Signs & Science: Tidal Locking?

constantly facing another object

The Stories (28:71-73)

28:71

قُلْ أَرَءَيْتُمْ إِن جَعَلَ ٱللَّهُ عَلَيْكُمُ ٱلَّيْلَ سَرْمَدًا إِلَىٰ يَوْمِ ٱلْقِيَـٰمَةِ مَنْ إِلَـٰهٌ غَيْرُ ٱللَّهِ يَأْتِيكُم بِضِيَآءٍ ۖ أَفَلَا تَسْمَعُونَ ٧١

Ask ˹them, O Prophet˺, “Imagine if Allah were to make the night perpetual for you until the Day of Judgment, which god other than Allah could bring you sunlight? Will you not then listen?”

— Dr. Mustafa Khattab, The Clear Quran

Say, "Have you considered: if Allāh should make for you the night continuous until the Day of Resurrection, what deity other than Allāh could bring you light? Then will you not hear?"

— Saheeh International

Say: Have ye thought, if Allah made night everlasting for you till the Day of Resurrection, who is a god beside Allah who could bring you light? Will ye not then hear?

— M. Pickthall

28:72

قُلْ أَرَءَيْتُمْ إِن جَعَلَ ٱللَّهُ عَلَيْكُمُ ٱلنَّهَارَ سَرْمَدًا إِلَىٰ يَوْمِ ٱلْقِيَـٰمَةِ مَنْ إِلَـٰهٌ غَيْرُ ٱللَّهِ يَأْتِيكُم بِلَيْلٍۢ تَسْكُنُونَ فِيهِ ۖ أَفَلَا تُبْصِرُونَ ٧٢

Ask ˹them also˺, “Imagine if Allah were to make the day perpetual for you until the Day of Judgment, which god other than Allah could bring you night to rest in? Will you not then see?”

— Dr. Mustafa Khattab, The Clear Quran

Say, "Have you considered: if Allāh should make for you the day continuous until the Day of Resurrection, what deity other than Allāh could bring you a night in which you may rest? Then will you not see?"

— Saheeh International

Say: Have ye thought, if Allah made day everlasting for you till the Day of Resurrection, who is a god beside Allah who could bring you night wherein ye rest? Will ye not then see?

— M. Pickthall

28:73

وَمِن رَّحْمَتِهِۦ جَعَلَ لَكُمُ ٱلَّيْلَ وَٱلنَّهَارَ لِتَسْكُنُوا۟ فِيهِ وَلِتَبْتَغُوا۟ مِن فَضْلِهِۦ وَلَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ ٧٣

It is out of His mercy that He has made for you the day and night so that you may rest ˹in the latter˺ and seek His bounty ˹in the former˺, and perhaps you will be grateful.

— Dr. Mustafa Khattab, The Clear Quran

And out of His mercy He made for you the night and the day that you may rest therein and [by day] seek from His bounty and [that] perhaps you will be grateful.

— Saheeh International

Of His mercy hath He appointed for you night and day, that therein ye may rest, and that ye may seek His bounty, and that haply ye may be thankful.

— M. Pickthall

[https://quran.com/28/71-73]

Screenshot from Quran.com

Tidal locking is the term used to describe when an object constantly faces another object, such that it never shows its back side, for example the moon is tidally locked to the Earth, thus we always see the same side of the moon.

The good thing is that the Earth is not tidally locked to the Sun, otherwise one side of the Earth would constantly face the Sun, while the other side would remain constantly dark. It is a mercy that Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى‎ has appointed both day and night for us, all over Earth. Even the six-month long polar day yields into the six-month long polar night, so that all areas of the Earth can benefit from both day and night.

Noteworthy is the word used for sunlight (diya (ضِيَآءٍ)). Another ayat of The Quran informs us that the Sun has been appointed a diya (Q10:5). So, the visible light that we can see is the light of the Sun. When the Sun is above the horizon, it is daytime. When the Sun sets, from dusk till dawn, it is nighttime.

Daytime generally is the time for social activities, while nighttime is generally reserved for rest and tranquility. This phenomenon is observed all over Earth. People generally go out during the day for work, while they return home to rest when it is nighttime.

The Quran describes the making of the night and the day as a Mercy from Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى .

Night is for rest and tranquility (لِتَسْكُنُوا۟ فِيهِ), and is the time to seek seek from Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى‎ 's fadhal (لِتَبْتَغُوا۟ مِن فَضْلِهِ). Believers are advised to add an extra prayer, during part of the night, to recite The Quran, as that is a time of silence and solitude. When a believer recites while paying attention to the words being recited, it is hoped that the believer will then act according to the guidance in The Quran, and thus become successful in the tests Allah puts him through. The Quran is a Mercy from Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى‎ to help us return to a glorious hereafter in the gardens of eternity.

Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى‎ 's fadhal (فَضْلِهِ) is of two kinds: religious and material, as mentioned in Surah alJumu'ah (Q62:4 and Q62:10).

Day is the time for you to seek from Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى‎ 's fadhal (لِتَبْتَغُوا۟ مِن فَضْلِهِ) and perhaps, you are thankful (وَلَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ). Being thankful is made evident when believers do acts of gratitude.

Surah alInsaan (The Human) informs us that we have been granted hearing and sight to test us:

The ~~Man~~ Human (76:1-3)

76:1

هَلْ أَتَىٰ عَلَى ٱلْإِنسَـٰنِ حِينٌۭ مِّنَ ٱلدَّهْرِ لَمْ يَكُن شَيْـًۭٔا مَّذْكُورًا ١

Is there not a period of time when each human is nothing yet worth mentioning?

— Dr. Mustafa Khattab, The Clear Quran

Has there [not] come upon man a period of time when he was not a thing [even] mentioned?

— Saheeh International

Hath there come upon man (ever) any period of time in which he was a thing unremembered?

— M. Pickthall

76:2

إِنَّا خَلَقْنَا ٱلْإِنسَـٰنَ مِن نُّطْفَةٍ أَمْشَاجٍۢ نَّبْتَلِيهِ فَجَعَلْنَـٰهُ سَمِيعًۢا بَصِيرًا ٢

˹For˺ indeed, We ˹alone˺ created humans from a drop of mixed fluids, ˹in order˺ to test them, so We made them hear and see.

— Dr. Mustafa Khattab, The Clear Quran

Indeed, We created man from a sperm-drop mixture that We may try him; and We made him hearing and seeing.

— Saheeh International

Lo! We create man from a drop of thickened fluid to test him; so We make him hearing, knowing.

— M. Pickthall

76:3

إِنَّا هَدَيْنَـٰهُ ٱلسَّبِيلَ إِمَّا شَاكِرًۭا وَإِمَّا كَفُورًا ٣

We already showed them the Way, whether they ˹choose to˺ be grateful or ungrateful.

— Dr. Mustafa Khattab, The Clear Quran

Indeed, We guided him to the way, be he grateful or be he ungrateful.

— Saheeh International

Lo! We have shown him the way, whether he be grateful or disbelieving.

— M. Pickthall

[https://quran.com/76/1-3]

While we can debate what the first ayat means, as can be seen from the three different translations, and the reading with or without the parenthesis, the second ayat is absolutely clear: we are indeed made from a sperm drop, and we indeed develop hearing and vision while still in the womb.

We have been granted internal and external guidance, so when we enter this world, till when we exit this world, we are amply provided with opportunities to be grateful, and utilise the life given to us to do acts of gratitude, seeking the Face of Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى‎ .

And so, when The Quran is speaking about perpetual night, or perpetual day, lasting till the Day of Qiyamah, it questions:

28:71

ۖ أَفَلَا تَسْمَعُونَ ٧١ ...

... Will you not then listen?”

— Dr. Mustafa Khattab, The Clear Quran

... Then will you not hear?"

— Saheeh International

... Will ye not then hear?

— M. Pickthall

28:72

ۖ أَفَلَا تُبْصِرُونَ ٧٢ ...

... Will you not then see?”