ﲦ ﲧ ﲨ ﲩ ﲪ ﲫ ﲬ ﲭ ﲮ ﲯ ﲰ ﲱ ﲲ ﲳ ﲴ ﲵ ﲶ ﲷ ﲸ ﲹ ﲺ ﲻ
And of His signs are the night and day and the sun and moon. Do not prostrate to the sun or to the moon, but prostate to Allah, who created them, if it should be Him that you worship.
Tafsir
Verse range: 41:37-38
"And of His signs are the night..."
The pronoun in {خلقهن} (their creation): It refers to the night, the day, the sun, and the moon. This is because the rule for a group of non-rational entities is the same as the rule for the feminine singular or plural. It is said: "The pens (al-aqlām), I sharpened them (baraytuha) or I sharpened them (baraytuhunna)." Alternatively, because He said {ومن آياته} (And of His signs), they took on the meaning of "signs" (āyāt), so it was said: {خلقهن} (their creation).
If you ask: Where is the place of prostration (sajdah)? I say: According to al-Shafi‘i (may Allah have mercy on him), it is at {تعبدون} (you worship). This is also the narration of Masruq from ‘Abdullah, because the mention of prostration precedes it.
According to Abu Hanifa (may Allah have mercy on him), it is at {يسأمون} (they grow weary), because it completes the meaning. This is also the view of Ibn ‘Abbas, Ibn ‘Umar, and Sa‘id ibn al-Musayyib.
The reason for the command: Perhaps some people used to prostrate to the sun and the moon, like the Sabians in their worship of the stars, claiming that by prostrating to them, they intended to prostrate to Allah. Thus, they were forbidden from this intermediary and commanded to direct their prostration solely to the Face of Allah Almighty, even if they were truly worshipping Him and were monotheists, not polytheists.
{فإن استكبروا} (But if they are arrogant): If they do not comply with what they were commanded and refuse anything but the intermediary, then leave them to their affairs. For Allah—mighty is His sovereignty—is never without a worshipper or one who prostrates with sincerity. He has the angels near to Him who glorify Him by night and day, free from any partners.
His saying {عند ربك} (with your Lord): This is an expression of proximity, status, and honor. It has also been recited as la yas’amūn (they do not grow weary) with a kasra under the ya.
"And of His signs is that you see the earth humbled, but when We send down upon it rain, it quivers and grows. Indeed, He who has given it life is the Giver of Life to the dead. Indeed, He is over all things competent."
