32:5

يُدَبِّرُ ٱلۡأَمۡرَ مِنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ إِلَى ٱلۡأَرۡضِ ثُمَّ يَعۡرُجُ إِلَيۡهِ فِي يَوۡمٖ كَانَ مِقۡدَارُهُۥٓ أَلۡفَ سَنَةٖ مِّمَّا تَعُدُّونَ

Yudabbiru alamra mina alssamai ila alardi thumma yaAAruju ilayhi fee yawmin kana miqdaruhu alfa sanatin mimma taAAuddoona

He arranges [each] matter from the heaven to the earth; then it will ascend to Him in a Day, the extent of which is a thousand years of those which you count.

Word by word
  1. يُدَبِّرُHe regulates
  2. ٱلۡأَمۡرَthe affair
  3. مِنَof
  4. ٱلسَّمَآءِthe heaven
  5. إِلَىto
  6. ٱلۡأَرۡضِthe earth
  7. ثُمَّthen
  8. يَعۡرُجُit will ascend
  9. إِلَيۡهِto Him
  10. فِيin
  11. يَوۡمٖa Day
  12. كَانَ(the) measure of which is
  13. مِقۡدَارُهُۥٓ(the) measure of which is
  14. أَلۡفَa thousand
  15. سَنَةٖyears
  16. مِّمَّاof what
  17. تَعُدُّونَyou count
As-Sajdah · 32:5Makkah

He sends the command down, and it rises back to Him.

A Day measured as a thousand of your years


The movement
the commandfrom the heavens
down to
the earthits furthest edge
then up to
Himdeeds ascend
Time to Allah
1a Day with Him
equals
1000years of your counting

Ibn Kathir says His command comes down from above the heavens to the furthest boundary of the earth. Deeds are raised up to Him. The angels cover vast distances in the blink of an eye.

Your deadline is Friday and the whole week revolves around it. You check the clock a hundred times. Your deeds today rise to Him, and to Him a thousand years is a Day. What matters is what goes up.

My schedule is the biggest clock in my life.

His command shapes everything, and my deeds rise to Him each day.

Try this

At the end of today, think of one deed you would be glad to have raised to Allah.

Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir (shared passage from 32:4)

Allah it is He Who has created the heavens and the earth, and all that is between them in six Days. Then He Istawa over the Throne. You have none, besides Him, as a protector or an intercessor. Will you not then remember (4)He directs the command from the heavens to the earth; then it will go up to Him, in one Day, the space whereof is a thousand years of your reckoning (5)That is He, the All-Knower of the unseen and the seen, the All-Mighty, the Most Merciful (6)

Allah is the Creator and Controller of the Universe

Allah tells us that He is the Creator of all things. He created the heavens and earth and all that is between them in six days, then He rose over the Throne – we have already discussed this matter elsewhere.

مَا لَكُمْ مِنْ دُونِهِ مِنْ وَلِيٍّ وَلَا شَفِيعٍ ۚ 

(You have none, besides Him, as a protector or an intercessor) means, only He is the Sovereign Who is in control of all affairs, the Creator of all things, the Controller of all things, the One Who is able to do all things. There is no Creator besides Him, no intercessor except the one to whom He gives permission.

أَفَلَا تَتَذَكَّرُونَ

(Will you not then remember?) – this is addressed to those who worship others apart from Him and put their trust in others besides Him – exalted and sanctified and glorified be He above having any equal, partner, supporter, rival or peer, there is no God or Lord except Him.

يُدَبِّرُ الْأَمْرَ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ إِلَى الْأَرْضِ ثُمَّ يَعْرُجُ إِلَيْهِ 

(He directs the command from the heavens to the earth; then it will go up to Him,) means, His command comes down from above the heavens to the furthest boundary of the seventh earth. This is like the Ayah,

اللَّهُ الَّذِي خَلَقَ سَبْعَ سَمَاوَاتٍ وَمِنَ الْأَرْضِ مِثْلَهُنَّ يَتَنَزَّلُ الْأَمْرُ بَيْنَهُنَّ 

(It is Allah Who has created seven heavens and of the earth the like thereof. The command descends between them,)(65:12) Deeds are raised up to the place of recording above the lowest heaven. The distance between heaven and earth is the distance of five hundred years traveling, and the thickness of the heaven is the distance of five hundred years. Mujahid, Qatadah and Ad-Dahhak said, "The distance covered by the angel when he descends or ascends is the distance of five hundred years, but he covers it in the blink of an eye." Allah says:

فِي يَوْمٍ كَانَ مِقْدَارُهُ أَلْفَ سَنَةٍ مِمَّا تَعُدُّونَ - ذَٰلِكَ عَالِمُ الْغَيْبِ وَالشَّهَادَةِ

(in one Day, the measurement of which is a thousand years of your reckoning. That is He, the All-Knower of the unseen and the seen,) meaning, He is controlling all these affairs. He sees all that His servants do, and all their deeds, major and minor, significant and insignificant, ascend to Him. He is the Almighty Who has subjugated all things to His control, and to Whom everybody submits, and He is Most Merciful to His believing servants. He is Almighty in His mercy and Most Merciful in His might. This is perfection: might combined with mercy and mercy combined with might, for He is Merciful without any hint of weakness.