Surah Al-Jaathiya (45) — Ayah 5

(Ayah 5) ➊ { وَ اخْتِلَافِ الَّيْلِ وَ النَّهَارِ:} This includes the coming of night after day and day after night, the night being longer than the day and the day being longer than the night, and also the changing of the places of sunrise and sunset every day throughout the year.

➋ {وَ مَاۤ اَنْزَلَ اللّٰهُ مِنَ السَّمَآءِ مِنْ رِّزْقٍ … :} Here, instead of using the word {’’ مَاءٌ ‘‘} (water) for what is sent down from the sky, the word {’’ رِزْقٍ ‘‘} is used, because many things descend from the sky besides rain, through which the sustenance of all living beings is arranged. For example, the rays and light of the sun and moon, winds, and many things that are not visible but exist and descend from above.

➌ { وَ تَصْرِيْفِ الرِّيٰحِ:} The distribution of winds is also of many kinds, such as eastern, western, southern, or northern winds, or winds in between them; cold, hot, or moderate winds; fruitful or barren winds; and beneficial or harmful winds, etc. Remember that the signs of Allah mentioned here are described in more detail in Surah Al-Baqarah (164).

➍ { اٰيٰتٌ لِّقَوْمٍ يَّعْقِلُوْنَ:} The commentator Qali said: "When fair-minded people look at the heavens and the earth, they will believe that surely there is a Creator for them, so there it is said: « لَاٰيٰتٍ لِّلْمُؤْمِنِيْنَ » [ الجاثیۃ : ۳ ] 'Surely there are many signs for the believers.' Then, when they reflect on their own creation and that of other living beings, their faith will increase and they will become certain, so there it is said: « اٰيٰتٌ لِّقَوْمٍ يُّوْقِنُوْنَ » [ الجاثیۃ : ۴ ] 'There are many signs for those who are certain.' Then, when they reflect on all other creatures, they will understand very well, so here it is said: « اٰيٰتٌ لِّقَوْمٍ يَّعْقِلُوْنَ » 'There are many signs for those who understand.'" (Nazm al-Durr)

5. 1. The creation of the heavens and the earth, the creation of mankind, the birth of animals, the alternation of night and day, and the revival of dead land through heavenly rain, etc.—there are countless signs in the horizons and within themselves that indicate Allah’s Oneness and Lordship.

5. 2. That is, sometimes the direction of the wind is north-south, sometimes west (east and west), sometimes sea winds and sometimes land winds, sometimes at night, sometimes during the day, some winds bring rain, some are fruitful, some winds are nourishment for the soul and some scorch everything and are merely storms of dust and debris. The many types of winds also indicate that there is someone running this universe, and He is only One—there are not two or more. He alone possesses all authority; there is no partner with Him. He alone manages all and every kind of affair; no one else has even the slightest authority to manage anything.

And in the alternation of night and day [5], and in the provision that Allah sends down from the sky, by which He revives the earth after its death [6], and in the changing of the winds [7], there are many signs for people who use their intellect.

[5]
The Fifth Sign: The Alternation of Night and Day:

When night comes, it arrives gradually; pitch darkness does not descend all at once, nor does the sun rise all of a sudden in its full brilliance. Rather, it too appears gradually. When the nights begin to lengthen, the law of gradualness operates in them. Then, when the seasons change, there is also gradualness in them. For this gradualness too, there is a law, a system, in which there is neither excess nor deficiency, nor any disorder. Moreover, the changes occur in such a manner that many benefits for mankind are associated with them. The great and mighty celestial bodies which Allah has kept under control to establish this system of day and night and seasons, show that the entire management of this universe is in the power of only one Being.

[6]
The Sixth Sign: The Descent of Rain and the Creation of Sustenance for Creatures:

Here, sustenance refers to rain, which becomes the means of sustenance for all living creatures. In the falling of rain, and then in the growth of the earth’s produce from this rainwater, many factors are at work. These are completely powerless before the laws made by Allah Almighty. All these factors perform their assigned duties. Only then do humans and living beings obtain sustenance.

All Factors Are the Same, Yet Plants Are of Thousands of Kinds:

One sign in this is that no one other than Allah has any control over these factors, so how can anyone else claim divinity? The second sign is that the earth is one, the water is one, the air and the season are one, yet plants of different kinds and colors grow. The third sign is that the arrangement of sustenance from the sky is common for all, and everyone has an equal right to benefit from it. Yet, each one’s sustenance is separate. Some receive less, some more. And whatever sustenance is destined for someone, no matter how much effort he makes, his sustenance cannot increase. Nor can anyone reduce another’s sustenance; what is meant for him will surely reach him.

[7]
The Circulation and Types of Winds:

The winds carry the heavy, rain-laden clouds on their shoulders without difficulty. They bring a message of mercy to some people and become a punishment from Allah for others. Then, they also play an effective role in bringing about changes in the seasons. These winds are not moving freely in the atmosphere; rather, they move only in the direction Allah commands. Although Allah has set laws for the circulation of the winds, Allah Almighty is not helpless or powerless before the natural laws He Himself has made. Rather, whenever and however He wills, He can make every part of His creation work according to His will.