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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:

  1. All of creation encompassing the heavens, the earth, and everything in between. [Al-Ḍaḥḥāk from Ibn ʿAbbās]
  2. Every living being on earth. [Abū Ṣāliḥ from Ibn ʿAbbās]
  3. Jinn and humans. [Ibn ʿAbbās, Mujāhid, Muqātil]
  4. Jinn, humans, and angels. [Ibn ʿAbbās, Ibn Qutaybah]
  5. Angels alone. [Ibn ʿAbbās]
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