Tafseer Ibn Kathir of AL ISRAA' [44]

44. 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. 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:

(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).

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

(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 came upon some people who were sitting on their mounts and talking to one another. He said to them:

(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 forbade us from killing frogs.''

(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:

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

(Such is the punishment of your Lord when He seizes the (population of) towns while they are doing wrong. ) ï´¿11:02ï´¾ Allah says:

(And many a township did I give respite while it was given to wrongdoing.) ï´¿22:45ï´¾ until the end of two Ayat.

(And many a township did We destroy while they were given to wrongdoing.) ï´¿22:48ï´¾ Whoever gives up his disbelief and disobedience, and turns back to Allah in repentance, Allah will accept his repentance, as He says:

(And whoever does evil or wrongs himself but afterwards seeks Allah's forgiveness) ï´¿4:110ï´¾ Here, Allah says:

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

(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;

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