Al Islam

3968. Commentary:

See next verse. (close)

2870. Whereas the present verse speaks of the Divine source of the Holy Prophet’s revelation, the preceding two verses allude to the hallucinations of a deranged mind and to the ideas that proceed from one’s own desires and the promptings of the Evil Spirit. (close)

3969. Commentary:

Whereas the present verse speaks of the Divine Source of the Holy Prophet’s revelation, the two preceding verses allude to the hallucinations of a deranged mind and to the ideas that proceed from one’s own desires and the promptings of the Evil One.

The word ھو in the verse relates to the Quran. (close)

2871. The Qur’an is a mighty and powerful Revelation before which all former revealed Scriptures pale into insignificance. (close)

3970. Important Words:

القوی (powers) is the plural of قوة which is inf. noun from قوی i.e. he became strong; vigorous, robust or sturdy. قوة means, strength, power, potency, might or force (cont. of ضعف) in body and also in intellect (Lane & Aqrab).

Commentary:

The verse signifies that the Quran is a mighty and powerful Revelation before which all former revealed Scriptures pale into insignificance. (close)

2872. Mirrah means, strength of make or intellect; sound judgment; firmness (Aqrab). Dhu Mirrah may also mean, one whose powers perpetually manifest themselves. (close)

2873. The expression, Istawa ‘alash-Shai’i means, he gained or had the mastery or complete ascendancy over the thing. If applied to the Holy Prophet, the expression would mean that his physical and intellectual powers have attained their fullest vigour and maturity. (close)

3971. Important Words:

مرة (strength) is derived from مر i.e. he went or went away. أمر الحبل means, he twisted the rope tightly. استمر مریرہ means, hisresolution or determination became firm or strong. استمر بالشیء means, he became strong enough to bear the thing. مرة means,strength; strength of make; strength of intellect; sound judgement and firmness. They say ھو رجل ذومرة i.e. he is a strong man or he is possessed of strong intellect and sound judgement and firmness (Lane & Aqrab).

استویٰ (gained ascendance over everything) is derived from سوی. They say استوی i.e. the affair of the man became right or straight. استوی means, he became full-grown and mature in body and intellect or he attained the completion of his make and intellect. استوی علی ظھر دابة means, he was or became firm or became firmly seated or settled himself on the back of his beast. استوی علی الشیء also means, he gained or had the mastery or complete ascendancy over the thing. استوی الطعام means, the food became thoroughly cooked (Lane & Aqrab). See also 2:30 & 19:11.

Commentary:

The expression ذومرة, besides the meaning given under Important Words above, signifies: One Whose power perpetually manifest them-selves. The word استوی besides the meaning given in the text may also apply to the Holy Prophet, signifying that the Prophet’s physical and intellectual powers have attained their fullest vigour and maturity. For a collective note on this and the next two verses see v. 10. (close)

a. 81:24. (close)

2874. The Holy Prophet had attained to the highest point in his spiritual ascension when God revealed Himself to him in full Glory and Majesty. Or, the verse may mean that the light of Islam was set on a very high place from where it could illumine the whole world. The pronoun, huwa, may refer both to God and the Holy Prophet. See also verse 10. (close)

a. 81:24. (close)

3972. Commentary:

The verse purports to say that the Holy Prophet had attained to the highest point in his spiritual ascension when God revealed Himself to him in full glory and majesty. Or "the Prophet’s being on the uppermost horizon" may signify that the light of Islam was set on a very high place from where it could illumine the whole world.

The word ھو may also refer to God. See also verse 10. (close)

2875. Dallad-Dalwa means, he sent down the bucket in the well; he pulled up or out the bucket from the well. Tadalla means, he or it lowered or came down; he drew near or approached or increased in nearness (Lane & Lisan). The verse signifies that the Holy Prophet drew near to God and God leaned towards him. It may also mean that the Prophet attained the utmost nearness to God, and after having drunk deep at the Divine fountain of spiritual knowledge, he came down to impart that knowledge to mankind. (close)

3973. Important Words:

تدلٰی (came down) is derived from دلا. They say دلا الدلو i.e. he sent down the bucket in the well; he pulled up or out the bucket from the well. دلی رجلیه من السریر (dalla) means, he let down his legs from the couch. دلی الشیء means, he made or brought or drew the thing near to another thing. تدلی means, it was let down, he or it lowered or came down; he was or became lowly, humble or submissive; he drew near or approached or increased in nearness. (Lane, Aqrab & Lisan).

Commentary:

The verse means that the Holy Prophet attained the utmost nearness to God. See next verse. (close)

2876. Qab means, the portion of a bow that is between the part which is grasped by the hand and the curved extremity; (2) from one extremity of the bow to the other; (3) measure or space. The Arabs say, Bainahuma Qaba Qausaini, i.e. between them two is the measure of a bow, which means that there is very close relationship between them. The Arab proverb, Ramauna ‘an Qausin Wahidin, i.e. they shot at us from one bow, signifies that they were unanimous against us. The word thus denotes complete agreement (Lane, Lisan & Zamakhshari). Whatever may be the significance of the word Qab, the expression, Qaba Qausaini, indicates very close union between two persons. The verse purports to say that the Holy Prophet continued to scale the heights of Spiritual Ascension and to approach near God till all distance between them disappeared and the Holy Prophet became, as it were, "one chord to two bows." The proverb reminds us of an ancient Arab custom according to which when two persons pledged themselves to firm friendship they would join their bows in such a way that they appeared as one, and then they would shoot an arrow from that combined bow, thus indicating that they had become, as it were, one person, and that an attack on one would be an attack on the other. If the word, Tadalla, be taken to apply to God, the verse would mean that the Holy Prophet went up to God and God came down to him till they both became, as it were, united into one person. The expression possesses yet another very beautiful and subtle significance, viz. that while on the one hand the Holy Prophet became so completely merged in his Lord and Creator that he became, as it were, His very image, on the other, he came down to mankind and became so full of love, sympathy and solicitude for them that Divinity and Humanity became united in him, and he became the central point of the chord of the two bows of Divinity and Humanity. The words, "or closer still," signify that the relationship between the Holy Prophet and God became closer and more intimate than could he conceived.

Verses 8-18 describe the Mi‘raj or the Spiritual Ascension of the Holy Prophet, when he was spiritually transported to heavens and was vouchsafed the view of a spiritual manifestation of God, and ascended spiritually very close to his Maker. It was, in fact, a double spiritual experience, comprising the spiritual ascent of the Holy Prophet, and the descent towards him of God’s manifestation. The Mi‘raj (Spiritual Ascension) has become confused in popular mind with Isra’ (Spiritual Night Journey of the Holy Prophet to Jerusalem), from which it is quite distinct and separate. The Isra’ took place in the eleventh or twelfth year of the Call (Zurqani), while the Holy Prophet had the experience of the Mi‘raj (Spiritual Ascension to Heavens) in its 5th year, shortly after the first Emigration to Abyssinia, six or seven years earlier. A careful and minute study of the details of these two incidents mentioned in the Hadith also supports this view. For a somewhat detailed exposition of the two incidents—the Mi‘raj and the Isra’—being separate and distinct from each other see 1590. (close)

3974. Important Words:

قاب (chord) substantive noun from قاب (qaba) which means, he was or became near or he approached. قاب means, the portion of a bow that is between the part that is grasped by the hand and the curved extremity; or from one extremity of the bow to the other; measure or space. The Arabs say بینھما قاب قوسین i.e. between them two is the measure of a bow, which means that there is a very close relationship between them. The Arabic proverb رمونا عن قوس واحد i.e. they shot at us from one bow, means, they were unanimous against us. The word thus denotes complete agreement (Lane, Lisan & Zamakhshari).

Commentary:

Whatever may be the significance of the word قاب, the expression قاب قوسین indicates very close union between two persons. In this sense of the expression the verse purports to say that the Holy Prophet continued to scale the heights of spiritual ascension and to approach near God till all distance between them disappeared and the Prophet became, as it were, "one chord to two bows." The verse reminds of an ancient Arab custom according to which when two persons pledged themselves to firm friendship they would join their bows in such a way that they appeared as one and then they would shoot an arrow from that combined bow; thus indicating that they had become, as it were, one person, and that an attack on one was an attack on the other. If the word تدلی be taken to apply to God, the verse would mean that the Holy Prophet went up to God and God came down to him till they both became, as it were, united into one person.

The expression فکان قاب قوسین possesses yet another very beautiful and subtle significance, viz. that while on the one hand the Holy Prophet became so completely merged in his Lord and Creator that he became, as it were, His image (پیکر او شد سراسر صورت رب رحیم), on the other he came down to mankind and became so full of love, sympathy and solicitude that Divinity and humanity became united in him, and in the Quranic words he became the central point of the chord of the two bows of Divinity and humanity.

The words أو أدنی signify that the relationship between the Holy Prophet and God became closer and more intimate than could be conceived.

Verses 8-18 describe the Spiritual Ascension (معراج) of the Holy Prophet, when he was spiritually transported to heavens and was vouchsafed the view of a spiritual manifestation of God, and ascended spiritually very close to his Maker. The Mi‘raj was, in fact, a double spiritual experience, comprising the spiritual ascent of the Holy Prophet, and the descent towards him of God’s manifestation. The Mi‘raj (Spiritual Ascension) has become confused in popular mind with Isra’ اسرا (or Spiritual Night Journey of the Prophet to Jerusalem), from which it is quite distinct and separate. The Isra’ took place in the eleventh or twelfth year of the Call (Zurqani) while the Holy Prophet had the experience of the Mi‘raj or Spiritual Ascension to heavens in its 5th year, shortly after the first migration to Abyssinia, six or seven years earlier. A careful and minute study of the details of these two incidents mentioned in the Hadith also supports this view. For a detailed exposition of the two incidents,—the Mi‘raj and the Isra’,—being separate and distinct from each other, see 17:2. (close)

2877. Ma is sometimes used to denote honour, surprise or for emphasis (Aqrab). The verse signifies that God revealed to His servant, and what an excellent and mighty revelation it was! (close)

3975. Important Words:

ما (what) is sometimes used, to denote honour, surprise, or for emphasis. ما أحسن زیدا means, how beautiful Zaid is. فتی ما فلانmeans, an excellent youth is such a one (Lane & Aqrab). (close)

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)