Interpretation of Fortress 91 (The Sun)
Dear student: After the Almighty reminds us of the sun and the moon so that we know the wonders they include and the benefits they produce, He draws our attention to the two miracles of the day and the night. He says:
Verse no. 3-4
3. “Behold the day (the rivers of blessings) as He reveals (them).”
4. “Then the Night as it enshrouds (them)!”
The word “day” does not refer only to the time during which sunlight spreads across the world, but also refers to the goodness which comes from everything. In detail we say:
The word “day” in Arabic is ‘nahar’. It is derived from the verb ‘nahara’, which means to flow powerfully and increasingly. An abundant and increasing water flow is therefore called ‘nahr’ in Arabic, meaning ‘river’. Thus this phrase does not indicate one single thing, but rather indicates the flowing blessings that come increasingly and continuously from God.
For example: the fruits and their successive production in both summer and winter; the grain and vegetables and how they continuously flow to you from God; the air, and how it is so refreshing; the springs and how they regularly supply the earth with water; and so forth.
In general, if you look with more comprehension, you will see everything as a river that keeps flooding you with great blessings from God.
Accordingly, the word “day” refers to everything you see and how it continuously flows from God, and to this persistent production and the consequent unceasing benefits.
If you look thoroughly at things from this perspective, you will perceive a part of the meaning of the word “day” which no explanation nor expression can express, and you will know what blessings this word contains, with which God overwhelms you.
The Almighty Allah wants to draw your attention to the abundant flow of goodness of every sort and every kind that He always provides you with, so that you will know its source. In this way you can recognize your Provider and appreciate the Charity of your Creator.
As for the statement “as He reveals (them)”, it refers to the way in which God brings these blessings from the unseen world into this existing one. For example:
Look at the wheat and see how your Provider brings it out before your eyes. It grows, and then it forms foods which gradually become full-grown and ripen, until they are ready to be eaten.
Look at the grapes and see how their bunches come out of their buds, and then grow little by little until their taste becomes sugary having once been sour.
Reflect on the milk: how it comes out, pure and fresh, from between bowels and blood-streams.
Look also at the flowers: how they smell of sweet scents and take on their blooming colors, having passed through phases and stages where they have no color or smell!
All of this can be understood from the statement “as He reveals (them)”
The whole Verse means:
Look at these flowing boons in everything, and think of how they appear when God brings them into view and reveals them.
Now we move on to the statement “as it enshrouds (them)!”, and say that the word “Night” does not only mean the time when there is no sun, as the common people understand; however, in this case it refers to the situation of the earth when nothing can be clearly seen, and its associations: silence, quietness, moisture, coolness and other phenomena.
“as it enshrouds (them)!”: The night veils the boons which God has created for you, covering them in its darkness. It brings them its cool and moist air, and gives effect to certain agents and influences in the bodies of humans, animals and plants.
If there were no night, no plant would grow and no fruit would mature; nay, they would be burned by the heat of the sun and become unable to grow.
You can see that fruit which is directly and continuously exposed to the rays of the sun is small and does not have a pleasant taste, unless it is protected by the shade of leaves. This is because of the continuous effect of the sun’s heat and the searing of its rays.
Had the night not brought its influences to bear on the plants as it has, you would not have enjoyed them and their graces. This is only one of many aspects of the night which draw our attention.
Should you not contemplate the night to see how it causes the regularity of this life? Should you not think of the night so that you may appreciate its benefits, and thereby turn to appreciate its Creator and His Care and Kindness to you?
God then spoke about the heaven and earth, and to make us think of them; He says:
Verse no. 5
5. “Behold the Heaven and how He built it.”
The heaven is the firmament which surrounds the universe on all sides. I wonder:
Who has built it in this way?!
What is this great Might that has arranged it?
What is this wise potency that created it in such a situation?!
Who has decked it with bright stars at night and joined them to each other, so that they form constellations swimming together without separation?!
Who has placed a glowing lamp up there that shines during the day, and a luminous moon that lights up the night?
Who holds its stars in this limitless space, although several of them are many millions of times bigger than the earth?
Who directs all these planets in a way in which none clashes with another, or deviates a hair from its own orbit?
Can anyone imagine the expansion of this heaven?
Can anyone find an end or a limit to this? Absolutely no.
God urged us to contemplate and think of the heavens when He says: “Look again and again! Your sight fails to reveal any flaw to you and will be weak and defeated.”
The Holy Qur’an,
Fortress 67, Al-Mulk (UniVerse Possession), Verse 4
If you use your thought well, you will know that heaven has a Grand Creator, an Omnipotent Steering Force, and a Knowing Provider.
If you are unable to conceive the expansion of this heaven – although it is no more than one of the Almighty’s creations – can you then imagine the endless Greatness and Majesty of your Provider?
How Mighty is this God Who has created the earth and the lofty heavens!
Now look at yourself: have you any power or might?
What a poor, weak creature you are, and how Wide and Grand is this God, Who created this heaven and all that it contains, and Who even created you!
God then draws our attention to the earth. He says:
Verse no. 6
6. “Then the Earth and how He spread (blessings upon) it!”
The meaning of the word “Earth” includes how it moves through the universe, just as it also refers to all the mountains, seas, plains, rivers, minerals, stones, animals and plants that it contains.
The statement “how He spread (blessings upon) it!” refers to the situation of the earth, to all the things that your Provider put upon it, and to its amazing organization and perfect creation.
It asks: what is this great power that placed the mountains onto the earth?!
What is this great power which founded the plains and the seas on the earth?!
Who has allowed these springs and rivers to run across it?!
Who has put such an amount of salt into its seas, so as to protect its water from being corrupted and to prevent the reproduction of mosquitoes and other insects?!
Who has put metals under the ground so that they can be used for our livelihood?!
Who has created soils and stones on this earth?!
Who has infused the soil with different elementary substances to be absorbed by the plants?
Who has placed water reservoirs in the two polar areas, and then in the high parts of mountains?
Who has given their sources appropriate proportions, so that they supply us with the water collected therein continuously, all throughout the year so that this water is never interrupted and never comes to an end? [8]
Who has created the many kinds of animals on earth, and employed them all and their functions for the sake of humanity so that blessings prevail, order is maintained, and life continues to flourish?
Who has created varieties of crops and fruit on earth, which are essential for humanity’s life, and who has given them such benefits and such varied tastes?
Oh, human! Should you not behold the earth and think of its organization and perfect discipline?
Should you not see how Allah placed everything onto it, so that you can ascertain the Greatness of your Creator, and the Clemency and Mercy of your Provider?
Self-Activity:
I should keep contemplating and thinking about all God's signs (wonders) in this universe in the morning before the sunrise and in the evening before the sunset that is to acquaint myself with the Might of its Creator and appreciate the charity of our Provider for the innumerable and limitless benefits which result from the sequence of day and night.
I prepare myself by reading and contemplating the interpretation of one or two Verses from the holy Qur’an to purify my spirit and be able to draw it nearer to its Provider.
Questions and Exercises:
1-What is the aimed wisdom of that the Almighty God has begun some of the Holy fortresses “Surahs” with universal signs (wonders)? What is the interpretation of the Almighty God Saying “Behold the day (the rivers of blessings) as He reveals it (them).”?
2-Write a text and mention in it the phases which the moon passes through during every month, and why we see it in different shapes. It begins as a small arched crescent then it grows gradually little by little to be a full moon and finally it returns again to be a small arched crescent. How does it pass through all these stages which we have mentioned before? Then clarifies how the moon disappears in one night and nobody can see it?
Take your time … Observe the moon again and again and try to write the answers of these Questions, alone without any help from anybody or from any scientific references. That is because the knowledge resulted from observation and the contemplation is more valuable and better than that resulted from hearing or reading, therefore the Holy Qur’an orders the human to investigate and to attain the true belief and Divine knowledge through his own contemplation and thinking of cosmic wonders.