Quran 36:40 — Yaseen, verse 40
M. A. S. Abdel Haleem · selected translation
The sun cannot overtake the moon, nor can the night outrun the day: each floats in [its own] orbit.
لَا الشَّمْسُ يَنْبَغِي لَهَا أَنْ تُدْرِكَ الْقَمَرَ وَلَا اللَّيْلُ سَابِقُ النَّهَارِ ۚ وَكُلٌّ فِي فَلَكٍ يَسْبَحُونَ
lā l-shamsu yanbaghī lahā an tud'rika l-qamara walā al-laylu sābiqu l-nahāri wakullun fī falakin yasbaḥūna
Other translations
- A. J. Arberry
- It behoves not the sun to overtake the moon, neither does the night outstrip the day, each swimming in a sky.
- Muhammad Asad
- [and] neither may the sun overtake the moon, nor can the night usurp the time of day, since all of them float through space [in accordance with Our laws].
- Sahih International
- It is not allowable [i.e., possible] for the sun to reach the moon, nor does the night overtake the day, but each, in an orbit, is swimming.
Words
| # | Word | Meaning | Root |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | لَاlā | Not | — |
| 2 | ٱلشَّمْسُl-shamsu | the sun | شمس |
| 3 | يَنۢبَغِىyanbaghī | is permitted | بغي |
| 4 | لَهَآlahā | for it | — |
| 5 | أَنan | that | — |
| 6 | تُدْرِكَtud'rika | it overtakes | درك |
| 7 | ٱلْقَمَرَl-qamara | the moon | قمر |
| 8 | وَلَاwalā | and not | — |
| 9 | ٱلَّيْلُal-laylu | the night | ليل |
| 10 | سَابِقُsābiqu | (can) outstrip | سبق |
| 11 | ٱلنَّهَارِ ۚl-nahāri | the day | نهر |
| 12 | وَكُلٌّۭwakullun | but all | كلل |
| 13 | فِىfī | in | — |
| 14 | فَلَكٍۢfalakin | an orbit | فلك |
| 15 | يَسْبَحُونَyasbaḥūna | they are floating | سبح |