He covers the night with the day.

The verse we will ponder today is a living declaration of Allah's creation, the beauty of His creation, and the perfect order of His creation. This verse, on the one hand, awakens our knowledge, and on the other, it also creates a sense of wonder in the heart. It is one of the countless scientific verses of the Quran, which open people's eyes to cosmic reality. The verse is:

"He (Allah) covers the night with the day and covers the day with the night. He has subjected the sun and the moon, each running for an appointed term. He is Allah, your Lord; His is the dominion. Those whom you call upon besides Him have not even the weight of a date-seed as their possession."

— (Surah Fatir, verse 13)

This verse is not only a spiritual truth, but it also reflects a unique scientific reality. Here Allah has painted such a perfect picture of His creation and power that even today's astronomy acknowledges with amazement.

The verse begins with the words, “He covers the night with the day and covers the day with the night.” This phrase contains a picture of a rotating creation—the succession of day and night due to the rotation of the Earth. Modern science tells us that the Earth rotates on its axis once every 24 hours, causing one part of the Earth to receive sunlight (day) and the other part to be deprived of light (night). This process is so subtle and constant that it has been going on in a rhythm for millions of years throughout the history of the Earth—without stopping for a moment.

But it is not just science—the verse implies something deeper. The Arabic word used is “yuliju” which means “to insert one thing into another.” Allah is showing us here that night gradually merges into day, and day gradually merges into night—a miraculous intertwining that is why sunrise and sunset are so beautiful to our eyes. It is not sudden—it is an aesthetic, controlled transformation.

Then Allah says—"He has made the sun and the moon subject to a fixed term, each running for a fixed term." Modern physics says that the sun and the moon run on a fixed course, for a fixed term. The sun travels around the center of the galaxy once every 225 million years in its own orbit (solar orbit). The moon revolves around the earth every 27.3 days, which is why we count our months. This movement is not only dynamic, but also perfectly measurable, predictable and well-defined. Without this reliability, calendars, timekeeping, agriculture, tides—none of these would be possible.

This movement of the sun and the moon is like an epic clock, where Allah has also kept the particles of nature under His control. The fact that they continue running for this fixed term means that one day their time will run out. The sun, by whose light life is sustained, will one day be extinguished. This is a glimpse of the Day of Judgment, which is reflected in many places in the Quran.

Then comes the most profound part of the verse—"He is Allah, your Lord; His is the dominion." Allah reveals Himself here, lest man forget that the controller of this vast universe is a single entity. This verse reminds man that what you think of as the laws of creation is not an inherent characteristic of any object—but rather the result of a perfect plan by a Creator. If the sun moves by itself, why does it not stop? Why does it never move forward or backward? Why does its light come in a concentrated period of time? The answer to this question is only one—because behind it is a Creator, a Controller, who is "Lord"—that is, He protects, guides, and also improves.

Finally, the verse awakens us—"Those whom you call upon besides Allah, have not even the weight of a date-seed's covering." This sentence is the profound message of Tawhid. It is said here that none of the things that people worship—the moon, the sun, the planets, the stars, the gods, magic, powerful rulers—can create or control even the smallest shell of a date. The Quran here displays the exquisite beauty and profound perspective of literature. Through a very trivial analogy—the thin shell of a date seed—the root of human pride is struck. Those whom you worship, those whom you pray to, cannot create even a thin membrane!

This verse inspires man to pursue science, asking him to look at the ‘intervenor’ behind everything—night and day, sun and moon, orbits. At the same time, it is also an ultimate spiritual declaration—whatever you think you can do in your own power, it is all the mercy of a Supreme Being.

The verse calls upon people to look, think, learn, fear, and love the Being who raises the sun, sets the night, and can even stop the beating of your heart in an instant.