The short answer
The Quran calls the alternation of night and day a sign for people of understanding and a mercy: the night for rest, the day for seeking provision, and both for remembering Allah and being grateful. Because Allah is the One who turns the night and day, the Prophet ﷺ forbade cursing time, since that blames the One who controls it.
"Indeed, in the creation of the heavens and the earth and the alternation of the night and the day are signs for those of understanding" 1. We see it so often that we stop noticing it. The Quran asks us to notice.
A mercy for our bodies. Imagine the night never ended, or the day never ended: who other than Allah could bring the other? "Out of His mercy He made for you the night and the day that you may rest therein and [by day] seek from His bounty" 2. The night is "clothing" and the day is "for livelihood" 3.
A clock for our lives. Allah made the night and day two signs so that "you may know the number of years and the account [of time]" 4. He "wraps the night over the day and wraps the day over the night" 5.
A chance to return. Allah made the night and day follow each other "for whoever desires to remember or desires gratitude" 6. If you missed good in the day, the night gives another chance, and the reverse. The last third of every night is especially precious: Allah descends to the nearest heaven and asks, "Is there anyone to invoke Me, so that I may respond?" 7
Don't curse time. People often blame "the times" for their troubles. Allah said in a hadith qudsi that the son of Adam hurts Him by abusing time, "though I am Time: in My Hands are all things, and I cause the revolution of day and night" 8. Time has no power of its own; cursing it really lands on the One who runs it. Most scholars explain that "I am Time" means Allah is the One who controls time, not that time is one of His names.
A simple habit: say the morning and evening adhkar as the day and night change. It turns each transition into the remembrance the Quran describes.
The alternation of night and day is among the signs for people of understanding.
إِنَّ فِي خَلۡقِ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضِ وَٱخۡتِلَٰفِ ٱلَّيۡلِ وَٱلنَّهَارِ لَأٓيَٰتࣲ لِّأُوْلِي ٱلۡأَلۡبَٰبِ ١٩٠
Indeed, in the creation of the heavens and the earth and the alternation of the night and the day are signs for those of understanding
No one but Allah could end an endless night or day; He made both as a mercy.
قُلۡ أَرَءَيۡتُمۡ إِن جَعَلَ ٱللَّهُ عَلَيۡكُمُ ٱلَّيۡلَ سَرۡمَدًا إِلَىٰ يَوۡمِ ٱلۡقِيَٰمَةِ مَنۡ إِلَٰهٌ غَيۡرُ ٱللَّهِ يَأۡتِيكُم بِضِيَآءٍۚ أَفَلَا تَسۡمَعُونَ ٧١ قُلۡ أَرَءَيۡتُمۡ إِن جَعَلَ ٱللَّهُ عَلَيۡكُمُ ٱلنَّهَارَ سَرۡمَدًا إِلَىٰ يَوۡمِ ٱلۡقِيَٰمَةِ مَنۡ إِلَٰهٌ غَيۡرُ ٱللَّهِ يَأۡتِيكُم بِلَيۡلࣲ تَسۡكُنُونَ فِيهِۚ أَفَلَا تُبۡصِرُونَ ٧٢ وَمِن رَّحۡمَتِهِۦ جَعَلَ لَكُمُ ٱلَّيۡلَ وَٱلنَّهَارَ لِتَسۡكُنُواْ فِيهِ وَلِتَبۡتَغُواْ مِن فَضۡلِهِۦ وَلَعَلَّكُمۡ تَشۡكُرُونَ ٧٣
71 Say, "Have you considered: if Allah should make for you the night continuous until the Day of Resurrection, what deity other than Allah could bring you light? Then will you not hear 72 Say, "Have you considered: if Allah should make for you the day continuous until the Day of Resurrection, what deity other than Allah could bring you a night in which you may rest? Then will you not see 73 And out of His mercy He made for you the night and the day that you may rest therein and [by day] seek from His bounty and [that] perhaps you will be grateful
The night made as clothing and the day for livelihood.
وَجَعَلۡنَا ٱلَّيۡلَ لِبَاسࣰ ا ١٠ وَجَعَلۡنَا ٱلنَّهَارَ مَعَاشࣰ ا ١١
10 And made the night as clothing 11 And made the day for livelihood
Night and day are two signs, so you know the number of years and the reckoning.
وَجَعَلۡنَا ٱلَّيۡلَ وَٱلنَّهَارَ ءَايَتَيۡنِۖ فَمَحَوۡنَآ ءَايَةَ ٱلَّيۡلِ وَجَعَلۡنَآ ءَايَةَ ٱلنَّهَارِ مُبۡصِرَةࣰ لِّتَبۡتَغُواْ فَضۡلࣰ ا مِّن رَّبِّكُمۡ وَلِتَعۡلَمُواْ عَدَدَ ٱلسِّنِينَ وَٱلۡحِسَابَۚ وَكُلَّ شَيۡءࣲ فَصَّلۡنَٰهُ تَفۡصِيلࣰ ا ١٢
And We have made the night and day two signs, and We erased the sign of the night and made the sign of the day visible that you may seek bounty from your Lord and may know the number of years and the account [of time]. And everything We have set out in detail
Allah wraps the night over the day and the day over the night.
خَلَقَ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضَ بِٱلۡحَقِّۖ يُكَوِّرُ ٱلَّيۡلَ عَلَى ٱلنَّهَارِ وَيُكَوِّرُ ٱلنَّهَارَ عَلَى ٱلَّيۡلِۖ وَسَخَّرَ ٱلشَّمۡسَ وَٱلۡقَمَرَۖ كُلࣱّ يَجۡرِي لِأَجَلࣲ مُّسَمًّىۗ أَلَا هُوَ ٱلۡعَزِيزُ ٱلۡغَفَّٰرُ ٥
He created the heavens and earth in truth. He wraps the night over the day and wraps the day over the night and has subjected the sun and the moon, each running [its course] for a specified term. Unquestionably, He is the Exalted in Might, the Perpetual Forgiver
Night and day succeed each other for whoever wants to remember or be grateful.
وَهُوَ ٱلَّذِي جَعَلَ ٱلَّيۡلَ وَٱلنَّهَارَ خِلۡفَةࣰ لِّمَنۡ أَرَادَ أَن يَذَّكَّرَ أَوۡ أَرَادَ شُكُورࣰ ا ٦٢
And it is He who has made the night and the day in succession for whoever desires to remember or desires gratitude
Allah descends in the last third of every night, asking who will call on Him.
Narrated Abu Huraira:Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "Our Lord, the Blessed, the Superior, comes every night down on the nearest Heaven to us when the last third of the night remains, saying: "Is there anyone to invoke Me, so that I may respond to invocation? Is there anyone to ask Me, so that I may grant him his request? Is there anyone seeking My forgiveness, so that I may forgive him?
حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ مَسْلَمَةَ، عَنْ مَالِكٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ شِهَابٍ، عَنْ أَبِي سَلَمَةَ، وَأَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ الأَغَرِّ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ " يَنْزِلُ رَبُّنَا تَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالَى كُلَّ لَيْلَةٍ إِلَى السَّمَاءِ الدُّنْيَا حِينَ يَبْقَى ثُلُثُ اللَّيْلِ الآخِرُ يَقُولُ مَنْ يَدْعُونِي فَأَسْتَجِيبَ لَهُ مَنْ يَسْأَلُنِي فَأُعْطِيَهُ مَنْ يَسْتَغْفِرُنِي فَأَغْفِرَ لَهُ ".
The son of Adam hurts Allah by abusing time, while Allah turns the night and day.
Narrated Abu Huraira:Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "Allah said, 'The son of Adam hurts me for he abuses Time though I am Time: in My Hands are all things, and I cause the revolution of day and night
حَدَّثَنَا الْحُمَيْدِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ، حَدَّثَنَا الزُّهْرِيُّ، عَنْ سَعِيدِ بْنِ الْمُسَيَّبِ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " قَالَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ يُؤْذِينِي ابْنُ آدَمَ، يَسُبُّ الدَّهْرَ وَأَنَا الدَّهْرُ، بِيَدِي الأَمْرُ، أُقَلِّبُ اللَّيْلَ وَالنَّهَارَ ".
This answer was compiled with the help of AI, using only the verified texts shown here. Every reference links to its source. If you find a mistake, please report it. Updated 2026-09-24