Commentary on Sūrat al-Shams

﴿In the name of Allah, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful﴾

﴿By the sun and its morning brightness, * and the moon when it follows it, * and the day when it reveals it, * and the night when it conceals it, * and the sky and Him Who built it, * and the earth and Him Who spread it, * and the soul and Him Who fashioned it, * then inspired it with its wickedness and its piety: * successful indeed is the one who purifies it, * and failed indeed is the one who corrupts it﴾.

The basmala has already been discussed.

﴿By the sun and its morning brightness﴾: Allah Most High swears by the sun and its morning brightness—that is, its light—because of the tremendous signs therein that attest to the perfection of Allah’s power, knowledge, and mercy—Glorified and Exalted is He. Indeed, the sun contains signs that some people cannot fully comprehend. When the sun rises, how much electrical energy does it save the world? It saves many billions’ worth, for people have no need of that energy while sunlight is available. And how much warmth does the earth receive from it, ripening fruits and causing trees to flourish? None knows the full extent of this except Allah—Mighty and Majestic is He. It yields many benefits that I cannot enumerate, since most of them pertain to astronomy, earth science, and geology. Yet they are among Allah’s tremendous signs.

﴿And the moon when it follows it﴾. It has been said that this means: when it follows the sun in its course. It has also been said that it means: when it follows the sun in illumination. Since the verse admits both interpretations, the principle in the science of tafsīr is that whenever a verse admits two meanings between which there is no conflict—