Three Questions by a Christian and their Answers — Page 47
47 possible for the Sun, which is so big, to hide in a small marshy pool? This objection is akin to saying, 'The New Testament describes Jesus as as the lamb of God. How can this be possible, when a lamb has horns on its head, and wool on its skin, and walks like quadrupeds with its head down, and eats what they eat. ' My dear sir, from where and from whom did you learn about the Holy Quran claiming that the Sun actually hid in a marshy pool? The Holy Quran merely reproduces the perception of the traveller, and says that, to his eyes, the Sun appeared to be setting in a marshy pool. Hence, the description here is of what the man saw, and how he came to a place where the Sun did not appear to be setting behind a hill or a habitation or behind some trees, as is commonly observed, but to be setting into a marshy pool. The meaning is that there were no habitation, no trees and no hills, nor was there any sign of these things as far as the eye could see; there was only a marshy pool into which the Sun seemed to be setting. Look at the context of the verses carefully, do you find any scholarly research? All you find is the account of a man travelling far and wide, and the purpose of all the descrip- tion is to show the kind of wilderness in which he found himself. Trying to relate all this to astronomy is simply tak- ing things out of context. For instance, if someone says that overnight the sky had become so clear and cloudless that the stars seemed to shine like dots, will you start arguing with him and ask how can stars be as small as dots, and will you start quoting