Tafsir al-Sadi - Abd al-Rahman al-Sadi’ - (442)

Tafsir al-SadiAbd al-Rahman al-Sadi’

(48–50) “Have they not considered how the shadows of everything Allah has created shift to the right and the left, prostrating to Allah in utter submission? * Everything in the heavens and every creature on earth prostrates to Allah, as do the angels; they are not arrogant. * They fear their Lord above them and do whatever they are commanded.”

Allah Most High says, “Have they not considered”—that is, those who doubt their Lord’s oneness, greatness, and perfection—“everything Allah has created?” That is, all His created beings and how their shadows shift “to the right and the left, prostrating to Allah.” In other words, they all prostrate to their Lord and submit to His greatness and majesty. “In utter submission”—that is, humbled under His subjugation, governance, and irresistible dominion. Every one of them has its forelock in Allah’s hand and is entirely under His governance.

“Everything in the heavens and every creature on earth prostrates to Allah”—all living creatures, rational and non-rational—“as do the angels,” the noble angels. He singles them out after the general statement because of their excellence, honor, and abundant worship. Hence He says, “they are not arrogant”—that is, they do not consider themselves above worshipping Him, despite their great numbers, the greatness of their nature, and their strength. As Allah Most High says, “The Messiah would never disdain to be a servant of Allah, nor would the angels nearest to Him.”

“They fear their Lord above them.” Having praised them for their abundant obedience and submission to Allah, He also praises them for fearing Allah, who is above them in His Essence, His irresistible dominion, and the perfection of His attributes. They are humbled beneath His dominion. “And do whatever they are commanded.” That is, whatever Allah Most High commands them, they comply willingly and of their own choice.

The prostration of created beings before Allah Most High is of two kinds. The first is an involuntary prostration that attests to His perfect attributes. This applies universally to every created being: believer and disbeliever, righteous and wicked, rational and non-rational. The second is voluntary prostration, which is particular to His allies and His believing servants among the angels and other [created beings].

﴿٤٨ - ٥٠﴾ ﴿أَوَلَمْ يَرَوْا إِلَى مَا خَلَقَ اللَّهُ مِنْ شَيْءٍ يَتَفَيَّأُ ظِلالُهُ عَنِ الْيَمِينِ وَالشَّمَائِلِ سُجَّدًا لِلَّهِ وَهُمْ دَاخِرُونَ * وَلِلَّهِ يَسْجُدُ مَا فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَمَا فِي الأرْضِ مِنْ دَابَّةٍ وَالْمَلائِكَةُ وَهُمْ لا يَسْتَكْبِرُونَ * يَخَافُونَ رَبَّهُمْ مِنْ فَوْقِهِمْ وَيَفْعَلُونَ مَا يُؤْمَرُونَ﴾ يقول تعالى: ﴿أَوَلَمْ يَرَوْا﴾ أي: الشاكون في توحيد ربهم وعظمته وكماله، ﴿إِلَى مَا خَلَقَ اللَّهُ مِنْ شَيْءٍ﴾ أي: إلى جميع مخلوقاته وكيف تتفيأ أظلتها، ﴿عَن الْيَمِينِ﴾ وعن ﴿الشَّمَائِلِ سُجَّدًا لِلَّهِ﴾ أي: كلها ساجدة لربها خاضعة لعظمته وجلاله، ﴿وَهُمْ دَاخِرُونَ﴾ أي: ذليلون تحت التسخير والتدبير والقهر، ما منهم أحد إلا وناصيته بيد الله وتدبيره عنده. ﴿وَلِلَّهِ يَسْجُدُ مَا فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَمَا فِي الأرْضِ مِنْ دَابَّةٍ﴾ من الحيوانات الناطقة والصامتة، ﴿وَالْمَلائِكَةُ﴾ الكرام خصهم بعد العموم لفضلهم وشرفهم وكثرة عبادتهم ولهذا قال: ﴿وَهُمْ لا يَسْتَكْبِرُونَ﴾ أي: عن عبادته على كثرتهم وعظمة أخلاقهم وقوتهم كما قال تعالى: ﴿لَنْ يَسْتَنْكِفَ الْمَسِيحُ أَنْ يَكُونَ عَبْدًا لِلَّهِ وَلا الْمَلائِكَةُ الْمُقَرَّبُونَ﴾ ﴿يَخَافُونَ رَبَّهُمْ مِنْ فَوْقِهِمْ﴾ لما مدحهم بكثرة الطاعة والخضوع لله، مدحهم بالخوف من الله الذي هو فوقهم بالذات والقهر، وكمال الأوصاف، فهم أذلاء تحت قهره. ﴿وَيَفْعَلُونَ مَا يُؤْمَرُونَ﴾ أي: مهما أمرهم الله تعالى امتثلوا لأمره، طوعا واختيارا، وسجود المخلوقات لله تعالى قسمان: سجود اضطرار ودلالة على ما له من صفات الكمال، وهذا عام لكل مخلوق من مؤمن وكافر وبر وفاجر وحيوان ناطق وغيره، وسجود اختيار يختص بأوليائه وعباده المؤمنين من الملائكة وغيرهم [من المخلوقات] .