Al Islam

2878. The implication is that what the Holy Prophet had seen was a real experience; it was veritable truth and no figment of his imagination. (close)

3976. Commentary:

The verse implies that what the Holy Prophet had seen was his real personal experience; it was veritable truth and no figment of his imagination. (close)

2879. The Holy Prophet’s vision was a double spiritual experience. (close)

3977. Commentary:

The verse means that the Holy Prophet’s vision was a double spiritual experience. (close)

2880. In his Spiritual Ascension the Holy Prophet had reached such a high stage of nearness to God as was beyond human mind to conceive; or, the verse may signify that at that stage a sea of endless vistas of Divine knowledge and eternal realities and verities opened out before him; Sidrah which is derived from the same root meaning the sea (Lane). Or, the verse may possess a symbolic allusion to the fact that Divine knowledge vouchsafed to the Holy Prophet would, like the lote-tree, give comfort and shelter to the tired and jaded limbs of the spiritual wayfarers. Moreover, as the leaves of the lote-tree possess the quality of safeguarding a dead body from becoming corrupt, the verse may signify that the Teaching revealed to the Holy Prophet not only is itself immune to, but is eminently fitted to save and preserve mankind from, corruption. Or, it may possess a prophetic reference to the tree under which the Companions of the Holy Prophet took the oath of fealty at his hand at the time of the Truce of Hudaibiyah. (close)

3978. Important Words:

سدرة (Lote-tree) is derived from سدر which means, he was or became confounded, perplexed or dumb-founded. سدر (sadira) means, bewildered, perplexed, confounded. سدر (sadirun) means, the sea (Lane & Aqrab).

Commentary:

In view of the root meaning of the word the verse may signify that in his Spiritual Ascension (معراج), the Holy Prophet had reached a high stage of nearness to God which was beyond human mind to conceive; or it may signify that at that stage a sea of endless vistas of divine knowledge and eternal realities and verities opened out before him.

Or the verse may possess a symbolic allusion to the fact that divine knowledge vouchsafed to the Holy Prophet would, like the Lote-tree, give comfort and shelter to the tired and jaded limbs of the spiritual wayfarer. Or it may possess a prophetic reference to the tree under which the Companions of the Holy Prophet took the oath of fealty at his hands at the time of the Truce of Hudaibiyyah. Moreover, as the leaves of the Lote-tree possess the quality of safeguarding a dead body from corruption, the verse may signify that the Teaching revealed to the Holy Prophet not only is itself immune against corruption but is eminently fitted to save and preserve mankind from moral corruption. (close)

2881. The words, 'that which covers,' signify Divine manifestation. (close)

3979. Commentary:

The words "that which covers," signify the manifestation of God. (close)

3980. Commentary:

The verse sheds a flood of light on the bedrock of certainty and invincible faith on which the Holy Prophet stood. (close)

2882. Some prejudiced critics of the Holy Prophet have woven quite a fantastic story of his having once fallen a victim to the machinations of Satan. It is stated that one day at Mecca, when the Holy Prophet recited this Surah before a mixed assembly of Muslims and disbelievers and during the recitation he came to these verses, Satan contrived to put in his mouth the words: Tilkal-Gharaniqul-‘ula wa inna shafa‘atahunna laturja, i.e. these are exalted goddesses and their intercession is hoped for (Zurqani). The critics call it the "lapse of Muhammad" or his "compromise with idolatry" and seem to rely for this entirely baseless story upon Waqidi, that inveterate liar and fabricator of reports, and on Tabari, who is generally regarded as a credulous and indiscriminate narrator of events. These gentlemen have the audacity to attribute this blasphemous utterance to that great iconoclast (the Holy Prophet) whose entire life was spent in denouncing and condemning idolatry and who carried out his noble mission with unremitting vigour and fearless devotion, spurning all offers of compromise with idol-worship, and whom blandishments, bribes, cajolery or intimidation failed to move an inch from his set purpose, and to whose unshakable firmness against idolatry the Almighty Himself has borne testimony (18:7; 68:10). Moreover, the whole context belies this baseless assertion. Not only do the verses that follow but the entire Surah contains an unsparing condemnation of idolatry and an uncompromising insistence on Divine Unity. It is strange that this patent fact should have escaped the notice of the Holy Prophet’s critics and carpers. Historical data, too, lend no support whatever to this so-called "lapse." The story has been rejected as completely unreliable by all the learned Commentators of the Qur’an, Ibn-e-Kathir and Razi among them. The renowned leaders of Muslim religious thought, well-versed in the science of Hadith, such as ‘Aini, Qadi ‘Ayyad and Nawawi, have regarded it as pure invention. No trace of this story is to be found in the Six Reliable Collections of Hadith. Imam Bukhari, whose collection, the Sahih Bukhari, is regarded by Muslim scholars as the most reliable book of Hadith and who himself was a contemporary of Waqidi to whom goes the unenviable credit of forging and reporting this story, makes no mention of it, nor does the great historian, Ibn- e-Ishaq, who was born more than 40 years before him. It may be, as stated by Qastalani and Zurqani and supported by some other eminent scholars, that when the Holy Prophet, during the recital of the present Surah before a mixed assembly of Muslims and disbelievers, recited these verses, some evil-minded person from among the disbelievers might have loudly interjected the above- mentioned words, as was the disbelievers’ wont to create confusion by resorting to such low tactics when the Qur’an was being recited (41:27). It is also on record that in the "Days of Ignorance," the Quraish, when making a circuit of the Ka‘bah used to recite these words (Mu‘jamul-Buldan, vol. 5, under ‘Uzza). It is further alleged that the 53rd verse of Surah Al-Hajj was revealed in connection with this incident. The fact that the present Surah was revealed in the 5th year of the Call and Surah Al-Hajj in the 12th or 13th year, takes the bottom completely from under this baseless assertion. See also 1962. (close)

3981. Commentary:

This and the preceding verse imply a subtle rebuke to the disbelievers. After having declared the Glory, Majesty and Dignity of God in the former verses, these two verses seem to say to them that, instead of adoring such a Mighty and Powerful Creator and Lord, they stoop so low as to worship gods made of wood and stone.

It may be noted here that some prejudiced Christian critics of the Holy Prophet have woven quite a fantastic and foolish story of his having fallen a victim to the machinations of the Satan.

It is stated that one day at Mecca, when the Holy Prophet recited this Surah and as in his recitation he came upon these verses, before a mixed assembly of Muslims and disbelievers, Satan contrived to put in his mouth the words: تلک الغرانیق العلیٰ و ان شفا عتھن لترتجیٰ i.e. these are exalted goddesses and their intercession is hoped for (Zurqani). The critics call it the "lapse of Muhammad" or his "compromise with idolatry" and seem to rely upon Waqidi—that inveterate liar and fabricator of reports—or on Tabari, who is generally regarded as a credulous and indiscriminate narrator of events, for this entirely baseless story. These gentlemen have the audacity to attribute this blasphemous utterance to that great iconoclast (the Holy Prophet) whose whole life was spent in denouncing and condemning idolatry and who carried out his noble mission with unremitting vigour and fearless devotion, spurning all offers of compromise with idol worship, and whom blandishments, bribes, cajolery or intimidation failed to move an inch from his set purpose, and to whose unshakable firmness against idolatry the Almighty Himself has borne testimony in the words: ودوا لو تدھن فیدھنون i.e. it is their intense desire that thou shouldst show some pliancy so that they may also be pliant (68:10).

Moreover, the whole context gives the direct lie to this baseless assertion. Not only do the verses that follow but the whole Surah contains an unsparing condemnation of idolatry and an uncompromising insistence on Divine Unity. It is strange that this patent fact should have escaped the notice of the Holy Prophet’s critics and carpers.

Historical data, too, lend no support whatever to this so-called "lapse." The story has been rejected as completely unreliable by all the learned commentators of the Quran, Ibn Kathir and Radi among them. The renowned leaders of Muslim religious thought, well versed in the science of Hadith, such as ‘Aini, Qadi ‘Ayyad and Nawawi, have regarded it as pure invention. No trace of this story is to be found in الصحاح الستة (the Six Reliable Collections of Hadith). Imam Bukhari, whose collection, the Sahih Al-Bukhari, is regarded by Muslim scholars as the most reliable book next to the Quran and who himself was a contemporary of Waqidi to whom goes the unenviable credit of forging and reporting this story, makes no mention of it, nor does the great historian, Ibn Ishaq, who was born more than 40 years before him. It may be, as stated by Qastalaniand Zurqani and supported by some other eminent scholars, that when the Holy Prophet, during the recital of the present Surah before a mixed assembly of Muslims and disbelievers, came to these verses, some evil-minded person from among the disbelievers might have loudly interjected the words تلک الغرانیق العلی الخ, as was the disbelievers’ wont to create confusion by resorting to such low tactics, when the Quran was being recited (41:27).

It is also on record that in the "Days of Ignorance," the Quraish, when making a circuit of the Ka‘bah, used to recite the sentence: تلک الغرانیق العلی و ان شفاعتھن لترتجیٰ (Mu‘jamul-Buldan, vol. 5, under ‘Uzza).

Besides, it is not possible for the Satan to interfere with the purity of the Quranic text. God has taken it upon Himself to protect and safeguard the Quran against all interference and interpolation (15:10 & 72:27-29). So the whole story as invented by Waqidi and taken undue advantage of by Muir and others of his class is a pure myth and possesses no basis in fact.

It is further stated that the 53rd verse of Surah Al-Hajj was revealed in connection with this incident. The fact that theSurah under comment was revealed in the 5th year of the Call and Surah Al-Hajj in the 13th or 12th year, takes the bottom completely from under this baseless assertion. (close)