The Quran and Belief in the Rotation of the Sun around the Earth – 1

 Quran and Science

Quran and Science

Short answer:

These verses are talking about the types of rotation of the sun (longitudinal and rotational) in its fixed orbit.  Not its rotation around the earth. This is an honor for the Qur'an, which mentioned the types of rotation of the sun hundreds of years ago. In other verses, such as verse 40 of Surah Ma'arej, it is also mentioned that the earth is spherical and revolves around the sun. Even if we do not accept this meaning, there will be no problem with the Quran.  The meaning is the apparent rotation of the sun around the earth according to our sense.

Detailed answer:

In verses 38 to 40 of Surah Yasin, we read:

 “The sun runs on to its place of rest: That is the ordaining of the All-mighty, the All-knowing”.[1]

“It is not for the sun to overtake the moon, nor doth the night outstrip the day. They float each in an orbit”.[2]

Some orientalists have taken the movement of the sun in these verses to mean the movement of the sun around the earth. Which was a scientific description of the movement of the planets at the time of the revelation of Quran. They considered this issue to be contrary to the findings of today's astronomy, and with this meaning, they wanted to prove the conflict between the Qur'an and science and its impermanence![3]

This is while these verses are talking about the types of rotation of the sun (longitudinal and rotational) in its fixed orbit, not its rotation around the earth. Contrary to the opinion of some biased and opponents of Islam and the Qur'an, this is an honor for the Qur'an, which mentioned the various types of sun's rotation years before the discoveries of the modern science of astronomy. [4]

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