Tafsir Ibn Kathir -> Surah An-Nahl -> Signs in the Subjection of Night and Day, the Sun and the Moon, and in that which grows on Earth

Allah mentions the mighty signs and immense blessings to be found in His subjection of night and day, which follow one another; the sun and moon, which revolve; the stars, both fixed and moving through the skies, offering light by which people may find their way in the darkness. Each of (these heavenly bodies) travels in its own orbit, which Allah has ordained for it, and travels in the manner prescribed for it, without deviating in any way. All of them are under His subjugation, His control and His decree, as Allah says:

﴿ط¥ظگظ†ظ‘ظژ ط±ظژط¨ظ‘ظژظƒظڈظ…ظڈ ط§ظ„ظ„ظ‘ظژظ‡ظڈ ط§ظ„ظ‘ظژط°ظگظ‰ ط®ظژظ„ظژظ‚ظژ ط§ظ„ط³ظژظ…ظژظ€ظˆظژطھظگ ظˆظژط§ظ„ط§ظ‘ظŒط±ظ’ط¶ظژ ظپظگظٹ ط³ظگطھظ‘ظژط©ظگ ط£ظژظٹظ‘ظژط§ظ…ظچ ط«ظڈظ…ظ‘ظژ ط§ط³ظ’طھظژظˆظژظ‰ ط¹ظژظ„ظژظ‰ ط§ظ„ظ’ط¹ظژط±ظ’ط´ظگ ظٹظڈط؛ظ’ط´ظگظ‰ ط§ظ„ظ‘ظژظٹظ’ظ„ظژ ط§ظ„ظ†ظ‘ظژظ‡ظژط§ط±ظژ ظٹظژط·ظ’ظ„ظڈط¨ظڈظ‡ظڈ ط­ظژط«ظگظٹط«ظ‹ط§ ظˆظژط§ظ„ط´ظ‘ظژظ…ظ’ط³ظژ ظˆظژط§ظ„ظ’ظ‚ظژظ…ظژط±ظژ ظˆظژط§ظ„ظ†ظ‘ظڈط¬ظڈظˆظ…ظژ ظ…ظڈط³ظژط®ظ‘ظژط±ظژطھظچ ط¨ظگط£ظژظ…ظ’ط±ظگظ‡ظگ ط£ظژظ„ط§ظژ ظ„ظژظ‡ظڈ ط§ظ„ظ’ط®ظژظ„ظ’ظ‚ظڈ ظˆظژط§ظ„ط§ظ‘ظŒظ…ظ’ط±ظڈ طھظژط¨ظژط§ط±ظژظƒظژ ط§ظ„ظ„ظ‘ظژظ‡ظڈ ط±ظژط¨ظ‘ظڈ ط§ظ„ظ’ط¹ظژظ€ظ„ظژظ…ظگظٹظ†ظژ ﴾

(Indeed, your Lord is Allah, Who created the heavens and the earth in Six Days, and then He rose (Istawa) over the Throne. He brings the night as a cover over the day, seeking it rapidly, and (He created) the sun, the moon, the stars (all) subjected to His command. Surely, His is the creation and commandment. Blessed is Allah, the Lord of all that exists!) (7:54) Thus Allah says;

﴿ط¥ظگظ†ظ‘ظژ ظپظگظ‰ ط°ظ„ظگظƒظژ ظ„ط¢ظٹظژظ€طھظچ ظ„ظ‘ظگظ‚ظژظˆظ’ظ…ظچ ظٹظژط¹ظ’ظ‚ظگظ„ظڈظˆظ†ظژ﴾

(Surely, in this are proofs for people who understand.) meaning, they are indications of His immense power and might, for those who think about Allah and understand His signs.

﴿ظˆظژظ…ظژط§ ط°ظژط±ظژط£ظژ ظ„ظژظƒظڈظ…ظ’ ظپظگظ‰ ط§ظ„ط§ظ‘ظŒط±ظ’ط¶ظگ ظ…ظڈط®ظ’طھظژظ„ظگظپظ‹ط§ ط£ظژظ„ظ’ظˆظژط§ظ†ظڈظ‡ظڈ﴾

(And whatsoever He has created of varying colors on the earth for you. ) When Allah points out the features of the skies, He also points out the wondrous things that He has created on earth, the variety of its animals, minerals, plants and inanimate features, all having different colors and shapes, benefits and qualities.

﴿ط¥ظگظ†ظ‘ظژ ظپظگظ‰ ط°ظژظ„ظگظƒظژ ظ„ط¢ظٹظژط©ظ‹ ظ„ظ‘ظگظ‚ظژظˆظ’ظ…ظچ ظٹظژط°ظ‘ظژظƒظ‘ظژط±ظڈظˆظ†ظژ﴾

(Verily, in this is a sign for people who reflect.) meaning (those who remember) the blessings of Allah and give thanks to Him for them.

﴿ظˆظژظ‡ظڈظˆظژ ط§ظ„ظ‘ظژط°ظگظ‰ ط³ظژط®ظ‘ظژط±ظژ ط§ظ„ظ’ط¨ظژط­ظ’ط±ظژ ظ„ظگطھظژط£ظ’ظƒظڈظ„ظڈظˆط§ظ’ ظ…ظگظ†ظ’ظ‡ظڈ ظ„ظژط­ظ’ظ…ظ‹ط§ ط·ظژط±ظگظٹظ‘ظ‹ط§ ظˆظژطھظژط³ظ’طھظژط®ظ’ط±ظگط¬ظڈظˆط§ظ’ ظ…ظگظ†ظ’ظ‡ظڈ ط­ظگظ„ظ’ظٹظژط©ظ‹ طھظژظ„ظ’ط¨ظژط³ظڈظˆظ†ظژظ‡ظژط§ ظˆظژطھظژط±ظژظ‰ ط§ظ„ظ’ظپظڈظ„ظ’ظƒظژ ظ…ظژظˆظژط§ط®ظگط±ظژ ظپظگظٹظ‡ظگ ظˆظژظ„ظگطھظژط¨ظ’طھظژط؛ظڈظˆط§ظ’ ظ…ظگظ† ظپظژط¶ظ’ظ„ظگظ‡ظگ ظˆظژظ„ظژط¹ظژظ„ظ‘ظژظƒظڈظ…ظ’ طھظژط´ظ’ظƒظڈط±ظڈظˆظ†ظژ - ظˆظژط£ظژظ„ظ’ظ‚ظژظ‰ ظپظگظ‰ ط§ظ„ط§ظ‘ظŒط±ظ’ط¶ظگ ط±ظژظˆظژط§ط³ظگظ‰ظژ ط£ظژظ† طھظژظ…ظگظٹط¯ظژ ط¨ظگظƒظڈظ…ظ’ ظˆظژط£ظژظ†ظ’ظ‡ظژظ€ط±ط§ظ‹ ظˆظژط³ظڈط¨ظڈظ„ط§ظ‹ ظ„ظ‘ظژط¹ظژظ„ظ‘ظژظƒظڈظ…ظ’ طھظژظ‡ظ’طھظژط¯ظڈظˆظ†ظژ - ظˆظژط¹ظژظ„ط§ظ…ظژظ€طھظچ ظˆظژط¨ظگط§ظ„ظ†ظ‘ظژط¬ظ’ظ…ظگ ظ‡ظڈظ…ظ’ ظٹظژظ‡ظ’طھظژط¯ظڈظˆظ†ظژ - ط£ظژظپظژظ…ظژظ† ظٹظژط®ظ’ظ„ظڈظ‚ظڈ ظƒظژظ…ظژظ† ظ„ط§ظ‘ظژ ظٹظژط®ظ’ظ„ظڈظ‚ظڈ ط£ظژظپظژظ„ط§ طھظژط°ظژظƒظ‘ظژط±ظڈظˆظ†ظژ - ظˆظژط¥ظگظ† طھظژط¹ظڈط¯ظ‘ظڈظˆط§ظ’ ظ†ظگط¹ظ’ظ…ظژط©ظژ ط§ظ„ظ„ظ‘ظژظ‡ظگ ظ„ط§ظژ طھظڈط­ظ’طµظڈظˆظ‡ظژط¢ ط¥ظگظ†ظ‘ظژ ط§ظ„ظ„ظ‘ظژظ‡ظژ ظ„ظژط؛ظژظپظڈظˆط±ظŒ ط±ظ‘ظژط­ظگظٹظ…ظŒ ﴾

(14. And He it is Who subjected the sea (to you), that you may eat from the fresh tender meat, and that you bring forth out of it ornaments to wear. And you see the ships plowing through it, that you may seek from His bounty and that you may perhaps be grateful.) (15. And He has driven firm standing mountains into the earth, lest it should shake with you; and rivers and roads, that you may guide yourselves. (16. And (by the) landmarks; and by the stars, they guide themselves.) (17. Is then He Who creates the same as one who creates, not Will you not then reflect) (18. And if you would try to count the favors of Allah, you would never be able to count them. Truly, Allah is Forgiving, Most Merciful.)