Exegesis of His saying: "Indeed, in the alternation of the night and the day and in what Allah has created in the heavens and the earth are signs for people who fear Allah."

The Shaykh : How does the alternation of night and day occur? By length and shortness. Who is able to add one minute to the night? Who can, people? By Allah, none of the creation is able to add one minute, nor are they able to subtract one minute. Rather, that is for Allah (Mighty and Majestic), as He the Exalted said: What is it? . So, among the types of the alternation of night and day are length and shortness. And among them are: heat and cold. Which is colder, the night or the day? The night is colder. So they—meaning the night and the day—differ in coldness. The coldest part of the night is the Fajr time, and the coldest part of the day is the 'Asr time. For this reason, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "The two cool times" means the Fajr and 'Asr times. And among the alternation of night and day is their difference in honor and humiliation. You see these people, while they were honored and strong with their wealth, authority, and sons, suddenly the matter reverses from honor to what? To humiliation, from having sons to losing sons, and from wealth to poverty, or the reverse. This is part of the alternation of night and day. Allah the Exalted said: addressing the believers: Allah is the Greatest! . Look at this consolation; it is a consolation from Allah (Mighty and Majestic) for the believers who were struck at Uhud. The Muslims at Uhud were struck by the martyrdom of seventy men, and without doubt this affected them and grieved them. So Allah the Exalted said: What is it, O Amin, and what comes after it? . This is a consolation. Listen to another consolation that is higher than it: meaning do not weaken in seeking to fight the disbelievers. .
Do not think that if you are wounded and pain strikes you, that if a disbeliever is wounded, the wound is always coolness and peace for him. . And here the difference appears: what do you hope for, O believers? You hope for Paradise. These people do not hope for anything. They do not hope for anything at all, but rather for boasting and arrogance. For this reason, when what happened to the Muslims at Uhud occurred, Abu Sufyan stood up and asked, "Is Muhammad among you? Is Abu Bakr among you? Is 'Umar among you?" He was boasting over them. So the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: to humiliate him. And without doubt, ignoring the one who is speaking among the leaders is a humiliation for him, because Abu Sufyan will know that they are present. So when he knows that they are present and they do not speak to him, his humiliation and regret increase. And this is part of the wisdom of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). And when he boasted with the symbols of disbelief and said: Hubal is the name of an idol they worship. He said: meaning that humiliating the religion and the Shari'ah is not possible. He said: . If you are boasting with your idol, we boast with Allah (Mighty and Majestic). . And among the alternation of night and day is the difference in general and specific ease and hardship. Sometimes the days are ease, good living, and safety. And sometimes it is the reverse, generally or specifically. As for the specific, check yourself now, look at yourself. Specifically, sometimes in some days you are happy and relaxed, and sometimes it is the reverse. And regarding this, the poet says:
"A day is against us and a day is for us *** A day we are slaves and a day we are masters"
- O brother, stand up so that you do not play with your eyes, looking right and left. - Read the verse. Yes, it is wrong. How far are you from me? Two men, that is enough. So correct yourself, do not let your eyes turn right and left, for the heart follows the eye. Sit down.
"A day is against us and a day is for us *** A day we are slaves and a day we are masters"
...upon us, meaning our enemies prevail over us. And there is a day when we prevail over them. And there is a day of weakness and a day of strength. This is part of the wisdom of Allah (Mighty and Majestic) that a person fluctuates between these states so that he is patient with what hurts him and attains the rank of the patient, and he is grateful for what pleases him and attains the rank of the grateful. And His saying, the Exalted: Look at what Allah has created on earth: types and species of creatures, from the children of Adam and others, from beasts and [the harmonious] and insects, and so on. You will find wonders upon wonders. Look at the ants now; they are among the smallest of creatures, yet they have wonders. When an ant chooses the place where it will dig its hole, it does not come to the flat or low-lying parts of the earth; what does it choose? It chooses the high ground, out of fear of the rain, because the rain runs off the high ground, so it chooses the high place. When it takes a grain to store it for a time when it cannot come out of its hole, it takes a grain and puts it in its hole, because in the winter it cannot come out from the cold, and the inside of the earth is warmer for it. It chooses the grain it wants to store, but it eats the heads of the grains; it eats the heads of the grains. Let us suppose it took barley; it took barley and ate the heads of the barley grain. Why? So that it does not sprout and spoil for it. If a lot of rain comes and falls on its grains, what does it do? It takes them out; no, we are not finished. It takes them out; you can see it; it takes them out to the sun until they dry, and then puts them back. But I think the greedy one among you, if he saw this grain spread out, what would he do? He would take it. Good. Is this not among the signs of Allah? Yes, by Allah, it is among the signs of Allah. Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) mentioned in his book *Miftah Dar al-Sa'adah* (The Key to the Abode of Happiness) that a man had with him a bait, a piece of meat or bone bait, and he found an ant. Do you know what an ant is? The small ant. So he placed the bait in front of it. When it was certain that it was bait, it tried to carry it, but it could not because it was large. So it went to its companions in their hole and said, "Come to the food." I am speaking in the language of the situation, not in the language of words. I do not know if it is Arabic or not. Yes. The important thing is that it called its people. When the swarms of ants came, this man removed the bait from its place. When the people arrived at the place of the bait, they found nothing. The one who had found it first began to circle around, and there was nothing; she circled around the place hoping to find it, but she found nothing, so they returned to their homes. Then he placed the bait near this remaining one who had been seeking what she had seen at first, because now she would be sad about what she missed from this, and she would fear that her companions thought she had lied to them. He placed the bait, and when she was completely certain of it, she went to her companions. "Come, come," and they came to the place. When these swarms of ants approached, the man removed it, lifting it from the ground. So they began to search, and this poor first one was torn apart; they found nothing, so they returned. This was the second time. So this one began to search, searching, seeking the bait she had seen at first. So he placed it on the ground, and when she was certain, she went to her people. "Come, come, the bait has come." This time, how many? The third. When they arrived at the place, he removed it. When they did not find it, Ibn al-Qayyim says: "These ants gathered upon the poor first one and tore her apart." Wonders, meaning this is the punishment for lying, and they tore her apart. He says: "I related this to Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy on him), and he said: 'Yes, this is how lying is detested, even among insects.'" Subhan Allah! Allah the Exalted said in the debate and dialogue between Musa and Pharaoh, when Pharaoh said: [Q1] He said: [Q2] meaning he made it fit for its creation. So in what Allah has created in the heavens and the earth, there are signs for a people who fear Allah. O Allah, make us among those who observe Your signs and take heed of them, and make them a guidance for us to the certainty with which there is no doubt, and to the faith with which there is no disbelief, and to the sincerity with which there is no shirk (associating partners with Allah), and to the following with which there is no bid'ah (religious innovation), for You are capable of all things. And now, to the questions, if it is their time, or otherwise, questions here. A good lesson, to the lesson, then the questions, if Allah wills."These ants gathered around the first poor one and tore her apart piece by piece."Marvelous, meaning this is the punishment for killing, so they tore her apart piece by piece. He said:So I related this to the Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy on him), and he said:Yes, this is how lying is detested, even among insects." "Glory be to Allah! Allah the Exalted said in the debate and dialogue between Musa and Pharaoh, when Pharaoh said: He said: meaning He made it in a form befitting Him In what Allah has created in the heavens and the earth are signs for a people who fear Him. O Allah, make us among those who reflect upon Your signs and take heed from them, and make them a guidance for us to certainty with which there is no doubt, to faith with which there is no disbelief, to sincerity with which there is no associating partners with Allah, and to following [the truth] with which there is no religious innovation. Indeed, You are over all things competent. And now, to the questions, if their time has come; otherwise, questions here. A good lesson, to the lesson, then the questions, if Allah wills.
The reciter: In the name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Bestower of Mercy.