Why does the quran not refer to the sun as a star?

[Crystal]

Hey all again, this is my 3rd question in relation to Islam.

Indeed your Lord is Allah, Who created the heavens and the earth in Six Days, and then He rose over (Istawa) the Throne (really in a manner that suits His Majesty). He brings the night as a cover over the day, seeking it rapidly, and (He created) the sun, the moon, the stars subjected to His Command. Surely, His is the Creation and Commandment. Blessed is Allah, the Lord of the 'Alamin (mankind, jinn and all that exists)! Al Araf verse number 54.

If the quran is from God then did God refer to the sun and stars in the same context since the sun is a star?

 

[Dagless]

I think the sun is only a star in terms of scientific classification. In everyday language (well English anyway) you wouldn't ever refer to it as a star. Others may have a better answer in terms of translation.

 

[جوري]

If the quran is from God then did God refer to the sun and stars in the same context since the sun is a star?

The term 'star' is nondescript & generic, giving it a name. shams or sun enables the reader to ponder the immediate and the far.. Many other stars in the Quran are also referred to by the names known to the Arab astronomers for instance Sirius..
it is He Who is the Lord of Sirius. (Qur'an, 53: 49).
again if referred to as a mere star how would the people who took Sirius for a God know to distinguish it from any other star?

best

 

[Insaanah]

If the quran is from God then did God refer to the sun and stars in the same context since the sun is a star?

Peace, Crystal, and a belated welcome to the forum.

When we refer to the sun, or a sunny day, we don't say, "Gosh, the biggest star's shining brightly today", or, the weathermen don't say, "It'll be a starry day tomorrow". Allah has referred to them in the context known by people, so that they may understand.

Peace.

 

[marwen]

Peace,

I guess you mean why Allah mentioned the sun separately and then returned to speak about stars in general, why didn't He pass up the sun, as He will speak about the stars (including sun) later ?

Well, there could be many explanations, but there is at least 2 apparent reasons for that (wallahu a'alam (Allah knows best) ) :

1) From an "earthly" point of view (as the quran is sent to humans), we tend to make a difference between the sun and any other normal star. We always see the sun as a special star. It's the most close to us. Its role is special too (its presence controls the difference between day and night, it controls the seasons, etc).

2) If we look at the previous words in the verse (before mentioning the stars) we can see that the context before was the duality of the day and the night :
"He brings the night as a cover over the day, seeking it rapidly, and (He created) the sun, the moon, the stars subjected to His Command".
According to this, if we continue the duality, what you see in day is the sun, and what you see in night is the moon and the stars.
This type of dualities exist in many places in the quran : day and night, good and evil, life and death, heaven and hell, believers and non-believers.

 

[Crystal]

Thanks for all the replies especially marwen your second point.