Al-Isra: (44) The heavens glorify Him . . . . .

(Yusabbihu) with the ta (the feminine prefix) is the recitation of Abu 'Amr, the two Hamzas (of Kufa), and Hafs. The others recited it with the ya (the masculine prefix) because the feminization of the subject is metaphorical, given the separation [of the verb and the subject]. It was also recited as (Sabbahat).

(For Him, the seven heavens and the earth and whoever is in them [glorify]): Meaning, the angels and the Thaqalayn (jinn and mankind).

(And there is not a thing): Among all things, whether it be animal, plant, or inanimate object, (but it glorifies): while being imbued (with His praise): The Exalted. The intended meaning of this glorification is the indication through the "tongue of state" (lisan al-hal). That is, they indicate by their very possibility of existence and their origination—a clear indication—the necessity of His existence, the Exalted, His Oneness, His power, and His transcendence above the requirements of possibility and the attributes of origination, just as an effect indicates its producer. Thus, there is a dependent metaphor (isti'ara taba'iyya) in the utterance, similar to [the phrase] "the situation spoke."

It is permissible to consider it a representational metaphor (isti'ara tamthiliyya). The statement of the Exalted, (but you do not understand their glorification), does not forbid interpreting glorification in this way, provided that many of the intelligent [among the addressees] have grasped that indication. This is because the address is directed to the polytheists and the disbelievers, not to people in general; for the mention of their abominations—such as attributing to Him, the Exalted, what does not befit His Majesty—preceded this. Indeed, Allah, Glory be to Him, described His Essence as being transcendent above that and went to extremes in doing so. He then followed it with what was mentioned as an indication that all of existence witnesses to that transcendence—a hyperbole upon a hyperbole. If the address were to others than these deniers and their like, the speech would lose its coherence and depart from the systematic order.

As for His saying, (Indeed, He is Forbearing, All-Forgiving), it is a trailing clause (tadhyil) completing the reproach in the most eloquent manner. Meaning: He, Glory be to Him, is Forbearing, and that is why He did not hasten the punishment upon you for your failure to reflect properly, which leads to the profession of Unity (Tawhid). Had you repented and reflected, He would have forgiven you for the negligence that proceeded from you, for He is Forgiving to those who repent. Ibn al-Munir opined that this trailing clause forbids the address from being directed at the polytheists, saying: "Because He, Glory be to Him, does not forgive them and does not overlook their ignorance and polytheism." However, it is apparent that the addressees are the believers, and their lack of understanding the glorification emanating from inanimate objects is a metonymy—and Allah knows best—for the failure to act in accordance with its implications. For if a human were to truly awaken to the realization that the ant, the mosquito, and every atom of the atoms of the universe sanctifies Allah, the Exalted, and declares His transcendence, witnesses to His Majesty, His Grandeur, and His Subjugation, and if he were to occupy his mind with this understanding, it would distract him from food, let alone superfluous actions and speech. As for the one who persists in backbiting—which is the "dessert" of our time—if he were to sense, during the moments he is immersed in it, that every atom of his tongue, which he moves in a way that angers Allah against him, is occupied and filled with the sanctification of Allah, the glorification of Him, the fear of His punishment, and the warning of His power—and he were to truly awaken to that—he would almost be struck dumb for the rest of his life. Thus, it is apparent that the verse was revealed as an address to the most common state of the heedless, even if they are believers.

This [Ibn al-Munir's view] is not sound, as it causes the speech to lose its systematic order. The intent of the trailing clause is as you have heard, so there is no contradiction, as is not hidden from those of understanding.

It has been permitted that the intent of "glorification" is the indication of the transcendence of the Creator, Glory be to Him, above the requirements of possibility and the attributes of origination absolutely, whether it be of "state" (hali) or of "speech" (qali). This is based on the generalization of the metaphor, or by combining the literal and metaphorical meanings according to the opinion of those who permit it: the glorification of some is of speech, and the glorification of others is of state. This was followed by the objection that it does not align with (you do not understand), because some of that glorification is understood by the polytheists and others—namely, the glorification of speech. It was answered that the polytheists, due to their lack of contemplation and failure to benefit from it, had their understanding treated as non-existent; or that because they did not understand part of what was intended by the glorification, they were grouped with those who do not understand any of it, by way of generalization (taghlib).

Some of the Zahiriyya (literalists) went further—a view approved by al-Raghib, and mentioned in the Tafsir al-Khazin as the most correct—that "glorification" is meant in its literal sense. Thus, everything glorifies with the "tongue of speech," even inanimate objects. The Imam (Fakhr al-Din al-Razi) did not approve of this, because this glorification is not achieved except with knowledge, and this cannot be imagined in an inanimate object due to the absence of its rational condition, which is life. If that were not a rational condition, the door to knowledge would be closed regarding the fact that He, the Exalted, is Living. Furthermore, the aforementioned trailing clause forbids this, for it indicates that the failure to understand the mentioned glorification is a sin. Undoubtedly, not understanding the glorification of inanimate objects via their [audible] utterances is not a sin; the sin is failing to understand their indication due to heedlessness and short-sightedness.

Whoever tracks the hadiths and reports sees in them that which witnesses to what this group went to—a witness that can hardly accept figurative interpretation. It has been authentically reported that the glorification of pebbles was heard in the palm of the Prophet, peace be upon him. Abu al-Shaykh extracted from Anas that he said: Food (tharid) was brought to the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, and he said: "This food is glorifying." They said: "O Messenger of Allah, do you understand its glorification?" He said: "Yes." Then he said to a man: "Bring this bowl close to this man." He brought it close, and he said: "Yes, O Messenger of Allah, this food is glorifying." He then said: "Bring it close to another," and he brought it close to him, and he said: "O Messenger of Allah, this food is glorifying." Then he said: "Take it away." A man said: "O Messenger of Allah, if only you had commanded it for all the people." He said: "No, for if it were to fall silent before a man, they would say: 'It is because of a sin'—take it away," so he took it away.

Ibn Marduwayh extracted from Ibn Mas'ud, who said: "We, the companions of Muhammad, peace be upon him, used to count the signs as a blessing, while you count them as a warning. While we were with the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, and we had no water, he said to us: 'Seek [someone] who has some.' [Someone] brought some water, and he placed his hand into it, and the water began to pour from between his fingers. Then he said: 'Come to the blessed purification, and the blessing is from Allah, the Exalted.' We drank from it." Abdullah said: "We could hear the sound of the water and its glorification as it was being drunk."

Ahmad and Ibn Marduwayh extracted from Ibn 'Umar that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said: "When Noah, peace be upon him, was visited by death, he said to his two sons: 'I command you with Subhanallahi wa bihamdihi (Glory be to Allah and I praise Him), for it is the prayer of everything, and by it everything is provided for.'" Ahmad extracted from Mu'adh ibn Anas from the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, that he passed by people who were standing on their mounts and riding beasts, and he said to them: "Ride them safely and leave them safely. Do not treat them as chairs for your conversations in the roads and markets, for many a ridden one is better than its rider and mentions Allah, the Exalted, more than him."

Al-Nasa'i, Abu al-Shaykh, and Ibn Marduwayh extracted from Ibn 'Umar that he said: The Prophet, peace be upon him, forbade the killing of a frog and said: "Its croaking is glorification." Ibn Abi al-Dunya, Ibn Abi Hatim, and al-Bayhaqi in al-Shu'ab extracted from Anas ibn Malik that he said: David, peace be upon him, thought to himself that no one had praised his Creator as he had praised Him. An angel descended while he was sitting in the mihrab, with a pond beside him, and said: "O David, understand what the frog is vocalizing." David listened, and behold, the frog was praising Him with His praise in a way he had not praised Him with. The angel said to him: "How do you see it, O David? Did you understand what it said?" He said: "Yes." He said: "What did it say?" He said: "It said: 'Glory be to You, O Allah, and with Your praise, to the extent of Your knowledge, O Lord.'" David said: "No, by the One who made me His prophet, I will never praise Him [again] with this [form of praise]."

Ahmad in al-Zuhd and Abu al-Shaykh extracted from Shahr ibn Hawshab, in a long hadith, that David, peace be upon him, came to the sea at a certain hour, and a frog called out to him: "O David, you thought to yourself that you have glorified at an hour in which no one else is remembering Allah, the Exalted, while I am among seventy thousand frogs, all standing on their legs, glorifying Allah, the Exalted, and sanctifying Him."

Al-Khatib extracted from Abu Damra, who said: We were with 'Ali ibn al-Husayn, may Allah be pleased with them both, when some birds passed by us chirping. He said: "Do you know what these birds are saying?" We said: "No." He said: "As for me, I do not say that we know the unseen, but I heard my father say: I heard the Commander of the Faithful, 'Ali ibn Abi Talib, may Allah honor his face, say: I heard the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, say: 'When the bird wakes at dawn, it glorifies its Lord and asks Him for its daily sustenance, and these [birds] are glorifying their Lord and asking Him for their daily sustenance.'"

Ibn Rahwayh extracted in his Musnad via al-Zuhri that Abu Bakr al-Siddiq, may Allah be pleased with him, came with expansive wings and said: I heard the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, say: "No game is hunted, no tree is pruned, and no vine is cut except by a neglect of glorification." Abu Nu'aym in al-Hilya and Ibn Marduwayh extracted from Abu Hurayra that he said: The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said: "No game is hunted, and no [tree] is shorn, except by its loss of glorification."

Abu al-Shaykh extracted from Abu al-Darda' and Ibn Marduwayh from Ibn Mas'ud something similar, also attributed [to the Prophet]. Abu al-Shaykh extracted from al-Hasan: "Were it not for what is veiled from you of the glorification of what is in your houses, you would not be able to remain in them." He extracted from Abu Hatim from Lut ibn Abi Lut, who said: "It has reached me that the glorification of the lowest heaven is Subhana Rabbi al-A'la (Glory be to my Lord, the Most High), the second is Subhanahu wa Ta'ala (Glory be to Him and Exalted), the third is Subhanahu wa bihamdihi (Glory be to Him and I praise Him), the fourth is Subhanahu wa la hawla wa la quwwata illa bihi (Glory be to Him, and there is no power nor strength except by Him), the fifth is Subhana Muhyi al-Mawta wa huwa 'ala kulli shay'in qadir (Glory be to the Giver of Life to the dead, and He is over all things powerful), the sixth is Subhana al-Malik al-Quddus (Glory be to the King, the Holy), and the seventh is Subhana alladhi mala'a al-samawati al-sab'a wa al-aradina al-sab'a 'izzatan wa waqaran (Glory be to the One who filled the seven heavens and the seven earths with might and dignity)." [This continues] to what can hardly be counted of reports and traditions. Collectively, they are mutually reinforcing in indicating that the glorification is qali (vocal), as is not hidden. This is the school of the Sufis, who mentioned that the wayfarer (salik), upon reaching certain spiritual stations, hears the glorification of things in various languages.

It has been narrated from some of the predecessors that they heard the glorification of certain inanimate objects. Those who affirm this glorification differed: some said it is inherent to all things absolutely. Others said that the earth glorifies as long as it does not become wet; if it becomes wet, it ceases glorifying. That a bead glorifies as long as it is not lifted from its place; if it is lifted, it ceases. That a leaf glorifies as long as it is on the tree; if it falls, it ceases. That a garment glorifies as long as it is not soiled; if it is soiled, it ceases. That wild animals and birds glorify when they cry out, and when they are silent, they cease. On this basis is what Ibn Abi Hatim extracted from Ibn Shawdhab, who said: "Al-Hasan sat with his companions at a table, and some of them said: 'This table is currently glorifying.' Al-Hasan said: 'No, that is only when everything is in its original state.'" He extracted from al-Suddi that he said: "There is nothing that is in its original state, not having died, but that it glorifies with His praise, the Exalted." Perhaps he meant by "death" its exit from its original state.

'Abd al-Razzaq, Ibn Jarir, Ibn al-Mundhir, and others extracted from Qatada that he said regarding the verse: "Everything that possesses a spirit glorifies, from trees and animals." The idea that a tree possesses a spirit is based on what people say about it when it withers: "It has died." Some excluded certain animals from the generality of "everything," based on what Abu al-Shaykh extracted from Ibn 'Abbas, who said: "Everything glorifies except the donkey and the dog."

I do not see a basis for the exception of what was mentioned, and my heart has some reservation about the authenticity of the report from the learned [Ibn 'Abbas]. Likewise [I have reservation] for the restriction, after the fact that being inanimate is not an obstacle to glorification. The reports that are apparent in not restricting it are more numerous, and I do not think that those which contradict them possess a superiority in authenticity.

This view is challenged by what was previously mentioned from the Imam regarding the trailing clause forbidding it, and the absence of the knowledge that vocal glorification requires in inanimate objects. Some have attempted to resolve this by necessitating that everything has life and knowledge appropriate to it, and no one knows the reality of that except Allah, the Subtle, the Aware. Thus, according to this advocate, everything in the world is alive and knowing, but they vary in ranks of knowledge and life. Al-Sha'rani narrated from al-Khawwas that he said: "Every inanimate object understands address and feels pain just as an animal feels pain." The Greatest Sheikh (Ibn 'Arabi), may his secret be sanctified, said: "What is called inanimate and plant has, according to us, spirits that are hidden from the perception of others by habit. Thus, according to us, everything is alive and speaking, except that this specific temperament is called a human, by image alone. Differentiation occurs between the creations in temperament, and everything glorifies Allah, the Exalted, as the verse speaks of it. And none glorifies except a living, rational, knowing one who knows the One he glorifies." It has been reported that the caller to prayer is witnessed for by all that is within the extent of his voice, whether wet or dry. The religions and the prophecies are overflowing with what is of this kind. We have added—along with belief in the reports—the kashf (unveiling)... to the end of what he said.

Some have used as evidence in this station what was narrated from the Prophet, peace be upon him, that he said in his supplication for fever: "O Umm Mildam, if you have believed in Allah, the Exalted, then do not eat meat, do not drink blood, do not erupt from the mouth, and move to one who claims that there are other gods with Allah, the Exalted, for I bear witness that there is no god but Allah alone, with no partner, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and messenger." There has come from al-Sajjad (Zayn al-'Abidin), may Allah be pleased with him, in al-Sahifa, in addressing the moon, that which is apparent in that it has awareness. It is widely reported from 'Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, that he wrote a letter to the Nile addressing it with what he addressed it with, and he struck the earth with his staff when it shook and said to it: "I am just to you." And how many, how many such things are in the reports! It is said: there is no necessity for interpreting them metaphorically, since no one says that the awareness of inanimate objects is like the awareness of animals in such a way that everyone can perceive it, such that acting upon the literal meaning would be contrary to the sensory perception of the rational. Thus, one must resort to interpretation and metaphor. Whoever knows the greatness of the power of Allah, the Mighty and Majestic—and that nothing exhausts Him, the Exalted, and that creatures, despite the differences in their ranks, especially those immersed in the circumstances of worldly attachments and obstacles and those imprisoned in the Sijjin (dungeon) of base nature, have not grasped one-tenth of the tenth of what has been deposited in the world of possibility and inscribed by the hand of Wisdom on the essence of existence—will submit to what the Truthful One, peace be upon him, brought. If it contradicts what he has, he will attribute the deficiency to himself. For there is many a thought a person considers to be true, while it is of the illusions, as is not hidden from one who is fair and does not transgress.

Based on this which they have mentioned, there is no need for redirecting the pronoun of "the learned" in (their glorification), according to what was mentioned previously, to a resolution differing from the first—that His saying, (Indeed, He is Forbearing, All-Forgiving), is connected to His saying, (Glory be to Him and Exalted above what they say). The defect in this resolution is not hidden. Perhaps it is better to maintain that glorification carries the broader meaning of both "state" and "speech," and affirm both types for everything. The trailing clause is considered in view of the deficiency in understanding the "state-based" glorification, not in view of the deficiency in understanding the other. It is also challenging that among those who are said to glorify are the rejecters, let alone the silent. Therefore, interpreting it as metaphorical is necessary. It was answered that the exclusion of those [rejecters] is known by the context of the preceding and following [text]. Someone claimed that the rejecter is also a sanctifier, and they recited [the poetry of] al-Hallaj: "My rejection of You is a sanctification, and my reason regarding You is distracted... what is Adam if not You, and who is Iblis in existence?" You know that such "dissolving and carding" became the cause of the fate he met. What can I say except: "Allah is sufficient for us, and He is the best Disposer of affairs."

It was read as (la yufqahun) in the passive voice from the form taf'il.