Quran Universe
25:45

أَلَمۡ تَرَ إِلَىٰ رَبِّكَ كَيۡفَ مَدَّ ٱلظِّلَّ وَلَوۡ شَآءَ لَجَعَلَهُۥ سَاكِنٗا ثُمَّ جَعَلۡنَا ٱلشَّمۡسَ عَلَيۡهِ دَلِيلٗا

Alam tara ila rabbika kayfa madda alththilla walaw shaa lajaAAalahu sakinan thumma jaAAalna alshshamsa AAalayhi daleelan

Have you not considered your Lord - how He extends the shadow, and if He willed, He could have made it stationary? Then We made the sun for it an indication.

Word by word
  1. أَلَمۡDo you not
  2. تَرَsee
  3. إِلَىٰ[to]
  4. رَبِّكَyour Lord
  5. كَيۡفَhow
  6. مَدَّHe extends
  7. ٱلظِّلَّthe shadow
  8. وَلَوۡAnd if
  9. شَآءَHe willed
  10. لَجَعَلَهُۥsurely He (could) have made it
  11. سَاكِنٗاstationary
  12. ثُمَّThen
  13. جَعَلۡنَاWe made
  14. ٱلشَّمۡسَthe sun
  15. عَلَيۡهِfor it
  16. دَلِيلٗاan indication
Al-Furqan · 25:45Makkah

Look how your Lord stretches the shadow.

A sign you can watch every morning

Dawn
the shadow spreadfrom dawn to sunrise
guided by
the sunits indicator
The shadow
it just movesphysics, nothing more
He moves itHe could have kept it still

Now the surah turns from the deniers to signs in nature. Many early scholars said the spread shadow is the time from dawn until sunrise. If Allah willed, it would stay still forever. The sun is its guide, and a thing is known by its opposite, Ibn Kathir says.

You are up early for Fajr, or a shift, or a crying baby. The light is grey and soft and the shadows are long. That quiet hour is a sign being shown to you, if you look up from your phone.

Morning light is just the start of another busy day.

The changing shadows are my Lord at work, shown to me every single day.

Try this

Tomorrow at dawn, look outside for one minute and watch the light before you check your phone.

Related28:71
Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir

Have you not seen how your Lord spread the shadow. If He willed, He could have made it still – but We have made the sun its guide (45)Then We withdraw it towards Ourselves – a gradual withdrawal (46)And it is He Who makes the night a covering for you, and the sleep (as) a repose, and makes the day Nushur (47)

Evidence of the Existence of the Creator and the Extent of His Power

Here Allah begins explaining the evidence for His existence and His perfect power to create various things and pairs of opposites. Allah says:

أَلَمْ تَرَ إِلَىٰ رَبِّكَ كَيْفَ مَدَّ الظِّلَّ

(Have you not seen how your Lord spread the shadow.) Ibn 'Abbas, Ibn 'Umar, Abu Al-'Aliyah, Abu Malik, Masruq, Mujahid, Sa'id bin Jubayr, An-Nakha'i, Ad-Dahhak, Al-Hasan, Qatadah, As-Suddi and others said, "This refers to the period from the beginning of the dawn until the sun rises."

وَلَوْ شَاءَ لَجَعَلَهُ سَاكِنًا

(If He willed, He could have made it still) meaning, immobile, never changing. This is like the Ayat:

قُلْ أَرَأَيْتُمْ إِن جَعَلَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْكُمُ اللَّيْلَ سَرْمَدًا

(Say : "Tell me! If Allah made the night continuous for you...")(28:71)

ثُمَّ جَعَلْنَا الشَّمْسَ عَلَيْهِ دَلِيلًا

(but We have made the sun its guide.) means, were it not for the sun rising, it would not be there, for a thing can only be known in contrast to its opposite. Qatadah and As-Suddi said, "The sun is a guide which follows the shade until the shade disappears. "

ثُمَّ قَبَضْنَاهُ إِلَيْنَا قَبْضًا يَسِيرًا

(Then We withdraw it towards Ourselves – a gradual withdrawal.) This refers to the shade.

يَسِيرًا

(gradual) meaning slowly. As-Suddi said: "A gentle, concealed, withdrawal until there is no shade left on earth except under a roof or a tree, and the sun is shining on whatever is above it."

قَبْضًا يَسِيرًا

(a gradual withdrawal.) Ayyub bin Musa said: "Little by little.

وَهُوَ الَّذِي جَعَلَ لَكُمُ اللَّيْلَ لِبَاسًا

(And it is He Who makes the night a covering for you,) It covers and conceals all things. This is like the Ayah:

وَاللَّيْلِ إِذَا يَغْشَىٰ

(By the night as it envelops)(92:1).

وَالنَّوْمَ سُبَاتًا

(and the sleep a repose,) means, a halt to movement so that bodies may rest. For the faculties and limbs get tired from their constant movement during the day when one goes out to earn a living. When night comes, and it becomes quiet, they stop moving, and rest; so sleep provides a rejuvenation for both the body and the soul.

وَجَعَلَ النَّهَارَ نُشُورًا

(and makes the day Nushur) meaning, people get up and go out to earn a living and attend to their business. This is like the Ayah:

وَمِن رَّحْمَتِهِ جَعَلَ لَكُمُ اللَّيْلَ وَالنَّهَارَ لِتَسْكُنُوا فِيهِ وَلِتَبْتَغُوا مِن فَضْلِهِ

(It is out of His mercy that He has made for you the night and the day that you may rest therein and that you may seek of His bounty...)(28:73)