Have they not considered what is before them and what is behind them from the sky and the earth? He said: If you look to your right, to your left, from in front of you, and from behind you, you will see the sky and the earth. "If We should will, We could cause the earth to swallow them," as We caused to swallow those before them, "or let fall upon them fragments from the sky," meaning pieces of the sky. If He wills to punish by His heaven, He does so, and if He wills to punish by His earth, He does so, and all His creation are soldiers for Him. Qatadah, may God be pleased with him, said: And al-Hasan, may God be pleased with him, used to say: Verily, the scum (of the torrent) is among the soldiers of God. "Indeed, in that is a sign for every servant who turns back (to Allah)." Qatadah said: Repentant, turning towards Allah, the Almighty and Majestic (1).

His saying, the Almighty: "O mountains, repeat [Our] praises with him, and the birds [also]"

17872 - From Ibn Zayd, may God be pleased with him, regarding His saying: "O mountains, repeat [Our] praises with him, and the birds also," meaning the birds also glorify with him (2).

17873 - From Ibn Zayd, may God be pleased with him, that he recited "the birds" (al-tayra) in the accusative case (nasb) as part of a sentence, saying: We subjected the birds to him (3).

His saying, the Almighty: "And We made pliable for him iron"

17874 - From al-Hasan, may God be pleased with him, regarding His saying: "And We made pliable for him iron," it would become like dough in his hand, so he would make armor from it (4).

17875 - From Ibn Abbas, may God be pleased with them both, regarding His saying: "And estimate [properly] the measure (sard) of the links," he said: The rings of iron (5).

17876 - From Qatadah, may God be pleased with him, regarding His saying: "And estimate [properly] the measure of the links," he said: The sard is the nails (rivets) that are in the rings (6).

His saying, the Almighty: "And to Solomon [We subjected] the wind—its morning [journey was] a month, and its afternoon [journey was] a month"

17877 - From al-Hasan, may God be pleased with him, who said: When Solomon, peace be upon him, was distracted by the horses and thus missed the Afternoon Prayer, he became angry for the sake of God, so he hamstrung the horses. God then replaced them for him with something better and faster: the wind, which flowed by his command however he wished. Its morning journey was a month, and its afternoon journey was a month. He would depart in the morning from Iliya (Jerusalem), take a midday rest in Qayrira, and depart in the afternoon from Qayrira to spend the night in Kabul (7).