Hadithcore
Sahih al-Bukhari, 3199
sahih

Narrated Abu Dhar:

The Prophet (ﷺ) asked me at sunset, "Do you know where the sun goes (at the time of sunset)?" I replied, "Allah and His Messenger know better." He said, "It goes (i.e. travels) till it prostrates Itself underneath the Throne and takes the permission to rise again, and it is permitted and then (a time will come when) it will be about to prostrate itself but its prostration will not be accepted, and it will ask permission to go on its course but it will not be permitted, but it will be ordered to return whence it has come and so it will rise in the west. And that is the interpretation of the Statement of Allah: "And the sun Runs its fixed course For a term (decreed). that is The Decree of (Allah) The Exalted in Might, The All- Knowing." (36:38)

حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يُوسُفَ، حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ، عَنِ الأَعْمَشِ، عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ التَّيْمِيِّ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ أَبِي ذَرٍّ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ قَالَ قَالَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم لأَبِي ذَرٍّ حِينَ غَرَبَتِ الشَّمْسُ ‏"‏ تَدْرِي أَيْنَ تَذْهَبُ ‏"‏‏.‏ قُلْتُ اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ أَعْلَمُ‏.‏ قَالَ ‏"‏ فَإِنَّهَا تَذْهَبُ حَتَّى تَسْجُدَ تَحْتَ الْعَرْشِ، فَتَسْتَأْذِنَ فَيُؤْذَنَ لَهَا، وَيُوشِكُ أَنْ تَسْجُدَ فَلاَ يُقْبَلَ مِنْهَا، وَتَسْتَأْذِنَ فَلاَ يُؤْذَنَ لَهَا، يُقَالُ لَهَا ارْجِعِي مِنْ حَيْثُ جِئْتِ‏.‏ فَتَطْلُعُ مِنْ مَغْرِبِهَا، فَذَلِكَ قَوْلُهُ تَعَالَى ‏{‏وَالشَّمْسُ تَجْرِي لِمُسْتَقَرٍّ لَهَا ذَلِكَ تَقْدِيرُ الْعَزِيزِ الْعَلِيمِ ‏}‏‏"‏‏.‏

References2 variants
In-Book Reference
Book 59, Hadith 10
USC-MSA web (English) reference
Vol. 4, Book 54, Hadith 421 (deprecated numbering scheme)
Sharh · explanationclick to expand
Allah has predestined everything from the beginning of creation to its end. In this hadeeth, Aboo Tharr al-Ghafaaree (may Allah be pleased with him) reports that the Prophet ﷺ asked him at the time of sunset about where the sun goes after its disappearance. Aboo Tharr replied that Allah and His Messenger know better, which is an answer that displays his politeness as he refrained from putting an answerbefore the Prophet ﷺ, and so he left it to Allah and His Messengerﷺ. Thereupon, the Prophet ﷺsaid that it travels till it prostrates Itself underneath the Throne. This prostration is real and regardless of where it prostrates, it will be underneath the Throne. Afterwards, it takes permission to rise again from the east to go on its course again and then it is granted permission. It continues to take permission to rise again from the east to proceed on its course until Allah does not permit it, and commands it to return from where it came. Thereupon, the sun will rise from the west, which is one of the major signs of the Hour.That is an interpretation of the Statement of Allah: {And the sun runs its fixed course for a term (decreed)} [Quran 36:38].The sun continues to go on its fixed course until the end of this world, {that is The Decree of (Allah) The Exalted in Might, The All- Knowing} [Quran 36:38]. The sophisticated accurate movement of the sun in its orbit is evidence of the existence of Allah, Most High, who upholds and arranges the affairs of this world in a fashion that befits His Wisdom, Knowledge, and Might. This hadeeth highlights the might and power of the Allah and His authority and control of the universe and all the creation. Itdebunks and scolds those who worshipped the creation in this worldly life, so they know their worship to them was invalid and false. .
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