Do animals, trees and all of creation really glorify Allah?

The short answer

Yes. The Quran says there is not a thing except that it glorifies Allah with His praise, though we do not understand how. Birds each know their prayer and glorification, the stars and trees prostrate, and the Prophet ﷺ reported that Allah called an ant colony "a community which sings My glory". Authentic hadith even record a palm trunk that cried.

Evidence 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Explanation

"The seven heavens and the earth and whatever is in them exalt Him. And there is not a thing except that it exalts [Allah] by His praise, but you do not understand their [way of] exalting" 1. Glorifying Allah is not only a human activity; we are joining a chorus that never stops.

The Quran gives examples. "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" 2. "The stars and trees prostrate" 3. The sun, moon, mountains, trees and animals prostrate to Him, along with many people 4. Even the thunder glorifies Him with His praise 5.

The Sunnah confirms this in striking stories. A prophet of old burned an ant colony because one ant bit him, and Allah revealed to him: because of one ant's bite you burned "a community from amongst the communities which sings My glory" 6. When a pulpit was built for the Prophet ﷺ, the palm trunk he used to stand beside cried like a child until he came down and embraced it 7. Ibn Mas'ud said the Companions heard food glorifying Allah while it was being eaten in the Prophet's ﷺ presence 8.

How do they glorify? We are told plainly that we do not understand it 1, so we affirm it without guessing its form.

This changes how we see the world. The birds outside your window, the trees in the park and the ants on the path are all worshipping. Yet only "many of the people" prostrate 4: we are among the few creatures who can choose to stay silent.

The evidence

  1. 1
    Quran Al-Israa · 17:44

    Everything glorifies Allah with praise, but you do not understand their glorification.

    تُسَبِّحُ لَهُ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتُ ٱلسَّبۡعُ وَٱلۡأَرۡضُ وَمَن فِيهِنَّۚ وَإِن مِّن شَيۡءٍ إِلَّا يُسَبِّحُ بِحَمۡدِهِۦ وَلَٰكِن لَّا تَفۡقَهُونَ تَسۡبِيحَهُمۡۚ إِنَّهُۥ كَانَ حَلِيمًا غَفُورࣰ ا ۝٤٤

    The seven heavens and the earth and whatever is in them exalt Him. And there is not a thing except that it exalts [Allah] by His praise, but you do not understand their [way of] exalting. Indeed, He is ever Forbearing and Forgiving

  2. 2
    Quran An-Noor · 24:41

    Birds in flight and all in the heavens and earth each know their prayer and glorification.

    أَلَمۡ تَرَ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ يُسَبِّحُ لَهُۥ مَن فِي ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضِ وَٱلطَّيۡرُ صَٰٓفَّٰتࣲۖ كُلࣱّ قَدۡ عَلِمَ صَلَاتَهُۥ وَتَسۡبِيحَهُۥۗ وَٱللَّهُ عَلِيمُۢ بِمَا يَفۡعَلُونَ ۝٤١

    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

  3. 3
    Quran Ar-Rahmaan · 55:6

    The stars and trees prostrate.

    وَٱلنَّجۡمُ وَٱلشَّجَرُ يَسۡجُدَانِ ۝٦

    And the stars and trees prostrate

  4. 4
    Quran Al-Hajj · 22:18

    The sun, moon, stars, mountains, trees and animals prostrate to Allah.

    أَلَمۡ تَرَ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَسۡجُدُۤ لَهُۥۤ مَن فِي ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَمَن فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ وَٱلشَّمۡسُ وَٱلۡقَمَرُ وَٱلنُّجُومُ وَٱلۡجِبَالُ وَٱلشَّجَرُ وَٱلدَّوَآبُّ وَكَثِيرࣱ مِّنَ ٱلنَّاسِۖ وَكَثِيرٌ حَقَّ عَلَيۡهِ ٱلۡعَذَابُۗ وَمَن يُهِنِ ٱللَّهُ فَمَا لَهُۥ مِن مُّكۡرِمٍۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَفۡعَلُ مَا يَشَآءُ۩ ۝١٨

    Do you not see that to Allah prostrates whoever is in the heavens and whoever is on the earth and the sun, the moon, the stars, the mountains, the trees, the moving creatures and many of the people? But upon many the punishment has been justified. And he whom Allah humiliates - for him there is no bestower of honor. Indeed, Allah does what He wills

  5. 5
    Quran Ar-Ra'd · 13:13

    The thunder glorifies Allah with His praise.

    وَيُسَبِّحُ ٱلرَّعۡدُ بِحَمۡدِهِۦ وَٱلۡمَلَٰٓئِكَةُ مِنۡ خِيفَتِهِۦ وَيُرۡسِلُ ٱلصَّوَٰعِقَ فَيُصِيبُ بِهَا مَن يَشَآءُ وَهُمۡ يُجَٰدِلُونَ فِي ٱللَّهِ وَهُوَ شَدِيدُ ٱلۡمِحَالِ ۝١٣

    And the thunder exalts [Allah] with praise of Him - and the angels [as well] from fear of Him - and He sends thunderbolts and strikes therewith whom He wills while they dispute about Allah; and He is severe in assault

  6. 6
    Hadith Sahih Muslim 2241
    Sahih Muslim

    An ant colony is a community that glorifies Allah.

    Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying:An ant had bitten a Prophet (one amongst the earlier Prophets) and he ordered that the colony of the ants should be burnt. And Allah revealed to him:" Because of an ant's bite you have burnt a community from amongst the communities which sings My glory

    العربية

    حَدَّثَنِي أَبُو الطَّاهِرِ، وَحَرْمَلَةُ بْنُ يَحْيَى، قَالاَ أَخْبَرَنَا ابْنُ وَهْبٍ، أَخْبَرَنِي يُونُسُ، عَنِ ابْنِ شِهَابٍ، عَنْ سَعِيدِ بْنِ الْمُسَيَّبِ، وَأَبِي، سَلَمَةَ بْنِ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏ "‏ أَنَّ نَمْلَةً قَرَصَتْ نَبِيًّا مِنَ الأَنْبِيَاءِ فَأَمَرَ بِقَرْيَةِ النَّمْلِ فَأُحْرِقَتْ فَأَوْحَى اللَّهُ إِلَيْهِ أَفِي أَنْ قَرَصَتْكَ نَمْلَةٌ أَهْلَكْتَ أُمَّةً مِنَ الأُمَمِ تُسَبِّحُ ‏"‏ ‏.‏

  7. 7
    Hadith Sahih al-Bukhari 3584
    Sahih Bukhari

    The palm trunk cried when the Prophet ﷺ moved to the pulpit.

    Narrated Jabir bin `Abdullah:The Prophet (ﷺ) used to stand by a tree or a date-palm on Friday. Then an Ansari woman or man said. "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! Shall we make a pulpit for you?" He replied, "If you wish." So they made a pulpit for him and when it was Friday, he proceeded towards the pulpit (for delivering the sermon). The datepalm cried like a child! The Prophet (ﷺ) descended (the pulpit) and embraced it while it continued moaning like a child being quietened. The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "It was crying for (missing) what it used to hear of religious knowledge given near to it

    العربية

    حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو نُعَيْمٍ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الْوَاحِدِ بْنُ أَيْمَنَ، قَالَ سَمِعْتُ أَبِي، عَنْ جَابِرِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ـ رضى الله عنهما ـ أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم كَانَ يَقُومُ يَوْمَ الْجُمُعَةِ إِلَى شَجَرَةٍ أَوْ نَخْلَةٍ، فَقَالَتِ امْرَأَةٌ مِنَ الأَنْصَارِ ـ أَوْ رَجُلٌ ـ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ أَلاَ نَجْعَلُ لَكَ مِنْبَرًا قَالَ ‏"‏ إِنْ شِئْتُمْ ‏"‏‏.‏ فَجَعَلُوا لَهُ مِنْبَرًا، فَلَمَّا كَانَ يَوْمُ الْجُمُعَةِ دُفِعَ إِلَى الْمِنْبَرِ، فَصَاحَتِ النَّخْلَةُ صِيَاحَ الصَّبِيِّ، ثُمَّ نَزَلَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَضَمَّهُ إِلَيْهِ تَئِنُّ أَنِينَ الصَّبِيِّ، الَّذِي يُسَكَّنُ، قَالَ ‏"‏ كَانَتْ تَبْكِي عَلَى مَا كَانَتْ تَسْمَعُ مِنَ الذِّكْرِ عِنْدَهَا ‏"‏‏.‏

  8. 8
    Hadith Sahih al-Bukhari 3579
    Sahih Bukhari

    The Companions heard food glorifying Allah as it was eaten.

    Narrated `Abdullah:We used to consider miracles as Allah's Blessings, but you people consider them to be a warning. Once we were with Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) on a journey, and we ran short of water. He said, "Bring the water remaining with you." The people brought a utensil containing a little water. He placed his hand in it and said, "Come to the blessed water, and the Blessing is from Allah." I saw the water flowing from among the fingers of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) , and no doubt, we heard the meal glorifying Allah, when it was being eaten (by him)

    العربية

    حَدَّثَنِي مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْمُثَنَّى، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو أَحْمَدَ الزُّبَيْرِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا إِسْرَائِيلُ، عَنْ مَنْصُورٍ، عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، عَنْ عَلْقَمَةَ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، قَالَ كُنَّا نَعُدُّ الآيَاتِ بَرَكَةً وَأَنْتُمْ تَعُدُّونَهَا تَخْوِيفًا، كُنَّا مَعَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فِي سَفَرٍ فَقَلَّ الْمَاءُ فَقَالَ ‏"‏ اطْلُبُوا فَضْلَةً مِنْ مَاءٍ ‏"‏‏.‏ فَجَاءُوا بِإِنَاءٍ فِيهِ مَاءٌ قَلِيلٌ، فَأَدْخَلَ يَدَهُ فِي الإِنَاءِ، ثُمَّ قَالَ ‏"‏ حَىَّ عَلَى الطَّهُورِ الْمُبَارَكِ، وَالْبَرَكَةُ مِنَ اللَّهِ ‏"‏ فَلَقَدْ رَأَيْتُ الْمَاءَ يَنْبُعُ مِنْ بَيْنِ أَصَابِعِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم، وَلَقَدْ كُنَّا نَسْمَعُ تَسْبِيحَ الطَّعَامِ وَهْوَ يُؤْكَلُ‏.‏

This answer was compiled with the help of AI, using only the verified texts shown here. Every reference links to its source. If you find a mistake, please report it. Updated 2026-09-24

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