“Did you not consider that Allah is He Whom do glorify al who are in the skies and the earth and the birds (too) with wings spread out? Each one knows its worship and its glorification. And Allah is the Knower of that which they do.” (Al-Qur’an Surah An-Noor , C: 24,V:41)
أَلَمْ تَرَ أَنَّ اللَّهَ يُسَبِّحُ لَهُ مَن فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَالطَّيْرُ صَافَّاتٍ كُلٌّ قَدْ عَلِمَ صَلَاتَهُ وَتَسْبِيحَهُ وَاللَّهُ عَلِيمٌ بِمَا يَفْعَلُونَ
“The seven skies and the earth and whoever is in them , (al) declare His glory , and there is nothing which does not glorify Him by praising Him but you do not understand their glorification —” (Al Qur’an, surah Is’raa, C :17 , V:44)
تُسَبِّحُ لَهُ السَّمَاوَاتُ السَّبْعُ وَالأَرْضُ وَمَن فِيهِنَّ وَإِن مِّن شَيْءٍ إِلاَّ يُسَبِّحُ بِحَمْدَهِ وَلَـكِن لاَّ تَفْقَهُونَ تَسْبِيحَهُمْ إِنَّهُ كَانَ حَلِيمًا غَفُورًا
The words Yusabbihu and Tas’beehahu in the above verses are from the root word sa’ba’ha’ translated as ‘to glorify’; which also means to be busy in doing some work as is said about our prophet Muhammad (SAWS):
إِنَّ لَكَ فِي اَلنَّهَارِ سَبْحًا طَوِيلًا
‘During the day you have (Sab’han Ta’weela) prolonged occupation ‘ (Al- Qur’an ,Surah Muzammil ,C:73, V:7)
Another meaning of this word is move fast or float:
وَهُوَ الَّذِي خَلَقَ اللَّيْلَ وَالنَّهَارَ وَالشَّمْسَ وَالْقَمَرَ كُلٌّ فِي فَلَكٍ يَسْبَحُونَ
“And it is He Who created the night and the day and the sun and the moon ,each moves fast (Yas’bahoon) in an orbit.” (Al-Qur’an, surah Al-Ambiya C21,V:33)
لَا الشَّمْسُ يَنبَغِي لَهَا أَن تُدْرِكَ الْقَمَرَ وَلَا اللَّيْلُ سَابِقُ النَّهَارِ وَكُلٌّ فِي فَلَكٍ يَسْبَحُونَ
“Neither it is possible for the sun to catch (up with) the moon,nor can the night outstrip the day and each moves fast (Yas’bahoon) in an orbit. ” (Al-Qur’an ,Surah Yaseen, C:36 , V: 40)
Comparison between heavenly bodies and birds reveal that both glorify Allah (SWT), are busy obeying Allah SWT , are moving fast or floating as mentioned above and are compelled to follow his laws as under:
…وَالشَّمْسَ وَالْقَمَرَ وَالنُّجُومَ مُسَخَّرَاتٍ بِأَمْرِهِ …
“–, And the sun and the moon and the stars are compelled to follow His command .—–” (Al-Qur’an, Surah Al-A’raaf C:7, V:54)
أَلَمْ يَرَوْاْ إِلَى الطَّيْرِ مُسَخَّرَاتٍ فِي جَوِّ السَّمَاء مَا يُمْسِكُهُنَّ إِلاَّ اللّهُ إِنَّ فِي ذَلِكَ لَآيَاتٍ لِّقَوْمٍ يُؤْمِنُونَ
“Did you not see towards the birds compelled (to follow His laws) in the space of the sky,—–“(Al-Qur’an, Surah An-Nahal C:16, V:79)
Heavenly bodies and birds cannot fall down as Allah SWT is holding them :
إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُمْسِكُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ أَن تَزُولَا وَلَئِن زَالَتَا إِنْ أَمْسَكَهُمَا مِنْ أَحَدٍ مِّن بَعْدِهِ إِنَّهُ كَانَ حَلِيمًا غَفُورًا
“Allah certainly holds together the skies and the earth lest they get separated and if the get separated, no one other than Him can hold both of them together . He is certainly Clement, Protectively Forgiving , ” (Al Qur’an , surah Fatir C:35, V:41)
أَوَلَمْ يَرَوْا إِلَى الطَّيْرِ فَوْقَهُمْ صَافَّاتٍ وَيَقْبِضْنَ مَا يُمْسِكُهُنَّ إِلَّا الرَّحْمَنُ إِنَّهُ بِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ بَصِيرٌ
“Or did they not see towards the birds above them , spreading and contracting (their wings)? No one holds them except the Beneficent (Allah), He is certainly the seer of everything .” (Al Qur’an , surah Mulk C:67, V:19)
Two forces are common in both gravitational force and a force which counteracts gravity, namely, lift force in the case of birds, and centrifugal force in case of heavenly bodies in circular motion , nuclear explosive force in case of individual stars, and explosive force of big bang in case of expanding universe.
From the above comparison we infer that the forces acting on both the heavenly bodies and birds are dynamically balanced. The Qur’an throws more light on this type of balance in the following verses:
وَمِنْ آيَاتِهِ أَن تَقُومَ السَّمَاء وَالْأَرْضُ بِأَمْرِهِ …
“And among His signs is that the sky and the earth subsist by His command, —“(Al Qur’an , surah Room C:30, V:25)
وَالسَّمَاء رَفَعَهَا وَوَضَعَ الْمِيزَانَ~ أَلَّا تَطْغَوْا فِي الْمِيزَانِ~ وَأَقِيمُوا الْوَزْنَ بِالْقِسْطِ وَلَا تُخْسِرُوا الْمِيزَانَ
“And the sky ,He has raised it, and He has set the balance (by ordering) that :Do not exceed (the limits) in the balance and establish the balance in a just manner and do not reduce the balance .” (Al Qur’an , surah Ar-Rehman C:55, V:7-9)
Everything created meets its end:
وَلَا تَدْعُ مَعَ اللَّهِ إِلَهًا آخَرَ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا هُوَ كُلُّ شَيْءٍ هَالِكٌ إِلَّا وَجْهَهُ لَهُ الْحُكْمُ وَإِلَيْهِ تُرْجَعُونَ
“And do not pray along with Allah , to any other (presumed) god, there is no god except Him . Everything will perish except His Person ,His is the judgement and towards Him will you be returned ” (Al Qur’an , surah Al A’nkaboot C:28, V:88)
One day the whole universe containing all the living and non-living things will collapse because one of the counteracting forces of the dynamic balance (probably the gravitational force) in the expanding universe would increase, causing an imbalance in it, thus resulting in its end. the following verses of the Qur’an elaborate this point:
يَوْمَ نَطْوِي السَّمَاء كَطَيِّ السِّجِلِّ لِلْكُتُبِ …
“The day We will roll up the sky (by pulling together all that is in it), like the rolling up of the sheet for writings (in the form of a roll), —” (Al Qur’an surah Ambiya, C:21, V:104)
…ثَقُلَتْ فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالأَرْضِ …
“—. It (the hour of doom) will be heavy (probably having high gravity) in the skies and the earth, —” (Al Qur’an, surah Al-A’araaf, C:7, V:187)
إِذَا السَّمَاء انفَطَرَتْ~ وَإِذَا الْكَوَاكِبُ انتَثَرَتْ
“When the sky is cleft asunder and when the planets are made to fall” (Al Qur’an, surah Al-infitaar, C:82, V:1&2)
وَخَسَفَ الْقَمَرُ~ وَجُمِعَ الشَّمْسُ وَالْقَمَرُ
“And the moon will sink when the sun and the moon will be brought together” (Al Qur’an, surah Al Qiyamah, C:75, V:8&9)
كُلُّ مَنْ عَلَيْهَا فَانٍ~ وَيَبْقَى وَجْهُ رَبِّكَ ذُو الْجَلَالِ وَالْإِكْرَامِ
“All who are on it will perish and there will remain the Face (Person) of your Fosterer, Possessor of glory and honour” (Al Qur’an, surah Ar-Rahmaan, C:55, V:26&27)
Through this comparison of heavenly bodies and birds, does Allah (SWT) hint that as the birds are conscious and are obeying His laws, are all the heavenly bodies too, conscious? The following verses appear to provide an answer to this question:
إِذَا السَّمَاء انشَقَّتْ~ وَأَذِنَتْ لِرَبِّهَا وَحُقَّتْ~ وَإِذَا الْأَرْضُ مُدَّتْ~ وَأَلْقَتْ مَا فِيهَا وَتَخَلَّتْ
“When the sky is split asunder, and responds to its Fosterer, a duty incumbent on it. And when the earth is stretched out and casts forth that which is in it and becomes empty, and responds to its Fosterer. A duty incumbent on it” (Al Qur’an, surah Al-inshiqaaq, C:84, V:1-4)
يَوْمَئِذٍ تُحَدِّثُ أَخْبَارَهَا~ بِأَنَّ رَبَّكَ أَوْحَى لَهَا
“She (the earth) will be made to tell her news on that day, because your Fosterer (would have) communicated to her” (Al Quran, surah Az-Zil zaal, C:99, V:4&5)