Maulana Wahiduddin Khan
Surah An-Nahl
Surah 16 · An-Nahl · verse 49 of 128

Quran 16:49 · An-Nahl

وَلِلَّهِۤ يَسۡجُدُۤ مَا فِي ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَمَا فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ مِن دَآبَّةٖ وَٱلۡمَلَـٰٓئِكَةُ وَهُمۡ لَا يَسۡتَكۡبِرُونَ

And to Allah prostrates whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth of creatures, and the angels [as well], and they are not arrogant

Translation: Sahih International
Maulana’s commentary · Tazkirul Quran

Man indulges in arrogance in a world where all the things surrounding him are teaching him lessons in obedience. For example, the shadows of material things. The shadow of a thing standing erect falls on the ground. In this way, it symbolizes kneeling down (sajdah). It shows symbolically how a man should bow down before his Creator. Though angels are not visible to man, the running of this immense universe in the most regulated manner proves that the agents appointed by God to run it are extremely powerful. These angels, in spite of being extraordinarily powerful, are totally obedient to God. If they were not so, the system of the universe would not function continuously with so much precision and uniformity. In view of this, to be entirely correct in his behaviour, man can do no other than surrender himself to God, do obeisance to Him and become His most obedient subject.

Maulana Wahiduddin Khan, Tazkirul Quran

In the lectures

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