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in an orbit. Allah Most High says:
“It is He who created the night and the day, and the sun and the moon, each floating in an orbit.”
And He says:
“It is not for the sun to overtake the moon, nor does the night outstrip the day. Each floats in an orbit.”
An “orbit” is circular, as stated by those Companions, Successors, and other Muslim scholars who discussed it. A circular object comes into view gradually, so those near it see it before those farther away. And Allah knows best.
(*) End of Part Two of Kitāb al-Asmā’ wa-l-Sifāt (The Book of Names and Attributes).
فِي الْفَلَكِ؛
فَقَالَ تَعَالَى:
{وَهُوَ الَّذِي خَلَقَ اللَّيْلَ وَالنَّهَارَ وَالشَّمْسَ وَالْقَمَرَ كُلٌّ فِي فَلَكٍ يَسْبَحُونَ}
وَقَالَ تَعَالَى:
{لَا الشَّمْسُ يَنْبَغِي لَهَا أَنْ تُدْرِكَ الْقَمَرَ وَلَا اللَّيْلُ سَابِقُ النَّهَارِ وَكُلٌّ فِي فَلَكٍ يَسْبَحُونَ}
وَ
" الْفَلَكُ "
هُوَ الْمُسْتَدِيرُ كَمَا ذَكَرَ ذَلِكَ مَنْ ذَكَرَهُ مِنْ الصَّحَابَةِ وَالتَّابِعِينَ وَغَيْرِهِمْ مِنْ عُلَمَاءِ الْمُسْلِمِينَ وَالْمُسْتَدِيرُ يَظْهَرُ شَيْئًا بَعْدَ شَيْءٍ فَيَرَاهُ الْقَرِيبُ مِنْهُ قَبْلَ الْبَعِيدِ عَنْهُ. وَاَللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ.
(*) آخِرُ الْجُزْءِ الثَّانِي مِنْ كِتَابِ الْأَسْمَاءِ وَالصِّفَاتِ