The short answer
The Quran says the sun and the moon each move in their own falak (orbit or course), "swimming" through it, by a precise calculation that Allah set, and neither overtakes the other. It calls the sun a shining light and the moon a light, and says both are signs that should lead us to worship their Creator, not them.
Allah says He created the night and the day, the sun and the moon, and "all [heavenly bodies] in an orbit are swimming" 1. The word falak means a rounded course, and yasbahun pictures smooth, floating motion. In Surah Ya-Sin, the sun "runs [on course] toward its stopping point", the moon passes through measured phases until it looks like an old, curved date stalk, and "it is not allowable for the sun to reach the moon... but each, in an orbit, is swimming" 2. Al-Mukhtasar explains that each keeps to the course Allah determined and does not go beyond it 3.
This order is exact: "The sun and the moon [move] by precise calculation" 4. Each runs "for a specified term" 5, so they will not run forever.
The Quran also describes their light differently. The sun is diya' (a shining light) and the moon is nur (light), and the moon's phases were set "that you may know the number of years and account [of time]" 6. Al-Mukhtasar explains the moon as "a light illuminated by" the sun 7. Greek thinkers had already taught, centuries before Islam, that the moon shines by the sun's light, so the point of the verse is not a discovery but a sign of order and a calendar for our worship.
Most importantly, the Quran draws a conclusion from all this: "Do not prostrate to the sun or to the moon, but prostrate to Allah, who created them" 8. People had bowed to the sun and moon as gods; the Quran shows them as obedient creations moving on the tracks Allah laid down.
The night, day, sun and moon were created; all are swimming in an orbit.
وَهُوَ ٱلَّذِي خَلَقَ ٱلَّيۡلَ وَٱلنَّهَارَ وَٱلشَّمۡسَ وَٱلۡقَمَرَۖ كُلࣱّ فِي فَلَكࣲ يَسۡبَحُونَ ٣٣
And it is He who created the night and the day and the sun and the moon; all [heavenly bodies] in an orbit are swimming
The sun runs to its stopping point, the moon has phases, and each swims in an orbit.
وَٱلشَّمۡسُ تَجۡرِي لِمُسۡتَقَرࣲّ لَّهَاۚ ذَٰلِكَ تَقۡدِيرُ ٱلۡعَزِيزِ ٱلۡعَلِيمِ ٣٨ وَٱلۡقَمَرَ قَدَّرۡنَٰهُ مَنَازِلَ حَتَّىٰ عَادَ كَٱلۡعُرۡجُونِ ٱلۡقَدِيمِ ٣٩ لَا ٱلشَّمۡسُ يَنۢبَغِي لَهَآ أَن تُدۡرِكَ ٱلۡقَمَرَ وَلَا ٱلَّيۡلُ سَابِقُ ٱلنَّهَارِۚ وَكُلࣱّ فِي فَلَكࣲ يَسۡبَحُونَ ٤٠
38 And the sun runs [on course] toward its stopping point. That is the determination of the Exalted in Might, the Knowing 39 And the moon - We have determined for it phases, until it returns [appearing] like the old date stalk 40 It is not allowable for the sun to reach the moon, nor does the night overtake the day, but each, in an orbit, is swimming
These signs; the sun moon, night and day, each are predetermined by Allah's divine arrangement/determination and do not surpass what has been determined for them. The sun cannot catch up with the moon to change its course or take away its light, and nor can the night outpace the day and enter upon it before its time ends. All these creations, subservient or not, such as stars and galaxies, have their own courses as per Allah’s determination and protection.
The sun and moon move by precise calculation.
ٱلشَّمۡسُ وَٱلۡقَمَرُ بِحُسۡبَانࣲ ٥
The sun and the moon [move] by precise calculation
The sun and moon are subjected, each running for a specified term.
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
The sun is a shining light, the moon a light with phases, to count years and time.
هُوَ ٱلَّذِي جَعَلَ ٱلشَّمۡسَ ضِيَآءࣰ وَٱلۡقَمَرَ نُورࣰ ا وَقَدَّرَهُۥ مَنَازِلَ لِتَعۡلَمُواْ عَدَدَ ٱلسِّنِينَ وَٱلۡحِسَابَۚ مَا خَلَقَ ٱللَّهُ ذَٰلِكَ إِلَّا بِٱلۡحَقِّۚ يُفَصِّلُ ٱلۡأٓيَٰتِ لِقَوۡمࣲ يَعۡلَمُونَ ٥
It is He who made the sun a shining light and the moon a derived light and determined for it phases - that you may know the number of years and account [of time]. Allah has not created this except in truth. He details the signs for a people who know
It is He Who made the sun radiate light and made the moon a light illuminated by it, determining its progression through twenty-eight phases – a phase being the change it goes through every twenty-four hours – so that people would know the number of days by the sun and the number of months and years by the moon. Allah did not create the heavens and the earth and what is in them except with the truth, revealing His power and might to people. Allah makes clear these obvious signs and evidence that there is no god but Him for a people who know how to draw conclusions from such facts.
Do not prostrate to the sun or moon, but to Allah who created them.
وَمِنۡ ءَايَٰتِهِ ٱلَّيۡلُ وَٱلنَّهَارُ وَٱلشَّمۡسُ وَٱلۡقَمَرُۚ لَا تَسۡجُدُواْ لِلشَّمۡسِ وَلَا لِلۡقَمَرِ وَٱسۡجُدُواْۤ لِلَّهِۤ ٱلَّذِي خَلَقَهُنَّ إِن كُنتُمۡ إِيَّاهُ تَعۡبُدُونَ ٣٧
And of His signs are the night and day and the sun and moon. Do not prostrate to the sun or to the moon, but prostate to Allah, who created them, if it should be Him that you worship
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 2026-09-25