أَوَلَمْ يَرَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا أَنَّ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ كَانَتَا رَتْقًا فَفَتَقْنَاهُمَا وَجَعَلْنَا مِنَ الْمَاءِ كُلَّ شَيْءٍ حَيٍّ أَفَلَا يُؤْمِنُونَ ﴿۳۰﴾ وَجَعَلْنَا فِي الْأَرْضِ رَوَاسِيَ أَنْ تَمِيدَ بِهِمْ وَجَعَلْنَا فِيهَا فِجَاجًا سُبُلًا لَعَلَّهُمْ يَهْتَدُونَ ﴿۳۱﴾ وَجَعَلْنَا السَّمَاءَ سَقْفًا مَحْفُوظًا وَهُمْ عَنْ آيَاتِهَا مُعْرِضُونَ ﴿۳۲﴾ وَهُوَ الَّذِي خَلَقَ اللَّيْلَ وَالنَّهَارَ وَالشَّمْسَ وَالْقَمَرَ كُلٌّ فِي فَلَكٍ يَسْبَحُونَ ﴿۳۳﴾

﴾30﴿ Awalam yaral lazeena kafarooo annas samaawaati wal arda kaanataa ratqan fafataqnaa humaa wa ja'alnaa minal maaa'i kulla shai'in haiyin afalaa yu'minoon
﴾31﴿ Wa ja'alnaa fil ardi rawaasiya an tameeda bihim wa ja'alnaa feehaa fijaajan subulal la'allahum yahtadoon
﴾32﴿ Wa ja'alnas samaaa'a saqfam mahfoozanw wa hum 'an Aayaatihaa mu'ridoon
﴾33﴿ Wa Huwal lazee khalaqal laila wannahaara washshamsa wal qamara kullun fee falakiny yasbahoon

﴾30﴿ Do the disbelievers not see that the heavens and the earth were both joined together, then We split them apart, and We made every living thing from water? Will they not then believe
﴾31﴿ And We placed firm mountains on the earth so that it would not shake beneath them, and We made in it wide pathways so they may find their way
﴾32﴿ And We made the sky a protected canopy, yet they turn away from its signs
﴾33﴿ And it is Allah alone who created the night and the day, and the sun and the moon. Each is floating in its own orbit

[30] From this verse to verse 48 is the third section (Bāb al-Thālith).
In this section: There are four rational (ʿaqlī) proofs for reflection. Then comes consolation to the Prophet along with the fifth warning in verses 34–35. Then the sixth warning in verse 36. Followed by the seventh warning in verse 37. Then the eighth warning in verse 38. A refutation of shirk in verse 43. The tenth warning in verse 44. Another consolation to the Prophet in verse 45. And a warning of the Hereafter in verses 46–47.
In verse 30, the third rational proof is mentioned: (Ratqan fa-fataqnāhumā) — one interpretation is that all the heavens were originally one body, and all the earth was one body; Allah separated them and made from each seven layers. Another interpretation is that the heavens were sealed — no rain came from them — and the earth was sealed — no vegetation grew from it. Then Allah sent down rain from the heavens and caused vegetation to grow from the earth.
(Wa jaʿalnā mina al-māʾi kulla shayʾin ḥayy) — this has three meanings:
1. Allah created every living thing from water.
2. The life and survival of every living thing is maintained through water.
3. Every living thing was created from a watery fluid (i.e. semen).
[31] This is the fourth rational proof. (Tamīda) is from mīd, which means to shake or move in an unstable, scattered way. (Fijājā) refers to wide open spaces — sometimes they are actual pathways for travel, and sometimes they are not, which is why (subulan) — “paths” — is mentioned right after it, for clarity. The pronoun in (fīhā) can refer to either the earth or the mountains, since both can contain wide-open paths. However, the second interpretation — that it refers to mountains — is stronger, because fajj is commonly used for wide roads that pass through mountains. The meaning of (yahtadūn) is twofold:
1. That people reach their worldly destinations through these paths.
2. That they find spiritual guidance through reflecting on these signs.
A similar idea is mentioned in Surah al-Naḥl (16:15).
In the first rational proof, the focus was on the elements necessary for sustenance and growth — the heavens, the earth, and water. In this second group of signs, the blessings that help in seeking sustenance are mentioned — such as the earth not swaying, and the presence of paths for travel.
[32] This is the fifth rational proof, and in the second part of the verse there is a warning (zajr) against turning away from these signs.
The protection of the heavens is in many forms: They are protected from falling, as mentioned in Surah al-Ḥajj (22:65) and Surah Fāṭir (35:41). They are protected from devils, as in Surah al-Ṣāffāt (37:7) and Surah al-Ḥijr (15:17). They are also protected from shirk and sin — meaning, there are no sinners or wrongdoers in the heavens.
(Āyātihā) — “its signs” — refers to the heavens, the sun, the moon, the stars, their movements, and the alternation of night and day. A similar verse appears in Surah Yūsuf (12:105), and the next verse will continue elaborating on this theme.
[33] This is the sixth rational proof. The previous evidences were based on spatial (makānī) signs, while this one is based on temporal (zamānī) phenomena and their causes.
Just as earlier signs were heavenly and earthly, this is a central sign — involving both movement and time. The creation of night and day was mentioned earlier, showing that the alternation of night and day is not caused by the sun itself; rather, the sun and moon are merely signs. (Kullun) — “each” — refers to the sun, moon, and stars. Through them, the cycle of night and day is also understood.
Imām al-Qurṭubī mentions that the word falak refers to an orbit or circular path — meaning the space in which they revolve. These celestial bodies move below the heavens, each in its own orbit. In the verses that say the sun and moon are “in the heavens,” it refers to the boundary or surface of the heavens, not within their core. (Yasbaḥūn) — “they swim” — comes from sabaḥa, originally used for swimming in water. This implies that the sky is like an ocean, and the sun, moon, and stars swim in it like fish — smoothly and effortlessly moving through their orbits.