Eclipse: A Divine Miracle

Eclipse: A Divine Miracle the moon is between the sun and the earth, a solar eclipse will occur and when the earth is between the sun and the moon, a lunar eclipse will occur. This is the result of a unique and well calculated positioning of three moving bodies, highly unequal in size, in the vast space. According to Encyclopedia Britannica: “An eclipse occurs when, by a remarkable coincidence, the sizes and the distances of the sun and moon are such that they appear as very nearly the same angular size as the earth.” (The Encyclopedia Britannica, vol. 6, p. 189) The writer of this article in the Encyclopedia Britannica has attributed this unique event of the eclipse to coincidence. But this is totally illogical. This kind of unique coincidence is, first of all, not possible and suppose it were possible, it could hardly occur only once, whereas the history of astronomy tells us that this event has been occurring over millions and millions of years with calculable regularity. This kind of complete regularity can never take place by coincidence. Indeed it is possible only through the continued instrumentality of an AllPowerful Being. The word ‘coincidence’ is totally insufficient to explain this unique astronomical phenomenon. The eclipse is one of those innumerable miraculous events which take place in space about which we learn in the Quran: “That is the disposition of the Almighty, the All-Knowing.” (36:38) There are innumerable bodies in the vastness of space. All these bodies are totally under the control of the Lord of the universe. The movement of the planets and the stars is regulated by God with unfailing accuracy. The solar system in which the planet earth is located is one such example. This system announces in silent language that there is an Omnipotent God of this universe who is completely in control of this immeasurable space. The solar eclipse and the lunar eclipse are things which come under our close observation and are seemingly