Two east & two west

“Lord of the Two Easts and the Two Wests”

1. Opening

Bismillah‑ir‑Rahman‑ir‑Raheem.
Alhamdulillah, Rabbil‑‘Alameen.
Was‑salatu was‑salam ‘ala Rasulillah.

My dear brothers and sisters, today I want to take you on a journey — a journey that begins with a single ayah from Surah Ar‑Rahman:

“Rabbul‑Mashriqayn wa Rabbul‑Maghribayn.”
“The Lord of the two Easts and the two Wests.”

At first glance, this ayah seems simple. But when we pause, when we reflect, when we look at the world through the lens of the Qur’an and the lens of science, this ayah becomes a doorway into the majesty of Allah’s creation.

I want to open that doorway with you.


2. The Classical Tafsir — A Beautiful Simplicity

The scholars of the past explained this ayah in a very elegant way.

They said:

The sun does not rise from the same point every day.
In summer, it rises from the far northeast.
In winter, it rises from the far southeast.
These two extreme sunrise points are the two Easts.
The two extreme sunset points are the two Wests.


This is the primary meaning.
Clear. Simple. Beautiful.

But the Qur’an is not a book that limits your thinking.
It is a book that invites your thinking.

Allah says:

“Do they not reflect?”
“Do they not observe?”
“Do they not ponder upon the creation of the heavens and the earth?”

So let us reflect deeper.


3. The Earth’s Tilt — The Hidden Mechanism

Why does the sun rise from different points?

Because the Earth is tilted at 23.5 degrees.

This tilt is the reason:

seasons exist
daylight changes
shadows shift
the sun’s path moves across the horizon


Without this tilt, there would be:

no summer
no winter
no long days
no short days


Just one unchanging pattern.

But Allah designed the Earth with precision , a tilt that creates diversity, movement, rhythm, and balance.

This tilt is the first layer behind the “two Easts and two Wests.”

But there is more.


4. Two Hemispheres — Two Different Worlds

Because of the Earth’s tilt and rotation, the planet is divided into two hemispheres:

Northern Hemisphere
Southern Hemisphere


And each hemisphere behaves like a different world.

Northern Hemisphere

Sun rises northeast in summer
Sun rises southeast in winter
Hurricanes rotate counter‑clockwise
Water draining tends to swirl counter‑clockwise
Seasons follow one pattern


Southern Hemisphere

Sun rises southeast in summer
Sun rises northeast in winter
Cyclones rotate clockwise
Water draining tends to swirl clockwise
Seasons are the opposite of the north


Two hemispheres.
Two systems.
Two mirrored realities.

Two Easts.
Two Wests.

This is where the ayah becomes even more profound.


5. The Coriolis Effect, A Subtle Sign of Allah’s Power

There is a physical phenomenon called the Coriolis effect.

It is caused by the rotation of the Earth.

Because of this effect:

storms spin in opposite directions
winds curve differently
ocean currents form spirals
water draining behaves differently near the equator


This effect is invisible so you cannot see it with your eyes, but its consequences shape the entire planet.

The Qur’an repeatedly calls us to reflect on the unseen forces that govern creation.

The Coriolis effect is one of those forces.

It is a reminder that Allah’s design is not only visible in the big things like the mountains, the oceans, the stars but also in the subtle, delicate, invisible forces that hold the world together.


6. Weather Systems — Two Easts and Two Wests in Motion

Let’s look at weather.

Northern Hemisphere

Jet streams flow west → east
Storms rotate counter‑clockwise
High‑pressure systems behave differently


Southern Hemisphere

Jet streams also flow west → east, but with different patterns
Storms rotate clockwise
Ocean currents move in opposite spirals


These are not small differences.
These are planet‑wide systems.

Two different “Easts.”
Two different “Wests.”
Two different ways the world breathes.

And Allah is the Lord of all of them.


7. Sunrise and Sunset — A Matter of Perspective

Here is something even more fascinating:

Your “East” is not the same as someone else’s “East.”

In the Arctic, the sun can rise and not set for months.
In the Antarctic, the sun can disappear for months.
At the equator, day and night are almost equal all year.
In the tropics, the sun rises almost vertically.
In the far north, it rises at a shallow angle.


So what is “East”?
What is “West”?

They are not fixed points.
They are experiences shaped by where you stand on Earth.

And Allah is the Lord of every perspective.


8. The Qur’an’s Style — Layers of Meaning

The Qur’an often uses language that has:

a simple meaning
a deeper meaning
a symbolic meaning
and sometimes a meaning that only becomes clear centuries later


This ayah is one of those.

The classical tafsir is correct.
But the scientific reflections add richness.

The Qur’an does not contradict science.
It precedes it.
It invites it.
It inspires it.


9. The Spiritual Message — Dominion and Oneness

Now let’s step back.

What is Allah really telling us?

He is telling us:

Whether the Earth tilts or rotates
Whether storms spin clockwise or counter‑clockwise
Whether sunrise comes from the northeast or southeast
Whether seasons flip from one hemisphere to the other
Whether humans understand these systems or not


Allah is the Lord of all of it.

Every horizon.
Every direction.
Every system.
Every phenomenon.
Every world within this world.

This ayah is not just about geography.
It is about dominion.
It is about control.
It is about oneness.

It is a reminder that the universe is not random.
It is designed.
Balanced.
Measured.
Precise.

And behind every sunrise and every sunset stands the One who never changes.


10. Closing Reflection

My brothers and sisters, when we read the Qur’an with reflection, the world becomes a classroom.

The sunrise becomes a lesson.
The seasons become a reminder.
The hemispheres become signs.
The rotation of storms becomes a form of dhikr.
The tilt of the Earth becomes a testimony of divine engineering.

So the next time you see the sun rise or set, remember:

Rabbul‑Mashriqayn wa Rabbul‑Maghribayn.
The Lord of the two Easts and the two Wests.

The Lord of every horizon.
The Lord of every system.
The Lord of every world.

May Allah make us people of reflection, people of understanding, and people who see His signs in every corner of creation.

Ameen.