Commentary on Tafsir al-Jalalayn: ((If they are arrogant)) regarding prostration to Allah alone, ((then those who are with your Lord)) meaning the angels, ((glorify Him)) they pray.

Then Allah the Exalted said: meaning regarding the worship of Allah and prostration to Him, for Allah the Exalted is rich in Himself, independent of them. "

If they are arrogant

فإن استكبروا

regarding prostration to Allah alone.

then those who are near your Lord

فالذين عند ربك

[Fussilat 41:38]

meaning the angels.

they glorify

يسبحون

they pray.

Him by night and by day, and they do not become weary.

له بالليل والنهار وهم لا يسئمون

[Fussilat 41:38]

Meaning: If these people are arrogant about the worship of Allah, then Allah has other servants, as in His saying: Then, on the assumption that no one worships Allah, Allah says: So here there are two things: The first is that a group of creation is arrogant about the worship of Allah; if they are arrogant, then there is another group that worships Allah. The second is that all of them are arrogant, which is impossible according to what we know, but on the assumption that all creation is arrogant about the worship of Allah, Allah is rich in Himself, independent of them. All of this is made clearer by the Qur'an. This is if some disbelieve and some believe. This is if some are arrogant and some are humble. The phrase is the answer to the condition, and it is joined with the particle "fa" (then), because what follows it cannot validly be the action of the condition. This is a rule: If the answer to the condition cannot stand as the action of the condition, it must be joined with "fa," as Ibn Malik said:
And join with "fa" certainly the answer, if it were made a condition, for or other than it, it would not be made.
And some of those who compiled what must be joined with "fa" gathered that in a verse which is:
Nominal, imperative, and with a static word, and with and and with and with execution.
Now, and they are the angels. The author says: "

they glorify

يسبحون

meaning they pray." And this is good, for it has a point of view, because the context is about prostration. And we can say: They glorify Him with what is more general than prayer, meaning they say: Subhan Allah (Glory be to Allah), Alhamdulillah (Praise be to Allah), and the like of everything in which Allah Mighty and Majestic is exalted from what does not befit Him. And His saying: meaning to Allah. Know that the meaning of tasbih (glorification) is exalting Allah from what does not befit Him. So what is Allah exalted from? Allah the Exalted is exalted from every deficiency. He Mighty and Majestic is exalted from every deficiency; it is not possible for deficiency to affect Him in any way. Second: He is exalted from every deficiency in His perfection. So there is no deficiency in His hearing, nor His sight, nor His power, nor His strength. Third: He is exalted from being like the created beings. He does not resemble the created being ever, in any way. And resemblance between the Creator and the created is among the greatest impossibilities. So what Allah is exalted from is three things: The first is deficiency: It is not possible for deficiency to affect Him absolutely. The second is deficiency in His perfection: His perfections, such as knowledge, power, life, hearing, sight, mercy, and others, it is not possible for deficiency to affect them in any way. The third is being like the created beings. We do not say "shabahah" (resemblance); we say "mumathalah" (likeness) to the created beings. Notice this issue: Most of those who express this express it with "shabahah," and this is not correct. The correct thing is to express it as Allah expressed it about Himself, saying: And He said: And He did not mention tashbih (likening) in any way. For this reason, the expression with the negation of tamthil (comparing) is correct, not tashbih (likening). The evidence for this is that Allah is exalted from every deficiency and flaw. His saying: "al-mathl" means description, because "mathl" is used for that, as in His saying: [Muhammad:15] {O Abdullah al-Afghani! Pay attention} meaning its description, its attributes: in it are rivers of water not stale, and so on. So if Allah has the highest "mathl," meaning the most perfect, it must be that He is exalted from every deficiency. As for deficiency in His perfection, His saying Blessed and Exalted is He: [Qaf:38] means from deficiency, that these created beings are very great, and yet there is no deficiency in the right of Allah the Exalted in them. And He said: Now, what is the third? Being like the created beings. Allah Mighty and Majestic says: And He Exalted and Majestic says: And He the Exalted says: Now, so tasbih means exalting, and what Allah is exalted from is three things, you have known them now. The "ba" here means , because the intended meaning of "by night" is the time of night, and thus the "ba" means as in His saying: meaning in the night. Now, and His saying: means then at all times, all the time, they glorify Allah. And He Mighty and Majestic says: They, while being immersed in the glorification of Allah by night and day, do not grow weary, meaning they do not get tired, and they do not get exhausted either, because tiredness comes from boredom, fatigue, and the humiliation of the soul before what a person endures. These angels, peace and blessings be upon them, do not grow weary.