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wa-huwa lladhī yuḥyī wa-yumītu wa-lahu khtilāfu l-layli wa-n-nahāri ʾa-fa-lā taʿqilūna
And it is He who gives life and brings death, and due to Him is the alternation of day and night. Do you not exercise your reason?
— Ali Quli Qarai
23Al-Mu’minūnالمؤمنونVerse 80 of 118
The Believers23. Al-Mu’minūnالمؤمنون
Al Mu’minūn
The Believers
MeccanVerse 80 of 118
Surah al-Mu’minun - Verse 80
80. “And He it is Who gives life and death, and to Him belongs the alternation of the night and the day. Have you then no sense?”
Monotheism is mainly achieved through contemplation and reflection.
(“.. .Have you then no sense?”)
After speaking about the proliferation of human beings, the Qur’an turns to the issue of life, death, and the alternation of day and night which are of the great signs of Allah. It says:
“And He it is Who gives life and death, and to Him belongs the alternation of the night and the day. Have you then no sense?”
Thus, these recent three verses start with motivating us to know Allah and then end with mentioning some of the most important signs in the microcosm and the macrocosm. In other words, they mention man’s journey from birth to death and his return to Allah, all of which, are at the mercy of Allah and decided by His will. Note: The creation of life and death is juxtaposed with the creation of ‘day’ and ‘night’, for light and darkness in the world of existence are like death and life in the world of living creatures.
As the world of existence moves and functions under the rays of light and becomes still and motionless under the curtain of darkness, living creatures also begin their movement with the light of life and cease it and its function with the darkness of death. Moreover, both of them are gradual phenomena. The alternation of day and night means that one of them takes the place of the other. It can also mean their gradual lengthening and contraction, which result in the four seasons of the year and are important factors in the life of the plants. These factors all serve to guide us to knowing and thanking Allah.
Thus, at the end of the verse it says:
“...Have you then no sense?”
Some Traditions On the Intellect
1. The Prophet (S) said:
“Intellect is something by which Paradise will be detained and through which the pleasure of Allah is achieved.” 1
2. Imam Ali (as) said:
“The intellect guides and ignorance misleads.” 2
3. Imam Ali (as) said:
“Allah, the Glorified, has not distributed anything better than the intellect among His servants.” 3
4. Imam Hassan al-Mujtaba (as) said:
“By means of the intellect one can achieve both the goodness and reward of this world and the Hereafter and the one who has no intellect is deprived of the benefits and advantages of them all together.” 4
5. Imam Rida (as) said:
“The intellect is the friend of every man, and his enemy is his ignorance.” 5
6. Imam Ali (as) said:
“One cannot overcome the world except by the power of the intellect.” 6
7. The Prophet (S) said:
“Man’s religion is his intellect and whoever has no intellect has no religion.” 7
8. Imam Sadiq (as) said:
“Pondering much on science (and knowledge) opens the gate of the intellect.” 8
9. The Prophet (S) said:
“Everything has a tool (and a support), and the believer’s tool (and support) is the intellect. Everything has a vehicle and man’s vehicle is the intellect. Everything has an end and the end of worship is the intellect.
Every nation has a guardian and the guardian of the worshippers is the intellect. Every merchant has a capital and the capital of the strivers is the intellect. Everything ruined is mended by something and the Hereafter is mended by the intellect. Every traveler has a tent in which he takes refuge and the tent of the Muslim is the intellect.” 9
Footnotes