Al-Furqaan - Ayah 61

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, وَلَقَدْ زَيَّنَّا السَّمَآءَ الدُّنْيَا بِمَصَـبِيحَ (And indeed We have adorned the nearest heaven with lamps) (67:5). Allah says: تَبَارَكَ الَّذِى جَعَلَ فِى السَّمَآءِ بُرُوجاً وَجَعَلَ فِيهَا سِرَاجاً (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: وَجَعَلْنَا سِرَاجاً وَهَّاجاً (And We have made (therein) a shining lamp) (78:13). وَقَمَراً مُّنِيراً (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: هُوَ الَّذِى جَعَلَ الشَّمْسَ ضِيَآءً وَالْقَمَرَ نُوراً (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: أَلَمْ تَرَوْاْ كَيْفَ خَلَقَ اللَّهُ سَبْعَ سَمَـوَتٍ طِبَاقاً - وَجَعَلَ الْقَمَرَ فِيهِنَّ نُوراً وَجَعَلَ الشَّمْسَ سِرَاجاً (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: وَهُوَ الَّذِى جَعَلَ الَّيْلَ وَالنَّهَارَ خِلْفَةً (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: وَسَخَّر لَكُمُ الشَّمْسَ وَالْقَمَرَ دَآئِبَينَ (And He has made the sun and the moon, both constantly pursuing their courses) (14:33). يُغْشِى الَّيْلَ النَّهَارَ يَطْلُبُهُ حَثِيثًا (He brings the night as a cover over the day, seeking it rapidly) (7:54). لاَ الشَّمْسُ يَنبَغِى لَهَآ أَن تدْرِكَ القَمَرَ (It is not for the sun to overtake the moon) (36:40). لِّمَنْ أَرَادَ أَن يَذَّكَّرَ أَوْ أَرَادَ شُكُوراً (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: «إِنَّ اللهَ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ يَبْسُطُ يَدَهُ بِاللَّيْلِ لِيَتُوبَ مُسِيءُ النَّهَارِ، وَيَبْسُطُ يَدَهُ بِالنَّهَارِ لِيَتُوبَ مُسِيءُ اللَّيْل» (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."