Ya-Seen
Encyclopedia
Yā Sīn
Yā Sīn ( literally "O Sin is the 36th 'chapter
' of the Qur'an
with 83 ayah
, and is one of the Meccan sura
. It is often referred to as "the Heart of the Qur'an" in accordance to a well-known hadith of Muhammad.
"Yāʾ" and "Sīn", possibly referring to the Islamic prophet
, Muhammad
, since Ya also means "O" while "Sin" is often interpreted as indicating insan (human). The context seems to indicate this interpretation as well, as verses 3-6 specifically address Muhammad. Yasin
is used as a name in the Islamic world. This is just an assumption as only God knows the actual meaning behind the title "Ya Sin".
. The arguments arise in three forms: a historical parable, a reflection on the order in the universe, and lastly a discussion of resurrection and human accountability.
"38: And the sun runs on its fixed course for a term (appointed). That is the Decree of the All-Mighty, the All-Knowing.
39: And the moon, We have measured for it mansions (to traverse) till it returns like the old dried curved date stalk.
40: It is not for the sun to overtake the moon, nor does the night outstrip the day. They all float, each in an orbit."
To some, this is a contradiction to the basic scientific fact that the Sun is nearly at the center of our solar system and does not orbit the other planets. All the planets orbit the sun. However, others might argue that, taken from the broader scope of things in the universe, the sun is also moving around a heavenly body 'greater than itself' that we know of scientifically. As we know for a fact that just as the planets circle the Sun, the Sun and many other stars revolve around the center of the Milky Way Galaxy. It is believed that there is a supermassive black hole
at the Galactic Center of the Milky Way
. The Sun makes one nearly circular orbit around the galactic center about every 230 million years, moving at a speed of about 220 km/second. This agrees with the Quranic argument about the Sun revolving another celestial body. Also, an important point is to note that the same word used in Arabic for revolution can also denote rotation. Thus, it can also signify Solar rotation
on its own axis every 24.47 days.
The knowledge of Earth's orbit around the sun being a prevalent theory even during the time which the Qur'an was revealed, this verse can be viewed in the light that it was already understood that the Earth orbits the sun, and it was rather a notion in regards to our vantage point, or of time itself; that the sun and the moon rotate in fixed times which we perceive in orbit.
Yā Sīn ( literally "O Sin is the 36th 'chapter
Sura
A sura is a division of the Qur'an, often referred to as a chapter. The term chapter is sometimes avoided, as the suras are of unequal length; the shortest sura has only three ayat while the longest contains 286 ayat...
' of the Qur'an
Qur'an
The Quran , also transliterated Qur'an, Koran, Alcoran, Qur’ān, Coran, Kuran, and al-Qur’ān, is the central religious text of Islam, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God . It is regarded widely as the finest piece of literature in the Arabic language...
with 83 ayah
Ayah
Ayah or Aayah is the Arabic word for sign or proof:"These are the Ayat of Allah, which We recite to you with truth...
, and is one of the Meccan sura
Meccan sura
The Meccan suras are the chronologically earlier suras of the Qur'an that were, according to Islamic tradition, revealed anytime before the Hijrah . The other type of sura is the Madinan sura....
. It is often referred to as "the Heart of the Qur'an" in accordance to a well-known hadith of Muhammad.
Mysterious letters
Opening with the Arabic lettersMuqatta'at
Muqatta'at are unique letter combinations that begin certain suras of the Qur'an. Muqatta'at literally means abbreviated or shortened. Their meanings remain unclear and are considered by most Muslims to be divine secrets....
"Yāʾ" and "Sīn", possibly referring to the Islamic prophet
Prophets of Islam
Muslims identify the Prophets of Islam as those humans chosen by God and given revelation to deliver to mankind. Muslims believe that every prophet was given a belief to worship God and their respective followers believed it as well...
, Muhammad
Muhammad
Muhammad |ligature]] at U+FDF4 ;Arabic pronunciation varies regionally; the first vowel ranges from ~~; the second and the last vowel: ~~~. There are dialects which have no stress. In Egypt, it is pronounced not in religious contexts...
, since Ya also means "O" while "Sin" is often interpreted as indicating insan (human). The context seems to indicate this interpretation as well, as verses 3-6 specifically address Muhammad. Yasin
Yasin
The Yasin anti-tank rocket launcher is a weapon developed by Hamas' Ezzedeen-al-qassam brigades named after the group's spiritual leader, Sheik Ahmed Yasin, who was assassinated by the Israeli Defense Forces on March 22, 2004...
is used as a name in the Islamic world. This is just an assumption as only God knows the actual meaning behind the title "Ya Sin".
Sections and themes of Ya-Seen
This chapter of the Qur'an covers many of the themes of the Qur'an, but primarily focused on arguments for belief in GodGod
God is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....
. The arguments arise in three forms: a historical parable, a reflection on the order in the universe, and lastly a discussion of resurrection and human accountability.
Scientific arguments refuting alleged contradictions
In Verses 38-40 it states:"38: And the sun runs on its fixed course for a term (appointed). That is the Decree of the All-Mighty, the All-Knowing.
39: And the moon, We have measured for it mansions (to traverse) till it returns like the old dried curved date stalk.
40: It is not for the sun to overtake the moon, nor does the night outstrip the day. They all float, each in an orbit."
To some, this is a contradiction to the basic scientific fact that the Sun is nearly at the center of our solar system and does not orbit the other planets. All the planets orbit the sun. However, others might argue that, taken from the broader scope of things in the universe, the sun is also moving around a heavenly body 'greater than itself' that we know of scientifically. As we know for a fact that just as the planets circle the Sun, the Sun and many other stars revolve around the center of the Milky Way Galaxy. It is believed that there is a supermassive black hole
Supermassive black hole
A supermassive black hole is the largest type of black hole in a galaxy, in the order of hundreds of thousands to billions of solar masses. Most, and possibly all galaxies, including the Milky Way, are believed to contain supermassive black holes at their centers.Supermassive black holes have...
at the Galactic Center of the Milky Way
Milky Way
The Milky Way is the galaxy that contains the Solar System. This name derives from its appearance as a dim un-resolved "milky" glowing band arching across the night sky...
. The Sun makes one nearly circular orbit around the galactic center about every 230 million years, moving at a speed of about 220 km/second. This agrees with the Quranic argument about the Sun revolving another celestial body. Also, an important point is to note that the same word used in Arabic for revolution can also denote rotation. Thus, it can also signify Solar rotation
Solar rotation
Solar rotation is able to vary with latitude because the Sun is composed of a gaseous plasma. The rate of rotation is observed to be fastest at the equator , and to decrease as latitude increases...
on its own axis every 24.47 days.
The knowledge of Earth's orbit around the sun being a prevalent theory even during the time which the Qur'an was revealed, this verse can be viewed in the light that it was already understood that the Earth orbits the sun, and it was rather a notion in regards to our vantage point, or of time itself; that the sun and the moon rotate in fixed times which we perceive in orbit.
External links
- Read Surat al-Yasin in arabic, english translation and transliteration
- Learn Surah Yaseen on MountHira.com with Arabic audio, Arabic text, English translation and English transliteration of the Arabic text
- The Noble Qur'an translation