Rabbi Zidnee Ilman
“My Lord! Increase me in knowledge.”
The ‘Mulk’ of Allah (سبحانه وتعالىٰ) refers to His Dominion. His Dominion encompasses the whole universe – the heavens, the earth of the mortal world, as well as the hereafter.
Surah As-Saf begins by enlightening us of the whole universe participating in the glorification of God Almighty. All that is in the heavens and the earth praises and glorifies Allah (سبحانه وتعالىٰ), that of the seen and the unseen.
سَبَّحَ لِلَّهِ مَا فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَمَا فِي الْأَرْضِ ۖ وَهُوَ الْعَزِيزُ الْحَكِيمُ
Everything in the heavens and earth glorifies Allah, and He is the Almighty, the Wise.
(Surah As-Saf 1)
Angels also continuously praise Him, whilst they say;
“We did not praise You, as You deserve to be praised.”
A simple, yet insightful hadith reported in Sahih Al-Bukhari, where Ibn Mas’ud mentions;
“We use to hear the Tasbih of the food as it was being eaten.”
سُبْحَانَ ٱللَّٰهِ we take inspiration from the submission and devotion from our surroundings alone.
Furthermore, Surah Al Isra’a explains that all creatures that dwell therein, sanctify Him, exalt Him, venerate Him, glorify Him, magnify Him and they bear witness that He is One in His Lordship and Divinity.
تُسَبِّحُ لَهُ السَّمَاوَاتُ السَّبْعُ وَالْأَرْضُ وَمَن فِيهِنَّ ۚ وَإِن مِّن شَيْءٍ إِلَّا يُسَبِّحُ بِحَمْدِهِ وَلَٰكِن لَّا تَفْقَهُونَ تَسْبِيحَهُمْ ۗ إِنَّهُ كَانَ حَلِيمًا غَفُورًا
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.
(Surah Al Isra’a 44)
Reflecting on extracts of this ayah;
وَإِن مِّن شَيْءٍ إِلَّا يُسَبِّحُ بِحَمْدِهِ
and there is not a thing but glorifies His praise.
The Ayah testifies, there is no created being that does not celebrate the praise of Allah (سبحانه وتعالىٰ).
وَلَٰكِن لَّا تَفْقَهُونَ تَسْبِيحَهُمْ
but you do not understand their [way of] exalting.
Indicating¸ as mankind we do not understand, because it is not of our language. This applies to all creatures – animals, inanimate and botanical.
To conclude, the faith Muslims strive for belongs to the entire universe. It is the faith of all creatures in the heavens and the earth, of the seen and the unseen. The religion’s prevalence is a universal phenomenon, one that is in sync with the whole universe as it turns to God Almighty.
In essence, when we remember Allah (سبحانه وتعالىٰ) we are in harmony with the universe.