Surah Yaseen (36) — Ayah 38

(Ayah 38) ➊ {وَ الشَّمْسُ تَجْرِيْ لِمُسْتَقَرٍّ لَّهَا … : ’’مُسْتَقَرٌّ‘‘} is a noun of place or time from the verb form "istif‘al." This is the second evidence, meaning the daily setting and rising of the sun is proof of life after death. This verse has two meanings, and both meanings can be intended at the same time, and this is the miracle of the Qur’an. One meaning is that the sun is moving in the place which Allah has appointed for it, and that is under the Throne. In this case, the "lam" in {’’ لِمُسْتَقَرٍّ ‘‘} will be in the meaning of {’’عَلٰي‘‘} or {’’فِيْ‘‘}, as Shah Abdul Qadir (may Allah have mercy on him) translated: "And the sun moves on its fixed path." The evidence for this meaning is the hadith of Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) that I asked the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) about the saying of Allah, {’’ وَ الشَّمْسُ تَجْرِيْ لِمُسْتَقَرٍّ لَّهَا ‘‘}, so he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: [ مُسْتَقَرُّهَا تَحْتَ الْعَرْشِ ] [بخاري، التفسیر، سورۃ یٰسٓ، باب قولہ : « و الشمس تجري… » : ۴۸۰۳ ] "Its resting place is under the Throne."

The second meaning is that the sun is moving towards that place or time which Allah has appointed for its stopping, where, after reaching, it will be commanded to return instead of moving forward, and it will rise from the west instead of the east. This path of its movement, and that place and time of its stopping, is appointed by the One who is All-Powerful, All-Knowing. This meaning is also established by hadith, as narrated from Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) that at sunset, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) asked him: [ أَ تَدْرِيْ أَيْنَ تَذْهَبُ؟ ] "Do you know where this goes?" I said: [ اَللّٰهُ وَ رَسُوْلُهُ أَعْلَمُ ] "Allah and His Messenger know best." He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: [ فَإِنَّهَا تَذْهَبُ حَتّٰی تَسْجُدَ تَحْتَ الْعَرْشِ، فَتَسْتَأْذِنَ فَيُؤْذَنَ لَهَا، وَيُوْشِكُ أَنْ تَسْجُدَ فَلاَ يُقْبَلَ مِنْهَا، وَتَسْتَأْذِنَ فَلاَ يُؤْذَنَ لَهَا، فَيُقَالُ لَهَا ارْجِعِيْ مِنْ حَيْثُ جِئْتِ فَتَطْلُعُ مِنْ مَّغْرِبِهَا، فَذٰلِكَ قَوْلُهُ تَعَالٰی: «وَ الشَّمْسُ تَجْرِيْ لِمُسْتَقَرٍّ لَّهَا ذٰلِكَ تَقْدِيْرُ الْعَزِيْزِ الْعَلِيْمِ» ] [ بخاري، بدء الخلق، باب صفۃ الشمس والقمر : ۳۱۹۹ ] "This sun keeps moving until it prostrates under the Throne, then it seeks permission, and it is granted permission, and soon it will prostrate but its prostration will not be accepted, and it will seek permission but will not be granted permission, then it will rise from its west. This is the saying of Allah: « وَ الشَّمْسُ تَجْرِيْ لِمُسْتَقَرٍّ لَّهَا ذٰلِكَ تَقْدِيْرُ الْعَزِيْزِ الْعَلِيْمِ »"

➋ From this verse, it is known that the sun is moving. Scientists describe two of its movements: one is its movement around its orbit, and the other is its movement along with that around some great galaxy. (And Allah knows best)

➌ Here a question arises that it is a known fact to everyone that the sun is always moving; if it sets somewhere, it is rising at the next place, so what is meant by its prostrating under the Throne and seeking permission to move at the time of setting? The answer is that the sun is moving under the Throne and at every moment is prostrating before Allah, and its moving forward at every moment depends on Allah’s permission. When permission is not granted by Allah, it will stop, and by Allah’s command, it will rise from the west instead of the east. The evidence for this is the verse of the Qur’an: «اَلَمْ تَرَ اَنَّ اللّٰهَ يَسْجُدُ لَهٗ مَنْ فِي السَّمٰوٰتِ وَ مَنْ فِي الْاَرْضِ وَ الشَّمْسُ وَ الْقَمَرُ وَ النُّجُوْمُ وَ الْجِبَالُ وَ الشَّجَرُ وَ الدَّوَآبُّ وَ كَثِيْرٌ مِّنَ النَّاسِ وَ كَثِيْرٌ حَقَّ عَلَيْهِ الْعَذَابُ وَ مَنْ يُّهِنِ اللّٰهُ فَمَا لَهٗ مِنْ مُّكْرِمٍ اِنَّ اللّٰهَ يَفْعَلُ مَا يَشَآءُ » [ الحج : ۱۸ ] "Do you not see that to Allah prostrates whoever is in the heavens and whoever is on the earth, and the sun and the moon and the stars and the mountains and the trees and the animals and many of mankind? But many are those upon whom the punishment has been justified. And whomever Allah humiliates, for him there is no one to give honor. Indeed, Allah does what He wills."

➍ The daily setting and rising of the sun is a clear proof of life after death.

➎ Along with the great creations of the sun and the moon, Allah has mentioned here His two attributes of majesty and perfection, "Al-Aziz" (the Mighty) and "Al-Alim" (the All-Knowing), and also in Surah Al-An‘am (96) and Surah Ha Mim As-Sajdah (12).

1. That is, it keeps moving on its orbit (falak), which Allah has fixed for it; it begins its journey from there and ends there as well. Moreover, it does not deviate even slightly from this, so that it would collide with any other planet. The second meaning is: up to its resting place, and this place is said to be beneath the Throne (‘Arsh), as mentioned in the hadith that the sun, after setting every day, goes and prostrates beneath the Throne and then seeks permission to rise from there (Sahih Bukhari, Tafsir Surah Yasin). According to both interpretations, the "lam" in "lamustaqarr" is for causation, i.e., "for its resting place." Some say that the "lam" is in the meaning of "ila" (to), then the resting place will be on the Day of Resurrection. That is, the sun’s movement will continue until the Day of Resurrection; on that day, its movement will end. All three interpretations are correct in their own place.

38. And the sun runs on its fixed course [36]. That is the determination of the Almighty, the All-Knowing.

[36] One meaning of this is that just as all other planets are revolving in their respective orbits in space, similarly the sun also moves along its orbit or its appointed path. The second meaning is that as long as Allah Almighty, Who is Dominant over everything and fully aware of all the conditions of His creations, wills, this sun will continue to move along its appointed path, as is made clear by the following hadith.

The Sun Prostrating Beneath the Divine Throne:

Once, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ himself asked Sayyiduna Abu Dharr ؓ: "Do you know where the sun goes after it sets?" Sayyiduna Abu Dharr ؓ replied: "Allah and His Messenger ﷺ know best." The Prophet ﷺ said: "When the sun sets, it prostrates beneath the Throne of Allah Almighty and seeks permission to rise again, so it is granted permission. Then a day will come when it will be told: 'Return from where you came.' Then it will rise from the west." Then the Prophet ﷺ recited this very verse [بخاری۔ کتاب التوحید۔ باب وکان عرشہ علی الماء].

Two things are learned from this hadith. First, that the movement of the sun and likewise the other planets is not merely the result of gravitational pull and centrifugal force, but over the celestial bodies and their system, there is the powerful control of Allah, the Wise and All-Aware, such that there is neither collision nor interference among them, nor is there any decrease or increase in their appointed movement, and all these celestial bodies are revolving under the command of Allah. Second, that before the Day of Judgment, a time will come when the sun will rise from the west, after which the system of the universe will be disrupted. Today's Westernized student mocks the sun's setting and rising, and the idea of it seeking permission to rise again after going beneath the Throne, and says that the sun remains in its place and what appears to us as rising and setting is merely due to the earth's axial rotation. Whereas Allah's Throne is so vast that, let alone the sun, every single thing in the universe is beneath His Throne, and everything except jinn and mankind is either prostrating before Him or engaged in the service assigned by Allah.