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SECTION 1
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Seven Layers of Atmosphere
It may please be noted that Quran e Majeed has never said that the sky of the earth is adorned with stars.
In na_ zay yan nas sama_ ad dun ya_ bizinatinil kawa_kib We have adorned the lower sky with Planets. {37:06}
الكواكب Root ك و ك ب can never be translated as “star” since Quran e Majeed has made a clear distinction between the celestial bodies. First time this word occurs in 6:76: Falamma_ janna 'alaihil lailu ra'a_ kaukaba_(n)
Here one thing has been made conspicuous “darkness of the night” and he saw one كوكبا. At night there are numerous stars visible to naked eye. Quran e Majeed came in 7th century but people have known the distinction between stars and planets from couple of centuries BC. The basic difference between both, as we know, is that stars emit light but planets don’t have own light, they reflect light. How both could have same meanings and termed as stars?
After sun and moon, planet Venus is the mist shining object. It is visible on sky three hours before sunrise and for three hours after sunset. After these three object planet Jupiter is the brightest object. It is three times brighter than the brightest star Sirius. Because of its prominence, the Romans had given it name Jupiter after the name of their bigger god, idol.
Al Qurtabi says : و رأي المشتري أو الزهرة Al Jalalain says: هو الزهرة
Who was right? The difference between Venus and Jupiter is that Venus after three hours it disappears and is not visible till three hours before sunset. Jupiter, when it is visible from earth, does not disappear but remains visible. And Quran e Majeed tells that the planet which was seen by Ibrahim {Peace is upon him} had then disappeared {أفل} from their sight. Thus it is clear that he had pointed towards Venus after quite some time of sunset but within three hours of the sunset.
Quran has drawn a vivid distinction between planets and stars. It says: Wa huwal lazi ja'ala lakumun nuju_ma litahtadu_ biha_ fi zulumatil barri wal bahr(i), qad fassalnal a_ya_ti liqaumiy ya'lamu_n(a). Allah is one who has appointed for you stars (as beacons) so that you may guide/find direction yourselves with their help through the dark {unmarked} spaces of land and sea: We have made distinct Our Ayat so that people may know/get informed. {6:97} wa bin najmi hum yahtadu_n(a). And with one star they get the direction/destination/guidance.{Ref 16:16}
Quran has never said that people can get guidance/direction from Kwakib, Planets. And neither said that the sky of earth is adorned with Najoom, stars.
Distinction between them is also visible from their end. Wa idzal kawa_kibun tatsarat Wa idzal biha_ru fuj jirat {Ref 82:02-03}
“un tatsarat” and “fuj jirat” have the commonality of “scatter”. Both reflect light and absorb light.
And the end of Stars is this: Wa idzan nuju_mun kadarat When the stars fall losing their luster/light; {Ref 81:02}
Fa iza nuju_mu tumisat Wa izal jiba_lu nusifat Then when the stars become scattered; When the mountains are scattered (to the winds) as dust ;{ Ref 77: 08, 10}
Faka_nat haba_ am mun bats sa_ {Mountains} Becoming dust/Gases scattered {Ref 56:10} And we know stars are massive shining sphere of hot gas {dust like}.
As regards Harun Yahya’s opinion “The word "heavens", which appears in many verses in the Qur'an, is used to refer to the sky above the Earth, as well as the entire universe. Given this meaning of the word, it is seen that the Earth's sky, or the atmosphere, is made up of seven layers. (Layers of Atmosphere-Miracles of Quran-Harun Yahya)
It is not correct. It amounts to negating the vastness of words/concepts of Arabic Language and also negates what Quran calls about its Ayat “فصلت””. We are not yet aware of the vastness of skies and will never be able to conceive/perceive it since it is expanding all the time. But Quran has given details of our solar system in an elaborate manner. When one sky has that vastness how can this word be used for seven layers of atmosphere? Perhaps seven layers of atmosphere are mentioned here: Wa laqad halaqnal insa_na min sula_latim min tin Sum ma jaalna_hu nutfaran fi qara_rim makin Sum ma halaqnan nutfata alaqatan fahalaqnal alaqata mudgatan fahalaqnal mudgata iza_man fa kasaunal iza_ma lahma_ sum ma ansana_hu halqan a_har fataba_rakal la_hu ahsanul ha_liqin Sum ma in nakum bada za_lika lamay yitu_n Sum ma in nakum yaumal qiya_mati tubasu_n Wa laqad halaqna_ fauqakum saba tara_iq wa ma_ kun na_ anil halqi ga_filin
And in the past We had made above you seven tracts; and We are never unmindful of (safety of our) Creation {23:12-16}
Wa banaina_ fauqakum saban syida_da_ And (have We not) built over you the seven firmaments {Ref 78:12}
And perhaps reason for these seven layers is told in the next verse: Wa ja'alna_ sira_jaw wah ha_ja_
Nature of sun is explained by the word wah ha_ja. This is dangerous. These seven layers protect from this feature of the sun. Quran says: Wa huwal lazi ja'ala lakumun nuju_ma litahtadu_ biha_ fi zulumatil barri wal bahr(i), qad fassalnal a_ya_ti liqaumiy ya'lamu_n(a). Allah is one who has appointed for you stars (as beacons) so that you may guide/find direction yourselves with their help through the dark {unmarked} spaces of land and sea: We have made distinct Our Ayat so that people may know/get informed. {6:97} wa bin najmi hum yahtadu_n(a). And with one star they get the direction/destination/guidance.{Ref 16:16}
While studying Quran e Majeed to find the facts/information/data about the Universe {آفاق}and writing them down under the caption “Quran in the 21st Century”, the above two verses caused me sadistic pleasure since someone inspired that I have caught a contradiction in Quran. At one place it has used plural “النجوم” who give direction and in the second it uses single star “نجم”. But thanks to Allah, it immediately came to mind that should I refuse even if I could not comprehend it.
The beauty of Quran is that it was initially addressing the desert men and was meant for the posterity of humanity in time and space. The statement was comprehensively understandable to the desert men, since more than two stars serve as pointers and one star, pole/north star is the one with which direction is determined.
And today we can more appreciate and enjoy the beauty and precision of Quran when we know that even “Pole/North Star” is not the one but many in the passage of time. Today Pole Star is Polaris. But in 7500 there will be some other star as Pole Star; and in 15000 there will still be another one and after 9000 years today’s Pole Star Polaris will again be the North/Pole Star. Quote with thanks from Encarta: “North Star or Polestar, conspicuous star in the northern hemisphere, located closest to the point toward which the axis of the earth is directed, thus roughly marking the location of the north celestial pole. A polestar has been used by navigators throughout recorded history for charting navigation routes and is still used for determining true azimuth and astronomic latitude. The positions of the celestial poles change as the earth's axis moves with the earth's precessional motion (see Ecliptic), and as the north celestial pole assumes different positions relative to the constellations, different stars become the North Star. Big Dipper, common name applied to a conspicuous constellation in the northern celestial hemisphere, near the North Pole. It was known to the ancient Greeks as the Bear and the Wagon and to the Romans as Ursa Major (the Great Bear) and Septentriones (Seven Plowing Oxen). The seven brightest stars of the constellation form the easily identified outline of a giant dipper. In Europe, the pattern is known as the Plow, Charles's (Charlemagne's) Wain, and the Wagon; among the Hindus, it represents the seven rishis, or holy ancient sages. Of the seven stars constituting the Big Dipper, six are of the second magnitude and one is of the third magnitude. Two of the second-magnitude stars, alpha (a) and beta (ß) Ursa Major, which form the outer edge of the bowl, point directly to the North Star, or Polaris, and hence are called the Pointers”
Now consider the similarity between the Messengers and Pointers. All of them pointed towards only one source for guidance, the Book of Allah. Messengers, like the North Star kept changing in time and space, but the location of point of guidance remained the same. If a group of people differs in the unmarked areas of earth and waters about the direction, which will come to their guidance? North Pole, none else. Anyone who takes it as a guide to know the right direction will find the path and the one who refuses to take it as a guide shall remain wandering. This suggests Quran Alone if one wishes to reach the destination safe and sound. But this is the dilemma of humanity that while they know vividly that there cannot be two sources of guidance, yet run away from the Book to meet their own desires and choices in life.
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