Tafsir of Al-Mulk 67:19

"Do they not look"—are they heedless and do they not observe? "at the birds above them, spreading [their wings]"—extending their wings in the air while flying; for when they extend them, they align their qawadim (the primary feathers at the front of the wing) in a row. Saffat (spreading) is an accusative state (hal) derived from "the birds," or from the pronoun in fawqahum (above them), which is in the position of a state; thus, the state is nested. It is permitted that [the phrase] be an adverbial modifier for saffat or for [the verb] yara (they look). The object of saffat, according to these possibilities, is omitted, as we have indicated. It is appropriate that the mention of contemplating the birds follows the threat of the hasib (a storm of stones), especially if it is interpreted as stones, for God Almighty destroyed the People of the Elephant when birds pelted them with such stones. In this is a reminder to the Quraysh of that story.

"And closing [them]"—drawing their wings in when they strike their sides with them. The conjunction is on saffat because the meaning is "they spread and they close," or "they are spreaders and closers." Conjoining a verb to a noun in such a context is eloquent and common. The reverse is also permissible and good, except according to al-Suhayli, who considers it ugly, such as in the [poetic] line: (He spent the night making it drink with a sharp sword, intending [the legs] of its forelegs, and swerving) He intended "intending" (qasid) and "swerving" (ja'ir). Since the essence of flight is the spreading of wings—for flight in the air is like swimming in water, the essence of which is the extension of limbs—and since the closing is an incidental action following the spreading to assist in movement, that which is incidental and not the essence was expressed with a verb, while that which is the essence was expressed with a noun, conveying that they are [always] in the state of spreading, while the closing occurs from them from time to time and is renewed moment after moment, just as it is with a swimmer.

"None holds them" in the air during the spreading and closing, contrary to the requirement of the nature of heavy bodies, which is to descend to the earth and be attracted to it, "except the Most Merciful"—the One expansive in His mercy over all things—in that He created them, Glorified and Exalted be He, according to forms and characteristics, and inspired them with movements from which running in the air results. The sentence is either a new commencement or a state [describing] the pronoun in yaqbidun (they close). Al-Zuhri recited ma yumsikuhunna with a shaddah (doubled 's').

"Indeed, He is of all things Seeing"—possessing precise knowledge. He, Glorified and Exalted be He, knows the manner of the creation of the originated things and the management of the manufactured things. Among this is His creation, Exalted is He, of the bird in a manner that enables its movement in the air, despite His power, Exalted is He, to make it move therein without that [mechanism]. However, wisdom required linking effects to their causes. There is nothing in what we have mentioned that leans toward the harmful sayings of the naturalists, for the fact that the nature of heavy bodies is as you have heard is a sensory matter that no one denies except one who denies his own senses. Similarly, the fact that holding them occurs through the aforementioned cause, and that it is a cause, is among the effects of His expansive mercy. Abu Hayyan rejected this, imagining it to be a leaning toward the harmful sayings of the naturalists. He said: "We say that if God Almighty wills to hold the heaviest of things in the air and elevate it to the Throne, that shall be; and if He, Glorified be He, wills to bring down that which is lighter to the lowest point, that shall also be. It is not because of form, weight, or lightness." We do not deny that God Almighty is capable of all things, that He, Glorified be He, does what He wills, and that His action, Exalted be He, is not rationally dependent on a cause. However, we say that His wisdom in this world required that connection, which is a customary matter that He, Exalted be He, chose out of wisdom and grace. Had He, Glorified be He, willed otherwise, it would have been as He willed. The placement of "of all things" before "Seeing" is for the sake of the [rhythmic] ending of the verse or for exclusivity, as a rebuttal to those who claim that His knowledge, Exalted be His status, is not all-encompassing.