FORCES OF NATURE------------------"And He hath made subject to you the sun and the moon, both diligently pursuing their courses: and the Night and the Day hath He (also) made subject to you." (Ibrahim (Abraham) - Chapter 14: Verse 33)
Some think that this verse means that the forces of nature have been placed under the control of man. Such an assumption leads people to develop a variety of odd ideas. Some even go so far as to say that to achieve mastery over the heavens and the earth is the true end of man's existence.
Almost all classical commentators agree that Allah's having made the natural phenomena 'subservient' to man is a metaphor for His having enabled man to derive lasting benefit from them. Allah has bound them to laws which are beneficial for humankind. Had sailing in the sea not been subject to any law, it would not have been possible for man to undertake sea voyages. Had the rivers not been subject to any laws, man could not have used them for irrigation. Likewise, had the sun, the moon, the day and the night not been regulated, there could have been no life on earth, let alone any flourishing human civilization. “Ishraq Al-Ma'ani" - Syed Iqbal Zaheer, Vol 6, p. 143
