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Bible Versus Quran Versus Sciences (5) the Running Sun

Before dealing with the topic of the running Sun in Quran versus Bible versus Sciences, it is essential to give some statistical hints.

The total words in the Bible are 788,280 while total words in the Quran are 77,473. It follows that, the Bible is more than 10 times the Quran word-wise. In other words, the Bible has the potential of more than 10 times than the Quran to exhibit its topics.

Back to the Sun, it is mentioned more than 170 times in the Bible and 32 times in the Quran, i.e. the Bible mentions the Sun more than five times versus the Quran.

The Sun in the Bible:

We can not interpret all the verses of the Sun in the Bible, I have picked some of them; however, the reader can search this topic to find out by himself that there is no relation between the Biblical sun and the Sun that we know as regards the scientific points of view.

The sun does not go down for the poor as mentioned in:

Deuteronomy 24:15

At his day thou shalt give him his hire, neither shall the sun go down upon it; for he is poor, and setteth his heart upon it: lest he cry against thee unto the LORD, and it be sin unto thee.

The sun stood still, according to:

Joshua 10:13

And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed, until the people had avenged themselves upon their enemies. Is not this written in the book of Jasher? So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and hasted not to go down about a whole day.

The sun and moon stood still as described by:

Habakkuk 3:10-12

10 The mountains saw thee, and they trembled: the overflowing of the water passed by: the deep uttered his voice, and lifted up his hands on high.

11 The sun and moon stood still in their habitation: at the light of thine arrows they went, and at the shining of thy glittering spear.

12 Thou didst march through the land in indignation, thou didst thresh the heathen in anger.

The LORD God is a sun and shield as mentioned in:

Psalm 84:11

For the LORD God is a sun and shield: the LORD will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.

The sun is ashamed according to:

Isaiah 24:23

Then the moon shall be confounded, and the sun ashamed, when the LORD of hosts shall reign in mount Zion, and in Jerusalem, and before his ancients gloriously.

The sun is ashamed and confounded as described by:

Jeremiah 15:9

She that hath borne seven languisheth: she hath given up the ghost; her sun is gone down while it was yet day: she hath been ashamed and confounded: and the residue of them will I deliver to the sword before their enemies, saith the LORD.

The light of the moon shall be as the light of the sun (that is impossible from the scientific point of view) as mentioned in:

Isaiah 30:26

Moreover the light of the moon shall be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun shall be sevenfold, as the light of seven days, in the day that the LORD bindeth up the breach of his people, and healeth the stroke of their wound.

The healing in the wings of the Sun according to:

Malachi 4:2

But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall.

The Sun in the Noble Quran

The Quran tells us that Allah the Almighty created the Sun which is a sign that indicates the Power and the Mercy of Allah.

I will give the reader only one verse (Surah 36:38) which according to my own translation says in its first half:

"And the Sun is running to its "Mustaqarr"

This verse is translated by some scholars as:

"And the Sun runs (on course) unto a resting place. That is the Decree of the Exalted in Might, the All Knowing." (36:38)

Others translate this verse as:

"And the Sun runs her course for a period determined for her: that is the decree of (Him) the exalted in Might the All-Knowing."

In these translations, the Arabic word "Mustaqarr" is translated to a "period determined" or a "resting place".

However, "Mustaqarr" does literally mean to dwell in for a specific period in a certain place.

Hence the Quran describes three important issues as regards the Sun in four words:

First, the Sun is running.

From the Scientific point of view, we know that the Sun runs with a speed of about 12 miles per second.

Second, the Sun is dwelling in what we call the Solar system and the Solar Apex.

Third, the Sun has to reach its determined position or place in a determined period of time.

Modern Scientists could determine the "Mustaqarr" of the Sun according to its speed and can expect its predetermined positions in a specific period of times.

They would be able to do their job with minimal errors.

However, Allah, the Almighty knows precisely with absolutely no errors the exact "Mustaqarr" of the Sun.

All of these three scientific principles about the sun are described in the original Arabic language in four words.

My question to the intellectual fair one: Is the Quran quoted from the Bible? The Bible which says that the sun does not go down for the poor, the sun stood still, the sun is ashamed and confounded, the light of the moon shall be as the light of the sun or the Quran which says that the sun is running to its "Mustaqarr".

On the other hand, Allah, the Almighty not only knows precisely with absolutely no errors the exact "Mustaqarr" of the Sun but also does know exactly our "Mustaqarr" in the afterlife. So, the wise one has to be ready for that day.

About the Author

Professor Dr. Ibrahim Khalil
Prof. of Clinical and Chemical Pathology,
Head of Clinical Microbiology and Infection Control Unit,
Ain-Shams University., Egypt.
And,
President of the Egyptian Society of Inventors.
Member of the Egyptian union of Writers