Surah 16 An-Nahl — Ayah 48
أَوَلَمْ يَرَوْا۟ إِلَىٰ مَا خَلَقَ ٱللَّهُ مِن شَىْءٍۢ يَتَفَيَّؤُا۟ ظِلَٰلُهُۥ عَنِ ٱلْيَمِينِ وَٱلشَّمَآئِلِ سُجَّدًۭا لِّلَّهِ وَهُمْ دَٰخِرُونَ
그들은 하나님이 창조한 모 든 사물들을 바라보지 아니 하느 뇨 그의 그림자는 오른편과 왼편 으로 기울며 가장 겸허한 자세로 하나님을 경배함이라
awalam yaraw ilā mā khalaqa l-lahu min shayin yatafayya-u ẓilāluhu ʿani l-yamīni wal-shamāili sujjadan lillahi wahum dākhirūna
Word by word
- أَوَلَمْ awalam Have not
- يَرَوْا۟ yaraw they seen
- إِلَىٰ ilā [towards]
- مَا mā what
- خَلَقَ khalaqa Allah has created
- ٱللَّهُ l-lahu Allah has created
- مِن min from
- شَىْءٍۢ shayin a thing
- يَتَفَيَّؤُا۟ yatafayya-u Incline
- ظِلَـٰلُهُۥ ẓilāluhu their shadows
- عَنِ ʿani to
- ٱلْيَمِينِ l-yamīni the right
- وَٱلشَّمَآئِلِ wal-shamāili and to the left
- سُجَّدًۭا sujjadan prostrating
- لِّلَّهِ lillahi to Allah
- وَهُمْ wahum while they
- دَٰخِرُونَ dākhirūna (are) humble
Tafsir · Ibn Kathir (Abridged)
Everything prostrates to Allah
Allah informs us about His might, majesty and pride, meaning that all things submit themselves to Him and every created being - animate and inanimate, as well as the responsible - humans and Jinns, and the angels - all humble themselves before Him. He tells us that everything that has a shadow leaning to the right and the left, i.e., in the morning and the evening, is by its shadow, prostrating to Allah. Mujahid said, "When the sun passes its zenith, everything prostrates to Allah, may He be glorified." This was also said by Qatadah, Ad-Dahhak and others.
(while they are humble) means, they are in a state of humility. Mujahid also said: "The prostration of every thing is its shadow", and he mentioned the mountains and said that their prostrations are their shadows. Abu Ghalib Ash-Shaybani said: "The waves of the sea are its prayers". It is as if reason is attributed to these inanimate objects when they are described as prostrating, so Allah says:
(And to Allah prostrate all that are in the heavens and all that are in the earth, of the moving creatures) As Allah says:
(And to Allah (alone) all who are in the heavens and the earth fall in prostration, willingly or unwillingly, and so do their shadows in the mornings and in the afternoons.) (13:15)
(and the angels, and they are not proud.) means, they prostrate to Allah and are not too proud to worship Him.
(They fear their Lord above them) means, they prostrate out of fear of their Lord, may He be glorified.
(and they do what they are commanded.) meaning they continually obey Allah, doing what He tells them to do and avoiding that which He forbids.