The following Question-Answer exchanges are some of the very thorough and beneficial regarding the Scientific Miracles of the Sun and the Moon in the Glorious Quran.

From http://www.answering-christianity.com/blog/index.php/topic,1311.msg4866.html#msg4866:

Question:

Assalamualykum.

'' Blessed is He who has placed in the sky great stars and placed therein a [burning] lamp and luminous moon.'' (25:61)

 In the above Ayah Allah says He has placed great stars in the Heaven and also place therein a lamp (Sun) and a luminous moon. Okay I don't understand why Allah differentiated the stars and the Sun. Why does Allah only address the sun as a lamp while we know that there are much more bigger luminous stars than the sun in the universe? And does this verse mean there is only one Sun and one moon in the Heavens? But it's not possible as I have told you earlier that our Universe consists of many Sun like stars and also Moons.

 Please clarify this.

Answer:

Hello brother Farhan!

I wanted to let you know that this verse (25:61) uses the word that is more accurately translated as constellations. So right away, you know that this verse is referring to the human perception of the sky! We see constellations and patterns in the sky, so it is our perception. So this verse is adhering to human perception to explain a beautiful phenomena of creation. Next you notice that the Quran says that Allah placed a burning lamp in the sky and a moon. In no way does this mean there is only one burning lamp or one moon, it is just stating that there is a burning lamp and a moon in the sky.

There are a few things that you need to notice about this verse. In no way does this verse say that the sun isn't a star, or that there is only one moon.

Next there is another verse in the Quran that addresses the STARS as being LAMPS, just as the sun is.

Quran 24:35 Allah is the Light of the heavens and the earth. The similitude of His light is as a niche wherein is a lamp. The lamp is in a glass. The glass is as it were a shining star. (This lamp is) kindled from [the oil of] a blessed tree, an olive neither of the East nor of the West, whose oil would almost glow forth (of itself) though no fire touched it. Light upon light. Allah guideth unto His light whom He will. And Allah speaketh to mankind in allegories, for Allah is Knower of all things.

Question:

thanks brother.

 But can I have some more proof that Quran doesn't say that there is only one moon and one sun? Can you show anymore verse where Allah refers to the stars as lamps? And can you make it more clearer why do you think the verse is talking about human perception? It will Inshallah convince me.

PLEASE HELP

Answer:

As'salamu Alaikum dear brothers and sisters,

Brother Mclinkin94, great answer akhi.  May Allah Almighty bless you.  Ameen.

I would like to add that Allah Almighty created the creatures on earth to live by day and night.  Some planets, and even parts on this earth, have very long days cycles and very long nights cycles.  Normal life on earth was designed by an equal rotation of the day and night.  So by Divine Design, Allah Almighty placed the moon to be our night light, and for the sun to be our glorious star.

Furthermore, Allah Almighty Said the following:

‏91:1 والشمس وضحاها
‏91:2 والقمر اذا تلاها
‏91:3 والنهار اذا جلاها

"By the sun and its radiant light, and the moon that trails (and reflects) its light. By the day that magnifies and glorifies (جلاها) its brightness.  (The Noble Quran, 91:1-3)"



Did you know our shining and glorious days, on a clear day, are a magnification of the sun's rays by our atomosphere?  Outside our atmosphere, the universe is pitch black!  And Allah Almighty Said that it is our day that magnifies and glorifies the sun's brightness.  Please visit:

http://www.answering-christianity.com/sun_rays_miracle.htm
  

[067:005]  And we have, (from of old), adorned the lowest heaven with Lamps, and We have made such (Lamps) (as) missiles to drive away the Evil Ones, and have prepared for them the Penalty of the Blazing Fire.

‏67:5 ولقد زينا السماء الدنيا بمصابيح وجعلناها رجوما للشياطين واعتدنا لهم عذاب السعير

Please visit: http://www.answering-christianity.com/shooting_stars_miracle.htm

Take care
Osama Abdallah

Question:

Assalamualykum.

......

 Brothers please refute the above article.

Question:

'' It is not allowable for the sun to reach the moon, nor does the night overtake the day, but each, in an orbit, is swimming.''(36:40)

 Enbiya/33
It is He Who created the Night and the Day, and the sun and the moon: all (of them) swim in an orbit.

 Okay in some articles it is said that the above verses are talking about the motion of everything including sun,moon,earth,planets and stars. But how? Because the verses only mention sun, moon and earth? If I say Ibrahim and Ali, Sami and Abdel, Ahmad and Uthman everyone is a good player or all are good players will it imply also the people whose names are unmentioned?  Can anyone explain this in detail?

 And does Quran say anything about earth's motion around the Sun? And Moon's motion around the earth?

Answer:

Prophet Muhammad's Hadith (saying) [1] [2] [3] regarding the rising and setting POINTS:

(Play video file: [1] [2])

Prophet Muhammad: The sun is in constant orbit always rising on people while setting on others.

عن ابن عباس رضي الله عنهما ان رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم سئل :هذه المغارب اين تغرب ؟ وهذه المطالع اين تطلع ؟ فقال صلى الله عليه وسلم هي على رسلها لا تبرح ولا تزول , تغرب عن قوم وتطلع على قوم ,وتغرب عن قوم وتطلع , فقوم يقولون غربت ,وقوم يقولون طلعت

"Ibn Abbas narrated on Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, that the Prophet was asked: Where does the sun go after all of these sunsets? And where does it come from after all of these sunrises? The Prophet, peace be upon him, replied: It is in constant motion. It doesn't stop nor disappear. It sets on people and rises on others, and it sets on people and rises on others. So people would say it has risen while others say it has set."

Sources:

1- Jami'a Al-Usool li-ibn Al-Atheer.
جامع الأصول لابن الأثير

2- Musnad Al-Imam Abi Is'haq Al-Hamadani
مسند الامام ابي اسحاق الهمداني

3- Al-Ijaz Al-Ilmi Fe Al-Sunna Al-Nabawiyyah, Dr. Zahloul Al-Najjar, Page 132.
  

www.answering-christianity.com/egg-shaped_earth.htm

  
  
Question:

Did Prophet Muhammad know think that the earth was spherical or flat?

Answer:

In this Hadith, above, he certainly seems to have known this fact very well.  And this Hadith is even older than Sahih Bukhari.  It is important to know that Imam Bukhari and others have declared that they have discarded thousands of Hadiths:

www.islamic-awareness.org/Hadith/bukhari.html

  
This is to keep their volumes as simple and manageable as possible.  So it is quite possible that the Prophet spoke about the earth being spherical, and the Glorious Quran certainly did, and people just dismissed them as nonsense.  I have covered your question in great details at:

www.answering-christianity.com/egg-shaped_earth.htm
www.answering-christianity.com/ac20.htm#links
www.answering-christianity.com/detailed_meanings_of_scientific_words_in_verses.htm

  

Also visit:

http://www.answering-christianity.com/seas_dont_mix_and_orbit_of_earth_in_noble_quran.wmv
http://www.answering-christianity.com/motion_of_earth.htm
http://www.answering-christianity.com/egg-shaped_earth.htm
http://www.answering-christianity.com/orbits.wmv
http://www.answering-christianity.com/precise_prophecy_about_traveling_up_to_space_in_noble_quran.wmv (by Sheikh Yusuf Estes)
http://www.answering-christianity.com/the_earth_like_a_cradle.wmv
http://www.answering-christianity.com/sun_orbit.htm
http://www.answering-christianity.com/allah_and_science.htm
http://www.answering-christianity.com/moon_orbit_miracle.htm
http://www.answering-christianity.com/daylight_and_moon_miracle.wmv
http://www.answering-christianity.com/skin_day_from_night_miracle.htm
http://www.answering-christianity.com/sun_rays_miracle.htm

And the main section on overwhelming Scientific Miracles in the Holy Quran, on this website, please visit:

http://www.answering-christianity.com/ac20.htm#links

I will update the text-articles with this response today, insha'Allah (if Allah Almighty is Willing).

Take care,
Osama Abdallah

Question:

And the moon darkens.(75: 8 )

And the sun and the moon are joined,(75:9)

Can anyone explain the above verses? Why Allah says that the moon and the sun will be joined? As sun is much bigger than the moon , it should swallow it not get joined with it. I'm confused. I have read some articles where they say that through these verses Allah says that Sun will swallow the Moon before the Final Hour. But the verse uses ''JOINED'' not ''SWALLOWED''. Or is it talking about Solar eclipse? If so then the translation might me wrong.

Answer:

As'salamu Alaikum dear brother,

Here are the Noble Verses:

‏75:7 فاذا برق البصر
‏75:8 وخسف القمر
‏75:9 وجمع الشمس والقمر
‏75:10 يقول الانسان يومئذ اين المفر

[075:007]  At length, when the sight is dazed,
[075:008]  And the moon is buried in darkness.
[075:009]  And the sun and moon are joined together,-
[075:010]  That Day will Man say: "Where is the refuge?"

I believe this is a Prophecy about a Great Eclipse that will take place.  This actually makes sense, since when the Hour Comes, the Universe's orbits' path will turn into a spegetti mess on a massive scale, and all celestial bodies will be colliding violently with each others.  So it makes sense that:

1-  Our atmosphere will change, and hence it will greatly effect our visions, since the sun rays are all magnified and become glorious, as we know them, through our atmosphere as Allah Almighty mentioned clearly in the Glorious Quran:

‏91:1 والشمس وضحاها 
‏91:2 والقمر اذا تلاها
‏91:3 والنهار اذا جلاها 

"By the sun and its radiant light, and the moon that trails (and reflects) its light. By the day that magnifies and glorifies (جلاها) its brightness.  (The Noble Quran, 91:1-3)"
 
Please visit: http://www.quransearch.com/sun_rays_miracle.htm


Lunar Eclipses do blur and permanently damage the eye's cornea:

The following pictures certainly prove the points above.  Another point worth mentioning is that when the Hour Comes, the sun's rays might be much much more than what they already are today.  There are several Noble Verses in the Glorious Quran that indicate that this will actually happen:

http://www.quransearch.com/water_shall_vanish.htm
http://www.quransearch.com/galaxy_explosion.htm
http://www.quransearch.com/end_of_times_volcanoes_caused_by_stretching_of_earth.htm
http://www.quransearch.com/ac20.htm#links



In the case, the lunar eclipse would be far greater than what it appears to be in the following pictures:







When watching the lunar eclipse outside, special Eye Shields are required to prevent blindness and/or permanent eye damages, especially to the cornea:






2-  Because of the chaos in the orbits, our solar system's orbits will also go in chaos, and hence the sun's and the moon's orbits will cross each others, and an eclipse will occur as a result.

3-  When the events in point #2 happen, then the sky will darken and the moon will be buried in darkness.

Great question dear brother, Farhan!  I will add this on the website with more elaborations, Insha'Allah.

Take care,
Osama Abdallah

Question:

Assalamualykum.

 I'm still confused about these verse:

  And the sun and the moon are joined,(75:9)

 Even if it is talking about solar eclipse, why it says that sun and moon will be joined? We know during Solar Eclipse, the moon comes in between the Sun and the Earth. Moon is not joined. Please, can you explain this in detail?

Answer:

Wa Alaikum As'salam dear brother,

It is possible that the moon will eventually be swallowed by the sun, along with all of our solar system's celestial bodies.  We've seen above already how this Noble Verse is talking about the Great Lunar Eclipse when the Hour Comes.  As to the language of the sun and the moon will be joined together, while it is about a lunar eclipse, but it could also be referring to the moon eventually leaving its orbit here around earth and be devoured by the sun.  You see, the two immediate celestial bodies to us humans that our naked eyes could see up close and personal, from our view here on earth, are:

1-  The moon.
2-  The sun.

And they are the most relevant and vital celestial bodies for our life here on earth.  So if Allah Almighty spoke in limited language about the sun and the moon, it doesn't limit the event to just them.  But to us humans, since these two celestial bodies are what we see in considerable size and clarity from earth here, then they are the most relevant to us.  Plus as I said, they are the most relevant and vital to our life here on earth as well.  So Allah Almighty putting emphasis on the sun and the moon wouldn't mean that the Noble Verse is limited to just them.

As to the Arabic جمع (joined) in Noble Verse 75:9 above, it could very well be referring to being aligned together according to our view and perspective here on earth.  جمع is both a noun and a simple past in Arabic:

1-  جمع means a group for a noun.
2-  جمع means joined together, came together, summoned together, brought together, put together for a simple past.

The Noble Word would be very appropriate and suitable if Allah Almighty spoke about the Great Lunar Eclipse will happen when the Hour Comes.  And we see very clearly from the full context in Noble Verses 75:7-10, in the previous posts above, that Allah Almighty did indeed speak about a Lunar Eclipse will happen when the Hour comes.

I know I've written an article years ago about these Noble Verses.  I will update it with these new posts today, Insha'Allah (if Allah Almighty is Willing).

I hope this helps, Insha'Allah.

Take care,
Osama Abdallah