Ibrahim 14:33
Abraham · Juz 13 · Page 259
وَسَخَّرَ لَكُمُ ٱلشَّمۡسَ وَٱلۡقَمَرَ دَآئِبَيۡنِۖ وَسَخَّرَ لَكُمُ ٱلَّيۡلَ وَٱلنَّهَارَ ٣٣
And He subjected for you the sun and the moon, continuous [in orbit], and subjected for you the night and the day.
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Ma'arif al-Qur'an
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Commentary on 14:33
After that, it was said that 'We have subjugated the sun and the moon for you' as they both keep moving, always in the same state. The word: دَائِبَيْنِ ۖ (da'ibayn) is a derivation from دَأب da'b which means habit. The sense is that moving at all times and under all conditions has been made the habit of these two planets as it never happens contrary to that. The expression: سَخَّرَ لَكُمُ ' (sakhkhara lakum: He subjugated for you) does not mean that they should be moving on your command. Had the sun and the moon been subjugated for human beings in a way that they would be moving under human command, then, there would have been mutual differences among them with the result that one of them would demand that the sun should better rise today two hours later than usual because he had too much work to do in the night. And the other would want to have it rise two hours earlier than usual because he had too many daytime jobs at hand. Therefore, the great Lord did, in a way, subjugate the sun and the moon for human beings, but He did so in the sense that they have been subjugated to serve human beings all the time and under all conditions under a wise Divine arrangement - not that their rising and setting and their speed become subservient to human pleasure.
Similarly, the statement that We have subjugated the night and the day for you' also means that both of them have been put in the service of human beings to provide convenience and comfort.
Page 259
14:25
تُؤۡتِيٓ أُكُلَهَا كُلَّ حِينِۭ بِإِذۡنِ رَبِّهَاۗ وَيَضۡرِبُ ٱللَّهُ ٱلۡأَمۡثَالَ لِلنَّاسِ لَعَلَّهُمۡ يَتَذَكَّرُونَ ٢٥
It produces its fruit all the time, by permission of its Lord. And Allāh presents examples for the people that perhaps they will be reminded.
14:26
وَمَثَلُ كَلِمَةٍ خَبِيثَةٖ كَشَجَرَةٍ خَبِيثَةٍ ٱجۡتُثَّتۡ مِن فَوۡقِ ٱلۡأَرۡضِ مَا لَهَا مِن قَرَارٖ ٢٦
And the example of a bad word is like a bad tree, uprooted from the surface of the earth, not having any stability.
14:27
يُثَبِّتُ ٱللَّهُ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ بِٱلۡقَوۡلِ ٱلثَّابِتِ فِي ٱلۡحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنۡيَا وَفِي ٱلۡأٓخِرَةِۖ وَيُضِلُّ ٱللَّهُ ٱلظَّٰلِمِينَۚ وَيَفۡعَلُ ٱللَّهُ مَا يَشَآءُ ٢٧
Allāh keeps firm those who believe, with the firm word,1 in worldly life and in the Hereafter.2 And Allāh sends astray the wrongdoers. And Allāh does what He wills.
14:28
۞ أَلَمۡ تَرَ إِلَى ٱلَّذِينَ بَدَّلُواْ نِعۡمَتَ ٱللَّهِ كُفۡرٗا وَأَحَلُّواْ قَوۡمَهُمۡ دَارَ ٱلۡبَوَارِ ٢٨
Have you not considered those who exchanged the favor of Allāh for disbelief1 and settled their people [in] the home of ruin?
1 translator’s note
- They met Allāh's blessing with denial instead of gratitude. ↩
14:29
جَهَنَّمَ يَصۡلَوۡنَهَاۖ وَبِئۡسَ ٱلۡقَرَارُ ٢٩
[It is] Hell, which they will [enter to] burn, and wretched is the settlement.
14:30
وَجَعَلُواْ لِلَّهِ أَندَادٗا لِّيُضِلُّواْ عَن سَبِيلِهِۦۗ قُلۡ تَمَتَّعُواْ فَإِنَّ مَصِيرَكُمۡ إِلَى ٱلنَّارِ ٣٠
And they have attributed to Allāh equals to mislead [people] from His way. Say, "Enjoy yourselves, for indeed, your destination is the Fire."
14:31
قُل لِّعِبَادِيَ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ يُقِيمُواْ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَيُنفِقُواْ مِمَّا رَزَقۡنَٰهُمۡ سِرّٗا وَعَلَانِيَةٗ مِّن قَبۡلِ أَن يَأۡتِيَ يَوۡمٞ لَّا بَيۡعٞ فِيهِ وَلَا خِلَٰلٌ ٣١
[O Muḥammad], tell My servants who have believed to establish prayer and spend from what We have provided them, secretly and publicly, before a Day comes in which there will be no exchange [i.e., ransom], nor any friendships.
14:32
ٱللَّهُ ٱلَّذِي خَلَقَ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضَ وَأَنزَلَ مِنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ مَآءٗ فَأَخۡرَجَ بِهِۦ مِنَ ٱلثَّمَرَٰتِ رِزۡقٗا لَّكُمۡۖ وَسَخَّرَ لَكُمُ ٱلۡفُلۡكَ لِتَجۡرِيَ فِي ٱلۡبَحۡرِ بِأَمۡرِهِۦۖ وَسَخَّرَ لَكُمُ ٱلۡأَنۡهَٰرَ ٣٢
It is Allāh who created the heavens and the earth and sent down rain from the sky and produced thereby some fruits as provision for you and subjected for you1 the ships to sail through the sea by His command and subjected for you the rivers.
1 translator’s note
- i.e., made serviceable to you. ↩
14:33
وَسَخَّرَ لَكُمُ ٱلشَّمۡسَ وَٱلۡقَمَرَ دَآئِبَيۡنِۖ وَسَخَّرَ لَكُمُ ٱلَّيۡلَ وَٱلنَّهَارَ ٣٣
And He subjected for you the sun and the moon, continuous [in orbit], and subjected for you the night and the day.