๐๐ฎ๐ง ๐ฌ๐๐ญ๐ฌ ๐ข๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ค๐ฒ ๐ฐ๐๐ญ๐๐ซ ๐๐ฌ ๐ฉ๐๐ซ ๐๐ฎ๐ซ’๐๐ง?
Mohamad Mostafa Nassar
Twitter:@NassarMohamadMR
One of the top-ten questions hurled at Muslims in any debate against Christians is about the following verse of the Holy Qurโan about Zulqarnain;
ุญูุชููู ุฅูุฐูุง ุจูููุบู ู ูุบูุฑูุจู ุงูุดููู ูุณู ููุฌูุฏูููุง ุชูุบูุฑูุจู ููู ุนููููู ุญูู ูุฆูุฉู
โUntil, when he reached the setting of the sun, he found (wajada) it set in a spring of murky water: โ(Qurโan 18:86)
They say, the verse clearly says that sun sets in the murky water and needless to say it is blunder and proves that Qurโan is not the word of God
What does the Qurโan actually say?
Had the Qur’an actually said what they make it say, their conclusion would have been logical only. But they err in understanding the verse in the very first place.
1- The word used by the Qurโan:
I have given the translation of Abdullah Yusuf Ali above. The word he translated as โfoundโ is ูุฌุฏ i.e. โwajada.โ This word is used to describe the perception. See the proof from the Edward William Laneโs Lexicon.
Edward William Laneโs Arabic-English Lexicon p. 2924
And further he writes;


So the word โwajadaโ refers to perception through any one of the five senses.
2- Qurโan uses the wording from Zulqarnainโs perspective:
What we find is that Qurโan has used the word from the perspective of Zulqarnain and merely describes his perception and how it appeared in his sight. owH And the description is very much valid for on a shore that is how sunset actually seems. May be the following image helps a bit.

3- Muslims have always understood the verse like this:
Someone may argue, the above explanation is the concoction of modern Muslim apologists and the verse reads as the skeptics say because early Muslims never knew the scientific facts about the cosmos as they are known today.
In Tafsir Jalalayn co-authored by al-Suyuti (d. 911 A.H.) and al-Mahalli (d. 864 A.H.), we find the following words;
ูุบุฑูุจูุง ูู ุงูุนูู ูู ุฑุฃู ุงูุนูู
โโฆ its setting in a spring is [described as seen] from the perspective of the eye.โ (ONLINE SOURCE)
Before them Ibn Kathir (d. 774 A.H.) wrote:
ุฑูุฃูู ุงูุดููู
ูุณู ููู ู
ูููุธูุฑููู ุชูุบูุฑูุจู ููู ุงููุจูุญูุฑู ุงููู
ูุญููุทูุ ููููุฐูุง ุดูุฃููู ููููู ู
ููู ุงููุชูููู ุฅูููู ุณูุงุญูููููุ ููุฑูุงููุง ููุฃููููููุง ุชูุบูุฑูุจู ูููููุ ูููููู ููุง ุชูููุงุฑููู ุงูููููููู ุงูุฑููุงุจูุนู ุงูููุฐูู ูููู ู
ูุซูุจููุชูุฉู ููููู ููุง ุชูููุงุฑููููู
โโฆ 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.โ (ONLINE SOURCE)
And even before him Nasiruddin al-Baydhawi (d. 691 A.H.) said:
ููุนูู ุจูุบ ุณุงุญู ุงูู
ุญูุท ูุฑุขูุง ูุฐูู ุฅุฐ ูู
ููู ูู ู
ุทู
ุญ ุจุตุฑู ุบูุฑ ุงูู
ุงุก ููุฐูู ูุงู { ููุฌูุฏูููุง ุชูุบูุฑูุจู } ููู
ููู ูุงูุช ุชุบุฑุจ
โPerhaps he reached shore of an ocean and saw it like that as there was nothing in his sight except water and for this reason it is said, โand he perceived it to setโ, and not that it actually sets.โ (Anwar al-Tanzil wa Asrar al-Tawil 4/14)
I hope all this detail leaves no ambiguity.
LET ME TURN THE TABLES!
In the Bible we have something interesting on these lines. Talking about the two mountains, Gerizim and Ebal, the Book of Deuteronomy tells us;
โAre they not on the other side Jordan, by the way where the sun goeth down, in the land of the Canaanites, which dwell in the campaign over against Gilgal, beside the plains of Moreh?โ (KJV, Deuteronomy 11:30)
Now the question is if the sun actually goes down? Certainly not! There is no doubt the verse simply refers to how humans perceive it and calling it a scientific error is nothing but sheer cunningness.
But the point here is, why adopt double standards? Why do the missionaries divorce with the common sense when they speak about Islamic texts?
Remember the words of Jesus, may Allah bless him?
โJudge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.โ (KJV, Matthew 7: 1-2)

Indeed Allah knows the best!
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