Quran Universe
45:5

وَٱخۡتِلَٰفِ ٱلَّيۡلِ وَٱلنَّهَارِ وَمَآ أَنزَلَ ٱللَّهُ مِنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ مِن رِّزۡقٖ فَأَحۡيَا بِهِ ٱلۡأَرۡضَ بَعۡدَ مَوۡتِهَا وَتَصۡرِيفِ ٱلرِّيَٰحِ ءَايَٰتٞ لِّقَوۡمٖ يَعۡقِلُونَ

Waikhtilafi allayli waalnnahari wama anzala Allahu mina alssamai min rizqin faahya bihi alarda baAAda mawtiha watasreefi alrriyahi ayatun liqawmin yaAAqiloona

And [in] the alternation of night and day and [in] what Allah sends down from the sky of provision and gives life thereby to the earth after its lifelessness and [in His] directing of the winds are signs for a people who reason.

Word by word
  1. وَٱخۡتِلَٰفِAnd (in the) alternation
  2. ٱلَّيۡلِ(of) the night
  3. وَٱلنَّهَارِand the day
  4. وَمَآand what
  5. أَنزَلَAllah sends down
  6. ٱللَّهُAllah sends down
  7. مِنَfrom
  8. ٱلسَّمَآءِthe sky
  9. مِنof
  10. رِّزۡقٖ(the) provision
  11. فَأَحۡيَاand gives life
  12. بِهِthereby
  13. ٱلۡأَرۡضَ(to) the earth
  14. بَعۡدَafter
  15. مَوۡتِهَاits death
  16. وَتَصۡرِيفِand (in) directing
  17. ٱلرِّيَٰحِ(the) winds
  18. ءَايَٰتٞ(are) Signs
  19. لِّقَوۡمٖfor a people
  20. يَعۡقِلُونَwho reason
Al-Jathiyah · 45:5Makkah

Night and day, rain and winds, for those who think.

The third step: understanding

Signs that move
night and dayone follows the other
raincalled provision
windsturned every way
for
people who reasonstage three
The three stages
believeverse 3
be certainverse 4
understandverse 5, higher still

Ibn Kathir says rain is called provision because it produces all kinds of provision, reviving dry, dead earth. Winds turn north, south, east, west; some bring rain, some pollinate. He notes the verses rise from believers, to the certain, to those who understand.

The weather app says rain tomorrow. You groan about the commute. Somewhere a dry field is waiting for exactly that rain. Thinking about it turns a nuisance into a sign.

Weather is just something that happens to my plans.

Rain and wind are provision being sent, if I think about it.

Try this

Next time it rains, say the dua for rain or simply thank Allah for it.

Related2:164
Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir (shared passage from 45:1)

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

حم - تَنْزِيلُ الْكِتَابِ مِنَ اللَّهِ الْعَزِيزِ الْحَكِيمِ - إِنَّ فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ لَآيَاتٍ لِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ - وَفِي خَلْقِكُمْ وَمَا يَبُثُّ مِنْ دَابَّةٍ آيَاتٌ لِقَوْمٍ يُوقِنُونَ - وَاخْتِلَافِ اللَّيْلِ وَالنَّهَارِ وَمَا أَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ مِنْ رِزْقٍ فَأَحْيَا بِهِ الْأَرْضَ بَعْدَ مَوْتِهَا وَتَصْرِيفِ الرِّيَاحِ آيَاتٌ لِقَوْمٍ يَعْقِلُونَ

(1. Ha Mim.)(2. The revelation of the Book is from Allah, the Almighty, the All-Wise.)(3. Verily, in the heavens and the earth are signs for the believers.)(4. And in your creation, and what He spread (through the earth) of moving creatures are signs for people who have faith with certainty.)(5. And in the alternation of night and day, and the provision that Allah sends down from the sky, and revives therewith the earth after its death, and in the turning about of the winds, are signs for a people who understand.)

A Directive to contemplate over Allah's Ayat

Allah directs His servants to contemplate His favors and gifts, as well as His great power that is demonstrated by His creating the heavens and the earth and the various types and categories of creatures in them.

There are the angels, Jinns, humans, animals, birds, beasts, carnivores, insects and various kinds of sea creatures. The night and day alternate, each follows the other in succession, never ceasing to come, as decreed. One brings darkness and one brings light. Allah the Exalted also sends down the rain from the clouds when it is most needed. He is calling the rain, 'provision', because it is the resource that produces various provisions,

فَأَحْيَا بِهِ الْأَرْضَ بَعْدَ مَوْتِهَا

(and revives therewith the earth after its death,) after it was dry and had no vegetation or life of any kind. Allah said next,

وَتَصْرِيفِ الرِّيَاحِ

(and in the turning about of the winds,) sometimes towards the south and sometimes towards the north. Some are easterly winds and some are westerly winds, some bringing sea breezes and some blow from the land, some coming at night and some by day. Some winds bring rain, some cause pollination and some winds just revive the soul, while some others bear no benefit. Allah said first.

 لَآيَاتٍ لِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ

(are signs for the believers), then

يُوقِنُونَ 

(who have faith with certainty), then

يَعْقِلُونَ 

(who understand), thus ascending from one honorable stage to what is more honorable and higher in grade. These Ayat are similar to an Ayah in Surat Al-Baqarah

إِنَّ فِي خَلْقِ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَاخْتِلَافِ اللَّيْلِ وَالنَّهَارِ وَالْفُلْكِ الَّتِي تَجْرِي فِي الْبَحْرِ بِمَا يَنْفَعُ النَّاسَ وَمَا أَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ مِنْ مَاءٍ فَأَحْيَا بِهِ الْأَرْضَ بَعْدَ مَوْتِهَا وَبَثَّ فِيهَا مِنْ كُلِّ دَابَّةٍ وَتَصْرِيفِ الرِّيَاحِ وَالسَّحَابِ الْمُسَخَّرِ بَيْنَ السَّمَاءِ وَالْأَرْضِ لَآيَاتٍ لِقَوْمٍ يَعْقِلُونَ 

(Verily, in the creation of the heavens and the earth, and in the alternation of night and day, and the ships which sail through the sea with that which is of use to mankind, and the water which Allah sends down from the sky and makes the earth alive therewith after its death, and the moving creatures of all kinds that He has spread therein, and in the veering of winds and clouds which are held between the sky and the earth, are indeed signs for people of understanding.)(2:164)