Al-Qur'an Surah Al-Mulk Verse 19

Mufti Taqi Usmani

Have they not looked to the birds above them spreading their wings, and (at times) they fold (them) in? No one holds them up except the RaHmān (the All-Merciful Allah). Surely He is watchful of every thing.

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

Have they not seen the birds above them, spreading and folding their wings? None holds them up except the Most Compassionate. Indeed, He is All-Seeing of everything.

Ruwwad Translation Center

Do they not see the birds above them, spreading out and folding in their wings? None holds them up except the Most Compassionate. He is indeed All-Seeing of everything.

A. J. Arberry

Have they not regarded the birds above them spreading their wings, and closing them? Naught holds them but the All-merciful. Surely He sees everything.

Abdul Haleem

Do they not see the birds above them spreading and closing their wings? It is only the Lord of Mercy who holds them up: He watches over everything.

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

Behold they not the birds above them, outstretching their wings and they also withdraw them? Naught holdeth them except the Compassionate. Verily He is of everything Beholder.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Do they not observe the birds above them, spreading their wings and folding them in? None can uphold them except (Allah) Most Gracious; Truly (Allah) Most Gracious; Truly it is He that watches over all things.

Abul Ala Maududi

Have they not seen birds above them spreading and closing their wings, with none holding them except the Merciful One? He oversees everything.

Ahmed Ali

Do they not see the birds above them flying wings spread out or folded? Nothing holds them aloft but God. All things are within His purview.

Ahmed Raza Khan

And did they not see the birds above them, spreading and closing their wings? None except the Most Gracious holds them up; indeed He sees all things.

Ali Quli Qarai

Have they not regarded the birds above them spreading and closing their wings? No one sustains them except the All-beneficent. Indeed, He watches all things.

Ali Ünal

Have they never considered the birds above them, flying in lines with wings they spread out and fold in? Nothing holds them up except the All-Merciful. He indeed sees everything very well.

Amatul Rahman Omar

Have they not seen above them the birds with spread out wings (in flight) which they also draw in (to swoop down on the prey). None but the Most Gracious (God) holds them (there). Verily, He has knowledge of each and everything.

English Literal

Do they not see to the birds above them expanded and motionless wings in a row, and they stretch and shrink/speed ? None holds/grasps them except the merciful, that He truly is with every thing seeing/understanding .

Faridul Haque

And did they not see the birds above them, spreading and closing their wings? None except the Most Gracious holds them up; indeed He sees all things.

Hamid S. Aziz

Have they not seen the birds above them expanding (their wings) and contracting (them)? What is it that withholds them save the Beneficent? Lo! He is Seer of all things.

Hilali & Khan

Do they not see the birds above them, spreading out their wings and folding them in? None upholds them except the Most Beneficent (Allah). Verily, He is the All-Seer of everything.

Maulana Mohammad Ali

Or who is it that will be a host for you to help you against the Beneficent? The disbelievers are in naught but delusion.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

Have they not seen the birds above them expanding (their wings) and contracting (them)? What is it that withholds them save the Beneficent Allah? Surely He sees everything.

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

Have they not seen the birds above them spreading out their wings and closing them? Naught upholdeth them save the Beneficent. Lo! He is Seer of all things.

Muhammad Sarwar

Did they not see the birds above them, stretching out, and flapping their wings. No one keeps them up in the sky except the Beneficent God. He certainly watches over all things.

Qaribullah & Darwish

Do they not observe the birds above them, spreading their wings and folding them? None, except the Merciful holds them. Surely, He sees all things.

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

Do they not see the birds above them, spreading out their wings and folding them in None upholds them except the Most Gracious. Verily, He is the All-Seer of everything.

Wahiduddin Khan

Do they not see the birds above them spreading and closing their wings? None save the Merciful sustains them. Surely, He observes all things.

Talal Itani

Have they not seen the birds above them, spreading their wings, and folding them? None holds them except the Compassionate. He is Perceiver of everything.

Tafsir jalalayn

Or have they not seen the birds above them, in the air, spreading their wings and closing?, their wings after spreading them? (in other words [read wa-yaqbidna] as wa-qbidtin [similar to sfftin, `spreading']). Nothing sustains them, from falling, either when they are spreading them or closing them, except the Compassionate One, by His power. Indeed He is Seer of all things. The meaning is; have they not inferred from the fact that the birds [are able to] remain in the air that We have the power to do with them what has been mentioned above as well as [inflicting upon them] other kinds of chastisement?

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

أَوَلَمْ يَرَوْا إِلَى الطَّيْرِ فَوْقَهُمْ صَافَّاتٍ وَيَقْبِضْنَ

Do they not see the birds above them, spreading out their wings and folding them in?

meaning, sometimes they spread their wings out in the wind (gliding) and other times they gather and spread (flapping) the wings in flight.

مَا يُمْسِكُهُنَّ

None upholds them,

meaning, in the air,

إِلاَّ الرَّحْمَنُ

except the Most Gracious.

meaning, Allah holds them up in the air by subjecting the air to them out of His mercy and His gentleness.

إِنَّهُ بِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ بَصِيرٌ




Verily, He is the All-Seer of everything.

means, with what is beneficial and suitable for all of His creatures.

This is similar to His statement,

أَلَمْ يَرَوْاْ إِلَى الطَّيْرِ مُسَخَّرَتٍ فِى جَوِّ السَّمَأءِ مَا يُمْسِكُهُنَّ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ إِنَّ فِى ذلِكَ لايَـتٍ لِّقَوْمٍ يُوْمِنُونَ

Do they not see the birds held in the midst of the sky None upholds them but Allah. Verily, in this are clear Ayat for people who believe. (24;79)