SURAH (36) YASIN (AYA 21 to 40)

اتَّبِعُوا مَنْ لَا يَسْأَلُكُمْ أَجْرًا وَهُمْ مُهْتَدُونَ {36:21}

[Q36:21] Ittabi'oo mal-laa yas'alukum ajranw-wa hum muhtadoon. 
[Q36:21] Follow him who does not ask you for reward, and they are the followers of the right course;

[Q36:21] Turutlah orang-orang yang tidak meminta kapada kamu sesuatu balasan, sedang mereka adalah orang-orang mandapat hidayat petunjuk.

ONE WHO DESERVES TO BE FOLLOWED IS A PERSON WHO DOES NOT EXPECT ANY REWARD OR RETURN. Secondly, he himself should be divinely guided---- NOT SEEKING GUIDANCE FROM OTHERS (see commentary of Yunus 10:35).

Ä  When Obayda bin Harith was fatally wounded in the battle of Badr, he told the Holy Prophet (ALLAHuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad): "I wish Abu Talib were here to see that I am the first from his house to give my life in the cause of ALLAH (SWT)."

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(36:21) follow those who do not ask any recompense from you and are rightly-guided. *17

*17 That servant of God, in this one sentence, put together all the arguments required for determining the genuineness of Prophethood. The genuineness of a Prophet can be determined by two things. First, his word and deed; second, his being selfless. What the person meant to say was this: 'First, whatever these people are saying is perfectly reasonable, and their own character also is pure; second, no one can prove that they are calling the people to this faith on account of a selfish motive. Therefore, there is no reason why they should not be listened to." By citing this reasoning of the person the Qur'an set a criterion before the people of how to judge and determine the genuineness of the Prophethood of a Prophet, as if to say; "The word and deed of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (upon whom be Allah's peace and blessings) bear full evidence that he is on the right path. Then, no one can point out any selfish motive or interest behind his struggle of preaching his message. Therefore, there is no reason why a sensible person should reject what he presents."

وَمَا لِيَ لَا أَعْبُدُ الَّذِي فَطَرَنِي وَإِلَيْهِ تُرْجَعُونَ {36:22}

[Q36:22] Wa maa liya laaa a'budul lazee fataranee wa ilaihi turja'oon. 
[Q36:22] And what reason have I that I should not serve Him Who brought me into existence? And to Him you shall be brought back;

[Q36:22] Dan (apabila ditanya: Sudahkah engkau menerima agama mereka? Maka jawabnya): Mengapa aku tidak menyembah Tuhan yang menciptakan daku dan yang kepadaNyalah (aku dan) kamu semua akan dikembalikan?

THE CONVICTION AN INDIVIDUAL HOLDS AFTER PERSONAL INVESTIGATION AND STUDY IS THE BEST TOOL HE USES TO CONVINCE OTHERS TO FOLLOW IN HIS FOOTSTEPS. THEN it is not possible for him to serve or adore any save his real maker, to whom alone is his ultimate return.

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(36:22) Why should I not serve the One Who created me and to Whom all of you shall be sent back? *18

*18 This sentence has two parts. The first part is a masterpiece of reasoning, the second of the wisdom of preaching. In the first part he says: "To worship the Creator is the demand of both reason and nature; it would be highly unreasonable that one should worship those who have not created him and should deny to be the servant of Him Who has created him." In the second part he warns his people to the effect: "All of you ultimately have to die and return to that God adoption of Whose service you object to. Therefore, you should consider for yourselve's as to what goodness you could expect by turning away from Him." 

أَأَتَّخِذُ مِنْ دُونِهِ آلِهَةً إِنْ يُرِدْنِ الرَّحْمَٰنُ بِضُرٍّ لَا تُغْنِ عَنِّي شَفَاعَتُهُمْ شَيْئًا وَلَا يُنْقِذُونِ {36:23}

[Q36:23] 'A-attakhizu min dooniheee aalihatan iny-yuridnir Rahmaanu bidurril-laa tughni 'annee shafaa 'atuhum shai 'anw-wa laa yunqizoon. 
[Q36:23] What! Shall I take besides Him gods whose intercession, If the Beneficent ALLAH (SWT) should desire to afflict me with a harm, shall not avail me aught, nor shall they be able to deliver me?

[Q36:23] Patutkah aku menyembah beberapa tuhan yang lain dari ALLAH (SwT)? (Sudah tentu tidak patut, kerana) jika ALLAH (SwT) Yang Maha Pemurah hendak menimpakan daku dengan sesuatu bahaya, mereka tidak dapat memberikan sebarang syafaat kepadaku dan mereka juga tidak dapat menyelamatkan daku.

In continuation of above argument against worship of false gods it is said that since ALLAH (SWT) alone is omnipotent, His will to punish any one shall always be done and none of the false deities can ever resist it nor could they even interfere on behalf of the guilty, then why should one acknowledge the lordship of any such being.

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(36:23) What! Shall I take any deities apart from Him whose intercession will not avail me the least were the Merciful One to bring any adversity upon me, nor will they be able to rescue me? *19

*19 That is, "They are neither such favourites of God that even if I commit grave crimes He will forgive me on their recommendation, nor are they so powerful that they should be able to rescue me if God may please to punish me." 

إِنِّي إِذًا لَفِي ضَلَالٍ مُبِينٍ {24}

[Q36:24] Inneee izal-lafee dalaa-lim-mubeen; 
[Q36:24] In that case I shall most surely be in clear error:

[Q36:24] Sesungguhnya aku (kalau melakukan syirik) tentulah aku pada ketika itu berada dalam kesesatan yang nyata.

What is said in the preceding verse, IF ACTED UPON BY ANY ONE, will put him in great error and irreparable damage.

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(36:24) Surely in that case *20 I should indeed be in evident error.

*20 "If I do so": "If I make them my gods in spite of knowing all this."

إِنِّي آمَنْتُ بِرَبِّكُمْ فَاسْمَعُونِ {36:25}

[Q36:25] Inneee aamantu bi Rabbikum fasma‘oon. 
[Q36:25] Surely I believe in your Lord, therefore hear me.

[Q36:25] Sesungguhnya aku telah beriman kepada Tuhan kamu, maka dengarlah (nasihatku).

This verse refers TO THE STRONG PERSONAL CONVICTION of the "mumin of ali Yasin", which he wants his people to follow to be rightly guided. While the man preached, the people, instead of listening, stoned him to death and buried him in the market place of Antioch (Antakia).

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(36:25) I believe in your Lord; *21 so listen to me.”

*21 This sentence again contains a subtle point of the wisdom of preaching. Saying this the man made the people realize: "The Lord in Whom I have believed is not merely my Lord but your Lord, too. I have committed no error by believing in Him, but you, in fact, are certainly committing an error by not believing in Him. " 

قِيلَ ادْخُلِ الْجَنَّةَ ۖ قَالَ يَا لَيْتَ قَوْمِي يَعْلَمُونَ {36:26}

[Q36:26] Qeelad khulil Jannnah; qaala yaa laita qawmee ya'lamoon.
[Q36:26] It was said: Enter the garden. He said: O’ would that my people had known.

[Q36:26] (Setelah dia mati) lalu dikatakan kepadanya: Masuklah ke dalam Syurga. Ia berkata; Alangkah baiknya kalau kaumku mengetahui -

The liberated soul of this godly man ["mumin of ali Yasin"] when asked by the angels to enter paradise, remembers the time when he was preaching to his people.

°          Had the people known what a blissful life is granted to the believers in truth and the righteous, they also would have enjoyed the bounties of ALLAH (SWT) and honour as he had received.

°          Had the people known the worth of faith in ALLAH (SWT) and righteousness in life on account of which qualities he had been made honourable in life after death, which is the ultimate end, they would also have achieved the eternal success.

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(36:26) (Eventually they killed him and he was told): “Enter Paradise.” *22 The man exclaimed: “Would that my people knew

*22 That is, Inunediately following his martyrdom, the man was given the good news of Paradise. As soon as he entered the Next World through the gate of death, there were the angels to receive him, and they gave him the good news that Paradise was awaiting him." The commentators have disputed the meaning of this sentence. Qatadah says, "AIlah admitted him into Paradise straightway and he is living in it and receiving his sustenance." And Mujahid says, "This was told him by the angels as a good news; he will enter Paradise on the day of Resurrection along with the other believers."

بِمَا غَفَرَ لِي رَبِّي وَجَعَلَنِي مِنَ الْمُكْرَمِينَ {36:27}

[Q36:27] Bimaa ghafara lee Rabbee wa ja'alanee minal mukrameen. 
[Q36:27] Of that on account of which my Lord has forgiven me and made me of the honored ones!

[Q36:27] Tentang perkara yang menyebabkan daku diampunkan oleh Tuhanku, serta dijadikannya daku dari orang-orang yang dimuliakan. 

(see commentary for verse 26)

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(36:27) for what reason Allah has forgiven me and placed me among the honoured ones.” *23

*23 This is a specimen of the high morality of the believer, He had no ill-will or feeling of vengeance in his heart against the people who had just then killed him so that he should invoke Allah against them. Instead, he was still wishing them well. After death the only -wish that he cherished was: °Would that my people could know the good end that I have met, and could learn a lesson froth my death, if not from my life, and adopt the righteous way." The noble person did not wish Hell for his murderers but wished that they should believe and become worthy of Paradise. The same thing has been commended in the Hadith: "He wished his people well when living as well as when dead." Allah has narrated this event in order to warn the disbelievers of Makkah to the effect: `Muhammad (upon whom be Allah's peace) and his believing Companions are also your well-wishers just as the believer was of his people. They do not cherish any ill-will or feeling of vengeance against you in spite of your persecutions of them. They are not your enemies but enemies of your deviation and error. The only object of their struggle against you is that you should adopt the right way."
This verse also is one of those verses which clearly prove the existence of barzakh. This shows that the period of time between death and Resurrection is not a period of non-existence altogether, as some ignorant people think. But in this period the spirit lives without the body, speaks and hears speech, has feelings and desires, feels happy and unhappy, and also continues to be concerned about the people of the world. Had it not been so, the believer would not have been given the good news of Paradise after death, and he could not have wished that his people became aware of his good end. 

وَمَا أَنْزَلْنَا عَلَىٰ قَوْمِهِ مِنْ بَعْدِهِ مِنْ جُنْدٍ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ وَمَا كُنَّا مُنْزِلِينَ {36:28}

[Q36:28] Wa maaa anzalnaa 'alaa qawmihee mim ba'dihee min jundim minas-samaaa'i wa maa kunnaa munzileen.
[Q36:28] And We did not send down upon his people after him any hosts from heaven, nor do We ever send down.

[Q36:28] Dan Kami tidak menurunkan kepada kaumnya sesudah dia (mati) sebarang pasukan tentera dari langit (untuk membinasakan mereka) dan tidak perlu Kami menurunkannya.

Since the enforcement of justice by the Almighty does not need the pomp, show and circumstances which ordinary power and authority of earthly beings manifest to create terror in the minds of fellow beings in order to establish regard for their strength and glory, no hosts from heaven were sent to punish the people of Antioch for their conduct against the messengers from Isa and their killing the mumin of ali Yasin.

To punish these people, a single blast either through the rumbling of an earthquake or a violent stormy wind with a thunder was sufficient. THEY BECAME LIKE ASHES.

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(36:28) After him, We did not send down any hosts from the heaven; We stood in no need to send down any host.

إِنْ كَانَتْ إِلَّا صَيْحَةً وَاحِدَةً فَإِذَا هُمْ خَامِدُونَ {36:29}

[Q36:29] In kaanat illaa saihatanw waahidatan fa-izaa hum khaamidoon. 
[Q36:29] It was naught but a single cry, and lo! They were still.

[Q36:29] (Kebinasaan mereka) hanyalah dilakukan dengan satu pekikan (yang dahsyat), maka dengan serta merta mereka semua sunyi-sepi tidak hidup lagi. 

(see commentary for verse 28)

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(36:29) There was but a single Blast and suddenly they became silent and still. *24

*24 These words contain a subtle satire. In their arrogance and pride of power and their strong antagonism towards the true faith, they thought they would annihilate the three Prophets and their followers, but, contrary to their plot, they were themselves annihilated by only one stroke of the Divine punishment. 

يَا حَسْرَةً عَلَى الْعِبَادِ ۚ مَا يَأْتِيهِمْ مِنْ رَسُولٍ إِلَّا كَانُوا بِهِ يَسْتَهْزِئُونَ {36:30}

[Q36:30] Yaa hasratan 'alal 'ibaad; maa yaateehim mir Rasoolin illaa kaanoo bihee yastahzi’oon. 
[Q36:30] Alas for the servants! There comes not to them a messenger but they mock at him.

[Q36:30] Sungguh besar perasaan sesal dan kecewa yang menimpa hamba-hamba (yang mengingkari kebenaran)! Tidak datang kepada mereka seorang Rasul melainkan mereka mengejek-ejek dan memperolok-olokkannya. 

Refer to Anam 6:10; Anbiya 21:6. THE IGNORANT HUMAN RACE HAVE ALWAYS BEEN REJECTING THOSE WHO PREACHED THE MESSAGE OF ALLAH (SWT), AND THE REPRESENTATIVES OF ALLAH (SWT) HAD SUFFERED RELENTLESS PERSECUTION AND TORTUROUS DEATHS, BUT, people never realize how countless generations before them have been destroyed for rejecting the truth; and a painful punishment will encompass them in the hereafter.

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(36:30) Alas for My servants! Never does a Messenger come to them but they mock him.

أَلَمْ يَرَوْا كَمْ أَهْلَكْنَا قَبْلَهُمْ مِنَ الْقُرُونِ أَنَّهُمْ إِلَيْهِمْ لَا يَرْجِعُونَ {36:31}

[Q36:31] Alam yaraw kam ahlak naa qablahum minal qurooni annahum ilaihim laa yarji'oon. 
[Q36:31] Do they not consider how many of the generations have We destroyed before them, because they do not turn to them?

[Q36:31] Tidakkah mereka mengetahui berapa banyak umat-umat yang telah Kami binasakan sebelum mereka? Umat-umat yang telah binasa itu tidak kembali lagi kepada mereka (bahkan kembali kepada Kami, untuk menerima balasan).

Those punished by ALLAH (SWT) in this life for their wickedness would not be returned to this world. They have all been wiped out.

Every one of them shall be brought before ALLAH (SWT) for final judgement.

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(36:31) Have they not seen how many nations before them did We destroy? Thereafter they never came back to them. *25

*25 That is, they were annihilated so completely that not a trace of them was left behind them. No one in the world even remembers them today. Their civilization as well as their race has become extinct. 

وَإِنْ كُلٌّ لَمَّا جَمِيعٌ لَدَيْنَا مُحْضَرُونَ {36:32}

[Q36:32] Wa in kullul lammaa jamee'ul-ladainaa muhdaroon. 
[Q36:32] And all of them shall surely be brought before Us.

[Q36:32] Dan tidak ada satu makhluk pun melainkan dihimpunkan ke tempat perbicaraan Kami, semuanya dibawa hadir (untuk menerima balasan). 

(see commentary for verse 31)

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(36:32) All of them shall (one day) be gathered before Us.

SECTION 3

ALLAH (SWT)’s bounties as signs of guidance to mankind

The earth quickened after it is dead---The alternation of the day and night---Respite given to the disbelievers---The mighty control of the luminaries in the heavens.

وَآيَةٌ لَهُمُ الْأَرْضُ الْمَيْتَةُ أَحْيَيْنَاهَا وَأَخْرَجْنَا مِنْهَا حَبًّا فَمِنْهُ يَأْكُلُونَ {33}

[Q36:33] Wa Aayatul lahumul ardul maitatu ahyainaahaa wa akhrajnaa minhaa habban faminhu yaakuloon.
[Q36:33] And a sign to them is the dead earth: We give life to it and bring forth from it grain so they eat of it.

[Q36:33] Dan dalil yang terang untuk mereka (memahami kekuasaan dan kemurahan kami), ialah bumi yang mati; kami hidupkan ia serta kami keluarkan daripadanya biji-bijian, maka daripada biji-bijian itu mereka makan.

Those who do not believe in their resurrection after death, may take a look at earth which seems to be dead in a season every year, BUT the same earth, by ALLAH (SWT)'s will, becomes productive once more as it was before.

µ  THE LOWER STAGE DEVELOPS INTO A HIGHER STAGE WHICH IS KNOWN AS CHANGE IN CONTINUITY.

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(36:33) Let the *26 dead earth be a Sign for them. *27 We gave it life and produced from it grain whereof they eat.

*26 Until now the disbelieves of Makkah were being warned and reproved for their denial of the truth and their attitude of antagonism which they had adopted towards the Holy Prophet. Now the discourse turns to the basic thing which was the actual cause of the conflict between them and the Holy Prophet, i.e., the doctrine of Tauhid and the Hereafter, which the Holy Prophet was presenting and the disbelievers were refusing to acecpt. In this connection, some arguments have been given, one after the other, to make the people ponder over the realities, as if to say, "Observe these phenomena of the universe, which are ever present before you. Do they not point to the same reality, which this Prophet is presenting before you?" 
*27 "A Sign": A Sign that Tauhid is the Truth and shirk the falsehood. 

وَجَعَلْنَا فِيهَا جَنَّاتٍ مِنْ نَخِيلٍ وَأَعْنَابٍ وَفَجَّرْنَا فِيهَا مِنَ الْعُيُونِ {36:34}

[Q36:34] Wa ja'alnaa feehaa jannaatim min nakheelinw wa a'naabinw wa fajjarnaa feeha minal‘uyoon;
[Q36:34] And We make therein gardens of palms and grapevines and We make springs to flow forth in it,

[Q36:34] Dan kami jadikan di bumi itu kebun-kebun kurma dan anggur dan kami pancarkan padanya beberapa mata air,

As symbols the fruit bearing trees of various kinds are mentioned to give an idea of the blissful life of the hereafter BECAUSE the heavenly bliss is unimaginable here in earthly terms.

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(36:34) We made in it gardens of date-palms and vines, and We caused springs to gush forth

لِيَأْكُلُوا مِنْ ثَمَرِهِ وَمَا عَمِلَتْهُ أَيْدِيهِمْ ۖ أَفَلَا يَشْكُرُونَ {36:35}

[Q36:35] Liyaakuloo min samarihee wa maa 'amilat-hu aideehim; afalaa yashkuroon.
[Q36:35] That they may eat of the fruit thereof, and their hands did not make it; will they not then be grateful?

[Q36:35] Supaya mereka makan dari buah-buahannya dan dari apa yang dikerjakan oleh tangan mereka; maka patutkah mereka tidak bersyukur?

No matter, how much man may prepare the soil and sow seeds or plant trees, UNLESS the forces of nature help him, nothing can help him in getting any produce from the earth or to do anything else also in this world.

Hence, whatever man eats are the products of the functions of the natural forces controlled and guided by the will of ALLAH (SWT), AND no hand of any one else is at work, besides Him. THEREFORE HE MUST ALWAYS GIVE THANKS TO HIM.

±  Shaykh Sadi said:

The clouds, the winds, the moon, the sun and the heavens are working to make available to you a loaf of bread, (so) eat it not in ignorance-all of them are kept in control for your sake, never will it be fair if you do not prove your obedience to Him.

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(36:35) that they might eat of its fruits. It was not their hands that made them. *28 Will they not, then, give thanks? *29

*28 Another translation of this sentence can be: "......so that they may eat fruits thereof and what their own hands make." That is, the artificial kinds of food, which the people prepare from the natural products, e.g. bread, curry, jam, pickles, sauces and countless other things.
*29 In these brief sentences the vegetable and plant life of the earth has been presented as an argument. Man is eating the products of the earth day and night and regards this as very ordinary. But if he considers it seriously, he will see drat the growth of rich crops and lush green gardens from the dry earth and the flowing in it of the springs and rivers is not a simple thing, which might be happening of itself, but there is a great wisdom and power and providence which is working behind it. Consider the reality of the earth. The substances of which it is composed do not possess any power of their own for growth. All these substances individually as well as after every sort of combination, remain inorganic, and thus do not possess any sign of life. The question is: How did it become possible for plant life to emerge from the lifeless earth? If one looks into it, one will see that there are some important factors without whose provision leforehand life here could not have coma into existence.
First, in particular regions of the earth, on its outer surface, a layer was arranged of many such substances, which could serve as food for vegetation. This layer was kept soft so that the roots of the vegetation could spread in it and suck food.
Secondly, a system of irrigation was arranged on the earth in different ways so that the food elements could get dissolved in water and absorbed by the roots.

Thirdly, the atmosphere was arranged around the earth which protects it against the calamities of the sky, becomes a means of the rainfall, and possesses gases which are necessary for the life and growth of the vegetation.
Fourthly, a relationship was established between the sun and the earth so as to provide proper temperature and suitable seasons for the vegetation.
With the provision of these main factors (which in themselves are combinations of countless other factors), the coming to life of the vegetation becomes possible. After arranging the suitable conditions the seed of each species of the vegetation was so constituted that as soon as it received favourable soil, water, air and season, vegetable life should begin stirring within it. Besides, inside the same seed a system was so arranged that from the seed of every species a plant precisely of the same species should grow with all the characteristics of its own species and heredity. Then, in addition to this, another wonderful thing was done. Vegetation was not created in twenty, or fifty, or a hundred kinds but in countless species, and they were so made that they should fulfil the requirements of food, medicine and clothing and innumerable other needs of the countless kinds of animals and man, who were to be brought into being after the vegetation on the earth.
Anyone who ponders over this wonderful arrangement, if he is not stubborn and prejudiced, will himself testify that all this could not have come about by itself. There is certainly a wise plan underlying it, according to which harmonies and relationships of the soil, water, air and season with respect to the vegetation, and harmonics and relationships of the vegetation with respect to the needs and requirements of animals and human beings have been determined, keeping in view the finest detail. No sensible person can imagine that these universal, all-embracing relationships could be a mere accident. This same subtle arrangement points to the fact that this cannot be the work of many gods. This is, and can only be, the work of One God, Who is the Creator and Lord of the earth, water, air, sun, vegetation, animals and mankind. If each of these had a separate god, it cannot be imagined that such a comprehensive and universal plan with such deep and wise relationship and harmony could be produced, and should have continued to work with such regularity for millions upon millions of years.
After giving these arguments for Tauhid, Allah says: "Do they not then give thanks?" That is: "Are these people so thankless and ungrateful that they do not render thanks to that God Who has provided all this for their survival, but thank others for the blessings and favours done by Him? Are they so wretched that instead of bowing before Him they bow before the false gods, who have not created even a blade of grass for them?" 

سُبْحَانَ الَّذِي خَلَقَ الْأَزْوَاجَ كُلَّهَا مِمَّا تُنْبِتُ الْأَرْضُ وَمِنْ أَنْفُسِهِمْ وَمِمَّا لَا يَعْلَمُونَ {36:36}

[Q36:36] Subhaanal lazee khalaqal azwaaja kullahaa mimmaa tumbitul ardu wa min anfusihim wa mimmaa laa ya’lamoon. 
[Q36:36] Glory be to Him Who created pairs of all things, of what the earth grows, and of their kind and of what they do not know.

[Q36:36] Maha Suci Tuhan Yang telah menciptakan makhluk-makhluk semuanya berpasangan; samada dari yang ditumbuhkan oleh bumi atau dari diri mereka ataupun dari apa yang mereka tidak mengetahuinya.

THE CONSTITUTION OF THE MATERIAL WORLD AND THE VARIOUS KINDS OF ENERGIES FUNCTIONING IN THE UNIVERSE ARE WORKING IN PAIRS OF OPPOSITE KINDS. The factor of sex is active in human, animal and vegetable life and in other forms of activity, manifest and hidden. The mystery of sex runs through all creation.

This verse indicates that not only the living beings, BUT also the plants exists in pairs which fact was not known to the people of the age as a universal proposition. It also points out the existence in pairs of kinds even beyond the animal and the plant realms.

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(36:36) Holy is He *30 Who created all things in pairs, whether it be of what the earth produces, and of themselves, and of what they do not know. *31

*30 "Glorified is He": "He is free from every defect and fault, from every error and weakness, and that another one should be His associate and partner in His work." The Qur'an has generally used these words when refuting polytheistic beliefs, because every belief of shirk is, in fact, an imputation of some defect, some weakness and some fault to Allah. When a person says that Allah has an associate, he, in fact, thinks that either AIlah is incapable of running and ruling His Kingdom alone, or He is under compulsion to make another His associate in His work. Or, some other beings are so powerful in themselves that they are interfering in God's administration and God is putting up with their interference. Or, God forbid, Allah has the weaknesses of the worldly kings, due to which He is surrounded by an army of ministers, courtiers, flatterers and beloved princes or princesses, and thus many powers of Godhead have become divided among them. Had there been no such notions of ignorance about Allah in the minds, there could be no question of any idea of shirk in the world. That is why it has been stated again and again in the Qur'an That Allah is free froth and exalted far above those defects and faults and weaknesses which the mushriks ascribe to Him."
*31 This is still another argument for Tauhid. Here again certain realities of daily experience have been mentioned and it is suggested that man observes these day and night but does not ponder over them seriously, whereas they contain signs and pointers to the reality. The coming together of the man and woman is the cause of man's own birth. Procreation among the animals also is due to the combination between the male and the female. About vegetation also man knows that the law of sex is working in it. Even among the lifeless substances when different things combine with one another, a variety of compounds come into existence. The basic composition of matter itself has become possible due to the close affinity between the positive and the negative electric charges. This law of the pairs which is the basis of the existence of the entire universe, contains in itself such complexities and finenesses of wisdom and workmanship, and there exist such harmonies and mutual relationships between the members of each pair that an objective observer can neither regard it as the result of an accident, nor can he believe that many different gods might have created these countless pairs and matched their members, one with the other, with such great wisdom. The members of each pair's being a perfect match for each other and coming into being of new things with their combination itself is an explicit argument of the Creator's being One and only One. 

وَآيَةٌ لَهُمُ اللَّيْلُ نَسْلَخُ مِنْهُ النَّهَارَ فَإِذَا هُمْ مُظْلِمُونَ {36:37}

[Q36:37] Wa Aayatul lahumul lailu naslakhu minhun nahaara fa-izaa hum muzlimoon. 
[Q36:37] And a sign to them is the night: We draw forth from it the day, then lo! They are in the dark;

[Q36:37] Dan lagi dalil yang terang untuk mereka (berfikir) ialah malam; Kami hilangkan siang daripadanya, maka dengan serta-merta mereka berada dalam gelap-gelita; 

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(36:37) And the night is another Sign for them. We strip the day from it and they become plunged in darkness. *32

*32 The alternation of the night and day also is one of those realities which man dces not regard as worthy of much attention only because it is a phenomenon of daily occurrence and experience; whereas if he considers how the day passes and how the night falls, and what is the wisdom in the passing of the day and in the falling of the night, he will himself realize that this is an obvious sign of the existence of an All-Powerful and All-Wise Allah and of His being One and only One. The day cannot pass and the night cannot fall until the sun hides from the earth. The great regularity which is found in the alternation of the day and night, was not possible unless the sun and the earth were bound in one and the same relentless system. Then the deep relationship which exists between the alternation of the day and night and the other creations on the earth clearly points to the fact that this system has been established deliberately by a Being with perfect wisdom. The existence on the earth, of the men and animals and vegetation, and even of water and air and different minerals, is in fact, the result of placing the earth at a particular distance from the sun, with the arrangement that the different parts of the earth should go on successively coming before the sun and hiding from it at definite intervals. If the distance of the earth from the sun had been a little longer, or a little shorter, or there had been a perpetual night on one side of it and a perpetual day on the other, or the alternation of the day and night had been much faster or much slower, or sometimes the day had appeared suddenly and sometimes the night without any system, no life could be possible on this planet, and even the form and appearance of the inorganic substances would have been much different from what it is now. If the mind's eye is not closed, one can clearly perceive in this system the working of a God, Who willed to bring into being this particular kind of creation on the earth and then established relevances, harmonies and relationships between the earth and the sun precisely in accordance with its needs and requirements. If a person regards the concept of the existence of God and His Unity as far removed from reason, he should think for himself and see how much farther removed should it be from reason to ascribe this wonderful creation to many gods, or to think that All this has happened sutomatically under some deaf and blind law of nature. When a person who can accept without question these latter unreasonable explanations, only on the baal: of conjecture and speculation, says that the existence of a system and wisdom and purpose is not a sufficient proof of the existence of God, it becomes difficult for us to believe whether such a person really feels the need and necessity of a rational proof, sufficient or insufficient in any degree whatever, for accepting any concept of creed in the world. 

وَالشَّمْسُ تَجْرِي لِمُسْتَقَرٍّ لَهَا ۚ ذَٰلِكَ تَقْدِيرُ الْعَزِيزِ الْعَلِيمِ {36:38}

[Q36:38] Wash-shamsu tajree limustaqarril lahaa; zaalika taqdeerul 'Azeezil Aleem. 
[Q36:38] And the sun runs on to a term appointed for it; that is the ordinance of the Mighty, the Knowing.

[Q36:38] Dan (sebahagian dari dalil yang tersebut ialah) matahari; ia kelihatan beredar ke tempat yang ditetapkan baginya; itu adalah takdir Tuhan Yang Maha Kuasa, lagi Maha Mengetahui;

The sun runs its course in **daily rotation as well as **annual revolution. It was supposed that the sun was stationary, but now it has been found out that it is also rotating, travelling towards a fixed destination or an end, and no one knows when it would cease to function. THIS IS THE DECREE OF THE OMNIPOTENT LORD. See Rad 13:2; Anbiya 21:3.

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(36:38) The sun is running its course to its appointed place. *33 That is the ordaining of the All-Mighty, the All-Knowing.

*33 "Place of rest" may either mean the place where the sun will ultimately come to a halt, or the time when it will come to a halt. The true meaning of this verse can be determined only when man has attained the full and exact knowledge of the realities of the universe. But man's knowledge is such that it has boon changing in every age and what he seems to know today might change tomorrow. The people of the ancient times on the basis of their observations of the sun believed that it was moving round the earth. Then after further research and observation the view became that the sun was stationary and all the planets of the solar system were revolving round it. But this theory also did not last long. The later observations revealed that not only the sun but All the stars also are moving in a particular direction, at speeds of 10 to 100 miles per second. About the sun the modern astronomers hold the view that it is moving at a speed of 20 kilometres (about 12 miles) per second along with its whole family of the planets. (See "Star" and "Sun" in Encyclopedia Britannica). 

وَالْقَمَرَ قَدَّرْنَاهُ مَنَازِلَ حَتَّىٰ عَادَ كَالْعُرْجُونِ الْقَدِيمِ {36:39}

[Q36:39] Walqamara qaddarnaahu manaazila hattaa 'aada kal'ur joonil qadeem. 
[Q36:39] And (as for) the moon, We have ordained for it stages till it becomes again as an old dry palm branch.

[Q36:39] Dan bulan pula Kami takdirkan ia beredar melalui beberapa peringkat, sehingga di akhir peredarannya kelihatan kembalinya pula ke peringkat awalnya (berbentuk melengkung) seperti tandan yang kering.

The lunar stages are the 28 divisions of the Zodiac. Urjun refers to the sickle-like appearance of the new moon at the end of the lunar month after passing through the 28 divisions, one every night.

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(36:39) We have appointed stages for the moon till it returns in the shape of a dry old branch of palm-tree. *34

*34 That is, the phases of the moon go on changing throughout the month. 1t begins as a crescent, then goes on waxing everyday till it becomes the full moon on the 14th of the month. Then it starts waning every day till at last it returns to its original shape of the crescent. The same has been happening for millions of years with perfect regularity, and no change has ever occurred in the phases of the moon. That is why one can always calculate and find out exactly in what phase the moon will be on a particular day. If the movement of the moon had not been bound in a system, estimation of its phases would not have been possible. 

لَا الشَّمْسُ يَنْبَغِي لَهَا أَنْ تُدْرِكَ الْقَمَرَ وَلَا اللَّيْلُ سَابِقُ النَّهَارِ ۚ وَكُلٌّ فِي فَلَكٍ يَسْبَحُونَ {36:40}

[Q36:40] Lash shamsu yambaghee lahaaa an tudrikal qamara wa lal lailu saabiqun nahaar; wa kullun fee falaki yasbahoon. 
[Q36:40] Neither is it allowable to the sun that it should overtake the moon, nor can the night outstrip the day; and all float on in a sphere.

[Q36:40] (Dengan ketentuan yang demikian), matahari tidak mudah baginya mengejar bulan, dan malam pula tidak dapat mendahului siang; kerana tiap-tiap satunya beredar terapung-apung di tempat edarannya masing-masing. 

Despite that the sun and the moon, move in the same Zodiac path, the laws of movement of each have been so fixed by ALLAH (SWT) that they can never cross each other or clash with one another.

The rounded courses of the planets and heavenly bodies are aptly described as floating through space. Also see Anbiya 21:33.

·         Imam Ali said:

"There are suns and moons over the sun and the moon we see in the sky.

There are living beings in the stars who worship the true Lord of the worlds."

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(36:40) Neither does it lie in the sun’s power to overtake the moon *35 nor can the night outstrip the day. *36 All glide along, each in its own orbit. *37

*35 This sentence can have two meanings and both are correct: (1) The sun does not have the power that it should draw the moon into itself, or enter its orbit and collide with it; and (2) the sun cannot appear in the times which have been appointed for the rising and appearing of the moon. It is not possible that the sun should suddenly appear on the horizon when the moon is shining at night.
*36 Nor does this happen either that the night should approach before the appointed period of the day comes to an end, and should start spreading its darkness suddenly during the time when the day is meant to spread its light.
*37 The word falak in Arabic is used for the orbit of the planets, and it gives a different meaning from the word sama' (sky). The sentence, "Each is gliding in its own orbit," points to four realities: (1) That not only the sun and the moon but all the stars and planets and celestial bodies are moving; (2) the falak, or orbit, of each one of them is separate; (3) that the orbits are not moving with the stars in them, but the stars are moving in the orbits; and (4) that the movement of the stars in their orbits is similar to the floating of something in a fluid.
These verses are not intended to describe the realities of astronomy, but are meant to make man understand that if he looks around himself, with open eyes, and uses his common sense, he will find countless and limitless proofs of the existence of God and His Unity, and he will not come across a single proof of atheism and shirk. The vastness of the solar system in which our earth is included is such that its parent body, the sun, is 300,000 times bigger than the earth, and its farthest planet Neptune is at least 2,793 million miles distant from the sun. However, if Pluto is taken as the farthest planet, it revolves 4,600 million miles away round it. Notwithstanding this vastness, the solar system occupies a very insignificant part of a huge galaxy. The galaxy which includes our solar system has about 3,000 million suns in it, and its nearest sun is so distant from our earth that its light takes about four years to reach us. Then this galaxy also is not the whole universe. According to the investigations made so far, it has been estimated that it is one of about 2,000,000 spiral nebulae, and the nearest nebula is about a million light years away from the earth. As for the farthest celestial bodies which arc visible through the modern instruments, their light reaches the earth in about 100 million years. Even now it cannot be claimed that man has seen the whole universe. It is a small part of the Kingdom of God which man has yet been able to observe. It cannot be predicted how far and deep man will yet be able to see with greater and more efficient means of observation at his disposal.
All the information that has been gathered so far about the universe proves that this whole world is trade up of the same substance of which our tiny earthly world is made, and the same law is working in the universe which is working in the world of our earth; otherwise it was not at All possible that man should have made observations of the very distant worlds from the earth, measured their distances and estimated their movements. Is it not a clear proof of the fact that this whole universe is the creation of One God and the Kingdom of One Ruler? Then from the order and the wisdom and the excellence of workmanship and the deep relationships which are found in the hundreds of thousands of the galaxies and in the millions and billions of the stars and planets revolving in them no sensible person can imagine that all this has come about automatically. Is it possible that there should be no administrator behind this order and system, no sage behind this wisdom, no designer behind this design and work of art, and no planner behind this planning?