Surah Ar-Rahman, Ayah 17 says:
> رَبُّ الْمَشْرِقَيْنِ وَرَبُّ الْمَغْرِبَيْنِ
“(He is) the Lord of the two easts and the Lord of the two wests.” (55:17)
What does this mean?
At a literal level, the “two easts” and “two wests” point to the changing positions of sunrise and sunset throughout the year:
One east/west at summer solstice
Another at winter solstice
This reflects Allah’s precise governance of time, seasons, and cosmic order. Nothing is random; even the sun’s path obeys command.
A deeper layer (often highlighted by scholars like Imam al-Ghazali)
Beyond astronomy, this ayah carries a metaphysical meaning:
Two easts → the outward world (zahir) and the inward world (batin)
Two wests → the setting or disappearance of things in both realms
In other words, Allah is:
Lord of what appears and what is hidden
Lord of beginnings and endings
Lord of knowledge that rises in the heart and knowledge that fades from the senses
For someone walking the inner path (salikin), this ayah quietly teaches that spiritual illumination (mashriq) and spiritual veiling (maghrib) both come from the same Lord. Expansion and contraction are equally governed.
Why this ayah matters in Surah Ar-Rahman
Surah Ar-Rahman repeatedly asks:
> “Which of the favors of your Lord will you deny?”
Ayah 17 reminds us that even time, direction, light, darkness, clarity, and confusion are all ni‘mah—favors—when seen with the right understanding.
Sometimes light rises in you.
Sometimes it sets.
Both are under the care of one Rabb.
You may relate this ayah to nafs, qalb, and ruh
Or reflect on how it relates to seeking higher ranks in the Hereafter
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