Science and religion generally
pursue knowledge of the universe using different methodologies. Science
acknowledges reason, empiricism, and evidence, while religions include
revelation, faith and sacredness. These methodologies are totally different.
They are diametrically opposed. Reason, empiricism, and evidence simply do not
recognize revelation, faith, and sacredness as valid sources of knowledge.
Further, revelation, faith, and sacredness, which are examples of religious
dogma, only accept conflicting scientific opinion when the evidence becomes
overwhelmingly accepted by the general public.
Allah is the creator of everything that is present in the universe , so what are
the philosphical reasons behind this creation .we think about these reasons
verses read in name of thy lord ,who created man ,out of a leech -like clot :
proclaim ;AND thy lord is most bountiful. He who taught (use of )the pen taught
men which he knew not (AL-ALAQ 96 ,V1-5)
MOTION OF THE SUN AND THE EARTH
the Quran was reaveled in the mid of seventh century. there are many vereses in
the Quran which describe scientific facts ,most of which were discovered only in
the last one hundered years.there is a consistency in its description of various
phenomena. the verses accurately describe ideas that are in agreement with the
modern observation about the universe. the verses of the Quran which encourages
one to develop a scientific temperament in his apporach and this is clearly
indicated in the following verses v1:Behold in the creation of heavens and the
earth , and the alternation of night and day , there are indeed signs ,for men
of understanding -Men who remember Allah standing ,sitting , and lying down on
their sides,and contemplate the (the wonders)of creation .In the heavens and the
earth (with saying ):
Our lord not for naught hast thou created (all)this? Glory to thee! give us
salavation from chastisement of the fire(ale -imran 3,vereses190-191)
A true intecltual scientist always develops the habit of concentrating on the
problem concerned.He does is so through out day . His object is to think over
the problem in a serious manner .In the verses above we are asked to think ,in
the spirit of a true scientist ,scholar ,over the creation of hevens and the
earth and the alternation of day and night .Allah has created these things for
specific reasons . the day and night are also subject to change... According
hazarat ALI (a.s) in the day search for food which is nessacrary for survival of
man kind and in the night search food for spirit by search the creator and think
why he created universes what are the law governing the universe, what are the
ways for sucessful life ,what are the hidden truth inside universe one more
surah in Quran encourages for think of o problem in a serious manner (why you
are not looking on the creation of camel is notit amazing think over it)
The motions of the sun and the moon is mentioned in Quran frequently .For
examples .The Quran makes following statements about sun and moon :
v-2: And the sun runs unto a resting place, For him :that is the decree of
(him), the exalted in Might,The all knowing and the moon ,-We have measured for
her stations (to traverse) till she returns ,Like the old and withered lower
part of a date -stalk .It is not permitted ,To the sun to catch up ,the moon
,nor can the night outstrip the day :Each swims along its own orbit (according
to law)(yasin 36,verses 38-40)
v-3:it is Allah Who alternates The night and The day :VERILY these things is an
instructive example
For those who have Vision !(Al -Nasr24,verse 44)
wherever in The Quran ,the motins of the sun and the moon (and all celestial
bodies )are mentioned in above refrences ,the word "swim" is used for all the
movements of celestial bodies . the word not only describes the uniform
translatory motion ,but also rotational motion. One can visualize these motions
by sliding a saucer ball on the surface of water, the ball will undergo
translatory as well as rotational movements. It suggests that most of celestial
objects are spherical in shape.So the motions of the sun and the earth are
translatory as well as rotational .Moreover , the Sun is not only moving around
galaxy ,but also rotating about its axis; and it takes nearly twenty five days
for one complete rotation about its axis.this can be seen easily by looking at
the changing positions of sun spots.the alternation of day and night is due to
earth's rotation on it's axis and changing of seasons due to revolution in 365
days
A close persual of astronomy , reveals that the sun and the other stars in the
neighbourhood of our solar system revolve slowly around the centre of the galaxy
. in the course of motion , our solar system completes one full cycle one full
turn around the galaxy in about 250 million years covering a distance of nearly
one million trillion miles during that time at an average speed of 150
miles/second .the entire galaxy , including the earth , is moving through space
relative to other nearby galaxies ,due to this motion , our galaxy ,our galaxy
and the Andromea galaxy (neraest galaxy at a distance of 10^6 light yeras )are
apporaching one another at a speed of 180miles/second. the earth is carried
along with our galaxy in this motion,Hence even the motion of the earth is very
compilicated . It rotates about it's axis, revolves around sun , moves with the
sun around the centre of galaxy and moves with the galaxy on it's journey
towards Andromeda.
It was Ibne Shatir a
Mathematician and Astronomer gave a hypothesis that earth was not at the centre
of universe and it was the sun which was at the centre of universe and the
planets moving around it . He proved it through trigonometry.
In the begning of twenteeth century the sun was found to be located inone the
arms of our spiral galaxy and thus lost the pride position of being at the
centre of universe . it (sun) justs becomes one of the billios of stars in our
galaxy . The solar system (the sun planets , large of minor planets between Mars
and Jupiter -called Asteroids , large number of comets and meteors) is the part
of our galaxy.Besides our own galaxy , there are billions of galaxies in the
universe , each containing equal number of stars . Although the miliky way
galaxy is but one of the billions of galaxies in the universe , the milky way
has special significance as it is home of our solar system.
REFERNCES:
1: THE HOLY QURAN
2:INTRODUCTORY ASTRONOMY .ADISION -WESELY
3: AHSAN ZAFAR : THE QURAN AND MODERN THEORY OF UNIVERSE