How can one understand the Almighty’s saying: ﴿لَا الشَّمْسُ يَنبَغِي لَهَا أَن تُدْرِكَ الْقَمَرَ﴾ (Ya-Sin: 40), taking into consideration the immense size of the sun and the different orbits of the planets?
The doubts that cross your mind may be a sign of faith, as long as you dislike them. According to Abu Hurayrah in Sahih Muslim, disliking these thoughts is aريح الإيمان (pure faith).
The verse (لا الشمس ينبغي لها أن تدرك القمر) "It is not for the sun to overtake the moon" negates the possibility of the sun colliding with the moon, as each has an independent and distant orbit, leaving no room for them to meet. What you imagine about the size of the sun and moon and their proximity is a mistaken understanding, and the verse does not indicate it. Therefore, there is no contradiction between the apparent meaning of the verse and modern scientific discoveries; rather, it is proof that the Quran is from Allah.
Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026
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