Surah Ali 'Imran 3:27
سُورَةُ آلِ عِمۡرَانَ · Medinan · Verse 27 of 200
تُولِجُ ٱلَّيْلَ فِى ٱلنَّهَارِ وَتُولِجُ ٱلنَّهَارَ فِى ٱلَّيْلِ ۖ وَتُخْرِجُ ٱلْحَىَّ مِنَ ٱلْمَيِّتِ وَتُخْرِجُ ٱلْمَيِّتَ مِنَ ٱلْحَىِّ ۖ وَتَرْزُقُ مَن تَشَآءُ بِغَيْرِ حِسَابٍۢ
Translation
You merge night into day and day into night; You bring the living out of the dead and the dead out of the living; You provide limitlessly for whoever You will.’
English translation: M.A.S. Abdel Haleem.
Meaning and reflection
Wording
This powerful verse, a continuation of a profound supplication, opens our hearts to the sheer magnificence of Allah's authority and control over all things. It's a direct address from Allah, illustrating His boundless power through everyday phenomena, reassuring believers and challenging those who doubt.
The Flow of Time
The verse begins with "تُولِجُ ٱلَّيْلَ فِى ٱلنَّهَارِ وَتُولِجُ ٱلنَّهَارَ فِى ٱلَّيْلِ" (You cause the night to enter the day and You cause the day to enter the night). The word "تُولِجُ" (tūliju) means "You cause to enter" or "You insert." It's not just that day follows night, or night follows day; it describes an active, continuous process of intertwining. As scholars like Ibn Ashur explain, this captures the subtle, gradual changes in the duration of day and night throughout the year. One doesn't just appear after the other, but one gently, persistently merges into the other, increasing or decreasing its share. This divine act is a constant, dynamic shift, perfectly orchestrated, demonstrating Allah's continuous management of the cosmos. The repetition of the phrase emphasizes this perfect, ongoing cycle and creates a beautiful rhythm, noted by Mahmud Safi as a kind of "Quranic music."
Life from its Opposite
The verse continues, "وَتُخْرِجُ ٱلْحَىَّ مِنَ ٱلْمَيِّتِ وَتُخْرِجُ ٱلْمَيِّتَ مِنَ ٱلْحَىِّ" (And You bring forth the living from the dead, and You bring forth the dead from the living). Here, the word "تُخْرِجُ" (tukhriru), meaning "You bring forth," highlights another active and deliberate divine power. This isn't limited to physical life and death, like bringing a plant from a dry seed or a chick from an egg, and vice-versa. Scholars like Al-Razi expand this to include spiritual dimensions: bringing a believer from a disbelieving lineage, or an act of guidance (life) from a state of misguidance (death). Ibn Ashur suggests this could even symbolize the rise of a guided community from a state of spiritual "deadness," or the decline of those who were once guided. It's a profound reminder that Allah can bring forth anything from its apparent opposite, transforming situations and destinies.
Sustenance Without Measure
Finally, the verse concludes with "وَتَرْزُقُ مَن تَشَآءُ بِغَيْرِ حِسَابٍۢ" (And You provide for whom You will without measure). The phrase "بِغَيْرِ حِسَابٍۢ" (bighayri ḥisāb) literally means "without account." Al-Razi explains this in several ways: it means Allah provides without anyone holding Him accountable, or that His provision is boundless and immeasurable in its abundance, or that it is given as a pure favor, not strictly based on deserving. Ibn Ashur connects this promise of vast sustenance to the broader context of dominion, hinting at the blessings and resources Allah would bestow upon the Muslim community. It assures us that Allah's generosity is limitless, given by His will, exceeding any human calculation or expectation. This promise instills deep trust in His provision for all aspects of our lives.
Sources: al-Zamakhshari (al-Kashshaf), al-Jadwal fi I'rab al-Quran (Mahmud Safi), al-Jalalayn, al-Razi (Mafatih al-Ghayb), Ibn Ashur (al-Tahrir wa al-Tanwir)
Topics that discuss this verse
Surah Ali 'Imran 3:27 is discussed in 3 study guides on Maani. Each guide gathers the key verses, Arabic words and lessons of one Quranic topic.
Reflect on this verse
Open Surah Ali 'Imran 3:27 in Maani to reflect on it through the Five Lenses: its wording, its context, what it means for you, its connections across the Quran and its lessons, grounded in classical tafsir.