The praise of all creatures and beings to Allah Almighty...
Selections from the Book The King Prophets...
Written by Dr. Ali Muhammad Al-Sallabi...
Episode (21)
Allah Almighty said: {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} [Al-Isra: 44].
The noble verse shows that everyone in the seven heavens and the earth glorifies Allah; Whether they are rational creatures, irrational creatures, or inanimate objects, there is nothing in existence that does not praise Allah. We just do not understand their language, or we do not hear the voice of inanimate objects, nor do we understand their language, because we humans only understand our language.
The opinion of the people of knowledge is that the mountains and birds used to praise with David (peace be upon him) in reality, and this is not too powerful for Allah, The One who gave humans speech is not incapable of making birds and mountains speak. As Allah Almighty said: {Indeed, we offered the Trust to the heavens and the earth and the mountains, and they declined to bear it and feared it; but man [undertook to] bear it. Indeed, he was unjust and ignorant} [Al-Ahzab: 72].
And Allah Almighty said: {If We had sent down this Qur’an upon a mountain, you would have seen it humbled and coming apart from fear of Allah} [Al-Hashr: 21].
And as Allah Almighty mentioned stones, He said: {Then your hearts became hardened after that, being like stones or even harder} [Al-Baqarah: 74].
Then immediately after that He Almighty said: {For indeed, there are stones from which rivers burst forth, and there are some of them that split open and water comes out, and there are some of them that fall down for fear of Allah. And Allah is not unaware of what you do}. Even though they are stones, Allah Almighty places this feeling in them, so they can glorify Him. Therefore, the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, used to tell about a stone that he used to greet. The trunk groaned and cried because the Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, left him when the pulpit was placed for him. The hoopoe denounced the Queen of Sheba for worshiping anyone other than Allah Almighty.
We believe in this and believe it, and we say: {Indeed, Allah is over all things competent} [Al-Baqarah: 20]. How could it not? On the Day of Resurrection, the hands and skins of the disbelievers will speak of what they were doing, when the disbeliever will say to his skin, hand, and foot: “Why have you testified against us?”, So they respond to them: {We were made to speak by Allah, who has made everything speak} [Fussilat: 21].
Allah Almighty bestowed upon His servant and Prophet David (peace be upon him) what He bestowed upon him of clear merit, and combined for him prophethood, an empowered kingship, soldiers of great numbers and equipment, and what He gave and bestowed upon him of the great voice that when he glorified, the firm mountains would glorify with him, and the flying birds stop by and respond to him in all kinds of languages.
This news came in three surahs: Al-Anbiya, Saba, SAD.
In Surat Al-Anbiya, Allah Almighty told us about their glorification with David, peace be upon him: {And We subjected the mountains to exalt [Us], along with David and [also] the birds. And We were doing [that]} [Al-Anbiya’: 79].
In Surat Saba, He told about them being with David: {[We said], “O mountains, repeat [Our] praises with him, and the birds [as well].” And We made pliable for him iron} [Saba: 10]. That is, their praise was repeated after David’s praise.
As for Surat SAD, there was a useful addition. Allah Almighty said: {Indeed, We subjected the mountains [to praise] with him, exalting [Allah] in the [late] afternoon and [after] sunrise (18) And the birds were assembled, all with him repeating [praises] (19) And We strengthened his kingdom and gave him wisdom and discernment in speech (20)} [SAD. 18-20].
Allah has subjected the mountains to him and made them praise Allah in the morning and the evening, and He has gathered the birds for him and made them praise while they are gathered in the morning and evening as well.
The sentence: {exalting [Allah] in the [late] afternoon and [after] sunrise} is in the accusative case, and the subject of the case is mountains. That is: We subjected the mountains to praise with him, exalting Allah in the late afternoon and after sunrise.
{assembled} is an accusative adverb, and the subject of the adverb is "the birds" and the birds are the object of an omitted verb that is understood from the context, and the estimate is: And We subjected the birds assembled, exalting Allah in the evening and sunrise.
It is as if mountains and birds are rational creatures, and they choose the purest times for praising Allah, that is, at sunrise and sunset. Imagine the sight of them praising Allah in the morning and evening. It is a beautiful, gentle, and touching sight that souls interact with.
There is nothing in existence that does not praise Allah. Allah has told us that; Likewise, the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said to Abu Moses Al-Ash’ari, may Allah be pleased with him: "You have been given one of the mazamir (sweet melodious voices) of the family of David”.
Abu Musa’s voice was one of the most beautiful voices among the Companions. The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, likened his beautiful voice to the voice of David (peace be upon him).
Muslim narrated on the authority of Abu Moses Al-Ash’ari, may Allah be pleased with him, that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: "Abdullah b. Qais or al-Ash'ari has been gifted with a sweet melodious voice out of the voices of the family of David". In another narration about him: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said to him: "If you were to see me, as I was listening to your recitation (of the Qur'an) yester-night (you would have felt delighted). You are in fact endowed with a sweet voice like that of David himself".
If the previous hadiths mention (the family of David), and what is meant by them is David himself (peace be upon him), as Al-Khattabi and Ibn Hajar said; There is a raised narration in which the statement is attributed to David and not to the family of David.
When he read, he would improve and beautify his voice, and improve the words coming out of his mouth. It is as if he is playing the flute.
It must be said: The psalms attributed to David (peace be upon him), mentioned in the Old Testament, are not the Psalms that Allah revealed to David (peace be upon him), nor are they what David used to speak to his Lord.
The nineteenth Scripture of the Old Testament is called (Psalms). The Jewish rabbis recorded one hundred and fifty psalms in it, and most of these psalms are attributed to David, and some are attributed to others. But we say: These psalms are not the Psalms which David recited, and their words do not agree with the manners of David (peace be upon him) with Allah Almighty, and they were created by the Jewish rabbis later, and we know that some of the Jewish rabbis distorted the Torah and the Scriptures of the Old Testament.
Episode references:
- Ali Muhammad Al-Sallabi, The King Prophets, pp. 123-127.
- And he followed their guidance, “An original reading of the biographies and stories of the prophets,” Othman Muhammad Al-Khamis, Elaph International House, Kuwait, 1st edition, 1431 AH - 2010 AD, p. 295
- Interpretation of Surat Al-Isra, Ahmed Nofal, 1st edition, 435 AH - 2014 AD, p. 311.
For further information and review of the sources for the article, see:
The Book of King Prophets on the official website of Sheikh Dr. Ali Muhammad Al-Sallabi:
