[771] The Divine Book.
[772] Full of conceit over their evil-doing.
[773] Abū Saʿīd al-Khudrī (رضي الله عنه) narrates that the reason for the revelation of this aya was such that: “Some hypocrites at the time of the Prophet (ﷺ) would stay behind when he used to set out on forays, and they were pleased with this. Upon his return, they would forge excuses and swear to them. They even loved to be praised for what they did not do ˹i.e. being Believers and part of the Prophet’s (ﷺ) army˺. Thus this aya was revealed”. (al-Bukhārī: 4567, Muslim: 2777)
[774] These are so-called cosmic Signs (āyāt kawniyyah). They, along with the Qur’anic Signs (āyāt Qur’āniyyah), work together to prove to Believers the Truth of the Message and thus strengthen their Faith. Believers are encouraged to think about these Signs and use their reason when considering them (cf. Riḍā). Ibn ʿAbbās (رضي الله عنهما) narrated: “I slept once over at ˹my aunt˺ Maymūnah’s ˹the Prophet’s wife˺ home, while the Prophet was there, in order to see how he Prays at night. He (ﷺ) talked with his wife for a while and then slept. When there remained only the last third of the night, or a part of it, he woke and sat up, looked at the sky and recited: “Indeed there are in the creation of the Heavens and Earth and the alternation of night and day Signs for people of reason”. He then performed ablution, rinsed his mouth with siwāk ˹a twig˺ and Prayed eleven rakʿahs. When Bilāl called for Prayer, he (ﷺ) performed two rakʿahs, went out and led people in the Fajr Prayer”. (al-Bukhārī: 7452)
[775] Muhammad (ﷺ). (Ibn Kathīr, al-Saʿdī, Ibn ʿĀshūr)