reading of the Quran, critics argue that the verse's agreement with heliocentrism is undermined when certain other verses in the Quran are considered which appear to elucidate its meaning. | |||
In addition, critics argue, because the Earth is actually a globe, 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 being both revealed and concealed. This problem, critics note, would not arise if the word 'when' (''<u>itha</u>'') were simply removed from these verses (an exclusion the author of Quran, if inclined to heliocentrism, would likely have made). | |||
The other verses considered in this context by critics which use the the same Arabic verb as found in {{Quran-range|91|1|4}}, are said to show that the verb here does not simply signify that the body of the earth is blocking the line of sight to something. {{Quran-range|91|1|2}} use the same words found {{Quran-range|91|3|4}}, but without the pronoun suffix at the end. Thus, critics conclude, the "night" is when things generally are "covered", and not just the sun on the other side of the Earth. Likewise, the "day" is when things generally are "revealed". In this reading, the verbs employed are used only in a poetic manner. | |||
{{Quote|{{cite quran|92|1|end=2|style=ref}}|By the night enshrouding, And the day resplendent | {{Quote|{{cite quran|92|1|end=2|style=ref}}|By the night enshrouding, And the day resplendent | ||
<br>'''Word by word:''' ''Waallayli'' (and the night) ''itha'' (when) ''yaghsha'' (it covers) ''Waalnnahari'' (and the day) ''itha'' (when) ''tajalla'' (it displays)}} | <br>'''Word by word:''' ''Waallayli'' (and the night) ''itha'' (when) ''yaghsha'' (it covers) ''Waalnnahari'' (and the day) ''itha'' (when) ''tajalla'' (it displays)}} | ||
In | In {{Quran|10|27}}, the night's "cover" (the same verb as in {{Quran|91|4}}) is used to apply to all things and not just the sun. As a result, critics argue, it is difficult to interpret the night covering the sun in {{Quran|91|4}} as literally meaning that the body of the earth covers the sun on its other side. The word "pieces" in the translation means portion or piece cut off from the whole.<ref>qaf-taa-ayn [http://www.studyquran.org/LaneLexicon/Volume8/00000244.pdf Lane's Lexicon Suppliment page 2990]</ref> | ||
{{Quote|{{cite quran|10|27|style=ref}}|they will have no one to save them from Allah; as if their faces are covered with pieces of the dark night}} | {{Quote|{{cite quran|10|27|style=ref}}|they will have no one to save them from Allah; as if their faces are covered with pieces of the dark night}} | ||