The Concept Of Time In The Qur'an

THE RELATIVITY OF TIME IN THE QUR'AN

The Man whom Allah Caused to Die a Hundred Years and then Brought Back to Life

Or the one who passed by a town which had fallen into ruin? He asked, 'How can Allah restore this to life when it has died?' Allah caused him to die a hundred years then brought him back to life. Then He asked, 'How long have you been here?' He replied, 'I have been here a day or part of a day.' He said, 'Not so! You have been here a hundred years. Look at your food and drink – it has not gone bad – and look at your donkey so We can make you a Sign for all mankind. Look at the bones – how We raise them up and clothe them in flesh.' When it had become clear to him, he said, 'Now I know that Allah has power over all things.' (Surat al-Baqara, 259)

Companions of the Cave

So We sealed their ears with sleep in the cave for a number of years. Then We woke them up again so that we might see which of the two groups would better calculate the time they had stayed there. (Surat al-Kahf, 11-12)

That was the situation when we woke them up so they could question one another. One of them asked, 'How long have you been here?' They replied, 'We have been here for a day or part of a day.' They said, 'Your Lord knows best how long you have been here. Send one of your number into the city with this silver you have, so he can see which food is purest and bring you some of it to eat. But he should go about with caution so that no one is aware of you. (Surat al-Kahf, 19)

They stayed in their Cave for three hundred years and added nine. Say: 'Allah knows best how long they stayed. The Unseen of the heavens and the earth belongs to Him. How perfectly He sees, how well He hears! They have no protector apart from Him. Nor does He share His rule with anyone.' (Surat al-Kahf, 25-26)

Comparison of Time in the Hereafter with that in the World

On the Day the Trumpet is blown – and We will gather the evildoers sightless on that Day –they will whisper secretly to one other, 'You only stayed for ten.' We know best what they will say when the most correct of them will say, 'You only stayed a day.' (Surah Ta Ha, 102-104)

He will say, 'How many years did you tarry on the earth?' They will say, 'We tarried there for a day or part of a day. Ask those able to count!' He will say, 'You only tarried there for a little while if you did but know! (Surat al-Mu'minun, 112-114)

So be steadfast as the Messengers with firm resolve were also steadfast. And do not seek to hasten it for them. On the Day they see what they were promised, it will be as if they had only tarried for just one hour of a single day. It has been transmitted! Will any be destroyed except for deviant people? (Surat al-Ahqaf, 35)

On the Day the Last Hour arrives, the evildoers will swear they have not even tarried for an hour. That is the extent to which they are deceived. (Surat ar-Rum, 55)

A Day in the Sight of Allah is as a Thousand Years

They ask you to hasten the punishment. Allah will not break His promise. A day with your Lord is equivalent to a thousand years in the way you count. (Surat al-Hajj, 47)

The Lenght of Time in which Angels Ascend to the Presence of Allah

... from Allah – the Lord of the Ascending Steps. The angels and the Spirit ascend to Him in a day whose length is fifty thousand years. (Surat al-Ma'arij, 3-4)

PARTICULAR TIMES MENTIONED IN THE QUR'AN

So be steadfast in the face of what they say and glorify your Lord with praise before the rising of the sun and before its setting. And glorify Him during part of the night and at both ends of the day, so that hopefully you will be pleased. (Surah Ta Ha, 130)

So glory be to Allah when you start the night and when you greet the day. Praise be to Him in the heavens and the earth, in the afternoon and when you reach midday. (Surat ar-Rum, 17-18)

And glorify Him in the morning and the evening. (Surat al-Ahzab, 42)

So remain steadfast. Allah's promise is true. Ask forgiveness for your wrong action and glorify your Lord with praise in the evening and the early morning. (Surah Ghafir, 55)

So wait steadfastly for the judgement of your Lord – you are certainly before Our eyes. And glorify and praise your Lord when you get up. And glorify Him in the night and when the stars fade out. (Surat at-Tur, 48-49)

Perform prayer at each end of the day and in the first part of the night. Good actions eradicate bad actions. This is a reminder for people who pay heed. (Surah Hud, 114) Perform prayer from the time the sun declines until the darkening of the night, and also the recitation at dawn. The dawn recitation is certainly witnessed. And stay awake for prayer during part of the night as a supererogatory action for yourself. It may well be that your Lord will raise you to a Praiseworthy Station. (Surat al-Isra, 78-79)

Verses in the Qur'an Mentioning Night and Day

Say: 'Who will protect you night and day from the All-Merciful?' Yet they turn away from the remembrance of their Lord. (Surat al-Anbiya, 42)

... arrogant towards it, talking arrant nonsense all night long.' (Surat al-Mu'minun, 67)

It is He Who made the night a cloak for you and sleep a rest, and He made the day a time for rising. (Surat al-Furqan, 47)

It is He Who made night and day succeed each other for those who want to pay heed or to give thanks. (Surat al-Furqan, 62)

Do they not see that We have made the night for them to rest in and the day for seeing? There are certainly Signs in that for people who believe. (Surat an-Naml, 86)

Say: 'What do you think? If Allah made it permanent night for you till the Day of Rising, what god is there other than Allah to bring you light? Do you not then hear?' Say: 'What do you think? If Allah made it permanent day for you till the Day of Rising, what god is there other than Allah to bring you night to rest in? Do you not then see?' But part of His mercy is that He has made both night and day for you so that you can have your rest and seek His bounty, and so that hopefully you will be thankful. (Surat al-Qasas, 71-73)

Among His Signs is your sleep by night and day and your seeking after His bounty. There are certainly Signs in that for people who hear. (Surat ar-Rum, 23)

Do you not see that Allah makes night merge into day and day merge into night, and that He has made the sun and moon subservient, each one running for a specified time, and that Allah is aware of what you do? (Surah Luqman, 29)

He makes night merge into day and day merge into night, and He has made the sun and moon subservient, each one running until a specified time. That is Allah, your Lord. The Kingdom is His. Those you call on besides Him have no power over even the smallest speck. (Surah Fatir, 13) A Sign for them is the night: We peel the day away from it and there they are in darkness. (Surah Ya Sin, 37)

He created the heavens and the earth with truth. He wraps the night around the day and wraps the day around the night, and has made the sun and moon subservient, each one running for a specified term. Is He not indeed the Almighty, the Endlessly Forgiving? (Surat az-Zumar, 5)

Restrain yourself patiently with those who call on their Lord morning and evening, desiring His face. Do not turn your eyes from them, desiring the attractions of this world. And do not obey someone whose heart We have made neglectful of Our remembrance and who follows his own whims and desires and whose life has transgressed all bounds. (Surat al-Kahf, 28)

Angels' Glorification

If they grow arrogant, those who are with your Lord glorify Him night and day and never grow tired. (Surah Fussilat, 38)

The Time That the Prophet Musa (as) Fixed for Pharaoh

He said, 'Have you come to us to expel us from our land by means of your magic, Musa? We will bring you magic to match it. So fix a time between us and you which neither we nor you will fail to keep at a place where we can meet halfway.' He said, 'Your time is the day of the Festival. The people should gather in the morning.' (Surah Ta Ha, 57-59)

The Prophet Musa (as) Travels With His People At Night

We revealed to Musa, 'Travel with My servants by night. Strike a dry path for them through the sea. Have no fear of being overtaken and do not be afraid.' (Surah Ta Ha, 77)

The Time When Pharaoh's Troops Started to Pursue the Prophet Musa (as) and His People

So they pursued them at sunrise. (Surat ash-Shuara, 60)

The Prophet Zakariyya (as) did not Speak to People for Three Nights

He (Zakariyya) said, 'My Lord, give me a Sign.' He said, 'Your Sign is not to speak to people for three nights despite the fact that you are perfectly able to.' He came out to his people from the Upper Room and gestured to them to glorify Allah in the morning and the evening. (Surah Maryam, 10-11)

The Wind Made Subservient to the Prophet Sulayman (as)

And We gave Sulayman power over the wind – a month's journey in the morning and a month in the evening. And We made a fount of molten copper flow out for him. And some of the jinn worked in front of him by his Lord's permission. And if a single one of them deviates at all from Our command, We let him taste the punishment of the Searing Blaze. (Surah Saba, 12)

Meal Time in the Qur'an

You who believe! Do not go into the Prophet's rooms except when you are invited to come and eat. Do not wait there while the food is being cooked. However, when you are called, go in, and when you have eaten, disperse, not remaining there to chat with one another. Doing that causes annoyance to the Prophet though he is too reticent to tell you so. But Allah is not reticent with the truth. When you ask his wives for something, ask them from behind a screen. That is purer for your hearts and their hearts. It is not right for you to cause annoyance to the Messenger of Allah or ever to marry his wives after him. To do that would be a dreadful thing in Allah's sight. (Surat al-Ahzab, 53)

The Morning of Those Who Were Warned

When it descends in their courtyard – how evil will be the morning of those who were warned! (Surat as-Saffat, 177)

Satan's Asking for a Reprieve Until The Day of Rising

My curse is upon you until the Day of Reckoning.' He said, 'My Lord, grant me a reprieve until the Day they are raised again.' He said, 'You are among the reprieved until the Day whose time is known.' (Surah Sad, 78-81)

The Coming Hour of Rising

The Hour is coming – there is no doubt about it. But most of mankind do not believe. Your Lord says, 'Call on Me and I will answer you. Those who who are too proud to worship Me will enter Hell abject.' Allah is He Who appointed the night for you so that you might rest in it, and the day for seeing. Allah pours out His favour on mankind but most people do not show thanks. (Surah Ghafir, 59-61)

And the Hour is coming without any doubt and Allah will raise up all those in the graves. (Surat al-Hajj, 7)

The Hour of Rising

Those who disbelieve say, 'The Hour will never come.' Say: 'Yes, by my Lord, it certainly will come!' He is the Knower of the Unseen, Whom not even the weight of the smallest particle eludes, either in the heavens or in the earth; nor is there anything smaller or larger than that which is not in a Clear Book. (Surah Saba, 3)

But those who disbelieve will not cease to be in doubt of it until the Hour comes on them suddenly or the punishment of a desolate Day arrives. (Surat al-Hajj, 55)

On the Day the Hour arrives the evildoers will be in despair. (Surat ar-Rum, 12)

On the Day the Hour arrives, that Day they will be split up. (Surat ar-Rum, 14)