Quranic Suggestions for Thinking About Alternating Day and Night

The Qur’an as a guide and guidance for mankind has told humans to think about and contemplate phenomena that occur in the universe. One of these phenomena is the alternation of day and night.

 

The purpose of contemplation is to know the majesty, glory and greatness of Allah SWT. In Surah Ali Imran verse 190 it is explained that there are signs of God’s greatness in the creation of the universe and the alternation of day and night.

 

اِنَّ فِيْ خَلْقِ السَّمٰوٰتِ وَالْاَرْضِ وَاخْتِلَافِ الَّيْلِ وَالنَّهَارِ لَاٰيٰتٍ لِّاُولِى الْاَلْبَابِۙ

 

“Indeed, in the creation of the heavens and the earth, and the alternation of the night and the day, there are signs (of Allah’s greatness) for people of understanding,” (Surah Ali Imran: 190).

 

In the explanation of the Brief Interpretation of the Ministry of Religion, in this verse, Allah encourages people to recognize His majesty, glory, and greatness. Verily in the creation of the celestial bodies, the sun, the moon, and the other planets and the constellations of the stars in the sky and the rotation of the earth on its axis which is spread wide for humans, and the alternation of night and day, in all these natural phenomena there are signs -a sign of God’s greatness, for people who have reason, namely people who have pure minds who are not shrouded in the fog of ideas that can give birth

 

The interpretation of the Ministry of Religion explains this verse by quoting the story of the Prophet Muhammad.

 

It was narrated from Aisha radhiyallahu anhu that the Messenger of Allah said, “O Ayesha, I worship Allah tonight.” Ayesha replied, “Indeed I am happy if the Messenger of Allah is by my side. I am happy to serve his wishes and desires. But okay, I don’t mind.”

 

So the Messenger of Allah (SAW) got up from his bed and took ablution water, not far from his place and prayed. At the time of prayer he cried until his tears wet his cloth because of contemplating the verse of the Koran he was reading.

 

After the prayer, he sat down praising Allah and burst into tears again. Then he raised his hands in prayer and wept again and his tears soaked the ground.

 

After Bilal came for the dawn call to prayer and saw the Prophet Muhammad crying he asked, “O Messenger of Allah, why is the Messenger of Allah weeping, even though Allah has forgiven the sins of the Messenger of Allah, both past and future?”

 

The Prophet replied, “Am I not a servant who deserves and deserves to be grateful to Allah? And how can I not cry? On this night Allah has revealed a verse to me.”

 

Then he said, “What a loss and woe for those who read this and do not think about and contemplate its meaning.”

Thinking of the alternation of day and night, following the rising and setting of the sun, the day being longer than the night and vice versa. All of this shows the greatness and power of its creator for people who have reason. Thinking about the creation of the heavens and the earth, the regular alternation of day and night by producing certain times for human life is a challenge in itself for the intellectuals of faith. They are expected to be able to explain academically these natural phenomena, so that it can be concluded that Allah did not create all these phenomena in vain.