Surah Al-Isra 17:12 — translation and meaning

الإسراء · Verse 12 / 111 · Page 283

ۚ ۖ وَجَعَلْنَا اللَّيْلَ وَالنَّهَارَ آيَتَيْنِ فَمَحَوْنَا آيَةَ اللَّيْلِ وَجَعَلْنَا آيَةَ النَّهَارِ مُبْصِرَةً لِّتَبْتَغُوا فَضْلًا مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ وَلِتَعْلَمُوا عَدَدَ السِّنِينَ وَالْحِسَابَ وَكُلَّ شَيْءٍ فَصَّلْنَاهُ تَفْصِيلًا

Word by Word

ۚ
ۖ
وَجَعَلْنَا
waja'alna
And We have made
اللَّيْلَ
al-layla
the night
وَالنَّهَارَ
wal-nahara
and the day
آيَتَيْنِ
ayatayni
(as) two signs
فَمَحَوْنَا
famahawna
Then We erased
آيَةَ
ayata
(the) sign
اللَّيْلِ
al-layli
(of) the night
وَجَعَلْنَا
waja'alna
and We made
آيَةَ
ayata
(the) sign
النَّهَارِ
al-nahari
(of) the day
مُبْصِرَةً
mub'siratan
visible
لِّتَبْتَغُوا
litabtaghu
that you may seek
فَضْلًا
fadlan
bounty
مِّن
min
from
رَّبِّكُمْ
rabbikum
your Lord
وَلِتَعْلَمُوا
walita'lamu
and that you may know
عَدَدَ
adada
(the) number
السِّنِينَ
al-sinina
(of) the years
وَالْحِسَابَ
wal-hisaba
and the account
وَكُلَّ
wakulla
And every
شَيْءٍ
shayin
thing
فَصَّلْنَاهُ
fassalnahu
We have explained it
تَفْصِيلًا
tafsilan
(in) detail

Transliteration

Wa ja'alnal laila wannahaara Aayatayni famahawnaaa Aayatal laili wa ja'alnaaa Aayatan nahaari mubsiratal litabtaghoo fadlam mir Rabbikum wa lita'lamoo 'adadas sineena walhisaab; wa kulla shai'in fassalnaahu tafseelaa

Translation

And We have made the night and day two signs, and We erased the sign of the night and made the sign of the day visible that you may seek bounty from your Lord and may know the number of years and the account [of time]. And everything We have set out in detail.

Verse interpretation (Tafsir)

I have created the night and the day as two signs indicating Allah’s oneness and power, due to their differences in terms of being long or short, hot or cold. I made the night dark for the purpose of rest and sleep and I made the day bright in which people can see and work for their livelihood. This was so that by the alternation of day and night you can know the number of years and calculate the months, days and hours that you require. I have explained everything in detail so that it may all become clear and the truthful can become distinguished from the liars.

Source: Al-Mukhtasar Tafsir — Tafsir Center for Quranic Studies.

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"And We have made the night and day two signs, and We erased the…" — Al-Isra 17:12