نَّهَارَ

7:55; 13:4; 22:62; 35:14; 39:6; 57:7.

6:96; 10:32; 30:20.

Commentary:

This and the preceding verse point to the immutable divine law that nations rise and fall as they conform to, or defy, the will of God, Who is the source of all power and glory. They also refer to the fulfilment of a great prophecy. A nation which had enjoyed temporal and spiritual sovereignty for a long time was going to be abased, because it had persistently violated the divine law and had become spiritually dead; and in place of it another nation, till now very low in the scale of humanity, was going to be raised to the highest pinnacle of temporal and spiritual power. The sovereignty or kingdom mentioned in the preceding verse refers to both the temporal and spiritual kingdom which was promised to the progeny of Abraham and which the Israelites had enjoyed for a long time. That kingdom was now going to be transferred to the House of Ishmael to find its completest manifestation in Islam. A living nation had suffered death and another, as good as dead, had arisen into life.

The word النھار (day) represents prosperity and power, and اللیل (night) signifies the loss of power combined with decline and decadence. By using this simile, the Quran draws attention to the fact that a people who wish that the night of woes and miseries should never overtake them and that they should ever continue to enjoy the day of prosperity and glory, should so place themselves in front of the Divine Sun as to continue to be illuminated by its ever-effulgent light. In this connection it may also be noted that the Quranic expression, Thou makest the night pass into the day and makest the day pass into the night, does not merely signify "the" alternate ending and beginning of day and: night, but also the conversion of part of the day into night and vice versa, thus hinting at the lengthening of the one at the cost of the other.

The clause, And Thou givest to whomsoever thou pleasest without measure, holds out a promise to Muslims that the glory of Islam will be unparalleled and will last forever. Islam will never be displaced as a religion and Muslims will always continue to be one of the most exalted peoples of the earth till the end of time. The appearance of Ahmad, the Promised Messiah, at a time when the temporal power of Islam was at its lowest ebb and Muslims had also become morally and spiritually degenerate, was in fulfilment of this very promise. Through him Islam has found a new life. It will now bloom and blossom till whole nations shall come under its spiritual sway, and Muslims shall regain their pristine glory and shall become the most dominant people on the face of the earth.

10:4; 11:8; 25:60; 32:5; 41:10-13; 50:39; 57:5.

13:4; 36:38.

Important Words:

عرش (Throne) is substantive from the verb عرش which means, he constructed or built a shed or a building, etc. عرش البیتmeans, he built or constructed the house. عرش بالمکان means, he put up, or lodged, in the house. The saying من العرش الی الفرشmeans, from the highest sphere to the lowness of the earth. عرش means, a shed or building constructed for shade; a house in an absolute sense; a dwelling or a place of abode; the wood upon which one stands when drawing water; the roof of a house or the like; the throne or the seat of a king; the means of support of a thing or an affair; might or power; regal power; sovereignty; dominion. The expression استوی علی العرش means, He (God) reigned as King; He settled Himself on the Throne; He was or became established on the Throne of Power and Majesty (Lane & Aqrab). See also 2:30 & 6:142.

Commentary:

The word یوم (day) also means "time" absolutely (1:4); and it is in this sense that the word has been used in the present verse. It is difficult to say how long these six periods of time were in which, according to this verse, the heavens and the earth were created. They may have extended over hundreds of thousands of years. The word ایام (days) evidently is not used here in the sense of ordinary days of 24 hours, because such days are determined by the rising and setting of the sun and the sun itself, being a part of this universe, came into existence simultaneously with it.

The word ثم (then) shows that after completing the creation of the heavens and the earth in six "days" or six "periods", God settled Himself on the Throne on the seventh day. As the Arabic word سبع (seven) is generally used as a symbol of perfection, the expression would signify that on the seventh day when God became established on the Throne of His Power and Majesty, the universe became in perfect working order.

The "night and day" mentioned in the clause, He makes the night cover the day, have been mentioned here as symbolizing sin and virtue. In fact, the phenomenon of sin in a perfectly ordered universe is explainable only by the phenomenon of night. Just as that part of the earth which is hidden from the sun is covered by darkness; similarly, when a man turns away from God, he becomes involved in the darkness of sin; but when he turns his face towards God, the day dawns for him and he basks in the light of truth and righteousness.

The words, He makes the night cover the day which pursues it swiftly, are explained in 2:165 by the expression "the alternation of night and day." The clause may also imply that it is God’s سنة or practice that after a period of darkness He brings a period of light so that mankind may not suffer.

By using the word مسخرات (all made subservient) with respect to the sun, the moon and the stars, the verse reminds us that it was not in the power of man to make all these planets serve him and that it is God alone Who has placed them at his service. Therefore, if, in spite of these great favours, he would not listen to God’s voice, he would be marked as a transgressor and consequently merit His punishment.

The distinction between خلق (the creation) and امر (the command) is that while the former generally means, the measuring out or evolving of a thing out of pre-existing matter, the latter means, bringing into being without matter by uttering the simple command "Be". The clause, His is the creation and the command, may also mean that God has not only created the universe but also exercises authority and command over it.

For the words, He settled Himself on the Throne, see under 10:4 where the expressions "Divine Throne", and "God’s settling on it" have been fully dealt with.

17:13; 27:87; 28:74; 30:24.

Commentary:

The words "night" and "day" have been used here metaphorically, the night being the time of rest and the day that of work. Just as night affords the fatigued and jaded physical faculties of man an opportunity for recuperation, and fits him for the ensuing day’s work, so do the intervals of sleep and stagnation in the lives of nations serve as time of rest and recuperation for them and prepare them for their time of day and work with refreshed spirit and renewed vigour.

In this way the people to whom the Holy Prophet gave his Message are reminded that, now that the Spiritual Sun has risen, they should avail themselves of its light and work hard to bring about a change in their condition. It is to point to this great lesson that the verse first speaks of the night and then of the day.

It seems strange that while the verse makes a reference to "the day full of light," it concludes with the seemingly incompatible words "therein are signs for a people who listen." The word "listen" in preference to the more appropriate word "see" has been used to remind the people that when they had derived no benefit from the light of the Spiritual Sun that had shone on them and had refused to use their eyes, they should at least make use of their ears so that they might receive a new life by benefiting from the experience of others.

15:20; 16:16; 21:32.

36:37; 51:50.

7:55; 39:6.

Commentary:

This verse points to the law of nature that heaven and earth work in unison and this harmonious co-operation of the celestial and terrestrial bodies is responsible for the successful working of the universe. For instance, when rain falls from heaven the earth brings forth its vegetation which is thus the common result of both heaven and earth. The same law works in the spiritual universe, for just as there is a heaven and an earth in the material world there is also a spiritual heaven and a spiritual earth. Rain and light come down from the spiritual heaven, and the spiritual earth becomes enligh-tened and revived into a new life. Just as good soil cannot fail to yield its treasures after the descent of rain, similarly, unsullied human nature cannot withhold its treasures after the descent of heavenly water which is Divinerevelation. God’s Prophets attract men as a magnet attracts iron. There was therefore, no cause for wonder if Islam spread quickly. The wonder would have been if it had not spread so fast, because then one would have been entitled to ask why the soil did not bring forth its verdure and herbage when rain had fallen at the proper time.

The verse refers to another important natural law, viz. God has made in the earth mountains which keep water stored up in the form of snow which, on melting, feeds rivers and springs. If the store of snow on the tops of mountains were exhausted, rivers and springs would be dried up and the land would lie dry and desolate. An analogous law operates in the spiritual world. In the spiritual realm certain individuals are like mountains and serve as reser-voirs, storing up the Word of God, while certain other individuals are like rivers and springs which water the world but cannot keep the water stored up. Prophets are the mountains of the spiritual world, while savants and ulema, learned in religious lore, are its rivers and springs, and the common people provide the soil which these rivers and springs, being themselves fed by the melted snow of the mountains, water and make fertile. Should these mountains disappear, there would be no springs and no rivers and the earth would dry up and be ruined.

Though the present verse refers only to fruits, elsewhere the Quran speaks of God having made pairs—male and female—of all things (36:37; 51:50). This is a truth which of all religious Scriptures the Quran was the first to propound. It is true that even in pre-Islamic days the Arabs had discovered that the date trees were male and female, but they could go no further. It was the Quran that made known to the world the great truth that all fruit-trees, in fact, everything, had male and female. The people could not at first understand it. But now, after a lapse of 1350 years, scientific research has confirmed the Quranic announcement and scientists have begun to discover pairs even in inorganic matter.

The verse draws our attention to the fact that the law that everything has a pair applies to the human intellect also. Until heavenly light descends on it, man cannot have true knowledge, which is born of a combination of Divinerevelation and human reason. So it is impossible to have true knowledge of God independently of the revelation sent to the Holy Prophet. Similarly, human reason cannot fail to accept the Word of God revealed to the Holy Prophet if it is presented to it in a proper manner.

The words, He causes the night to cover the day, point to yet another fundamental law of nature that the night serves as a covering for the day, and by pointing to this law the Quran dispels the popular misconception that the light of the Quran could not spread amidst the prevailing im-penetrable veil of darkness. Just as the darkness of night is removed to give place to the light of the day, similarly, the present darkness of sin and iniquity will be followed by the spiritual light of truth and righteousness. Darkness, in fact, possesses no independent existence and a single ray of the sun dispels and dissipates it. The Sun of Islam will now dispel the darkness of unbelief and infidelity.

7:55; 13:3; 16:13; 39:6.

Important Words:

دائبین (performing their work constantly) is derived from دأب. They say دأب فی العمل i.e. he exerted himself in the work and was constant in it. دائب means he who works hard and constantly. The term الدائبان is also applied to the night and day which go round so regularly (Aqrab). See also 3:12.

Commentary:

In this and the preceding verses the Quran has enumerated some of the favours of God. Its object in doing so is, firstly, to point out that all things have been created for the use of man. If he has been foolish enough to take them as objects of worship, rather than put them to the use for which they have been created, he would be deprived of their benefits.

Secondly, as these blessings come from God so naturally they will be given to those who act upon the Word of God and lead righteous lives. So it actually happened, because the entire universe stood up like a servant to help the cause of Islam.

The verse also warns Muslims that they should not look upon God’s gifts as their personal and private property but should let their fellow beings share in them, because the things created by God are meant for "you all" and all the creatures of God are entitled to a share in them. They are not meant to be enjoyed by particular individuals or particular classes or communities.

7:55; 13:3; 14:34; 35:14; 39:6.

Commentary:

In this verse mention has been made of another class of Divine blessings viz. the world of inorganic matter, particularly of those things such as the sun, the moon and the stars which exercise a powerful influence upon the mental development of man, either directly or indirectly through the medium of the animal and vegetable worlds. This is why, after animals and vegetables, mention is here made of inorganic and inanimate things which also help the physical and mental sustenance and development of man. Mention has also been made of night and day, because the benefits that man derives from the alternation of night and day are directly bound with the influences of the sun, the moon and the stars.

One more interesting point to note here is that whereas in the foregoing verses where animals and vegetables have been mentioned God has used the expression خلق (He has created), in the present verse where the sun, the moon and the stars have been mentioned, the expression سخر (He has pressed into service) has been used. This is done to signify that in the case of animals and vegetables which man uses for his benefit he has to put in some effort to derive that benefit from them; therefore in consideration of this element of the personal effort of man the expression خلق (He has created) has been used. But as the advantages he receives from the sun, the moon and the stars and from the alternation of day and night are completely gratuitous and are without any effort on man’s part, the expression سخر (He has pressed into service) has been used

which signifies service without remuneration. Similarly, the use of the expression یعقلون (who make use of their reason) in this verse as against the expression یتفکرون (who reflect) in the previous verse is also significant. The reason for using these two different expressions is that whereas the word فکر (reflection) means mental cogitation relating to matters which are near at hand, the word عقل (reason) signifies mental cogitation relating to things both near and far. As the influence of inorganic matter upon the life and development of man is a thing which requires deep study and close observation to understand, the expression, یعقلون has been used in this verse. But as the phenomena of the animal and vegetable worlds are matters of common observation and can be studied and understood even by men of ordinary intelligence, the expression یتفکرون has been used in the preceding verse.

36:38; 40:62; 41:38.

10:6.

Commentary:

The verse should not be understood to mean that God first made both night and day and then the one was displaced by the other. It only means that God has made night and day such that both have their benefits for man; but whereas the benefits of the night are subtle and hidden, those of the day are clear and manifest.

Similarly, the natural phenomenon of the alternation of night and day helps man in determining the dates of the year and in preparing calendars. It has also led to the development and progress of the science of mathematics. See also 10:6.

'Day' being the symbol of happiness and prosperity and 'night' that of grief and sorrow, the verse points to two kinds of signs: (a) those that lead to a people’s prosperity and advance; and (b) those that lead to their misery and destruction. We are exhorted here to pray that we may only be shown the first kind of signs. By inference we are also exhorted to make both the time of our distress and misery and the period of our progress and prosperity means of our spiritual advancement, just as God has made both night and day as a source of great material benefits for us.

Important Words:

یفترون (they flag) is derived from فتر. They say فتر الشیء i.e. the thing remitted or became still after vehemence or it became gentle after vehemence. فتر من عمله means, he flagged or became remiss in his work. فتر الحر means, the heat abated or flagged after being intense and vehement. فتر الوحی means, the revelation stopped or its coming discontinued (Lane & Aqrab). See also 5:20.

36:41.

Important Words:

فلک (orbit) is derived from فلک (falaka). They say فلک ثدی الجاریة i.e. the breast of the girl became round. فلک means, the place of the revolving of the stars i.e. the celestial sphere, the vault of heavens or the firmament (Lane & Aqrab).

یسبحون (gliding along) is derived from سبح. They say سبح الرجل i.e. the man slept and took rest; he went far off in his walk. سبح فی الکلام means, he talked much. سبح فی الماء means, he glided along in the water and took great delight in it. The word is used metaphorically with regard to the floating or gliding of the stars and about the swift and smooth running of the horse (Aqrab).

Commentary:

Spiritually speaking the sun stands for the Law-bearing Prophets, particularly the Holy Prophet of Islam, and the moon for those Reformers and Prophets who borrow their spiritual light from the Law-bearing Prophets. 'The day' represents the time when a new Prophet makes his appearance in the world and fresh revelation comes down from heaven and 'the night' represents that period when there is spiritual darkness all round and no revelation comes from God.

The verse means to say that the night and the day, the sun and the moon have all been created by God and serve a definite purpose. They all fulfil human needs and are indispensable for man’s existence on earth. The significance of the present and the preceding verse is that when God has taken so much care to provide for the physical and material needs of man, it is impossible even to think that He should have neglected to make a similar provision for his spiritual needs.

31:30; 35:14; 57:7.

Commentary:

The word النھار (day) in the verse represents power and prosperity and اللیل (night) signifies the loss of power combined with decline and decadence. The verse uses this metaphor to point to the fact hinted at in the preceding verse that the night of misery and oppression to which Muslims were subjected for so long was about to pass away and the day of their glory and might was about to dawn. The verse further consoles and comforts the oppressed Muslims that God is not oblivious of their troubles.

From Him nothing is hidden and He hears their prayers.