Tafsir Surah Ash-Shams (Commentary on the Surah of the Sun)

In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful,

Praise be to God who has made the songbird of exposition sing upon the branches of the Tree of Explanation with various melodies, affirming that there is no god but Him. He has created the worlds and originated existence through His primal will, by which He created what has been and what will be. And praise be to God who adorned the sky of reality with the Sun of meanings and knowledge, upon which is inscribed by the Supreme Pen: “The sovereignty belongs to God, the All-Powerful, the All-Compelling, the Self-Subsisting.”

He manifested the great sea, gathered from the flowing water of the Eye of “H” reaching the ancient name, from which the primal point was detailed, the all-encompassing word appeared, and the reality and the law emerged. From it, the monotheists soared to the atmosphere of disclosure and presence, and the sincere ones to the vision of their beloved Lord.

Blessings and peace be upon the source of the most excellent names and the highest attributes, in every letter of whose name the names are treasured, and by whom existence was adorned from the unseen and the witnessed. He was named Muhammad in the Kingdom of Names and Ahmad in the Dominion of Permanence, and upon his family and companions from this day until the day when the tongue of grandeur proclaims, “The sovereignty belongs to God, the One, the All-Conquering.”

A Book Has Arrived

Your book has arrived before us, and we have observed what is within it of your indications. We ask God to support you in what He loves and is pleased with, and to bring you closer to the shore of the sea that surges with the name of your exalted Lord. Each drop thereof proclaims: “There is no god but He; indeed, He is the Creator of the names and the Originator of the heavens.”

O questioner, if you seek the Sacred Sanctuary and the Sinai of proximity, purify your heart from all else. Then, remove the sandals of doubts and illusions to see with the eye of your heart the manifestations of God, the Lord of the Throne and the earth, for this is the day of disclosure and witnessing. The separation has passed, and the union has come; this is by the grace of your beloved Lord, the Mighty.

Leave the questions and answers to the people of dust. Ascend with the wings of detachment to the atmosphere of the mercy of your Lord, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

Say: “O people, the primal point has been detailed, the all-encompassing word has been completed, and the sovereignty of God, the All-Powerful, the Self-Subsisting, has appeared. O people, are you preoccupied with the pond while the sweet sea surges before your faces? Why do you not understand? Do you speak of your knowledge when He who stood upon the point of knowledge has appeared, from which things emerged and to which they returned? From it emerged the wisdom and sciences of God, which were always hidden in the treasuries of the infallibility of your exalted and mighty Lord. Leave the indications to their people and seek the station where you will find the fragrances of knowledge from its air. Thus, this servant admonishes you, who testifies with every limb and vein that there is no god but He. He has always been in the exaltation of grandeur and majesty, and the sublimity of exaltation and reverence. Those whom He sent with truth and guidance are the dawns of His revelation among His creation and the risings of His command among His servants, the descents of His inspiration in His lands. Through them, secrets were revealed, laws were established, and the command of God, the All-Powerful, the Mighty, the Chosen, was fulfilled. There is no god but He, the All-Knowing, the All-Aware.”

Pride in Knowledge Caused Baha’u’llah’s Imprisonment

O questioner, know that people take pride in knowledge and praise it, but I lament it. Without it, Bahá’u’lláh would not have been imprisoned in the great humiliation of Akka, nor would He have drunk the cup of tribulation from the hands of the enemies. The exposition distanced me, the knowledge of meanings brought me down, and by mentioning the union, my limbs were separated. The brevity became the cause of elaboration in my harm and affliction, and grammar deprived my heart of joy and happiness. My knowledge of the mysteries of God became chains for my neck, so how can I mention what you asked about in the verses that were revealed from the dominion of might and grandeur, which the hearts of the wise were unable to comprehend? The birds of hearts did not soar to the atmosphere of their meanings, for my wings were clipped by the scissors of envy and hatred.

If this bird with clipped primary and secondary feathers found wings, it would soar in the atmosphere of meanings and exposition, and it would sing on the branches of the tree of knowledge and elucidation, so that the hearts of the sincere would soar to the sky of longing and attraction, seeing the manifestations of their beloved Lord, the Almighty, the Bestower. But now I am prevented from revealing what is stored and unfolding what is withheld, and from proclaiming what is hidden. Indeed, it is incumbent upon us to conceal rather than reveal. If we were to speak what God has taught us by His grace and generosity, people would scatter from around me, flee, and run away, except those who have drunk the Kawthar of life from the cups of the words of their Lord, the Merciful. For every word revealed from the heaven of revelation to the prophets and messengers is filled with the fountain of meanings, exposition, wisdom, and elucidation. Blessed are the drinkers.

But because we found from you the fragrance of love, we will mention to you what you asked with brevity and conciseness, so that you may detach from the people of metaphor who have turned away from the truth and its secret and clung to what they have of doubts and illusions, after it has been revealed before: “Indeed, assumption avails nothing against the truth” and in another place: “Indeed, some assumption is sin.”

Explanations of the Sun

Then know that the sun mentioned in the blessed Surah has various connotations.

Secret of God’s Secrets

[1] In the first rank, in the singular station, and in the eternal divine essence, the sun is a secret of God’s secrets, a treasure of God’s treasures, stored in the treasuries of God, hidden in God’s knowledge, sealed with God’s seal. None have been privy to it except the One, the Unique, the All-Knowing. In that station, it is the very essence of the primal will and the radiance of oneness. It manifested itself upon the horizons, and those who turned towards it were illumined by its light, just as the sun, when it rises, its light envelops the world except for lands that are veiled by an obstacle. Consider the lands without roofs and walls; they are illumined by it, while those with walls are deprived of its light. Similarly, contemplate the sun of reality; it manifests with the lights of meanings and exposition upon all creation. Those who turn towards it are illumined by its lights, and their hearts are enlightened by its radiance. Those who turn away from it find no share for themselves from it, for they are veiled by the curtain of self and desire. Thus, they are distanced from the manifestation of the sun of reality, which has shone from the horizon of the sky of names.

Prophets of God and His Chosen Ones

[2] In another station, it refers to the Prophets of God and His chosen ones, for they are the suns of His names and attributes among His creation. Without them, no one would be illumined by the lights of knowledge. As you see, every nation on earth has been illumined by a sun from these shining suns. Those who denied them were deprived of their light. For example, the followers of Christ were illumined by the sun of His knowledge until the Luminary of the Horizons shone from the horizon of Hijaz. Those who denied Him from the Christians and other nations were deprived of that sun and its lights. Their very denial became a wall for them, preventing them from the light that shone from the horizon of the command of your Lord, the Mighty, the Sustained.

Saints of God and His Friends

[3] In another station, it refers to the saints of God and His friends, for they are the suns of guardianship among the people. Without them, darkness would have overtaken everyone on earth except whom your Lord willed. It has various connotations, and if ten scribes stood facing the truth and wrote for a year or two, they would see their own inadequacy. Were it not for the denial of some ignorant ones, we would extend the time, and the Pen of God, the Praised, would exceed mentioning the limits.

Know that just as you have believed that His words are endless, believe that their meanings are also endless, but only to their expounders and the treasurers of their mysteries. Those who look at the books and take from them what they use to object to the source of guardianship, they are dead, not alive, even if they walk, speak, eat, and drink. Alas, alas, if what is stored in the heart of Bahá’u’lláh were to be revealed regarding what His Lord, the Possessor of names, has taught Him, those you see on earth would be struck by lightning. How many meanings cannot be contained by the garments of words! How many have no expression and have not been given exposition or indication! How many cannot be explained due to lack of presence or as it is said: “Not everything that is known is said, not everything that is said is timely, and not everything that is timely is appropriate for its people.” Some of these depend on the recognition of the sources where we have detailed the sciences and revealed the hidden. We ask God to grant you success and support you in recognizing the known so that you may detach from the sciences, for seeking knowledge after attaining the known is blameworthy. Hold fast to the essence of knowledge and its source, so that you may see yourself independent of those who claim knowledge without proof or an illuminating book.

Most Excellent Names

[4] In another station, it refers to the most excellent names, whereby each of His names is a sun shining upon the horizons. Consider the name of God, the All-Knowing. It is a sun that has shone from the horizon of the will of your Lord, the Most Merciful. Its lights, effects, and radiance are manifest upon the forms of the known. Every true knowledge you find with the scholars who have not followed their own selves and desires, and who have acknowledged the foundation of the decree and held fast to the sure handle, know that it is true and its knowledge is a radiance from the radiances of this sun. We have interpreted the names, explained their secrets, their radiance, their lights, their outward and inward aspects, the secrets of their letters, and the wisdom of their compositions in the book we wrote for one of My beloved who asked about the names and what they contain.

Know that the Word of God, exalted and blessed be He, in its primal reality and first rank is all-encompassing of meanings that have remained beyond the comprehension of most people. We testify that His words are perfect, and in each word are concealed meanings that no one has grasped except Himself and those endowed with knowledge of the Book. There is no god but He, the All-Powerful, the Almighty, the Bestower.

Two Types of Interpreters of the Qur’an

Then know that the commentators who interpreted the Qur’an were of two types. One type neglected the outward and interpreted it on the basis of the inward, while the other type interpreted it on the basis of the outward and neglected the inward. If we were to mention their statements and expositions, you would be overwhelmed by lethargy, preventing you from reading what we have written for you. Therefore, we have left aside their mentions in this station. Blessed are those who have taken both the outward and the inward; they are servants who have believed in the all-encompassing word.

Know that whoever takes the outward and leaves the inward is ignorant, and whoever takes the inward and leaves the outward is heedless. Whoever takes the inward by harmonizing it with the outward is a complete scholar. This is a word that has shone from the horizon of knowledge, so recognize its value and pay its due price. We mention the intended purpose implicitly in our indications and words. Blessed is the one who comprehends it; he is among the successful. Say, O people, by God, the songbird has sung on the branches, the rooster of the throne has crowed with wisdom and exposition, and the peacock’s wings have spread in paradise. Until when will you sleep on the bed of heedlessness and error? Arise from the slumber of desire and turn towards the sunrise of the mercy of your Lord, the Sovereign of eternity and the Revealer of names. Beware lest you object to the one who calls you to God and His ordinances. Fear God and do not be among the heedless.

Then know that He, exalted and blessed be He, swore to His Prophet by the sun of divinity, the sun of guardianship, the sun of will, the sun of purpose, the sun of names, and the lights of these suns, their radiance, their manifestations, their appearances, and their effects, and by the visible sun shining from the horizon of this lofty sky.

The Surah of the Sun Commentary

Surah An-Najm (53:28): “Indeed, assumption avails nothing against the truth.”
The moon signifies the rank of guardianship that follows the sun of prophethood, appearing afterward to uphold the prophet’s cause among the people. If we were to elaborate on the stations of the moon, the book would be of great length.

Surah Al-Hujurat (49:12): “Indeed, some assumption is sin.”
The day, in its primal reality, refers to each day when a prophet or messenger of God appears to establish His remembrance among His servants and implement His laws among His creatures. On that day, the manifestation of the Cause shines forth upon the manifestations of things. It is during that day that the lights of the sun are revealed, illuminating and making visible the sun of prophethood.

Surah Ash-Shams (91:2): “And by the moon when it follows it.”
The night symbolizes the veil of oneness that concealed the true point. After descending from its station, it settled in the seat of unity, the rank of singularity, from which the linear alif (A) emerged. Under the veil of singularity, it appeared as the moving alif (A), the upright alif (A). The veiling element is the true point that was the essence of the sun of prophethood.

Surah Ash-Shams (91:3): “And by the day when it displays it.”
For those who perceive the truth, the sky has various meanings: the sky of meanings, the sky of knowledge, the sky of religions, the sky of science, the sky of wisdom, the sky of grandeur, the sky of exaltation, and the sky of reverence.

Surah Ash-Shams (91:4): “And by the night when it covers it.”

Refers to the One who created these aforementioned heavens and what you see outwardly.

Surah Ash-Shams (91:5): “And by the sky and He who constructed it.”
The earth refers to the land of hearts, which is broader than the earth and the sky, for the heart is the great throne upon which the manifestation of your Lord, the Creator of nations and the Shaper of bones, is seated. It is the land where God has planted the seeds of His knowledge and love so that the ears of knowledge and certitude may sprout from it. Say, O people, today is the day of sowing; sow in your hearts with the hands of certitude what you have received from your all-knowing, all-wise Lord. The earth has innumerable meanings, and we have sufficed with one of them.

Surah Ash-Shams (91:6): “And by the earth and He who spread it.”

refers to the One who spread it out with His hand of power and the dominion of His command.

Surah Ash-Shams (91:7): “And by the soul and He who proportioned it.”
The soul has many ranks and various stations, including the celestial soul, the dominion soul, the divine soul, the sacred soul, the contented soul, the pleased soul, the pleasing soul, the inspired soul, the blaming soul, and the commanding soul. What is meant in this verse is the soul that God has made comprehensive of all actions, whether of acceptance or rejection, misguidance or guidance, belief or disbelief.

Surah Ash-Shams (91:8):“And inspired it with its wickedness and its righteousness.”
This means He taught and informed it of its wickedness, that is, the actions that do not benefit it and distance it from its Owner and Creator.

Surah Ash-Shams (91:9): “And inspired it with what sanctifies it from what it was forbidden.”

He created it and made known to it the path of guidance and misguidance, truth and falsehood, light and darkness. Then He commanded it to abstain from what it was forbidden and to turn towards what it was commanded.

Surah Ash-Shams (91:9):“He has succeeded who purifies it.”
This is the answer to the oath. It means that he has succeeded who purifies it, that is, cleanses it from deficiencies, desires, and all that is forbidden in the Book. Consider those who have purified themselves in these days; by my life, they are the successful ones. They are men whom the world and its contents did not prevent from turning towards the clear and straight path. They are the manifestations of this blessed verse, making piety their garments and clinging to the hem of their Lord’s care in these days when feet have slipped. We testify to what God has testified, and we acknowledge what has been revealed from Him; indeed, it is the truth, and after the truth, there is only error.

Surah Ash-Shams (91:10):“And he has failed who instills it [with corruption].”
This means that he has failed who corrupts it, that is, who neglects it, does not purify it, does not prevent it from what it was forbidden, and does not command it with what it was commanded.

Surah Ash-Shams (91:11):“Thamud denied [their prophet] by reason of their transgression.”
Thamud, as mentioned in the books, was a tribe upon whom God sent Salih, peace be upon him. They denied him after he commanded them to do good and forbade them from evil. They did not follow God’s command and did not obey him in what they were commanded. They abandoned God’s command and His ordinances until they hamstrung the she-camel.

Surah Ash-Shams (91:14):“So their Lord destroyed them for their sin.”
This means God was angry with them and made them an example for the worlds. In reality, anyone who turns away from the truth is among Thamud, regardless of their lineage. So, the punishment will come upon them just as it came upon the previous groups before them. Indeed, your Lord is the All-Powerful, the Almighty. Praise be to God, the Lord of all the worlds.

Closing

We did not mention what the commentators have said in interpreting the blessed Surah because the books of interpretation are available to the people. Whoever wishes to refer to their interpretations and explanations can look at their books. They interpreted the sun as the visible sun, and similarly with the moon, following the apparent and being content with what they had. However, we have interpreted it in ways not mentioned in those books. We ask God to make every letter of what has been mentioned a cup of meanings and knowledge, and to give you to drink from it so that you may be detached from what His pleasure dislikes and draw closer to the station He has ordained for His chosen ones. Indeed, He is the Forgiving, the Merciful. Praise be to God, the Lord of all the worlds.

Glorified be You, O my God. I ask You by Your name by which all things speak in praise of Your Self, to open the eyes of Your creatures so that they may see the manifestations of the majesty of Your oneness and the radiance of the sun of Your care. O my Lord, do not leave them to themselves, for they are Your servants and Your creation. Draw them with the supreme word to the horizon of Your most excellent names and the repository of Your highest attributes. Indeed, You are the One Who is able to do as You will. There is no god but You, the Mighty, the Wise.