Part 10

Those on one side cling to the apparent meaning of the Noble Quran which is not clear and reject that which opposes it in every confirmed matter of fact.

And another side rejects what is proven by the Noble Qur’an and believes in only material things, and they are due to this, apostates.

As for those in the middle, they accept the guidance of the Noble Qur’an and they believe in proven facts. They know that they are both true, and, that it is not possible for a clear Verse in the Qur’an to contradict a well known and manifest matter of fact. Thus they have reconciled acting upon what has been transmitted (from the Qur’4n and the Sunnah) and what is logical and rational. In this way their religion and their rationality remain unimpaired thereby. Allah guided those who believed the truth of that wherein they differed, and Allah guides whom He wills to the Straight Path. May Allah grant us, and our brothers the believers, success in attaining it and make

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us among those guides (to the truth) who are (themselves) tightly guided, and among the leaders of the reformers. And there is no success for me except through Allah; in Him’ put my trust and to Him I turn in repentance.

Q. 16. Does the sun revolve around the earth?

A. It is apparent from the Islamic evidences that they confirm that it is the sun which revolves around the earth, and by its revolving the alternation of night and day takes place on the surface of the earth. It is not for us to exceed the apparent meanings of these evidences without some evidence stronger than that, which permits us to explain them differently from their apparent meaning.

Among the proofs that the sun revolves around the earth in a manner which causes the alternation of the night and day are the following:

1, Allah, the Most High says, that when Ibrahim, peace be upon him, disputed with the one who argued with him concerning his Lord:

CAN GG ot BA y tht ak i pp “Verily, Allah brings the sun from the east; then bring it you from the west.""11

And the sun being caused to rise from the east is a clear proof that it is the sun which revolves around the earth.

2. He also tells us that Ibrahim, peace be upon him, said:

“When he saw the sun rising up, he said: ‘This is my lord. This

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is greater.’ But when it set, he said: ‘O my people! I am indeed free from all that you join as partners (in worship with Allah).") So, He has described the setting as an attribute of the sun and not that the earth set upon it, for if it was the earth which revolved, He would have said: but when (the earth) set upon it.

3. Allah, the Most High says:

SES pel BS AAS B55 Sah I os OD ‘And you might have seen the sun, when it rose, declining to the right from their Cave, and when it set, turning away from them to the left.’"7) He has described the declining and turning away as descriptions of the sun, and that is a proof that the movement was from the sun. If it was a description of the earth, He would have said: Their cave declined from it.

Likewise, describing the sun as rising and setting proves that it is the sun which revolves, even though the indication of this may be less than the indication in His Words:

“turning away from them.” 4. Allah, the Most High says:

epee 2 4 a cae he eee he ok 6325 LAK iG BG OGG IN SE ll Sp “And He it is Who has created the night and the day, and the sun

and the moon, each in an orbit floating.’""|

Ibn ‘Abbas, may Allah be pleased with them, said: They revolve in an orbit, like the turning of a mill. This was widely reported

from him. 5. And Allah, the Most High says:

“He brings the night as a cover over the day, seeking it rapidly.

He described the night as seeking the day, and the seeker rushes and overtakes, and it is well known that the night and the day follow the sun.

6. Allah, the Most High says: “He has created the heavens and the earth with truth. He makes the night to go in the day and makes the day to go in the night. And He has subjected the sun and the moon. Each running (ona fixed course) for an appointed term. Verily, He is the All-Mighty, the Oft-Forgiving.’"!

“He makes the night to go in the day.” that is, it turns around it, as a turban is wrapped around, which

proves the revolving of the night and the day around the earth. + If it were the earth which revolved around them, He would

"1 ALAnbiya’ 21:33 2) ALA‘raf 7:54 ') Az-Zumar 39:5

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have said: He causes the earth to revolve around the night and day. And in His Words:

“the sun and the moon, each running (on a fixed course),” It is clear from what precedes it that it is a proof that the sun and the moon move in a perceptible orbit, because subjecting something which moves to its movement is more apparent than subjecting something stationary which does not move.

7. Allah, the Most High says:

“By the sun and its brightness. By the moon as it follows it (the sun).

and the meaning of:

is that ‘it comes after it’ and this is a proof of their moving and revolving around the earth, for if it were the earth which revolved around them, the moon would not be following the sun; rather it would sometimes be following it and sometimes it would be followed by it, because the sun is higher than it. And deduction from this Verse requires study and reflection.

8. Allah, the Most High says:

ve Be ee ge Rae ee rete a ot FZ CAS ob BM BC NG Fal bso) ‘And the sun runs on its fixed course for a term (appointed). That

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is the Decree of the All-Mighty, the All-Knowing. And the moon, We have measured for it mansions (to traverse) till it returns like the old dried curved date stalk. It is not for the sun to overtake the moon, nor does the night outstrip the day. They all float, each in an orbit."

So, attributing the movement to the sun and describing it as a Decree from the Almighty, Most Wise proves that it is a real movement with a far-reaching Decree, since the consequence of it is the alternation of the night and day and the seasons.

The measure of the moon’s mansions (i.e. stations) is a proof that it traverses them, for if it was the earth which revolves, the measuring of the mansions would be for the earth’s movement around the moon and not for the moon’s movement around it. And negating the sun’s ability to overtake the moon, and the night's ability to outstrip the day are evidence of the rushing movement on the part of the sun and the moon, and the night and the day.

9. The Prophet # said to Abu Tharr, may Allah be pleased with him, when the sun had just set:

“Do you know where it goes?” He said, “Allah and His Messenger know best.” He said:

oe et tes tif geet co 2c te cl 8 Se ye

ie Uh ce Se be et US Yd Oy 3b sls

“Verily, it goes (i.e. travels) and it prostrates beneath the Throne and seeks permission to rise, and permission is granted to it. Then (a time will come when) it will be about to prostrate itself

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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: Return from whence you came, and so it will rise in the west." So and it is extremely clear from his words: Return from whence you came that it revolves around the earth and through its revolving the sunrise and sunset occur.

10. It is clear from the many Ahadith which attribute rising, setting, and declining from its zenith to the sun, that it is the sun which does so and not the earth.

There are most probably other proofs that are not present with me at the moment, but what I have mentioned is a summary of the subject, and it is sufficient for my purpose. And Allah is the Granter of success.

Q. 17. His Eminence the Shaikh was asked about the Shahadatain.'*!

A. The Shahadatain are the key to Islam and it is not possible to enter the fold of Islam without them, which is why when the Prophet #% sent Mu‘ath bin Jabal to Yemen, he ordered him to first call them to the testimony that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.)

As for the first statement: The testimony that there is no deity

"] Reported by Al-Bukhari in the Book of the Beginning of Creation, in the Chapter: Description of the Sun and Moon (3199) and by Muslim in the Book of Faith, in the Chapter: Explanation of the Time When Faith Will not be Accepted (159).

'?1 Snahadatain: Two testimonies.

'3) Reported by Al-Bukhari in the Book of Military Expeditions, in the Chapter: The Sending of Abu Musa and Mu‘ath to Yemen (4347) and by Muslim in the Book of Faith, in the Chapter on Calling to the Shahadatain and the Revealed Laws of Islam (19).

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worthy of worship except Allah, means that a person acknowledges by speech and by his heart that none has the right to be worshipped in truth except Allah, the Almighty, the AllPowerful, Alone because the word Jlah means something which is worshipped.

This phrase implies a negation and an affirmation. As for the negation, it is there is no deity and as for the affirmation, it is except Allah.

Allah is the Name of the Almighty in place of the predicate La (there is no) which is omitted, and it means: There is no true deity possessing the right to be worshipped except Allah. This is an acknowledgement in words once the heart has believed that there is no deity who has the right to be worshipped except Allah, the Almighty, the All-Powerful; and this includes sincerity of worship for Allah, Alone and the negation of any other’s right to be worshipped.