Tafsir of An-Nur 24:41-42

Surah An-Nur (24:41-42)

[41] Have you not seen that Allah is glorified by all that is in the heavens and the earth, and by the birds spreading their wings? Each one knows its prayer and its glorification. And Allah is All-Knowing of whatever they do.

When the Almighty described the lights of the hearts of the believers and the darkness of the hearts of the ignorant, He followed that with proofs of Monotheism (Tawhid).

The First Type of Proof (The Glorification):

This is what is mentioned in this verse. There is no doubt that the intended meaning of "Have you not seen" (ألم تر) is "Have you not known" (ألم تعلم), because sight (الرؤية) does not apply to glorification (التسبيح), but knowledge of the heart (العلم بالقلب) does. Although the outward form of this statement is an inquiry, the intended meaning is affirmation and clarification. Thus, the Almighty alerts us to what is necessitated by His glorification: that all beings in the heavens and all beings on earth glorify Him.

The Meaning of Glorification (التسبيح):

There are three possible interpretations for the glorification of these things:

1. Indicating Transcendence: That these things indicate that the Almighty is pure from all defects and described with attributes of majesty.
2. Verbal Utterance: That they actually utter the glorification and speak it.
3. Mixed Meaning: That for some, it means indication, and for others, verbal utterance.

The first interpretation (Indicating Transcendence) is the closest. The second interpretation (Verbal Utterance) is impossible because among those on earth are beings who are not accountable (like inanimate objects or non-rational animals), and they do not glorify in this sense. Furthermore, among the accountable beings, some (like the disbelievers) do not glorify Him in this sense either.

As for the third interpretation (Mixed Meaning): If we say that those in the heavens (the Angels) glorify verbally, and those on earth glorify either verbally or by indication, this requires using the same word (التسبيح) for both literal truth and metaphor simultaneously, which is impermissible.

Therefore, only the first interpretation remains: All these things—their bodies and their attributes—are indicative of the purity (تنزيه) of Allah the Exalted, His Power, His Divinity, His Unity, and His Justice. This indication is termed glorification in an extended sense.

Addressing the Scope of Glorification:

If one asks: If glorification in this sense applies to all creatures, why is it specifically mentioned here for the rational beings (those in the heavens and on earth)?

The answer is that the creation of rational beings is a stronger proof of the existence of the Creator because the wonders and marvels in their creation—such as intellect (العقل), speech (النطق), and understanding (الفهم)—are greater.

Regarding the Birds Spreading Their Wings (والطير صافات):

One might ask about the connection between this phrase and the preceding one. The answer is that after mentioning those in the heavens and those on earth, the Almighty mentioned those settled in the air, which is between heaven and earth—the birds. Granting a heavy body (الجرم الثقيل) the power to remain suspended in the sky, spreading its wings (through contraction and expansion), is one of the greatest proofs of the power of the Designer and Organizer (الصانع المدبر). Their flight is made a prostration (سجودا) to Him, which reinforces the idea that the intended meaning of glorification is the indication of these states toward transcendence, not mere verbal utterance.

Regarding "Each one knows its prayer and its glorification" (كل قد علم صلاته وتسبيحه):

There are three views on this:

1. Allah Knows: The intended meaning is that Allah knows their prayer and glorification. This is supported by the verse, "And Allah is All-Knowing of whatever they do" (والله عليم بما يفعلون). This is the choice of the majority of theologians (المتكلمون).
2. They Know Their Duty: The pronoun in "its prayer and its glorification" refers back to the word "Each one" (كل), meaning they know what is obligatory for them of prayer and glorification.
3. They Know Allah's Prescribed Way: The pronoun refers back to the mention of Allah, meaning every glorifier and every worshipper knows the prayer of Allah that He has commanded them to perform.

Under the second and third interpretations, the phrase "And Allah is All-Knowing" (والله عليم) is a new, supplementary statement.

The Narration about Birds' Utterance:

It is narrated from Abu Thabit that he was sitting with Muhammad ibn Ja'far al-Baqir (may Allah be pleased with him), who asked him: "Do you know what these sparrows say at sunrise and after sunrise?" When he replied no, Al-Baqir said: "They sanctify their Lord and ask Him for the sustenance of their day."

The theologians rejected this view, arguing: If birds possessed knowledge of Allah (معرفة الله تعالى), they would be like rational beings who understand our speech and signals. But they are not so; we know by necessity that they are far more deficient than a child who does not know these things, so it is more appropriate that they lack this knowledge. If it is established that they do not know Allah, then it is impossible for them to glorify Him by verbal utterance. Thus, it is established that they only glorify Allah through the language of their state (لسان الحال), as previously established.

Some scholars say: We observe that Allah has inspired birds and other insects with subtle actions that most rational people are incapable of performing. If this is the case, why is it not permissible to say that He has inspired them with the knowledge of Him, supplication to Him, and glorification of Him, even if they lack the knowledge of other matters that humans know?

Evidence of Subtle Inspired Actions:

1. Hunting Strategies: Consider the subtle tricks of the spider in catching flies. It is said the bear lies down in the path of an ox; when the ox intends to gore it, the bear grips its forelegs with its horns and continues to bite between its forelegs until it weakens it. The bear is also said to throw stones, take a stick, and strike a human until the person imagines it is dead, whereupon the bear leaves it. It might return to sniff and check the person, then climb trees easily, smash nuts between its palms (striking one against the other), then blow on the shell, causing the husk to scatter and allowing it to extract the kernel. Amazing acts of theft are also recounted about mice.
2. Bees: Their leadership and the construction of hexagonal houses, which even master engineers cannot replicate.
3. Migration: The cranes' migration from one end of the world to the other in search of favorable winds. It is said that horses recognize the sound of a specific horse they have encountered previously, and dogs communicate with their specific barks. The cheetah, if given a specific poison (known as Khanq al-Fahd), eats human dung. Crocodiles open their mouths for a bird (like the magpie) to enter and clean between their teeth. The bird places thorns on its head; when the crocodile attempts to swallow the bird, it is pricked by the thorns, causing it to open its mouth so the bird can escape. The tortoise, after eating a snake, consumes mountain thyme (Sa'tar Jabali) and returns cured. Reliable hunters have witnessed the Houbara bustard fighting a snake, retreating to eat a specific herb, and then returning to fight. A sheikh observed this: when the Houbara retreated, he plucked the herb. When the bird returned and found it gone, it circled its spot repeatedly until it fell down dead, leading the sheikh to conclude it was using the herb as an antidote for the venom. That herb was wild cress (al-Jurjir al-Barri). The weasel strengthens itself against snakes by eating rue (al-Sudhab), as the taste of rue repels snakes. When dogs have stomach worms, they eat wheat spikes. When storks injure each other, they treat their wounds with mountain thyme.
4. Weather Prediction: Hedgehogs sense the north and south winds before they blow and change the entrance to their burrows accordingly. A man in Constantinople became wealthy by predicting winds before they arrived, benefiting people through his warnings, which were based on observing the hedgehog's behavior.
5. Nest Building and Care: The swallow is an excellent builder of nests from mud and twigs. If mud is scarce, it wets itself and rolls in the dust so its wings carry some mud. After hatching, it diligently cares for the chicks, removing their excrement with its beak and throwing it away from the nest. It then teaches them to throw the droppings toward the edge of the nest.
6. Deception: When a predator approaches the chicks of the partridge (al-Qabjah), the mother partridge appears, draws near to tempt the predator to follow her, and then leads it away from the side where her chicks are hidden.
7. Foraging: The woodpecker rarely lands on the ground, preferring trees, where it pecks at spots it knows contain worms.
8. Coordination in Flight: Cranes fly very high. If fog or clouds obscure them from one another, they create an audible rustling with their wings to keep track of each other. When they sleep on a mountain, they rest their heads under their wings, except for the leader, who sleeps with his head uncovered so he can awaken quickly and cry out if he hears a guard.
9. Ant Trails: The ants' habit of moving to their locations in a straight line, with some keeping others in check, is a marvelous matter.

The comprehensive account of these matters is found in the book The Natures of Animals (طبائع الحيوان). The point is: If intelligent rational beings are incapable of performing such subtle tricks, why is it not permissible to say that they are inspired by Allah with the knowledge of Him and praise of Him, even if they lack the knowledge of other matters that people know?

The words of Shihab al-Islam al-Sam'ani are excellent: "The majesty of the Glorious is too great to be weighed by the scale of the Mu'tazila."

[42] And to Allah belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth, and to Allah is the final return.

This verse, despite its brevity, indicates the completeness of the knowledge of the Beginning (المبدأ) and the Return (المعاد).

1. "And to Allah belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth" (ولله ملك السماوات والأرض): This is a reminder that everything originates from Him, as everything else is contingent (ممكن) and created (محدث). Contingent beings can only exist by ultimately referring back to the Necessary Existent (القديم الواجب). This statement encompasses all bodies, accidents, the actions of servants, their sayings, and their thoughts.

2. "And to Allah is the final return" (وإلى الله المصير): This is a complete expression regarding the Resurrection (المعاد), indicating that everything must ultimately return to Him, the Exalted.

An Alternative Perspective on the Return:

Existence begins from the most noble (الأشرف) descending to the most base (الأخس), and then ascends from the most base back to the most noble. For example, a being starts as a body, then acquires the characteristics of vegetation, then animal life, then human life, then angelic status, finally ending in the Necessary Existent by His Essence. The first consideration (الاعتبار الأول) is covered by "To Allah belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth," and the second consideration is covered by "And to Allah is the final return."