Overview (Verses 37 - 42)

With this glorification of God, voiced at exactly the right place and time, a great fact of the universe is brought to the fore; that is, the oneness of creation, the rule that applies to it and the way it is made. God has created all living things in pairs, and this applies to plants in the same way as it applies to man, and everything else: ‘and other creatures of which they have no knowledge.’ This unity points to the fact that the Creator is one. It is He who put in place the oneness of creation, despite the great varieties of shape, size, kind, race, features, etc. in all these creatures which are known only to Him. This rule of creating things in pairs may apply to everything in the universe, including inanimate objects, but this is knowledge that rests with God alone. It has now, for example, been established that the atom, which is the smallest unit of matter we know includes a pair of electric charges, positive and negative. Moreover, thousands of pairs of stars have been observed: each pair of stars move together in the same orbit, as if they are playing the same tune. That was the sign given by the dead land quickening to produce life. We now look at the sign presented by the skies and the phenomena people see with their own eyes as God’s hand produces miracles: Another sign for them is the night: We strip the daylight from it, and they are plunged in darkness. The sun also runs its set course: that is laid down by the will of the Almighty, the All-Knowing. And for the moon We have determined phases until it finally becomes like an old date stalk. Neither the sun can overtake the moon, nor can the night outrun the day. Each floats in its own orbit. (Verses 37-40)

When the night comes, light disappears and darkness spreads: this is something everyone sees every day in every corner of the world, except for polar areas. Despite its daily occurrence, it is a remarkable sign that deserves contemplation. The Qur’ānic description here is unique as it shows the day intertwined with the night and then God strips the day off the night to let darkness spread. We may perhaps further appreciate the unique way the Qur’ān uses to express this image when we remember how it actually happens. As the earth rotates facing the sun, every spot of it actually comes face to face with the sun when the day spreads over it. When the rotation of the earth changes and that spot no longer faces the sun, the day is stripped off it so as to plunge it into darkness. The same thing happens over every little part of the earth in progression, as if the light of day is pulled away or stripped to allow darkness to replace it. Thus the wording here accurately describes the reality.
 
“The sun also runs its set course.” (Verse 38) It was generally believed that the sun stays in its position but turns around its axis, but it has recently been confirmed that it moves in a single direction in the great universal space, and astronomers have calculated the speed of its movement as being 12 miles per second. God Almighty, who knows its movement and destination, says that it moves along its course to a particular destination which is known only to Him. He alone knows when and what this is.
 
When we remember that the sun is around a million times bigger than the earth we live on and imagine this great mass running its set course in space, unsupported, we appreciate what power controls and conducts the affairs of the universe and the sort of might and knowledge that power commands: “that is laid down by the will of the Almighty, the All-Knowing.” (Verse 38)
 
“And for the moon We have determined phases until it finally becomes like an old date stalk.” (Verse 39) People see the moon in these phases, as it is born a thin crescent then grows every day until it takes its shape as a full moon before it begins to decrease until it looks like an old date stalk. If you observe the moon night after night, you will appreciate this remarkable way of expression, particularly the use of the word ‘old In the early and final nights of its cycle, the moon has a crescent shape, but whereas it reflects freshness and vigour in the early days, it rises in the latter part of its cycle as if it is weighed down by a heavy burden and looks worried and pale; the same paleness as an old date stalk. Hence, the inspiring Qur’ānic description.
 
Observing the moon night after night gives us fresh, rich and profound feelings. Furthermore, we perceive that it is all the work of the able hand that combines beauty with majesty while operating an accurate celestial system. We feel all this whether we know why the moon has such phases or not: it is sufficient to observe the moon for our hearts to overflow with feelings and for our minds to be deep in reflection.
 
The sūrah then makes it clear that the system regulating all these great celestial bodies is most accurate, and that this controls its resulting phenomena: “Neither the sun can overtake the moon, nor can the night outrun the day. Each floats in its own orbit.” (Verse 40) Indeed every planet and star has its own orbit which it follows accurately. Stars and planets are so far apart that the distances separating them are huge. Our planet earth is approximately 93 million miles away from the sun, while the moon is around 240,000 miles away from us. Hardly imaginable as these distances are, they are nothing compared to the distance between our solar system and the nearest star to us outside it, which is estimated to be four light years. We should remember that light travels at a speed of 186,000 miles per second.
 
God, the Creator, willed that such distances should separate the orbits of stars and planets, and He planned the universe according to this design in order to prevent any collision, until a time He has set and that is known only to Him. Therefore, the sun will not overtake the moon, and the night cannot outrun the day, because the cycle of day and night never fails.
 
“Each floats in its own orbit.” (Verse 40) The movement of all these great bodies in space is similar to the movement of ships and boats in the sea. Huge as these bodies are, they are no more than little spots floating on the surface of the sea. Compare man to all this, and think of the millions of millions of stars and planets floating in space! “And yet another sign for them is that We carry their offspring in laden ships, and that We create things of similar kind for them to ride in.” (Verses 41-42) There is a clear analogy between the stars and planets floating in their orbits and ships floating on water carrying human passengers. The two types are not dissimilar in appearance or movement. Moreover, it is only through God’s will and design that these two types of floating take place while He controls the entire universe ensuring the safety of all. At the same time, both are signs that we see but hardly ever contemplate. The floating of laden ships is closer to us and easier to reflect upon, if only we would open our hearts.
 
In the original Arabic text, the term ‘laden ships’ could be read to mean ‘the laden ark’, which makes it a reference to Noah’s ark in which Adam’s offspring was carried. God then enabled mankind to make ships. In both cases, the floating was made possible by God’s will, power and the laws He has set in operation and the nature of boats, water, wind, steam, and other types of energy, which combine to allow ships to float on water. All these are parts of God’s creation.