سُوْرَةُ الْمُلْكِ
Surah Al-Mulk (67) — Ayah 19
أَوَلَمْ يَرَوْا۟ إِلَى ٱلطَّيْرِ فَوْقَهُمْ صَـٰٓفَّـٰتٍ وَيَقْبِضْنَ ۚ مَا يُمْسِكُهُنَّ إِلَّا ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنُ ۚ إِنَّهُۥ بِكُلِّ شَىْءٍۭ بَصِيرٌ ﴿19﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
Do they not see the birds above them, spreading out their wings and folding them in? None upholds them except the Most Gracious (Allâh). Verily, He is the All-Seer of everything.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
أَوَلَمْ
awalam
Do not
يَرَوْا۟
yaraw
they see
إِلَى
ilā
[to]
ٱلطَّيْرِ
l-ṭayri
the birds
فَوْقَهُمْ
fawqahum
above them
صَـٰٓفَّـٰتٍۢ
ṣāffātin
spreading (their wings)
وَيَقْبِضْنَ ۚ
wayaqbiḍ'na
and folding
مَا
mā
Not
يُمْسِكُهُنَّ
yum'sikuhunna
holds them
إِلَّا
illā
except
ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنُ ۚ
l-raḥmānu
the Most Gracious
إِنَّهُۥ
innahu
Indeed, He
بِكُلِّ
bikulli
(is) of every
شَىْءٍۭ
shayin
thing
بَصِيرٌ
baṣīrun
All-Seer
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.
19. Have they not seen the birds above them, spreading and folding their wings? None holds them except the Most Merciful [21]. Surely, He is seeing of all things.
[21]
Attribute
﴿صف﴾ means to form a row, to make a straight line, and ﴿صف﴾ means the straight line of everything, and ﴿صف الطير﴾ means that the birds, in their flight, have straightened their wings like a row. It also means that the birds spread their wings in the air and become completely motionless, while all are in the same state. The meaning is that while flying in the air, birds sometimes spread their wings and sometimes fold them. Although these are bodies heavier than air, yet they do not fall to the ground. Nor does the earth’s gravity pull them down. The air, which cannot even bear the weight of a piece of paper, and even that slowly falls to the ground. So who holds the heavy bodies of birds in the air and does not let them fall to the ground? Who taught them this way of gliding and flying in the air? It is Allah Almighty, Who has created the structure of the birds’ bodies in such a way that they can easily fly and remain suspended in the air, both with their wings open and with their wings closed. Later, man discovered this very principle and invented the airplane, whose shape even resembles that of birds, and which can also open and close its wings.
[21]
Attribute
﴿صف﴾ means to form a row, to make a straight line, and ﴿صف﴾ means the straight line of everything, and ﴿صف الطير﴾ means that the birds, in their flight, have straightened their wings like a row. It also means that the birds spread their wings in the air and become completely motionless, while all are in the same state. The meaning is that while flying in the air, birds sometimes spread their wings and sometimes fold them. Although these are bodies heavier than air, yet they do not fall to the ground. Nor does the earth’s gravity pull them down. The air, which cannot even bear the weight of a piece of paper, and even that slowly falls to the ground. So who holds the heavy bodies of birds in the air and does not let them fall to the ground? Who taught them this way of gliding and flying in the air? It is Allah Almighty, Who has created the structure of the birds’ bodies in such a way that they can easily fly and remain suspended in the air, both with their wings open and with their wings closed. Later, man discovered this very principle and invented the airplane, whose shape even resembles that of birds, and which can also open and close its wings.
