Ancient civilizations believed that the moon emitted its own light, but science now tells us that moonlight is actually reflected sunlight. Remarkably, this idea was alluded to in the Qur’an over 1,400 years ago in the following verse:
تَبَارَكَ الَّذِينَ جَعَلَ فِي السَّمَاءِ بُرُوجًا وَجَعَلَ فِيهَا سِرَاجًا وَقَمَرًا منيرًا
“Blessed is He who made in the heavens constellations and placed therein a lamp and a shining moon.” (Al-Furqan: 61)
In this verse, the Qur’an uses the word شمس (shams) for the sun. It also refers to it as سِرَاجًا (siraj), which means “lamp,” and وَهَّاجًا (wahhaj), meaning “bright light” or “torch.” All these descriptions are appropriate for the sun because it generates intense heat and light through internal combustion.
The Arabic word قمر (qamar) is used for the moon, which is described in the Qur’an as منير (munir), indicating a light-giving object. Additionally, the moon is an inactive body that reflects sunlight. This characteristic aligns perfectly with the description provided in the Qur’an.
Moreover, the Qur’an differentiates between the light of the sun and the light of the moon. The following verses relate to the nature of the sun and moon’s light:
هُوَ الَّذِينَ جَعَلَ الشَّمْسَ ضِيَاء وَالْقَمَرَ نور
“It is He who made the sun a shining light and made the moon a derived light.” (Yunus: 5)
تَرَوْا كَيْفَ خَلَقَ اللهُ سَبْعَ سَمُوتٍ طِبَاقًا – وَجَعَلَ الْقَمَرُ الم فِيهِنَّ نُورًا وَجَعَلَ الشَّمْسَ سِرَجًا
“Do you not see how Allah has created seven heavens, one above another, and made the moon therein a light and made the sun a lamp?” (Nuh: 15-16)
Thus, the Qur’an and modern science harmonize beautifully regarding the nature of sunlight and moonlight.
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