يُسَبِّحُونَ ٱلَّيْلَ وَٱلنَّهَارَ لَا يَفْتُرُونَ 20
Translations
They exalt [Him] night and day [and] do not slacken.
Transliteration
Yusabbihūn al-layla wa-n-nahāra lā yaftūrūn
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah describes the angels glorifying and praising Allah continuously throughout the night and day without any pause or fatigue. According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari, the verse emphasizes the constant devotion of the angels to worship, serving as a reminder to believers of their own obligation to remember Allah perpetually. Al-Qurtubi notes that this demonstrates the angels' unwavering obedience and the perfection of their servitude, contrasting with human weakness and the need for rest.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in the context of Surah Al-Anbya (Meccan), which discusses various prophets and the signs of Allah's creation. The immediate context (21:19-20) describes the angels praising Allah and emphasizes that all creatures glorify Him, serving to reinforce the theme of universal submission to the Divine will.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: 'The best prayer after the obligatory prayers is prayer in the middle of the night' (Sunan Ibn Majah). Additionally, 'Whoever stands in prayer during the night reciting the Quran, Allah will write for him the reward of a thousand dinars' (Jami' at-Tirmidhi), relating to the continuous glorification mentioned in this ayah.
Themes
Key Lesson
Believers should strive to remember Allah consistently throughout their day and night, recognizing that while we may need rest, the spirit of worship should remain constant in our hearts. This ayah encourages us to balance our earthly needs with our spiritual obligations, taking the angels' tireless devotion as inspiration for maintaining consciousness of Allah in all circumstances.
Related Ayahs
۞ وَلَقَدْ ءَاتَيْنَآ إِبْرَٰهِيمَ رُشْدَهُۥ مِن قَبْلُ وَكُنَّا بِهِۦ عَـٰلِمِينَ
And We had certainly given Abraham his sound judgement before, and We were of him well-Knowing
وَلَهُۥ مَن فِى ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ ۚ وَمَنْ عِندَهُۥ لَا يَسْتَكْبِرُونَ عَنْ عِبَادَتِهِۦ وَلَا يَسْتَحْسِرُونَ
To Him belongs whoever is in the heavens and the earth. And those near Him [i.e., the angels] are not prevented by arrogance from His worship, nor do they tire.
وَذَا ٱلنُّونِ إِذ ذَّهَبَ مُغَـٰضِبًا فَظَنَّ أَن لَّن نَّقْدِرَ عَلَيْهِ فَنَادَىٰ فِى ٱلظُّلُمَـٰتِ أَن لَّآ إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّآ أَنتَ سُبْحَـٰنَكَ إِنِّى كُنتُ مِنَ ٱلظَّـٰلِمِينَ
And [mention] the man of the fish [i.e., Jonah], when he went off in anger and thought that We would not decree [anything] upon him. And he called out within the darknesses, "There is no deity except You; exalted are You. Indeed, I have been of the wrongdoers."
وَهَـٰذَا ذِكْرٌ مُّبَارَكٌ أَنزَلْنَـٰهُ ۚ أَفَأَنتُمْ لَهُۥ مُنكِرُونَ
And this [Qur’ān] is a blessed message which We have sent down. Then are you with it unacquainted?