وَما أَدراكَ مَا الطّارِقُ

And what will show you what is the nightly visitor?

EXEGESIS

In many passages of the Quran, an oath is followed by the rhetorical question what will show you? (mā adrāka), which is then promptly followed by an answer explaining what is meant. The phrase suggests that the issue at hand is information whose significance is beyond our capability to fully appreciate.

In relation to this, we may note the usage of mā yudrīka (the imperfect tense as compared to the perfect verb mā adrāka) used in some other verses of the Quran, which probably indicates knowledge that is not imparted to us or explained in any way.^{‎[1]Razi, 31/117.} For example, concerning the knowledge of the final hour, which is known only to God, it is said: The people question you concerning the hour. Say: ‘Its knowledge is only with Allah.’ What do you know (mā yudrīka), maybe the hour is near (33:63).^{‎[2]See also 42:17 and 80:3.}

EXPOSITION

Here, again, the theme of mystery continues. The nightly visitor (that is here referring to a star) is a wondrous thing that our limited faculties cannot fully grasp in terms of worth and implication. So I swear by the orbits of the stars! And indeed it is a great oath, should you know (56:75-76). Mankind has been gazing at the stars in wonder for millennia, and it seems there is always more to learn and appreciate. Indeed, it seems that even though God explains what is meant by ṭāriq and despite the extent of our knowledge of these phenomena, we still fall short of true understanding and appreciation. The exhortation what will show you is used to emphasise the significance of the previous oath. This rhetorical device is meant to make the reader rethink their presuppositions and consider that there may be more depth of meaning to that which they previously thought they understood. The sky and its mysterious stars are in this sense an extremely apt example. In each stage of its history, mankind has thought it has understood the universe, yet in each stage it has realised that there is much more to learn.

[1] Razi, 31/117.
[2] See also 42:17 and 80:3.