17:44

تُسَبِّحُ لَهُ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتُ ٱلسَّبۡعُ وَٱلۡأَرۡضُ وَمَن فِيهِنَّۚ وَإِن مِّن شَيۡءٍ إِلَّا يُسَبِّحُ بِحَمۡدِهِۦ وَلَٰكِن لَّا تَفۡقَهُونَ تَسۡبِيحَهُمۡۚ إِنَّهُۥ كَانَ حَلِيمًا غَفُورٗا

Tusabbihu lahu alssamawatu alssabAAu waalardu waman feehinna wain min shayin illa yusabbihu bihamdihi walakin la tafqahoona tasbeehahum innahu kana haleeman ghafooran

The seven heavens and the earth and whatever is in them exalt Him. And there is not a thing except that it exalts [Allah] by His praise, but you do not understand their [way of] exalting. Indeed, He is ever Forbearing and Forgiving.

Word by word
  1. تُسَبِّحُGlorify
  2. لَهُ[to] Him
  3. ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتُthe seven heavens
  4. ٱلسَّبۡعُthe seven heavens
  5. وَٱلۡأَرۡضُand the earth
  6. وَمَنand whatever
  7. فِيهِنَّۚ(is) in them
  8. وَإِنAnd (there is) not
  9. مِّنany
  10. شَيۡءٍthing
  11. إِلَّاexcept
  12. يُسَبِّحُglorifies
  13. بِحَمۡدِهِۦHis Praise
  14. وَلَٰكِنbut
  15. لَّاnot
  16. تَفۡقَهُونَyou understand
  17. تَسۡبِيحَهُمۡۚtheir glorification
  18. إِنَّهُۥIndeed,He
  19. كَانَis
  20. حَلِيمًاEver-Forbearing
  21. غَفُورٗاOft-Forgiving
Al-Isra · 17:44Makkah

Everything is glorifying Him. You just cannot hear it.

Creation's hidden tasbih, and His patience


Who is praising
seven heavens
the earth
every thinganimal, plant, stone
in a language
you do not understand
Who is silent
the world is mute
only I forgetand He is patient with me

Ibn Kathir explains that every creature, animal, plant and even lifeless things, glorifies Allah in a way not like human speech. Ibn Mas'ud said: we used to hear the food glorifying Allah as it was eaten. And He is Forbearing and Forgiving, giving people time to return.

The birds outside your window at dawn. The rain on the bus stop roof. The tree you walk past every day without looking. All of it is busy with praise. The only one scrolling in silence might be you.

Nature is just background, it does not mean anything.

Everything around me is praising Allah, and I am invited to join.

Try this

On your next walk, say subhanallah each time you notice a tree, a bird, or the sky.

Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir

The seven heavens and the earth and all that is therein, glorify Him and there is not a thing but glorifies His praise. But you understand not their glorification. Truly, He is Ever Forbearing, Oft-Forgiving (44)

Everything glorifies Allah

Allah says: the seven heavens and the earth and all that is therein, meaning the creatures that dwell therein, sanctify Him, exalt Him, venerate Him, glorify Him and magnify Him far above what these idolators say, and they bear witness that He is One in His Lordship and Divinity.

In everything there is a sign of Allah indicating that He is One. As Allah says:

تَكَادُ السَّمَاوَاتُ يَتَفَطَّرْنَ مِنْهُ وَتَنشَقُّ الْأَرْضُ وَتَخِرُّ الْجِبَالُ هَدًّا - أَن دَعَوْا لِلرَّحْمَٰنِ وَلَدًا

(Whereby the heavens are almost torn, and the earth is split asunder, and the mountains fall in ruins, That they ascribe child to the Most Beneficent)(19:90-91).

وَإِن مِّن شَيْءٍ إِلَّا يُسَبِّحُ بِحَمْدِهِ

(and there is not a thing but glorifies His praise.) there is no created being that does not celebrate the praises of Allah.

وَلَٰكِن لَّا تَفْقَهُونَ تَسْبِيحَهُمْ

(But you understand not their glorification.)

means, 'You do not understand them, O mankind, because it is not like your languages.' This applies to all creatures generally, animal, inanimate and botanical. This is the better known of the two opinions according to the most reliable of two opinions. It was reported in Sahih Al-Bukhari that Ibn Mas'ud said: "We used to hear the Tasbih of the food as it was being eaten."

Imam Ahmad recorded that [Mu'adh bin Anas said that] the Messenger of Allah ﷺ came upon some people who were sitting on their mounts and talking to one another. He said to them:

ارْكَبُوهَا سَالِمَةً وَدَعُوهَا سَالِمَةً، وَلَا تَتَّخِذُوهَا كَرَاسِيَّ لِأَحَادِيثِكُمْ فِي الطُّرُقِ وَالْأَسْوَاقِ، فَرُبَّ مَرْكُوبَةٍ خَيْرٌ مِنْ رَاكِبِهَا، وَأَكْثَرُ ذِكْرًا للهِ مِنْهُ

(Ride them safely then leave them safely. Do not use them as chairs for you to have conversations in the streets and marketplaces, because the one that is ridden may be better than the one who rides it, and may remember Allah more than he does.)

An-Nasa'i recorded in his Sunan that 'Abdullah bin 'Amr said: "The Messenger of Allah ﷺ forbade us from killing frogs."

إِنَّهُ كَانَ حَلِيمًا غَفُورًا

(Truly, He is Ever Forbearing, Oft-Forgiving.) means, He does not hasten to punish those who disobey Him, rather He gives them time and waits, then if they persist in their stubborn Kufr, He seizes them with a punishment of the All-Mighty, All-Capable. It was recorded in the Two Sahihs that:

إِنَّ اللهَ لَيُمْلِي لِلظَّالِمِ حَتَّى إِذَا أَخَذَهُ لَمْ يُفْلِتْهُ

(Allah will let the wrongdoer carry on until, when He does seize him, He will never let him go.) Then the Messenger of Allah ﷺ recited:

وَكَذَٰلِكَ أَخْذُ رَبِّكَ إِذَا أَخَذَ الْقُرَىٰ وَهِيَ ظَالِمَةٌ

(Such is the punishment of your Lord when He seizes the (population of) towns while they are doing wrong.)[11:102] Allah says:

فَكَأَيِّن مِّن قَرْيَةٍ أَهْلَكْنَاهَا وَهِيَ ظَالِمَةٌ

(And many a township did We destroy while they were given to wrongdoing.)[22:45] until the end of two Ayat.

وَكَأَيِّن مِّن قَرْيَةٍ أَمْلَيْتُ لَهَا وَهِيَ ظَالِمَةٌ

(And many a township did I give respite while it was given to wrongdoing.)[22:48]

Whoever gives up his disbelief and disobedience, and turns back to Allah in repentance, Allah will accept his repentance, as He says:

وَمَن يَعْمَلْ سُوءًا أَوْ يَظْلِمْ نَفْسَهُ ثُمَّ يَسْتَغْفِرِ اللَّهَ

(And whoever does evil or wrongs himself but afterwards seeks Allah's forgiveness)[4:110] Here, Allah says:

إِنَّهُ كَانَ حَلِيمًا غَفُورًا

(Truly, He is Ever Forbearing, Oft-Forgiving.) At the end of Surah Fatir, He says:

إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُمْسِكُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ أَن تَزُولَا ۚ وَلَئِن زَالَتَا إِنْ أَمْسَكَهُمَا مِنْ أَحَدٍ مِّن بَعْدِهِ ۚ إِنَّهُ كَانَ حَلِيمًا غَفُورًا

(Verily, Allah grasps the heavens and the earth lest they should move away from their places, and if they were to move away from their places, there is not one that could grasp them after Him. Truly, He is Ever Most Forbearing, Oft-Forgiving...) until His saying;

وَلَوْ يُؤَاخِذُ اللَّهُ النَّاسَ

(And if Allah were to punish men)(35:41-45)