Tafseer of The Sovereignty · Al-Mulk · 67:20
Or who is it that could be an army for you to aid you other than the Most Merciful? The disbelievers are not but in delusion.
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.
The Exalted, praised be His remembrance, says: and indeed, those who lived before these polytheists (mushrikīn) of the Quraysh, from the bygone communities, denied their messengers. ( فَكَيْفَ كَانَ نَكِيرِ — "how then was My rejection"). He says: how then was My punishment for their denial of them ( أَوَلَمْ يَرَوْا إِلَى الطَّيْرِ فَوْقَهُمْ صَافَّاتٍ — "have they not looked at the birds above them, with wings outspread"). He says: have these polytheists not looked at the birds above them that spread out their wings ( وَيَقْبِضْنَ — "and that fold them in"). He says: and that sometimes fold in their wings. What is meant by this is that they sometimes spread out their wings and sometimes fold them in.
In the spirit of what we have said about it, the people of interpretation have spoken.
* Mention of who said that:
Ibn ʿAbd al-Aʿlā related to us, saying: Ibn Thawr related to us, on the authority of Maʿmar, on the authority of Qatāda, concerning His words: ( صَافَّاتٍ — "with wings outspread"), he said: the bird spreads out its wing as you have seen, and then folds it in.
Muḥammad ibn ʿAmr related to me, saying: Abū ʿĀṣim 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 words: ( صَافَّاتٍ وَيَقْبِضْنَ — "with wings outspread and that fold them in"): the spreading out of their wings and the folding in of them.
And His words: ( مَا يُمْسِكُهُنَّ إِلا الرَّحْمَنُ — "none holds them up but the Most Merciful"). He says: nothing holds up the birds that spread out their wings above you but the Most Merciful. He says: so they have in that an admonition, if they let themselves be admonished, and a lesson to reflect upon, if they reflect upon it; through it they know that their Lord is One, without partner ( إِنَّهُ بِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ بَصِيرٌ — "verily, He is All-Seeing over all things"). He says: verily, Allah is Seeing and aware of all things; into His ordaining no deficiency creeps, and in His creation no irregularity is seen.
