Takadu assamawatu yatafattarna min fawqihinna walmala-ikatu yusabbihoona bihamdi rabbihim wayastaghfiroona liman fee (surah shura: 5)

Tafseer Tafheem-ul-Quran by Syed Abu-al-A'la Maududi

(42:5) The heavens may well nigh rend asunder from above *3 while the angels proclaim the praise of their Lord and ask forgiveness for those on earth. *4 Lo, it is Allah, and He alone, Who is Most Forgiving, Most Merciful. *5

Takaadus samaawaatu yatafattarna min fawqihinn; walmalaaa`ikatu yusabbihoona bihamdi Rabbihim wa yastaghfiroona liman fil ard; alaaa innal laaha huwal Ghafoorur Raheem

*3) That is, "It is not a trivial matter that a creature should be joined in lineage with Allah and regarded as His son or daughter; another regarded as fulfiller of the needs and the answerer of the petitions so that the people should start invoking him for help; another taken as the maintainer of the entire world, and his devotees should start proclaiming that their holy saint heard the prayer of everyone at all places at all times and Games to his help and answers his petition; another invested with the authority to egjoin and prohibit things and declare them as lawful and unlawful, and the people should start obeying his commands, instead of the Commands of God, as if he alone was their God. These boldnesses against God arc such that they may well cause the heavens to break asunder. " (This same theme has also been presented in Surah Maryam: 88-91 above).
*4) It means: `The angels shudder with disgust when they hear such nonsense being uttered by the people in respect of their Lord, and they regard it as a rebellion against Him." They say: `Glorified be Allah! No one can have the position that he should become an associate with Allah, Lord of the worlds, in Divinity and Command; there is none beside Him who may be our and all other servants' benefactor so that hymns be sung in his praise and he be thanked. " So, they feel that it is a grave crime being committed in the world, and it may provoke AIlah Almighty's wrath any moment. Therefore, they implore Allah for mercy again and again for the dwellers of the earth, who have forgotten themselves and their God, and pray that they may yet be spared from the torment and given more respite to mend their ways.
*5) That is , "It is only Allah's clemency, mercifulness and forgiveness that the people who have touched the extreme limits in disbelief, polytheism, atheism, sinfulness and tyranny, have been receiving respite after respite for years and years, even for centuries; yet they not only go on receiving their sustenance but arc also acclaimed as the great people of the world and they are provided with such adornments of the worldly life as cause the ignorant people the misunderstanding that this world perhaps has no God. "