You mentioned the sun revolving around the earth, and we study in our curricula that the earth revolves on its own axis. Is this correct?
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The questioner : You mentioned the sun revolving around the earth, and we study in our curricula that the earth revolves on its own axis?
The Shaykh : You study that the earth rotates like this, revolving on its own axis. Yes, it revolves on its own axis. It is known that it revolves on its own axis. This is contradictory. It revolves on its own axis; how can it revolve on itself? That makes it two things. I tell you that this is inaccurate. The correct statement is that it revolves on its own axis, meaning it rotates like this. Do you understand?
The questioner : Why not...?
The Shaykh : Why do they not...? Or why do they? That is your question now. Why do they? That is their opinion. We have no evidence of its falsity. We have no evidence. I hold to the evidence that the difference between night and day is due to the movement of the sun. This is the apparent meaning of the Qur'an, and we do not deviate from it by a hair's breadth except with something certain, because the apparent meaning is the stronger position and is not rejected except by certainty. As for whether it revolves or not, it may revolve; Allah knows best. I have no evidence that it does not revolve, nor that it does. In fact, if someone said that the apparent meaning of the Qur'an is that it revolves, his statement would not be far-fetched, because Allah said:[An-Nahl 16:15] This indicates the existence of the principle of movement, but these mountains stabilize it against tilting and shaking. Do you understand?
The questioner : ...
The Shaykh : Yes, if I were to teach you this subject and you wrote an answer now, I would cross it out in red, because you are studying one thing while having something else in your hearts, and you are held accountable for what you study. Do you understand? You can say, "So-and-so, the author of the book, said such and such." And if you fear that your teacher is strict and that the word "said" is not convincing and he will cross it out, then leave out "said." Keep it in your heart and write what is in the book. Always, whoever has a curriculum writes what is in his book. The sin is on the one who put it there, if there is a sin. Even in jurisprudential issues, if we believe something different from what is in the book they are studying, do we write what we believe or what is in the book? What is in the book. We are required to understand what is in the book. Do you understand?
The Shaykh : You study that the earth rotates like this, revolving on its own axis. Yes, it revolves on its own axis. It is known that it revolves on its own axis. This is contradictory. It revolves on its own axis; how can it revolve on itself? That makes it two things. I tell you that this is inaccurate. The correct statement is that it revolves on its own axis, meaning it rotates like this. Do you understand?
The questioner : Why not...?
The Shaykh : Why do they not...? Or why do they? That is your question now. Why do they? That is their opinion. We have no evidence of its falsity. We have no evidence. I hold to the evidence that the difference between night and day is due to the movement of the sun. This is the apparent meaning of the Qur'an, and we do not deviate from it by a hair's breadth except with something certain, because the apparent meaning is the stronger position and is not rejected except by certainty. As for whether it revolves or not, it may revolve; Allah knows best. I have no evidence that it does not revolve, nor that it does. In fact, if someone said that the apparent meaning of the Qur'an is that it revolves, his statement would not be far-fetched, because Allah said:
And He has cast into the earth firmly set mountains, lest it shift with you
وألقى فيها رواسي أن تميد بكمThe questioner : ...
The Shaykh : Yes, if I were to teach you this subject and you wrote an answer now, I would cross it out in red, because you are studying one thing while having something else in your hearts, and you are held accountable for what you study. Do you understand? You can say, "So-and-so, the author of the book, said such and such." And if you fear that your teacher is strict and that the word "said" is not convincing and he will cross it out, then leave out "said." Keep it in your heart and write what is in the book. Always, whoever has a curriculum writes what is in his book. The sin is on the one who put it there, if there is a sin. Even in jurisprudential issues, if we believe something different from what is in the book they are studying, do we write what we believe or what is in the book? What is in the book. We are required to understand what is in the book. Do you understand?