The Quran's Ignorance On The Sun (Part 1)

 Followers of Islam are often told that the Quran contains scientific insights that were only discovered centuries after the Quran was written. Their arguments of "science proves my religion" are as repetitive and flawed as the arguments used by Christian apologists. And just like Christian apologists, they try to rationalize any flaw discovered in the Quran pretty much the same way Christian apologists try to defend the Bible, often giving a faulty explanation for it.

So how do we defeat these attempts? It's simple, really. We have to take it in context. Ironically, they often accuse critics of taking it out of context. So, let's avoid that accusation by looking at the entire Quran's description of the sun, where it goes at night, and where it rises. We already know that the Sun doesn't go anywhere. Rather, the Earth is revolving around the Sun. But, we're talking about a book that was written approximately 1,400 years ago at a time when a man's knowledge of the Earth and Sun was based on what it looked to be from the human eye.

Where does the Quran claim the Sun goes at night? To answer that, let's look at a statement directly from the Quran itself. The verse with the error is found in The Quran, Surah (chapter) 18, also titled "The Cave", ayat (verse) 86. The verse, in English, is quoted "Until, when he reached the setting of the sun, he found it setting in a murky spring, and found a people in its vicinity. We said, "O Zul-Qarnain, you may either inflict a penalty, or else treat them kindly."

In this passage, the Quran was narrating a story that was supposedly a true story (not really, but whatever). Apologists may try to dismiss this with an old cover up for the flaw. They may try to say something like "it only appeared to set into a spring, but it wasn't actually". Look at it again. He found it clearly setting in a murky spring, in a pool of muddy water. He clearly found people who lived in the vicinity where the Sun set. In other words, they were AROUND it. The definition of vicinity is "the area near or surrounding a specific place". This goes well past simply "appearing" to set into a muddy spring. This verse clearly intended to say that the Sun actually sets there.

Just a few verses later confirms this. In 18:90, the Quran states where the Sun rises. We read, directly from the Quran itself: "Until, when he reached the rising of the sun, he found it rising on a people for whom We had provided no shelter from it."
(The "We" in this verse is supposedly Allah himself, making a major error)

In this verse, the Sun was rising on a group of people who had no shelter from it. If it only appeared to be setting into a spring just a few verses ago, verse 90 wouldn't exist. There would be no need for those people to have a special shelter. But, the Quran is going with its previous story of the Sun setting into a spring of muddy water. So now we've figured out that the author of the Quran believed that the Sun set into a pool of murky water and rose on a group of people who had no shelter from the intense heat as it rose in their vicinity.

Islamic apologists will try to cover this up. However, by reading what Muhammad said about this, we will find that Muhammad truly thought the sun set into a spring of water. Sunan Abi Dawud 4002 says "Narrated Abu Dharr: I was sitting behind the Messenger of Allah who was riding a donkey while the sun was setting. He asked: Do you know where this sets ? I replied: Allah and his Apostle know best. He said: It sets in a spring of warm water (Hamiyah)."

This throws the possibility of interpretation out the window. From what we can see here, Muhammad believed this about the sun.

Is this scientifically accurate? I think not! Again, the Sun doesn't go anywhere. The Earth does. The Earth's rotation gave the illusion that the Sun was moving. As a result, the author of the Quran made up a story, thinking no one would be able to investigate the story's claims. What this particular individual didn't count on, after promoting horrendous acts in the Quran, was that those claims WOULD be investigated and refuted.

Ironically, verse 18:56 of the Quran dealt a fatal blow to its own arguments by projecting its own ignorance onto the critics. The verse states "We send the messengers only as deliverers of good news and warners. Those who disbelieve argue with false argument, in order to defeat the truth thereby. They take My Verses, and the warnings, for a joke."

The irony of that statement is astounding. It made that statement right before making the huge error that would end up in this article, most likely to be brushed off by apologists using.....false arguments?

We are very fortunate that reality does not live up to the mind of the Quran's author. Otherwise, the Earth would not be around. Considering the size of the Sun, the Earth would be vaporized. Along with the fact that reality does not live up to what the Quran says, a person's moral compass should not be based on what the Quran teaches either. The Quran is not worthy of directing a person's life.

Read part 2 to the Quran's Ignorance on The Sun here: https://freefromreligiousharm.jimdofree.com/the-quran-s-ignorance-on-the-sun-part-2/

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