سُوْرَةُ الإِسۡرَاءِ
Surah Al-Israa (17) — Ayah 12
وَجَعَلْنَا ٱلَّيْلَ وَٱلنَّهَارَ ءَايَتَيْنِ ۖ فَمَحَوْنَآ ءَايَةَ ٱلَّيْلِ وَجَعَلْنَآ ءَايَةَ ٱلنَّهَارِ مُبْصِرَةً لِّتَبْتَغُوا۟ فَضْلًا مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ وَلِتَعْلَمُوا۟ عَدَدَ ٱلسِّنِينَ وَٱلْحِسَابَ ۚ وَكُلَّ شَىْءٍ فَصَّلْنَـٰهُ تَفْصِيلًا ﴿12﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
And We have appointed the night and the day as two Ayât (signs etc.). Then, We have obliterated the sign of the night (with darkness) while We have made the sign of the day illuminating, that you may seek bounty from your Lord, and that you may know the number of the years and the reckoning. And We have explained everything (in detail) with full explanation.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
وَجَعَلْنَا
wajaʿalnā
And We have made
ٱلَّيْلَ
al-layla
the night
وَٱلنَّهَارَ
wal-nahāra
and the day
ءَايَتَيْنِ ۖ
āyatayni
(as) two signs
فَمَحَوْنَآ
famaḥawnā
Then We erased
ءَايَةَ
āyata
(the) sign
ٱلَّيْلِ
al-layli
(of) the night
وَجَعَلْنَآ
wajaʿalnā
and We made
ءَايَةَ
āyata
(the) sign
ٱلنَّهَارِ
l-nahāri
(of) the day
مُبْصِرَةًۭ
mub'ṣiratan
visible
لِّتَبْتَغُوا۟
litabtaghū
that you may seek
فَضْلًۭا
faḍlan
bounty
مِّن
min
from
رَّبِّكُمْ
rabbikum
your Lord
وَلِتَعْلَمُوا۟
walitaʿlamū
and that you may know
عَدَدَ
ʿadada
(the) number
ٱلسِّنِينَ
l-sinīna
(of) the years
وَٱلْحِسَابَ ۚ
wal-ḥisāba
and the account
وَكُلَّ
wakulla
And every
شَىْءٍۢ
shayin
thing
فَصَّلْنَـٰهُ
faṣṣalnāhu
We have explained it
تَفْصِيلًۭا
tafṣīlan
(in) detail
Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim — Hafiz Abdus Salam Bin Muhammad Bhutvi
Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim is a 4-volume Quran commentary by Hafiz Abdus Salam bin Muhammad Bhutvi, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar and Sheikh ul-Hadith from Pakistan. Based on over 45 years of teaching and research, this tafsir follows the methodology of Tafsir bil-Ma'thur — interpreting the Quran through authentic Hadith, statements of the Companions, and the understanding of the early generations (Salaf). It is distinguished by its complete avoidance of Israeliyyat (Judeo-Christian narratives) and unverified reports. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
(Ayah 12) ➊ { وَ جَعَلْنَا الَّيْلَ وَ النَّهَارَ اٰيَتَيْنِ :} These two have been made signs so that from them, Allah’s existence, His perfect craftsmanship and power, and His being solely deserving of worship can be known. The night and the day have been mentioned in the Qur’an at numerous places as evidence and as a blessing. See Surah Ha Meem As-Sajdah (37), Ya Seen (37), Yunus (6), Aal-e-Imran (190), Baqarah (164), Furqan (62), Surah Zumar (5), and other verses.
➋ {فَمَحَوْنَاۤ اٰيَةَ الَّيْلِ … : ’’ مَحَا يَمْحُوْ مَحْوًا ‘‘} (N) To erase or remove the sign of something, that is, just as the night and the day are signs, in the same way, their existence and their continuously coming one after the other, increasing or decreasing daily, are also blessings, because the darkness and silence of the night are necessary for human comfort, rest, and sleep, and the light of the day is necessary for every work and for seeking Allah’s bounty. This is Allah’s favor that He made the night for rest, then erased it and made the day for work. If Allah had made it always night or always day, how could the cycle of life continue? For details, see Surah Qasas (71 to 73), Surah Naba (9 to 11), and Surah Rum (23).
➌ {وَ لِتَعْلَمُوْا عَدَدَ السِّنِيْنَ وَ الْحِسَابَ :} That is, if there were no day and night, and if there were no gradual daily increase or decrease of night and day, and if there were no phases of the moon from crescent to full and from full to crescent, then the season would always remain the same, and there would be no way to know the year and months, nor would there be the existence of time, upon which many religious matters, such as prayer, fasting, zakat, Hajj, Eid, waiting period, etc., and all worldly matters depend.
➍ { وَ كُلَّ شَيْءٍ فَصَّلْنٰهُ تَفْصِيْلًا:} That is, every matter in which lies your success in this world and the Hereafter, We have explained it in detail. {’’ تَفْصِيْلًا ‘‘} The infinitive is for emphasis, so the meaning is: to explain in detail. See also Surah An’am (38) and Surah Nahl (89).
➎ The mutual relevance of these verses (10 to 13), by combining the words of Ibn Ashur and Shah Abdul Qadir, is that in verse (10), when the preparation of a painful punishment for the disbelievers was mentioned, then in verse (11), the reason for the demand based on the stubbornness of the disbelievers was stated, which they used to make to the Muslims: bring the painful punishment now, come, make the sky fall upon us, let Allah rain stones upon us. It is said that man, out of haste, prays for his own harm without thinking, but Allah’s wisdom and the benefit of man himself require that his evil prayer not be accepted. (Ibn Ashur) In verse (13), it is stated that nothing is gained from the disbelievers’ demand for immediate punishment or from the Muslims’ supplication for the immediate destruction of the disbelievers. Shah Abdul Qadir (may Allah have mercy on him) writes: “There is no benefit in being anxious; everything has its appointed time and measure, just like night and day. No one’s anxiety makes the night shorter; morning comes at its appointed time.” (Muwadhih)
➋ {فَمَحَوْنَاۤ اٰيَةَ الَّيْلِ … : ’’ مَحَا يَمْحُوْ مَحْوًا ‘‘} (N) To erase or remove the sign of something, that is, just as the night and the day are signs, in the same way, their existence and their continuously coming one after the other, increasing or decreasing daily, are also blessings, because the darkness and silence of the night are necessary for human comfort, rest, and sleep, and the light of the day is necessary for every work and for seeking Allah’s bounty. This is Allah’s favor that He made the night for rest, then erased it and made the day for work. If Allah had made it always night or always day, how could the cycle of life continue? For details, see Surah Qasas (71 to 73), Surah Naba (9 to 11), and Surah Rum (23).
➌ {وَ لِتَعْلَمُوْا عَدَدَ السِّنِيْنَ وَ الْحِسَابَ :} That is, if there were no day and night, and if there were no gradual daily increase or decrease of night and day, and if there were no phases of the moon from crescent to full and from full to crescent, then the season would always remain the same, and there would be no way to know the year and months, nor would there be the existence of time, upon which many religious matters, such as prayer, fasting, zakat, Hajj, Eid, waiting period, etc., and all worldly matters depend.
➍ { وَ كُلَّ شَيْءٍ فَصَّلْنٰهُ تَفْصِيْلًا:} That is, every matter in which lies your success in this world and the Hereafter, We have explained it in detail. {’’ تَفْصِيْلًا ‘‘} The infinitive is for emphasis, so the meaning is: to explain in detail. See also Surah An’am (38) and Surah Nahl (89).
➎ The mutual relevance of these verses (10 to 13), by combining the words of Ibn Ashur and Shah Abdul Qadir, is that in verse (10), when the preparation of a painful punishment for the disbelievers was mentioned, then in verse (11), the reason for the demand based on the stubbornness of the disbelievers was stated, which they used to make to the Muslims: bring the painful punishment now, come, make the sky fall upon us, let Allah rain stones upon us. It is said that man, out of haste, prays for his own harm without thinking, but Allah’s wisdom and the benefit of man himself require that his evil prayer not be accepted. (Ibn Ashur) In verse (13), it is stated that nothing is gained from the disbelievers’ demand for immediate punishment or from the Muslims’ supplication for the immediate destruction of the disbelievers. Shah Abdul Qadir (may Allah have mercy on him) writes: “There is no benefit in being anxious; everything has its appointed time and measure, just like night and day. No one’s anxiety makes the night shorter; morning comes at its appointed time.” (Muwadhih)
