Did the Qur’an Say the Sun Sets in a Muddy Spring?

Contention

فَأَتْبَعَ سَبَبًا ۞ حَتَّىٰ إِذَا بَلَغَ مَغْرِبَ الشَّمْسِ وَجَدَهَا تَغْرُبُ فِي عَيْنٍ حَمِئَةٍ وَوَجَدَ عِنْدَهَا قَوْمًا ۗ قُلْنَا يَا ذَا الْقَرْنَيْنِ إِمَّا أَنْ تُعَذِّبَ وَإِمَّا أَنْ تَتَّخِذَفِيهِمْ حُسْنًا

“So he followed a course until, when he reached the setting of the sun, he found it setting in a muddy spring and found a people thereabout. We said, ‘O Dhū al-Qarnayn, either punish them or show them kindness.’”¹

Polemicists arguing against Islam aver that these āyāt contain two absurdities with regard to naturalistic phenomena. Their two claims are as follows:

1. These āyāt suggest the sun sets in a muddy spring on earth.
2. These āyāt imply the sun is smaller than the earth.

An example of such an argument against the Qurʾān is found on the website Apologetics Press, where we find the following, “In conveying the story, the Quran gives credence to the outrageous superstition that the Sun sets in a mud puddle…Observe that the Quran’s account is not worded in such a way as to be allowable on the basis of accommodative or phenomenal language—even as we speak of the Sun setting or rising. The inclusion of the location of the Sun’s setting—a muddy spring—places the account squarely into the realm of myth.”

It is the purpose of this article to assess the validity such arguments against the Qurʾān, and to provide a framework with which one may tackle all similar contentions.

Context

Using the multiplicity of readings approach², we must first site this passage within its wider context within the sūrah. The sūrah is a very well-known and well-read sūrah among Muslims, as it is thought that the Prophet Muḥammad ﷺ advised Muslims to read it every Friday. Further, the Prophet ﷺsaid, “Whoever memorises ten āyāt from the beginning of Sūrah al-Kahf will be protected from al-Dajjāl.”³

The sūrah contains four Qurʾanic narratives that are not found anywhere else within the Qurʾān. These narratives encapsulate the major fitan [trials] that affect all of us. The first narrative is about a group of pious men who flee the tyranny of their people and seek shelter inside a cave. The second narrative is about a rich man with two gardens whose greed leads him to self-destruction. The third narrative is about the Prophet Mūsā and al-Khiḍr (upon them both be peace), in which the former is taught a lesson about knowledge, patience, and the decree. The fourth narrative is about Dhū al-Qarnayn, a powerful king who is faced with a conquered people whom he may punish or show mercy to. Through these narratives, the major vices in life—from pride to greed—are discussed, and a roadmap to a life of piety despite tribulations is paved out for Muslims.

The āyāt we are discussing in this article are situated within the fourth narrative. The primary themes of this narrative are power, kingship, wisdom, and mercy. For better context, the introduction of the story, including the āyāt in question, are quoted below:

وَيَسْأَلُونَكَ عَنْ ذِي الْقَرْنَيْنِ ۖ قُلْ سَأَتْلُو عَلَيْكُمْ مِنْهُ ذِكْرًا ۞ إِنَّا مَكَّنَّا لَهُ فِي الْأَرْضِ وَآتَيْنَاهُ مِنْ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ سَبَبًا ۞ فَأَتْبَعَ سَبَبًا ۞ حَتَّىٰ إِذَا بَلَغَمَغْرِبَ الشَّمْسِ وَجَدَهَا تَغْرُبُ فِي عَيْنٍ حَمِئَةٍ وَوَجَدَ عِنْدَهَا قَوْمًا ۗ قُلْنَا يَا ذَا الْقَرْنَيْنِ إِمَّا أَنْ تُعَذِّبَ وَإِمَّا أَنْ تَتَّخِذَ فِيهِمْ حُسْنًا ۞ قَالَ أَمَّا مَنْ ظَلَمَفَسَوْفَ نُعَذِّبُهُ ثُمَّ يُرَدُّ إِلَىٰ رَبِّهِ فَيُعَذِّبُهُ عَذَابًا نُكْرًا ۞ وَأَمَّا مَنْ آمَنَ وَعَمِلَ صَالِحًا فَلَهُ جَزَاءً الْحُسْنَىٰ ۖ وَسَنَقُولُ لَهُ مِنْ أَمْرِنَا يُسْرًا ۞ ثُمَّ أَتْبَعَسَبَبًا ۞ حَتَّىٰ إِذَا بَلَغَ مَطْلِعَ الشَّمْسِ وَجَدَهَا تَطْلُعُ عَلَىٰ قَوْمٍ لَمْ نَجْعَلْ لَهُمْ مِنْ دُونِهَا سِتْرًا ۞ كَذَٰلِكَ وَقَدْ أَحَطْنَا بِمَا لَدَيْهِ خُبْرًا

“And they ask you about Dhū al-Qarnayn. Say, ‘I shall relate to you a remembrance of him.’ Indeed, We made him strong in the land and gave him a means to all things. So he followed a course until, when he reached the setting of the sun, he found it setting in a muddy spring and found a people thereabout. We said, ‘O Dhū al-Qarnayn, either punish them or show them kindness.’ He said, ‘As for whoever oppresses, we will punish him, then he wil be returned to his Lord, then his Lord will punish him with an awful punishment. But as for him who believes and does good, for him is a beautiful reward, and we shall speak unto him a mild command.’ Then he followed a course until, when he reached the rising of the sun, he found it rising on a people for whom We had appointed no shelter therefrom. So it was. And we certainly knew all concerning him.”⁴

The story of Dhū al-Qarnayn was revealed in response to a question posed by the pagan Arabs. These Arabs had asked the Jews of Arabia for a trick question to stump the Prophet Muḥammad ﷺwith. Jewish rabbis had suggested they ask—among other things—about Dhū al-Qarnayn and his story. They hoped that the Prophet Muḥammad ﷺ would not be able to answer the question, and so it would show him to be unaware of sacred history. The Prophet ﷺ awaited revelation on the matter, and Sūrah al-Kahf was revealed to him. The rabbis, upon realising that the Prophet Muḥammad ﷺwas not only familiar with the story but able to retell it in a more powerful way than they could, were stupefied.

Yet the story was not full with historical details, and the focus was primarily on the moral lessons to be learned. This is often the case with Qurʾanic narratives—God guides to that which is most important for one’s salvation, not necessarily what satisfies most one’s academic curiosity. There was incredible foretelling in the story of Dhū al-Qarnayn of the life of the Prophet Muḥammad ﷺ. Dhū al-Qarnayn treated his enemies with justice and mercy after having overcome them. He avoided heavily taxing his people, and he personally supervised the construction of facilities for public benefit. Similarly, the Prophet Muḥammad ﷺ forgave his enemies after the conquest of Makkah. He avoided heavy taxation and instituted alms-giving to the poor. And he personally supervised the building of the trench when Madinah was besieged by enemy troops.

So where and how does the sunset feature into the story? It is in the context of the travels of Dhū al-Qarnayn being far and wide. A phrase is repeated three times: “So he followed a course”, “Then he followed a course”, and “Then he followed a course”. On each occasion, Dhū al-Qarnayn is travelling to a new land. First he heads westwards, then eastwards, and then somewhere in between. The rhetorical effect of such language is to express that Dhū al-Qarnayn’s kingdom spread as far to the east and west as was possible for him. This is what the Arabs of the time understood by it, and it was juxtaposed against their tiny region of influence in Central Arabia. These verses were never understood as technical claims about sunrise and sunset, though it is that which we wish to expand upon more now.

Non-contradiction with Science

Continuing with the multiplicity of readings approach, we now need to identify whether the āyātunder consideration contradict known facts. Bear in mind that we are not trying to demonstrate scientific facts or miracles in the Qurʾān, and so there is no need to demonstrate positive scientific affirmations therein. What we are doing is demonstrating non-contradiction. It is important to utilise established exegetical works when doing so, as well as not veering off into implausible interpretations of āyāt. Doing so would be dishonest and unproductive.

Abū Ḥayyān, a famous exegete and the foremost linguist of Andalusia in his time, wrote:

وَمَعْنَى {تَغْرُبُ فِي عَيْنٍ} أَيْ فِيمَا تَرَى الْعَيْنُ لاَ أَنَّ ذَلِكَ حَقِيقَةٌ كَمَا نُشَاهِدُهَا فِي الأَرْضِ الْمَلْسَاءِ كَأَنَّهَا تَدْخُلُ فِي الأَرْضِ، وَيَجُوزُ أَنْ تَكُونَهَذِهِ الْعَيْنُ مِنَ الْبَحْرِ، وَيَجُوزُ أَنْ تَكُونَ الشَّمْسُ تَغِيبُ وَرَاءَهَا، وَزَعَمَ بَعْضُ الْبَغْدَادِيِّينَ أَنَّ {فِي} بِمَعْنَى عِنْدَ أَيْ {تَغْرُبُ} عِنْدَ عَيْنٍ. {وَوَجَدَعِنْدَهَا قَوْماً} أَيْ عِنْدَ تِلْكَ الْعَيْنِ.

“The meaning of {it sets in a spring} is in what the eye sees, not that this is reality, just as we observe it on smooth ground as if it enters the earth. It is possible that this spring is from the sea, and it is possible that the sun sets behind it. Some Baghdadis claimed that {in} means ‘at’, meaning {it sets} at a spring. {And he found near it a people} meaning near that spring.”⁵

Abū Ḥayyān is stating that the sun setting in water refers to its appearance to onlookers, and it is not meant to be taken literally. Further, he argues that the preposition ‘fī’ may mean that Dhū al-Qarnayn reached the western land at sunset, and not that he saw the sun set. Both options are viable linguistically, and whilst the latter is a minority opinion, it is entirely possible for a minority opinion to be the correct one.

al-Bayḍāwī, a major early Qurʾanic exegete wrote:

{فَاتَّبَعَ سَبَباً} أَيْ فَأَرَادَ بُلُوغَ الْمَغْرِبِ فَاتَّبَعَ سَبَباً يُوصِلُهُ إِلَيْهِ، وَقَرَأَ الْكُوفِيُّونَ وَابْنُ عَامِرٍ بِقَطْعِ الأَلِفِ مُخَفَّفَةَ التَّاءِ … وَلَعَلَّهُ بَلَغَ سَاحِلَالْمُحِيطِ فَرَآهَا كَذَلِكَ إِذْ لَمْ يَكُنْ فِي مَطْمَحِ بَصَرِهِ غَيْرُ الْمَاءِ وَلِذَلِكَ قَالَ {وَجَدَهَا تَغْرُبُ} وَلَمْ يَقُلْ كَانَتْ تَغْرُبُ.

“{So he followed a means} meaning he wanted to reach the west, so he followed a means that would take him there … Perhaps he reached the shore of the ocean and saw it thus, since there was nothing in his line of sight except water, and therefore it says {he found it setting} and did not say ‘it was setting’.”⁶

Clearly, even in pre-modernity, these understandings were commonplace. The word ‘wajada’ has been translated as ‘found’ in English, but it can also mean ’saw’, and this is the usage favoured by al-Alūsī.⁶ He also prefers the option of ‘ocean’ for the body of water referred to by ‘ʿayn’ in the āyah. In this case, Dhū al-Qarnayn would be said to have had a visual experience and not physically reached the same location as the sun. In al-Alūsī’s framing, it would be like a person aboard a ship, looking out into the ocean, where there is no visible shore, and seeing the sun dip into the ocean at sunset.⁷ al-Farrāʾ and others mention that ḥamiʾah can also mean black, and in this case, it could be referring to the darkness of a body of water, as seen in the evening.⁸

All of these possibilities are within the apparent linguistic range of the āyāt, and this goes to show that plenty of possible interpretations of these āyāt exist, interpretations which do not clash with scientific discourse. Polysemy has long been viewed as beautiful and, when used well, a mark of eloquence. The Qurʾān uses it masterfully to paint vivid images whilst not becoming a textbook of scientific theory or legalism. That is not the point of the Qurʾān, and it was not the point of this passage. Something far more important about Dhū al-Qarnayn is being focussed on, and Allah is drawing our attention to that.

Rejecting Impossible Understandings

Thus far, we contextualised the āyāt and found plausible interpretations that were held by classical authorities and do not contradict science. This suffices to respond to any contentions raised by polemicists. However, I want to stress the importance of rejecting interpretations of āyāt which do not concord with reality, whether these interpretations were previously widely held or not.

Every scholar, when studying the Qurʾān, is approaching it with his or her biases and within his or her wider context. They all naturally apply their understandings of things to the āyāt they come across. We, moderns, are no exception. This is human nature, and it is something we must appreciate when studying the Qurʾān, but we should also realise that this is not a problem unless we make it one for ourselves. For you see, among the marvellous qualities of the Qurʾān is its ability to be relevant and impactful throughout time and despite changing paradigms. When pre-modern scholars read about cosmological or other naturalistic phenomena in the Qurʾān, they invariably understood them in light of their contemporary understanding of the natural world. Their scientific misunderstandings did not stop them appreciating the message of the Qurʾān, and our current scientific misunderstandings—those things that later generations will realise we were mistaken about—should not stop us from appreciating the Qurʾān’s message either.

Conclusion

Muslims have a strong history of scientific discovery and enterprise, and they have a deep affinity to powerful language. Neither of these endeavours contradict one another, but each must be understood in its context. When Allah speaks of a king in the Qurʾān, saying that he travelled to the west and to the east, it should be understood as a story replete with morals and lessons for listeners the world over. Powerful imagery and pithy phrasing tell people all they need to know, whilst encouraging them to reflect on the deeper lessons being taught. The story of Dhū al-Qarnayn is not a story of science, nor does it wish to be, and so it should not be read as such.

A fair reading would, thus, allow one to arrive at the conclusion reached by so many pre-modern and modern thinkers alike, a conclusion which does not contradict basic science. In fact, countless Muslims the world over read this chapter every week on Friday and have not even thought twice about the meaning of the phrase in question—the more correct understanding came naturally to them. Clearly, God will guide those who wish to be guided, but those who approach the Qurʾān with arrogance and wish to find problems will be left to stray.

Allah says:

إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يَسْتَحْيِي أَنْ يَضْرِبَ مَثَلًا مَا بَعُوضَةً فَمَا فَوْقَهَا ۚ فَأَمَّا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا فَيَعْلَمُونَ أَنَّهُ الْحَقُّ مِنْ رَبِّهِمْ ۖ وَأَمَّا الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا فَيَقُولُونَ مَاذَاأَرَادَ اللَّهُ بِهَٰذَا مَثَلًا ۘ يُضِلُّ بِهِ كَثِيرًا وَيَهْدِي بِهِ كَثِيرًا ۚ وَمَا يُضِلُّ بِهِ إِلَّا الْفَاسِقِينَ

“Indeed, Allah is not ashamed of coining similitudes, even of a gnat or what is larger. Those who believe know that it is the truth from their Lord, but those who disbelieve say, ‘What does Allah intend by this example?’ He causes many to stray by it and He guides many by it and He does not cause to stray [any] except the rebellious.”⁹

References

1. Andreas Tzortzis, “Iʿjāz ʿIlmī and the Multiplicity of Readings” (presentation, Islamic Colloquia of Edinburgh, July 2025), based on his forthcoming PhD diss., A Theo-Philosophical Assessment of al-Iʿjāz al-ʿIlmī and the Multiplicity of Readings Approach, Cardiff University.

2. Qurʾān 18:85-86.
3. Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 809a.
4. Qurʾān 18:83-91.
5. Abū Ḥayyān, al-Baḥr al-Muḥīṭ.
6. al-Bayḍāwī, Anwār al-Tanzīl wa Asrār al-Taʾwīl.
7. al-Alūsī, Rūḥ al-Maʿānī.
8. al-Farrāʾ, Taysīr al-Manān fī Qiṣaṣ al-Qurʾān.
9. Qurʾān 2:26.