وَجَعَلنا نَومَكُم سُباتًا

And make your sleep for rest?

EXEGESIS

Subāt means rest and repose.^{‎[1]Lisan, under s-b-t.} Its root is sabt, which means stop and cessation. Al-sabt is Saturday, when the Jews were instructed, ‘thou shalt not do any work’;^{‎[2]Exodus 20:10.} We said to them: ‘Do not violate the Sabbath,’ and We took from them a solemn covenant (4:154).

There are a few possible reasons for calling sleep subāt: 1. Sleep is a means of rest and repose. 2. Sleep is subāt as it involves the stop and cessation of one’s activity. 3. Sabt is also used for a long period of time. Based on this, the verse is describing sleep as a mini-death, and thus awakening from sleep should be a clear sign of resurrection after death.^{‎[3]Tibyan, 10/340; Tabrisi, 10/639. The second interpretation is narrated from Ibn al-Anbārī.} However, it is not appropriate to interpret subāt here as death because the overall context of these verses is that of enumerating God’s favours and blessings upon mankind.^{‎[4]Razi, 31/9.}

EXPOSITION

According to the Quran, both night and spouses are means of composure and rest (10:67, 28:72-73, 30:21, 40:61). Moreover, the term libās (covering) that is used in verse 10 for night is also used for spouses: they [your wives] are a garment for you, and you are a garment for them (2:187). This might be why Qatādah has interpreted libās (covering, clothes) in verse 10 as rest, meaning a means or time of rest.^{‎[5]Tabari, 30/4.}

Not only is sleep a means of rest, but its whole nature and process is a great sign of God (39:42). Sleep is the border line between life and death, and dreams are our most accessible experience of supernatural realms. And of His signs is your sleep by night and day, and your pursuit of His grace (30:23). Our need for sleep is also a sign of our weakness and limitation, and our dependence on God: Neither drowsiness befalls Him nor sleep (2:255).^{‎[6]Furqan, 30/18-19.} Imam al-Ṣādiq (a) said: ‘Every living being sleeps save for God, the mighty, the majestic.’^{‎[7]Kamal, 2/666, h. 8; Bihar, 56/185, h. 28.} The collective sleep of people at night is also a blessing for the elite who eagerly await some stillness and silence to have a more intimate conversation with their Lord (25:62, 32:16, 51:17-18, 73:6).

[1] Lisan, under s-b-t.
[2] Exodus 20:10.
[3] Tibyan, 10/340; Tabrisi, 10/639. The second interpretation is narrated from Ibn al-Anbārī.
[4] Razi, 31/9.
[5] Tabari, 30/4.
[6] Furqan, 30/18-19.
[7] Kamal, 2/666, h. 8; Bihar, 56/185, h. 28.