The hadith regarding the sun setting, prostrating to Allah (Mighty and Majestic), and seeking His permission; some rationalists reject this hadith, saying it is weak and not authentic because it is impossible
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The questioner : O Shaykh, may Allah reward you. The hadith regarding the sun setting, prostrating to Allah (Mighty and Majestic), and seeking His permission. Some rationalists reject this hadith, saying it is weak and not authentic because it is impossible for the sun to set while it is rising over a part of the earth at every moment. If it were to set, there would be a part of the earth where there is no sunrise. We observe this creation and see it revolving around the earth without stopping
The Shaykh : without stopping
The questioner : without going to any place
The Shaykh : without stopping
The questioner : How is that possible?
The Shaykh : Yes, it does not prostrate on the seven limbs, nor does it remove a hair or a garment, so that we would say its prostration is like ours. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) attributed prostration to it, and we do not know how its prostration is. Its movement is at a tremendous speed that we cannot imagine. And according to their view, they also say that it is stationary, only revolving around what is around it, so there is no problem with it in their view. But we say it revolves around the earth. This is the apparent meaning of the words of our Lord and His Messenger, and we do not go beyond it except with something we witness, like the sun. And we say that its prostration is fitting for it. Allah says in the Qur'an:[Al-Hajj 22:18] [Al-Hajj 22:18] But as for prostration, we have not been informed of everything. When they asked about the spirit, which is within us, Allah rebuked them and said: [Al-Isra 17:85] Is there nothing left for you to ask about except the spirit? Even asking about it, we have not been given but a little of knowledge, and what has been missed from you
The questioner : Many
The Shaykh : is much, much more. So I do not see this principle. This is a malicious principle that makes people turn the legislations, even the legal rulings, to their intellect and their desires. It means they say, what is the benefit of going to Makkah and touching a stone that neither harms nor benefits? What is the benefit of taking pebbles and throwing them at a designated place? So these are customs and traditions. If they wished, we would throw stones larger than the heads of camels in our lands. Yes, this is not possible. The obligation upon the believer regarding the reports is to say: We have heard and we have believed and we have affirmed. And regarding the rulings, we have heard and we have obeyed. Forgive us, our Lord, and to You is the final return. This is the obligation. As for the rationalists, they are a problem.[Yunus 10:101] And if a person submits such matters to Allah and His Messenger and believes in what the text has brought, he is safe from these objections. But digging up and revolving around this is not possible. Therefore, we say to them: This is prostration, and Allah knows best its manner.
The questioner : The problem for them is the setting
The Shaykh : Nothing contradicts the setting. The setting is that everything, according to their calculation, goes and prostrates under the Throne. Either it is prostrating constantly, which is unlikely, or it is said that when it sets over the city, and ... this thing happens, and it seeks permission. If it is given permission, it stays; otherwise, it returns from when it sets over the city. This is possible, possible rationally. It means Allah gave it permission. When it disappears from this earth, which is the earth of the Prophets and the Ancient House, when it disappears from it, then this is the dividing line. It seeks permission to return or to continue. Did they not draw an imaginary line in East Asia that separates night and day? No?
The questioner : Yes
The Shaykh : It does not cross it to the west, where it is night, and that is day, or vice versa, it is imaginary. What if we make a horizontal line according to the Sunnah? Yes, a dividing line according to the Sunnah. We say that when it disappears from this earth, which contains the House of Allah (Mighty and Majestic), then this is the limit. It prostrates and seeks permission. If it is given permission, it continues; otherwise, it stops.
The Shaykh : without stopping
The questioner : without going to any place
The Shaykh : without stopping
The questioner : How is that possible?
The Shaykh : Yes, it does not prostrate on the seven limbs, nor does it remove a hair or a garment, so that we would say its prostration is like ours. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) attributed prostration to it, and we do not know how its prostration is. Its movement is at a tremendous speed that we cannot imagine. And according to their view, they also say that it is stationary, only revolving around what is around it, so there is no problem with it in their view. But we say it revolves around the earth. This is the apparent meaning of the words of our Lord and His Messenger, and we do not go beyond it except with something we witness, like the sun. And we say that its prostration is fitting for it. Allah says in the Qur'an:
to Allah prostrates whoever is in the heavens and whoever is on the earth
ولله يسجد من في السماوات ومن في الأرضand the sun, the moon, the stars, the mountains, the trees, the moving creatures and many of the people
والشمس والقمر والنجوم والجبال والشجر والدواب ، وكثير من الناسSay, "The soul is of the affair of my Lord. And mankind have not been given of knowledge except a little."
قل الروح من أمر ربي وما أوتيم من العلم إلا قليلاThe questioner : Many
The Shaykh : is much, much more. So I do not see this principle. This is a malicious principle that makes people turn the legislations, even the legal rulings, to their intellect and their desires. It means they say, what is the benefit of going to Makkah and touching a stone that neither harms nor benefits? What is the benefit of taking pebbles and throwing them at a designated place? So these are customs and traditions. If they wished, we would throw stones larger than the heads of camels in our lands. Yes, this is not possible. The obligation upon the believer regarding the reports is to say: We have heard and we have believed and we have affirmed. And regarding the rulings, we have heard and we have obeyed. Forgive us, our Lord, and to You is the final return. This is the obligation. As for the rationalists, they are a problem.
But of no avail will be signs or warners to a people who do not believe
وما تغني الآيات والنذر عن قوم لا يؤمنونThe questioner : The problem for them is the setting
The Shaykh : Nothing contradicts the setting. The setting is that everything, according to their calculation, goes and prostrates under the Throne. Either it is prostrating constantly, which is unlikely, or it is said that when it sets over the city, and ... this thing happens, and it seeks permission. If it is given permission, it stays; otherwise, it returns from when it sets over the city. This is possible, possible rationally. It means Allah gave it permission. When it disappears from this earth, which is the earth of the Prophets and the Ancient House, when it disappears from it, then this is the dividing line. It seeks permission to return or to continue. Did they not draw an imaginary line in East Asia that separates night and day? No?
The questioner : Yes
The Shaykh : It does not cross it to the west, where it is night, and that is day, or vice versa, it is imaginary. What if we make a horizontal line according to the Sunnah? Yes, a dividing line according to the Sunnah. We say that when it disappears from this earth, which contains the House of Allah (Mighty and Majestic), then this is the limit. It prostrates and seeks permission. If it is given permission, it continues; otherwise, it stops.