His saying, exalted and majestic is He:

"Do you feel secure that He who is in the heaven will cause the earth to swallow you up, so that it shakes?" "Or do you feel secure that He who is in the heaven will send against you a storm of stones, then you will know how [severe] is My warning?" "And certainly those before them had denied, so how was My denial?" "Or have they not seen the birds above them, spreading [their wings] and closing [them]? None holds them up except the Most Merciful. Indeed, He is, of all things, Seeing." "Is there any who can be an army for you to aid you besides the Most Merciful? The disbelievers are not but in delusion."

‘Asim, Hamzah, Al-Kisai, and Ibn 'Amir read: "Do you feel secure" with two emphatic hamzah without elongation. Abu 'Amr and Nafi' read: "Do you feel secure" with one hamzah and elongation. Ibn Kathir read: "Do you feel secure" and he substitutes the hamzah with a waw because it follows a dammah, and elongates after the waw.

And His saying, exalted is He: (He who is in the heaven) is in accordance with the common understanding of humans receiving the commands of Allah, exalted is He, and the descent of decrees with their events, blessings, punishments, and signs from that direction. Thus, raising hands and faces in supplication is directed towards that direction. "And the earth swallowing" means to go downwards. And "it shakes" means it sways and goes as the swirling dust goes in the wind, and as the flowing blood goes, and from it is the saying of the Bedouin: "And the dust swirled."

And "the storm of stones" refers to hail and what is similar to it; because in the language, the wind throws stones. From it is the saying of Al-Farazdaq:

"Facing north of Sham, they are struck by a storm like scattered cotton."

And the majority of the seven reciters read: "Then you will know" with a tā, while Al-Kisai alone read: "Then they will know" with a yā. The seven and others read: "My warning" without a yā, following their method in the endings resembling rhymes. Nafi' in the narration of Warsh alone read: "My warning" with a yā based on the original, and likewise in "My denial." And "the denial" is likewise, and from it is the saying of Hassan ibn Thabit:

"So warn like it, advising Quraysh, from the Most Merciful, if you accept my warning."

Then He referred to the lesson in the matter of the birds and how perfect their creation is. This clarifies the incapacity of idols and false gods. "Spreading" is the plural of "spreader," which is the one that spreads its wings and keeps them extended as if it is still. And "closing the wing" means bringing it close to the side, and from it is the saying of Abu Khirash:

"........... urging the wing by spreading and closing."

These are two states of the bird, resting from one to the other. And His saying, exalted is He: "And they close" is a conjunction of the present tense with the active participle, just as the active participle is joined to the present tense in the saying of the poet:

"He spent the night providing it with a sharp sword, aiming for its markets and its oppressors."

And Talhah ibn Musarif read: "Is there security" with the lightening of the mīm in this, and read the one after it heavy like the majority. And "the army" refers to the helpers of a man in his endeavors. And His saying, exalted is He: "The disbelievers are not but in delusion" is a speech to Muhammad, blessings and peace be upon him, after a confirmation: Say to them, O Muhammad: Is there any security?