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Tafsir: Az-Zumar 39:5

39:5
خلق السماوات والارض بالحق يكور الليل على النهار ويكور النهار على الليل وسخر الشمس والقمر كل يجري لاجل مسمى الا هو العزيز الغفار ٥
خَلَقَ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضَ بِٱلْحَقِّ ۖ يُكَوِّرُ ٱلَّيْلَ عَلَى ٱلنَّهَارِ وَيُكَوِّرُ ٱلنَّهَارَ عَلَى ٱلَّيْلِ ۖ وَسَخَّرَ ٱلشَّمْسَ وَٱلْقَمَرَ ۖ كُلٌّۭ يَجْرِى لِأَجَلٍۢ مُّسَمًّى ۗ أَلَا هُوَ ٱلْعَزِيزُ ٱلْغَفَّـٰرُ ٥
خَلَقَ
ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ
وَٱلۡأَرۡضَ
بِٱلۡحَقِّۖ
يُكَوِّرُ
ٱلَّيۡلَ
عَلَى
ٱلنَّهَارِ
وَيُكَوِّرُ
ٱلنَّهَارَ
عَلَى
ٱلَّيۡلِۖ
وَسَخَّرَ
ٱلشَّمۡسَ
وَٱلۡقَمَرَۖ
كُلّٞ
يَجۡرِي
لِأَجَلٖ
مُّسَمًّىۗ
أَلَا
هُوَ
ٱلۡعَزِيزُ
ٱلۡغَفَّٰرُ
٥
He created the heavens and the earth for a purpose. He wraps the night around the day, and wraps the day around the night. And He has subjected the sun and the moon, each orbiting for an appointed term. He is truly the Almighty, Most Forgiving.
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In verse 5, it was said: يُكَوِّرُ‌ اللَّيْلَ عَلَى النَّهَارِ‌ (He wraps the night over the day and He wraps the day over the night,). The word: تَکوِیر (takwir) means to throw something on top of the other and thereby hide it. The Qur'an has elected to express the phenomenon of the alternation of the night and day in terms of common perception - when night comes, it is as if a curtain has been thrown against the light of the day, and when the day comes, the darkness of the night goes behind the curtain.

Both the Moon and the Sun move

Later in verse 5, it was said: كُلٌّ يَجْرِ‌ي لِأَجَلٍ مُّسَمًّى (each one of them moving for an appointed term.) This tells us that both the Sun and the Moon move. Scientific researches in astronomy and geology are not the subject of the noble Qur'an, or of any other scripture. But, it is obligatory to believe in whatever appears there as a corollary in this matter. Scientific findings, old or new, keep changing all the time. Qur'anic facts are changeless. Whatever the cited verse tells us - that the Sun and the Moon are both moving - believing in it is obligatory. Now, there remains the other matter - does the rising and setting of the Sun relate to the movement of the earth, or to the movement of these very planets? The Qur'an neither confirms nor rejects it. Hence, there is no hitch in accepting what experience or experiment bears out.