The phrase SubhanAllah in the Quranic Context

When Allah wanted to create the human being, the Angels were shocked and surprised. They literally asked Allah, why he was creating this creature when we, the Angels are already here to do your Tasbeeh/Declare your perfection

The word Tasbeeh that I’m translating as ‘Declaring the perfection of Allah”, comes from the word ‘SabaaHah’ (سباحة), Which means “to swim” or “to float.”

When something is swimming or floating, that means it doesn’t drown, and that’s the point.

When we do Tasbeeh of Allah, we are maintaining his perfection. Holding it afloat

The moment something inappropriate is said about Allah. Then you are making his status drown, and so you have to declare ‘SubHanAllah!’

So in the Qur’an for example, when someone says something inappropriate about Allah;

Allah says;

“SubHanahu wa ta’aala ‘ammaa yaqooloona ‘Uluwwan Kabeera”

“SubHanahu wa ta’aala ‘ammaa yushrikoon” etc.

This happens multiple times in the Qur’an . . . like for example, that Allah took a son.

And your response is, Allah is too perfect for that. You can’t be saying that about Allah. Allah is far above that, and your way of saying it is “SubHanAllah”

So we maintain his status like something that floats. We keep it to where it’s supposed to be. We don’t reduce his glory in any way.

That is the Tasbeeh of Allah. That is SubHanAllah.

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