In the sky and in the valleys alike, birds spread their wings in silent prayer. The Quran reveals that they know, each in their own way, how to glorify their Creator.
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Above the mountains that the prophet Dawud (David) walked, flocks of birds gathered each morning. They were not simply passing through: they answered, with him, a call to glorification that rose toward the heavens. This account, mentioned in the Quran, opens a window onto a truth that is often forgotten: birds, like all creatures, take part in the worship of the Creator.
The Mountains and the Birds with Dawud
In Surah Saba, Allah reminds us of the grace bestowed upon Dawud: "We have certainly given Dawud a grace from Us. O mountains, repeat the praise with him! And you too, O birds!" (Surah Saba, verse 10, meaning of the verse). Scholars explain that birds would perch around him as he sang the praises of Allah, as if accompanying his voice with their own cries and the beating of their wings. This was not mere natural coincidence, but a clear sign of all creation's submission to its Creator.
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Every Creature Knows Its Prayer
This link between birds and divine glorification appears again in Surah An-Nur, where Allah affirms that everything in the heavens and on earth glorifies Him, "as well as the birds spreading their wings"; "each knows its way of praying and glorifying Allah" (meaning of the verse, Surah An-Nur, verse 41). This verse is particularly striking: it is not a vague or general glorification, but a knowledge unique to each species. The bird that soars, the one that sings at dawn, the one that nests in the hollow of a tree: each one accomplishes, in its own way, an act of worship that we cannot always understand or hear.
It is reported that some scholars emphasized that this verse invites believers to observe nature with humility: what the bird expresses in flying or singing largely escapes us, yet this takes nothing away from the reality of this glorification. The human being, endowed with reason and speech, is thus not alone in turning toward the Creator; he shares this condition with the whole living world, each according to its own nature.
A Lesson in Humility Before Creation
What these verses teach goes beyond simple observation of birds. They remind us that all of creation is filled with meaning, that nothing is left to chance, and that the bird crossing the sky is not merely a decorative element of the landscape, but a creature in its own right, bearing its own relationship with its Creator. This perspective invites us to look upon animals with renewed respect, far from any indifference.
To remember that birds glorify Allah in their own way is also to recall the responsibility that falls upon humanity toward them. Protecting their nests, providing them with water in times of heat, not hunting them without necessity, caring for endangered species: these simple gestures extend, in our daily lives, the respect owed to creatures who, like us, silently take part in the praise of the Creator. Kindness toward animals is therefore not merely a feeling, but an echo of a profound spiritual truth: all life deserves regard and gentleness.
