Tafseer of Noah · Nooh · 71:16
And made the moon therein a [reflected] light and made the sun a burning lamp?
Important: The Arabic source text is always authoritative. This translation is a study aid and has not been verified by scholars — do not use it as a basis for religious proof or for deriving rulings (ahkam). When in doubt, always consult the Arabic text and a qualified scholar.
His words: وَجَعَلَ الْقَمَرَ فِيهِنَّ نُورًا ("and He has made the moon therein a light"). He says: and He has made the moon a light in the seven heavens; وَجَعَلَ الشَّمْسَ ("and He has made the sun") therein سِرَاجًا ("a lamp").
And in accordance with what we have said about this, the people of interpretation (ahl al-taʾwīl) have spoken.
* Mention of who said that:
Muḥammad ibn Bashshār related to us, he said: Muʿādh ibn Hishām related to us, he said: my father related to me, on the authority of Qatāda: أَلَمْ تَرَوْا كَيْفَ خَلَقَ اللَّهُ سَبْعَ سَمَاوَاتٍ طِبَاقًا وَجَعَلَ الْقَمَرَ فِيهِنَّ نُورًا وَجَعَلَ الشَّمْسَ سِرَاجًا ("Do you not see how Allah has created seven heavens in layers, and made the moon therein a light, and made the sun a lamp?"). It has been transmitted to us that ʿAbd Allāh ibn ʿAmr ibn al-ʿĀṣ used to say: the radiance of the sun and the moon, their light is in the heaven; recite, if you wish: أَلَمْ تَرَوْا كَيْفَ خَلَقَ اللَّهُ سَبْعَ سَمَاوَاتٍ طِبَاقًا ("Do you not see how Allah has created seven heavens in layers") ... to the end of the verse.
Ibn ʿAbd al-Aʿlā related to us, he said: Ibn Thawr related to us, on the authority of Maʿmar, on the authority of Qatāda, on the authority of ʿAbd Allāh ibn ʿAmr, that he said: the sun and the moon, their faces are turned toward the heavens and their backs toward the earth; and I recite concerning that a verse from the Book of Allah: وَجَعَلَ الْقَمَرَ فِيهِنَّ نُورًا وَجَعَلَ الشَّمْسَ سِرَاجًا ("and He has made the moon therein a light and made the sun a lamp").
It has been related to me on the authority of al-Ḥusayn, he said: I heard Abū Muʿādh say: ʿUbayd related to us, he said: I heard al-Ḍaḥḥāk say concerning His words: وَجَعَلَ الْقَمَرَ فِيهِنَّ نُورًا ("and He has made the moon therein a light"), he says: He created the moon on the day that He created the seven heavens.
And some of the Arabic grammarians of the people of al-Baṣra said: it was only said وَجَعَلَ الْقَمَرَ فِيهِنَّ نُورًا ("and He has made the moon therein a light") by way of figurative expression (majāz), as one says: "I came to the tribe of Tamīm," when one has only come to a part of them.
