أَلَمْ تَرَ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ يُسَبِّحُ لَهُۥ مَن فِى ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ وَٱلطَّيْرُ صَـٰٓفَّـٰتٍ ۖ كُلٌّ قَدْ عَلِمَ صَلَاتَهُۥ وَتَسْبِيحَهُۥ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ عَلِيمٌۢ بِمَا يَفْعَلُونَ 41
Translations
Do you not see that Allāh is exalted by whomever is within the heavens and the earth and [by] the birds with wings spread [in flight]? Each [of them] has known his [means of] prayer and exalting [Him], and Allāh is Knowing of what they do.
Transliteration
Alam tara anna Allaha yusabbih lahu man fi as-samawati wa-l-ardi wa-at-tairu saffatin. Kullun qad alima salataahu wa-tasbihaahu. Wa-Allahu alimun bima yafalooun.
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah establishes the universal glorification (tasbih) of Allah by all creation in the heavens and earth, specifically mentioning birds in formation as a vivid example of this phenomenon. According to classical scholars like Al-Qurtubi and Ibn Kathir, every creature glorifies Allah in its own manner—whether through speech, action, or inherent nature—and each knows its prescribed form of worship and glorification. The ayah emphasizes Allah's complete knowledge of all creatures' actions and their glorification, affirming both the divine reality that pervades creation and Allah's omniscience.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in Surah An-Nur (Chapter 24), a Medinan surah that primarily addresses legal and moral matters. This particular ayah is thematically part of a passage (24:41-45) that emphasizes signs of Allah's majesty in creation and serves to redirect the reader's focus from worldly concerns to cosmic realities and divine magnificence.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: 'Every creature glorifies Allah, but you do not understand their glorification' (a theme found in various hadith collections). Additionally, Surah Al-Isra (17:44) contains a parallel verse on universal tasbih: 'The seven heavens and the earth, and all beings therein, declare His glory.'
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah invites believers to recognize that all of creation participates in glorifying Allah through its very existence and function, encouraging us to perceive the divine in natural phenomena and to join in this universal act of worship through conscious remembrance (dhikr) and gratitude.
Related Ayahs
۞ وَأَقْسَمُوا۟ بِٱللَّهِ جَهْدَ أَيْمَـٰنِهِمْ لَئِنْ أَمَرْتَهُمْ لَيَخْرُجُنَّ ۖ قُل لَّا تُقْسِمُوا۟ ۖ طَاعَةٌ مَّعْرُوفَةٌ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ خَبِيرٌۢ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ
And they swear by Allāh their strongest oaths that if you ordered them, they would go forth [in Allāh's cause]. Say, "Do not swear. [Such] obedience is known. Indeed, Allāh is [fully] Aware of that which you do."
وَعَدَ ٱللَّهُ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ مِنكُمْ وَعَمِلُوا۟ ٱلصَّـٰلِحَـٰتِ لَيَسْتَخْلِفَنَّهُمْ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ كَمَا ٱسْتَخْلَفَ ٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ وَلَيُمَكِّنَنَّ لَهُمْ دِينَهُمُ ٱلَّذِى ٱرْتَضَىٰ لَهُمْ وَلَيُبَدِّلَنَّهُم مِّنۢ بَعْدِ خَوْفِهِمْ أَمْنًا ۚ يَعْبُدُونَنِى لَا يُشْرِكُونَ بِى شَيْـًٔا ۚ وَمَن كَفَرَ بَعْدَ ذَٰلِكَ فَأُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلْفَـٰسِقُونَ
Allāh has promised those who have believed among you and done righteous deeds that He will surely grant them succession [to authority] upon the earth just as He granted it to those before them and that He will surely establish for them [therein] their religion which He has preferred for them and that He will surely substitute for them, after their fear, security, [for] they worship Me, not associating anything with Me. But whoever disbelieves after that - then those are the defiantly disobedient.
إِنَّمَا كَانَ قَوْلَ ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ إِذَا دُعُوٓا۟ إِلَى ٱللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِۦ لِيَحْكُمَ بَيْنَهُمْ أَن يَقُولُوا۟ سَمِعْنَا وَأَطَعْنَا ۚ وَأُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلْمُفْلِحُونَ
The only statement of the [true] believers when they are called to Allāh and His Messenger to judge between them is that they say, "We hear and we obey." And those are the successful.
وَٱلْخَـٰمِسَةُ أَنَّ لَعْنَتَ ٱللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ إِن كَانَ مِنَ ٱلْكَـٰذِبِينَ
And the fifth [oath will be] that the curse of Allāh be upon him if he should be of the liars.