Ibn 'Abbaas' statement about motion of sun

21-11-2016 | IslamWeb

Question:

Assalaamu alaykum. What is the meaning of this hadith, and is it authentic? Does it contradict science? It was narrated from Ibn Abbas, "The sun is like flowing water, running in its course in the sky during the day. When it sets, it travels in its course beneath the earth until it rises in the east.” He said, “The same is true in the case of the moon.” It was quoted by Ibn Kathir, I think. Thank you very much.

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Answer:

All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.

This hadeeth is not attributed to the Prophet at all in any of the books of the Sunnah that we have at hand, but it was reported by Ibn Abu Haatim in his Tafseer (exegesis) as only being a statement of Ibn ‘Abbaas [and not said by the Prophet]; and Ibn Katheer said, “Its chain of narrators is authentic.”

So we are afraid that Ibn ‘Abbaas had taken it from the Israelites, as it is known that he would narrate from Ka’b Al-Ahbaar and others, as was stated by Ibn Katheer in Al-Bidaayah wan-Nihaayah (1/22).

The same thing was said by Shaykh Al-Albaani in Silsilat Al-Ahadeeth Adh-Dha’eefah wal-Mawdhoo’ah wa Atharuha As-Sayyi’ fee Al-Ummah.

Given that the hadeeth is not proven to be authentic, there is no need to discuss its meaning or its inconsistency with scientific facts.

Allah knows best.