Quranic Sciences

Definition:

Salvation without the refinement of soul is impossible

The important and repeated vows in the beginning of this surah, with a particular version they are eleven vows and with another description they are seven pledges. It has the most of the pledges in the Gracious Qur’an and it shows apparently that an important subject is defined here. A subject with the greatness of the skies and the earth, sun and the moon and subject that is fundamental and full of life.

Firstly we should define and analyse these pledges and then study the important issue which is so famous.

In the beginning it said: swear by the sun and the spreading of its light.

وَالشَّمْسِ وَضُحَاهَا

As we told before too, the pledges of Dignified Qur’an commonly pursue the two objectives, firstly for the importance of the subject for which the vow is pledged and next for the importance their interactions for which the man is guaranteed. As the pledges are declared upon the important subjects, for this reason it stimulates the thoughts and feelings of the man to think about these subjects regarding the world of existence and with the help of it opens a way towards the Protector God.

Sun has the most significant and constructive role in the life of the man and the other living creatures of the earth. Besides being the treasure of the light and heat which are calculated as the basic elements of the human life. The other sources of life, as well take the resource from sun such as the blow of winds, the rainfall, the nurturing of the plants, the movements of the rivers and waterfalls and even the creation of the natural resources of energy like coal and petroleum. If we accurately observe each of them, they are directly connected to the sunlight in such a manner that if any day this live giving light happens to get extinguished, the darkness, silence and death will be going to prevail everywhere.

ضُحَا

The above term basically means the widening of sunlight. And this happens when the sun rises from the horizon and its light covers everywhere. At that moment it is called

ضُحَا

Highlighting this term specifically for the reason of its being important as it is the time when the sunlight dominates all over the landscape.

After that it pledged the third vow and said: Swear by the moon when it ascends following the sun.

وَالْقَمَرِ إِذَا تَلَاهَا

This term as told by a group of interpreters’ altogether: It indicates the full moon of the fourteenth of lunar month. The moon on that night raises its head from the eastern horizon and shows its luminous face and demonstrates its command over the face of the sky, as it is most attractive than the other periods. So it is pledged on its name.

In the fourth pledge it adds: swear by the day when the light covers the expanse of earth.

وَالنَّهَارِ إِذَا جَلَّاهَا

The term:  جَلَّاهَا

It means to express and to reveal, it is taken from the word: تجليه

In the above verse the earth is not mentioned but it is understood.

Some say this pronoun indicates the sun as at the time of day when the sun is totally revealed. In fact it is true that the sun unveils the earth but it can be said that the day expressed the sun but the first definition is right.

Any way the pledge in the name of this important heavenly phenomenon is for its tremendous effects on the life of man and the other living creatures. As the day is symbol of the movements, commotions and the entire struggles, efforts and attractions happens on the day time.

In the fifth pledge it said: swear by the night when the earth (or the sun) is covered.

The night with all its blessings and its effects from one side regulates the temperature of the day. And from another side it causes the calmness and the relaxation of all the living creatures. If the darkness of night would have been lacking and the sunlight radiating constantly there has not been any tranquillity and peace of mind, as the burning temperature of the sun used to destroy the whole thing. In the case if in the moon’s sphere, where the nights have been equal to the fortnights as well its days are equal to the fortnights of the earth globe. In the middle of the day its temperature reaches to 300 degrees as we know no living thing is able to survive there. And in the middle of night it reaches many degrees minus zero and if there would been lived any living being, there would have been frozen down and destroyed.

It is noteworthy that in the previous verse the verbs are revealed as the future tense and in this verse it is expressed as the infinite tense (indicates never ending mode). This difference of verbs possibly indicates that the advent of day and night does not only related to any period but it includes the past as well as the present. Hence some revealed it as infinite verb so that the universality of these happenings can reveal the extent of time.