Quran Universe
28:73

وَمِن رَّحۡمَتِهِۦ جَعَلَ لَكُمُ ٱلَّيۡلَ وَٱلنَّهَارَ لِتَسۡكُنُواْ فِيهِ وَلِتَبۡتَغُواْ مِن فَضۡلِهِۦ وَلَعَلَّكُمۡ تَشۡكُرُونَ

Wamin rahmatihi jaAAala lakumu allayla waalnnahara litaskunoo feehi walitabtaghoo min fadlihi walaAAallakum tashkuroona

And out of His mercy He made for you the night and the day that you may rest therein and [by day] seek from His bounty and [that] perhaps you will be grateful.

Word by word
  1. وَمِنAnd from
  2. رَّحۡمَتِهِۦHis Mercy
  3. جَعَلَHe made
  4. لَكُمُfor you
  5. ٱلَّيۡلَthe night
  6. وَٱلنَّهَارَand the day
  7. لِتَسۡكُنُواْthat you may rest
  8. فِيهِtherein
  9. وَلِتَبۡتَغُواْand that you may seek
  10. مِنfrom
  11. فَضۡلِهِۦHis Bounty
  12. وَلَعَلَّكُمۡand so that you may
  13. تَشۡكُرُونَbe grateful
Al-Qasas · 28:73Makkah

Night to rest, day to earn, both out of mercy.

The rhythm of a day as a reason to give thanks

His mercy in two parts
nightto rest
dayto seek His bounty
so that
you may be gratefulworship in both
A missed chance
I missed itthe day is ruined
make it upin the night, or the day

After the two questions about endless night and endless day, Allah says both were made out of His mercy: rest at night, travel and work by day. Ibn Kathir adds that whoever misses something at night can make it up during the day, and the reverse.

You slept through Fajr, or the workday ate your plans for Quran. It feels like the day is lost. The night and day take turns so you can catch up. The rhythm itself is a second chance.

If I miss a good deed at its time, the chance is gone.

Allah made night and day follow each other so I can make up what I missed and thank Him.

Try this

Make up one missed good habit from earlier today before you sleep tonight.

Related25:62
Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir (shared passage from 28:71)

Say: "Tell me! If Allah made the night continuous for you till the Day of Resurrection, which god besides Allah could bring you light? Will you not then hear? (71)Say: "Tell me! If Allah made the day continuous for you till the Day of Resurrection, which god besides Allah could bring you night wherein you rest? Will you not then see? (72)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 – and in order that you may be grateful (73)

Night and Day are among the Blessings of Allah and are Signs of Tawhid

Allah reminds His servants of His favors towards them by subjugating for them the night and day, without which they could not survive. He explains that if He made the night continuous, lasting until the Day of Resurrection, that would be harmful for them and would cause boredom and stress. So He says:

 مَنْ إِلَٰهٌ غَيْرُ اللَّهِ يَأْتِيكُمْ بِضِيَاءٍ

(which god besides Allah could bring you light?) meaning, 'with which you could see things and which would bring you relief?'

أَفَلَا تَسْمَعُونَ

(Will you not then hear?) Then Allah tells us that if He had made the day continuous, lasting until the Day of Resurrection, that would also be harmful for them and their bodies would get tired from so much movement and activity. Allah says:

مَنْ إِلَٰهٌ غَيْرُ اللَّهِ يَأْتِيكُمْ بِلَيْلٍ تَسْكُنُونَ فِيهِ ۖ 

(which god besides Allah could bring you night wherein you rest?) meaning, 'to rest from your work and activity.'

أَفَلَا تُبْصِرُونَ - وَمِنْ رَحْمَتِهِ

(Will you not then see? It is out of His mercy) towards you,

جَعَلَ لَكُمُ اللَّيْلَ وَالنَّهَارَ

(that He has made for you the night and the day) He created both,

لِتَسْكُنُوا فِيهِ

(that you may rest therein) during the night,

وَلِتَبْتَغُوا مِنْ فَضْلِهِ

(and that you may seek of His bounty) during the day, by traveling, moving about and working.

وَلَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ

(and in order that you may be grateful.) So that you may give thanks to Allah by performing all kinds of acts of worship at night and during the day. Whoever misses something during the night can make it up during the day, and vice versa. This is like the Ayah,

وَهُوَ الَّذِي جَعَلَ اللَّيْلَ وَالنَّهَارَ خِلْفَةً لِمَنْ أَرَادَ أَنْ يَذَّكَّرَ أَوْ أَرَادَ شُكُورًا 

(And He it is Who has put the night and the day in succession, for such who desires to remember or desires to show his gratitude.)(25:62). And there are many similar Ayat.