But They Prostrate to the Sun

Up to this moment it is praise of this huge and great civilisation: she has everything; she has a great throne; it is a huge kingdom. These are the standards that the people of dunyā use to classify nations: if the nation is rich, advanced, wealthy, we view that nation as civilised and advanced, and we try to imitate such nations. That is the standard that the people of dunyā have. But the bird was a Muslim.

Even though the bird said that she has everything and she has a great throne, it said: wajadtuhā wa qawmahā yasjudūna lil-shamsi min dūni Allāh — I found her and her nation making sujūd to the sun instead of Allah; and Shayṭān has made their deeds fair-seeming to them, and has barred them from Allah's way, so they have no guidance.

The end result of this surveillance of the bird is that these are people who are misguided. The wealth, the power, the fact that they have everything, did not take the bird away from stating the fact that this nation is a misguided nation. And this is the standard by which we should view nations: it is belief or kufr; it is either believing or non-believing. And that is what counts on the Day of Judgement. A nation that could be heavy and strong in the dunyā could be very light on the scale on the Day of Judgement.

And then the bird said: Shayṭān has barred them, so they do not worship Allah, who brings to light what is hidden in the heavens and the earth, and knows what you conceal and what you reveal. Allāhu lā ilāha illā huwa rabbu al-ʿarshi al-ʿaẓīm — the bird said: Allah, none has the right to be worshipped but He, the Lord of the Supreme Throne. Because the bird in the beginning said that she has a great throne; then the bird said: Allah is the One who has the Supreme Throne. Even though her throne is big, Allah (swt) is the One who has the Supreme Throne. This is an ayah of sujūd.