سُوْرَةُ الْمَعَارِجِ
Surah Al-Ma'aarij (70) — Ayah 40
فَلَآ أُقْسِمُ بِرَبِّ ٱلْمَشَـٰرِقِ وَٱلْمَغَـٰرِبِ إِنَّا لَقَـٰدِرُونَ ﴿40﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
So I swear by the Lord of all the [three hundred and sixty-five (365)] points of sunrise and sunset in the east and the west that surely We are Able
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
فَلَآ
falā
But nay
أُقْسِمُ
uq'simu
I swear
بِرَبِّ
birabbi
by (the) Lord
ٱلْمَشَـٰرِقِ
l-mashāriqi
(of) the risings
وَٱلْمَغَـٰرِبِ
wal-maghāribi
and the settings
إِنَّا
innā
that We
لَقَـٰدِرُونَ
laqādirūna
(are) surely Able
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.
40. So I swear by the Lord of the Easts and the Wests [25] that We are surely able
[25] The east generally refers to the place where the sun rises, and the west to the place where the sun sets. In Surah Al-Muzzammil, one east and one west are mentioned. In Surah Ar-Rahman, two easts and two wests are mentioned. And at this place, many easts and many wests are mentioned. The reason for this is that on the shortest day of winter, that is, December 22, although the sun rises from the east, it is greatly inclined towards the south. Similarly, on that day, the sun's setting in the west is also greatly inclined towards the south. In the same way, on the longest day of summer, that is, June 22, although the sun rises from the direction of the east, it is greatly inclined towards the north, and likewise, on that day, when it sets in the west, it is greatly inclined towards the north. And on the days when day and night are equal, that is, March 22 and September 22, the sun rises exactly from the east and sets exactly in the west, as is clear from the map in front: For the map, refer to the original book. In this map, the points "A" and "B" are the two easts, and the points "C" and "D" are the two wests. Then, between these two easts and two wests, there are 365 easts and just as many wests, because the sun rises every day from a new angle. This situation is only for one planet, the sun. Whereas, many planets rise from the east and set in the west. In this way, the number of easts and wests increases greatly.
[25] The east generally refers to the place where the sun rises, and the west to the place where the sun sets. In Surah Al-Muzzammil, one east and one west are mentioned. In Surah Ar-Rahman, two easts and two wests are mentioned. And at this place, many easts and many wests are mentioned. The reason for this is that on the shortest day of winter, that is, December 22, although the sun rises from the east, it is greatly inclined towards the south. Similarly, on that day, the sun's setting in the west is also greatly inclined towards the south. In the same way, on the longest day of summer, that is, June 22, although the sun rises from the direction of the east, it is greatly inclined towards the north, and likewise, on that day, when it sets in the west, it is greatly inclined towards the north. And on the days when day and night are equal, that is, March 22 and September 22, the sun rises exactly from the east and sets exactly in the west, as is clear from the map in front: For the map, refer to the original book. In this map, the points "A" and "B" are the two easts, and the points "C" and "D" are the two wests. Then, between these two easts and two wests, there are 365 easts and just as many wests, because the sun rises every day from a new angle. This situation is only for one planet, the sun. Whereas, many planets rise from the east and set in the west. In this way, the number of easts and wests increases greatly.
