as well as rocks, minerals, and the seas. These are among Allah’s signs—the cosmic proofs that human beings can see with their own eyes.

He—may Allah have mercy on him—said: The evidence is the Almighty’s statement, “Among His signs are the night and the day, and the sun and the moon. Do not bow down to the sun or to the moon; rather bow down to Allah who created them, if it is Him that you worship.” (Fussilat 41:37)

Among His signs is the night—that is, a token pointing to His lordship, His power, and His exclusive right to be worshipped. The night that plunges everything into darkness and the day that floods the whole universe with light are both among the wondrous signs of Allah.

So who is it that makes the entire cosmos dark all at once and then makes the entire cosmos bright all at once? It is Allah. If all created beings joined forces to illuminate a single patch of earth, they could light no more than a limited area; even if they brought together every electric generator in existence, they would still illuminate only a small portion of the planet.

By contrast, the sun and the moon light the whole earth, just as night and day take turns—and so do the sun and the moon.