Quran Universe
35:1

ٱلۡحَمۡدُ لِلَّهِ فَاطِرِ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضِ جَاعِلِ ٱلۡمَلَـٰٓئِكَةِ رُسُلًا أُوْلِيٓ أَجۡنِحَةٖ مَّثۡنَىٰ وَثُلَٰثَ وَرُبَٰعَۚ يَزِيدُ فِي ٱلۡخَلۡقِ مَا يَشَآءُۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيۡءٖ قَدِيرٞ

Alhamdu lillahi fatiri alssamawati waalardi jaAAili almalaikati rusulan olee ajnihatin mathna wathulatha warubaAAa yazeedu fee alkhalqi ma yashao inna Allaha AAala kulli shayin qadeerun

[All] praise is [due] to Allah, Creator of the heavens and the earth, [who] made the angels messengers having wings, two or three or four. He increases in creation what He wills. Indeed, Allah is over all things competent.

Word by word
  1. ٱلۡحَمۡدُAll praises
  2. لِلَّهِ(be) to Allah
  3. فَاطِرِOriginator
  4. ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ(of) the heavens
  5. وَٱلۡأَرۡضِand the earth
  6. جَاعِلِ(Who) makes
  7. ٱلۡمَلَـٰٓئِكَةِthe Angels
  8. رُسُلًاmessengers
  9. أُوْلِيٓhaving wings
  10. أَجۡنِحَةٖhaving wings
  11. مَّثۡنَىٰtwo
  12. وَثُلَٰثَor three
  13. وَرُبَٰعَۚor four
  14. يَزِيدُHe increases
  15. فِيin
  16. ٱلۡخَلۡقِthe creation
  17. مَاwhat
  18. يَشَآءُۚHe wills
  19. إِنَّIndeed
  20. ٱللَّهَAllah
  21. عَلَىٰ(is) on
  22. كُلِّevery
  23. شَيۡءٖthing
  24. قَدِيرٞAll-Powerful
Fatir · 35:1Makkah

The One who started everything still adds as He wills.

Praise for the Originator and His winged messengers

What the verse opens with
Fatirthe One who started it
made
the angelsmessengers with wings
and still
increases creationas He wills
Is creation finished?
it was set oncenow it just runs
He adds as He willsable to do all things

Ibn Abbas said he only understood the word Fatir when two bedouins argued over a well and one said, I started it. Allah is the One who started the heavens and the earth. The angels carry His word between Him and His prophets, with wings to move quickly.

You open your phone and scroll past a photo of a galaxy, then a newborn, then a storm. You feel nothing much. Each one was started by Someone. This verse begins with praise before it asks anything of you.

The world is just there, a backdrop to my day.

Everything I see was started on purpose, and its Maker can still add to it.

Try this

Step outside once today and look at one natural thing for ten seconds. Say alhamdulillah for it.

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

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ 

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ فَاطِرِ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ جَاعِلِ الْمَلَائِكَةِ رُسُلًا أُولِي أَجْنِحَةٍ مَثْنَىٰ وَثُلَاثَ وَرُبَاعَ ۚ يَزِيدُ فِي الْخَلْقِ مَا يَشَاءُ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ 

(1. All praise is due to Allah, Fatir of the heavens and the earth, Who made the angels messengers with wings, two or three or four. He increases in creation what He wills. Verily, Allah is Able to do all things.)

The Power of Allah

Ibn 'Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, said, "I did not know what Fatir As-Samawati wal-Ard meant until two bedouins came to me disputing over a well. One of them said to his companion, 'Ana Fatartuha,' meaning, 'I started it.'" Ibn 'Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, also said,

فَاطِرِ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ

(Fatir of the heavens and the earth,) means, "The Originator of the heavens and the earth." Ad-Dahhak said, "Every time the phrase Fatir As-Samawati wal-Ard is used in the Qur'an, it means the Creator of the heavens and the earth."

جَاعِلِ الْمَلَائِكَةِ رُسُلًا

(Who made the angels messengers) means, between Him and His Prophets.

أُولِي أَجْنِحَةٍ

(with wings) means, with which they fly to convey quickly that which they have been commanded to convey.

 مَثْنَىٰ وَثُلَاثَ وَرُبَاعَ

(two or three or four.) means, among them are some who have two wings, some have three and some who have four. Some have more than that, as stated in the Hadith mentioning that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ saw Jibril, peace be upon him, on the Night of the Isra' with six hundred wings. Between each pair of wings was a distance like that between the east and the west. Allah says:

يَزِيدُ فِي الْخَلْقِ مَا يَشَاءُ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ

(He increases in creation what He wills. Verily, Allah is Able to do all things.) As-Suddi said, "He increases their wings and creates them as He wills."