ভূমিকা

And if He had pleased He would certainly have made it stationary, then We have made the sun an indication of it;” 46. “Then We draw it in towards Ourselves, by an easy (gradual) contraction.” The best way of knowing Allah for all is to ponder the phenomena of existence, which are created according to divine wisdom. The rotation of the earth around itself and around the sun is not accidental. It is wisely and prudently.

Imam Baqir (as) said: “The purpose of the extension of shadow in the verse is the shade that is between the dawn and rising of sun.” [^1] Although some count the shade as the shade of night or afternoon, but with regard to the next sentence which says: “...then We have made the sun an indication of it”, what Imam says is accepted. Anyway, these two noble verses mention some of the main parts of divine blessings as the secrets of monotheism and knowledge of Allah.

Deliberating on these affairs helps us to be more familiar with our Creator. It first says: “Have you not seen (the might of) your Lord, how He extends the shadow? And if He had pleased He would certainly have made it stationary...” Certainly, this part of the verse refers to the importance of the blessing of vast and moving shades. These shades do not stay still but they move.

Commentators have various opinions about the purpose of the shade or which shade is meant by the verse: Some say that this spread and vast shade is that one which covers the earth between the dawn and the rising of the sun which is the most pleasant shade and hours of the day. This pale shading light begins from the dawn and at the rising of the sun, sun’s brightness replaces it.

Some have said that its purpose is all shade of night that begins from evening and ends with the rising of the sun, for we know that night is in fact the shade of the hemisphere of the earth that is in front of the sun. This shade is conical that expands in space in opposite side. That conical shade always moves. It ends in an area with the rising of the sun and it begins in another area.