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Originally Posted by czgibson Do the rhymes in the Qur'an occur at the end of each line of Arabic text, or do they vary? This will help me keep my place. |
They do vary. If you have transliteration it may help. You can use this:
Chapter index Suratul Baqarah Quote:
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Thank you, Ansar for your explanation of the ayah, however I must admit I'm still puzzled. I'm unsure where the idea of seven heavens comes from. You mention the three stages of the formation of the atmosphere. That is three, not seven. What am I missing?
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I was only pointing out the three stages in the atmosphere's formation to answer the question of which was created first - earth or heavens. Verse 2:29 states that He created the earth before developing the heavens into seven layers. Meanwhile the verse 79:27-30 states that He created the heaven before the earth. So my point is that the timeline would indicate:
creation of heaven (atmosphere) -> spreading of the earth's crust/continents -> development of the atmosphere into seven distinct layers
So the three stages of atmospheric development is brought into the article for the purpose of explaining the alleged contradiction between which was created first, not for explaining the seven layers of the atmosphere.
I'm glad you asked about this because I may need to make the article more clear.
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"Firmament" was a common expression in Shakespeare's time, and I suspect that is why Yusuf-Ali chose to translate the word this way. He mentions Shakespeare several times in his commentary in an admiring way, and I think the style of his translation could be an attempt to imitate his writing, or perhaps to project the perceived "grandness" of Shakespeare's language onto the Qur'an. The "firmament" as understood in those times is a concept that has no scientific basis, obviously. Would you say "firmament" is a satisfactory translation of this word? Is the idea of "firmament" incorporated in the word "as-samaa" as well as "heaven" or "atmosphere"?
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I think the 'firmament' probably confuses the issue more so its best for translations to use heavens.
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Here is what you say about a verse I have not yet reached:
Here is the basic structure of what you say here:
Obviously this refers to + scientific fact . . .
Alternatively, it refers to + different scientific fact.
If one interpretation is obviously correct, then why do you need the other one? You might have said "Obviously, this could refer to...", and then proceed with "Alternatively...", then the difficulty wouldn't arise.
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You're right. I made a mistake there, I'll have to fix that, God willingly.
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Perhaps it refers to both, as Allah supposedly has perfect knowledge of all things, but if a scientist were to speak in such a way that it was unclear whether he was talking about the formation of the Earth's crust or continental drift, surely he would not be a very good scientist? I'm not saying Allah should be like a scientist, but many claims are made for the scientific accuracy of the Qur'an. One very important feature of science is that it should be as clear as possible.
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The point about science in the Qur'an was never that the Qur'an was a scientific textbook and therefore supposed to explain scientific concepts in clear terms. The Qur'an is a book of guidance from the Creator. The fact is that the Creator's words should not contradict the scientific laws He creator, and they should be able to be interpreted in a scientific light. I used science to help explain these two verses which I would have a difficult time of explaining without our scientific knowledge.
I hope that clarifies.