(17–19) “So glory be to Allah when you enter the evening and when you enter the morning. To Him belongs all praise in the heavens and the earth—and in the late afternoon and when you reach midday. He brings the living out of the dead and brings the dead out of the living. He revives the earth after its death, and in the same way you will be brought forth.”

This informs us that He is far above all evil and deficiency and is too holy for any created being to be comparable to Him. It also commands His servants to glorify Him when they enter the evening, when they enter the morning, in the late afternoon, and at midday.

These five times are the times of the five prayers. Allah commanded His servants to glorify and praise Him during them. This includes what is obligatory, such as the glorification and praise contained in the five prayers, and what is recommended, such as the morning and evening remembrances, the remembrances following the prayers, and the voluntary prayers associated with them. This is because these times, which Allah has chosen [as the times for the obligatory prayers, are] superior to others [and thus glorifying and praising Him and worshipping Him during them are superior to doing so at other times] (1). Indeed, even if an act of worship does not include saying, “Glory be to Allah,” the sincerity it embodies is itself a practical affirmation that Allah is far above having any partner in worship, or that any created being could deserve the same sincere devotion and turning to Him that He deserves.

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“He brings the living out of the dead,” as He brings plants forth from dead earth, an ear of grain from a seed, a tree from a pit, a chick from an egg, and a believer from a disbeliever, and other such examples.

“And He brings the dead out of the living”—the reverse of what was just mentioned. “He revives the earth after its death”: He sends rain down upon it while it lies lifeless and barren, but when He sends water down upon it, it stirs, swells, and produces every delightful kind of growth. “And in the same way you will be brought forth” from your graves.

This is decisive evidence and a radiant proof that He who revives the earth after its death will also bring the dead to life. From the standpoint of reason, there is no difference between the two; nor is there any basis for deeming one of them far-fetched while witnessing the other.