Say: “Have you considered if God were to make the night perpetual over you, without break, till the Day of Resurrection, is there any deity other than God that could bring you light? Will you not, then, listen?”
Say: “Have you considered if God were to make the day perpetual over you, without break, till the Day of Resurrection, is there any deity other than God that could bring you a night in which to rest? Will you not, then, see?”
It is out of His grace that He has made for you the night and the day, so that you might have rest and seek to obtain some of His bounty, and that you may have cause to be grateful.
On that day, He will call to them and ask: “Where are those whom you alleged to be My partners?”
We shall draw from each community a witness, and We shall then say (to the unbelievers): “Produce your evidence!” They will then come to realize that all truth belongs to God alone, and all the falsehood they invented will forsake them. (The Story, Al-Qasas: 28: 71-75)
The surah now takes the unbelievers on yet another round presenting them with scenes of the universe. In these, they are shown to remain oblivious to what God chooses for them and their life. It alerts them to two great universal signs, the night and the day, and the secrets they involve of what God chooses for His servants: “Say: Have you considered if God were to make the night perpetual over you, without break, till the Day of Resurrection, is there any deity other than God that could bring you light? Will you not, then, listen?” (Verse 71)
Because of their long familiarity with the succession of night and day, which are sometimes called in Arabic, “the two new ones”, people forget their ever-renewing status. Rarely do they admire the sunrise or sunset, and only rarely do they reflect thoughtfully on the spreading of the day or the darkening that ushers in the night. They do not reflect on the act of grace that brings their succession with all that it involves of mercy and life renewal. The Qur’an alerts them from the long familiarity that blunts their senses and invites them to reflect on these great universal scenes. It presents them with the possibility of either the night or the day lasting forever, and the terrible consequences of either eventuality. It is a fact that people seldom appreciate things until they lose them or fear that possibility.
“Say: Have you considered if God were to make the night perpetual over you, without break, till the Day of Resurrection, is there any deity other than God that could bring you light? Will you not, then, listen?” (Verse 71) People miss the light of day when the winter nights become a little longer, and cannot wait for the bright sun when it disappears for a few hours behind clouds. What will they do then if they lose its light completely, with the night stretching perpetually over their world? This question supposes that they will remain alive in such an eventuality, when all life is in peril unless daylight is forthcoming.
“Say: Have you considered if God were to make the day perpetual over you, without break, till the Day of Resurrection, is there any deity other than God that could bring you a night in which to rest? Will you not, then, see?” (Verse 72) People look for the shade when the hours of day stretch and become very hot, and they look forward to the coming of the night when the days stretch longer in the summer. They enjoy their repose and rest in the night. All creatures need the night when they can renew the energy they spend during the day. What would happen to them then, should they remain alive, if the day were endlessly perpetuated until the Day of Judgment? Indeed, all life could perish in a day that never ends.
Everything in this universe is determined according to a careful measure, and every little detail is planned. “It is out of His grace that He has made for you the night and the day, so that you might have rest and seek to obtain some of His bounty, and that you may have cause to be grateful.” (Verse 73)
The night is for rest and repose, and the day for work and activity. It is all part of God’s grace. Indeed everything people have is by the grace of God, so that “you may have cause to be grateful,” for the blessings and kindness He has granted you. One of these blessings is the succession of night and day. So also are all laws of nature that God has chosen to set in operation, reflecting His knowledge and wisdom.
Then follows a quick image of the Day of Judgment presented in a rhetorical question about those beings the unbelievers alleged to be partners with God. The surah, thus, confronts them with their false claims, showing them to be absolutely without substance:
On that day, He will call to them and ask: “Where are those whom you alleged to be My partners?” We shall draw from each community a witness, and We shall then say (to the unbelievers): “Produce your evidence!” They will then come to realize that all truth belongs to God alone, and all the falsehood they invented will forsake them. (Verses 74-75)
This image of the day when they are called and the question about God’s alleged partners was drawn earlier. It is now repeated to confirm it once more in connection with the scene that draws a witness from each community. This witness is the prophet sent to each community, and he will state what reception he and his message were given. The Arabic word nazana, which is rendered as “We shall draw”, signifies a particularly strong movement. Yet the meaning intended here is that he is called out from among them, standing where he could see and be seen by them all. As they face this witness, they are required to produce their evidence for what they believed in. They have no evidence and cannot on that day persist in their denials. “They will then come to realize that all truth belongs to God alone.” (Verse 75) Indeed, all truth in its complete purity belongs to God alone. “And all the falsehood they invented will forsake them.” (Verse 75) Whatever falsehood they invented is useless. It cannot find them, nor can they find it at the time when they need it most.
Thus the comments on the story of Moses and Pharaoh are concluded. These comments took us on a long trip looking at hearts, souls, worlds, events and great scenes, moving repeatedly between the life of this world and the world beyond. It went far and wide in the universe, and deep into the soul, and far back in history, looking at the laws that govern life and the universe. Yet it always remained in full harmony with the central theme of the surah, and with the two main stories it relates: The one about Moses and Pharaoh and the other about Qarun, or Korah. We have already looked at the first story and we will now look at the second.
We should note that the verse speaking of the night being perpetuated forever ended with “Will you not listen?” while the verse speaking of the other possibility of an endless day, concluded with “Will you not see?” Both are suitable qualities, because hearing is the important faculty at night, while during the day the primary faculty is sight. This is just an example of how the Qur’anic style makes extensive use of harmony.