Indexed OCR Text

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is adopted in the translation.
The verb hawa means to fall or plunge. When stars fall, they set. In
this verse Allah swears an oath to show that the Messenger is true, and
his words are a revelation from Allah, in which there is no room for any
doubt. In Surah As-Saffat it has been explained in detail that the
Creator, for various wise reasons, swears by whatever He wills among His
creation, but His created beings only swear by the Creator. They are not
allowed to swear by anything else. Here Allah has sworn an oath by the
stars. Probably, the underlying wisdom in this is that as the Arabs are
used to determine the course and direction of, and are guided in their
travels by the movements of the stars in the sandy waste of Arabia, so
they would now be led to the goal and end of their spiritual journey by
the star par excellence, that is, by the Holy Prophet
your companion [the Holy Prophet) مَاضَلَّ صَاحِبُكُمُ وَمَا غَوى
¿] has neither
missed the way, nor did he deviate. [53:2] Verse [1] was qasam or oath and
verse [2] is jawab-ul-qasam or the subject for which oath is sworn. The
verse means that the path towards which the Holy Prophet
is calling
the people is the perfectly straight path leading to the desired goal of
Allah's good pleasure. He is following the right guidance and has not
deviated from the path of righteousness.
The Reason for Describing the Holy Prophet
as 'your
companion'
The Qur'an on this occasion, when referring to the Holy Prophet
does not refer to him by his blessed name or refer to him as a Messenger
or a Holy Prophet. In fact, it refers to him as Şahibukum or "your
companion". In this there seems to be a subtle rebuke to the pagans of
Makkah, telling them in effect that the Holy Prophet
is not an
outsider, nor a stranger to them. He was their constant companion. He
was born amongst them, he spent his childhood amongst them, and he
grew up as a youth amongst them. He has lived among them a whole
life-time, and they had always looked upon him as a paragon of honesty,
integrity and truthfulness calling him "!" (The Honest One). But now -
after his claim of Prophethood - they dare impute to him such a heinous
sin as forging lies against Allah. A man who withheld himself from telling
lies about men, how could he possibly forge lies against Allah? How
inconsistent is their attitude?

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The Holy Prophet's Words are a Revelation from Allah
(And he does not speak out of (his own) وَمَا يَنْطِقُ عَنِ الْهَوَى إِنْ هُوَ إِلَّا وَحْىٌ يُّوُخى
desire. It is not but revelation revealed [to him] .... 53:3-4] The verses tell us
that it is absolutely impossible for the Messenger
to forge lies and
impute them to Allah. Nothing he utters is of his own wish or desire. He
only conveys to the people what he was commanded to convey, in its
entirety, without additions or deletions. An analysis of the various
Traditions in Bukhari indicates that there are many categories or types of
wahy [inspiration or revelation]. Type one is that in which the wordings
and the meaning are both directly from Allah. This is called Qur'an. Type
two is the one in which only the meaning comes from Allah, and the
Messenger
expresses the meaning in his own words. This is called
Hadith or Sunnah [Tradition]. The subject of Hadith, which comes from
Allah, sometimes lays down injunctions or rules of conduct in clear and
express terms, and at other times it establishes a general principle from
which the Messenger ;
derives laws on the basis of ijtihad or anology,
and promulgates them. In this there does exist the possibility of mistake of
judgement. But it is the characteristic of the Messenger
and other
Prophets > that if they commit any error of judgement, Allah sends
down a revelation to amend it, so that they do not unwittingly persist in
their mistaken ijtihad. Unlike other scholars of ijtihad, who can persist in
their erroneous conclusions. However, their error is not only forgiven, but
they also receive one reward for exerting their utmost effort in
comprehending the rule of religion to the fullest extent, as authentic and
well-known Traditions bear testimony to this fact.
The foregoing discussion also allays the following doubt: It seems,
according to the above verses, that the Messenger
does not speak of his
own desire, but whatever he conveys to the people is a revelation from
Allah. It follows from this that he does not exercise independent reasoning
in any matter whatsoever, whereas authentic Traditions show otherwise.
There are incidents recorded that at the beginning, he promulgated one
law, but, later on, revelation descended and the law was changed. This is
an indication that the earlier law was not the law of Allah, but it was
based on his ijtihad. The foregoing paragraph already responded to this
objection: The second type of revelation establishes a general principle of
law from which the Messenger ?
derives laws on the basis of ijtihad, and

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Surah An-Najm : 53 : 1 - 18
promulgates them. Because the general principle has descended from
Allah, all the laws are said to be the revelation from Allah. Allah knows
best!
... ,It is taught to him by one [angel] of strong faculties) عَلَّمَهُ شَدِيدُ الْقُوى
53:5) From here upto the eighteenth verse, لَقَدُ رَائ أَيْتِ رَبِّهِ الْكُبرى the
subject-matter is the revelation from Allah. It has been established that
the Qur'an is a record of verbal revelation vouchsafed to the Holy Prophet
Muhammad 5. There is no room for doubt about the fact that it is the
very Words of Allah. It was sent down in such a way that no possibility of
confusion or error ever existed.
Divergent Interpretation of the Verses of Najm
Regarding these verses of Surah Najm, two divergent interpretations
of the leading commentators are reported. The summary of one
interpretation is that all these verses relate to the incident of Mi'raj
(Ascension of the Holy Prophet to the heavens). As a result, words and
phrases like A L'us shadid-ul-quwa (One of strong faculties), dhu
mirrah (one of vigour) فَاسْتَوى fastawa (he stood poised), and دني فَتَدَلّى dana
fatadalla (then he drew near, and came down,) are all qualities and
actions of Allah. (It means that Allah Ta'ala has taught the Holy Prophet
directly without any media, and that he came close to Him. The Qur'an
further speaks of Vision [ru'yah ] and Witnessing [mushahadah]. They too
have been taken to mean the Vision and Witnessing of Allah. Among the
noble Companions, Sayyidna Anas and Ibn 'Abbas
have adopted this
interpretation. In Tafsir Mazhari too this interpretation has been given
preference. Many noble Companions, tabi'in [Companions' pupils] and
other leading commentators, however, take these verses to refer to the
event when the Holy Prophet
saw the noble angel Jibra'il &&all in his
original shape. According to them, and' sshadid-ul-quwa (one of strong
faculties), and other qualities and acts mentioned in these verses are the
qualities of Jibra'il SE. There are many factors in support of this
interpretation. Historically, Surah An-Najm is one of the very early
Surahs and, according to Sayyidna 'Abdullah Ibn Mas'ud 4%, this is the
first Surah the Holy Prophet
recited in public in the Sacred city of
Makkah. Obviously, the incident of Mi'raj took place much later. This
argument, however, may be debatable. But the stronger proof in favor of
the second interpretation is that in a tradition recorded in the Musnad of

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Surah An-Najm : 53 : 1 - 18
Ahmad, the Holy Prophet
g himself interprets these verses that they
relate to seeing the noble Jibra'il
عَنِ الشَّعُبِى عَنْ مَسُرُوُق قَالَ كُنْتُ عِنْدَ عَائِشَةَ رضى الله عنها فَقُلْتُ أَلَيْسَ اللهُ
يَقُوْلُ (وَلَقَدْ رَاهُ بِالْأُفُقِ الْمُبِيْنِ، وَلَقَدْ رَاهُ نَزْلَةً أُخْرِى) فَقَالَتْ أَنَا أَوَّلُ هذِهِ الْأُمَّة
سَأَلْتُ رَسُولَ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ عَنْهَا فَقَالَ إِنَّمَا ذَاكَ جِبْرَئِيْلُ لَمُ يَرَهُ فِىُ
صُوْرَتِهِ الَّتِىُ خُلِقَ عَلَيْهَا إِلَّ مَرَّتَيْنِ رَاهُ مُنْهَبِطًا مِّنَ السَّمَآءِ إِلَى الْأَرْضِ سَادًّا عِظَم
خَلْقِهِ مَابَيْنَ السَّمَآءِ وَ الْأَرْضِ، آخرجاه فى الصّحيحين من حديث الشعبى. (ابن كثير)
Masruq reports from Sha'bi رحمه الله تعالى :Masruq @ said: "One
day I was sitting with Sayyidah 'A'ishah رضى الله عنها and I asked
her. 'Did not Allah say وَلَقَدْ رَاهُ بِالْأُفُقِ الْمُبِينِ وَلَقَدْ رَاهُ نَزْلَةً أُخرى 'And indeed
he saw him in the clear horizon' and 'Indeed he saw him
another time' she replied: 'I was the first among the Ummah to
ask the Holy Prophet # about it.' He said: 'That was Jibra'il.
He only saw him twice in his actual and real figure. He saw
Jibra'il descend from heaven to earth, and he was so huge that
he covered the entire horizon between the sky and the earth."
(Ibn-Kathir)
The wordings of this narration in Sahip of Muslim are almost the
same as recorded above. Hafiz Ibn Hajar, in the chapter of Tafsir of
Fath-ul-Bari, has narrated this tradition on the authority of Ibn
Marduwaih in the following words:
أَنَا أَوَّلُ مَنْ سَأَلَ رَسُوْلَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ عَنْ هَذَا، فَقُلْتُ: يَارَسُوْلَ! اللّهِ هَلْ
رَأَيْتَ رَبَّكَ؟ فَقَالَ: لَا، إِنَّمَا رَأَيْتُ جِبْرَئِيْلَ مُنْهَبِطاً. (فتح البارى، ص ٤٩٣ ج٨)
Siddiqah 'A'ishah رضى الله عنها says: "I asked the Holy Prophet
about It, and I said, 'Did you see your Lord?' He replied, 'No: I
saw Jibra'il descending." (Fath-ul-Bari vol, 8/p, 493)
Şahīņ of Bukhari records that Shaibani asked Sayyidna Zirr about
the meaning of the verses فَكَانَ قَابَ قَوُسَيْنِ أَوُ اَدُنى فَاوُلحَى إِلَى عَبْدِه مَآ أَوْ لحى (so as he
was at a distance between two bows (joined together), rather even nearer.
Thus He [Allah] revealed to His slave what He revealed - 53:9,10) He
replied that 'Abdullah Ibn Mas'ud 4ee narrated to us that Muhammad
saw Jibra'il &hel having six hundred wings. Ibn Jarir, with his own chain
of transmitters, reports that Sayyidna 'Abdullah Ibn Mas'ud
,
interpreting the verse 11:مَا كَذَبَ الْفُؤَادُ مَا رَائ("The heart did not err in what
he saw") says that the Holy Prophet Muhammad & saw Jibra'il Seal clad

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in rafraf [green] garment filling the entire space between heaven and
earth.
Ibn Kathir's Findings
Ibn Kathir has quoted all these narrations in his Tafsir and said that
in all the above-quoted verses perception and proximity refer to seeing
and being close to Jibra'il Sell. From among the noble Companions, this is
the view of the Mother of the Faithful Sayyidah A'ishah رضى الله عنها and of
Sayyidna 'Abdullah Ibn Mas'ud, Abu Dharr Ghifari, Abu Hurairah
and others. This is why Ibn Kathir says:
Vision and proximity in these verses refer to seeing and
being close to Jibra'il
when the Holy Prophet
¿ had seen
him for the first time in his original shape. Then he saw him for
the second time on the night of Mi'raj near Sidrat-ul-Muntaha
(Lote-tree of the Uppermost Boundary). He saw him the first
time at the very beginning of his Prophethood when Jibra'il
descended with the very first installment of revelation, and
delivered to him Surah Igra'. After that, there was an interval
which caused terrible grief and [spiritual] depression. As a
result, time and again, the thought crossed his mind that he
should go to the top of the mountain and fall from there and
give his life away. Whenever such a situation arose, Jibra'il
Atle called out to him invisibly from the air: 'O Muhammad!
You are Allah's Messenger; you are true; and I am Jibra'il.' The
voice would calm his heart, and recompose it. Whenever such a
thought crossed his mind, Jibra'il Seel would comfort him by his
voice. But the comforting and consoling were always invisible.
One day Jibra'il del was in an open field at Batha' in his
original shape with six hundred wings which had covered the
entire horizon. Then Jibra'il Med came close to Allah's
Messenger, and delivered the Divine revelation to him. On that
occasion, the reality of the greatness of Jibra'il Sal and his
majestic value in the sight of Allah became manifest to Allah's
Messenger 5.
In short, Imam Ibn Kathir himself, on the basis of the statement of
the Holy Prophet
himself and the views of the blessed Companions,
preferred this interpretation of the above verses of Surah An-Najm, that

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Surah An-Najm : 53 : 1 - 18
is, it refers to seeing Jibra'll Mel and being close to him. This was the
Holy Prophet's @ first experience of seeing Jibra'il Me in this world on
the horizon of Makkah. Some of the versions narrate that when the
Messenger of Allah
saw him in his actual and real shape for the first
time, he became unconscious. Then Jibra'il all came very close to him in
the shape of a human being [and he regained consciousness].
The second incident of Holy Prophet's
seeing Jibra'il 8 is
mentioned in Verse 13 and 14 of this Surah in the following words: ', aa,
And indeed he saw him another time [13] by) نَزْلَةً أُخْرَى عِنْدَ سِدُرَةِ الْمُنْتَهى
sidrat-ul-muntaha (the lote-tree in the upper realm), [14]". This verse
mentions that the Holy Prophet
saw Jibra'il Seel for the second time,
and this happened on the Night of Ascension (Mi'raj). On the basis of
reasons stated above, the commentators generally adopt this
interpretation. Ibn Kathir's arguments have just been put forward.
Qurtubi, Abu Hayyan, Imam Razi and others normally prefer this
interpretation. My mentor Maulana Ashraf Ali has also preferred this
interpretation, the summary of which is that the earlier verses of Surah
An-Najm which makes mention of ru'yah (seeing) does not refer to having
a Vision of Allah, but of Jibra'il Se). Nawawi, in his commentary on
Muslim, and Hafiz in Fath-ul-Bari also have preferred this interpretation.
one of vigour. So he stood poised, while he) ذُوُمِرَّةٍ فَاسْتَوَى وَهُوَ بِالْأُفُقِ الْأَعُلى
was on the upper horizon ... 53:6-7] The word mirrah means 'strength' or
'vigour'. This is another quality of Jibra'il Sell, in that he is no weakling,
but strong, mighty in power and firm, so that it may not be suspected that
the devil may intercept the angel carrying the Divine revelation and
snatch it away from him. Jibra'll
is so mighty in power and strength
that the devil dare not come anywhere near him. The word s'il istawa
means to be or become straight or to level. The verse means that when he
saw Jibra'il & the first time, the latter was descending from the
heaven. Having descended, he sat or settled straight on the highest part
of the horizon. Ufuq [horizon] is qualified by a'la [the highest part or
uppermost] and it signifies that Jibra'il Meel was shown on the uppermost
horizon, [so that he could be seen clearly] because the lower part of the
horizon which seems to be adjacent to the earth is normally hidden from
the sight [as a result he would not have been visible to the Holy Prophet

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Surah An-Najm : 53 : 1 - 18
Then he drew near, and came down, ... 53:8). The word) ثُمَّ دَنى فَتَدَلَى
dana means to draw near and tadalla means to hang or to come down.
The verse means that Jibra'il el drew near by coming down.
so as he was at a distance between two bows (joined) فَكَانَ قَابَ قَوُسَيْنِ أَوْاَدْثى
together), rather even nearer .... 53:9). The noun gab refers to the distance
between the curved handle of a bow and the tight chord that releases
arrows. This distance is estimated about the length of one hand. The
expression qaba qawsain is based on an ancient Arab custom, according
to which when two persons pledged themselves to firm friendship, each
one of them would turn the wooden part of their bows towards
themselves, but they would turn the chord part towards the other. In this
way when the chords of their bows were joined together, this used to be
regarded as the proclamation of proximity, love and affection at the time
of which the distance between the two persons would be two bows' length
- approximately the length of two arms or one cubit. The expression aw
adna ('rather even nearer') signifies that the relationship of closeness was
no ordinary one, it in fact was more intimate than could be conceived. The
reason for the mention of such intimacy with Jibra'il de in the above
verses is to confirm that the revelation which he delivered is indubitably
and truly from Allah, and he heard it with absolute accuracy in every
detail: There is no room for any doubt in this. This closeness and intimacy
further allays the suspicion that the Holy Prophet
might have not
recognized Jibra'il Me and that the devil might interfere.
Thus He [Allah] revealed to His slave what He) فَأَوْلحَى إِلَى عَبْدِهِ مَا أَوْلحى
revealed ... 53:10) The subject pronoun understood in the past perfect verb
awha (He revealed) refers to Allah, and so does the pronoun in 'abdihl
(His slave), and the verse means: Allah revealed to His servant
Muhammad
whatever He revealed through the medium of Jibra'il
Schell by attaching him so intimately to the Holy Prophet
An Academic Problem and its Solution
Here an apparent problem arises which at best can be described as
academic, because it does not relate to a real situation. According to an
overwhelming consensus of the Mufassirin and Muhaddithin, all the
pronouns in the above verses refer to Jibra'll &El. Likewise, all the
pronouns in the sentences from فَاسْتَوى fastawa to فَكَانَ قَابَ قَوَسِيْنٍ أَوْ أَدْنى fa
kana gaba qawsaini aw adna refer to him. The forthcoming verses,

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Surah An-Najm : 53 : 1 - 18
according to consensus of the commentators, also speak of Jibra'il Seel.
Therefore, referring the intervening pronouns of awha and 'abdihl is
contrary to the context and causes intishar-ud-damd'ir (inconsistency of
the pronouns).
Our honourable mentor Maulana Sayyid Muhammad Anwar Shah
Kashmir Jus QU) a>, has responded to this problem thus: There is neither
any contextual confusion here, nor any pronominal ambiguity. In point of
إِنَّ هُوَ إِلَّا وَحيٌ fact, early part of Surah An-Najm in verse [4] it was mentioned
(It is not but revelation revealed [to him] ... 4)'. Now in verse [10]3i
So He [Allah] revealed to His servant whatever He) إلى عَبْدِهٍ مَآ أَوْلحى
revealed.) the same theme is continued, reinforced and consolidated in
this way: Obviously, the One who sends down revelation is Allah Ta'ala
and none else. However, there is a medium through whom the revelation
is delivered to the Holy Prophet Muhammad 5. Verse [4] may be treated
as a preamble to the theme of revelation. Verses [5-9] describe the strong
qualities and other characteristics of the medium of revelation Jibra'il
SCell. Verse [10] is thus the complement or epilogue to the preamble. In
this verse there cannot be intishar-ud-damd'ir because the antecedents of
the pronouns in verse 10 cannot possibly be anyone but Allah. Thus the
antecedent of these pronouns was determined from the very outset. In the
phrase maawha 'whatever He revealed' is obscure or vague. Ma
[whatever] is sometimes used to denote honour, surprise, magnificence,
grandeur, splendor, opulence or for emphasis. Here it is employed to
indicate 'the majestic or glorious status of revelation'.
It is learnt from a Hadith recorded in chapter [1] of the Sahip of
Bukhari, that the revelation which was sent down at this time was the
initial verses of Surah Al-Muddaththir [Chapter 74]. Allah knows best!
Thus marked by thematic and structural coherence, the Qur'an
confirms that it is an absolutely true and veritable words of Allah. This
may be compared to the Muhaddithins' study of Hadith. In order to verify
the authenticity of the Traditions of the Holy Prophet
they trace in full
the chains of authorities from themselves [that is, the last of the
authorities] to the Holy Prophet
3. In these verses Allah sets up the
chain of authorities: [1] Allah is the Muhl, that is, He is the Ultimate
Source from where the revelation originates; and [2] Jibra'il Seal is the
transmitting authority between Allah and the Messenger of Allah. The

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Surah An-Najm : 53 : 1 - 18
above verses describe Jibra'il & as magnificent in status and mighty in
power: This confirms his honesty and integrity as the transmitting
authority.
The heart did not err in what he saw .... 53:11) Fu'ad) مَا كَذَبَ الْفُؤَادُ مَا رَأى
means heart, and the verse means whatever the eyes saw, the heart did
not err in its grasping. This erring in the verse is described as kidhb
[lying]. In other words, the heart did not lie in connection with the
perceived objects. It did not err or slip up. In the phrase ma ra'a 'what he
saw', the Qur'an does not specify what it saw. The blessed Companions
and their followers, and the leading authorities on Tafsir hold two
divergent views as was discussed in detail earlier: [1] The phrase means it
[the Holy Prophet's
heart] saw Allah (and this is the view of Ibn
'Abbas); and [2] others (like Sayyidah 'A'ishah, Ibn Mas'ud, Abu
Hurairah and Abu Dharr Ghifari
express the view that the Holy
Prophet
saw Jibra'il ) in his original shape. The Arabic verb ra'a
originally means to see with physical eyes, and after having seen with
physical eyes the heart grasps and comprehends. Thus the Holy Prophet
§ first saw Jibra'll el with his physical eyes, and then grasped and
comprehended him with his heart. Therefore, there is no need to take the
word ru'yah in the figurative or metaphorical sense of ru'yah galbiyah [to
see with the heart] as did Al-Qurtubi.
One more question remains: In this verse idrak [grasping,
comprehending, discerning, cognizing and perceiving] has been
attributed to the heart, whereas according to most famous philosophers, it
is related to 'aql [the intellect] or the soul endowed with the faculty of
speech. Answer to this question is that many verses of the Qur'an show
that the real centre of idrak is the heart. Therefore, sometimes the word
'qalb (heart) is used for 'aql (intellect), as for example the word qalb
(plural: qulub) in the following verses bear ample testimony to this fact:
they' لَهُمُ قُلُوُبٌ لَا يَفْقَهُوْنَ بِهَا for him who has a heart - 50:37) and) لِمَنْ كَانَ لَهُ قَلْبٌ
have hearts with which they do not comprehend' - (7:179). Qalb (heart)
here refers to 'aql (intellect) because heart is the centre of intellectual
activities.
And indeed he saw him another time by) وَلَقَدْ رَاهُ نَزْلَةً أُخرى، عِنْدَ سِدُرَةِ الْمُنْتَهى
sidrat-ul-muntaha [the lote-tree in the upper realm] ... 53:13-14). Here too
there are two views regarding the antecedent of the pronoun hu (him):

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[1] that it refers to seeing Allah; or [2] that it refers to seeing Jibra'll el.
The adverb &AU's nazlatan 'ukhra [another time or at another descent],
according to overwhelming majority, this nuzul refers to the second
descent of Jibra'il Se. The first vision was experienced in this world on
the uppermost horizon of Makkah. The second vision was experienced on
the seventh heaven near the Lote-Tree of the Uppermost Realm.
Obviously, the Holy Prophet
went up to the seventh heaven on the
Night of Mi'raj. Thus it is possible to determine the approximate time of
the second experience, which took place on that occasion. The word sidrah
literally denotes lote-tree and muntaha means the place of intiha' [end].
Thus sidrat-ul-muntaha is the Lote-Tree on the seventh heaven under
the Throne of the Gracious Allah. According to a narration in Muslim, the
Tree is on the sixth heaven. Reconciliation is possible between the two
apparently conflicting versions in that its root is on the sixth heaven and
its branches are spread on the seventh heaven (Qurtubi). Generally the
access of angels ends at this point, and therefore, it is called muntaha (the
end). Some Traditions inform us that the Divine injunctions first descend
from the Divine Throne to the sidrat-ul-muntaha which are handed over
to the relevant angels. Similarly, angels going up from the earth to the
heaven with Books of Deeds etc. convey them to this point. Then there
may be some other way for their presentation to Allah Almighty. This
subject is reported from 'Abdullah Ibn Mas'ud
e as recorded by Imam
Ahmad in his Musnad.
near which there is Jannat-ul-ma'wa [the Paradize of) عِنْدَهَا جَنَّهُ الْمَأْوى
Abode], ... 53:15) The word ma'wa means 'abode' and a place where one
resides or reposes comfortably. The Jannah (Paradize) is called ,
ma'wa because this is man's original abode. This is where 'Adam and
Hawwa' LJI Logle were created; from here they were sent down to the
earth; and this is where the people of Paradise will be sent back to reside
permanently.
The Present Locale of Paradise and Hell
This verse verifies that Paradise exists at the present moment, as is
the belief of the overwhelming majority of the Ummah. They believe that
Paradise and Hell have been created and are already in existence. This
verse pointed out that the location of Paradise is on the seventh heaven
under the Divine Throne. In other words, the seventh heaven is, as
though, the floor of Paradise and its roof is the Divine Throne. The

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location of Hell is not explicitly stated anywhere in the Qur'an or
Prophetic Traditions. Some scholars of the Qur'an deduce from the verse
[6] of Surah At-Tur ◌ِوَالْبَحْرِ الْمَسُجُوُر (and by the sea, filled up with fire,) that
Hell is situated beneath the sea in the deep recesses of the earth which
are presently hidden under some heavy covering. On the Day of
Resurrection, it will be split asunder, and the sea will be kindled, thus
turning the entire ocean into a raging and blazing fire.
Many European excavators and explorers of the current age made
attempts to dig into the ground in order to build roads so as to travel
around from place to place for many long years. For this task, they
invented the largest and most sophisticated machinery. Various groups of
scientists and experts exerted efforts in this direction. The most successful
group was the one who by means of various types of machinery was able
to dig six miles deep into the recesses of the earth, but beyond that they
came across immovable rocks which frustrated them. They attempted to
excavate in another place and dug for six miles and again came across
unshakeable rocks beyond which they could not dig. In this way they
experimented in many places and came to the conclusion that beyond the
depth of six miles into the recesses of the earth there is a rocky covering
on the entire earth at that level where no machinery can penetrate. The
earth covers thousands of miles in diameter but despite advances and
strides made in sciences they could have access only to the depth of six
miles. Beyond that point they acknowledged the existence of impenetrable
rocky covering and abandoned their attempts. This scientific experiment
to excavate and explore supports the notion that the entire earth is
covered with adamantine rocks, and access beyond them is not possible. If
any authentic narration proves the location of Hell in this rocky covering,
it should not come as a surprise. Allah knows best!
when the lote-tree was covered by that which) إِذْ يَغُشَى السِّدُرَةَ مَا يَغُشى
covered it ... 53:16) Şahin of Muslim records a Tradition on the authority of
Sayyidna 'Abdullah Ibn Mas'ud 48% who said: "Golden butterflies were at
that time falling on sidrat-ul-muntaha from all sides, and it seemed as if
it was specially decorated for that occasion in honour of the most revered
guest, the Holy Prophet Muhammad
The eye neither went wrong, nor did exceed the) مَازَاغَ الْبَصَرُ وَمَا طَغى
limit ... 53:17) The verb zagha is derived from the infinitive zaigh which

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denotes to become crooked or go astray. Tagha is derived from tughyan
which means to transgress or exceed the limit. The two expressions
purport to say that in whatever the Holy Prophet &f saw, his eyes did not
err or slip up. This verse allays the suspicion that sometimes human sight
errs or slips up, especially when some wonderful or unusually marvelous
thing is seen. In response to this suspicion the Qur'an uses two
expressions because there are two ways in which human sight can go
awry: [1] not looking at the object directly that one was supposed to see,
and turning the eye to some other side. Ma zagha (neither went wrong)
negates this situation. The Holy Prophet's
sight did not swerve or turn
right or left, and thus did not miss the intended object. He saw exactly
what was meant for him to see. [2] looking at the desired object, but at the
same time looking at other objects also. In this situation too there is
sometimes the fear of losing sight of the main object and causing
confusion. Ma tagha (nor did it exceed the limit) in the verse is used to
remove this doubt that the Holy Prophet
might have looked at other
things in addition to what he was ordained to see.
Scholars who interpret the preceding verses as referring to the vision
of Jibra'il Sal explain this verse to mean that the eye of the Holy Prophet
did not err in seeing him. This had to be clarified because Jibra'il Set
is the transmitting medium. If the Holy Prophet
did not see him clearly
and recognize him, the revelation would not be beyond doubt.
Scholars who interpreted the preceding verses as speaking of Allah's
Vision interpret this verse too in the same vein that the eyes of the Holy
Prophet
did not err or slip up in the Vision of Allah. This verse further
clarifies that the Vision was with the physical eyes, not only with the eyes
of the heart.
Another Approach to Interpreting the Preceding Verses: A Useful
Analysis
Our venerable mentor Maulana Sayyid Muhammad Anwar Shah
Kashmiri Jw All das, was a typical example of the Traditionalists who
preceded him. He no doubt was a symbol of Allah and His proof on earth.
His grasp of knowledge and Islamic sciences was without a doubt an exact
replica of the leading authorities on the sciences of Prophetic Tradition
like Hafiz Ibn Hajar and Dhahabi. His Mushkilat-ul-Qur'an is an
invaluable treasure trove of the profoundest study of Islamic knowledge

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and sciences. The noble Companions and their followers, and
subsequently the scholars of Tafsir and Hadith have interpreted the
verses of Surah An-Najm differently which gave rise to some scholarly
questions. Mushkilat-ul-Qur'an interprets the verses in such a way that
most of the different views have been reconciled.
Then when my another mentor Shaikh-ul-Islam Maulana Shabbir
Ahmad 'Uthmani ( JI , wrote his Fath-ul-Mulhim, the commentary
of Sahih Muslim, he came across the description of the Holy Prophet's
nocturnal journey of Isra' and Mi'raj with reference to the verses of Surah
An-Najm. In view of the complexity of the problem, he requested the
venerable Allamah Anwar Shah Ju Ul >, to write the interpretation
and made it a part of his Fath-ul-Mulhim, and adopted it in his
fawd'id-ul-Qur'an. In this way this research is the unanimous outcome of
the two of my most distinguished teachers and mentors. Before reading
on, it is necessary to keep in mind a few principal points which are
recognized by almost all the scholars and leading authorities: [1] the Holy
Prophet # saw Jibra'il Me twice in his original shape. The vision on
both the occasions is mentioned in this chapter. We were able to
determine that the second vision took place on the seventh heaven near
sidrat-ul-muntaha. Obviously, this happened on the Night of Mi'raj. In
this way, we know the time and locale of the vision. The locale and time of
the first vision cannot be determined by these verses, but they can be
determined by the following narration of Jabir Ibn 'Abdullah as recorded
in Şahin of Bukhari, chapter entitled: 'How the revelation started':
قال وهو یحدث عن فترة الوحی فقال فی حدیثه بينا انا امشی اذ سمعت صوتا من
السمآء فرفعت بصرى فاذا الملك الذى جاء نى بحراء جالس على کرسی بین
السماء والارض فرعبت منه فرجعت فقلت زملونى فانزل اللَّه تعالى ◌َأَيُّهَا الْمُدَّثِّرُ
قُمْ فَأَنْذِرُ (الى قوله) وَالرُّجُزَ فَاهُجُرُ فحمى الوحى وتتابع.
Jabir Ibn 'Abdullah 4% said, speaking of the temporary break in
revelation, [the Holy Prophet] said in his narrative: "Whilst I
was walking along, I heard a voice from heaven and I raised up
my eyes, and lo! The Angel that had appeared to me in [the cave
of] Hira' was sitting on a chair [suspended] between heaven and
earth, and I was struck with awe on account of him and I
returned and said, 'Wrap me up, Wrap me up,' then Allah sent
0' [يَأَيُّهَا الْمُدَّقِّرُ، قُمُ فَأَنْذِرُ، وَرَبَّكَ فَكَبِّرُ. وَثِيَابَكَ فَطَهِّرُ وَالرُّجُزَ فَاهُجُرُ 5-1 :74] down
you, enveloped in a mantle, stand up and warn, and pronounce

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the greatness of your Lord, and purify your clothes, and keep
away from filth, "Then revelation became copious and came in
succession."
This narration indicates that the first occasion on which the Holy
Prophet
saw Jibra'il age in his original shape was in the course of
temporary break in revelation in Makkah when he was walking along in
the city of Makkah. This confirms that the first incident took place before
Mi'raj on this earth in Makkah, and the second incident took place on the
seventh heaven on the Night of Mi'raj.
Another point on which all concur is that the initial verses of Surah
An-Najm, at least from verse [13] to verse [18], all relate to the incident of
Mi‘raj.
In view of the foregoing points, the venerable mentor, Maulana
Sayyid Muhammad Anwar Shah Kashmiri yls JUlas, has interpreted
the initial verses of Surah An-Najm in the following way:
The Qur'an, according to its normal style, has mentioned two incidents
in the initial verses of Surah An-Najm. One incident relates to seeing
Jibra'il Aca in his original shape in Makkah when the Holy Prophet
was going somewhere when there was a temporary break in revelation.
This incident took place before the incident of Isra' and Mi'raj. The second
incident relates to the night of Mi'raj. Here it is mentioned that he saw
Jibra'il Sell in his original shape together with some of the other greatest,
wonderful, marvelous and glorious signs of Allah, and the possibility
cannot be ruled out that these signs included the Vision of Allah Ta'ala
Himself.
The main theme of the initial verses of Surah An-Najm is to confirm
the prophethood of the Messenger of Allah , and to remove doubts
about the authenticity of his revelation. Thus swearing an oath by the
stars, Allah says that there are neither any voluntary nor involuntary
errors in his instructions to the Ummah, nor does he say anything out of
his own selfish desires. He only transmits to the people what he was
commanded to convey, in its totality without additions or omissions.
Jibra'il ale
was the transmitting agent, therefore his special
characteristics and high position have been described in several verses.
Another reason for giving a greater account of this Angel is probably

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because the pagans of Makkah were not aware of this Angel, though they
were aware of the Angels Israfil and Mika'il. At any event, having
described the imposing and majestic qualities of Jibra'il & in full,
attention is drawn to the main theme of revelation. فَاوُحى إِلى عَبْدِهِ مَا أَوْحى 'So
He [Allah] revealed to His servant whatever He revealed.'(verse 10). Up
to this point there are ten verses, in the course of verifying the
authenticity of revelation and messenger-ship, Jibra'il's & qualities
have been portrayed. If we analyze Jibra'il's al qualities, it will be seen
that they apply to the Angel directly and candidly. If we say that the
qualities apply to Allah - as did some of the commentators - they can
hardly apply to Him without a labored interpretation. For example,
ثُمَّ دَنى ,'one of vigour ذُوُ مِرَّةٍ ,'one of strong faculties' شَدِيدُ الْقُوى phrases like
so as he was فَكَانَ قَابَ قَوْسَيْنٍ أَوْ اَدُنى ,Then he drew near, and came down" فَتَدَلْى
at a distance between two bows, rather even nearer.' can, though,be
applied to Allah, but not without labored interpretation. However, they do
apply appropriately to Jibra'il &del without any far-fetched interpretation.
Therefore, with regard to the initial verses - in which there is reference to
'vision', 'closeness' and 'proximity'- it seems more appropriate to refer them
to the 'vision' of Jibra'il ce.
However, from verse [11] مَاكَذَبَ الْفُؤَادُ مَا رَائ "The heart did not err in
what he saw' to verse [18] لَقَدُ رَائ مِنْ آيَاتِ رَبِّهِ الْكُبُرى 'He has indeed seen a part
of the biggest signs of your Lord.' describes the incidents of Isra' and
Mi'raj. Though in this passage too the vision of Jibra'll Sel is mentioned,
yet it is a part of many great signs' The possibility cannot be ruled out
that the phrase'greatest Signs' includes the 'ru'yat' (vision) of Allah'
which is supported by authentic Traditions and the views of noble
Companions and their followers, which cannot be overlooked or ignored.
Verse [11] مَاكَذَبَ الفُؤْدُ مَا رَائ "The heart did not err in what he saw", means
that what the Holy Prophet
E saw with his eyes his blessed heart
confirmed that he saw correctly, with no mistakes. 'Ma kadhaba' describes
this situation and the particle 'Ma' [whatever]is general, referring to the
vision of Jibra'il dell and whatever else he saw on the Night of Mi'raj and
above all the Vision of Allah Himself. This is supported by verse [12] Ll
Do you quarrel with him in what he sees?' This verse' رُونَه" عَلى مَا يَرِى
addresses pagans of Makkah that they should not dispute or be sceptical
about what he saw [in the past]or will see in the future. Everything he

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Surah An-Najm : 53 : 1 - 18
saw was the veritable truth and whatever he will see in the future will be
a veritable reality. This verse did not say &l &f [ ... qad ra'a] ' ... he saw'
[using the past perfect tense] but rather su ile ['ala ma yara] which
may be translated as ' ... will see' [using the future tense] which indicates
وَلَقَدْ رَاهُ نَزْلَةً أُخرى [13] that he will see him on the Night of Miraj. Thus verse
'And indeed he saw him another time' is explicit on the point. This verse
too has two possible interpretations: [1] he saw Jibra'il &l; and [2] he saw
Allah. That he saw Jibra'll Meal is perfectly obvious to any scholar. But
there may be a hint to the fact that he saw Allah also, because seeing
عِنْدَ سِدُرَةِ الْمُنْتَهى 14 requires proximity and closeness to Allah, and the verse
'by sidrat-ul-muntaha (the lote-tree in the upper realm) indicates this
closeness, meaning when the Holy Prophet
was near
sidrat-ul-muntaha and had reached a high stage of nearness to Allah, he
saw Him. The Tradition cited below supports the notion of the Vision of
Allah:
وَآتَيْتُ سِدْرَةَ الْمُنْتَهِى فَغَشِيَتْنِىُ ضَبابَةٍ خَرَرْتُ لَهَا سَاجِدًا وَهذِهِ الضّبَابَةُ هِىَ الظُّلَلُ
مِنَ الْغَمَامِ الَّتِى يَأْتِىُ فِيُهَا اللهُ وَيَتَجَلُى.
'When I reached sidrat-ul-muntaha, I was overshadowed by
something like the cloud and I fell prostrate for it. On the Day
of Resurrection, there will be something like clouds
overshadowing in which His Majestic Descent will manifest.'
Likewise, verse [53:17] مَازَاعَ الْبَصَرُ وَمَا طَغى (The eye neither went wrong,
nor did exceed the limit.) includes both possibilities - vision of Jibra'll See
and Vision of Allah - and it further proves that the this vision took place
in the state of wakefulness with his physical eyes [that is, it was not a
dream experience].
In sum, verses that relate to the Night of Mi'raj and contain words
pertaining to 'seeing' carry the equal possibility of seeing Jibra'il Sel and
seeing Allah Ta'ala Himself. Other scholars too have interpreted them as
the Vision of Allah. The Qur'anic words have possibility to be interpreted
in that way.
The Question of the Beatific Vision of the Creator
All Companions, their immediate followers and overwhelming majority
of the Ummah concur that the inmates of Paradise and the believers in
general will see Allah. Authentic Traditions bear ample testimony to this

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Surah An-Najm : 53 : 1 - 18
fact and verity. They indicate that the Vision and Witnessing of Allah is
not impossible. However, human sight cannot bear to see Him in this
mundane world, because the capacity of the eyes is not powerful enough.
Thus nobody can see Allah in this world. Regarding the Hereafter, the
Qur'an says
فَكَشَفْنَا عَنُكَ غِطَآءَكَ فَبَصَرُكَ الْيَوْمَ حَدِيدٌ
"You were heedless of this. Now We have removed your veil
from you; so your sight today is sharp." [50:22]
Venerable Imam Malik Ju J , says that it is not possible for any
human being to see Allah in this world, because his sight is perishable,
and Allah is Eternal. In the Hereafter, man will be given non-perishable
sight, as a result nothing will prevent it from the seeing Allah. Venerable
Qadi 'Iyad says something similarly. A narration recorded in Muslim in
the following words makes the point explicit:
وَاعْلَمُوْا أَنَّكُمْ لَنْ تَرَوْا رَبَّكُمْ حَتَّى تَمُوْتُوْا
"And know that you shall never see your Lord, until you die"
(Fath-ul-Bari: vol 8/p. 493)
This indicates the possibility that if the Holy Prophet :
is equipped
with extraordinarily powerful faculty of sight, he should be able to see
Allah in this world too on a special occasion. But on the Night of
Ascension he was called in the most distinguishable manner from this
world to see and witness the heavens, Paradise and Hell, and other great
Signs of Allah and manifestation of His power. On this occasion, the
Vision of Allah is an exception to the general rule, because he is out of the
mundane world. The possibility of the Vision of Allah has thus been
confirmed and verified.
So far we have proved that the possibility does exist, but the question
is whether it really occurred. In this matter, the Traditions vary, and the
Qur'anic verses are interpretable in two possible ways. Therefore, this
question was always debatable among the Companions, their followers
and leading authorities on religion. Ibn-Kathir says that under the
interpretation of these verses Sayyidna 'Abdullah Ibn 'Abbas 4
de verifies
that the Holy Prophet
saw Allah and a group of righteous predecessors
have followed him. Other groups of Companions and their followers have

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Surah An-Najm : 53 : 19 - 28
differed from this viewpoint. He further adduced the evidences of both the
groups.
Likewise, Hafiz رحمه الله تعالى in Fath-ul-Bari [vol 8/p.494] under the
Tafsir of Surah An-Najm has cited the differences of the Companions and
their followers and then quoted some such statements which reconcile the
divergent views. He further says that Qurtubi in his work mufhim prefers
to observe silence in the matter and not to decide either way, because this
question does not concern our practical life so that we have to choose a
particular direction. The question concerns our belief system, in which
case incontestable evidence is required. In any matter which cannot be
proved incontestably, the rule is to observe silence. This author believes
that this is the most sound and circumspect approach to the issue.
Therefore, the arguments of the two groups have not been cited. Allah,
the Pure and the Exalted, knows best!
Verses 19 - 28
أَفَرَءَيْتُمُ اللَّتَ وَالْعُزّى ﴿١٩) وَمَنْوَةَ الثَّالِثَةَ الْأُخْرِى ﴿٢٠﴾ آلَكُمُ
الذَّكَرُ وَلَهُ الْأُنْثِى ﴿٢١﴾ تِلْكَ إِذَا قِسْمَةٌ ضِيْزِى ﴿٢٢﴾ إِنْ هِىَ إِلّ
أَسْمَآءٌ سَمَّيْتُمُوْهَا أَنْتُمْ وَابَاؤُكُمْ مَّ أَنْزَلَ اللّهُ بِهَا مِنْ سُلْطٍ * إِنْ
يَتَّبِعُونَ إِلَّ الظَّنَّ وَمَا تَهُوَى الْأَنْفُسَُ وَلَقَدْ جَاءَ هُمْ مِّنُ رَّبِّهِمُ
الْهُدى ﴿٣ٌ﴾ أَمْ لِلْإِنْسَانِ مَا تَمَنّى ﴿٤﴾ فَلِلّهِ الْآخِرَةُ وَالْأُوْلى
﴿ وَكَمُ مِّنُ مَّلَكٍ فِى السَّمُواتِ لَاتُغُنِىُ شَفَاعَتُهُمُ شَيْئًا إِلَّ مِنُ"
بَعْدٍ أَنْ يَّأْذَنَ اللَّهُ لِمَنْ يَّشَاءُ وَيَرْضَى ﴿٢٦﴾ إِنَّ الَّذِيْنَ لَا يُؤْمِنُوْنَ
بِالْآخِرَةِ لَيُسَمُّوُنَ الْمَلَئِكَةَ تَسْمِيَةَ الْأُنْثِى ﴿٢٧﴾ وَمَا لَهُمُ بِهِ مِنْ
عِلْمٍ، إِنْ يَّتَّبِعُونَ إِلَّ الظَّنَّ وَإِنَّ الظَّنَّ لَا يُغْنِىُ مِنَ الْحَقِّ شَيْئًا ﴿﴿٢﴾
Have you ever considered about the (idols of) Lat and
'Uzza, [19] and about the other, the third, the Manat,?
[20] Is it that you have males and He (Allah) has
females? [21] If so, it is a totally unjust division. [22]
These are nothing but names you and your fathers have

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Surah An-Najm : 53 : 19 - 28
invented; Allah has sent down no authority attached to
them. They are following nothing but conjecture and
what their own souls desire, while guidance from their
Lord has surely reached them. [23] Is it that man gets
whatever he wishes? [24] (No,) because to Allah alone
belongs the (good of) the Hereafter and the former life
(of this world). [25] And how many angels there are in
the heavens whose intercession cannot benefit (any
one) at all, but after Allah allows (it) for whomsoever
He wills and pleases. [26] Those who do not believe in
the Hereafter name the angels after the names of the
females. [27] And they do not have knowledge about it.
They follow nothing but conjecture, and conjecture is of
no use in (the matter of) Truth. [28]
Refuting Idolatry
The preceding verses declared the Glory of Allah, His Majesty and
Dignity. They further confirmed and verified in the fullest details the
Prophet-hood and messenger-ship of Muhammad
, and the
preservation of his revelation. The present two verses imply a subtle
rebuke to the Makkan pagans. The purport of the verses is to say to them
that without any proof, instead of adoring such a Mighty and Powerful
Creator and Lord, they stoop so low as to worship gods made of wood and
stone. They allege that the angels are the daughters of God. According to
other narratives, they also alleged that these idols are the daughters of
God.
Pagans of Arabia had countless idols that they worshipped. However,
there were three of them that were most popular, and they were
worshipped by strong and powerful tribes of Arabia. The three idols were
Lat, 'Uzza and Manat. Lat was the idol of the tribe of Thaqif or of the
residents of Ța'if , 'Uzza was the idol of Quraish, and Manat was the idol
of Banu Hilal. They built houses for their idols to resemble the Ka'bah.
After the conquest of Makkah, the Holy Prophet
demolished them.
(Qurțubī)
Sie Als (If so, it is a totally unjust division .... 53:22)" Diza means to
act or behave unjustly or to defraud one of one's right or due. Therefore,
Sayyidna Ibn 'Abbas 4% interprets the phrase as unjust or unfair
division.
Various Types of Zann
and conjecture is of no use in [the) إِنْ يَّتَّبِعُونَ إِلَّ الظَّنَّ وَإِنَّ الظَّنَّ لَا يُغْنِىُ مِنَ الْحَقِّ شَيْئًا

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Surah An-Najm : 53 : 29 - 32
matter of] Truth .... 53:28) The Arabic word Zann is used in several
different senses, and one of them is baseless thoughts. This is the sense in
which it is employed in the verse, because baseless thoughts were the
cause of idolatry. And the verse purports to remove the cause. Zann is
also used as the antonym of yaqin. Yaqin refers to assured or definitive
knowledge about something that really exists, not the figment of
someone's imagination. In this case, there is no room for any doubt or
suspicion, as for instance knowledge gained from the Qur'an and
Prophetic Traditions uninterruptedly reported by an indefinite number of
people or by such a large number that it is impossible that they should
agree upon falsehood. As opposed to this certain knowledge, zann is
sometime used for the knowledge that is based on a proof, and not on
baseless thoughts, but the proof is not so certain as may rule out other
possibilities, as for example, injunctions based on general narratives of
the Holy Prophet . The first type of injunctions is referred to as
qatiyyat or yaqiniyyat and the second type is referred to as zanniyyat.
This type of Zann is recognized by Shari'ah. There is ample evidence in
Qur'an and Sunnah of its recognition. The entire Ummah concurs that it
is obligatory to act upon it. The above verse when denouncing zann,
refers to the first type of zann which connotes baseless thoughts. Thus
there is no contradiction.
Verses 29 - 32
فَأَعْرِضُ عَنُ مَّنْ تَوَلْى لا عَنْ ذِكْرِنَا وَلَمْ يُرِدُ إِلَّا الْحَيْوَةَ الدُّنْيَا ﴿ ٢٩﴾
ذَلِكَ مَبْلَغُهُمْ مِّنَ الْعِلْمِ* إِنَّ رَبَّكَ هُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِمَنْ ضَلَّ عَنْ سَبِيْلِه
وَهُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِمَنِ اهْتَدى ﴿٣﴾ وَلِلْهِ مَا فِى السَّمُوْتِ وَمَا فِى الْأَرْضِ
لا لِيَجْزِىَ الَّذِيْنَ آَسَاءُوْا بِمَا عَمِلُوا وَيَجْزِىَ الَّذِيْنَ أَحْسَنُوْا
بِالْحُسُنِى ﴿٢﴾ الَّذِيْنَ يَجْتَنِبُونَ كَبَثِرَ الْإِثْمِ وَالْفَوَاحِشَ إِلَّ اللَّمَمَـ
إِنَّ رَبَّكَ وَاسِعُ الْمَغْفِرَةِ*ُ هُوَاعْلَمُ بِكُمْ إِذْ أَنْشَاكُمُ مِّنَ الْأَرْضِ وَإِذْ
أَنْتُمُ اَجِئَّةٌ فِىُ بُطُونِ أُمَّهُتِكُمْ، فَلَا تُزَكُوْا آَنْفُسَكُمُ ﴿ هُوَاَعْلَمُ بِمَنِ
اتَّقى ﴿٣٢﴾