Is there anything in the Qur'an or the Sunnah that establishes the movement of the earth around itself or around the sun?
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The questioner : Praise be to Allah, and may peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah.
May peace, mercy, and blessings of Allah be upon you, and after that:
In our science class in the sixth grade of elementary school, there is a lesson on the movement of the earth around itself and around the sun. Has anything been mentioned in the Book or the Sunnah that establishes this? And what is the teacher's position regarding this lesson?
The Shaykh : What? The movement of the earth around itself and around the sun?
The questioner : Yes, the movement of the earth.
The Shaykh : What is the matter with it?
The questioner : They make it seem as if the earth rotates like this, and that the earth, in its own rotation, also revolves around the sun. It is as if they said that the sun is stationary and the earth is what revolves around it.
The Shaykh : Yes. As for whether the earth rotates or not, I do not know of anything in the Qur'an or the Sunnah that supports or refutes it. It is not there. It contains:[An-Nahl 16:15] Those who say that the earth does not move use this as evidence, and those who say that the earth moves use it as evidence. How is that? [An-Nahl 16:15] Those who said that the earth moves said: This is evidence for us. And the others said: This is evidence for us. Do you understand? Well, those who said it is evidence for us said that Allah said: [An-Nahl 16:15] Therefore, it does not move. And the others said: [An-Nahl 16:15] Meaning: that it shakes, and that the shaking indicates the origin of movement.
In any case, I refrain from making a statement on this. I cannot say that it moves or rotates, nor can I say that it does not rotate, because it has not been established for me in the Qur'an or the Sunnah that this is the case or not the case.
As for the sun, what I believe up to now is that the sun is what revolves around the earth, and that the alternation of night and day occurs by the sun moving around the earth. This is what I believe, because this is the apparent meaning of the words of Allah. Allah, Mighty and Majestic, is the One who created the sun and the One who created the earth, and He knows them better than anyone else. Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He, said:[Al-Kahf 18:17] There are two pronouns here now. "It rose" means: the sun. "It recedes" means: the sun. If the rising of the sun were due to the rotation of the earth, it would have said: "And you see the sun when we rise to it" or "when it rises to us" — meaning: it rises and comes to us. "When it rises, it recedes" [Al-Kahf 18:17] "When it sets," the pronoun refers to whom? To the sun. "It cuts them off," the pronoun also refers to the sun. "The one of the north." And He, Exalted is He, said regarding Sulayman: [Sad 38:32] "It was hidden," what? The sun by the screen. If that were due to the rotation of the earth, it would have said: "Until it was hidden from it," meaning: from the sun by the screen. And He, Exalted is He, said regarding Dhul-Qarnayn: [Al-Kahf 18:86] Meaning: in the sea. And the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said to Abu Dharr when the sun set: Sahih al-Bukhari 4802 If that were due to the rotation of the earth, it would have said: "Where does it go from it?" All these pronouns refer to the sun. And the One who said that is Allah, Mighty and Majestic, and He knows best what He created. Our minds are incapable of comprehending this. So as long as we have not seen a tangible matter that we witness, as we witness the sun, that the alternation of night and day is due to the rotation of the earth, then it is obligatory for us to take the apparent meaning of the Qur'an and the Sunnah. This is the obligation. And it is not permissible for us to take the word of so-and-so and so-and-so unless we see this with our own eyes. I mean: if we were to be certain, like the sun, that the alternation of night and day is due to the rotation of the earth, if we were certain of this, we would say: Allah, the Exalted, addressed people with what they understood at that time, and the rising and setting of the sun and its receding would be according to the perception of the observer, not according to the reality. When do we say this? When, O brothers? When we know that by sense with our own eyes, because we know that the Qur'an does not contradict reality.
As for the mere fact that they said: such and such, we say: such and such. They said that matter is not newly created and not an occurrence. Glory be to Allah! Matter, in their view, does not perish and is not newly created. So who created it? They say words.[Al-An'am 6:116] The entire universe is an occurrence, created by Allah, Mighty and Majestic, from nothing. As for its perishing, Allah, Exalted is He, said: [Ar-Rahman 55:26] We see firewood as wood, and when it is burned by fire, it becomes ash that the winds scatter, and where does it go... it becomes ash. Is this ash what was wood, changed and transformed? For this reason, some scholars, such as Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah, went to the view that impurity becomes pure through transformation (istihalah). He said: If the impurity transforms into ash, it is ash, not impurity.
In any case, these are matters that we should not follow the opinions of those who spoke about them merely because they said so, while we have a revelation sent down from Allah, Mighty and Majestic, unless it becomes clear to us by the eye in a possible way that we can interpret the verses to another meaning. Then that is something with no harm. After that.
The questioner : What is the teacher's position, O Shaykh?
The Shaykh : The teacher's position is to clarify to them that this is their word. As for us, we say: the sun rose, the sun set, and the sun passed its zenith.
The questioner : Do they change the curriculum?
The Shaykh : He cannot change it, and it is a set curriculum. But we ask Allah to make it easy for Him to clarify the matter to people as it is.
Permission? Well, do you see that we should continue with last week, the coming week, and the one after that, even if there are exams?
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Well, there is no harm, it does not contradict, if Allah wills.
The student: ...
The Shaykh : No... but the exams have not started.
The questioner : One week.
The Shaykh : In any case, there is no harm, and if Allah wills, it will be beneficial and for good.
May peace, mercy, and blessings of Allah be upon you, and after that:
In our science class in the sixth grade of elementary school, there is a lesson on the movement of the earth around itself and around the sun. Has anything been mentioned in the Book or the Sunnah that establishes this? And what is the teacher's position regarding this lesson?
The Shaykh : What? The movement of the earth around itself and around the sun?
The questioner : Yes, the movement of the earth.
The Shaykh : What is the matter with it?
The questioner : They make it seem as if the earth rotates like this, and that the earth, in its own rotation, also revolves around the sun. It is as if they said that the sun is stationary and the earth is what revolves around it.
The Shaykh : Yes. As for whether the earth rotates or not, I do not know of anything in the Qur'an or the Sunnah that supports or refutes it. It is not there. It contains:
And He has cast into the earth firmly set mountains, lest it shift with you
وَأَلْقَى فِي الْأَرْضِ رَوَاسِيَ أَنْ تَمِيدَ بِكُمْAnd He has cast into the earth firmly set mountains, lest it shift with you
وَأَلْقَى فِي الْأَرْضِ رَوَاسِيَ أَنْ تَمِيدَ بِكُمْHe has cast into the earth firmly set mountains, lest it shift with you
َأَلْقَى فِي الأَرْضِ رَوَاسِيَ أَنْ تَمِيدَ بِكُمْHe has cast into the earth firmly set mountains, lest it shift with you
أَلْقَى فِي الأَرْضِ رَوَاسِيَ أَنْ تَمِيدَ بِكُمْIn any case, I refrain from making a statement on this. I cannot say that it moves or rotates, nor can I say that it does not rotate, because it has not been established for me in the Qur'an or the Sunnah that this is the case or not the case.
As for the sun, what I believe up to now is that the sun is what revolves around the earth, and that the alternation of night and day occurs by the sun moving around the earth. This is what I believe, because this is the apparent meaning of the words of Allah. Allah, Mighty and Majestic, is the One who created the sun and the One who created the earth, and He knows them better than anyone else. Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He, said:
you would see the sun when it rose, inclining away from their cave
وَتَرَى الشَّمْسَ إِذَا طَلَعَتْ تَزَاوَر عَنْ كَهْفِهِمْand when it set, passing away from them on the left
وَإِذَا غَرَبَتْ تَقْرِضُهُمْ ذَاتَ الشِّمَالِAnd he said, "Indeed, I gave preference to the love of good [things] over the remembrance of my Lord until the sun disappeared into the curtain [of darkness]."
فَقَالَ إِنِّي أَحْبَبْتُ حُبَّ الْخَيْرِ عَنْ ذِكْرِ رَبِّي حَتَّى تَوَارَتْ بِالْحِجَابِUntil, when he reached the setting of the sun, he found it [as if] setting in a spring of dark mud
حَتَّى إِذَا بَلَغَ مَغْرِبَ الشَّمْسِ وَجَدَهَا تَغْرُبُ فِي عَيْنٍ حَمِئَةٍO Abu Dharr! Do you know where the sun sets?" I replied, "Allah and His Apostle know best."
يا أبا ذر! أتدري أين تذهب؟ قال الله ورسوله أعلمDo you know where it goes?
أتدري أين تذهب؟Where does it go? He said: Allah and His Messenger know best. He said: It goes and prostrates beneath the Throne, then it asks permission of Allah (Mighty and Majestic) to look or not. If He grants it permission, otherwise it is said: Return from where you came. So it returns and emerges from the west.
أين تذهب؟ قال الله ورسوله أعلم، قال: فإنها تذهب فتسجد تحت العرش، فتستأذن الله عز وجل أتطلع أو لا، فإن أذن لها وإلا قيل: ارجعي من حيث جئتي، فترجع فتخرج من المغربAs for the mere fact that they said: such and such, we say: such and such. They said that matter is not newly created and not an occurrence. Glory be to Allah! Matter, in their view, does not perish and is not newly created. So who created it? They say words.
They follow not except assumption, and they are not but falsifying.
إِنْ يَتَّبِعُونَ إِلاَّ الظَّنَّ وَإِنْ هُمْ إِلاَّ يَخْرُصُونَEveryone upon the earth will perish,
كُلُّ مَنْ عَلَيْهَا فَانٍIn any case, these are matters that we should not follow the opinions of those who spoke about them merely because they said so, while we have a revelation sent down from Allah, Mighty and Majestic, unless it becomes clear to us by the eye in a possible way that we can interpret the verses to another meaning. Then that is something with no harm. After that.
The questioner : What is the teacher's position, O Shaykh?
The Shaykh : The teacher's position is to clarify to them that this is their word. As for us, we say: the sun rose, the sun set, and the sun passed its zenith.
The questioner : Do they change the curriculum?
The Shaykh : He cannot change it, and it is a set curriculum. But we ask Allah to make it easy for Him to clarify the matter to people as it is.
Permission? Well, do you see that we should continue with last week, the coming week, and the one after that, even if there are exams?
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Well, there is no harm, it does not contradict, if Allah wills.
The student: ...
The Shaykh : No... but the exams have not started.
The questioner : One week.
The Shaykh : In any case, there is no harm, and if Allah wills, it will be beneficial and for good.