يُدَبِّرُ ٱلْأَمْرَ مِنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ إِلَى ٱلْأَرْضِ ثُمَّ يَعْرُجُ إِلَيْهِ فِى يَوْمٍ كَانَ مِقْدَارُهُۥٓ أَلْفَ سَنَةٍ مِّمَّا تَعُدُّونَ 5
Translations
He arranges [each] matter from the heaven to the earth; then it will ascend to Him in a Day, the extent of which is a thousand years of those which you count.
Transliteration
Yudabbiru al-amra mina as-sama'i ila al-ardi thumma ya'ruju ilayhi fi yawmin kana miqdaruhu alfu sanatin mimma ta'uddun
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah describes how Allah manages and conducts all affairs from the heavens to the earth, then these matters ascend back to Him in a day whose measure is one thousand years by human reckoning. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari interpret this as referring to the divine administration of creation and the ascension of deeds to Allah, with the 'thousand years' representing an incomprehensibly vast span of time from our earthly perspective, emphasizing the difference between Allah's timeless nature and human temporal understanding.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in Surah As-Sajdah, a Meccan surah focused on Allah's majesty, creation, and divine attributes. The surah establishes Allah's absolute control over the universe and His transcendence, with this particular ayah reinforcing the theme of divine omnipotence and the orderly management of all existence across celestial and terrestrial realms.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (ﷺ) said regarding the thousand years: 'A day with your Lord is like a thousand years of what you count' (Tirmidhi 3242). Additionally, Hadith Qudsi mentions Allah's management of affairs: 'I am as My servant expects Me to be' (Sahih Bukhari 7405), reflecting divine oversight of creation.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah reminds believers that Allah's governance extends over all creation and that human perception of time is infinitesimal compared to divine reality, encouraging trust in Allah's perfect management of worldly affairs and accountability for our deeds which ascend to Him daily.
Related Ayahs
قُلْ إِنَّمَآ أَنَا۠ مُنذِرٌ ۖ وَمَا مِنْ إِلَـٰهٍ إِلَّا ٱللَّهُ ٱلْوَٰحِدُ ٱلْقَهَّارُ
Say, [O Muḥammad], "I am only a warner, and there is not any deity except Allāh, the One, the Prevailing,
۞ قُلْ كُونُوا۟ حِجَارَةً أَوْ حَدِيدًا
Say, "Be you stones or iron
قُلِ ٱللَّهُمَّ مَـٰلِكَ ٱلْمُلْكِ تُؤْتِى ٱلْمُلْكَ مَن تَشَآءُ وَتَنزِعُ ٱلْمُلْكَ مِمَّن تَشَآءُ وَتُعِزُّ مَن تَشَآءُ وَتُذِلُّ مَن تَشَآءُ ۖ بِيَدِكَ ٱلْخَيْرُ ۖ إِنَّكَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَىْءٍ قَدِيرٌ
Say, "O Allāh, Owner of Sovereignty, You give sovereignty to whom You will and You take sovereignty away from whom You will. You honor whom You will and You humble whom You will. In Your hand is [all] good. Indeed, You are over all things competent.
إِنَّمَآ أَمْرُهُۥٓ إِذَآ أَرَادَ شَيْـًٔا أَن يَقُولَ لَهُۥ كُن فَيَكُونُ
His command is only when He intends a thing that He says to it, "Be," and it is.