Quran Universe
4:172

لَّن يَسۡتَنكِفَ ٱلۡمَسِيحُ أَن يَكُونَ عَبۡدٗا لِّلَّهِ وَلَا ٱلۡمَلَـٰٓئِكَةُ ٱلۡمُقَرَّبُونَۚ وَمَن يَسۡتَنكِفۡ عَنۡ عِبَادَتِهِۦ وَيَسۡتَكۡبِرۡ فَسَيَحۡشُرُهُمۡ إِلَيۡهِ جَمِيعٗا

Lan yastankifa almaseehu an yakoona AAabdan lillahi wala almalaikatu almuqarraboona waman yastankif AAan AAibadatihi wayastakbir fasayahshuruhum ilayhi jameeAAan

Never would the Messiah disdain to be a servant of Allah, nor would the angels near [to Him]. And whoever disdains His worship and is arrogant - He will gather them to Himself all together.

Word by word
  1. لَّنNever
  2. يَسۡتَنكِفَwill disdain
  3. ٱلۡمَسِيحُthe Messiah
  4. أَنto
  5. يَكُونَbe
  6. عَبۡدٗاa slave
  7. لِّلَّهِof Allah
  8. وَلَاand not
  9. ٱلۡمَلَـٰٓئِكَةُthe Angels
  10. ٱلۡمُقَرَّبُونَۚthe ones who are near (to Allah)
  11. وَمَنAnd whoever
  12. يَسۡتَنكِفۡdisdains
  13. عَنۡfrom
  14. عِبَادَتِهِۦHis worship
  15. وَيَسۡتَكۡبِرۡand is arrogant
  16. فَسَيَحۡشُرُهُمۡthen He will gather them
  17. إِلَيۡهِtowards Him
  18. جَمِيعٗاall together
An-Nisa · 4:172Madinah

The Messiah and the closest angels are never too proud to serve.

Worship is an honor, not a humiliation

Who serves Allah gladly
the Messiahnever disdains
the near angelsnever disdain
unlike
the arroganttoo proud to worship
What being a servant means
beneath meI bow to no one
the highest rankshared with the best

Right after saying who Isa is, the verse says the Messiah would never disdain being Allah's servant, nor would the angels nearest to Him. Ibn Abbas explained the word proud as insolent. Those who are too proud to worship will all be gathered before Him.

You feel awkward praying at work. Your friends think kneeling in public is embarrassing. Pride whispers that bowing makes you small. The verse puts you in the best company: the Messiah and the angels closest to Allah do the very same thing.

Bowing in worship is a bit humbling and awkward.

Bowing to Allah puts me in the company of the Messiah and the angels.

Try this

Pray one prayer today somewhere you usually feel shy to, calmly and without rushing.

Related40:60
Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir

Al-Masih will never be too proud to be a servant of Allah, nor the angels who are the near (to Allah). And whosoever rejects His worship and is proud, then He will gather them all together unto Himself (172)So, as for those who believed and did deeds of righteousness, He will give them their (due) rewards and more out of His bounty. But as for those who refused His worship and were proud, He will punish them with a painful torment. And they will not find for themselves besides Allah any protector or helper (173)

The Prophets and Angels Are Never too Proud to Worship Allah

Ibn Abi Hatim recorded that Ibn 'Abbas said that, 'proud', means insolent. Qatadah said that,

الْمَسِيحُ أَن يَكُونَ عَبْدًا لِّلَّهِ وَلَا الْمَلَائِكَةُ الْمُقَرَّبُونَ

(Al-Masih will never be too proud to be a servant of Allah nor the angels who are near (to Allah).)

[they] will never be arrogant, Allah then said,

وَمَن يَسْتَنكِفْ عَنْ عِبَادَتِهِ وَيَسْتَكْبِرْ فَسَيَحْشُرُهُمْ إِلَيْهِ جَمِيعًا

(And whosoever rejects His worship and is proud, then He will gather them all together unto Himself.) on the Day of Resurrection. Then, Allah will judge between them with His just judgment that is never unjust or wrong.

فَأَمَّا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ فَيُوَفِّيهِمْ أُجُورَهُمْ وَيَزِيدُهُم مِّن فَضْلِهِ

(So, as for those who believed and did deeds of righteousness, He will give their (due) rewards, and more out of His bounty.) Allah will award them their full rewards for their righteous actions and will give them more of His bounty, kindness, ample mercy and favor.

وَأَمَّا الَّذِينَ اسْتَنكَفُوا وَاسْتَكْبَرُوا 

(But as for those who refused His worship and were proud,) out of arrogance, they refused to obey and worship Him,

فَيُعَذِّبُهُمْ عَذَابًا أَلِيمًا وَلَا يَجِدُونَ لَهُم مِّن دُونِ اللَّهِ وَلِيًّا وَلَا نَصِيرًا

(He will punish them with a painful torment. And they will not find for themselves besides Allah any protector or helper.) In another Ayah, Allah said,

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَسْتَكْبِرُونَ عَنْ عِبَادَتِي سَيَدْخُلُونَ جَهَنَّمَ دَاخِرِينَ

(Verily! Those who scorn My worship, they will surely enter Hell in humiliation,)[40:60] degradation, disgrace and dishonor, for they were arrogant and rebellious.