His final question states: Allah the Exalted said in His Noble Book: (Lord of the East and the West), and in another place: (Lord of the two Easts and the two Wests).

The questioner : His final question states: Allah the Exalted said in His Noble Book and in another place and He said What is the meaning of these verses?

The Shaykh : These verses, as we have all heard, mention some in the singular, some in the dual, and some in the plural. A person might initially understand that there is a contradiction between these verses. I say: There is never any contradiction in the Noble Qur'an. The Noble Qur'an does not contradict itself, nor does it contradict what is authentic from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). If you find something that appears contradictory, seek the way to reconcile the things you think are contradictory. If you are guided to it, that is what is required. If you are not guided to it, it is obligatory for you to say what the firmly grounded in knowledge say: And know that the apparent contradiction between the Qur'an or between it and what is authentic from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) is only imagined by one who is deficient in knowledge or negligent in reflection. Otherwise, Allah says: I only presented this introduction so that the benefit would be comprehensive.

The questioner : Yes.

The Shaykh : As for the answer to the question, we say: The singular in His saying, the Exalted: intends the genus, and what is intended as the genus does not contradict plurality.

The questioner : Yes.

The Shaykh : As for His saying, the Exalted: the intended meaning of the two Easts is what occurs in summer and in winter, meaning the last sunrise of the sun in the days of summer and the last sunrise of the sun in the days of winter.

The questioner : Yes.

The Shaykh : That is, its meaning is the orbit of the sun or the movement of the sun from the orbit of Capricorn to the orbit of Cancer; it is at the end of this in the days of summer and at the end of this in the days of winter.

The questioner : Yes.

The Shaykh : This is the greatest proof of the power of Allah, Mighty and Majestic, where He moves this massive body and this great sun from the extreme south to the extreme north and vice versa. This is the perfection of the power of Allah, Mighty and Majestic, that it moves from the north to the south. This is the meaning of the two Easts, namely the Easts of summer and winter.

The questioner : Yes.

The Shaykh : As for His saying: in the plural, it was said: The intended meaning is the sunrise and sunset of the sun every day, for it has a sunrise and sunset every day different from the sunrise and sunset of the day before it or the day after it. And Allah, the Exalted, is Able to do all things. It was also said: The intended meaning of the Lord of the Easts and the Wests is the sunrises of the sun, the stars, and the moon, for they differ, so the plural here is considered with regard to what is in the sky of the sun, the moon, and the stars. In any case, Allah, the Exalted, is the Lord of all of this, and He is its Manager, Glorified and Exalted is He, and He disposes of it as His wisdom requires. Yes.

The questioner : May Allah reward you.
This sister questioner, Umm Nu'man, residing in Riyadh, al-Salihiyah, says.