At-Takwir 81:1 - Linguistic Miracle

When the sun is wrapped up

In all of these oaths, the object is advanced and foregrounded. For example, in this verse, the sun is before the verb “wrapped up” while in normal usage, it should be delayed after it. This is to communicate something unusual. Just as this pattern itself is unusual, it is used for an unusual and strange phenomenon. A better way to translate this verse is, “ When even then the sun is wrapped up.” This same pattern, of the object being advanced before the verb, is employed in each verse until verse 13.

This wrapping up of the sun can refer to the light of the sun just as well to the sun itself. Why does Allah say the sun will be ‘wrapped up’ instead of simply saying the sun’s light will be taken away? We will see this later.