Al-An'am (The Cattle): Verse 96

Exegesis (Tafsir)

This verse presents another category of proofs for the existence, knowledge, power, and wisdom of the Creator.

The preceding proofs were derived from the states of plants and animals, whereas the proof mentioned in this verse is derived from celestial phenomena. This is because splitting the darkness of the night with the light of dawn is a greater demonstration of perfect power than splitting the seed and the date-stone into plants and trees. Furthermore, it is intuitively known that celestial events have a greater impact on the hearts and minds than terrestrial events.

The argument establishing this proof rests on several points:

The dawn (Isbah) is of two types:

1. The First Dawn (The False Dawn): This is the elongated dawn, resembling the tail of a wolf (dhanb al-sarhān). After this, complete darkness returns, followed by the second, widespread dawn.
2. The Second Dawn (The True Dawn): This is the dawn that spreads across the entire horizon.

Regarding the First Dawn (The False Dawn): This elongated light, immediately followed by complete darkness, is the strongest evidence for God's power and wisdom.

We ask: Did this light arise from the influence of the solar disk, or not?

The first possibility is false. If the center of the sun reached the meridian circle (the line of midnight for a specific location), the sun would have already risen for the people whose horizon is that circle. At that point, half of the Earth's hemisphere would be illuminated. This implies that light should have appeared in the eastern quadrant of our location, spreading uniformly and extensively throughout the atmosphere, and it should continuously increase in intensity and perfection with every moment.

However, the reality is different: we observe that the first dawn appears as a thin, elongated thread (likened to a wolf's tail), which is then succeeded by complete darkness, before the widespread dawn appears. Since this is not the case, we know that this elongated dawn is not caused by the influence of the solar disk or its light. Therefore, it must be created by God's direct decree (Takhliq), serving as a reminder that light has no existence except through His creation, and darkness has no permanence except through His decree, as stated earlier in the Surah: {And He made the darkness and the light}.

Our investigation and contemplation reveal that the light of the sun, moon, and other celestial bodies only falls upon the object directly opposite them. It is impossible for their light to reach what is not opposite them. This premise is agreed upon by philosophers and mathematicians who study the nature of luminous light, and they have profound proofs for it.

Given this established principle, we note that when the dawn appears, the sun is still below the horizon. Therefore, the solar disk is not opposite any part of the Earth's surface, making it impossible for the sun's light to reach the Earth's surface. If this is true, it is impossible for the dawn's light to be caused by the solar disk. Thus, it must be caused by the action of the Volitional Creator.

Objection Raised (by Ibn al-Haytham): Could it be that the sun, while beneath the Earth, illuminates the air directly opposite it? This illuminated air then faces the air above the Earth, causing the latter to become illuminated. This illumination then propagates sequentially from one layer of air to the next adjacent layer until it reaches the air surrounding us. This is the argument Ibn al-Haytham relied upon in his book Al-Manāẓir al-Kaththah (The Comprehensive Optics).

Rebuttal to Ibn al-Haytham's Argument (Two Points):

1. Air is Transparent and Colorless: Air is a transparent, colorless substance. Philosophers agree that such a substance cannot inherently accept light or color in its essence. If light settled on its surface, sight would stop there, preventing vision of what lies beyond. Since vision does penetrate beyond, we know the air does not inherently accept color or light. If it cannot accept light inherently, it is impossible for light to reflect from it onto another body of air, thus making its light the cause of illumination in the adjacent air.
2. The Horizon and the Meridian: The circle that is the horizon for us is simultaneously the meridian circle for another group of people. If the sun's center passes the midnight circle and moves beyond it, the sun has risen for those people, and half their hemisphere is illuminated. The quadrant of the celestial sphere that is the eastern quadrant for us is the western quadrant for them. If the sun's disk passes the midnight circle, its body aligns with the air in the eastern quadrant of our location. If air could accept the quality of light from the sun, light should appear in the eastern quadrant of our location after midnight, and that air should become intensely illuminated after midnight. Since this does not happen, we know that air does not inherently accept the quality of light. Therefore, Ibn al-Haytham's argument is invalidated.

We have thus presented two precise, purely rational proofs that the Creator of light and darkness is God, not the solar disk.

Even if we concede that the light in the world is caused by the sun's influence, we argue: All physical bodies are identical in their essential nature (māhiyyah). If this is the case, the property of emitting light must be due to the decree of the Volitional Creator.

Proof of the Sameness of Bodies: Bodies are identical in being physical and occupying space (mutaḥayyiz). If a difference arises between them, that difference must pertain to a concept distinct from the concept of physicality. The shared attribute (being a body) must differ from the attribute causing the distinction.

This distinguishing factor must either: a) Be the substrate of physicality (impossible, as it implies a body is an attribute of another entity, which is absurd). b) Be an accident/attribute (ḥāl) of physicality (also impossible, as the essences are identical, so whatever applies to one must apply to all). c) Neither be a substrate nor an accident (the falsehood of this is self-evident).

Therefore, it is proven that all physical bodies are fundamentally identical in their essence. Since all bodies are equal in their capacity to accept all attributes equally, the specialization of the solar body to possess this property of illumination must be due to the specific designation (Takhṣīṣ) of the Volitional Creator. If this is established, then the Cleaver of the Dawn is truly God, which is the objective.

Darkness is akin to non-existence; conclusive proof shows it is a negative concept, while light is pure existence. When night falls, fear and terror seize the hearts, sleep overcomes people, rendering them like the dead. Movement ceases, effects are suspended, and actions are halted.

When the light of dawn reaches this world, it is as if the breath of life, the power of perception, has been blown into creation. Sleep weakens, and wakefulness begins to emerge. The stronger and more perfect the light of dawn, the more complete the manifestation of the faculties of sensation and motion in living beings.

It is known that the greatest blessings God bestows upon creation are the powers of life, sensation, and motion. Since light is the primary cause for the manifestation of these states, the demonstration of God's power in creating light is one of the greatest categories of blessings and the noblest forms of grace and generosity.

Therefore, God being the Cleaver of the Dawn is the most sublime proof of His perfect power, and it is the most noble category of grace, mercy, and benevolence towards creation. This concludes the proof derived from the Almighty's saying: {Cleaver of the Dawn}.

We conclude these proofs by stating that the Almighty:

• Cleaves the darkness of non-existence with the dawn of Being and Creation.
• Cleaves the darkness of inert matter with the dawn of Life, Intellect, and Guidance.
• Cleaves the darkness of ignorance with the dawn of Reason and Perception.
• Cleaves the darkness of the physical world by delivering the Pure Soul to the brightness of the celestial realm.
• Cleaves the darkness of preoccupation with contingent beings with the dawn of the Light of Immersion in knowing the Organizer of the created and originated things.

The Third Issue: Interpretation of {Al-Iṣbāḥ} (The Dawn)

There are several views on the meaning of Al-Iṣbāḥ:

1. Al-Layth said: Aṣ-Ṣubḥ and Aṣ-Ṣabāḥ both mean the beginning of the day, and Al-Iṣbāḥ means the same. The poet said:

   He annihilated winds and built winds, The alternation of evening and dawn.

2. The Second View: Al-Iṣbāḥ is the verbal noun (maṣdar) used to name the dawn itself.

Objection: The apparent meaning of the verse suggests God cleaved the dawn, but the truth is that He cleaved the darkness with the dawn. How is this reconciled?

Rebuttals:

1. Implied Object: The meaning is: He cleaves the darkness of the dawn (i.e., the darkness preceding the true dawn). Since the horizon is filled with darkness in the north, west, and south, and light only appears in the east, it is as if the horizon was a sea filled with darkness, and God split that dark sea by running a stream of light through it. In essence, the meaning is: He cleaves the darkness of the dawn by the light of the dawn. The object is omitted because the intended meaning is clear.
2. Cleaving Light Itself: Just as He splits the sea of darkness to reveal the light of dawn, He splits the light of dawn to reveal the whiteness of the day. Thus, {Cleaver of the Dawn} means: He cleaves the dawn by the whiteness of the day.
3. Cause and Effect: The appearance of light at dawn occurs because God cleaved the darkness. Therefore, {Cleaver of the Dawn} means: He manifests the dawn. Since the act of cleaving was the prerequisite for this manifestation, the cause (cleaving) is mentioned to signify the effect (manifestation).
4. Creator: Some say Fāliq (Cleaver) means Khāliq (Creator). Thus, the meaning is: Creator of the dawn. If this is the case, the question is resolved.

The Second Proof: {And He made the night a repose...}

The Almighty mentioned three categories of celestial proofs for Monotheism in this verse:

1. The appearance of the dawn (already explained).
2. His saying: {And He made the night a repose...} (This involves further discussions).

The author of Al-Kashshāf said: Sakan is that to which a person settles and finds tranquility, seeking comfort from a spouse or a beloved. Fire is also called sakan because one finds solace in it; hence, they call it al-mu'nisah (the comforting one). The night is a repose because a person tires during the day and needs a time to rest, which is the night.

Objection: Do not the created beings remain in the Garden in the most pleasant state, even though there is no night there? This implies that the existence of night and day is not essential for pleasure and goodness in life.

Response: Our discussion pertains to the necessity of night and day for the welfare of this world. In the Hereafter, these habits do not persist. Thus, the distinction is clear.

'Āṣim and Al-Kisā'ī recited: {وَجَعَلَ اللَّيْلَ} (wa ja'ala al-layla) using the past tense verb form. The rest recited {وَجَاعِلُ} (wa jā'ilu) using the active participle form.

• Argument for the Active Participle (Jā'il): What precedes it is also an active participle: {Cleaver of the seed} (Fāliq al-ḥabb) and {Cleaver of the dawn} (Fāliq al-iṣbāḥ). Thus, the connected term (wa jā'il) must share the form of the preceding terms.
• Argument for the Verb (Ja'ala): The words {the sun and the moon} are in the accusative case (manṣūb), which requires an operative verb. This is achieved by interpreting {وَجَعَلَ} as meaning: "And He made the sun and the moon a calculation (ḥusbān)," which achieves the intended meaning.

First Discussion Point (Meaning of Ḥusbān): This means He determined the movement of the sun and the moon according to a specific calculation, as mentioned in Surah Yunus: {It is He Who made the sun a shining light and the moon a light, and determined for it phases, that you might know the number of years and the reckoning}. And in Surah Ar-Raḥmān: {The sun and the moon [move] according to calculation}.

The precise meaning is that He determined the sun's movement to complete its cycle in a year, and the moon's movement to complete its cycle in a month, with specific rates of speed and slowness. These measures organize the welfare of the world through the four seasons, ensuring the ripening of fruits and the production of harvests. If their speeds were faster or slower than ordained, these benefits would be disrupted. This is the meaning of {and the sun and the moon a calculation}.

Second Discussion Point (Two Views on Ḥusbān):

1. Abū al-Haytham's View: It is the plural of ḥisāb (calculation), similar to rukāb (riders) being the plural of rākib (rider).
2. The Second View: It is a verbal noun (maṣdar) like rujḥān (inclination) or nuqṣān (decrease). Al-Kashshāf states that Ḥusbān (with ḍammah) is the maṣdar of ḥasaba (to calculate), just as Ḥisbān (with kasrah) is the maṣdar of ḥasaba. This is analogous to kufurān and ghufrān (related to disbelief and forgiveness).

Therefore, making the sun and moon ḥusbānā means making them subject to a calculation, as the calculation of time is only known through their orbits and movements.

Third Discussion Point (Grammatical Readings of {The Sun and the Moon}): Al-Kashshāf notes three readings for {the sun and the moon}:

• Accusative (Naṣb): Implies an omitted verb indicated by {And He made the night...}, meaning: "And He made the sun and the moon a calculation."
• Genitive (Jarr): By way of conjunction ('aṭf) to the word al-layl (the night).
• Nominative (Rafʿ): As a subject (mubtada') with an omitted predicate, meaning: "The sun and the moon are made a calculation," i.e., they are calculated/reckoned.

Conclusion of the Verse

The verse concludes with: {ذَٰلِكَ تَقْدِيرُ الْعَزِيزِ الْعَلِيمِ} (That is the decree of the All-Mighty, the All-Knowing).

• Al-'Azīz (The All-Mighty): Points to the perfection of His Power.
• Al-'Alīm (The All-Knowing): Points to the perfection of His Knowledge.

This means that ordaining the celestial bodies with their specific attributes, limited forms, and determined movements (in slowness and speed) is only achievable through perfect power encompassing all possibilities, and through knowledge penetrating all known things, both general and particular. This explicitly confirms that these states and attributes do not arise from mere nature or inherent properties, but solely from the designation of the Volitional Creator.

Verse 7: {And it is He Who made for you the stars that you may be guided by them in the darkness of the land and sea. We have detailed the signs for a people who know.}

Exegesis (Tafsir)

This verse presents the third celestial proof for Monotheism mentioned earlier.

The Almighty states that He created the stars so that people may use them for navigation in the darkness of the land and the sea.

The verse concludes: {We have detailed the signs for a people who know.} This implies that these celestial phenomena are not random occurrences but are meticulously detailed signs (tafṣīl) intended for those possessing true knowledge (ya'lamūn), who understand the connection between the created order and the Creator.