Why does God call on time, for example, as a witness in the Holy Qur’an?

A witness is not called for the sake of the speaker but for the sake of the one who is to be convinced. God needs no witness, but people need one they accept, and time is a witness no one can deny.

Some chapters of the Holy Qur’an begin by calling something to witness, such as time or the dawn. One might ask why Allah needs a witness. The answer lies in the purpose of a witness. Whoever calls a witness does so not for his own sake but for the sake of the one he wants to convince.

An example makes this clear. If you tell someone who does not believe in God that God is your witness, it means nothing to him. But if you tell him that history is your witness, he will listen. For he too believes in history. A witness must carry weight with the listener.

That is why Allah calls time to witness. Especially in an age when many people have no faith in God, time is the witness that carries weight. The age in which people live shows them clearly where their path is leading. The signs of decline are so obvious that no one can deny them, whether they believe in God or not.

The verses above draw the lesson that man is in a state of loss. At the same time they show the way out. Those who believe, do good works and urge one another to truth and to patience are excepted. In this way a witness that everyone accepts leads to a message that concerns everyone.