سُبْحَـٰنَ رَبِّ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ رَبِّ ٱلْعَرْشِ عَمَّا يَصِفُونَ 82
Translations
Exalted is the Lord of the heavens and the earth, Lord of the Throne, above what they describe.
Transliteration
Subhana Rabbi as-samawati wal-ardi Rabbi al-arshi amma yasifun
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah is a declaration of Allah's absolute transcendence and perfection, glorifying Him beyond all the false descriptions attributed to Him by the disbelievers and idolaters. Ibn Kathir explains that the verse emphasizes Allah's exaltation above the creation of the heavens and earth, and above the Throne (Arsh), refuting the polytheists' blasphemous claims and distortions about His nature. Al-Qurtubi notes that this tasbih (glorification) serves as both a rebuttal to false claims and an affirmation of Allah's unique attributes of perfection.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears near the end of Surah Az-Zukhruf, which is a Meccan surah addressing the polytheists' rejection of monotheism and their false descriptions of Allah. The specific context involves refuting the idolaters' claim that angels are daughters of Allah—a grave distortion that prompted this powerful declaration of Allah's transcendence beyond all inadequate human descriptions.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (peace be upon him) emphasized the virtue of tasbih; Jabir reported in Sahih Muslim that the Prophet said, 'The best supplication is 'Alhamdulillah' (praise be to Allah), and the best remembrance is 'La ilaha illallah' (there is none worthy of worship except Allah).' Additionally, the concept of Allah's incomparability is reinforced in various hadith collections discussing the Names and Attributes of Allah.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches believers to firmly reject false and diminishing descriptions of Allah, recognizing His complete transcendence beyond human limitation and inadequate understanding. It encourages constant glorification of Allah as a means of spiritual protection against misguidance and idolatrous thinking in all its forms.
Related Ayahs
قُلِ ٱدْعُوا۟ ٱلَّذِينَ زَعَمْتُم مِّن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ ۖ لَا يَمْلِكُونَ مِثْقَالَ ذَرَّةٍ فِى ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَلَا فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ وَمَا لَهُمْ فِيهِمَا مِن شِرْكٍ وَمَا لَهُۥ مِنْهُم مِّن ظَهِيرٍ
Say, [O Muḥammad], "Invoke those you claim [as deities] besides Allāh." They do not possess an atom's weight [of ability] in the heavens or on the earth, and they do not have therein any partnership [with Him], nor is there for Him from among them any assistant.
وَإِلَـٰهُكُمْ إِلَـٰهٌ وَٰحِدٌ ۖ لَّآ إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنُ ٱلرَّحِيمُ
And your god is one God. There is no deity [worthy of worship] except Him, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful.
إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يَغْفِرُ أَن يُشْرَكَ بِهِۦ وَيَغْفِرُ مَا دُونَ ذَٰلِكَ لِمَن يَشَآءُ ۚ وَمَن يُشْرِكْ بِٱللَّهِ فَقَدِ ٱفْتَرَىٰٓ إِثْمًا عَظِيمًا
Indeed, Allāh does not forgive association with Him, but He forgives what is less than that for whom He wills. And he who associates others with Allāh has certainly fabricated a tremendous sin.
قُلْ إِنَّمَآ أَنَا۠ بَشَرٌ مِّثْلُكُمْ يُوحَىٰٓ إِلَىَّ أَنَّمَآ إِلَـٰهُكُمْ إِلَـٰهٌ وَٰحِدٌ ۖ فَمَن كَانَ يَرْجُوا۟ لِقَآءَ رَبِّهِۦ فَلْيَعْمَلْ عَمَلًا صَـٰلِحًا وَلَا يُشْرِكْ بِعِبَادَةِ رَبِّهِۦٓ أَحَدًۢا
Say, "I am only a man like you, to whom has been revealed that your god is one God. So whoever would hope for the meeting with his Lord - let him do righteous work and not associate in the worship of his Lord anyone."