سُوْرَةُ النَّحْلِ
Surah An-Nahl (16) — Ayah 49
وَلِلَّهِ يَسْجُدُ مَا فِى ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَمَا فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ مِن دَآبَّةٍ وَٱلْمَلَـٰٓئِكَةُ وَهُمْ لَا يَسْتَكْبِرُونَ ﴿49﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
And to Allâh prostrate all that is in the heavens and all that is in the earth, of the moving (living) creatures and the angels, and they are not proud [i.e. they worship their Lord (Allâh) with humility].
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
وَلِلَّهِ
walillahi
And to Allah
يَسْجُدُ
yasjudu
prostrate
مَا
mā
whatever
فِى
fī
(is) in
ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ
l-samāwāti
the heavens
وَمَا
wamā
and whatever
فِى
fī
(is) in
ٱلْأَرْضِ
l-arḍi
the earth
مِن
min
of
دَآبَّةٍۢ
dābbatin
moving creatures
وَٱلْمَلَـٰٓئِكَةُ
wal-malāikatu
and the Angels
وَهُمْ
wahum
and they
لَا
lā
(are) not
يَسْتَكْبِرُونَ
yastakbirūna
arrogant
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran — Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran (Facilitation of the Quran) is a comprehensive Quran commentary by Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. Known for his eloquent and accessible writing style, Kilani authored this tafsir with a focus on clarity — making Quranic meanings understandable to the common reader. The tafsir provides detailed historical context for verses related to battles and expeditions, and firmly refutes modernist ideologies using strong scriptural evidence. It is widely regarded as an invaluable resource for understanding the Quran and countering deviant interpretations. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
49. Whatever living creatures are in the heavens and the earth, and the angels too [48], all prostrate to Allah alone and never show arrogance.
[48]
Refutation of the Divinity of Angels:
Among all creatures, angels have been mentioned separately and specifically. The reason for this is that in most countries, and similarly in Arab lands, angels have been considered as deities. These angels were regarded as the children of Allah, and were thought to be deputies of Allah or the great God, having control over certain specific affairs in the universe, and as helpers of Allah in these tasks. In Egyptian, Greek, and Indian civilizations, these very angels or their spirits were called by the names of gods and goddesses; for example, such-and-such god is the owner of rain, such-and-such goddess is the owner of wealth, and such-and-such is the goddess of love, and so on and so forth. Allah, refuting this false belief of the polytheists, stated that angels do indeed exist and are also “managers of affairs,” but they are utterly compelled before the command of Allah. They do not and cannot act of their own will in anything. Not only this, but they are servants of Allah and live as slaves and servants. They continuously worship, glorify, and sanctify Him, and do not feel the slightest shame in this. Moreover, they also remain in fear of Him and can never disobey their Creator and Master. Then, if Allah does not will, how can they fulfill your needs? Therefore, true sovereignty belongs only to Allah.
[48]
Refutation of the Divinity of Angels:
Among all creatures, angels have been mentioned separately and specifically. The reason for this is that in most countries, and similarly in Arab lands, angels have been considered as deities. These angels were regarded as the children of Allah, and were thought to be deputies of Allah or the great God, having control over certain specific affairs in the universe, and as helpers of Allah in these tasks. In Egyptian, Greek, and Indian civilizations, these very angels or their spirits were called by the names of gods and goddesses; for example, such-and-such god is the owner of rain, such-and-such goddess is the owner of wealth, and such-and-such is the goddess of love, and so on and so forth. Allah, refuting this false belief of the polytheists, stated that angels do indeed exist and are also “managers of affairs,” but they are utterly compelled before the command of Allah. They do not and cannot act of their own will in anything. Not only this, but they are servants of Allah and live as slaves and servants. They continuously worship, glorify, and sanctify Him, and do not feel the slightest shame in this. Moreover, they also remain in fear of Him and can never disobey their Creator and Master. Then, if Allah does not will, how can they fulfill your needs? Therefore, true sovereignty belongs only to Allah.
