Tafsir of Al-Anbiya' 21:32

"And We made the sky a protected ceiling..."

[It is protected] from decay and alteration throughout the passage of time, as narrated by Qatada. The intent is that it was made protected from that [process] over a long age. This is not contradicted by the fact that it will be rolled up on the Day of Resurrection like the rolling of a scroll for writings; all Muslims and the majority of eminent philosophers agree upon its alteration and extinction, as Sadr al-Din al-Shirazi demonstrated in his Asfar, and we shall mention this, God willing, in its proper place.

It has also been said: [Protected] from falling.

Al-Farra’ said: From eavesdropping by means of shooting stars. It was objected against this that mentioning it as a "ceiling" would then be redundant, not suiting eloquence, let alone the miraculous nature of the Quran. A counter-argument to this objection is that the intent is to show its protection is not like the protection of earthly houses, whose ceilings thieves may scale, unlike this one.

It has also been said: It signifies its protection from those beneath it, and [the verse] indicates its protection from them in the most perfect way. In a tradition from Ibn Abbas—may God be pleased with both—it is said that the Messenger of God (peace be upon him) looked at the sky and said: "The sky is a raised ceiling, and a restrained wave, moving as an arrow moves, protected from the devils." If this is authentic, it is not a definitive text regarding the specific meaning of the verse, as Abu Hayyan claimed.

It has also been said: [Protected] from polytheism and sins. This is countered by the same objection raised against the previous interpretation, as is not hidden.

"And they are turning away from its signs..."

[Signs] which indicate Our Oneness, Our knowledge, Our wisdom, Our power, and Our will; some of these [signs] are manifest, like the sun, and others are known through inquiry.

"...unmindful of them, not casting the arrows of reflection upon them."

Mujahid and Humayd read it as 'ayatiha (singular: its sign). This is justified by the fact that since each one of them is sufficient to indicate the existence of the Maker and His attributes of perfection, the "sign" was unified for that reason. In this reading, "turning away" is understood as denying that the sky is a clear sign indicating the Creator, as is indicated by the statement in al-Kashshaf: "That is, they are mindful of the benefits that come to them from the sky, but they are turning away from the fact that it is a clear sign pointing to the Creator," and this does not necessarily follow [the former interpretation].