(12) “He has subjected for you the night and day, the sun and moon, and the stars are subjected by His command. Surely in this are signs for people who reason.”

That is, He has subjected these things for your benefit and for your various interests, such that you can never dispense with them. At night you are still, sleep, and rest; by day you go forth to pursue your livelihoods and the interests of your religion and worldly life. Through the sun and moon come brightness, light, and radiance; the flourishing of trees, fruits, and vegetation; the drying of moisture; the removal of cold that is harmful to the earth and to bodies; and other essentials and needs that depend upon the existence of the sun and moon.

The sun, moon, and stars also adorn the sky, provide guidance through the darkness of land and sea, and enable the determination of times and the calculation of periods. Their indications are thus varied and their signs manifold. For this reason, He used the plural in His words, “Surely in this are signs for people who reason.” That is, for those who possess minds and employ them in contemplation and reflection upon that for which they were fashioned and prepared, comprehending what they see and hear—not like the heedless, whose share of sight is no greater than that of beasts devoid of reason.