Ubayy ibn Ka‘b said: “In this verse, the disbeliever moves amid five layers of darkness: his speech is darkness, his deeds are darkness, his entrance is darkness, his exit is darkness, and on the Day of Resurrection his destination will be darkness—to the Fire.” (1)

“When he puts out”—that is, the observer—“his hand, he can hardly see it”: that is, because of the intensity of the darkness, he does not even come close to seeing it. Al-Farrā’ said that “can hardly” is merely supplementary; that is, he does not see it. Al-Mubarrad said: that is, he does not see it (2) except after great effort, as when someone says, “I could scarcely see you because of the darkness,” although he did see him, but only after despair and hardship. It was also said that it means: he came close to seeing it, yet did not see it, as one says, “The ostrich was about to fly.”

“And whoever Allah does not grant light has no light.” Ibn ‘Abbās said: Whoever Allah does not grant religion and faith has no religion. It was also said: Whoever Allah does not guide has no faith, and no one can guide him. Muqātil said: This verse was revealed concerning ‘Utbah ibn Rabī‘ah ibn Umayyah. During the Age of Ignorance, he sought the true religion and wore rough woolen garments; but when Islam came, he disbelieved. The majority hold that it applies generally to all disbelievers. (3)

“Do you not see that all who are in the heavens and the earth glorify Allah, as do the birds with wings outspread? Each knows its prayer and glorification, and Allah is All-Knowing of what they do. (41) To Allah belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth, and to Allah is the final return. (42) Do you not see that Allah drives the clouds, then joins them together, then makes them a piled-up mass, and you see the rain emerge from within them? He sends down from the sky hail from mountains within it, striking with it whom He wills and averting it from whom He wills. The flash of its lightning almost takes away the sight. (43)”

Allah, exalted is He, says: “Do you not see that all who are in the heavens and the earth glorify Allah, as do the birds with wings outspread?” That is, spreading their wings in the air. It was said that birds were mentioned specifically among all animals because they are between heaven and earth, and thus fall outside the category of those in the heavens and those on the earth. “Each knows its prayer and glorification.” Mujāhid said: Prayer belongs to the children of Adam, while glorification belongs to the rest of creation. It was also said that the beating of their wings is the birds’ prayer, and their voices are their glorification.

As for His words, “Each knows,” this means that Allah knows the prayer and glorification of every one who prays and glorifies Him. It was also said that every one of them who prays and glorifies Him knows his own prayer and glorification. “And Allah is All-Knowing of what they do.” “To Allah belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth, and to Allah is the final return.”

“Do you not see that Allah drives”—that is, directs by His command—“clouds” to wherever He wills, “then joins them together,” that is, by gathering the scattered pieces of cloud together, “then makes them a piled-up mass,” heaped up, with some of it above