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
وَلَئِن سَأَلْتَهُم مَّنْ خَلَقَ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضَ لَيَقُولُنَّ ٱللَّهُ ۚ قُلْ أَفَرَءَيْتُم مَّا تَدْعُونَ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ إِنْ أَرَادَنِىَ ٱللَّهُ بِضُرٍّ هَلْ هُنَّ كَـٰشِفَـٰتُ ضُرِّهِۦٓ أَوْ أَرَادَنِى بِرَحْمَةٍ هَلْ هُنَّ مُمْسِكَـٰتُ رَحْمَتِهِۦ ۚ قُلْ حَسْبِىَ ٱللَّهُ ۖ عَلَيْهِ يَتَوَكَّلُ ٱلْمُتَوَكِّلُونَ
And if you asked them, "Who created the heavens and the earth?" they would surely say, "Allāh." Say, "Then have you considered what you invoke besides Allāh? If Allāh intended me harm, are they removers of His harm; or if He intended me mercy, are they withholders of His mercy?" Say, "Sufficient for me is Allāh; upon Him [alone] rely the [wise] reliers."
أَفَأَمِنَ أَهْلُ ٱلْقُرَىٰٓ أَن يَأْتِيَهُم بَأْسُنَا بَيَـٰتًا وَهُمْ نَآئِمُونَ
Then, did the people of the cities feel secure from Our punishment coming to them at night while they were asleep?
فَقُلْنَا ٱضْرِبُوهُ بِبَعْضِهَا ۚ كَذَٰلِكَ يُحْىِ ٱللَّهُ ٱلْمَوْتَىٰ وَيُرِيكُمْ ءَايَـٰتِهِۦ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَعْقِلُونَ
So We said, "Strike him [i.e., the slain man] with part of it." Thus does Allāh bring the dead to life, and He shows you His signs that you might reason.
وَهُوَ ٱلَّذِىٓ أَحْيَاكُمْ ثُمَّ يُمِيتُكُمْ ثُمَّ يُحْيِيكُمْ ۗ إِنَّ ٱلْإِنسَـٰنَ لَكَفُورٌ
And He is the one who gave you life; then He causes you to die and then will [again] give you life. Indeed, mankind is ungrateful.