Meaning
Who does the word "worlds" (ʿĀlamīn) refer to in this verse?
Answer
Imam Ibn al-Jawzī (d. 597/1201) summarized the scholars' opinions in his book "Zād al-Masīr" as follows:
- All of creation encompassing the heavens, the earth, and everything in between. [Al-Ḍaḥḥāk from Ibn ʿAbbās]
- Every living being on earth. [Abū Ṣāliḥ from Ibn ʿAbbās]
- Jinn and humans. [Ibn ʿAbbās, Mujāhid, Muqātil]
- Jinn, humans, and angels. [Ibn ʿAbbās, Ibn Qutaybah]
- Angels alone. [Ibn ʿAbbās]

