If we record earth rotation in a movie and we play it in forwarding speed, we will see as if a night is trying to catch day but it (night)couldn’t precede or to be at the head of it(day). Allah seeks to tell his creation by mentioning in the Quran about the falling of night and the coming of day that He alone is in control and no other being is with Him helping him do so. The heavens and the earth are all His creation and He alone has the power to bring about the night after day. Allah says:
وَهُوَ الَّذِي يُحْيِي وَيُمِيتُ وَلَهُ اخْتِلَافُ اللَّيْلِ وَالنَّهَارِ ۚ أَفَلَا تَعْقِلُونَ
“It is He who gives you life and death, and His the alternation of night and day. Even then you do not understand.” (Surah Al-Mu’minun 23:80)
Quran becomes the greatest book that explains to us how much Allah is in control and how humans cannot do anything unless Allah gives them the power to do so. Allah says in the Quran that not a leaf falls from the tree except that He knows of it. He also says that humans cannot even create the wing of a fly. Allah says:
وَآيَةٌ لَّهُمُ اللَّيْلُ نَسْلَخُ مِنْهُ النَّهَارَ فَإِذَا هُم مُّظْلِمُونَ
“And a Sign for them (is) the night. We withdraw from it the day. Then behold! They (are) those in darkness.” (Surah Ya-Sin 36:37)
For many centuries, people believed that the earth is flat with no idea that the earth is spherical. But the Holy Quran told us about this cosmic reality when God described this phenomenon by using the word. Because of the continuous movement of the earth and if the sun is not existed to ensure needed light for the day also without the spherical shape of the earth, the “night and day rotation phenomenon “Wouldn’t happen.
Night swim along in space
Night and day move at the same speed and they swim around the earth due to earth rotation around itself. We have to look attentively at (all swim along, each in its rounded course), as the sun has its rounded course and moon has its rounded course, also there is a continuous and organized move for day and night as proof that earth is spherical. Allah says:
إِنَّ رَبَّكُمُ اللَّهُ الَّذِي خَلَقَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ فِي سِتَّةِ أَيَّامٍ ثُمَّ اسْتَوَىٰ عَلَى الْعَرْشِ يُغْشِي اللَّيْلَ النَّهَارَ يَطْلُبُهُ حَثِيثًا وَالشَّمْسَ وَالْقَمَرَ وَالنُّجُومَ مُسَخَّرَاتٍ بِأَمْرِهِ أَلَا لَهُ الْخَلْقُ وَالْأَمْرُ تَبَارَكَ اللَّهُ رَبُّ الْعَالَمِينَ
“Verily your Lord is Allah Who created the heavens and the earth in six days, then established Himself on the Throne, making the night cover the day, seeking it swiftly, and created the sun and the moon and the stars subjected to service by His command. Lo! His is the creation and the command. Blessed is Allah, the Lord of the worlds.” (Surah Al-A’raf 7:54)
The moon rotates around the earth in a specific orbit and the earth rotates around the sun in a specific orbit, also night rotate around the earth and overlap with the day. therefore movement speed of night and day is the same as the rotation speed of the earth around its core.
Night merges into day
Night and day overlap along a circle that surrounds the earth in an area where sunset happens on one side and sunrise happens on the other side. Allah says:
أَلَمْ تَرَ أَنَّ اللَّهَ يُولِجُ اللَّيْلَ فِي النَّهَارِ وَيُولِجُ النَّهَارَ فِي اللَّيْلِ وَسَخَّرَ الشَّمْسَ وَالْقَمَرَ كُلٌّ يَجْرِي إِلَىٰ أَجَلٍ مُّسَمًّى وَأَنَّ اللَّهَ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ خَبِيرٌ
“Do not you see that Allah causes to enter the night into the day, and causes to enter the day into the night and has subjected the sun and the moon, each moving for a term appointed and that Allah of what you do (is) All-Aware?” (Surat Luqman – 31:29)
Night surrounds day in a circular shape
The overlap area is not straight or tortuous but it is in the shape of a circle that surrounds the earth. The word roll means that night goes into a day in a circular shape like a ball. This verse is a sign that the earth is spherical.
The importance of daytime for the continuation of life on earth:
Daytime, sunlight and its heat and radiations are the most important factors which Allah subjected so life can continue on our planet. Thus, when green plants are exposed to sunlight it transfers the energy of light into chemical energy formed as bonds in the sugar substances this process is called “photosynthesis” also water and carbon dioxide are important components in this process. Photosynthesis is the basic source of almost all energies on earth and food substances, and if it hadn’t been for light this process wouldn’t exist and all means of life would vanish. Allah says:
خَلَقَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ بِالْحَقِّ يُكَوِّرُ اللَّيْلَ عَلَى النَّهَارِ وَيُكَوِّرُ النَّهَارَ عَلَى اللَّيْلِ وَسَخَّرَ الشَّمْسَ وَالْقَمَرَ كُلٌّ يَجْرِي لِأَجَلٍ مُّسَمًّى أَلَا هُوَ الْعَزِيزُ الْغَفَّارُ
“He created the heavens and the earth in [the] truth. He wraps the night over the day and wraps the day over the night. And He subjected the sun and the moon, each running for a term specified. Unquestionably, He (is) the All-Mighty, the Oft-Forgiving.” (Surat Zumar- 38: 5)
Night moves toward the west and covers the day from all sides, on the other side of the earth the day moves toward the east trying to reach the night. This process happens continuously.
The separating area between night and day
The area which separates night from day appears as a thin thread that separates darkness from light. This verse tells us about a separating area and the dawn in the middle between both of them. Allah says:
وَالشَّمْسُ تَجْرِي لِمُسْتَقَرٍّ لَّهَا ذَٰلِكَ تَقْدِيرُ الْعَزِيزِ الْعَلِيمِ
“And the sun runs to a term appointed for it. That (is the) Decree (of) the All-Mighty, the All-Knowing.” (Surah Ya-Sin 36:38)
The night covers the day
If we look from outside earth, it is seen that night coves day. Also, we can see that the earth is surrounded by darkness from all sides. If we record earth rotation in a movie and we play it in forwarding speed, we will see as if a night is trying to catch day but it (night)couldn’t precede or to be at the head of it(day). Allah says:
وَلَا تُفْسِدُوا فِي الْأَرْضِ بَعْدَ إِصْلَاحِهَا وَادْعُوهُ خَوْفًا وَطَمَعًا إِنَّ رَحْمَتَ اللَّ
“And (do) not cause corruption in the earth after its reformation. And call Him (in) fear and hope. Indeed, (the) Mercy of Allah (is) near for the good-doers..“ (Surah Al-Araf- 7: 56).
The importance of night for the continuation of life:
Even though most of the important biological processes take place in the daytime, millions of them are at night. Scholars divided photosynthesis reactions into light reactions which happen only in the existence of light, dark reactions which take place at night and don’t need light.
- Night comes from beneath and closes to Earth’s surface.
- Night turns its back when it departs.
- Dawn appears from above first when daylight starts.
- The night darkness extends its length from the above layers when daylight departs.
The alternation and its effect on life:
The differentiation between daytime and night in length, brightness, darkness, warmth, and coldness are important factors for life. For instance, in flowering plants, neither fruits nor seeds will grow if flowers haven’t, and these flowers don’t grow on any plant unless it has a chemical biological substance called” flowering hormone” which leads to the flowering process. Allah says:
وَهُوَ الَّذِي خَلَقَ اللَّيْلَ وَالنَّهَارَ وَالشَّمْسَ وَالْقَمَرَ كُلٌّ فِي فَلَكٍ يَسْبَحُونَ
“And He (is) the One Who created the night and the day, and the sun and the moon; each in an orbit floating.” (Surat Al- Anbiyaa- 21:33)
This substance is formed only by the alternation of light and dark and their intensity and length; in fact, God has created in the kingdom of plants those which need daily darkness until they flower, thus they are called” long night plants” on the contrary, there are others which need light” long daytime plants. Allah says:
ذَٰلِكَ بِأَنَّ اللَّهَ يُولِجُ اللَّيْلَ فِي النَّهَارِ وَيُولِجُ النَّهَارَ فِي اللَّيْلِ وَأَنَّ اللَّهَ سَمِيعٌ بَصِيرٌ
“That, (is) because Allah causes to enter the night in (to) the day, and causes to enter the day in (to) the night. And indeed, Allah (is) All-Hearer, All-Seer.” (Surah Al-Haj 22:61)
When light passes through our atmosphere, photons interact with it through scattering. If the light does not interact with the atmosphere, it is called direct radiation and is what you see if you were to look directly at the Sun. Indirect radiation is light that has been scattered in the atmosphere. Allah says:
وَالَّذِينَ لَا يَشْهَدُونَ الزُّورَ وَإِذَا مَرُّوا بِاللَّغْوِ مَرُّوا كِرَامًا
“And those who (do) not bear witness (to) the falsehood, and when they pass by futility, they pass (as) dignified ones.” (Surah Al-Furqan 25:72)
For example, on an overcast day when you cannot see your shadow, there is no direct radiation reaching you, it has all been scattered. As another example, due to a phenomenon called Rayleigh scattering, shorter (blue) wavelengths scatter more easily than longer (red) wavelengths. This is why the sky looks blue, you are seeing scattered blue light. This is also why sunsets are red. Because the Sun is close to the horizon, the Sun’s rays pass through more atmosphere than normal to reach your eye. Allah says:
إِنَّ رَبَّكُمُ اللَّهُ الَّذِي خَلَقَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ فِي سِتَّةِ أَيَّامٍ ثُمَّ اسْتَوَىٰ عَلَى الْعَرْشِ يُغْشِي اللَّيْلَ النَّهَارَ يَطْلُبُهُ حَثِيثًا وَالشَّمْسَ وَالْقَمَرَ وَالنُّجُومَ مُسَخَّرَاتٍ بِأَمْرِهِ أَلَا لَهُ الْخَلْقُ وَالْأَمْرُ تَبَارَكَ اللَّهُ رَبُّ الْعَالَمِينَ
“Indeed, your Lord (is) Allah the One Who created the heavens and the earth in six epochs, then He ascended on the Throne. He covers the night (with) the day seeking it rapidly and the sun and the moon and the stars – subjected by His command. Unquestionably for Him (is) the creation and the command, blessed (is) Allah, Lord (of) the worlds.” (Surah Al-A’raf 7:54)
Much of the blue light has been scattered out, leaving the red light in a sunset. Earth moves around itself and the sun in a very organized manner with no defect which may cause a disturbance in timing or night and day alternation. Allah says:
لَا الشَّمْسُ يَنبَغِي لَهَا أَن تُدْرِكَ الْقَمَرَ وَلَا اللَّيْلُ سَابِقُ النَّهَارِ وَكُلٌّ فِي فَلَكٍ يَسْبَحُونَ
“It is not for the sun to overtake the moon, nor does the night outstrip the day. They all float, each in an orbit.” (Surah Ya-Sin 36:40)
Being that can manage the Universe and every living thing that it contains is no doubt worthy of our worship. So read the Quran and learn the powers of Allah Subhanwatallah. Know that He alone is the Creator, Manager and so much more of the Universe and He alone can bring about the day so that you may go to work and He alone brings about night so that you may go to sleep. And know that Allah never sleeps. Be it night or day. Allah says:
إِنَّ فِي خَلْقِ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالأَرْضِ وَاخْتِلاَفِ اللَّيْلِ وَالنَّهَارِ لآيَاتٍ لِّأُوْلِي الألْبَابِ
“Verily, in the creation of the heavens and the earth, and the succession of night and day, there are indeed messages for all who are endowed with insight.” (Surah Al-Imran 3:190)
Hence Allah has made day and night, constellations and galaxies, the milky way and the planetarium and left it open for us to explore and study. Allah has made day and night and asked us to discipline our bodies and minds to follow the correctness of our routines in it. May Allah enable all of us to follow his instructions in the Quran, Ameen.
