Surah Ash-Shams (The Sun)

(This Surah has fifteen verses and is Meccan.)

Verse 1 & 2:

{ By the sun and when it shines brightly, * And by the moon as it follows it. }

The Sun (Ash-Shams): (1) By the sun and its brightness (Wa ash-shamsi wa duhāhā)

Preliminary Issues

The purpose of this Surah is to encourage obedience (Ta'ah) and warn against disobedience (Ma'asi).

Know that the Almighty always reminds His servants by swearing by His creations that contain great benefits, so that the accountable person may reflect upon them and be grateful. This is because what Allah swears by carries more weight in the heart, thus strengthening the call to contemplate it.

It is known that a group of scholars of Usul (principles) stated that the implied meaning is: "By the Lord of the sun, and the Lord of all that is mentioned until the end of the oath."

Some argued against this view, saying that among the things sworn by is the verse: {And the sky and He Who built it} (Ash-Shams: 5). Since "He Who built it" refers to Allah, this would imply: "By the Lord of the sky and by the sky and by Him [Allah]," which is contradictory.

The Qadi (Judge) responded by saying that {And He Who built it} cannot refer to Allah, because the relative pronoun mā (ما) is not used for the Creator of the heavens except metaphorically. Furthermore, it is not permissible for Allah to precede His oath by something else with an oath by Himself. Also, Allah would not mention Himself alongside others in this manner. Therefore, interpretation is necessary: the word {mā} (ما) along with what follows it is treated as a verbal noun (Masdar). The meaning becomes: "By the sky and its building (or construction)."

The author of Al-Kashshāf objected to this, stating that if this were the case, the subsequent phrase {And He inspired it} (Ash-Shams: 8) would lead to a corruption of the grammatical structure (Nathm).

The reciters (Qurrā') differ regarding the endings of this Surah and similar verses, such as: {And by the night when it covers} (Al-Layl: 1), and {By the morning light * and by the night when it stills} (Ash-Shams: 1-2). Some recite them with Imālah (tilting the 'a' sound towards 'i'), others with Tafkhīm (full 'a' sound), and some mix the two.

Al-Farra' stated that they read ḍuḥāhā (brightness) with a kasra sound (i.e., ḍuḥāyhā), and the following verses, even if the root of some words originally contained a wāw (like talāhā, ṣaḥāhā, daḥāhā), are treated similarly. This is because since the Surah began with a yā’ sound (in ḍuḥāhā), they followed it with what is related to a wāw sound. This is because the alif that has turned from a wāw can resemble the alif that has turned from a yā’. For example, in talawtu and taḥawtu, the verbs can revert to the yā’ form (e.g., talī and daḥā). Because this similarity exists, they permitted the Imālah for the alif derived from wāw, just as they permitted it for the alif derived from yā’.

The reason for those who abandon Imālah entirely is that many Arabs do not apply Imālah to these alifs or incline them toward the yā’ sound. Strengthening the argument against Imālah is that the wāw in mūsir (easy) is derived from a yā’, and the yā’ in mīqāt (time) and mīzān (scale) is derived from a wāw, yet this derivation does not necessitate showing the original letter. Similarly here, the alif should be left without Imālah and not inclined toward the yā’.

As for those who apply Imālah to some and omit it for others, like Hamzah, this is also considered good. This is because Imālah is applied toward the yā’ sound to indicate that the alif originated from a yā’. However, in talāhā, ṣaḥāhā, and daḥāhā, the alif is not derived from a yā’; rather, it is derived from a wāw, as evidenced by talawtu and daḥawtu.

Allah has sworn by seven things until the verse: {He has succeeded who purifies it} (Ash-Shams: 9), which is the answer to the oath. Al-Zajjaj said the meaning is "Indeed, he has succeeded," but the lām (of emphasis) was omitted because the speech became lengthy, and the length served as a substitute for the lām.

Exegesis of the Verses

{By the sun and its brightness} (Wa ash-shamsi wa duhāhā)

The commentators offered three opinions regarding ḍuḥāhā (its brightness/forenoon):

1. Mujahid and Al-Kalbi said: Its light (ḍaw’uhā).
2. Qatadah said: It means the entire day, which is the preferred view of Al-Farra' and Ibn Qutaybah.
3. Muqatil said: It means the heat of the sun (ḥarr ash-shams).

To clarify based on language:

• Al-Layth said: Ad-ḍaḥw is when the day rises high. Ad-ḍuḥā is slightly after that. Ad-ḍaḥā’ (extended) is when the day has stretched out and is nearing noon.
• Abu Al-Haytham said: Ad-ḍaḥ is the opposite of shadow, meaning the sunlight upon the face of the earth. Its origin is aḍ-ḍuḥā. They found the yā’ heavy with a quiescent ḥā’, so they changed it to ḍaḥ. Thus, aḍ-ḍuḥā is the light and radiance of the sun. It was then named after the time when the sun rises upon the earth, as in the verse: {except in the late afternoon or the forenoon} (An-Nazi'at: 46).

Therefore:

• Those commentators who said ḍuḥāhā means its light are following the linguistic origin.
• Those who said the entire day are correct because the whole day consists of the sun's light.
• Those who said the heat of the sun are correct because its heat and light are intrinsically linked; when its heat intensifies, its light intensifies, and vice versa. (This view is considered the weakest).

Know that Allah swore by the sun and its brightness due to the immense benefits connected to them. The people of the world were like the dead during the night. When the effect of dawn appeared in the east, it was like the breath being blown into the forms, giving them life. This life continues to increase, gain strength, and become complete, reaching its peak at the time of ḍuḥwah (mid-morning). This state resembles the conditions of the Resurrection, and the time of ḍuḥā resembles the settling of the inhabitants of Paradise in their eternal abode.

{And by the moon when it follows it} (Wa al-qamari idhā talāhā)

The moon follows the sun in several ways:

1. The moon remains visible when the sun sets. This occurs in the first half of the lunar month. Thus, the moon follows the sun in illumination. This is the view of 'Ata' from Ibn 'Abbas.
2. When the sun sets, the moon follows it in setting on the night of the new crescent. This is the view of Qatadah and Al-Kalbi.
3. Al-Farra' said: The meaning of this following (tilw) is that the moon takes its light from the sun. It is said: "So-and-so follows so-and-so in such a matter," meaning he takes from him.
4. Al-Zajjaj said: It follows it when it becomes full and complete, as if it takes the place of the sun in radiance and light, which occurs during the bright nights (the 13th, 14th, and 15th).
5. It follows the sun in apparent size (as perceived by the eye) and in its connection to the world's welfare through its movement. Astronomical science has revealed a correspondence between the sun and the moon that does not exist between the sun and other celestial bodies.

{And by the day when it reveals it} (Wa an-nahāri idhā jallāhā)