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Surah Al-Furqan, Ayah 45 (25:45)

ٱلْفُرْقَان

أَلَمْ تَرَ إِلَىٰ رَبِّكَ كَيْفَ مَدَّ ٱلظِّلَّ وَلَوْ شَآءَ لَجَعَلَهُۥ سَاكِنًا ثُمَّ جَعَلْنَا …

Quran 25:45 is ayah 45 of Surah Al-Furqan (“The Criterion”), a Meccan surah of 77 ayahs. It is in Juz 19, on page 364 of the Madani Mushaf.

25:45
أَلَمْتَرَإِلَىٰرَبِّكَكَيْفَمَدَّٱلظِّلَّوَلَوْشَآءَلَجَعَلَهُۥسَاكِنًاثُمَّجَعَلْنَاٱلشَّمْسَعَلَيْهِدَلِيلًا٤٥
alam tara ilā rabbika kayfa madda l-ẓila walaw shāa lajaʿalahu sākinan thumma jaʿalnā l-shamsa ʿalayhi dalīlan

Have you not considered your Lord - how He extends the shadow, and if He willed, He could have made it stationary? Then We made the sun for it an indication.(45)

Word by word

  1. أَلَمْalamDo you not
  2. تَرَtarasee
  3. إِلَىٰilā[to]
  4. رَبِّكَrabbikayour Lord
  5. كَيْفَkayfahow
  6. مَدَّmaddaHe extends
  7. ٱلظِّلَّl-ẓilathe shadow
  8. وَلَوْwalawAnd if
  9. شَآءَshāaHe willed
  10. لَجَعَلَهُۥlajaʿalahusurely He (could) have made it
  11. سَاكِنًاsākinanstationary
  12. ثُمَّthummaThen
  13. جَعَلْنَاjaʿalnāWe made
  14. ٱلشَّمْسَl-shamsathe sun
  15. عَلَيْهِʿalayhifor it
  16. دَلِيلًاdalīlanan indication

Tafsir (commentary) of 25:45

Available in English, Bengali, Urdu, Arabic, Russian.

English · EnglishTafsir Ibn Kathir (Abridged) — Hafiz Ibn Kathir

This commentary explains ayahs 25:45–47 together.

Evidence of the existence of the Creator and the extent of His Power

Here Allah begins explaining the evidence for His existence and His perfect power to create various things and pairs of opposites. Allah says:

أَلَمْ تَرَ إِلَى رَبِّكَ كَيْفَ مَدَّ الظِّلَّ

(Have you not seen how your Lord spread the shadow.) Ibn `Abbas, Ibn `Umar, Abu Al-`Aliyah, Abu Malik, Masruq, Mujahid, Sa`id bin Jubayr, An-Nakha`i, Ad-Dahhak, Al-Hasan, Qatadah, As-Suddi and others said, "This refers to the period from the beginning of the dawn until the sun rises."

وَلَوْ شَآءَ لَجَعَلَهُ سَاكِناً

(If He willed, He could have made it still) meaning, immobile, never changing. This is like the Ayat:

قُلْ أَرَأَيْتُمْ إِن جَعَلَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْكُمُ الَّيْلَ سَرْمَداً

(Say : "Tell me! If Allah made the night continuous for you...") (28:71)

ثُمَّ جَعَلْنَا الشَّمْسَ عَلَيْهِ دَلِيلاً

(but We have made the sun its guide.) means, were it not for the sun rising, it would not be there, for a thing can only be known in contrast to its opposite. Qatadah and As-Suddi said, "The sun is a guide which follows the shade until the shade disappears. "

ثُمَّ قَبَضْنَـهُ إِلَيْنَا قَبْضاً يَسِيراً

(Then We withdraw it towards Ourselves -- a gradual withdrawal.) This refers to the shade.

يَسِيراً

(gradual) meaning slowly. As-Suddi said: "A gentle, concealed, withdrawal until there is no shade left on earth except under a roof or a tree, and the sun is shining on whatever is above it."

قَبْضاً يَسِيراً

(a gradual withdrawal.) Ayyub bin Musa said: "Little by little.

وَهُوَ الَّذِى جَعَلَ لَكُمُ الَّيْلَ لِبَاساً

(And it is He Who makes the night a covering for you,) It covers and conceals all things. This is like the Ayah:

وَالَّيْلِ إِذَا يَغْشَى

(By the night as it envelops) (92:1).

وَالنَّوْمَ سُبَاتاً

(and the sleep a repose,) means, a halt to movement so that bodies may rest. For the faculties and limbs get tired from their constant movement during the day when one goes out to earn a living. When night comes, and it becomes quiet, they stop moving, and rest; so sleep provides a rejuvenation for both the body and the soul.

وَجَعَلَ النَّهَارَ نُشُوراً

(and makes the day Nushur) meaning, people get up and go out to earn a living and attend to their business. This is like the Ayah:

وَمِن رَّحْمَتِهِ جَعَلَ لَكُمُ الَّيْلَ وَالنَّهَارَ لِتَسْكُنُواْ فِيهِ وَلِتَبتَغُواْ مِن فَضْلِهِ

(It is out of His mercy that He has made for you the night and the day that you may rest therein and that you may seek of His bounty...) (28:73)

وَهُوَ الَّذِى أَرْسَلَ الرِّيَـحَ بُشْرَى بَيْنَ يَدَىْ رَحْمَتِهِ وَأَنزَلْنَا مِنَ السَّمَآءِ مَآءً طَهُوراً

Read the full Surah Al-Furqan