Surah An-Nur, Ayah 41
Quran 24:41 · The Light · Madani · Para 18 · Page 355
اَلَمْ تَرَ اَنَّ اللّٰهَ یُسَبِّحُ لَهٗ مَنْ فِی السَّمٰوٰتِ وَالْاَرْضِ وَالطَّیْرُ صٰٓفّٰتٍ ؕ كُلٌّ قَدْ عَلِمَ صَلَاتَهٗ وَتَسْبِیْحَهٗ ؕ وَاللّٰهُ عَلِیْمٌۢ بِمَا یَفْعَلُوْنَ ۟
Transliteration
Alam tara anna Allaha yusabbihulahu man fee assamawati wal-ardiwattayru saffatin kullun qadAAalima salatahu watasbeehahu wallahuAAaleemun bima yafAAaloon
Saheeh International
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.
Al-Mukhtasar fi Tafsir
O Messenger! Do you not know that all the inhabitants of the heavens and earth from the creation of Allah, glorify Him? The birds that fly in formation also glorify Him. Of all those creations, Allah knows of the prayer of every one who prays, i.e. the human; and the glorification of every one that glorifies Him, i.e. the birds. Allah is all-aware of what they do, no action of theirs is hidden from Him.
Tafsir Ibn Kathir (abridged) on 24:41–24:42
See you not that Allah, He it is Whom glorify whosoever is in the heavens and the earth, and the birds with wings outspread? Of each one He knows indeed his Salah and his glorification; and Allah is All-Aware of what they do (41)And to Allah belongs the sovereignty of the heavens and the earth, and to Allah is the return (42)
Everything Glorifies Allah, May He Be Exalted, and to Him Belongs the Sovereignty
Allah tells us that whosoever is in the heavens and on the earth, i.e., the angels, mankind, Jinn, animals and even inanimate objects, all glorify Him. This is like the Ayah:
تُسَبِّحُ لَهُ السَّمَاوَاتُ السَّبْعُ وَالْأَرْضُ وَمَن فِيهِنَّ
(The seven heavens and the earth and all that is therein, glorify Him)(17:44),
وَالطَّيْرُ صَافَّاتٍ
(and the birds with wings outspread) means, while they are flying they glorify their Lord and worship Him with the glorification with which they are inspired and to which they are guided. Allah knows what they are doing, and so He says:
كُلٌّ قَدْ عَلِمَ صَلَاتَهُ وَتَسْبِيحَهُ
(Of each one He knows indeed his Salah and his glorification;) meaning, He has guided every creature to its own way of worshipping Allah, may He be glorified. Then Allah tells us that He knows all of that and nothing at all is hidden from Him. He says:
وَاللَّهُ عَلِيمٌ بِمَا يَفْعَلُونَ
(and Allah is All-Aware of what they do.) Then Allah tells us that to Him belongs the sovereignty of heaven and earth, and that He is the Ruler and Controller, the God Who is worshipped and besides Whom none other is to be worshipped, and there is none to put back His judgement.
وَإِلَى اللَّهِ الْمَصِيرُ
(and to Allah is the return) means, on the Day of Resurrection, when He will judge as He wills,
لِيَجْزِيَ الَّذِينَ أَسَاءُوا بِمَا عَمِلُوا
(that He may requite those who do evil with that which they have done...)(53:31) He is the Creator and Sovereign, and His is indeed the Authority in this world and the next. To Him be praise at the beginning and in the end.