Surah Luqman (31) — Ayah 29

(Ayah 29) ➊ { اَلَمْ تَرَ اَنَّ اللّٰهَ يُوْلِجُ الَّيْلَ فِي النَّهَارِ … :} For its explanation, see Surah Al-Imran (27). This is evidence that for Allah, creating all humans and resurrecting them is just like creating and resurrecting a single soul. You see with your own eyes that when the days start to lengthen, every day a part of the night is added to the day, then with the arrival of winter, that same part of the day is added to the night. For the One who merges the day into the night and the night into the day, giving life after your death is an entirely simple matter. It can also mean that He brings the darkness of night over the light of day and the light of day over the darkness of night.

➋ { وَ سَخَّرَ الشَّمْسَ وَ الْقَمَرَ كُلٌّ يَّجْرِيْۤ اِلٰۤى اَجَلٍ مُّسَمًّى:} Hafiz scholars, please note that in the entire Quran, {’’ كُلٌّ يَّجْرِيْۤ اِلٰۤى اَجَلٍ مُّسَمًّى ‘‘} is found only at this place. At all other places, it is {’’ كُلٌّ يَّجْرِيْۤ لِأَجَلٍ مُّسَمًّى ‘‘}. This is the second evidence for the possibility of resurrection. That is, a creation much greater than man, the sun and the moon, being subjugated in such a way that for long ages they have been moving in this manner and will continue to move as long as Allah has appointed for them. In the words {’’ اِلٰۤى اَجَلٍ مُّسَمًّى ‘‘} (until an appointed time), several things are included: first, that in the daily rotation of night and day, both of these travel from morning to evening and from evening to morning, then set out again on this same journey. Their daily journey from east to west and from west to east continues like a waterwheel. Second, in terms of the time of rising and setting, the moon completes its journey in a month and rises at the same time as it did in the previous month, and the sun rises at exactly the same time after a year as it did in the previous year. Third, the sun and the moon will continue to move until the time Allah has appointed for the end of their rotation, and that is the Day of Resurrection, as Allah has said: «{ اِذَا الشَّمْسُ كُوِّرَتْ (1) وَ اِذَا النُّجُوْمُ انْكَدَرَتْ }» [التکویر : ۱، ۲ ] "When the sun is wrapped up. And when the stars lose their light." In the context of the verses, this meaning is more appropriate here, so most commentators have taken {’’ اِلٰۤى اَجَلٍ مُّسَمًّى ‘‘} here to mean the Day of Resurrection.

➌ Here, a question arises that at this place the word {’’ اِلٰۤى اَجَلٍ مُّسَمًّى ‘‘} is used, whereas at other places {’’ لِاَجَلٍ مُّسَمًّى ‘‘} is used; what is the wisdom in this? Sulaiman Al-Jamal said: "Here Allah has said {’’ اِلٰۤى اَجَلٍ مُّسَمًّى ‘‘}, whereas in Surah Fatir and Surah Zumar (and Ra'd) He has said {’’ لِاَجَلٍ مُّسَمًّى ‘‘}. Because here this word comes between two verses in which the end is mentioned, when creation will be finished. So before it is {’’ مَا خَلْقُكُمْ وَ لَا بَعْثُكُمْ ‘‘} and after it is {’’ اتَّقُوْا رَبَّكُمْ وَ اخْشَوْا يَوْمًا ‘‘}, both verses indicate the end of this system of the universe, and this is not the case in Surah Fatir and Zumar, because in Surah Fatir neither the beginning of creation is mentioned nor its end, and in Surah Zumar the beginning is mentioned but not the end, so there the word 'lam' is used, that the sun and the moon, as they are seen moving, are moving to reach an appointed time."

➍ {وَّ اَنَّ اللّٰهَ بِمَا تَعْمَلُوْنَ خَبِيْرٌ :} Its conjunction is with {’’ اَلَمْ تَرَ اَنَّ اللّٰهَ يُوْلِجُ ‘‘}. The meaning of {’’ اَلَمْ تَرَ ‘‘} was "Did you not know?" That is, you certainly know that Allah merges the night into the day and... you also know that whatever you do, Allah is fully aware of it.