The Quran's Ignorance On The Sun (Part 2)

As we stated in another article, the Quran is not reliable to accurately understand the Solar System. We already addressed the Quran's claim that the sun sets into a spring of muddy water and rises on a people who have no shelter from it. The link to that article will be listed at the end of this article. Now let's discuss another thing the Quran gets wrong about the Sun.

Quran 21:33 says "It is He who created the night and the day, and the sun and the moon; each floating in an orbit."

According to this, the sun and the moon are floating in an orbit. As false as such a statement is, we can't expect an ignorant unhinged prophet from the 7th century to have knowledge of the solar system. However, the Quran claims to have been inspired by an all-knowing creator. Therefore, it ought not to have any errors if such a claim is true. It shouldn't embarrass itself in such a way that requires apologists to lie to themselves and others to cover it up.

These same apologists like to use the magical "language barrier" defense to brush critics off so they can ignore a clear mistake. Therefore, here's the verse in Arabic: 

Here's the English transliteration of the verse: "wahu (it is he) aladhi (who) khalaq (created) allayl (the night) walnahara (and the day) walshamsa (and the sun) walqamara (and the moon) kulun (each) fi (in) falak (an orbit) yusbahun (floating)."

This verse is not open for a magical interpretation. The author of the Quran really thought the sun and the moon were orbiting the Earth. He was right about the moon orbiting the Earth, but he was wrong about the sun. Whether if Islamic apologists like it or not, that verse wouldn't exist if the Quran had actually been revealed to Muhammad by an all-knowing creator. But since that verse is the result of the limited mind of a 7th century man, the error is present.

Going further, Quran 36:38 says "And the sun runs towards its destination. Such is the design of the Almighty, the All-Knowing."

In case apologists start trying to lie to themselves and others, here's the verse in Arabic:

Here's the English transliteration: "walshamsa (and the sun) tajri (runs) limustaqarrin (to a term appointed) laha (for it) dhalika (that) taqdir (is the decree) aleaziz (of the almighty) alealim (the all-knowing)."

The sun doesn't "run" anywhere.

Quran 36:40 says "The sun is not to overtake the moon, nor is the night to outpace the day. Each floats in an orbit."

Arabic verse:

English transliteration: "la alshams (the sun is not) yanbaghi (permitted) laha (for it) an (that) tudrik (it overtakes) alqamar (the moon) wala (nor is) allayl (the night) sabiq (to outstrip) alnahar (the day) wakulun (each) fi (is in) falak (an orbit) yusbahun (they are floating)."

Considering the fact that the sun is sitting still in the center of the solar system, this verse is absurd.

Further, Quran 55:5 says "The sun and the moon [move] by precise calculation."

Arabic verse: 

English transliteration: "al-shamsu (the sun) wal-qamaru (and the moon) biḥus'bānin (by precise calculation)"

The moon may move, but the sun doesn't. There is no "calculation" for the sun's movement. Apologists may try to cover this up with a fictional excuse that it meant that it only appears to move. That cover-up is FALSE. The Arabic and the transliteration (pronunciation of the Arabic words) are listed above. Not once did any part of that verse indicate that it only appears to move. The author of this verse really did believe that the sun was revolving around the Earth in a perfect timing.

Finally, Muhammad himself made a statement. In Sahih al-Bukhari 3199, we read "Narrated Abu Dhar:

'The Prophet asked me at sunset, "Do you know where the sun goes (at the time of sunset)?" I replied, "Allah and His Apostle know better." He said, "It goes (i.e. travels) till it prostrates Itself underneath the Throne and takes the permission to rise again, and it is permitted and then (a time will come when) it will be about to prostrate itself but its prostration will not be accepted, and it will ask permission to go on its course but it will not be permitted, but it will be ordered to return whence it has come and so it will rise in the west. And that is the interpretation of the Statement of Allah: "And the sun Runs its fixed course For a term (decreed). that is The Decree of (Allah) The Exalted in Might, The All- Knowing." (36:38)"

That Hadith speaks of when Quran 36:38 was "revealed". That, along with the Arabic words being broken down, completely destroys the chance for apologists to falsely reinterpret it . Muhammad himself thought the sun revolved around the Earth, giving light by day, and prostrating beneath the throne of Allah at night. Considering that the sun is perfectly still in the center of the solar system, that statement is completely false, and it would not be present in the Quran if it had been revealed by an all-knowing creator.

In conclusion, the Quran is not a magical book nor was it inspired by an all-knowing creator. The Quran is not worth causing misery over.

Read part 1 to the Quran's Ignorance on The Sun here: https://freefromreligiousharm.jimdofree.com/the-quran-s-ignorance-on-the-sun-part-1/

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