سُوْرَةُ الْاَنْۣبِيَآءِ
Surah Al-Anbiyaa (21) — Ayah 19
وَلَهُۥ مَن فِى ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ ۚ وَمَنْ عِندَهُۥ لَا يَسْتَكْبِرُونَ عَنْ عِبَادَتِهِۦ وَلَا يَسْتَحْسِرُونَ ﴿19﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
To Him belongs whosoever is in the heavens and on earth. And those who are near Him (i.e. the angels) are not too proud to worship Him, nor are they weary (of His worship).
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
وَلَهُۥ
walahu
And to Him (belongs)
مَن
man
whoever
فِى
fī
(is) in
ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ
l-samāwāti
the heavens
وَٱلْأَرْضِ ۚ
wal-arḍi
and the earth
وَمَنْ
waman
And (those) who
عِندَهُۥ
ʿindahu
(are) near Him
لَا
lā
not
يَسْتَكْبِرُونَ
yastakbirūna
they are arrogant
عَنْ
ʿan
to
عِبَادَتِهِۦ
ʿibādatihi
worship Him
وَلَا
walā
and not
يَسْتَحْسِرُونَ
yastaḥsirūna
they tire
Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim — Hafiz Abdus Salam Bin Muhammad Bhutvi
Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim is a 4-volume Quran commentary by Hafiz Abdus Salam bin Muhammad Bhutvi, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar and Sheikh ul-Hadith from Pakistan. Based on over 45 years of teaching and research, this tafsir follows the methodology of Tafsir bil-Ma'thur — interpreting the Quran through authentic Hadith, statements of the Companions, and the understanding of the early generations (Salaf). It is distinguished by its complete avoidance of Israeliyyat (Judeo-Christian narratives) and unverified reports. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
(Ayah 19) ➊ The word { وَ لَهٗ مَنْ فِي السَّمٰوٰتِ وَ الْاَرْضِ : ’’ مَنْ ‘‘} is generally used for intelligent creatures, although here the intelligent beings of the heavens and the earth have been declared as Allah’s possession, but this also includes the heavens and the earth, all the celestial bodies found within them, and all other creatures, and all of them belong to Allah. Because this earth is within the heavens, and each heaven is within the one above it, and the highest heaven is within the Throne, and Allah, the Glorious, is the Owner of the Great Throne, as will come ahead in verse (22): «{فَسُبْحٰنَ اللّٰهِ رَبِّ الْعَرْشِ عَمَّا يَصِفُوْنَ}» So, rationally, it is established from this that He is the Owner of everything and also the Sovereign, i.e., the King. (Biqā‘ī)
➋ {وَ مَنْ عِنْدَهٗ لَا يَسْتَكْبِرُوْنَ عَنْ عِبَادَتِهٖ :} That is, those who bear the Throne (Al-Haqqah: 17) and other angels and Allah’s creation whom only He knows. That is, when such magnificent angels are always engaged in the worship of Allah and do not consider themselves above it, then what status does man have to consider himself above worshipping Him?
➌ {وَ لَا يَسْتَحْسِرُوْنَ: ’’حَسَرَ يَحْسِرُ حُسُوْرًا (ض)‘‘} Means to become weary. In Surah Al-Mulk it is said: «{يَنْقَلِبْ اِلَيْكَ الْبَصَرُ خَاسِئًا وَّ هُوَ حَسِيْرٌ}» [ الملک : ۴ ] “The sight will return to you humbled and weary.” Here, there is a question that {’’يَسْتَحْسِرُوْنَ ‘‘} is from the form of istif‘āl, in which the meaning of seeking is found, or due to the addition of letters, the meaning becomes intensified. What is the point of using the form of istif‘āl here? The scholars have given various answers to this, one of which is that {’’ وَ لَا يَسْتَحْسِرُوْنَ أَيْ لَا يَطْلُبُوْنَ أَنْ يَّنْقَطِعُوْا عَنْ ذٰلِكَ فَأَنْتَجَ ذٰلِكَ قَوْلُهُ ’’ يُسَبِّحُوْنَ الَّيْلَ وَ النَّهَارَ ‘‘} “That is, they do not even wish to become weary from the worship of Allah, nor do they have any desire for it. As a result, they glorify Allah day and night, without pause.” (Biqā‘ī) The best answer is the one given by Abū al-Su‘ūd and Alūsī, may Allah have mercy on them, that when a negative particle comes upon a word of exaggeration, the negation is not of the exaggeration, but rather the negation itself is emphasized. As in {’’ وَ مَا رَبُّكَ بِظَلَّامٍ لِّلْعَبِيْدِ ‘‘}, the meaning will not be “Your Lord is not very unjust to the servants,” but rather “Your Lord does not do any injustice to the servants at all.” See Surah Āl ‘Imrān (182) and Al-Anfāl (51). Thus, the meaning of {’’ وَ لَا يَسْتَحْسِرُوْنَ‘‘} will be “And they do not become weary in the least.” The same explanations apply to {’’ لَا يَسْتَكْبِرُوْنَ‘‘}. For similar verses, see Surah Al-Nahl (49, 50) and Al-Nisā’ (172).
➋ {وَ مَنْ عِنْدَهٗ لَا يَسْتَكْبِرُوْنَ عَنْ عِبَادَتِهٖ :} That is, those who bear the Throne (Al-Haqqah: 17) and other angels and Allah’s creation whom only He knows. That is, when such magnificent angels are always engaged in the worship of Allah and do not consider themselves above it, then what status does man have to consider himself above worshipping Him?
➌ {وَ لَا يَسْتَحْسِرُوْنَ: ’’حَسَرَ يَحْسِرُ حُسُوْرًا (ض)‘‘} Means to become weary. In Surah Al-Mulk it is said: «{يَنْقَلِبْ اِلَيْكَ الْبَصَرُ خَاسِئًا وَّ هُوَ حَسِيْرٌ}» [ الملک : ۴ ] “The sight will return to you humbled and weary.” Here, there is a question that {’’يَسْتَحْسِرُوْنَ ‘‘} is from the form of istif‘āl, in which the meaning of seeking is found, or due to the addition of letters, the meaning becomes intensified. What is the point of using the form of istif‘āl here? The scholars have given various answers to this, one of which is that {’’ وَ لَا يَسْتَحْسِرُوْنَ أَيْ لَا يَطْلُبُوْنَ أَنْ يَّنْقَطِعُوْا عَنْ ذٰلِكَ فَأَنْتَجَ ذٰلِكَ قَوْلُهُ ’’ يُسَبِّحُوْنَ الَّيْلَ وَ النَّهَارَ ‘‘} “That is, they do not even wish to become weary from the worship of Allah, nor do they have any desire for it. As a result, they glorify Allah day and night, without pause.” (Biqā‘ī) The best answer is the one given by Abū al-Su‘ūd and Alūsī, may Allah have mercy on them, that when a negative particle comes upon a word of exaggeration, the negation is not of the exaggeration, but rather the negation itself is emphasized. As in {’’ وَ مَا رَبُّكَ بِظَلَّامٍ لِّلْعَبِيْدِ ‘‘}, the meaning will not be “Your Lord is not very unjust to the servants,” but rather “Your Lord does not do any injustice to the servants at all.” See Surah Āl ‘Imrān (182) and Al-Anfāl (51). Thus, the meaning of {’’ وَ لَا يَسْتَحْسِرُوْنَ‘‘} will be “And they do not become weary in the least.” The same explanations apply to {’’ لَا يَسْتَكْبِرُوْنَ‘‘}. For similar verses, see Surah Al-Nahl (49, 50) and Al-Nisā’ (172).
