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.)

Meaning of a well-guarded canopy Metioned in Quran

Sky A Well-guarded Canopy REPLY

This is what the author of wikislam.net says:

"This seems to relate to the verses about devils chased by lamps (meteors) in the lowest heaven (see above). Somewhat ironically, the things supposedly doing the guarding (meteors) can actually pose a threat to living things on Earth.

Asteroids and meteorites have penetrated the atmosphere and hit the earth throughout the course of history. This includes the massive meteorite that hit near the Yucatán Peninsula 65 million years which killed off numerous species including most dinosaurs. There is no guardian, whatsoever, that prevents these types of events from happening.

And We mad the heavens as a canopy well guarded yet ye do turn away from the signs which these things (point to)   Qur'an 21:32 "

REPLY

"We made Sky a stable and strong roof,yet ye do turn away from the signs which these things (point to)."

 First of all let us make it clear that the word Sama is  used in the above quoted verse which is singular thus it does not refers to the seven skies mentioned at seven places in Quran such as 2:29,41:11-12 etc.The word Sama is used by several meanings in Holy Quran. Some examples are as follow : 

1. Some times the word Sama in Holy Quran refers to the place just high above the Earth surface as in Chapter no.14 verse 24:

"Have you not considered how Allah presents an example,making a good word like a good tree,whose root is firmly fixed and its branches [high] in the sky."

2.Sometimes this word refers to the place high above from the surface of Earth where skies are present as in Chapter no.50 verse no. 9:

"And we send down  from the sky  the blessed rain."

3. At seven places in Holy Quran the plural of this word is used to mention seven skies (which we have discussed in a previous post on this blog) such as Chapter no.2 verse no. 29:

"He it is who created for you all that is in the Earth, and He directed Himself to the Heaven,and so He made them complete seven Heavens and He knows all things."

(As discussed in Tafseer e Namoona vol.1 page 149-150)

As the word Sama is used singular in the verse quoted by author of wikiislam.net so it means that it does not refer to seven heavens and thus it describes some other type of canopy above the Earth. Moreover this verse contains the word SAQAF meaning roof which is not compatible with lamps in the lowest heaven that is thought by the author of wikiislam.net because roof is protection for those who reside under it.How can meteors and asteroids compatible with it? we do not reside under a roof of meteors or asteroids.

From the modern knowledge of nature we come to know about an other roof under which we reside it is the roof of gases around the Earth also known as atmospheric layers which are:

1. Troposphere

2. Stratosphere

3. Ozone

4. Mesosphere 

5. Thermosphere

6. Ionosphere

7. Exosphere

Among them 1,2,4,5,7 are considered major layers.These layers protect Earth from several things.It is evident from scientific writings.The functions of these layers are:

1. All weathers occur in troposphere. Thus if this layer have not been present than life could not be      possible thus it protects life by providing weathers.Moreover most of Oxygen occurs in this region which is responsible for the life f Aerobic organisms.
2. Stratosphere provides clear weather for jets to fly thus protects several passengers.
3. Ozone layer absorbs UltraVoilet Radiations and thus protects life from hazardous radiations of         sun.Moreover it provides "Green House Effect" which is responsible for maintaining comfortable temperature on Earth.
4. Mesosphere burns up million of meteors striking the Earth and thus protects Earth from these meteors. The answer to the objection of the author of wikiislam.net about historical records of meteors fallen on the Earth is that Allah can do everything. If He made the sky a protected ceiling then He can also fall stones from the sky as described in the Quran Chapter no.8 verse.32 onward. etc. It does not mean that there is no protection.
5. Satellites occur in thermosphere.
6. Ionosphere makes the radio-communication possible.
7. Exosphere absorbs harmful radiations from the sun protecting layers underneath.

Above discussion makes clear the meaning of sky in the quoted verse and also discusses their protection.Honestly speaking,it is the miracle of Quran that it describes sky as a protected covering.

A Point To Note;

There we quote several translations of this verse:

Sahih International: And We made the sky a protected ceiling, but they, from its signs, are turning away.

Pickthall: And we have made the sky a roof withheld (from them). Yet they turn away from its portents.

Yusuf Ali: And We have made the heavens as a canopy well guarded: yet do they turn away from the Signs which these things (point to)!

Shakir: And We have made the heaven a guarded canopy and (yet) they turn aside from its signs.

Muhammad Sarwar: We made the sky above them as a well-guarded ceiling, but they have neglected the evidence (of Our existence) therein.

Mohsin Khan: And We have made the heaven a roof, safe and well guarded. Yet they turn away from its signs (i.e. sun, moon, winds, clouds, etc.).

Arberry: and We set up the heaven as a roof well-protected; yet still from Our signs they are turning away.

All except Yusuf Ali translated singular.But the author of wikislam.net quoted Yusuf Ali.It shows his only problem to prove Quran wrong by hook or by crook.

(If anyone have any Question then please comment.)

                                                                                                                                        

Moon Emits Light Reply

MOON EMITS LIGHT REPLY

Allah says in Holy Quran Chapter 10 verse 5:

SAHIH INTERNATIONAL: "It is He who made sun a shining light and moon a derived light ad determined for its phases that you may know number of years and may count {of time}.Allah has not created it except in truth.He details the signs for a people who know."

The problem with the author of wikiislam.net is that Allah says Moon as Noor in several verses in Quran as 10:5,71:16 and 25:61 and thus it is a contradiction with Science because Noor means only "light."Let us first see the meaning of Noor:

1. "to receive enlightenment" Hans Wehr 4th ed. page no.1183
2. "accidental light" Lanes Lexicon page 2865
3. "Some said Zia(word used in this verse for sun) means personal light and Noor(word used in this verse for moon) is the light which is not personal.........but its meaning will be reflected light only when it will be compared with Zia." Lughat ul Quran page 1670
4. "Mutakallamin says the thing wich is itself illuminated is Zia like sun and which gets light from someone other is noor like Moon." Riaz us Salikin ( I copied it from Tafseer Anwar un Najaf vol 7 page 147)

Now I quote some of interpretations of Quran indicating that moon is said Noor in the verse because it reflects light from sun.Some references are as:

1. Tafseer e Naeemi vol. 11 page 196
2. Tafseer e Namoona vol. 5 page 41

3. Tafseer Anwar u Najaf vol. 7 page 147

4. Tafseer Roh ul Bayan  Para 9,10 and 11 page 881(Urdu translation by Muhammad Faiz Awaisi)

5. Tafseer Kamalain Sharah Jalalain vol. 3 page 36

6. Tafseer Mazhari vol. 5 page 312

As a reference the author of wikiislam.net Quotes a verse from Holy Quran 24:35 which says:

"Allah is the Noor of the heavens and the Earths......................................"

ANSWER:

All the Muslim scholars agree that allah is not NOOR but He is the creator of noor because noor is that body which itself appears,make other appeared but Allah has no body so here noor means CREATOR OF LIGHT  OF HEAVENS AND EARTH The word Noor in names of Allah also means BEAUTIFUL. The Hadith of Holy Prophet of Sahih Muslim is its interpretation. (From Tafseer e Naeemi vol. 11 page  200)

All above discussion clearify that Holy Quran says that moon reflects light not that moon is a light.

(If  anyone have any question ,argument regarding this or any of the article on this blog then please comment or message at imtiazbashir7@gmail.com)

Moon Split Into Two Reply

MOON SPLIT INTO TWO REPLY

The author of wikiislam.net says:

The Qur'an and Hadith claim that the moon was miraculously split into two pieces and then, presumably, put back together again. There is absolutely no scientific evidence whatsoever that the moon has ever been split into two. Since the moon is visible to half the planet at any given time, we should expect to see numerous accounts from different parts of the world attesting to this event if it actually happened. The Romans, Greeks, Egyptians, Persians, Chinese and Indians had avid astronomers who should have seen this event and recorded it in their histories. The absence of historical record from other civilizations, contemporary to Muhammad, is a strong indication that this event never happened.

The hour drew nigh and the moon did rend asunder.

Quran 54:1-3

Narrated Anas: "That the Meccan people requested Allah's Apostle to show them a miracle, and so he showed them the splitting of the moon." Sahih Bukhari 4:56:831

REPLY

First of all let us make it clear that it is not impossible that a celestial body split into two and then again join under the action of gravity. MAULANA MODODI writes in TAFHEEM UL QURAN vol 5 page 230:

"But on the basis of the information collected about planets  in modern days,it is easily possible to say that a planet split due to strong volcanic eruption in it and then join together due to gravity"

AYOUTULLAH NASIR MAKAREM SHERAZI writes in TAFSEER E NAMOONA VOL.13 page 160-161:

"By the descriptions of astronomers it is indicated that the cases like this are not difficult but they have also been observed. The split and then join of Solar System and its related things and other planets of sky is possible like this. For instance:

FORMATION OF SOLAR SYSTEM
  It is evidenced that all the planets of solar system were once the part of solar system..........."(in short the planets of solar system split from sun)
ASTEROIDS
      Big asteroids .............................were split from a planet 'asterodia'...
METEROIDS
      Small meteroids......................................
(We for the sake of convenience have not written the complete description.Read it at momin.com)

Modern science confirms that a giant planet split into two Earh sized planets.See space.com
We read at
 http://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/questions/18432/what-if-the-earth-was-physically-split-in-half

Well the first thing that happens is that both halves immediately start collapsing into a sphere smaller by half the volume of the Earth. This would be a cataclysmic event unto itself. Likely nothing would survive for long. There was another question about taking out a huge hunk of the earth, all the same stuff as that only worse.

if the 2 halves where not set to orbiting each other at a decently fast speed, they would immediately begin to move toward each other and merge back together in another huge cataclysm. Either way this is the likely outcome, it just matters how long it takes will be dependent on how fast the 2 are set to orbit each other.

We get after reading the Hadiths regarding this event that moon split just for a few moment and then came back.Thus it can possibly fit above description.Moreover the concept of Roche Limit and Lobate Scarps also provides the basis that moon can split.

Scientific knowledge has not provided so much information about moon till today and we hope that coming generations and knowledge will surely prove the miracle of Holy Prophet SAW. Here we have just provided the basis that a celestial body can split and then join back.

Historical Record:

The reasons for the lack of historical record regarding this event are as:

1. It is well known that moon appears at half of the world at a time.Thus it is clear that half of the world could not see this miracle.

2. It was the time of half night so it is possible that most of people were sleeping at that time.

3. It is also possible that at that time some part of sky would have cloudy.

4. The accidents of sky such as thunder of sky can attract people easily but the event of moon split did not last longer or made thunder etc. Thus it is possible that most of people did not saw it.

5. Moreover at that time there were no good mean of communication,writings that time so it is also a reason it is not recorded in most of historical records.

(from Tafseer e Namoona vol. 13 page 162 and 163)

6. Were all the people eyeing towards moon at that particular instant?

7. There was no special Greek astronomy that time because it was took over by Christians and their rude behave regarding knowledge is clear to all.

8. All the old books of Greek,Roman,Egyptian,Persian,Chinese,Indian astronomy are not present this time because of several historical wars and other reasons so this claim of wikiislam author is absurd because he has not read all those books.It is also possible that this incident may be present in those destroyed books.

SOME RECORD:

We read in Khutbat e Madras Syed Slaiman Nadvi preface:

"The land of Madras is the one in Hindustan which got the light of Islam first.It occured when no Muslim warrior entered Hindustan.The light of the moon of "MIRACLE OF MOON SPLIT " was which entered Hind and then lit the hearts.If this narration of TOHFAT UL MUJAHIDIN is right whose recognition is provided by the description of our non-Muslim friend Doctor Ghulam Muhammad that he himself reached Madras and found the event as it is in a Hindi Sanskrit Book and then he published it."

We read in 14 Sitaray by Syed Najm ul Hasan Kararvi:

"This miracle (miracle of moon split) is also recorded in Tareekh e Farishta (a great History book of Hindustan)"

About Chakarvati Famas,we are copying from https://sites.google.com/site/amininbox/chakravatifarmas

The conversion of First Hindu King : King Chakrawati Farmas (of Malabar, located on the southwest coast of India) converted to Islam soon after the arrival of Muslims in India (around 711 CE). The incident relating to King Chakrawati Farmas is documented in an old manuscript in the India Office Library, London, which has reference number: Arabic, 2807, 152-173. It is quoted in the book “Muhammad Rasulullah,” by M. Hamidullah: “There is a very old tradition in Malabar, South-West Coast of India, that Chakrawati Farmas, one of their kings, had observed the splitting of the moon, the celebrated miracle of the Holy Prophet (pbuh) at Mecca, and learning on inquiry that there was a prediction of the coming of a Messenger of God from Arabia, he appointed his son as regent and set out to meet him. He embraced Islam at the hand of the Prophet, and when returning home, at the direction of the Prophet, died at the port of Zafar, Yemen, where the tomb of the “Indian king” was piously visited for many centuries.”The 87-year-old Raja Valiyathampuram of  Kodungallur in Central Kerala is a descendant of King Cheraman Perumal [also known as King Chakrawati Farmas ], the first Indian to embrace Islam in the early 7th century. Talking to him is like talking with history. In an interview taken by A U Asif in Ernakulam, he dwells in detail upon his great early ancestor and the oldest mosque (above) of the sub-continent. He also asks North Indians to come to Kerala and see how people of different religions are living there for centuries in an atmosphere of harmony, fraternity and peace. How do you take your great great grandfather Cheraman Perumal?    Cheraman Perumal was not only a king and my ancestor, but the first Indian to come into the fold of Islam. He was actually the person who gifted Islam and the first ever mosque to the Indian sub-continent. This happened much before the advents of Muhammad bin Qasim and Mahmood Ghaznavi. This shows that Islam didn't come to India with the sword. Cheraman Juma Masjid  (Mosque) is named after India’s first Muslim convert, King Cheraman perumal Chakrawati Farmas. It was built in 629 AD by Malik Ibn Dinar who led the contingent that arrived in India. And it is a well established fact that there was no use of force for the first conversions to Islam in India.

All above discussion makes everything clear about the so called article of wikiislam.net.

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The Similar Size And Distance Of Sun And Moon Reply

THE SIMILAR SIZE AND DISTANCE OF SUN AND MOON REPLY

This is the statement of wikiislam.net:

The Qur'an has statements about the end of the world that are much as one would expect if the author believed the sun and moon to be of similar size and a similar distance from Earth.

And the moon darkens And the sun and the moon are joined,

Qur'an 75:8-9

The word translated "are joined" is Arabic jumi'a, a verb which means to collect together, gather together, bring together. Given that this would actually require the moon to travel 98 million miles away from Earth and into the sun, which dwarfs it by over 600 times in diameter, it seems vastly less fitting as an apocalyptic event than if the ancient conception of the cosmos was correct.

REPLY

We feel after reading the statements of author of wikiislam.net that he is quite petty and narrow minded.He himself makes false and filthy statements on the basis of his bigoted eye.He presents this verse as an error without knowing that it is highly compatible with modern big crunch theory.The description of this theory is as;

"The Big Crunch is one possible scenario for the ultimate fate of the universe, in which the metric expansion of space eventually reverses and the universe recollapses, ultimately ending as a black holesingularity or causing a reformation of the universe starting with another big bang."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Crunch#cite_note-1

Quran describes in the nutshell of metaphor the formation of singularity(as present before big bang) again.There are other verses of Holy Quran which describe creation of universe again after Qiyamah. Some are as follow: 

Surah Al Anbiya Chapter 21 verse 104:

"The Day when We will fold the heaven like the folding of a [written] sheet for the records. As We began the first creation, We will repeat it. [That is] a promise binding upon Us. Indeed, We will do it."

Surah Yunus Chapter 10 verse 34:

"Say, "Are there of your 'partners' any who begins creation and then repeats it?" Say, " Allah begins creation and then repeats it, so how are you deluded?"

Similarly in al Naml 64,al ankabut 19.This verse is not an error rather it is a scientific miracle of Quran describing that a reverse process of creation of Universe will occur.There will be formation of one singularoty of celesstial bodies again and there will also be a second creation of the universe.This is Big Crunch Theory.We ask wikiislam author to put down his glasses of bigotry and read with open mind the verses of Quran. He says "his would actually require the moon to travel 98 million miles away from Earth and into the sun, which dwarfs it by over 600 times in diameter, it seems vastly less fitting as an apocalyptic event than if the ancient conception of the cosmos was correct." Ask the scientists believing in big crunch and first read big crunch theory completely.


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Stars Are Located In Nearest Heaven Reply

STARS ARE LOCATED IN NEAREST HEAVEN REPLY

The verse quoted is:

"Indeed we adorned the lowest sky with stars" 37:6

The same is present in some other verses like 67:5 etc.the author of wikiislam.net says that there is nothing like lowest sky.Our discussion in previous article "SEVEN HEAVENS"clearly indicates the meaning of lowest sky that all the stars,planets including Earth are located in lowest heaven,the first Heaven and there are six more heavens above it.The author of wikiislam.net wearing the glasses of bigotry thinks everything mentioned in Quran as a error.
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Seven Heavens Reply

SEVEN HEAVENS REPLY

Creation of seven heavens is described in several verses of Holy Quran. One of them is Chapter 2 verse 29;

"He it is Who created for you all that is in the earth, and He directed Himself to the heaven, so He made them complete seven heavens, and He knows all things."

Reagarding this verse wikiislam,s author claim that this verse matches with common Greek opinion of skies that they are like the skin of onion in layers compacted together so it is an error.Islam does not mean onion layers by seven skies because several haidths quoted in TAFSEER DURR E MANSOOR VOL1 under this verse show that Holy prophet described the distance between two skies as 500 years.The second thing is that Islam considers Earth as sphere(it will come in later sections) and how can it is compatible with Greeks who considered earth as flat and Seven skies on it like layers of onion compcted upon each other. It is not an error because The author of wikiislam.net himself does not know what is the meaning of seven heavens in Islam. There are several interpretations of this verse out of which most often are SEVEN PLANETS OF SOLAR SYSTEM which was based on the scientific knowledge of old interpreters.In modern era some Muslim Scholars try to describe seven heavens by SEVEN LAYERS OF ATMOSPHERE but it also does not make much sense.The best interpretation which I found the best is as follow:

"The thing which appear the best is to take that the words SAB'A SAMAWAT actually mean SEVEN SKIES.The repitition of these words in the Holy Quran indicates that this word is not in the meaning of majority but actually describes the digit 7.However the verses of Holy Quran indicate that all the regions ,stars,planets, and everything we see are the part of first sky and there are SIX MORE HEAVENS other than this which is beyond our sight and knowledge as well as inventions and in this way there are seven heavens.

Holy Quran provides this thing as:

"We adorned the lowest sky with lamps" 41:12

at another place:

Indeed we adorned the lowest sky with stars"37:6

These verses clarify that all we see is the part of first sky and we have no reach to other skies still....................It is possible that coming generations will tell about the six skies..........................................................It is better to see this discussion in the words of a big observatory of world:The observatory of Palomar :

"Until the formation of telescope of observatory of Palomar  the massiveness of Universe was no more greater than 500 light years.But this telescope made us able to to find the magnitude of Universe as 1 Billion light years.This thing resulted in the discovery of several new galaxies out of which some are at a distance of 1 Billion light years from us but after 1 billion light year distance we found a dark region of space where nothing is found.It shows that light cannot cross it.But indeed there are several hundred Galaxies there but our Universe is safe from the gravity of those galaxies.

The big universe which appears to us containing several Hundred Galaxies is a small part of the Large Universe.And now we cannot still  say with belief that there is some other universe above this second Universe." Majallah "FIZA(SPACE) number 56 month of Farwardeen,351 

From Tafseer e Namoona Vol 1 page 151-152

Moreover we read in Bihar Ul Anwar vol. 55 page 78

" The probability that strikes my mind is that all the firmaments that have been established by celestial objects are referred to as the lower heaven."

and also:

"Until this juncture, the astronomers are of the opinion that presently they have only managed to proceed halfway towards the 'visible' fringes of the colossal universe........they still need to seek out the undiscovered space!"  Newsweek year 1964
above two references are from 180 Questions enquiries about Islam page 143
Above discussion clears the meaning of seven skies according to broad visioned Muslim interpreters.These verses provide us a point to think,to ponder,to research ,to find and to examine.It is a great interpretation of this verse.

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