Tafsir for verse: 36:40
لَا ٱلشَّمۡسُ يَنۢبَغِي لَهَآ أَن تُدۡرِكَ ٱلۡقَمَرَ وَلَا ٱلَّيۡلُ سَابِقُ ٱلنَّهَارِۚ وَكُلّٞ فِي فَلَكٖ يَسۡبَحُونَ ٤٠ ﴿40
40Neither it is for the sun to overtake the moon, nor can the night outpace the day. Each one is floating in an orbit.
AI-Assisted Translation: This translation was produced by AI agents carefully trained over several months and thoroughly reviewed. It does NOT replace the scholarship of traditional scholars and is intended as a step in the right direction to make classical tafsir more accessible. There may still be inaccuracies—please report them promptly so we can improve the translation quality.

Commentary

And when it is established that each of them has its own domain; it does not exceed it; so the one does not overpower the sign of the other; rather, when the authority of this one comes, that one goes; and when that one comes, this one goes; so when they both come together, the Hour will arise. It is clarified that the result of these matters: "Neither the sun"; meaning: which is the sign of the day; "should overtake"; meaning: as long as this universe exists in this arrangement; "the moon"; meaning: so it completely obscures it; so the day does not precede the night; "nor does the night precede the day"; meaning: until it is necessary for the moon; with its speed of movement; to overtake the sun; and overpower it; so there is no day at all; and if it were said: "it races"; the meaning would be distorted; misleading one to think that it does not precede it at all; for the verse is from the overlap: it first negates the moon's overtaking of the sun due to its strength as evidence for what was omitted from the second negation of the moon's overtaking of the sun; and it secondly mentioned the precedence of the night over the day due to its strength (p-133) by what is presented from the day; so it obscures it as evidence for the omission of the precedence of the day over the night first; "And all"; meaning: of the mentioned; truly; and metaphorically; "in an orbit"; surrounding it; and when He mentioned to it the action of the wise; and it was on a system that is organized and does not falter; and a movement that is measured and does not deviate or dissolve; so it was free from any affliction that could befall it; or boredom that could approach it; He expressed by what revolves around power, strength, and vastness; so He said - coming with the pronoun of the wise; gathering; because it is more indicative of their constant subjugation -: "They swim"; urging to reflect on what is in it from the signs that the ignorant have overlooked - due to their excessive familiarity with it.

Explore Other Scholars on This Verse

Compare different scholarly perspectives on Surah Ya-Sin verse 40

Al-Biqa'iBurhān ad-Dīn Ibrāhīm al-Biqāʿī
Learn more about Al-Biqa'i
3693 / 6181