Astronomy · a Light

The sun is called a radiance and the moon a light

Surah Yunus says He made the sun a radiance, diya, and the moon a light, nur, and measured out phases for it so that people could count years and reckon time. Arabic uses two different words there, and commentators noticed and discussed the difference long ago. It is sometimes offered as proof that the Qur'an knew the moon shines by reflection before science did. That is not fair to the astronomers. Greek writers had already explained lunar phases by reflected sunlight, and al-Biruni set the geometry out with diagrams in the eleventh century, as did Ibn al-Haytham in a treatise on moonlight. The knowledge was in the world and was hard won. The verse asks that the counting of months be noticed as a gift.

Surah Yunus 10:5

Source · Qur'an 10:5