Al-Anbya · Makki · ayah 19 of 112

Al-Anbya 21:19

وَلَهُۥ مَن فِى ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ ۚ وَمَنْ عِندَهُۥ لَا يَسْتَكْبِرُونَ عَنْ عِبَادَتِهِۦ وَلَا يَسْتَحْسِرُونَ

“To Him belongs whoever is in the heavens and the earth. And those near Him [i.e., the angels] are not prevented by arrogance from His worship, nor do they tire.”

Saheeh International

Essence

Everyone in the heavens and the earth is His; the ones nearest Him are never too proud to serve Him, and never tire of it.

A reflection

The nearest are the least proud

To Him belongs whoever is in the heavens and the earth. One commentator connects this directly to the claims answered just before. How could He take a pastime, a consort or a child, when everyone in the heavens and the earth is His? You know, he says, that a father does not make his own child his servant. Yet every being is His servant. So how could any of them be His child?

Then comes the second half: those who are with Him are not too proud to worship Him. Another commentator draws the lesson for us. The angels, with all their majesty and nearness, are not too proud to obey. So how can a weak human being refuse?

That is where human pride is caught out. Picture an office where a new graduate refuses to make tea for visitors. It is beneath him, he says; he did not do a degree to carry cups. The same afternoon he sees the chief executive in the kitchen, sleeves rolled up. She is making tea for a cleaner just back from an operation. He does not know where to look.

The ayah shows the whole universe arranged that way. The beings with the highest rank are the ones who bow most readily. Arrogance is not a sign of greatness. It is a sign of distance.

A sceptic may ask: why does God want worship at all? Is He gathering praise for Himself? One commentator answers directly. The ayah shows He is entirely free of their obedience, because He already owns everything that exists. Worship adds nothing to Him. Another commentator explains that He is the One who created them and poured every kind of blessing on them. Obedience is simply the right response of the receiver to the Giver, and its benefit is the receiver's.

The full entry has 5 more reflections, questions to sit with, and "Live it today" - with the words, the roots and the tafsir alongside. Free, no account, works offline.