.....THE LIGHT OF THE MOON IS REFLECTED LIGHT.....

It was believed by earlier civilizations that the moon emanates its own light. Science now tells us that the light of the moon is reflected light. However this fact was mentioned in the Quran 1400 years ago in the following verse:

"Blessed is He Who made Constellations in the skies, And placed therein a Lamp And a Moon giving light." (25:61)

The Arabic word for the sun in the Quran is shams. It is referred to as siraaj, which means a 'torch' or as wahhaaj which means 'a blazing lamp' or as diya which 'shining glory'. All three descriptions are appropiate to the sun, since it generates intense heat and light by its internal combustion. The arabic word for the moon is qamar and it is described in the Quran as muneer, which is a body that gives nur i.e light. Again, the Quran description matches perfectly with the true nature of the moon, which does not give off the light itself and is an inert body that reflects the light of the sun. Not once in the Quran, is the moon mentioned as siraaj, wahhaaj or diya or the sun as nur or muneer.

This implies that the Quran recognizes the difference between the nature of sunlight and moonlight. Consider the following verses related to the nature of light from the sun and the moon:

"It is He who made the sun to be shining glory and the moon to be a light (Of beauty). (10:5)"

"See ye not How Allah has created the seven heavens One above another,"And made the moon A light in their medst, and the sun as a (Glorious) Lamp?"(71:15-16)