Tafseer of The Prophets · Al-Anbiyaa · 21:19
To Him belongs whoever is in the heavens and the earth. And those near Him are not prevented by arrogance from His worship, nor do they tire.
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.
Allah, Exalted is His remembrance, says: How is it permissible that Allah should take a lāhw (a plaything/diversion), when to Him belongs the dominion over all who are in the heavens and the earth, and those who are with Him among His creation do not refrain from His worship and are not wearied by the length of their service to Him — while you know that a father does not take his child or his wife as a slave, and all who are in the heavens and the earth are His slaves (ʿabīd), so how could there be for Him a wife and a child? He says: or do you not reflect upon what you ascribe to your Lord as a lie?
In a manner similar to how we have explained this verse, the exegetes of the Qurʾān spoke.
Mention of who said that:
ʿAlī related to us, saying: ʿAbd Allāh related to us, saying: Muʿāwiya related to me, on the authority of ʿAlī, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās, concerning His word وَلا يَسْتَحْسِرُونَ (and they do not become exhausted): he said: they do not turn back.
Muhammad ibn ʿAmr related to me, saying: Abū ʿĀsim related to us, saying: ʿĪsā related to us; and al-Ḥārith related to me, saying: al-Ḥasan related to us, saying: Warqāʾ related to us — both on the authority of Ibn Abī Najīḥ, on the authority of Mujāhid, concerning His word وَلا يَسْتَحْسِرُونَ (and they do not become exhausted): he said: they do not become exhausted.
Al-Qāsim related to us, saying: al-Ḥusayn related to us, saying: Ḥajjāj related to me, on the authority of Ibn Jurayj, on the authority of Mujāhid — to the same effect.
Bishr related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda, concerning His word وَلا يَسْتَحْسِرُونَ (and they do not become exhausted): he said: they do not become exhausted.
Al-Ḥasan ibn Yaḥyā related to us, saying: ʿAbd al-Razzāq informed us, saying: Maʿmar informed us, on the authority of Qatāda, concerning His word وَلا يَسْتَحْسِرُونَ (and they do not become exhausted): he said: they do not become exhausted.
Ibn ʿAbd al-Aʿlā related to us, saying: Muhammad ibn Thawr related to us, on the authority of Maʿmar, on the authority of Qatāda — to the same effect.
Yūnus related to me, saying: Ibn Wahb informed us, saying: Ibn Zayd said, concerning His word لا يَسْتَكْبِرُونَ عَنْ عِبَادَتِهِ وَلا يَسْتَحْسِرُونَ (they are not too proud for His worship, and they do not become exhausted): he said: "lā yastaḥsirūna" — they do not become bored by it; he said: and they do not grow weak and do not become tired — all of this has one and the same meaning, even though the wordings differ. This is derived from their expression: an exhausted (ḥasīr) camel, when it is worn out and comes to a standstill. From this also stems the verse of ʿAlqama ibn ʿAbada:
There lie the carcasses of the worn-out beasts (al-ḥasrā), so that their bones Are white, while their hide is dry and has not been tanned.