الآية رقم (19) - أَوَلَمْ يَرَوْا إِلَى الطَّيْرِ فَوْقَهُمْ صَافَّاتٍ وَيَقْبِضْنَ مَا يُمْسِكُهُنَّ إِلَّا الرَّحْمَنُ إِنَّهُ بِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ بَصِيرٌ

(19) - Do they not see the birds above them with wings outspread and [sometimes] folded in? None holds them [aloft] except the Most Merciful. Indeed He is, of all things, Seeing.

( أَوَلَمْ يَرَوْا إِلَى الطَّيْرِ فَوْقَهُمْ صَافَّاتٍ وَيَقْبِضْنَ) (Do they not see the birds above them with wings outspread and [sometimes] folded in?): In a form of question, Allah (swt) draws the attention of the disbelievers in Allah (swt) and His messenger to reflect on the sky. This question indicates that the disbelievers have really seen that, so why have they disbelieved? Similarly, Allah (swt) says:

 أَوَلَمْ يَرَوْا أَنَّا خَلَقْنَا لَهُم مِّمَّا عَمِلَتْ أَيْدِينَا أَنْعَامًا فَهُمْ لَهَا مَالِكُونَ (71) وَذَلَّلْنَاهَا لَهُمْ فَمِنْهَا رَكُوبُهُمْ وَمِنْهَا يَأْكُلُونَ

(Do they not see that We have created for them from what Our hands have made, grazing livestock, and [then] they are their owners? (72) And We have tamed them for them, so some of them they ride, and some of them they eat.) (Yasin: 71-72)

Allah (swt) draws the attention to the birds which fly in the sky. Birds fly in the sky by the movement of their wings which push the air and resist the gravity, so that they do not fall down. When a bird folds his wings while flying, it does not fall down, so who keeps it aloft in the air? Everyone sees this scene without doubt. These birds praise Allah (swt):

 أَلَمْ تَرَ أَنَّ اللَّهَ يُسَبِّحُ لَهُ مَن فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَالطَّيْرُ صَافَّاتٍ ۖ كُلٌّ قَدْ عَلِمَ صَلَاتَهُ وَتَسْبِيحَهُ ۗ وَاللَّهُ عَلِيمٌ بِمَا يَفْعَلُونَ

(Do you not see that Allah is exalted by whomever is within the heavens and the earth and [by] the birds with wings spread [in flight]? Each [of them] has known his [means of] prayer and exalting [Him], and Allah is Knowing of what they do.) (An-Noor: 41)

Hence, even when the birds fold their wings they keep flying and do not fall down. On the other hand, there are some birds, although have long wings but do not fly, as geese and other birds. Therefor, the matter is not with the wings, rather it is one of Allah’s miraculous signs, the birds fly through the air freely without being pulled by the gravity, they lift off and land whenever they want.

(مَا يُمْسِكُهُنَّ إِلَّا الرَّحْمَٰنُ ) (…None holds them [aloft] except the Most Merciful ): As if Allah (swt) says to us: Take birds as an example of something greater; Allah (swt) upholds the heavens so that they do not fall down.

 وَيُمْسِكُ السَّمَاءَ أَن تَقَعَ عَلَى الْأَرْضِ إِلَّا بِإِذْنِهِ

(And He restrains the sky from falling upon the earth, unless by His permission.) (Al-Hajj: 65)

The Arabic word of (Most Merciful) is an intensive form of the attribute (Merciful). Allah (swt) is the Most Merciful in the worldly life and The Merciful in the Hereafter. (Most Merciful) indicates that Allah’s Mercy and bestowments include all the creation, the believers and the disbelievers.

(  إِنَّهُ بِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ بَصِيرٌ ) (…Indeed He is, of all things, Seeing): You should not think that there is anything that can be concealed from Allah (swt) or that anyone can deceive Him (swt), for Allah (swt) is the All-Seer of everything, not only the things that you reveal but also the things that you hide within yourself and no one knows about.