The sun runs in its orbit toward its stopping point

Surah Yasin (36:38):

وَٱلشَّمْسُ تَجْرِى لِمُسْتَقَرٍّ لَّهَا ۚ ذَٰلِكَ تَقْدِيرُ ٱلْعَزِيزِ ٱلْعَلِيمِ
“And the sun runs [its course] toward a stopping point. That is the determination of the Exalted in Might, the Knowing.”

Interpretation & Scientific Perspective:

1. Classical Tafsir (Interpretation):

• Many classical scholars understood this verse to mean that the sun moves in its orbit (or path) as decreed by Allah until an appointed time (the Day of Judgment).
• Some interpreted “mustaqarr” (stopping point) as a fixed term or a place of rest.

2. Modern Scientific Understanding:

• We now know that the sun is not stationary but moves within the Milky Way galaxy at about 720,000 km/h, orbiting the galactic center every 230 million years.
• The verse’s mention of the sun “running” aligns with modern astronomy, as the sun does not remain fixed.
• The “stopping point” could metaphorically refer to the eventual death of the sun (in about 5 billion years, when it will expand into a red giant and then fade).