IT is amazing to note how the Qur'an in the Age of Ignorance in which the people of Arabia lived described the astronomical details about the celestial bodies, particularly the moon with such scientific accuracy when no one had heard even the word ‘science.' “It is He Who made the sun a shining thing and the moon as a light and measured out for it stages that you might know the number of years and the reckoning. Allah did not create this but in truth. He explains the Ayat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.) in detail for people who have knowledge.” (Qur'an, 10:5)???? The sun and the moon are like synonyms for they both give light. But Allah made the sun glowing, making it a fireball giving heat. But when the light is acquired through another body, like the light of the moon, it gives a cool light, as the moon reflects the light of the sun. Allah said: And He has made the sun and the moon, both constantly pursuing their courses, to be of service to you… (Qur'an, 14:33) “When the sun is wound round and its light is lost and is overthrown. And when the stars fall.” (Qur'an, 81:1-2) ?So verily I swear by the planets that recede (i.e. disappear during the day and appear during the night). And by the planets that move swiftly and hide themselves.” (Qur'an, 81:15-6)?Ibn Abbas explaining the verse said: When the sun is made dark. Qatadah said: When its light is gone. “Then when the stars lose their lights.” (Qur'an, 77:8) The aforementioned verses describe the two theories of the?modern science. First, the revolution of the stars in their orbits and the second that they would fall having lost their luster.? It was held that the sun?runs all over the sky from the east?to the west. Under the Ptolemaic system the earth was thought to be stationary while other heavenly bodies were revolving around it.? This?theory was discarded in?the 16th century and replaced by the?theory of Copernicus (1473-1543). He held that the earth is revolving around the sun and when we see the stars going from east to west, this is due to the earth's rotation from west to east.? This theory gave way to the theory that?the sun is stationary and the earth and the stars revolve around it. And this notion was against the version of the Qur'an, which said: “And the sun runs on its fixed course for a term (appointed). That is the Decree of the All-Mighty, the All-knowing.” (Qur'an, 36:38) ? But after the discovery by the mathematician Galileo (1564-1642), the true nature of the solar phenomenon was recognized. He gave the first proof of sun's rotation and shape. He invented telescope and observed the rotation of the sun on its axis. Thus what the Prophet (peace be upon him) conveyed from the Qur'an in earlier 7th century was finally confirmed in 17th century, i.e. after one thousand years of the revelation of the Qur'an. “And the sun runs in its appointed place.” The scientists say that the sun, a star, has magnetic field, it rotates and generates its energy at its core. The source of its energy lies in conversion of hydrogen into helium. Locker had found this gas in 1868 and said this gas is present in sun's atmosphere. The sun radiates (3.86x1033) ergs of energy every second. This corresponds to a mass loss of four million and 7,000 tons per second. The total life span of the sun is estimated to be 10 billion years. Computation on the evolutionary models predict that within a time frame of 10 billion years the sun will reach the red giant stage. Finally, when all nuclear energy sources are used up, it will become a white dwarf. Its radius will be hundred times smaller than it is now. Its internal temperature and its luminosity will gradually diminish and eventually the sun will become black, a very dense and non-luminous?object of degenerate matter.? The scientists' estimates about the life of the sun may be?right or wrong, we are least concerned about it. But their admission that the sun will lose all its energy and luminosity?confirms what has been said by the Qur'an: “When the sun is wound round and its light is lost and is overthrown. And when the stars fall.” (Qur'an, 81:1-2). Now we invite those who refuse to accept the prophethood of?Muhammad (peace be upon him) and the Qur'an as being the Book of Allah the Unique, whether anybody could in the 7th century know what was the secret of solar energy? What is hydrogen and what is helium? Or that this energy would ever be exhausted and the sun and other stars would be put out. As such we have to acknowledge that the Qur'an is the Book of Allah and Muhammad (peace be upon him) is His true and last Prophet. Allah is the Creator, He has created everything and He has the knowledge of its life and passing away. ‘And the moon as a light' signifies that the moon reflects the light of the sun, it is therefore cool. ‘And the moon, We have measured for it mansions (to traverse),'?the Arabs attached great importance to the moon and they worked out lunar calendar mathematically calculating its mansions. The moon is a celestial body and it revolves around the earth like its satellite. It follows the earth on its orbit. It revolves on its axis and revolves around the earth in 24 hours. It also has a monthly rotation around the earth from west to east. During this rotation it takes 27 days 7 hours 43 minutes and 11.5 seconds. This period is known as sidereal month. Arabs had divided?these phases into 28 divisions, they called each phase as a mansion. The moon appears in the?beginning of the lunar month as crescent after the sun is set. Thereafter it increases gradually giving more and more light till it becomes full moon on the 14th?night of the lunar month.? During the sidereal month after becoming full moon it remains so for two further nights consecutively, thereafter it begins to shrink gradually: “And the moon, We have measured for it mansions (to traverse) till it returns like the old dried curved date stalk.” (Qur'an, 36:39)?? These phases are known due to moon's reflecting sun's light increasing and then decreasing over the earth. Due to its rotation around the earth, we only see those parts of it which reflect the light of the sun. In the beginning of the lunar month its disc continues to enlarge gradually till it becomes full moon after two weeks, then after 16th night its disc begins to shrink gradually until it returns to the shape of the crescent. Then it disappears on the 28th night and is seen again either on 29th or 30th as the crescent in the beginning of the lunar month. Allah said: The sun and the moon run on their fixed courses (exactly) calculated with measured out stages for each (for reckoning).” (Qur'an, 55:5) In the Age of Ignorance nobody knew the relation between the sun and the moon. To them each of them had separate entity. This interrelation between the sun and the moon could be known only in the 17th century, i.e. after 1,000 years of the revelation of the Qur'an.? However,?the phases of the moon enabled people to learn to keep an account of the months and years. “The number of months with Allah is twelve months in a year, so ordained by Allah on the day He created the heavens and the earth.” (Qur'an, 9:36) Thus the ancient Arabs counted the lunar year as consisting of 12 months. Thus they could have the reckoning of the months and days and hours. “Allah did not create this but in truth:”?The modern science has proved all that to be truth.?“He expounds these signs for people who have knowledge,” His creative power is unlimited and He is Omniscient and knows every thing. __
