Tafsir of Fussilat 41:38

(But if they are arrogant)—meaning, if they deem themselves too great to abstain from what they were forbidden regarding prostrating to those created beings, and [too great] to comply with what they were commanded regarding prostrating to their Creator—then let them be, for no attention is paid to them, or rather, that does not detract from the greatness of your Lord.

(Then those who are with your Lord)—that is, in His holy presence, Majestic and Exalted, from among the angels (peace be upon them), who are better than them—(glorify Him by night and day)—meaning, constantly, even if they do not experience night and day—(and they do not grow weary.)

(They do not slacken.) The answer to the conditional clause is, in reality, what we have alluded to or something similar, and what is mentioned stands in its place. It is also permissible for the statement to be in the sense of a report, as has been said regarding phrases like "If you honor me today, then I honored you yesterday," meaning "I inform you that I honored you yesterday."

It has been recited as la yas'amun (they do not tire) with a kasra on the ya. The apparent meaning is that the verse concerns certain people among the disbelievers who used to prostrate to the sun and the moon—like the Sabians in their worship of the celestial bodies—and they claimed that by prostrating to them, they intended to prostrate to Allah the Almighty. They were therefore forbidden from this intermediary and commanded to intend by their prostration the Face of Allah, Exalted, purely and exclusively.

Sheikh Abu Ishaq inferred from this verse in al-Muhadhdhab the [legality of the] prayers for solar and lunar eclipses, stating: "Because there is no prayer specifically related to the sun and the moon other than these two." He derived from this their superiority over the prayer for rain (istisqa'), as they are mentioned in the Quran, unlike the latter.