LessonsThe Subject of Predication: Pronouns of Affair, Iltifāt and Departure from Expected ExpressionQuiz

«يَسْأَلُونَكَ عَنِ الْأَهِلَّةِ قُلْ هِيَ مَوَاقِيتُ لِلنَّاسِ وَالْحَجِّ»
They ask you about the new moons. Say: they are markers of time for people and for pilgrimage. (Qurʾān 2:189)

The rhetorical discussion contrasts curiosity about the moon’s changing appearance with the practical function the answer highlights. Rather than dwelling on the physical description, it points to the significance of lunar reckoning for life and worship.

The hearer receives guidance more directly related to human needs. The reply is therefore an example of shifting attention to what is especially beneficial.

This does not demean legitimate astronomical inquiry; it describes the communicative priority emphasized in this verse.

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The lunar crescents and the more useful answer

The Subject of Predication: Pronouns of Affair, Iltifāt and Departure from Expected Expression

«يَسْأَلُونَكَ عَنِ الْأَهِلَّةِ قُلْ هِيَ مَوَاقِيتُ لِلنَّاسِ وَالْحَجِّ»
They ask you about the new moons. Say: they are markers of time for people and for pilgrimage. (Qurʾān 2:189)

The rhetorical discussion contrasts curiosity about the moon’s changing appearance with the practical function the answer highlights. Rather than dwelling on the physical description, it points to the significance of lunar reckoning for life and worship.

The hearer receives guidance more directly related to human needs. The reply is therefore an example of shifting attention to what is especially beneficial.

This does not demean legitimate astronomical inquiry; it describes the communicative priority emphasized in this verse.