يُسَبِّحُونَ ٱلَّيْلَ وَٱلنَّهَارَ لَا يَفْتُرُونَ 20
Translations
They exalt [Him] night and day [and] do not slacken.
Transliteration
Yusabbihūn al-layla wa-n-nahāra lā yaftūrūn
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah describes the angels glorifying and praising Allah continuously throughout the night and day without any pause or fatigue. According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari, the verse emphasizes the constant devotion of the angels to worship, serving as a reminder to believers of their own obligation to remember Allah perpetually. Al-Qurtubi notes that this demonstrates the angels' unwavering obedience and the perfection of their servitude, contrasting with human weakness and the need for rest.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in the context of Surah Al-Anbya (Meccan), which discusses various prophets and the signs of Allah's creation. The immediate context (21:19-20) describes the angels praising Allah and emphasizes that all creatures glorify Him, serving to reinforce the theme of universal submission to the Divine will.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: 'The best prayer after the obligatory prayers is prayer in the middle of the night' (Sunan Ibn Majah). Additionally, 'Whoever stands in prayer during the night reciting the Quran, Allah will write for him the reward of a thousand dinars' (Jami' at-Tirmidhi), relating to the continuous glorification mentioned in this ayah.
Themes
Key Lesson
Believers should strive to remember Allah consistently throughout their day and night, recognizing that while we may need rest, the spirit of worship should remain constant in our hearts. This ayah encourages us to balance our earthly needs with our spiritual obligations, taking the angels' tireless devotion as inspiration for maintaining consciousness of Allah in all circumstances.
Related Ayahs
قُلْ إِنَّمَا يُوحَىٰٓ إِلَىَّ أَنَّمَآ إِلَـٰهُكُمْ إِلَـٰهٌ وَٰحِدٌ ۖ فَهَلْ أَنتُم مُّسْلِمُونَ
Say, "It is only revealed to me that your god is but one God; so will you be Muslims [in submission to Him]?"
وَإِذَا رَءَاكَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوٓا۟ إِن يَتَّخِذُونَكَ إِلَّا هُزُوًا أَهَـٰذَا ٱلَّذِى يَذْكُرُ ءَالِهَتَكُمْ وَهُم بِذِكْرِ ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنِ هُمْ كَـٰفِرُونَ
And when those who disbelieve see you, [O Muḥammad], they take you not except in ridicule, [saying], "Is this the one who mentions [i.e., insults] your gods?" And they are, at the mention of the Most Merciful, disbelievers.
فَمَا زَالَت تِّلْكَ دَعْوَىٰهُمْ حَتَّىٰ جَعَلْنَـٰهُمْ حَصِيدًا خَـٰمِدِينَ
And that declaration of theirs did not cease until We made them [as] a harvest [mowed down], extinguished [like a fire].
مَا يَأْتِيهِم مِّن ذِكْرٍ مِّن رَّبِّهِم مُّحْدَثٍ إِلَّا ٱسْتَمَعُوهُ وَهُمْ يَلْعَبُونَ
No mention [i.e., revelation] comes to them anew from their Lord except that they listen to it while they are at play