ABSTRACT
Traditional formulations of the hierarchical cosmology of the Qur'an describe creation and the attributes of entities which fill the cosmos: the sun and the moon; stars and planets; the night and the day; clouds, water, winds, rain, and oceans; thunder, lightening, and thunderbolts; mountains and rivers. The Qur'an does not tell us how and when the sun, the moon, and the stars were created or with what, but it describes them as signs of the Creator. Light plays an important role in the Qur'anic imagery. In the overall scheme of Islamic cosmology, the alternation of the day and the night is not merely a physical phenomenon produced by the revolution of the earth; it is a potent sign testifying to the Wisdom, Power, and Might of the Creator. The Qur'anic descriptions of water are far more numerous than any other material substance of the cosmos. It was water which had the singular honor of having Allah's Throne upon it.
