Surah Fatir—Meccan (1)

In the name of Allah, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful.

“Praise be to Allah, Originator of the heavens and the earth, who appoints the angels as messengers, possessing wings—two, three, and four. He increases in creation whatever He wills. Indeed, Allah is fully capable of all things.” (1)

“Praise be to Allah, Originator of the heavens and the earth”: that is, their Creator and Producer without any prior model. “Who appoints the angels as messengers, possessing wings”: that is, having wings—“two, three, and four.” Qatadah and Muqatil said: “Some of them have two wings, some have three wings, and some have four wings,” and He increases them as He wills. This is meant by His saying, “He increases in creation whatever He wills.”

Concerning His saying, “He certainly saw one of the greatest signs of his Lord” [al-Najm: 18], Ibn Masud said: “He saw Gabriel in his true form, with six hundred wings.” (3)

Regarding His saying, “He increases in creation whatever He wills,” Ibn Shihab said: “It means a beautiful voice.” (4) 90/a

Qatadah said: “It is beauty in the eyes.” (5) It was also said: intelligence and discernment.

“Indeed, Allah is fully capable of all things.”