Surah An-Nazi'at 79:29
سُورَةُ النَّازِعَاتِ · Meccan · Verse 29 of 46
وَأَغْطَشَ لَيْلَهَا وَأَخْرَجَ ضُحَىٰهَا
Translation
giving darkness to its night and bringing out its morning brightness,
English translation: M.A.S. Abdel Haleem.
Meaning and reflection
Wording
This verse, "And He darkened its night and brought forth its daylight," comes as Allah addresses those who denied the possibility of resurrection. He challenges them by asking if their own creation is harder than the creation of the heavens. To illustrate the heavens' magnificent creation, Allah then describes how He built the sky, raised its canopy, and perfected it. This verse continues that description, focusing on the celestial rhythms that we experience daily.
Allah's Active Hand
The Arabic word for "darkened," أَغْطَشَ (aghṭasha), shows Allah's active role. As Imam al-Razi explains, it can mean "it became dark" (intransitive) or "He made it dark" (transitive). Here, the transitive form is used, emphasizing that Allah *caused* the night to darken. Similarly, for daylight, the word أَخْرَجَ (akhraja), meaning "He brought forth," is used. Ibn Ashur notes that this word, usually meaning to take something out of a container, is a common and vivid metaphor for "manifesting" or "revealing." It highlights that the light isn't just there; it is actively *brought out* by Allah after the darkness. The darkness is seen as an absence, and the light as something positive that must be actively produced and presented.
The Fullness of Light
When Allah speaks of "its daylight," He uses the word ضُحَىٰهَا (ḍuḥāhā). Scholars like al-Razi point out that *ḍuḥā* refers to the brightest and most complete part of the daytime, when the sun's light is most prominent and powerful. This choice of word isn't just "day"; it evokes the full, undeniable brilliance of the sun after it has risen and its rays have spread. By choosing *ḍuḥā*, Allah emphasizes the radiant manifestation of light, contrasting it with the profound darkness of the night.
Night and Day of the Heavens
The verse refers to "its night" (ليلها) and "its daylight" (ضحاها), attributing them to the heavens. Imam al-Jalalayn clarifies that the night is considered the "shade" of the sky, and the sun, which brings the daylight, is its "lamp." Ibn Ashur elaborates that these phenomena are visible to us *in* the atmosphere of the sky, or within its vast expanses. The heavens are the stage upon which these grand transitions from darkness to light and back occur, orchestrated by Allah. This choice of wording powerfully connects these familiar daily cycles to the immense power of the Creator of the entire cosmos, reinforcing the argument against those who doubt His ability to resurrect life.
Sources: al-Zamakhshari (al-Kashshaf), al-Razi (Mafatih al-Ghayb), al-Jalalayn, Ibn Ashur (al-Tahrir wa al-Tanwir), al-Jadwal fi I'rab al-Quran (Mahmud Safi)
Topics that discuss this verse
Surah An-Nazi'at 79:29 is discussed in 6 study guides on Maani. Each guide gathers the key verses, Arabic words and lessons of one Quranic topic.
Reflect on this verse
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