Tafseer of The Night Journey · Al-Israa · 17:44
The seven heavens and the earth and whatever is in them exalt Him. And there is not a thing except that it exalts [Allah] by His praise, but you do not understand their [way of] exalting. Indeed, He is ever Forbearing and Forgiving.
Important: The Arabic source text is always authoritative. This translation is a study aid and has not been verified by scholars — do not use it as a basis for religious proof or for deriving rulings (ahkam). When in doubt, always consult the Arabic text and a qualified scholar.
His word تُسَبِّحُ لَهُ السَّمَاوَاتُ السَّبْعُ وَالْأَرْضُ وَمَنْ فِيهِنَّ (The seven heavens and the earth and whoever is in them glorify Him) — He says: O polytheists, glorifying Allah above what you have ascribed to Him, out of awe and reverence for Him, are the seven heavens and the earth and whoever is in them among the believers from the angels, mankind, and the jinn. While you, despite His favours to you and His excellent benefactions toward you, fabricate slander against Him.
And His word وَإِنْ مِنْ شَيْءٍ إِلَّا يُسَبِّحُ بِحَمْدِهِ (And there is nothing but that it glorifies Him with His praise) — the Exalted in His glory says: there is nothing of His creation but that it glorifies Him with His praise.
As Naṣr ibn ʿAbd al-Raḥmān al-Awdī related to me, saying: Muḥammad ibn Yaʿlā related to us, on the authority of Mūsā ibn ʿUbayda, on the authority of Zayd ibn Aslam, on the authority of Jābir ibn ʿAbd Allāh, who said: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: "Shall I not tell you about something that Nūḥ enjoined upon his son? Indeed, Nūḥ said to his son: O my son, I command you to say: Subḥān Allāh wa bi-ḥamdih (Glory be to Allah and to Him be praise), for that is the prayer of creation and the glorification of creation, and through it creation is sustained. Allah said: وَإِنْ مِنْ شَيْءٍ إِلَّا يُسَبِّحُ بِحَمْدِهِ."
Ibn Ḥumayd related to us, saying: Yaḥyā ibn Wāḍiḥ related to us, saying: ʿĪsā ibn ʿUbayd related to us, saying: I heard ʿIkrima say: "Let none of you slander his mount or his garment, for every thing glorifies Him with His praise."
Ibn Ḥumayd related to us, saying: Yaḥyā ibn Wāḍiḥ related to us, saying: al-Ḥusayn related to us, on the authority of Yazīd, on the authority of ʿIkrima, concerning وَإِنْ مِنْ شَيْءٍ إِلَّا يُسَبِّحُ بِحَمْدِهِ: he said: "The tree glorifies, and the pillar glorifies."
Ibn Ḥumayd related to us, saying: Yaḥyā ibn Wāḍiḥ and Zayd ibn Ḥubāb related to us, they said: Jarīr Abū al-Khaṭṭāb related to us, saying: "We were with Yazīd al-Raqqāshī, and al-Ḥasan was with him, at a meal. When the table was set down, Yazīd al-Raqqāshī said: O Abū Saʿīd, does this table glorify? He said: It once used to glorify."
Yaʿqūb related to me, saying: Hushaym related to us, saying: Juwaybir informed us, on the authority of al-Ḍaḥḥāk, and Yūnus on the authority of al-Ḥasan, that they both said concerning His word وَإِنْ مِنْ شَيْءٍ إِلَّا يُسَبِّحُ بِحَمْدِهِ: "Every thing in which there is a soul."
Muḥammad ibn Bashshār related to us, saying: ʿAbd al-Kabīr ibn ʿAbd al-Majīd related to us, saying: Sufyān related to us, on the authority of Manṣūr, on the authority of Ibrāhīm, who said: "The food glorifies."
Ibn ʿAbd al-Aʿlā related to us, saying: Muḥammad ibn Thawr related to us, on the authority of Maʿmar, on the authority of Qatāda, concerning وَإِنْ مِنْ شَيْءٍ إِلَّا يُسَبِّحُ بِحَمْدِهِ: he said: "Every thing in which there is a soul glorifies: a tree or anything that has a soul."
Bishr related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda, on the authority of ʿAbd Allāh ibn Abī, on the authority of ʿAbd Allāh ibn ʿAmr: "When a man says: Lā ilāha illā Allāh, that is the utterance of sincerity — Allah accepts no deed from anyone until he says it. And when he says: Al-ḥamdu li-llāh, that is the utterance of thanksgiving — no servant ever thanked Allah except after he had uttered it. And when he says: Allāhu akbar, that fills what is between heaven and earth. And when he says: Subḥān Allāh, that is the prayer of all creatures — Allah has not called any of His creatures except that He relieved them through prayer and glorification. And when he says: Lā ḥawla wa-lā quwwata illā bi-llāh, Allah says: My servant has submitted and surrendered."
And His word وَلَكِنْ لَا تَفْقَهُونَ تَسْبِيحَهُمْ (But you do not understand their glorification) — Allah the Exalted says: but you do not understand the glorification of those who do not glorify with a tongue like yours. إِنَّهُ كَانَ حَلِيمًا (Indeed, He is Forbearing) — that is: Allah is forbearing toward His creation, who transgress His command and do not believe in Him; and were it not so, He would swiftly punish these polytheists who call upon the gods and rivals besides Him. غَفُورًا (Forgiving) — that is: concealing of their sins, when they repent of them, by forgiving them.
As Bishr related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda, concerning إِنَّهُ كَانَ حَلِيمًا: "Forbearing toward His creation, and He does not hasten as some people hasten toward others." غَفُورًا: "Toward them when they repent."
