BİRİNCİ FEN · İKİNCİ BÂB · BEŞİNCİ FASIL · Beşinci Madde
**Fifth Article**
This article details the position of Mars, its ascending and descending nodes, its nature and characteristics, its distance from Earth, and the quantity of its mass.
Know then that astronomers have stated: The rising point of Mars is situated midway between its two nodes, on the inclined ecliptic, at the greatest inclination towards the north within the zodiacal belt. This occurs ninety degrees after its ascending node. For the ascending and descending nodes – as we mentioned previously – move in accordance with the movement of the zodiacal circle.
The position of Mars’s rising point on the zodiacal circle was, in the year [Ghasir] of the Roman calendar, at the eleventh degree of Leo. Its setting point has been determined and established at the eleventh degree of Aquarius. The ascending node is located at the eleventh degree of Taurus; the descending node is found at the eleventh degree of Scorpio. Currently, in the year 2069 of the Roman calendar [46/a] and 1170 of the Hijri calendar, the points of Mars’s rising, setting, ascending, and descending nodes have moved approximately eight degrees, progressing one degree every seventy years of the solar year.
Regarding the nature and characteristics of Mars, astronomers are in agreement: Its nature is excessively hot and dry. It is attributed to the masculine principle and to night. And it is known as the lesser malefic (nahs-i asgar). The attributes of Mars include vitality, courage, anger, extravagance, strength, treachery, wrath, impudence, stubbornness, and a desire for dominance. Therefore, if children fall into the womb under the influence of this star, these undesirable qualities of the star are transmitted to them by the Will of God, as experience has shown. Mars governs Saturday night and Tuesday. The first hours of that night and day are attributed to it. Concerning the distances of Mars and its common meridian sphere and the quantities of their bodies, observers, geometers, and mathematicians agree:
The distance from the center of the outer surface of Mars’s common meridian sphere to the center of the universe is approximately fourteen thousand seven hundred seventy-one thousand nine hundred forty-four (14,771,944) parasangs. The distance from the center of the inner surface of that sphere to the center of the universe is approximately two thousand one hundred twenty-nine thousand two hundred six (2,029,206) parasangs. The thickness of the common meridian sphere is calculated as approximately twelve thousand seven hundred forty-two thousand seven hundred thirty-eight (12,742,738) parasangs.
The mass of Mars itself is roughly one-quarter the mass of Earth. All these findings have been proven with definitive scientific evidence. The truth lies only with God; our purpose in presenting these explanations is to declare the wise workings that weave together the operation of the Book of the Universe, to present them to minds capable of true understanding and to show these realities to those with discerning eyes – so that by observing the details of the world they may see the concise essence hidden within their own existence and attain the insight to know God in accordance with His reality.
**SIXTH SECTION**
This section explains the structure of the fourth heaven and the governance, conditions, and states of the Sun, the light of the universe, which reigns there, in four parts.