Tafsir Ibn Kathir -> Surah Al-Furqan -> Mentioning the Might and Power of Allah

Here Allah glorifies Himself and praises the beauty He created in the heavens of Al-Buruj, the giant stars, according to the view of Mujahid, Sa`id bin Jubayr, Abu Salih, Al-Hasan and Qatadah. This is like the Ayah,

﴿ظˆظژظ„ظژظ‚ظژط¯ظ’ ط²ظژظٹظ‘ظژظ†ظ‘ظژط§ ط§ظ„ط³ظ‘ظژظ…ظژط¢ط،ظژ ط§ظ„ط¯ظ‘ظڈظ†ظ’ظٹظژط§ ط¨ظگظ…ظژطµظژظ€ط¨ظگظٹط­ظژ﴾

(And indeed We have adorned the nearest heaven with lamps) (67:5). Allah says:

﴿طھظژط¨ظژط§ط±ظژظƒظژ ط§ظ„ظ‘ظژط°ظگظ‰ ط¬ظژط¹ظژظ„ظژ ظپظگظ‰ ط§ظ„ط³ظ‘ظژظ…ظژط¢ط،ظگ ط¨ظڈط±ظڈظˆط¬ط§ظ‹ ظˆظژط¬ظژط¹ظژظ„ظژ ظپظگظٹظ‡ظژط§ ط³ظگط±ظژط§ط¬ط§ظ‹﴾

(Blessed be He Who has placed in the heaven Al-Buruj, and has placed therein a great lamp,) which is the sun which shines like a lamp, as Allah says:

﴿ظˆظژط¬ظژط¹ظژظ„ظ’ظ†ظژط§ ط³ظگط±ظژط§ط¬ط§ظ‹ ظˆظژظ‡ظ‘ظژط§ط¬ط§ظ‹ ﴾

(And We have made (therein) a shining lamp) (78:13).

﴿ظˆظژظ‚ظژظ…ظژط±ط§ظ‹ ظ…ظ‘ظڈظ†ظگظٹط±ط§ظ‹﴾

(and a moon giving light.) means, shining and illuminated by the light of something else, different from the light of the sun, as Allah says:

﴿ظ‡ظڈظˆظژ ط§ظ„ظ‘ظژط°ظگظ‰ ط¬ظژط¹ظژظ„ظژ ط§ظ„ط´ظ‘ظژظ…ظ’ط³ظژ ط¶ظگظٹظژط¢ط،ظ‹ ظˆظژط§ظ„ظ’ظ‚ظژظ…ظژط±ظژ ظ†ظڈظˆط±ط§ظ‹﴾

(It is He Who made the sun a shining thing and the moon as a light) (10:5). And Allah tells us that Nuh, peace be upon him, said to his people:

﴿ط£ظژظ„ظژظ…ظ’ طھظژط±ظژظˆظ’ط§ظ’ ظƒظژظٹظ’ظپظژ ط®ظژظ„ظژظ‚ظژ ط§ظ„ظ„ظ‘ظژظ‡ظڈ ط³ظژط¨ظ’ط¹ظژ ط³ظژظ…ظژظ€ظˆظژطھظچ ط·ظگط¨ظژط§ظ‚ط§ظ‹ - ظˆظژط¬ظژط¹ظژظ„ظژ ط§ظ„ظ’ظ‚ظژظ…ظژط±ظژ ظپظگظٹظ‡ظگظ†ظ‘ظژ ظ†ظڈظˆط±ط§ظ‹ ظˆظژط¬ظژط¹ظژظ„ظژ ط§ظ„ط´ظ‘ظژظ…ظ’ط³ظژ ط³ظگط±ظژط§ط¬ط§ظ‹ ﴾

(See you not how Allah has created the seven heavens one above another And has made the moon a light therein, and made the sun a lamp) (71:15-16). Then Allah says:

﴿ظˆظژظ‡ظڈظˆظژ ط§ظ„ظ‘ظژط°ظگظ‰ ط¬ظژط¹ظژظ„ظژ ط§ظ„ظ‘ظژظٹظ’ظ„ظژ ظˆظژط§ظ„ظ†ظ‘ظژظ‡ظژط§ط±ظژ ط®ظگظ„ظ’ظپظژط©ظ‹﴾

(And He it is Who has put the night and the day in succession (Khilfatan),) meaning, each one comes after the other, in a never-ending alternation. When one goes the other comes, and vice versa, as Allah says:

﴿ظˆظژط³ظژط®ظ‘ظژط± ظ„ظژظƒظڈظ…ظڈ ط§ظ„ط´ظ‘ظژظ…ظ’ط³ظژ ظˆظژط§ظ„ظ’ظ‚ظژظ…ظژط±ظژ ط¯ظژط¢ط¦ظگط¨ظژظٹظ†ظژ﴾

(And He has made the sun and the moon, both constantly pursuing their courses) (14:33).

﴿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§﴾

(He brings the night as a cover over the day, seeking it rapidly) (7:54).

﴿ظ„ط§ظژ ط§ظ„ط´ظ‘ظژظ…ظ’ط³ظڈ ظٹظژظ†ط¨ظژط؛ظگظ‰ ظ„ظژظ‡ظژط¢ ط£ظژظ† طھط¯ظ’ط±ظگظƒظژ ط§ظ„ظ‚ظژظ…ظژط±ظژ﴾

(It is not for the sun to overtake the moon) (36:40).

﴿ظ„ظ‘ظگظ…ظژظ†ظ’ ط£ظژط±ظژط§ط¯ظژ ط£ظژظ† ظٹظژط°ظ‘ظژظƒظ‘ظژط±ظژ ط£ظژظˆظ’ ط£ظژط±ظژط§ط¯ظژ ط´ظڈظƒظڈظˆط±ط§ظ‹﴾

(for such who desires to remember or desires to show his gratitude.) means, He has caused them both to follow one another to show the times when His servants should worship Him. So whoever misses an act of worship during the night can make it up during the day, and whoever misses an act of worship during the day can make it up during the night. It was recorded in a Sahih Hadith:

آ«ط¥ظگظ†ظ‘ظژ ط§ظ„ظ„ظ‡ظژ ط¹ظژط²ظ‘ظژ ظˆظژط¬ظژظ„ظ‘ظژ ظٹظژط¨ظ’ط³ظڈط·ظڈ ظٹظژط¯ظژظ‡ظڈ ط¨ظگط§ظ„ظ„ظ‘ظژظٹظ’ظ„ظگ ظ„ظگظٹظژطھظڈظˆط¨ظژ ظ…ظڈط³ظگظٹط،ظڈ ط§ظ„ظ†ظ‘ظژظ‡ظژط§ط±ظگطŒ ظˆظژظٹظژط¨ظ’ط³ظڈط·ظڈ ظٹظژط¯ظژظ‡ظڈ ط¨ظگط§ظ„ظ†ظ‘ظژظ‡ظژط§ط±ظگ ظ„ظگظٹظژطھظڈظˆط¨ظژ ظ…ظڈط³ظگظٹط،ظڈ ط§ظ„ظ„ظ‘ظژظٹظ’ظ„آ»

(Allah spreads forth His Hand at night for the one who has done evil during the day to repent, and He spreads forth His Hand during the day for the one who has done evil during the night to repent.) Mujahid and Qatadah said: "Khilfatan means different, i.e., because one is dark and the other is light.''

﴿ظˆظژط¹ظگط¨ظژط§ط¯ظڈ ط§ظ„ط±ظ‘ظژط­ظ’ظ…ظژظ€ظ†ظگ ط§ظ„ظ‘ظژط°ظگظٹظ†ظژ ظٹظژظ…ظ’ط´ظڈظˆظ†ظژ ط¹ظژظ„ظژظ‰ ط§ظ„ط§ظ‘ظŒط±ظ’ط¶ظگ ظ‡ظژظˆظ’ظ†ط§ظ‹ ظˆظژط¥ظگط°ظژط§ ط®ظژط§ط·ظژط¨ظژظ‡ظڈظ…ظڈ ط§ظ„ط¬ظژظ€ظ‡ظگظ„ظڈظˆظ†ظژ ظ‚ظژط§ظ„ظڈظˆط§ظ’ ط³ظژظ„ط§ظژظ…ط§ظ‹ - ظˆظژط§ظ„ظ‘ظژط°ظگظٹظ†ظژ ظٹظگط¨ظگظٹطھظڈظˆظ†ظژ ظ„ظگط±ظژط¨ظ‘ظگظ‡ظگظ…ظ’ ط³ظڈط¬ظ‘ظژط¯ط§ظ‹ ظˆظژظ‚ظگظٹظژظ€ظ…ط§ظ‹ - ظˆظژط§ظ„ظ‘ظژط°ظگظٹظ†ظژ ظٹظژظ‚ظڈظˆظ„ظڈظˆظ†ظژ ط±ظژط¨ظ‘ظژظ†ظژط§ ط§طµظ’ط±ظگظپظ’ ط¹ظژظ†ظ‘ظژط§ ط¹ظژط°ظژط§ط¨ظژ ط¬ظژظ‡ظژظ†ظ‘ظژظ…ظژ ط¥ظگظ†ظ‘ظژ ط¹ظژط°ظژط§ط¨ظژظ‡ظژط§ ظƒظژط§ظ†ظژ ط؛ظژط±ظژط§ظ…ط§ظ‹ - ط¥ظگظ†ظ‘ظژظ‡ظژط§ ط³ظژط¢ط،ظژطھظ’ ظ…ظڈط³ظ’طھظژظ‚ظژط±ظ‘ط§ظ‹ ظˆظژظ…ظڈظ‚ظژط§ظ…ط§ظ‹ - ظˆظژط§ظ„ظ‘ظژط°ظگظٹظ†ظژ ط¥ظگط°ظژط¢ ط£ظژظ†ظپظژظ‚ظڈظˆط§ظ’ ظ„ظژظ…ظ’ ظٹظڈط³ظ’ط±ظگظپظڈظˆط§ظ’ ظˆظژظ„ظژظ…ظ’ ظٹظژظ‚ظ’طھظڈط±ظڈظˆط§ظ’ ظˆظژظƒظژط§ظ†ظژ ط¨ظژظٹظ’ظ†ظژ ط°ظژظ„ظگظƒظژ ظ‚ظژظˆظژط§ظ…ط§ظ‹ ﴾

(63. And the servants of the Most Gracious are those who walk on the earth Hawna, and when the foolish address them they say; "Salama.'') (64. And those who spend the night in worship of their Lord, prostrate and standing.) (65. And those who say: "Our Lord! Avert from us the torment of Hell. Verily, its torment is ever an inseparable, permanent punishment.'') (66. Evil indeed it is as an abode and as a place to rest in.) (67. And those who, when they spend, are neither extravagant nor stingy, but are in a just balance between them.)