إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ عِندَ رَبِّكَ لَا يَسْتَكْبِرُونَ عَنْ عِبَادَتِهِۦ وَيُسَبِّحُونَهُۥ وَلَهُۥ يَسْجُدُونَ ۩ 206
Translations
Indeed, those who are near your Lord [i.e., the angels] are not prevented by arrogance from His worship, and they exalt Him, and to Him they prostrate.
Transliteration
Inna alladhina AAinda rabbika la yastakbiroona AAan AAibadatihi wa yusabbihoonaahu wa lahu yasjudoon
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah describes the angels and righteous servants who are in the presence of Allah, emphasizing that they do not display arrogance or refuse to worship Him. Rather, they constantly glorify Allah and prostrate to Him in complete obedience and humility. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Qurtubi interpret this as a rebuke to human pride and a call to emulate the unwavering devotion of the celestial beings, contrasting the angels' perfect submission with the arrogance of disbelievers mentioned earlier in the surah.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears near the end of Surah Al-A'raf, which was revealed in Mecca during a period when the Prophet Muhammad faced rejection and mockery from the Meccan elite. The context addresses the arrogance of those who refuse to accept the message, juxtaposing their behavior with the humility of the angels and the righteous, serving as an implicit rebuke to human pride and a reminder of the proper attitude toward worship.
Related Hadiths
The hadith in Sahih Muslim narrated by Abu Hurairah describes the angels standing in rows during prayer, which relates to the organized devotion mentioned here. Additionally, the hadith about the angels descending with mercy and the Messenger's description of their prostration in Sahih Bukhari reinforces the theme of angelic submission to Allah.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches that true nobility lies in humble submission to Allah rather than in arrogance and self-exaltation; believers should strive to emulate the angels' constant glorification and prostration, understanding that the greatest honor comes from recognizing one's servitude to the Almighty.