أَوَلَمْ يَرَوْا۟ إِلَى ٱلطَّيْرِ فَوْقَهُمْ صَـٰٓفَّـٰتٍ وَيَقْبِضْنَ ۚ مَا يُمْسِكُهُنَّ إِلَّا ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنُ ۚ إِنَّهُۥ بِكُلِّ شَىْءٍۭ بَصِيرٌ 19
Translations
Do they not see the birds above them with wings outspread and [sometimes] folded in? None holds them [aloft] except the Most Merciful. Indeed He is, of all things, Seeing.
Transliteration
Awa lam yaraw ila al-tayr fawqahum saffatin wa yaqbidna. Ma yumsikuhunna illa al-Rahman. Innahu bi kulli shay'in basir.
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah directs the disbelievers to observe the birds flying in formation above them, spreading and contracting their wings, as a sign of Allah's power and mercy. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir explain that only the Mercy of Allah (al-Rahman) sustains these birds in flight, keeping them suspended in the air despite their physical weight—a phenomenon that defies natural explanation without divine intervention. This serves as evidence of Allah's All-Seeing knowledge and control over all creation, refuting the notion that the universe operates independently or that idols have any power.
Revelation Context
Surah Al-Mulk is a Meccan chapter focused on divine sovereignty and refuting polytheism through signs in creation. This ayah is part of a series of rhetorical arguments (verses 15-29) challenging the Quraysh to recognize Allah's oneness by contemplating natural phenomena. The context emphasizes that denying these obvious signs is both illogical and spiritually dangerous.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: 'Whoever shows mercy to the creatures of God shows mercy to himself' (Sunan Abu Dawud 4723). Additionally, the Prophet encouraged reflection on creation as a form of worship, saying: 'An hour of contemplation is better than a year of worship' (Al-Tirmidhi).
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches believers to recognize Allah's power through observable natural phenomena and to develop contemplative awareness (tafakkur) of creation as a pathway to stronger faith. For modern readers, it invites scientific and spiritual reflection on how natural laws themselves testify to an underlying Divine Intelligence sustaining all existence.