It has been reported from `Ali, Ibn `Abbas, `Ubadah bin As-Samit, Abu Hurayrah, Shaddad bin Aws, Ibn `Umar, Muhammad bin `Ali bin Al-Husayn, Makhul, Bakr bin `Abdullah Al-Muzani, Bukayr bin Al-Ashaj, Malik, Ibn Abi Dhi'b, and `Abdul-`Aziz bin Abi Salamah Al-Majishun, they all said, "Ash-Shafaq is the redness (in the sky).`Abdur-Razzaq recorded from Abu Hurayrah that he said, "Ash-Shafaq is the whiteness.'' So Ash-Shafaq is the redness of the horizon, either before sunset, as Mujahid said or after sunset, as is well known with the scholars of the Arabic Language. Al-Khalil bin Ahmad said, "Ash-Shafaq is the redness that appears from the setting of sun until the time of the last `Isha' (when it is completely dark). When that redness goes away, it is said, `Ash-Shafaq has disappeared.''' Al-Jawhari said, "Ash-Shafaq is the remaining light of the sun and its redness at the beginning of the night until it is close to actual nighttime (darkness).'' `Ikrimah made a similar statement when he said, "Ash-Shafaq is that what is between Al-Maghrib and Al-`Isha'.'' In the Sahih of Muslim, it is recorded from `Abdullah bin `Amr that the Messenger of Allah said,

«وَقْتُ الْمَغْرِبِ مَا لَمْ يَغِبِ الشَّفَق»

(The time of Al-Maghrib is as long as Ash-Shafaq has not disappeared.)'' In all of this, there is a proof that Ash-Shafaq is as Al-Jawhari and Al-Khalil have said. Ibn `Abbas, Mujahid, Al-Hasan and Qatadah, all said that,

﴿وَمَا وَسَقَ﴾

(and what it Wasaqa) means "What it gathers.'' Qatadah said, "The stars and animals it gathers.'' `Ikrimah said,

﴿وَالَّيْلِ وَمَا وَسَقَ ﴾

(And by the night and what it Wasaqa,) "What it drives into due to its darkness, because when it is nighttime everything goes to its home.'' Concerning Allah's statement,

﴿وَالْقَمَرِ إِذَا اتَّسَقَ ﴾

(And by the moon when it Ittasaqa.) Ibn `Abbas said, "When it comes together and becomes complete.'' Al-Hasan said, "When it comes together and becomes full.'' Qatadah said, "When it completes its cycle.'' These statements refer to its light when it is completed and becomes full, as the idea was initiated with "The night and what it gathers.'' Allah said,

﴿لَتَرْكَبُنَّ طَبَقاً عَن طَبقٍ ﴾

(You shall certainly travel from stage to stage.) Al-Bukhari recorded from Mujahid that Ibn `Abbas said,

﴿لَتَرْكَبُنَّ طَبَقاً عَن طَبقٍ ﴾

(You shall certainly travel from stage to stage.) "Stage after stage. Your Prophet has said this.'' Al-Bukhari recorded this statement with this wording. `Ikrimah said,

﴿طَبَقاً عَن طَبقٍ﴾

(From stage to stage.) "Stage after stage. Weaned after he was breast feeding, and an old man after he was a young man.'' Al-Hasan Al-Basri said,

﴿طَبَقاً عَن طَبقٍ﴾

(From stage to stage.) "Stage after stage. Ease after difficulty, difficulty after ease, wealth after poverty, poverty after wealth, health after sickness, and sickness after health.''