5 Preface تَكادُ السَّماواتُ يَتَفَطَّرنَ مِن فَوقِهِنَّ ۚ وَالمَلائِكَةُ يُسَبِّحونَ بِحَمدِ رَبِّهِم وَيَستَغفِرونَ لِمَن فِي الأَرضِ ۗ أَلا إِنَّ اللَّهَ هُوَ الغَفورُ الرَّحيمُYusuf AliThe heavens are almost rent asunder from above them1 (by Him Glory): and the angels celebrate the Praises of their Lord, and pray for forgiveness for (all) beings on earth:2 Behold! Verily God is He, the Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.How can we conceive of sublimity and greatness in a higher degree than this, that the highest heavens are almost ready to burst asunder by His Glory, which is higher than all?The angels are the noblest and purest beings of whom we can conceive. They reflect on the one side God’s Glory and Praise, and on the other, two other attributes of God, that look towards His erring creatures, viz.: Forgiveness and Mercy. The two sets of attributes are complementary. They thus proclaim in their own being and in their prayers the Greatness and unbounded Goodness of God.