Tafsir of Luqman 31:29

"Do you not see that..."

Each of the sun and the moon runs in its orbit, traversing it until a known time: the sun until the end of the year, and the moon until the end of the month.

Al-Hasan said: The "known time" is the Day of Resurrection, for their motion does not cease until that moment.

He also indicated—through the night and day, their alternation, their increase and decrease, and the movement of the two luminaries in their orbits—that all of this is according to a measure and a calculation. By His encompassing all the deeds of creation, He indicates the greatness of His power and His wisdom.

If you ask: "He runs to a known time" (ilā ajal musammā) and "He runs for a known time" (li-ajal musammā); is this a matter of alternating the two prepositions?

I say: Not at all. Only one of dull nature and narrow understanding would follow such a path. Rather, both meanings—I mean the reaching of an end and the specification—are appropriate for the validity of the purpose.

For your saying "He runs to a known time" means he reaches it and ends at it.

And your saying "He runs for a known time" means you intend that he runs to attain a known time, making the running specific to the attainment of that time. Do you not see that the running of the sun is specific to the end of the year, and the running of the moon is specific to the end of the month? Thus, both meanings are fitting for their place.

{That} which He described of the wonders of His power and wisdom—which living, capable, and knowledgeable beings are unable to perform, let alone the inanimate objects you call upon besides Allah—is only because He is the Truth, whose divinity is established, and that which is besides Him is false in divinity.

{And that Allah is the Most High} in status, {the Great} in authority.

Or, "That" which was revealed to you of these verses is because of the clarification that Allah is the Truth, that any god other than Him is false, and that Allah is the Most High, the Great, above having partners associated with Him.

{Do you not see that ships sail in the sea by the favor of Allah, that He may show you of His signs? Indeed, in that are signs for every patient, grateful one.}