Ok I can definitely see this as probable thanks. But what about when Muhammad talks about where the sun goes at night or where sperm comes from? Because we know now that the sun doesn’t move and we’ll we all know where sperm comes from lol (again I’m just seeking the truth I’m not trying to offend anyone. I don’t want to die and God tells me I was almost right but not enough to see heaven)
I think you are referring to verse 18:86:
until he reached the setting ˹point˺ of the sun, which appeared to him to be setting in a spring of murky water, where he found some people. We said, “O Ⱬul-Qarnain! Either punish them or treat them kindly.”
Am I right?
Before I answer that, I want you to be aware of a few things, and I want to explain what you need to properly understand a verse.
languages are never 1 on 1. Translating a text in a different language always mean more or less distortion of the original load. It never carry's exact the same load.
My parents are Turkish, I am born and raised in the Netherlands, and now I live in Germany for almost 10 years now.
I hate to re-watch movies from my youth in German because it is totally different.
to give you an example:
I am sure you know the famous scene of Arnold Schwarzenegger in Terminator saying "Ill be back!!"
Well in german it is "Ich komme wieder!!"
Although the translation is pretty accurate, it doesn't give me the same sensation.
That is why I prefer to watch movies in original language with german or english subtitles, rather than in german revoiced versions.
one thing you should be aware of. Therefore, if you understand multiple languages, then please read the verse in different languages, or at least multiple versions in the same language. It will give you a wider understanding.
second, the Quraan is not in chronological order. In order to properly understand a verse, it is not enough to just read the translation. You also have to look up background information like, where and when was this verse translated, what was exactly happening in the world at that moment, and what event does the verse exactly refer to...
Some verses appear to contradict each other, but if you look more closely, then they refer to different events in time or different situations, (for example, one refers to casual, the other during war)...but having that little background information prevents such mistakes.
That is a lot of research you have to do in order to better understand the Quraan. But fortunately, all this work has been done for you.
The translation, explanation and the needed background information of every verse are combined in one collection which we call Tafsir.
By doing that, a Tafsir also prevents false interpretations of the Quraan.
There are many different Tafsirs available, but one of the most reliable and generally accepted Tafsir is "Tafsir Ibn Kathir" which is also free available online.
Having said all that we can now look up what Ibn Kathir has to say about verse 18:86:
(85. So he followed a way.) (86. Until, when he reached the setting place of the sun, he found it setting in a spring of Hami'ah. And he found near it a people. We said: "O Dhul-Qarnayn! Either you punish them or treat them with kindness.'') (87. He said: "As for him who does wrong, we shall punish him, and then he will be brought back unto his Lord, Who will punish him with a terrible torment (Hell).'') (88. "But as for him who believes and works righteousness, he shall have the best reward, and we shall speak unto him mild words.'')
HIS TRAVELING AND REACHING THE PLACE WHERE THE SUN SETS (THE WEST)
﴿ فَأَتۡبَعَ سَبَبًا ﴾
(So he followed a way.) Ibn `Abbas said that he followed different routes to achieve what he wanted.
﴿ فَأَتۡبَعَ سَبَبًا ﴾
(So he followed a way.) Mujahid said that he followed different routes, east and west. According to one report narrated from Mujahid, he said:
﴿ سَبَبًا ﴾
(a way) means, "A route through the land.'' Qatadah said, "It means he followed the routes and landmarks of the earth.''
﴿ حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَا بَلَغَ مَغۡرِبَ ٱلشَّمۡسِ ﴾
(Until, when he reached the setting place of the sun,) means, he followed a route until he reached the furthest point that could be reached in the direction of the sun's setting, which is the west of the earth. As for the idea of his reaching the place in the sky where the sun sets, this is something impossible, and the tales told by storytellers that he traveled so far to the west that the sun set behind him are not true at all. Most of these stories come from the myths of the People of the Book and the fabrications and lies of their heretics.
﴿ وَجَدَهَا تَغۡرُبُ فِى عَيۡنٍ حَمِئَةٍ۬ ﴾
(he found it setting in a spring of Hami'ah) meaning, he saw the sun as if it were setting in the ocean. This is something which everyone who goes to the coast can see: it looks as if the sun is setting into the sea but in fact it never leaves its path in which it is fixed. Hami'ah is, according to one of the two views, derived from the word Hama'ah, which means mud. This is like the Ayah:
﴿ إِنِّى خَـٰلِقُۢ بَشَرً۬ا مِّن صَلۡصَـٰلٍ۬ مِّنۡ حَمَإٍ۬ مَّسۡنُونٍ۬ ﴾
("I am going to create a man (Adam) from dried clay of altered Hama'h (mud)) (15:28), which means smooth mud, as we have discussed above.
﴿ وَوَجَدَ عِندَهَا قَوۡمً۬ا-ۗ ﴾
(And he found near it a people.) meaning a nation. They mentioned that they were a great nation from among the sons of Adam.
﴿ قُلۡنَا يَـٰذَا ٱلۡقَرۡنَيۡنِ إِمَّآ أَن تُعَذِّبَ وَإِمَّآ أَن تَتَّخِذَ فِيہِمۡ حُسۡنً۬ا ﴾
As you can read, the sun
Appeared to set in a spring of Hami'ah...which is not wrong.
Did you ask yourself why you still speak about "sunrise" and "sunset" even though in reality the Earth orbits the sun and not the other way around?
Because it is about perspective.
According to Einstein, speed and motion is relative. This means without a reference point there is no way to tell whether you are moving or not.
If you were floating around in void, nothing around you, so you have absolutely no reference point...there is no way you can tell whether you move in a certain direction or not.
but as soon as you have found a reference point, you can immediately tell that you are moving and even in which direction you are moving.
So again, speed and motion are relative.
I am telling this because if you choose to put your reference point in Amsterdam, the whole world, sun, moon, stars, in fact everything will orbit in a very very complicated pattern around Amsterdam...which we also observe exactly that if we are in Amsterdam and we look up.
This verse has set the reference point to where Dhul-Qarnayn is standing...that is all.
Edit:
I want to give another example of this reference point:
You said
Because we know now that the sun doesn’t move
You have said this because you have put the reference point on the sun...so in this model, the sun is stationary and everything else moves around the sun.
and then Abd-al Latif responded to you stating the sun DOES move, and rather fast...because he chose his reference point in the middle of the galaxy.
That is a whole different model.
You are both correct, depending on the reference point you choose.
