Was Day Created Before Night? Imam al-Ridha (AS) Explains the Cosmos and the Zodiacs

 

From Qur’anic Verses to Celestial Calculations—Uncovering Divine Order Through Imam al-Ridha’s (AS) Insight

Qur’an – Surah Ya-Sin (36:40)

Verse:
“It is not for the sun to overtake the moon, nor does the night outstrip the day. Each floats in an orbit.”
Arabic:
لَا الشَّمْسُ يَنبَغِي لَهَا أَن تُدْرِكَ الْقَمَرَ وَلَا اللَّيْلُ سَابِقُ النَّهَارِ ۚ وَكُلٌّ فِي فَلَكٍ يَسْبَحُونَ
(36:40)

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Tafsir from Ali ibn Ibrahim al-Qummi (via Abu al-Jarud from Imam al-Baqir [as])

“The sun is the sovereign of the day, and the moon is the sovereign of the night. It is not proper for the sun to share its light with the moon at night. Nor does the night precede the day.
The night does not depart until the day overtakes it.
All float in their orbits, meaning: they revolve within the circular path of their orbit.”

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Tafsir al-Ayyashi (narrated by al-Ash‘ath ibn Hatim)

Setting: Khurasan – A gathering of Imam al-Ridha (as), al-Fadhl ibn Sahl, and al-Ma'mun.

Imam al-Ridha (as) was asked by a man from Bani Israel in Madinah:
“Which was created first—the day or the night?”

They debated but had no answer. Al-Fadhl asked Imam al-Ridha (as) to clarify:

Imam (as) said:

“Shall I answer from the Qur’an or from astronomical calculation?”
Al-Fadhl replied: “From calculation.”

Imam al-Ridha (as) explained:

“You know, O Fadhl, that the rising of the world is in Cancer. The planets are in their exalted positions:

• Saturn in Libra

• Jupiter in Cancer

• The Sun in Aries

• The Moon in Taurus
  This indicates that the Sun was in Aries in the tenth house, in the middle of the sky—hence, the day was created before the night.”

Imam al-Ridha (AS) explained that while the Sun is in Aries, ruling the day, and the Moon is in Taurus, ruling the night, the zodiac sign Cancer governs the Earth itself. This cosmic arrangement symbolizes the intimate bond between celestial cycles and the earthly realm, affirming that divine order flows from the heavens to the soil beneath our feet.

As the stars align in their ordained orbits, so too does the earth respond under Cancer’s nurturing influence, a reminder of the balance and harmony woven into creation by God’s design.

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Narration from Ibn Mahbub (through Abu Ja‘far al-Hawl from Sallam bin al-Mustaneer)

Imam Abu Ja‘far (as) said:

• “Allah created Paradise before Hellfire.

• Obedience before disobedience.

• Mercy before wrath.

• Goodness before evil.

• Earth before the sky.

• Life before death.

• The sun before the moon.

• And light before darkness.”

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Kitab al-Ihtijaj by al-Tabarsi – from Imam al-Sadiq (as)

The questioner asked:
“Was the day created before the night?”

Imam Ja‘far al-Sadiq (as) replied:

“Yes. The day was created before the night, and the sun, the moon, and the earth were created before the sky.”

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Verses 41–45 (beginning excerpt)

Verse 41:
“And a sign for them is that We carried their forefathers in the laden ship.”
Arabic:
وَآيَةٌ لَّهُمْ أَنَّا حَمَلْنَا ذُرِّيَّتَهُمْ فِي الْفُلْكِ الْمَشْحُونِ

Reflection

In a world that often rushes to judge and categorize, we sometimes forget the sacred meanings hidden in the rhythms of the sky. Imam al-Ridha (AS) spoke not to mystify, but to reveal the harmony embedded in creation: Cancer as the ascendant of the world, the Moon dignified in Taurus, the Sun glorified in Aries. These are not just signs—they are symbols of divine wisdom in motion.

For those of us told we feel too deeply or move too slowly—perhaps it is not weakness, but alignment with something ancient and holy. To be born under Cancer is to carry the care of the Earth; to be a Taurean may be to reflect the Moon’s quiet strength.

Maybe the heavens knew exactly what they were doing.

I never wanted to be anything else.