إِنَّا زَيَّنَّا ٱلسَّمَآءَ ٱلدُّنْيَا بِزِينَةٍ ٱلْكَوَاكِبِ 6
Translations
Indeed, We have adorned the nearest heaven with an adornment of stars
Transliteration
Innā zayyannā as-samāʾa ad-dunyā bi-zīnatin al-kawākib
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah states that Allah has adorned the lowest heaven (the visible sky) with stars as a beautification and ornament. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari interpret this as both a literal description of the physical beauty of the celestial bodies and a sign pointing to Allah's creative power and wisdom. The stars serve multiple purposes: as beauty for observation, as signs for navigation and timekeeping, and as projectiles to ward off eavesdropping devils (as mentioned elsewhere in the Quran).
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in Surah As-Saffat, a Meccan chapter that emphasizes Allah's oneness and majesty through descriptions of creation. The broader context of this surah focuses on the ranks of angels and the signs of Allah's power in creation, making this ayah part of the overall theme of recognizing divine magnificence through observable natural phenomena.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, 'The stars are a protection for the sky; when the stars go, what the sky has been promised will come to it' (Sahih Muslim). This hadith relates to the protective and significant role of stars in creation.
Themes
Key Lesson
Believers should reflect upon the physical beauty and order of creation as evidence of Allah's infinite wisdom and power, and use such contemplation as a means to strengthen faith and gratitude toward the Creator.