Raqib's (Copernicus') heliocentric theory in the Koran!

Submitted by Plato (India), Nov 30, 2006 at 14:14

Reading Raqib's finding Copernicus' theory in the Koran was quite amusing. He bases it on this:It is not permitted. To the Sun to catch up The Moon, nor can The Night outstrip the Day; Each (just) swims along In (its own) orbit (According to the law).

I do not know whose translation this is, but he also uses the favourite trick of translators of putting in their own take on the matter in brackets when they themselves are not clear on what is being revealed in the verse. Yusuf Ali was well known for this.

The Koran itself says it is a clear book easy to understand. What ,if any, of the heliocentric theory is clear from the verse? What seems clear is that that the sun cannot catch with the moon because Allah will not permit it. Now we know that is not because Allah will not permit it but because the moon being a satellite of the earth is itself in orbit around the sun, so unless god does some fresh engineering and makes the sun go around the earth the verse wil not make sense. Apologists make the claim that what the verse is trying to say is that the sun is moving towards some point in the galaxy.

At least Raqib was only trying to put some spin on the verse to retrofit the verse to reflect Copernicus. But what can you say about the famous Dr.Zakir Naik and cosmology in the Koran (www.irf.net):

14. HEAVENS AND EARTH CREATED IN SIX DAYS AND NOT EIGHT DAYS

The Qur'an mentions in several places that the heavens and the earth were created in 6 days but in Surah Fussilat it says that the heavens and the earth were created in 8 days. Isn't this a contradiction? The same verse also says that the earth was created in 6 days and then later on the heavens were created in 2 days. This is against the Big-Bang theory that the heavens and the earth were created simultaneously.

Answer:

1. Heavens and the Earth created in Six days

I do agree that the Qur'an says that the heavens and the earth were created in 6 days i.e. 6 epochs and it is mentioned in

Surah Al A'raf chapter 7 verse 54
Surah Yunus chapter 10 verse 3
Surah Hud chapter 11 verse 7
Surah Al Furqan chapter 25 verse 59
Surah Al Sajdah chapter 32 verse 4
Surah Qaf chapter 50 verse 38
Surah Al Hadid chapter 57 verse 4

The verses of the Qur'an which according to you say that the heavens and the earth were created in 8 days are Surah Fussilat chapter 41 verses 9 to 12

"Say: Is it that ye deny Him Who created the earth in two days? And do ye join equals With him? He is the Lord of (all) the Worlds;

He set on the (earth) mountains standing firm, High above it, and bestowed blessings on the earth, and measured therein all things to give them nourishment in due proportion, In four days, in accordance with (the needs of) Those who seek (sustenance)."

Moreover, He Comprehended in His design the sky, and it had been (as) smoke. He said to it and to the earth. "Come ye together, willingly or unwillingly. They said: "We do come (Together), in willing obedience."

So He completed them as seven firmaments in two days and He assigned to each heaven its duty and command and We adorned the lower heaven with lights, and (provided it) with guard. Such is the decree of (Him) the exalted in might, full of knowledge."
[Al-Qur'an 41:9-12]

On the face of it, it seems that these verses of the Qur'an give the initial impression that the heavens and the earth were created in 8 days.

Allah says in the beginning of this verse that those who exploit the information contained in this passage to raise doubts about its authenticity are equally interested in promulgating blasphemy and denying His unity. Allah is telling us that in course of time, there will emerge unbelievers who will make use of this apparent contradiction.

Take look at the underlined sentence. He says that the verse itself is warning against exploiting its information and raising doubts against it. The good doctor is from India and he knows the uses of what is called anticipatory bail, that is trying to get out of trouble before trouble finds you. Not only that the charge of blasphemy will be laid against you if you doubt Allah's memory power (he gives different number of days in different verses for creating the universe).

After all Allah created mathematics and logic so he is free to change their rules

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