سُوْرَةُ يٰسٓ
Surah Yaseen (36) — Ayah 40
لَا ٱلشَّمْسُ يَنۢبَغِى لَهَآ أَن تُدْرِكَ ٱلْقَمَرَ وَلَا ٱلَّيْلُ سَابِقُ ٱلنَّهَارِ ۚ وَكُلٌّ فِى فَلَكٍ يَسْبَحُونَ ﴿40﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
It is not for the sun to overtake the moon, nor does the night outstrip the day. They all float, each in an orbit.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
لَا
lā
Not
ٱلشَّمْسُ
l-shamsu
the sun
يَنۢبَغِى
yanbaghī
is permitted
لَهَآ
lahā
for it
أَن
an
that
تُدْرِكَ
tud'rika
it overtakes
ٱلْقَمَرَ
l-qamara
the moon
وَلَا
walā
and not
ٱلَّيْلُ
al-laylu
the night
سَابِقُ
sābiqu
(can) outstrip
ٱلنَّهَارِ ۚ
l-nahāri
the day
وَكُلٌّۭ
wakullun
but all
فِى
fī
in
فَلَكٍۢ
falakin
an orbit
يَسْبَحُونَ
yasbaḥūna
they are floating
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 40) ➊ { لَا الشَّمْسُ يَنْۢبَغِيْ لَهَاۤ اَنْ تُدْرِكَ الْقَمَرَ:} This is the fourth proof, that is, the time for the manifestation of the moon’s light is night; it is not possible that while the moon is shining at night, suddenly the sun should rise.
➋ { وَ لَا الَّيْلُ سَابِقُ النَّهَارِ:} Nor is it possible that while the day still remains, suddenly night should fall.
➌ { وَ كُلٌّ فِيْ فَلَكٍ يَّسْبَحُوْنَ : ’’سَبَحَ يَسْبَحُ‘‘} (F) means “to swim.” That is, whether it is the sun, the moon, or the stars (which includes the earth), each has its own orbit (path) in which it is swimming, and Allah Almighty has made the orbit of each of the billions of stars separate from the others, and has established such a system that no star comes into the orbit of another and collides with it, but rather, each revolves regularly in its own orbit, and this system will continue until the Day of Resurrection. Surely, this is a very great sign of Allah Almighty.
➍ The real purpose of these verses is not to state the facts of astronomy, but rather to make man understand that if he opens his eyes and uses his intellect, then from the earth to the sky, wherever he looks, countless proofs of the existence and oneness of Allah Almighty will come before him, and not a single proof will be found in support of atheism or polytheism. Our earth, which includes the solar system, is so great that its center, the sun, is three hundred thousand times larger than the earth, and the farthest planet, Neptune, is at least 2,793,000,000 miles away from the sun. In fact, if Pluto is considered the farthest planet, it reaches up to 4,600,000,000 miles from the sun. Despite this greatness, this solar system is only a tiny part of a very large galaxy. The galaxy in which our solar system is included contains about three thousand million (3 billion) suns, and its nearest sun is so far from our earth that its light takes four years to reach here. Then, even this galaxy is not the entire universe, but based on current observations, it is estimated to be one of about two million spiral nebulae, and the nearest of these nebulae is so far from us that its light takes one million years to reach our earth. As for the farthest celestial bodies that can be seen with our current instruments, their light takes one hundred million years to reach the earth. Even then, it cannot be said that man has seen the entire universe. (Tafheem-ul-Quran) The truth is that the dominion of Allah Almighty is far vaster than these estimates of astronomers or even the imagination of man. This is just a small glimpse that has been shown to them.
➋ { وَ لَا الَّيْلُ سَابِقُ النَّهَارِ:} Nor is it possible that while the day still remains, suddenly night should fall.
➌ { وَ كُلٌّ فِيْ فَلَكٍ يَّسْبَحُوْنَ : ’’سَبَحَ يَسْبَحُ‘‘} (F) means “to swim.” That is, whether it is the sun, the moon, or the stars (which includes the earth), each has its own orbit (path) in which it is swimming, and Allah Almighty has made the orbit of each of the billions of stars separate from the others, and has established such a system that no star comes into the orbit of another and collides with it, but rather, each revolves regularly in its own orbit, and this system will continue until the Day of Resurrection. Surely, this is a very great sign of Allah Almighty.
➍ The real purpose of these verses is not to state the facts of astronomy, but rather to make man understand that if he opens his eyes and uses his intellect, then from the earth to the sky, wherever he looks, countless proofs of the existence and oneness of Allah Almighty will come before him, and not a single proof will be found in support of atheism or polytheism. Our earth, which includes the solar system, is so great that its center, the sun, is three hundred thousand times larger than the earth, and the farthest planet, Neptune, is at least 2,793,000,000 miles away from the sun. In fact, if Pluto is considered the farthest planet, it reaches up to 4,600,000,000 miles from the sun. Despite this greatness, this solar system is only a tiny part of a very large galaxy. The galaxy in which our solar system is included contains about three thousand million (3 billion) suns, and its nearest sun is so far from our earth that its light takes four years to reach here. Then, even this galaxy is not the entire universe, but based on current observations, it is estimated to be one of about two million spiral nebulae, and the nearest of these nebulae is so far from us that its light takes one million years to reach our earth. As for the farthest celestial bodies that can be seen with our current instruments, their light takes one hundred million years to reach the earth. Even then, it cannot be said that man has seen the entire universe. (Tafheem-ul-Quran) The truth is that the dominion of Allah Almighty is far vaster than these estimates of astronomers or even the imagination of man. This is just a small glimpse that has been shown to them.
