Yūsuf

وَكَاَيّن مِنْ ءَايَةٍ فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالأَرْضِ يَمُرُّونَ عَلَيْهَا وَهُمْ عَنْهَا مُعْرِضُونَ

105. “And how many a sign there is in the heavens and on the earth which they pass by while they turn away from it.”

They have been misled for their eyes are not open and their ears do not hear. Thus they disregard and turn away from the many signs of Allah which are in the heavens and on the earth as if they were nonexistent. They do not realize the Divine implications associated with all those events which they experience in their everyday lives and see with their own eyes, such as the profound system at work in the sunrise and the sunset, the dynamism of the everyday lives of plants, birds, insects, and human beings, the flow of streams and rivers, the submission of all of creation to laws and commands, and finally, the universal plan and purpose inherent in the entirety of existence, written, as it were merely drawings on its doors and walls.

This verse was probably revealed to the Prophet (S) in order to soothe him. Every authentic leader and Imam would naturally be concerned and saddened if his call to the people was ignored. Such needless people always see the signs of Allah’s power and wisdom in nature and in creation and are not mindful about them for one minute. They witness earthquakes, solar and lunar eclipses, thunder and lightning, the revolution of the stars and the galaxies, and still pay no attention to them in their minds.

The verse says:

“And how many a sign there is in the heavens and on the earth which they pass by while they turn away from it.”

Explanations

1. The purpose of man “passing by” the Divine signs is for him to observe them.

2. The objective of man ‘passing by’ the signs is the motion of the Earth which makes it possible for man to observe astronomical phenomena in the skies.

3. Some verses have indirectly predicted that man would bring outer space under his control.