Abu Rayyah Rejects the Hadith: “Where Does the Sun Go To After It Sets”
Abu Rayyah Rejects the Hadith: “A Slave Keeps Getting Close to Me on Account of Optional Prayers”
December 2, 2015The Allegations of Mahmud Abu Rayyah
December 3, 2015BACK⇒ Return to Table of contents
Abu Rayyah Rejects the Hadith: “Where Does the Sun Go To After It Sets”
On page 23, Abu Rayyah quotes the hadith regarding, “Where does the Sun go to after it sets”. Abu Rayyah casts doubts and mocks this hadith of the Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam saying:
ان اسناده جيد, ذلك الذى يضحك الاطفال لانه يخالف دليل العلم و شاهد الحس اذا يفيد ان الشمس عندما تغرب تصعد الى عرش الرحمان فتسجد تحته ثم تستاذن ربها فى الطلوع فى اليوم الثانى فلا يؤذن لها و تظل تستاذن حتى يجيئها الاذن فيجرها سبعون الف ملك من المغرب الى المشرق لكى تطلع على الناس فى اليوم الثانى…ثم تبين للعلماء انه قد تلقاه عن كعب الاحبار اليهودى-و هذا مخالف لنص القران الكريم
The chain of it is good, the same hadith which makes the children laugh as it goes against the proofs of knowledge and what is witnessed with the senses. This is because it suggests that when the sun sets, it rises to the ‘Arsh of Allah. There it prostrates under it and then seeks permission from its Rabb to rise again the next day. It is not granted permission, so it continues to seek permission until it is eventually granted permission. Then, seventy thousand angels pull it from the west to the east for it to rise for the people the next day… thereafter, the scholars realised that he learnt it from Ka’b al Ahbar the Jew, and this is against the clear verses of the Qur’an.
Our comment: Your criticism is not restricted to Abu Hurairah radiya Llahu ‘anhu, in fact, you have belied and criticised the Book of Allah subhanahu wa ta ‘ala and His verses. The prostration of all the creation has been established just as it is stated in this noble verse of Allah subhanahu wa ta ‘ala:
اَلَمْ تَرَ اَنَّ اللّٰهَ يَسْجُدُ لَهُ مَنْ فِی السَّمٰوٰتِ وَمَنْ فِی الْاَرْضِ وَ الشَّمْسُ وَالْقَمَرُ وَالنُّجُوْمُ وَالْجِبَالُ وَالشَّجَرُوَالدَّ وَابُّ وَکَثِیْرٌ مِّنَ النَّاسِ
Do you not see (i.e. know) that to Allah prostrates whoever is in the heavens and whoever is on the earth and the sun, the moon, the stars, the mountains, the trees, the moving creatures and many of the people?[1]
Allah established in the Qur’an the prostration of the sun, the moon, the stars and other creations. We have no idea of the manner in which they prostrate, just as we have no idea of the manner in which they glorify Allah. We have no option but to believe that which Allah informs us of in His Magnificent Book. Rejecting this is clear disbelief and deviation. This is what he chose to do when he denied the prostration of the sun and others, so take a lesson, O people of intelligence.
If you, your teacher, and your cohorts are adamant that you will not have anything to do with that narrated by Abu Hurairah radiya Llahu ‘anhu, then we will narrate to you that which, according to you, is authentically narrated from the Ahlul Bayt from their forefathers, al Sadiq — his father, al Baqir — his father, Zayn al ‘Abidin — Hussain al Sibt, — his father, Amir al Mu’minin — the Messenger salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, may the salutations of Allah be upon all of them. This (claim of authenticity) is your view and the view of the Shia.
Abu al Sabah al Kinani — Asbagh ibn Nubatah — Amir al Mu’minin said:
ان للشمس ثلاثمائة و ستين برجا كل برج منها مثل جزيرة من جزائر العرب, فتنزل كل يوم على برج منها فاذا غابت انتهت الى حد بطنان العرش فلم تزل ساجدة الى الغد ثم ترد الى موضع مطلعها و معها ملكان يهتفان معها وان وجهها لاهل السماء وقفاها لاهل الارض, ولو كان وجهها لاهل الارض لاحترقت الارض ومن عليها من شدة حرها و معنى سجودها ما قال الله سبحانه و تعالى:
اَلَمْ تَرَ اَنَّ اللّٰهَ يَسْجُدُ لَهُ مَنْ فِی السَّمٰوٰتِ وَمَنْ فِی الْاَرْضِ وَ الشَّمْسُ وَالْقَمَرُ وَالنُّجُوْمُ وَالْجِبَالُ وَالشَّجَرُوَالدَّ وَابُّ وَکَثِیْرٌ مِّنَ النَّاسِ
The sun has three hundred stations. Each station is the size of one of the islands of the Arabian Peninsula. Every day it comes down to one of the stations. When it disappears, it goes underneath the throne. It remains there in prostration until the next day. Thereafter, it is returned to its place from where it rises. It has two angels who keep calling it. Its face faces the inhabitants of the sky whilst its back faces the inhabitants of the Earth. If it had to face the Earth, the inhabitants of the earth would all burn due to its heat. What is meant by its prostration is as mentioned by Allah subhanahu wa ta ‘ala:
Do you not see (i.e. know) that to Allah prostrates whoever is in the heavens and whoever is on the earth and the sun, the moon, the stars, the mountains, the trees, the moving creatures?[2]
Al Ikhtisas of Abu al Sabah al Kinani states, I asked Abu ‘Abdullah al Sadiq rahimahu Llah regarding the statement of Allah, “Do you not see that to Allah prostrates whoever is in the heavens and whoever is on the earth and the sun, the moon, the stars, the mountains, the trees, the moving creatures”:
ان للشمس اربع سجدات كل يوم و ليلة: سجدة اذا صارت فى طول السماء قبل ان يطلع الفجر, قلت بلى جعلت فداك قال ذاك الفجر الكاذب لان الشمس تخرج ساجدة وهى فى طرف الارض فاذا ارتفعت من سجودها طلع الفجر و دخل وقت الصلاة و اما السجدة الثانية فانها اذا صارت فى وسط القبة وارتفع النار ركدت قبل الزوال فاذا صارت بحذاء العرش ركدت و سجدت فاذا ارتفعت من سجودها زالت عن وسط القبة فيدخل وقت صلاة الزوال. واما السجدة الثالثة انها اذا غابت من الافق خرت ساجدة فاذا ارتفعت من سجودها زال الليل كما انها حين زالت حين وسط السماء دخل وقت الزوال زوال النهار
He replied, “The sun prostrates four times during every day and night. The first prostration is when it occupies the length of the sky, before dawn.”
I responded, “Yes, may I be sacrificed for you.”
He went on to say, “That is the false dawn. This is because the sun emerges in the state of prostration while it is in a portion of the earth. When it rises from its prostration, dawn arrives and the time of salah enters. The second prostration is when it is in the centre of the dome and the fire rises, it stops before zenith. When it is in line with the ‘Arsh, it stops and prostrates. When it rises from prostration, it moves from the centre of the dome, and the time for Salat al Zawal arrives. The third prostration is when it disappears from the horizon. It falls into prostration. When it rises from this prostration the night disappears, just as when it goes away from the middle of the sky the time of zenith enters, the zenith of the day.”[3]
O reader, look at how this author belies and discredits this hadith which is corroborated and confirmed by the Qur’an and Sunnah of the Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, and it is narrated by Abu Hurairah radiya Llahu ‘anhu. How can it contradict the Qur’an when the Imams have used this verse of the Qur’an to support it? Can we say that the Imams learnt this hadith from Ka’b al Ahbar, the Jew? Their hatred for Abu Hurairah radiya Llahu ‘anhu has blinded their hearts and their vision, thus, they can see no more.
[1] Surah al Hajj: 18.
[2] Surah al Hajj: 18.
[3] Al Mufid: Al Ikhtisas, pg. 213-214; Al Anwar al No’maniyyah, 1/181.
BACK⇒ Return to Table of contents
Abu Rayyah Rejects the Hadith: “Where Does the Sun Go To After It Sets”
On page 23, Abu Rayyah quotes the hadith regarding, “Where does the Sun go to after it sets”. Abu Rayyah casts doubts and mocks this hadith of the Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam saying:
ان اسناده جيد, ذلك الذى يضحك الاطفال لانه يخالف دليل العلم و شاهد الحس اذا يفيد ان الشمس عندما تغرب تصعد الى عرش الرحمان فتسجد تحته ثم تستاذن ربها فى الطلوع فى اليوم الثانى فلا يؤذن لها و تظل تستاذن حتى يجيئها الاذن فيجرها سبعون الف ملك من المغرب الى المشرق لكى تطلع على الناس فى اليوم الثانى…ثم تبين للعلماء انه قد تلقاه عن كعب الاحبار اليهودى-و هذا مخالف لنص القران الكريم
The chain of it is good, the same hadith which makes the children laugh as it goes against the proofs of knowledge and what is witnessed with the senses. This is because it suggests that when the sun sets, it rises to the ‘Arsh of Allah. There it prostrates under it and then seeks permission from its Rabb to rise again the next day. It is not granted permission, so it continues to seek permission until it is eventually granted permission. Then, seventy thousand angels pull it from the west to the east for it to rise for the people the next day… thereafter, the scholars realised that he learnt it from Ka’b al Ahbar the Jew, and this is against the clear verses of the Qur’an.
Our comment: Your criticism is not restricted to Abu Hurairah radiya Llahu ‘anhu, in fact, you have belied and criticised the Book of Allah subhanahu wa ta ‘ala and His verses. The prostration of all the creation has been established just as it is stated in this noble verse of Allah subhanahu wa ta ‘ala:
اَلَمْ تَرَ اَنَّ اللّٰهَ يَسْجُدُ لَهُ مَنْ فِی السَّمٰوٰتِ وَمَنْ فِی الْاَرْضِ وَ الشَّمْسُ وَالْقَمَرُ وَالنُّجُوْمُ وَالْجِبَالُ وَالشَّجَرُوَالدَّ وَابُّ وَکَثِیْرٌ مِّنَ النَّاسِ
Do you not see (i.e. know) that to Allah prostrates whoever is in the heavens and whoever is on the earth and the sun, the moon, the stars, the mountains, the trees, the moving creatures and many of the people?[1]
Allah established in the Qur’an the prostration of the sun, the moon, the stars and other creations. We have no idea of the manner in which they prostrate, just as we have no idea of the manner in which they glorify Allah. We have no option but to believe that which Allah informs us of in His Magnificent Book. Rejecting this is clear disbelief and deviation. This is what he chose to do when he denied the prostration of the sun and others, so take a lesson, O people of intelligence.
If you, your teacher, and your cohorts are adamant that you will not have anything to do with that narrated by Abu Hurairah radiya Llahu ‘anhu, then we will narrate to you that which, according to you, is authentically narrated from the Ahlul Bayt from their forefathers, al Sadiq — his father, al Baqir — his father, Zayn al ‘Abidin — Hussain al Sibt, — his father, Amir al Mu’minin — the Messenger salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, may the salutations of Allah be upon all of them. This (claim of authenticity) is your view and the view of the Shia.
Abu al Sabah al Kinani — Asbagh ibn Nubatah — Amir al Mu’minin said:
ان للشمس ثلاثمائة و ستين برجا كل برج منها مثل جزيرة من جزائر العرب, فتنزل كل يوم على برج منها فاذا غابت انتهت الى حد بطنان العرش فلم تزل ساجدة الى الغد ثم ترد الى موضع مطلعها و معها ملكان يهتفان معها وان وجهها لاهل السماء وقفاها لاهل الارض, ولو كان وجهها لاهل الارض لاحترقت الارض ومن عليها من شدة حرها و معنى سجودها ما قال الله سبحانه و تعالى:
اَلَمْ تَرَ اَنَّ اللّٰهَ يَسْجُدُ لَهُ مَنْ فِی السَّمٰوٰتِ وَمَنْ فِی الْاَرْضِ وَ الشَّمْسُ وَالْقَمَرُ وَالنُّجُوْمُ وَالْجِبَالُ وَالشَّجَرُوَالدَّ وَابُّ وَکَثِیْرٌ مِّنَ النَّاسِ
The sun has three hundred stations. Each station is the size of one of the islands of the Arabian Peninsula. Every day it comes down to one of the stations. When it disappears, it goes underneath the throne. It remains there in prostration until the next day. Thereafter, it is returned to its place from where it rises. It has two angels who keep calling it. Its face faces the inhabitants of the sky whilst its back faces the inhabitants of the Earth. If it had to face the Earth, the inhabitants of the earth would all burn due to its heat. What is meant by its prostration is as mentioned by Allah subhanahu wa ta ‘ala:
Do you not see (i.e. know) that to Allah prostrates whoever is in the heavens and whoever is on the earth and the sun, the moon, the stars, the mountains, the trees, the moving creatures?[2]
Al Ikhtisas of Abu al Sabah al Kinani states, I asked Abu ‘Abdullah al Sadiq rahimahu Llah regarding the statement of Allah, “Do you not see that to Allah prostrates whoever is in the heavens and whoever is on the earth and the sun, the moon, the stars, the mountains, the trees, the moving creatures”:
ان للشمس اربع سجدات كل يوم و ليلة: سجدة اذا صارت فى طول السماء قبل ان يطلع الفجر, قلت بلى جعلت فداك قال ذاك الفجر الكاذب لان الشمس تخرج ساجدة وهى فى طرف الارض فاذا ارتفعت من سجودها طلع الفجر و دخل وقت الصلاة و اما السجدة الثانية فانها اذا صارت فى وسط القبة وارتفع النار ركدت قبل الزوال فاذا صارت بحذاء العرش ركدت و سجدت فاذا ارتفعت من سجودها زالت عن وسط القبة فيدخل وقت صلاة الزوال. واما السجدة الثالثة انها اذا غابت من الافق خرت ساجدة فاذا ارتفعت من سجودها زال الليل كما انها حين زالت حين وسط السماء دخل وقت الزوال زوال النهار
He replied, “The sun prostrates four times during every day and night. The first prostration is when it occupies the length of the sky, before dawn.”
I responded, “Yes, may I be sacrificed for you.”
He went on to say, “That is the false dawn. This is because the sun emerges in the state of prostration while it is in a portion of the earth. When it rises from its prostration, dawn arrives and the time of salah enters. The second prostration is when it is in the centre of the dome and the fire rises, it stops before zenith. When it is in line with the ‘Arsh, it stops and prostrates. When it rises from prostration, it moves from the centre of the dome, and the time for Salat al Zawal arrives. The third prostration is when it disappears from the horizon. It falls into prostration. When it rises from this prostration the night disappears, just as when it goes away from the middle of the sky the time of zenith enters, the zenith of the day.”[3]
O reader, look at how this author belies and discredits this hadith which is corroborated and confirmed by the Qur’an and Sunnah of the Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, and it is narrated by Abu Hurairah radiya Llahu ‘anhu. How can it contradict the Qur’an when the Imams have used this verse of the Qur’an to support it? Can we say that the Imams learnt this hadith from Ka’b al Ahbar, the Jew? Their hatred for Abu Hurairah radiya Llahu ‘anhu has blinded their hearts and their vision, thus, they can see no more.
[1] Surah al Hajj: 18.
[2] Surah al Hajj: 18.
[3] Al Mufid: Al Ikhtisas, pg. 213-214; Al Anwar al No’maniyyah, 1/181.