سُوْرَةُ يٰسٓ
Surah Yaseen (36) — Ayah 39
وَٱلْقَمَرَ قَدَّرْنَـٰهُ مَنَازِلَ حَتَّىٰ عَادَ كَٱلْعُرْجُونِ ٱلْقَدِيمِ ﴿39﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
And the moon, We have measured for it mansions (to traverse) till it returns like the old dried curved date stalk.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
وَٱلْقَمَرَ
wal-qamara
And the moon
قَدَّرْنَـٰهُ
qaddarnāhu
We have ordained for it
مَنَازِلَ
manāzila
phases
حَتَّىٰ
ḥattā
until
عَادَ
ʿāda
it returns
كَٱلْعُرْجُونِ
kal-ʿur'jūni
like the date stalk
ٱلْقَدِيمِ
l-qadīmi
the old
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 39) ➊ {وَ الْقَمَرَ قَدَّرْنٰهُ مَنَازِلَ حَتّٰى عَادَ كَالْعُرْجُوْنِ الْقَدِيْمِ: ’’اَلْعُرْجُوْنَ‘‘} is on the pattern of {’’فُعْلُوْنَ‘‘}, plural {’’عَرَاجِيْنُ‘‘}. This is derived from {’’اَلْعِرَاجُ‘‘}, which means to be crooked. The crooked stalks of a date cluster to which the dates are attached.
➋ This is the third argument: like the sun, the moon does not always remain in one form, rather it waxes and wanes daily. Allah Almighty has fixed twenty-eight stages for it in which it appears. Then, after being hidden for one or two days, it rises again. On the first night, it is like a thin, crooked line whose light is also dim, then it increases until on the fourteenth night it becomes fully bright, then it decreases until on the twenty-eighth night it returns to the same state which Allah Almighty has likened to an old, crooked, lifeless stalk of a date palm. For millions of years, the waxing and waning and rising and setting of the moon has continued in this way. For One with such immense power and perfect knowledge, how difficult can it be to resurrect man?
➋ This is the third argument: like the sun, the moon does not always remain in one form, rather it waxes and wanes daily. Allah Almighty has fixed twenty-eight stages for it in which it appears. Then, after being hidden for one or two days, it rises again. On the first night, it is like a thin, crooked line whose light is also dim, then it increases until on the fourteenth night it becomes fully bright, then it decreases until on the twenty-eighth night it returns to the same state which Allah Almighty has likened to an old, crooked, lifeless stalk of a date palm. For millions of years, the waxing and waning and rising and setting of the moon has continued in this way. For One with such immense power and perfect knowledge, how difficult can it be to resurrect man?
