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T The Qur'anic
description of the sequence of day and night
would, in itself, be rather commonplace were
it not for the fact that it is expressed in
terms I - hat are today highly appropriate.
The Qur'aan uses the verb kawwara in chapter
az-Zumar to describe the way the night 'winds'
or 'coils' itself around the day and the day
around the night.
"He
coils the night upon the day and the day
upon the night."
Surah (Chapter) Az Zumar
(The Groups) Qur-an 39:5 |
The original meaning of the verb kawwara is
to coil a turban around the head. This is a
totally valid comparison; yet at the time the
qur'aan was revealed, the astronomical data
necessary to make this comparison were unknown.
It is not until man landed on the moon and observed
the earth spinning on its axis, that the dark
half of the globe appeared to wind itself around
the light and the light half appeared to wind
itself around the dark.
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