Al-Qur'an Surah Al-An'am Verse 96

Mufti Taqi Usmani

(He is) the One who causes the dawn to break. He has made the night for rest, and the sun and the moon for reckoning. This is a measure set by the All-Mighty, the All-Knowing.

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

He causes the dawn to break, and has made the night for rest and ˹made˺ the sun and the moon ˹to travel˺ with precision. That is the design of the Almighty, All-Knowing.

Ruwwad Translation Center

It is He Who cleaves the daybreak, and made the night for rest, and the sun and the moon with a precise measurement; that is the design of the All-Mighty, the All-Knowing.

A. J. Arberry

He splits the sky into dawn, and has made the night for a repose, and the sun and moon for a reckoning. That is the ordaining of the All-mighty, the All-knowing.

Abdul Haleem

He makes the dawn break; He makes the night for rest; and He made the sun and the moon to a precise measure. That is the design of the Almighty, the All Knowing.

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

The Cleaver of the dawn; and He hath appointed the night as a rest, and appointed the sun and the moon according to a reckoning that is the disposition of the Mighty, the Knowing.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

He it is that cleaveth the day-break (from the dark); He makes the night for rest and tranquillity, and the sun and moon for the reckoning (of time); Such is the judgment and ordering of (Him), the Exalted in Power, the Omniscient.

Abul Ala Maududi

It is He Who causes the dawn to split forth, and has ordained the night for repose, and the sun and the moon for reckoning time. All this is determined by Allah the Almighty, the All-Knowing.

Ahmed Ali

He ushers in the dawn, and made the night for rest, the sun and moon a computation. Such is the measure appointed by Him, the omnipotent and all-wise.

Ahmed Raza Khan

It is He Who breaks dawn (by splitting the dark); and He has made the night a calmness, and the sun and the moon a count (for time); this is the command set by the Almighty, the All Knowing.

Ali Quli Qarai

Splitter of the dawn, He has made the night for rest, and the sun and the moon for calculation. That is the ordaining of the All-mighty, the All-knowing.

Ali Ünal

He it is Who splits the dawn (from the darkness of night). He has made the night for repose, and the sun and the moon a means for reckoning (the divisions of time). This is the ordaining of the All-Glorious with irresistible might, the All-Knowing.

Amatul Rahman Omar

He is the cleaver of the daybreak (from the dark of the night), and He has made the night for rest, and the sun and the moon for reckoning (of time). That is the decree of the All-Mighty, the All-Knowing.

English Literal

Splitter (of) the morning/day break and He made the night tranquillity/security/residence and the sun and the moon counting/calculating, that (is) predestination (of) the glorious/mighty , the knowledgeable.

Faridul Haque

It is He Who breaks dawn (by splitting the dark); and He has made the night a calmness, and the sun and the moon a count (for time); this is the command set by the Almighty, the All Knowing.

Hamid S. Aziz

He it is who cleaves out the morning, and makes night a repose, and the sun and the moon two reckonings (of Time). That is the decree of the Mighty, the Wise!

Hilali & Khan

(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 All-Mighty, the All-Knowing.

Maulana Mohammad Ali

Surely Allah causes the grain and the date-stone to germinate. He brings for the living from the dead and He is the bringer forth of the dead from the living. That is Allah. How are you then turned away!

Mohammad Habib Shakir

He causes the dawn to break; and He has made the night for rest, and the sun and the moon for reckoning; this is an arrangement of the Mighty, the Knowing.

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

He is the Cleaver of the Daybreak, and He hath appointed the night for stillness, and the sun and the moon for reckoning. That is the measuring of the Mighty, the Wise.

Muhammad Sarwar

It is He who kindles the light of dawn, and has made the night for you to rest, and the sun and moon as a means of calculation. This is the design of the Majestic and All-knowing God.

Qaribullah & Darwish

He splits the sky into dawn. He has ordained the night for rest and the sun, and the moon for reckoning. Such is the ordinance of the Almighty, the Knowing.

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

(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.

Wahiduddin Khan

He causes the break of day, and has made the night for rest and He made the sun and the moon to a precise measure. That is the measure determined by the All Mighty and the All Knowing.

Talal Itani

It is He Who breaks the dawn. And He made the night for rest, and the sun and the moon for calculation. Such is the disposition of the Almighty, the All-Knowing.

Tafsir jalalayn

He is the Cleaver of the daybreak (al-isbh is the verbal noun, meaning al-subh, `dawn'), in other words, He splits the morning shaft, the first light that appears after the darkness of night, and He has appointed the night for stillness, in which creatures rest from toil, and the sun and the moon (read both in the accusative, wa'l-shamsa wa'l-qamara, as a supplement to the [syntactical] status of al-layla, `the night') for reckoning, for the calculation of [periods of] time (or [if the prefixed preposition] b' is [considered to have been] omitted [bi-husbn], making it [husbn] a circumstantial qualifier referring to an implied verb [such as yajriyn, `they follow courses'], that is, `they follow courses precisely calculated [bi-husbn]', as is stated in the verse of [srat] al-Rahmn [Q. 55;5]).That, mentioned, is the ordaining of the Mighty, in His kingdom, the Knowing, of His creation.

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

فَالِقُ الاِصْبَاحِ وَجَعَلَ اللَّيْلَ سَكَنًا

(He is the) Cleaver of the daybreak. He has appointed the night for resting,

means, He is the Creator of light and darkness.

Allah said in the beginning of the Surah,
وَجَعَلَ الظُّلُمَاتِ وَالنُّورَ
(And originated the darkness and the light).

Indeed, Allah causes the darkness of the night to disappear and brings forth the day, thus bringing brightness to the world and light to the horizon, while dissipating darkness and ending the night with its depth of darkness and starting the day with its brightness and light.

Allah said,

يُغْشِى الَّيْلَ النَّهَارَ يَطْلُبُهُ حَثِيثًا

He brings the night as a cover over the day, seeking it rapidly. (7;54)

In this Ayah, Allah reminds of His ability to create diversified things in opposites, testifying to His perfect greatness and supreme power. Allah states that He is the Cleaver of the daybreak and mentioned its opposite, when He said,
وَجَعَلَ اللَّيْلَ سَكَنًا
(He has appointed the night for resting), meaning, created darkness, in order for the creation to become halt and rest during it.

Allah said in other Ayat,

وَالضُّحَى

وَالَّيْلِ إِذَا سَجَى

By the forenoon. And by the night when it is still. (93;1-2)

وَالَّيْلِ إِذَا يَغْشَى

وَالنَّهَارِ إِذَا تَجَلَّى

By the night as it envelops. And by the day as it appears in brightness. (92;1,2)

and,

وَالنَّهَارِ إِذَا جَلَّـهَا

وَالَّيْلِ إِذَا يَغْشَـهَا

And by the day as it shows up (the sun's) brightness. And by the night as it conceals it. (91;3-4)

Allah's statement,

وَالشَّمْسَ وَالْقَمَرَ حُسْبَانًا
And the sun and the moon for reckoning.

means, the sun and the moon have specific orbits, according to a term appointed with magnificent precision that never changes or alters. Both the sun and the moon have distinct positions that they assume in summer and winter, effecting changes in the length of night and day.

Allah said in other Ayat,

هُوَ الَّذِى جَعَلَ الشَّمْسَ ضِيَأءً وَالْقَمَرَ نُوراً وَقَدَّرَهُ مَنَازِلَ

It is He Who made the sun a shining thing and the Moon as a light and measured out stages for it. (10;5)

لَا الشَّمْسُ يَنبَغِى لَهَأ أَن تدْرِكَ القَمَرَ وَلَا الَّيْلُ سَابِقُ النَّهَارِ وَكُلٌّ فِى فَلَكٍ يَسْبَحُونَ

It is not for the sun to overtake the moon, nor does the night outstrip the day. They all float, each in an orbit. (36;40)

And,

وَالشَّمْسَ وَالْقَمَرَ وَالنُّجُومَ مُسَخَّرَتٍ بِأَمْرِهِ

The sun and the moon; and the stars are subjected by His command. (16;12)

Allah's statement,

ذَلِكَ تَقْدِيرُ الْعَزِيزِ الْعَلِيمِ



Such is the measuring of the Almighty, the All-Knowing.

means, all of this occurs according to the decree and due measurement of the Almighty Who is never resisted or contradicted. He is the Knower of all things and nothing ever escapes His knowledge, not even the weight of an atom on earth or in heavens.

Allah often mentions the creation of the night, the day, the sun and the moon and then ends His Speech by mentioning His attributes of power and knowledge, as in this Ayah above (6;96), and in His statement,

وَءَايَةٌ لَّهُمُ الَّيْلُ نَسْلَخُ مِنْهُ النَّهَارَ فَإِذَا هُم مُّظْلِمُونَ

وَالشَّمْسُ تَجْرِى لِمُسْتَقَرٍّ لَّهَـا ذَلِكَ تَقْدِيرُ الْعَزِيزِ الْعَلِيمِ

And a sign for them is the night, We withdraw there from the day, and behold, they are in darkness. And the sun runs on its fixed course for a term. That is the decree of the Almighty, the All-Knowing. (36;37-38)

In the beginning of Surah Ha-Mim As-Sajdah, after mentioning the creation of the heavens and earth and all that is in them, Allah said;

وَزَيَّنَّا السَّمَأءَ الدُّنْيَا بِمَصَـبِيحَ وَحِفْظاً ذَلِكَ تَقْدِيرُ الْعَزِيزِ الْعَلِيمِ

And We adorned the nearest (lowest) heaven with lamps (stars) to be an adornment as well as to guard. Such is the decree of Him, the Almighty, the All-Knower. (41;12)

Allah said next