16. Sura al-Nahl
The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:
وَسَخَّرَ
لَكُمُ اللَّيْلَ
وَالْنَّهَارَ
وَالشَّمْسَ
وَالْقَمَرَ...
16: 12. He has made subject to you the Night and the Day;
the Sun and the Moon;
C2031. The Night and the Day are caused by astronomical rotations.
What is important for man to note is how Allah has given intelligence to man to make use of this alternation for work and rest;
how man can, as soon as he rises from the primitive stage, get over their inequalities by artificial illuminants, such as vegetable or mineral oils, coal, gas, or electricity, which ultimately are derived from the stored-up energy of the sun;
how the sun's heat can be tempered by various artificial means and can be stored up for use by man as required, how man can be independent of the tides caused by the moon and the sun, which formerly controlled navigation, but which no longer stand in man's way, with his artificial harbours and great sea-going ships, how navigation was formerly subject to direct observation of the Polar Star and other stars, but how the magnetic needle and charts have now completely altered the position, and man can calculate and to a certain extent control magnetic variations, etc.
In such ways the sun, the moon, and the stars themselves become useful servants to him, all by Allah's gift and His Command, without which there would have been no laws governing them and no intelligence to make use of them.
... وَالْنُّجُومُ مُسَخَّرَاتٌ بِأَمْرِهِ...
and the Stars are in subjection by His Command:
... إِنَّ فِي ذَلِكَ لَآيَاتٍ لِّقَوْمٍ يَعْقِلُونَ ﴿١٢﴾
verily in this are Signs for men who are wise.
16: 12
Asad And He has made the night and the day and the sun and the moon subservient to you; and all the stars are subservient to His command: in this, behold, there are messages indeed for people who use their reason!
Pickthall And he hath constrained the night and the day and the sun and the moon to be of service unto you, and the stars are made subservient by His command. Lo! herein indeed are portents for people who have sense.
Transliteration Wa sakhkhara lakummul laila wan naha_r(a), wasy syamsa wal qamar(a), wan nuju_mu musakhkhara_tum bi amrih(i), inna fi za_lika la a_ya_til liqaumiy ya'qilu_n(a),
[Asad note 9: see 14:33…]
[Ruby’s note: It is extremely important to note how the two ideas are dealt here: the first is regarding the day-night-sun-moon are subservient to human. Because they are related to the Solar System where humans live. However when God is talking about stars, He is simply saying that these are under His command, and not particularly subservient to or created to serve human existence. ]