Sura 10, Yunus [The Prophet Yunus], Late Mecca 51

The Quranic text and Ali’s version

هُوَ الَّذِي جَعَلَ الشَّمْسَ ضِيَاء وَالْقَمَرَ نُورًا...   

10:5.     It is He Who made the sun to be a shining glory and the moon to be a light (of beauty),

C1391. The fitting epithet for the sun is dhia, "splendour and glory of brightness", and for the moon is "a light" (of beauty), the cool light that illuminates and helps in the darkness of the night.

But the sun and moon also measure time. The simplest observation can keep pace with the true lunar months and lunar years, which are all that is required by a pastoral people.

For agriculture solar years are required, as they indicate the changes of the seasons, but ordinary solar years are never exact; even the solar year of 3651/4 days requires correction by advanced astronomical calculation.

...وَقَدَّرَهُ مَنَازِلَ لِتَعْلَمُواْ عَدَدَ السِّنِينَ وَالْحِسَابَ...

and measured out stages for her: that ye might know the number of years and the count (of time).

...مَا خَلَقَ اللّهُ ذَلِكَ إِلاَّ بِالْحَقِّ...

Nowise did Allah create this but in truth and righteousness.

C1392. Everything in Allah's creation has use and purpose, and fits into a Design. It is true in every sense of the word and it is good and just.

It is not merely a matter of sport or freak (21:16). Though so varied, it proclaims Allah's Unity; though a limited free-will is granted to creatures, the results of evil (which is rebellion) are neutralized and harmony is restored. Cf. 3:191.

...يُفَصِّلُ الآيَاتِ لِقَوْمٍ يَعْلَمُونَ ﴿٥﴾  

(Thus) doth He explain his Signs in detail, for those who understand.

C1393. Cf. 9:11.

Asad’s Version

10:5 Clearly He it is who has made the sun a [source of] radiant light and the moon a light [reflected]," and has determined for it phases so that you might know how to compute the years and to measure [time]. None of this has God created without [an inner] truth." does He spell out these messages unto people of [innate] knowledge:

[[ Asad’s notes:-

1 1 Lit., "God has not created this otherwise than in accordance with truth" - i.e., to fulfil a definite purpose in consonance with His planning wisdom (Zamakhshari, Baghawi, Razi): implying that everything in the universe - whether existent or potential, concrete or abstract - is

meaningful, and nothing is "accidental". Cf. 3:191 - "O our Sustainer! Thou has not created [aught of] this without meaning and purpose (batilan)"; and 38:27 - "We have not created heaven and earth and all that is between them without meaning and purpose, as is the surmise (zann) of those who are bent on denying the truth".]]