Dr Jonathan Brown: The Hadith of the Sun Prostrating

Here we see scholars looked at the Hadith of the Sun Prostrating as metaphorical and did not take it literally.

Damascene scholar Nawawi concluded that the Hadith of the Sun Prostrating must be referring to a metaphorical prostration - the sun's submission to God's will through the order of His creation. As the Quran reads in a highly poetic passage: 'The stars and the trees bow down' (55:6). 'Misquoting Muhammad', Jonathan A.C Brown, Kindle p71

Jonathan Brown on Hadith Sun Prostrates Under Throne



Dr Jonathan Brown mentions that the pre-modern Muslim scholars knew that the Sun did not literally prostrate - it was seen as figurative.

For a further discussion on this Hadith see:
http://www.letmeturnthetables.com/2012/09/sun-prostration-throne-hadith-explained.html

Narrated Abu Dharr: The Prophet asked me at sunset, "Do you know where the sun goes (at the time of sunset)?" I replied, "Allah and His Messenger know better." He said, "It goes (i.e. travels) till it prostrates Itself underneath the Throne and takes the permission to rise again, and it is permitted and then (a time will come when) it will be about to prostrate itself but its prostration will not be accepted, and it will ask permission to go on its course but it will not be permitted, but it will be ordered to return whence it has come and so it will rise in the west. And that is the interpretation of the Statement of Allah: "And the sun is quickly proceeding towards its destination. That is the designing of the All-Mighty, the All-Knowing. " (36.38)
(Sahih Bukhari, Volume 4, Book 54, Hadith 421)

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