Al-Qur'an Surah Ya-Sin Verse 38

Mufti Taqi Usmani

And the sun is quickly proceeding towards its destination. That is the designing of the All-Mighty, the All-Knowing.

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

The sun travels for its fixed term. That is the design of the Almighty, All-Knowing.

Ruwwad Translation Center

The sun is running to its determined course. That is the design of the All-Mighty, All-Knowing.

A. J. Arberry

And the sun -- it runs to a fixed resting-place; that is the ordaining of the All-mighty, the All-knowing.

Abdul Haleem

The sun, too, runs its determined course laid down for it by the Almighty, the All Knowing.

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

And the sun runneth to its appointed term: that is the disposition of the Mighty, the Knowing."

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

And the sun runs his course for a period determined for him; that is the decree of (Him), the Exalted in Might, the All-Knowing.

Abul Ala Maududi

The sun is running its course to its appointed place. That is the ordaining of the All-Mighty, the All-Knowing.

Ahmed Ali

While the sun keeps revolving in its orbit. This is the dispensation of the mighty, all-knowing (God).

Ahmed Raza Khan

And the sun runs its course for its final destination; this is a command of the Almighty, the All Knowing.

Ali Quli Qarai

The sun runs on to its place of rest: That is the ordaining of the All-mighty, the All-knowing.

Ali Ünal

And the sun runs the course appointed for it for a term to its resting-place for the stability of it(s system). This is the measured determining of the All-Glorious with irresistible might (to Whose omnipotent ordering the whole universe is submitted), the All-Knowing.

Amatul Rahman Omar

And the sun is moving (on its ordained course) towards the goal determined for it. That is the determining of the All-Mighty, the Possessor of perfect knowledge.

English Literal

And the sun passes/orbits to an establishment/affixation to it, that (is) the glorious`/mighty`s predestination/evaluation .

Faridul Haque

And the sun runs its course for its final destination; this is a command of the Almighty, the All Knowing.

Hamid S. Aziz

And the sun runs on to a term appointed for it; that is the ordinance of the Mighty, the Knowing.

Hilali & Khan

And the sun runs on its fixed course for a term (appointed). That is the Decree of the All-Mighty, the All-Knowing.

Maulana Mohammad Ali

And a sign to them is the night: We draw forth from it the day, then lo! they are in darkness;

Mohammad Habib Shakir

And the sun runs on to a term appointed for it; that is the ordinance of the Mighty, the Knowing.

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

And the sun runneth on unto a resting-place for him. That is the measuring of the Mighty, the Wise.

Muhammad Sarwar

how the sun moves in its orbit and this is the decree of the Majestic and All-knowing God;

Qaribullah & Darwish

The sun runs to its fixed restingplace; that is the decree of the Almighty, the Knower.

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

And the sun runs on its fixed course for a term (appointed). That is the decree of the Almighty, the All-Knowing.

Wahiduddin Khan

The sun, too, follows its determined course laid down for it by the Almighty, the All Knowing.

Talal Itani

And the sun runs towards its destination. Such is the design of the Almighty, the All-Knowing.

Tafsir jalalayn

And the sun [which] runs (from wa'l-shamsu tajr to the end [of the statement] is subsumed by [the introductory] wa-yatun lahum, `and a sign for them'; alternatively, it constitutes another sign [for them]; similar is the case with wa'l-qamara, `and the moon' [further below]) to its resting-place, in other words, it does not overstep it. That, namely, its running, is the ordaining of the Mighty, in His kingdom, the Knower, of His creation.

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

And the sun runs on its fixed course for a term (appointed). That is the decree of the Almighty, the All-Knowing.

There are two views over the meaning of the phrase
لِمُسْتَقَرٍّ لَّهَا
(on its fixed course for a term (appointed)).

- The first view is that it refers to its fixed course of location, which is beneath the Throne, beyond the earth in that direction. Wherever it goes, it is beneath the Throne, it and all of creation, because the Throne is the roof of creation and it is not a sphere as many astronomers claim. Rather it is a dome supported by legs or pillars, carried by the angels, and it is above the universe, above the heads of people. When the sun is at its zenith at noon, it is in its closest position to Throne, and when it runs in its fourth orbit at the opposite point to its zenith, at midnight, it is in its furthest position from the Throne. At that point it prostrates and asks for permission to rise, as mentioned in the Hadiths.

Al-Bukhari recorded that Abu Dharr, may Allah be pleased with him, said, "I was with the Prophet in the Masjid at sunset, and he said;

يَا أَبَا ذَرَ أَتَدْرِي أَيْنَ تَغْرُبُ الشَّمْسُ

O Abu Dharr! Do you know where the sun sets?

I said, `Allah and His Messenger know best.'

He said;

فَإِنَّهَا تَذْهَبُ حَتْى تَسْجُدَ تَحْتَ الْعَرْشِ فَذَلِكَ قَوْلُهُ تَعَالَى

It goes and prostrates beneath the Throne, and that is what Allah says;
وَالشَّمْسُ تَجْرِي لِمُسْتَقَرٍّ لَّهَا ذَلِكَ تَقْدِيرُ الْعَزِيزِ الْعَلِيمِ
(And the sun runs on its fixed course for a term. That is the decree of the Almighty, the All-Knowing.)"

It was also reported that Abu Dharr, may Allah be pleased with him, said, "I asked the Messenger of Allah about the Ayah;
وَالشَّمْسُ تَجْرِي لِمُسْتَقَرٍّ لَّهَا
(And the sun runs on its fixed course for a term). He said;

مُسْتَقَرُّهَا تَحْتَ الْعَرْش

Its fixed course is beneath the Throne."

- The second view is that this refers to when the sun's appointed time comes to an end, which will be on the Day of Resurrection, when its fixed course will be abolished, it will come to a halt and it will be rolled up. This world will come to an end, and that will be the end of its appointed time. This is the fixed course of its time.

Qatadah said;
لِمُسْتَقَرٍّ لَّهَا
(on its fixed course for a term (appointed)) means,

"It has an appointed time and it will not go beyond that."

It was also said that;

this means, it keeps moving in its summer orbit for a certain time, and it does not exceed that, then it moves to its winter orbit for a certain time, and it does not exceed that.

This was narrated from Abdullah bin `Amr, may Allah be pleased with him.

Ibn Mas`ud and Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with them, recited this Ayah as;
وَالشَّمْسُ تَجْرِي لَاامُسْتَقَرٍّ لَّهَا
(And the sun runs with no fixed course for a term),

meaning that it has no destination and it does not settle in one place, rather it keeps moving night and day, never slowing down or stopping, as in the Ayah;

وَسَخَّر لَكُمُ الشَّمْسَ وَالْقَمَرَ دَايِبَينَ

And He has made the sun and the moon, both constantly pursuing their courses, to be of service to you. (14;33)

which means, they will never slow down or stop, until the Day of Resurrection.

ذَلِكَ تَقْدِيرُ الْعَزِيزِ

That is the decree of the Almighty,

means, which none can oppose or prevent.

الْعَلِيمِ



the All-Knowing.

Who knows every movement and every cessation of movement, Who has decreed that and Who has set it in motion following a pattern in which there are no differences or inversions, as Allah says;

فَالِقُ الاِصْبَاحِ وَجَعَلَ الَّيْلَ سَكَناً وَالشَّمْسَ وَالْقَمَرَ حُسْبَاناً ذَلِكَ تَقْدِيرُ الْعَزِيزِ الْعَلِيمِ

(He is the) Cleaver of the daybreak. He has appointed the night for resting, and the sun and the moon for reckoning. Such is the measuring of the Almighty, the All-Knowing. (6;96)

And this is how this Ayah ends;
ذَلِكَ تَقْدِيرُ الْعَزِيزِ الْعَلِيمِ
(That is the decree of the Almighty, the All-Knowing).

Then Allah says