تَبَارَكَ ٱلَّذِى جَعَلَ فِى ٱلسَّمَآءِ بُرُوجًا وَجَعَلَ فِيهَا سِرَٰجًا وَقَمَرًا مُّنِيرًا 61
Translations
Blessed is He who has placed in the sky great stars and placed therein a [burning] lamp and luminous moon.
Transliteration
Tabarakalladhi ja'ala fi as-sama'i buroojan wa ja'ala fiha sirajan wa qamaran munira
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah glorifies Allah's creation by highlighting His placement of constellations (buruj) in the sky and His creation of the sun (siraj) and moon (qamar) as illuminating bodies. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari emphasize that 'Tabaraka' (Blessed/Exalted) opens the ayah to praise Allah's majesty, while the celestial bodies serve as signs of His divine power and wisdom. The mention of these luminaries demonstrates how Allah has ordained the heavens for humanity's benefit—for guidance, timekeeping, and navigation—reflecting His perfect design of creation.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in Surah Al-Furqan (The Criterion), a Meccan surah that emphasizes Allah's oneness and refutes polytheistic claims. The broader context addresses the disbelievers' rejection of the Quran; by pointing to the orderly celestial system, the ayah invites reflection on Allah's power and the foolishness of denying His signs. This follows a theme throughout the surah of presenting natural phenomena as evidence of monotheism.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: 'The sun and moon are two of Allah's signs; they are not eclipsed for anyone's death or life. If you see an eclipse, pray and call upon Allah until it is over.' (Sahih Bukhari 1044). Additionally, the Quran itself (36:37-40) discusses the sun and moon as signs, reinforcing this ayah's emphasis on celestial bodies as divine signs.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah invites believers to observe the precise order and beauty of creation as a means of deepening faith and recognizing Allah's infinite wisdom and power. For modern readers, it encourages scientific appreciation of the universe while maintaining spiritual consciousness that all creation testifies to the Creator's majesty.