سُوْرَةُ الْحِجْرِ
Surah Al-Hijr (15) — Ayah 16
وَلَقَدْ جَعَلْنَا فِى ٱلسَّمَآءِ بُرُوجًا وَزَيَّنَّـٰهَا لِلنَّـٰظِرِينَ ﴿16﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
And indeed, We have put the big stars in the heaven and We beautified it for the beholders.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
وَلَقَدْ
walaqad
And verily
جَعَلْنَا
jaʿalnā
We have placed
فِى
fī
in
ٱلسَّمَآءِ
l-samāi
the heavens
بُرُوجًۭا
burūjan
constellations
وَزَيَّنَّـٰهَا
wazayyannāhā
and We have beautified it
لِلنَّـٰظِرِينَ
lilnnāẓirīna
for the observers
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran — Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran (Facilitation of the Quran) is a comprehensive Quran commentary by Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. Known for his eloquent and accessible writing style, Kilani authored this tafsir with a focus on clarity — making Quranic meanings understandable to the common reader. The tafsir provides detailed historical context for verses related to battles and expeditions, and firmly refutes modernist ideologies using strong scriptural evidence. It is widely regarded as an invaluable resource for understanding the Quran and countering deviant interpretations. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
16. Indeed, We have set constellations in the sky [8] and adorned them for those who look.
[8]
The Towers of the Heavens:
In this verse, if someone takes the word "burooj" to mean only those twelve constellations which the ancient astronomers placed on the eighth sphere, it is up to them; otherwise, the context of the verse does not support this, because most of the shapes of these constellations have nothing to do with beauty. After all, how can Cancer (the Crab), Scorpio (the Scorpion), Libra (the Scales), and Aquarius (the Water Bearer), etc., create any beauty? This is why most scholars have interpreted "burooj" here as stars and planets which adorn the sky at night.
Linguistically, we can call anything that appears prominently a "burj," whether it is a building, a dome, or a fortress. The meaning is that Allah making the sky so beautifully adorned is in itself a great sign of His power. Then, after this, what other sign do they require from Him?
[8]
The Towers of the Heavens:
In this verse, if someone takes the word "burooj" to mean only those twelve constellations which the ancient astronomers placed on the eighth sphere, it is up to them; otherwise, the context of the verse does not support this, because most of the shapes of these constellations have nothing to do with beauty. After all, how can Cancer (the Crab), Scorpio (the Scorpion), Libra (the Scales), and Aquarius (the Water Bearer), etc., create any beauty? This is why most scholars have interpreted "burooj" here as stars and planets which adorn the sky at night.
Linguistically, we can call anything that appears prominently a "burj," whether it is a building, a dome, or a fortress. The meaning is that Allah making the sky so beautifully adorned is in itself a great sign of His power. Then, after this, what other sign do they require from Him?
