Meaning Sky as a Tent/Dome in Quran

SKY IS A TENT DOME: MEANING

The author of wikiislam.net says:

A common myth at the time of the Quran's composition was that the sky or heavens were held up with pillars. Many Bedouin people living in Arabia imagined the sky as a large tent covering, similar to the tents they used. The author repeats this myth by describing the sky as being "raised" above the earth.

Who has made the earth your couch, and the heavens your canopy

Qur'an 2:22

Allah is He Who raised the heavens without any pillars that ye can see

Qur'an 13:2

In another verse, the author says that the sky has a covering.

And when the heaven has its covering removed,

Qur'an 81:11

REPLY:

We shall analyze these verse one by one (INSHAALLAH);

2:22


"He is Who made for you,Earth a couch and sky a canopy............................"

The meaning of "Earth as a couch we shall discuss" in another article on this blog (InShaAllah).
In this verse the word "SAMA" is used singular so it refers to atmospheric layers which act as a canopy for Earth inhabitants.(see our previous article "Meaning of heaven as a canopy mentioned in Quran.")

13:2



"Allah is He Who raised (seven) Heavens without any seen pillars/supports....................."

Ancients used to believe that mountains are pillars supporting the sky.Here in this verse Allah(SWT) refutes this myth by describing that seven heavens are not supported by any seen pillars like mountains rather they are supported by unseen supports.This is also described by Imam Ali Raza AS in Tafseer Ali bin Ibraheem Qummin 2:348,Tafseer Burhan vol. 2 page 378,Tafseer Ayashi:

"There are supports that you cannot see."(it is part of a very big Hadith)

In Tafseer Durr e Mansoor vol. 4 page no. 122 It is also narratd from Ibn e Abbas:

"There are supports that you cannot see."

This verse provides us a point to ponder that what these unseen pillars/supports are? Today our knowledge about nature describes us that these unseen supports are attractive and repulsive forces between celestial objects.
Hazrat Ali AS also pointed toward this thing in a nu shell in Safinat ul Bihar vol. 2 page 574:

"Each star is connected with other by a pillar/support of derived force(noor)."

There can be no better description to attractive and repulsive forces than pillars of noor at that time in literature.
To sum up, there is nothing in this verse to show as scientific error. And this verse does not say that the heavens are like tent like our tents.

81:11








Yusuf Ali:                                                      "And when the world on High is unveiled."  

The meaning of this verse is clear from the above translation by Yusuf Ali. This verse means that the veils which are present between this world hereafter shall be removed. People will be able to see paradise,hell,angels etc.
The second type of translation is:

Pickthal:                                                              " And when the sky is torn away."


It means that the protected covering of atmospheric layers around the Earth will be removed near the Qiyamah.

A pint to note:
Neither of these verses quoted by author of wikiislam.net show that "sky is a tent/dome mentioned in Quran. For the third verse he choose the translation by Shakir which is the only one among famous English translation which leave any demor on Holy Quran.

(If anyone has any question,argument regarding this or any of the article on this blog then please comment.)