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
فَلَمَّآ أَحَسُّوا۟ بَأْسَنَآ إِذَا هُم مِّنْهَا يَرْكُضُونَ
And when they [i.e., its inhabitants] perceived Our punishment, at once they fled from it.
مَآ ءَامَنَتْ قَبْلَهُم مِّن قَرْيَةٍ أَهْلَكْنَـٰهَآ ۖ أَفَهُمْ يُؤْمِنُونَ
Not a [single] city which We destroyed believed before them, so will they believe?
فَفَهَّمْنَـٰهَا سُلَيْمَـٰنَ ۚ وَكُلًّا ءَاتَيْنَا حُكْمًا وَعِلْمًا ۚ وَسَخَّرْنَا مَعَ دَاوُۥدَ ٱلْجِبَالَ يُسَبِّحْنَ وَٱلطَّيْرَ ۚ وَكُنَّا فَـٰعِلِينَ
And We gave understanding of it [i.e., the case] to Solomon, and to each [of them] We gave judgement and knowledge. And We subjected the mountains to exalt [Us], along with David and [also] the birds. And We were doing [that].
وَمَآ أَرْسَلْنَا مِن قَبْلِكَ مِن رَّسُولٍ إِلَّا نُوحِىٓ إِلَيْهِ أَنَّهُۥ لَآ إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّآ أَنَا۠ فَٱعْبُدُونِ
And We sent not before you any messenger except We revealed to him that, "There is no deity except Me, so worship Me."