Page 118 - Miracles of The Qur'an Vol. 3

HALLEY'S COMET AND 76 YEARS

One of the greatest developments in modern astronomy is the dis-
th
covery of Halley's Comet. The 18 -century scientist Edmund Halley dis-
covered that the comet comes around every 76 years. With that discovery,
Halley established that comets have astronomical orbits. The name
"Halley" by which the comet is known, appears in a most striking way in

verse 76 of Surat al-An'am in the Qur'an:
When night covered him he saw a star and said, 'This is my Lord!'
Then when it set he said, "I do not love what sets." (Sura An'am,
76)

The letters that make up the word "Halley" appear for the first time
in the Qur'an in this verse. Furthermore, the reference to a "setting" star is
highly significant. What is more, the Arabic word "kawkaban," meaning
"star," appears right next to the letters comprising "Halley."

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