• The Prophet (Muhammad) Never Errs

• He Spoke Not But Only That Which Was Revealed To Him

• His Ascension To The Highest Elevation Which No Mortal Could Ever Reach

• His Communion With God

• He Was Taught Through The Angel Endued With Strength Who Appeared In Complete Form

• The Greatest Signs Of God Were Shown To Him

• The Imaginary Deities Worshipped In The Place Of The One True God

An-Najm Verses 1 - 25

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ

In the name of God the Beneficent the Merciful

وَالنَّجْمِ إِذَا هَوَىٰ

“By the star when it goeth down” (53:1)

مَا ضَلَّ صَاحِبُكُمْ وَمَا غَوَىٰ

“Erreth not your Companion (Our Apostle Muhammad) nor is he led astray1“ (53:2)

وَمَا يَنْطِقُ عَنِ الْهَوَىٰ

“And nor he speaketh of (his own) inclination2“ (53:3)

إِنْ هُوَ إِلَّا وَحْيٌ يُوحَىٰ

“It (the wording)3is naught but a revelation revealed (unto him)4“ (53:4)

عَلَّمَهُ شَدِيدُ الْقُوَىٰ

“Taught him the 5one Intense in power6“ (53:5)

ذُو مِرَّةٍ فَاسْتَوَىٰ

“The one endued with wisdom; (and) hence he7took an overviewing position” (53:6)

وَهُوَ بِالْأُفُقِ الْأَعْلَىٰ

“While he was in the highest horizon” (53:7)

ثُمَّ دَنَا فَتَدَلَّىٰ

“Then he drew nigh, and became pending8“ (53:8)

فَكَانَ قَابَ قَوْسَيْنِ أَوْ أَدْنَىٰ

“Thus was (he) the measure between two bows (facing each other) or nigher still9“ (53:9)

فَأَوْحَىٰ إِلَىٰ عَبْدِهِ مَا أَوْحَىٰ

“Then revealed He unto His Servant what He did reveal” (53:10)

مَا كَذَبَ الْفُؤَادُ مَا رَأَىٰ

“Belied not (his) heart what he saw10“ (53:11)

أَفَتُمَارُونَهُ عَلَىٰ مَا يَرَىٰ

“What! Dispute ye then with him as to what he saw?” (53:12)

وَلَقَدْ رَآهُ نَزْلَةً أُخْرَىٰ

“And indeed he11did see him12at another descent13“ (53:13)

عِنْدَ سِدْرَةِ الْمُنْتَهَىٰ

“At the ‘Sidra’14(the Lotetree) ‘Muntaha’ (the all-Comprehensive Terminus)15” (53:14)

عِنْدَهَا جَنَّةُ الْمَأْوَىٰ

“Nigh unto it is the Garden-Abode16“ (53:15)

إِذْ يَغْشَى السِّدْرَةَ مَا يَغْشَىٰ

“When covereth (over) the ‘Sidra’ (Tree) that which covereth it” (53:16)

مَا زَاغَ الْبَصَرُ وَمَا طَغَىٰ

“Neither his eye did dazzle nor did it rebel17” (53:17)

لَقَدْ رَأَىٰ مِنْ آيَاتِ رَبِّهِ الْكُبْرَىٰ

“Indeed he did see of the greatest signs of his Lord” (53:18)

أَفَرَأَيْتُمُ اللَّاتَ وَالْعُزَّىٰ

“See ye then (the idols) Lat and the Uzza ?” (53:19)

وَمَنَاةَ الثَّالِثَةَ الْأُخْرَىٰ

“And Manat, the third (idol) besides?18“ (53:20)

أَلَكُمُ الذَّكَرُ وَلَهُ الْأُنْثَىٰ

“What! for you the males and for Him (God) the females?19“ (53:21)

تِلْكَ إِذًا قِسْمَةٌ ضِيزَىٰ

“This indeed is a division unjust” (53:22)

إِنْ هِيَ إِلَّا أَسْمَاءٌ سَمَّيْتُمُوهَا أَنْتُمْ وَآبَاؤُكُمْ مَا أَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ بِهَا مِنْ سُلْطَانٍ إِنْ يَتَّبِعُونَ إِلَّا الظَّنَّ وَمَا تَهْوَى الْأَنْفُسُ وَلَقَدْ جَاءَهُمْ مِنْ رَبِّهِمُ الْهُدَىٰ

“They are nothing but (mere) names, which have named ye and your fathers20, sent not God for them any authority; They follow nothing but a conjecture what their selves are inclined to; and indeed, hath come unto them from their Lord the right guidance21“ (53:23)

أَمْ لِلْإِنْسَانِ مَا تَمَنَّىٰ

“What! Shall man have whatever he wisheth?” (53:24)

فَلِلَّهِ الْآخِرَةُ وَالْأُولَىٰ

“Nay! God’s is the (life) hereafter and the former (life) 22“ (53:25)

Commentary

Verses 1 - 18

Verses 1 to 8 assert the infallibility of the Holy Prophet in his movements between the Creator and the creation, similar to the movement of the star in its orbit. It negates any mistake or deviation in action or uttering anything other than what is revealed. It refers to his attaining the realisation and the stage of the realisation he had reached.

The first stage of realisation he reached, is the stage of ‘Istawa’ in the highest horizon which is the highest stage of the angelical force, at which appear the two arcs, the arc of godhead and the arc of creation to meet. Then moving further beyond the dualistic view, assuming the state of pending between the finite and the infinite as the joining point between the two arcs, there comes the state of ‘Au Adna’, i.e., the disappearance of all dualistic considerations in the form of two arcs.

The whole becomes a circle wherein the Absolute manifests encompassing and penetrating all. In this stage of absolute submission and total absorption, the Holy Prophet gets into direct communion with the Absolute, receiving the most important message which is known only to God and to him.

According to the statement of the Sixth Holy Imam Ja’far Ibn Muhammad As-Sadiq (‘a), it was in this stage that the question of ‘Wilayah’ and ‘Imamah’ and its finality and perfection was revealed to the Holy Prophet.

It is obvious that this stage of realisation is something which concerns only the cognitive Self, vide verse 11, and it is confirmed by the Sixth Holy Imam of the Holy Ahl Al-Bayt, Ja’far Ibn Muhammad as-Sadiq (‘a) that it has nothing to do with the ordinary sensation of sight.

Considering this state of realisation far beyond the grasp of the average intelligence, the Qur’an says ‘why do men argue’ vide verse 12.

Then in verse 13 such sort of visual realisation of the highest angelical force, had already taken place on another occasion at the All-Embracing Terminus of the realm of creation ‘Sidrat ul-Muntaha’ (lit., the shadowing lote-tree in the desert).

It is an indication that the state of realisation in the highest stage of ascension has taken place for the Holy Prophet twice. The first one was in the state of ‘Au Adna’ as explained and the second at the stage of ‘Sidrat ul-Muntaha’ which is comparatively lower than the former, yet he realises the stage being covered by the All-Embracing Infinite. The realisation he had of the angelical forces23 in the clear horizon is still lower than ‘Sidrat ul-Muntaha’ (53:14).

Verse 17 asserts this realisation from its beginning to its end and it was an objective reality and not the outcome of any dazzling sensation of or overstepping of egoism.

Verse 18 asserts that it was the realisation and observation of the Greatest Sign of the Lord.

Having asserted that all that he says is irrefutable realisation of facts of the highest order Qur’an turns to the infidels questioning them about their realisation. (A.P.)

Verse 1

The houses of the emigrants from Mecca, were built round the Mosque at Madina with the doors of the houses opening in the Mosque. When, with the spread of Islam day by day, the number of the believers increased, the Holy Prophet received God’s command to get all the doors opening into the Mosque, to be closed, save that of ‘Ali. When the revelation was announced, the first one who was prepared to carry out the divine order was ‘Ali, but the Holy Prophet said “O’ ‘Ali! the order does not apply to thee, for thou art of me and I am of thee.” Some people remarked that the Holy Prophet has been maddened of his love for ‘Ali and has gone astray.

Ibn Abbas says that once we offered our ‘Isha’ night prayer with the Holy Prophet who after concluding the prayer turned to us and said “At damn a star mill descend from heaven. On whosoever’s house it gets down he shall he my heir, my Kalif and the Imam” (i.e., the Divinely Commissioned Guide).

Every one sat waiting for the star, and more than anyone, Abbas the uncle of the Holy Prophet, coveted for the star, but the star from heaven, descended on ‘Ali’s house.

The Holy Prophet told ‘Ali “O’ ‘Ali! By the One Who has sent me as His Apostle. I say that for thee has been assigned by God, to be my Heir, my Kalif and Imam.” (M.S.).

The hypocrites who could not relish it, said that the Holy Prophet in his love for ‘Ali had gone mad or gone astray. On this occasion, this verse was revealed.

‘Hawa’, Inclination. The stars in their course of movement are inclined either up or down. However here is the reference to their inclination whether up or down which being perfectly regular becomes a guide for man to find his way during dark nights on land and sea. Thus, the Qur’an draws the attention of man to a similar state of the Holy Prophet being wholly under His command, fit to guide man to the ultimate object of life in the darkness of the temporal temptations. (A.P.)

Verses 2 - 3

‘Sahib’ meaning companion, i.e., The Holy Prophet - he is addressed as such for his living among the people along with them in the same place.

The negation about his going astray or deviating from the right path or uttering anything of his own inclination and the assertion of his being directly under the revelation, is not restricted to any particular age or period or any particular aspect of his life but starts from his very pregenetal state to which fact bears testimony and evidence the statement of Abu Talib, the uncle of the Holy Prophet and the father of ‘Ali in one of his eulogical verses addressed to the Holy Prophet while he was still very young: “Certainly do I bear testimony to the fact that thou in thy words never exaggerate. Thou ceaseth not speaking the truth though thou art only a young child”.

And Sermon No. 187 of ‘Ali Ibn Abi Talib recorded in the Nahj al-Balagha, ‘Ali takes the description of the infallibility and unique divine excellence of the Holy Prophet to the climax.

Besides these, the repeated assertion of the Qur’an that the Holy Prophet throughout his life did not follow in his utterances or action but a revelation received from the Lord and he was none else but a Prophet of God (A.P.).

Verses 3 - 4

This unique quality of the godly truthfulness. Everything of the utterance of the Holy Prophet has been referred to while Moses was told by God about the advent of his Apostle (Muhammad)24, and a similar prophecy did Jesus make to his followers, before his departure from the informing of the advent of the Comforter, the Spirit of Truth and the Holy Ghost.

“I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth: and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him.” Deut. 18/18.

“Howbeit when he, the Spirit of Truth, is come, he null guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself, but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to conic.” John 16/13

This means that the Holy Prophet was ever in communion with the Lord, his utterance was the Word of God and his actions were the fulfilment of the Divine Will. 25

Let every intelligent and impartial student of the Holy Qur’an, and every sincere seeker of Truth, keep this position of the unique divine personality of the Holy Prophet in view and judge the actual degree of the faith of those who in spite of their personal experience as his followers for about eighteen years and their knowledge of his inimitable truthfulness, doubted about his being the apostle of God at all, at Hudaibiyya and those even at the conclusion of his ministry in the last moments, just before his departure from this world, declared the Holy Prophet as the one, like any other mortal, straying in his utterances when he wanted some writing materials to record his last words or his final will to mankind26.

Verse 5

‘Allamaho’, i.e., ‘Taught him’, i.e., he revealed to him who is endowed with mighty’ power by God, i.e., the Angel Gabriel - meaning the Holy Qur’an is no poetry composed - no stories compiled by the Holy Prophet but the Word of God which has been conveyed to him by the Angel being the nearest of God, ‘Mighty in Power’ compared to the others of his kind27.

Shadid al-Quwa, “the supreme in power”, is Allah. To translate and interpret it as the angel Jibrail is to belie the verses 30 to 38 of Baqarah28 and verse 75 of Sad, because Jibrail was one of the angels who prostrated themselves before Adam when Adam taught them “the names” they did not know. As mentioned in the commentary of the verses of al Baqarah, on the authority of well-known Muslim scholars29.

“The names” were-Muhammad, ‘Ali, Fatimah, Hasan, Husayn. Even if “the names” are interpreted as wisdom, then too Jibrail cannot be the teacher of the Holy Prophet, as the Holy Prophet is the superior most prophet among all the prophets of Allah in wisdom and all other attributes. In verse 75 of Sad Allah asks Shaytan:

“Are you arrogant, or are you one of the alin (the high ones)?” (38:75).

It means there were some servants of Allah described as alin (plural of ali) who were superior to Adam, therefore, exempted from prostrating themselves before Adam on account of their superiority over him. So, it is proved that it is Allah who taught the Holy Prophet and from no mortal created being he received any kind of knowledge as mentioned in the commentary of Baqarah, 2:78 and other verses in connection with the interpretation of the word “ummi”.

Verse 6

This verse refers to the ‘Mi’raj,’ i.e., Ascension of the Holy Prophet into the heavens and him meeting the Angel Gabriel in his full form of his wonderful strength.

For all the details of the Ascension, Mi’raj, see the commentary of Bani Israil 17:1.

The Holy Prophet held in view the entire universe from the highest position, where he found Jibrail. Then the Holy Prophet drew near to Allah “till a distance of two bows or still nearer”

The nearness described by “still nearer” cannot be imagined by human mind. It is the nearest nearness possible between the finite and the infinite. Arabic idiom qaba qawsayn indicate extreme nearness. “The drawn bows, with their chords touching,” make a circle of union, yet the Holy Prophet is not to be considered as totally absorbed into divinity.

The nearness stands for the highest position of the Holy Prophet in the order of creation-the nearest to Allah. It was a custom among the Arabs that when two individuals joined their bows it implied that both of them were united or bound by an agreement to shoot their arrows simultaneously in one direction.

The nature of communion with Allah at their nearest point is incommunicable and incomprehensible to anyone who is not from the Holy Prophet.

Verse 7

Gabriel was found in the highest part of the heavens and power. At this place the Holy Prophet heard a Voice - he asked the Angel Gabriel who was with him as what the Voice was - the Angel replied that it is Lord’s prayer or blessing which was - ‘Subboohun Quddoos Ana Rabbul-Malaikato War Rooh-Sabaqat-Ramati Ghazabi’ - Hallowed and Holy - ‘I am the Lord of the ‘Malaika’ and the Spirit. My Merry dominates My Wrath.’ (A.P.)

Verse 8

The Holy Prophet drew nearer and nearer to Him - a reference to the ‘Mi’raj’ (Ascension) of the Holy Prophet and his reaching the nearest point of approach possible for any mortal. The Holy Prophet was drawn nearer and still nearer to the All-Divine Lord.

In between the creation and the Creator, i.e., the finite and the infinite (A.P.).

Verse 9

A reference to the highest state of communion with God granted to the Holy Prophet. Note the beautiful illustration given to the maximum communion with God which the Holy Prophet was granted. The measure or the distance of two bows, to mean that when the two bows meet, they meet at their ends but still they are away from each other on all points of their body. It could never mean’ that the Holy Prophet was totally absorbed into divinity and yet bodily as is mortal, he was separate from God.

It must be remembered that the expression of getting nearer used in this verse and in the preceding one does not at all mean in the sense of any space or any physical distance between God and the Holy Prophet. The nearness referred to here stands for the higher position of the Holy Prophet in the order of the creation as the one the nearest to God. It was the custom among the Arabs that when they wanted to get into any covenant among themselves, each of the consenting individuals used to join his bow with that of the other to show that both of them are united or bound by an agreement or they used to simultaneously use their bows and simultaneously shoot their arrows in one and the same direction.

By ‘‘Fatadalla’ means that the Holy Prophet of his own humility and modesty rendered himself lowly before the manifest Glory of the Lord to bow to it and to prostrate himself before it, in his hallowing Him in gratitude or indebted to the unique divine grace so exclusively bestowed on him.

It must also be remembered that the Ascension of the Holy Prophet to the heavens was with his physical body and not in a vision as those opposed to the holy Ahl Al-Bayt interpret it and this fact is more and more realised by man with his progress in his scientific achievements, in his travel through space. Very recently the Russian and the American space-men have gone round the earth and returned all in a few minutes and there is the attempt to travel to the moon and to the other planets.

It is getting easier for human intelligence to realise the factors of higher knowledge by applying a wholesome reasoning that if this be possible by means of the atomic energy by the experimental use of it how easy it would be for the Creator Lord of all energies still unknown to man to effect the Ascension of one of His chosen ones and what is that the Will of the Omnipotent Lord of the Universe cannot do30.

There was a time when we could not believe in the possibility of conveying sounds through a wire charged with electricity and when telegraphic and telephonic devices became a reality and we believed in it. Before the invention of the wireless system, we could not believe in any sound being heard from distances without any medium of a wire and when the radio activity became a reality, we believed in it and prior to the invention of Television we could not believe matter being reflected far away without any visible medium and today it is a reality to us.

As we advance in our scientific achievements, we are increased in our knowledge about the possibilities endowed in our environmental world which were unknown and unbelievable.

When to know the potency of things and energies in our own immediate environment even of the indivisible atom, we had exerted and we are still continuously busy exerting further to know how much more and how far still we can probe into its secrets and exploit the latent endowments in it to our use. How long will it take to begin our actual and perfectly reliable knowledge of the heavenly’ kingdoms which is infinite in its extent and nature.

Hence it would be nothing but a miserable betrayal of the bankruptcy of one’s intellect to deny or doubt about the bodily Ascent (Mi’raj) of the Holy Prophet and any of his experiences during his heavenly journey.

Verse 10

The tone of the statement clearly says that which transpired between God and the Select Servant and the Chosen One of His Apostles, i.e., the Holy Prophet, during the State of the maximum communion with the Lord, none could ever know it.

Verse 11

What the Holy Prophet said about his seeing the angel Gabriel in his full stature of Strength and power, was not a lie. This does not at all indicate his seeing God with his physical eyes, for the physical eyes can see only physical matter or material things and God is not matter but the Creator of matter. God being only the Absolute Truth that is active in everything, everywhere, an infinite existence, no finite being can ever view the infinite One. What the Holy Prophet saw in the heaven, he saw only the manifestation of His glory and power.

No doubt the things of greater glory of God, in His Kingdom in the heavens would naturally be quite different than those on the earth and as such the heavenly objects would seem to be fabulous to an ordinary mind which had not the benefit of even the elementary knowledge about them. But to the enlightened scholars, it could not be a difficulty to believe in what the Apostle of God relates.

Verse 12

It is an interrogatory address to those who disbelieved in what the Holy Prophet related about his experiences in the heavens, during his Ascension - Journey.

Verse 13

The Holy Prophet saw Gabriel for a second time.

Verse 14

The second time the Holy Prophet saw Gabriel, was at the ‘Sidratul-Muntaha’ the point where ends or stops all knowledge of every one - and no one’s knowledge crosses the limit. It is said that when the Holy Prophet reached the point of ‘Sidrat ul-Muntaha’, Gabriel said “I shall not step an inch further from this.” The Holy Prophet passed that point also and what is mentioned in verse 8, 9 & 10 above is what happened after crossing this point when Gabriel had stopped away.

There is the mention of the Lote-tree in verses 34:16 and 56:28 as symbolic of the heavenly bliss. But the mention of it here, is a symbol marking the extreme bounds or the last limit of heavenly knowledge beyond which neither any angel nor any human being could pass.

Verse 15

The garden or Paradise or the blissful region near the Sidra is the abode of the pious ones - and some say, it is the place of the highest resort for all angels also.

Verse 16

After reaching the point of Sidra, the realities of the Kingdom of God beyond the point unveiled, i.e., the Holy Prophet was made to visualise the kingdom beyond Sidra which none else besides God has the knowledge of it.

Verse 17

In spite of the things around made manifest, being full of marvel and wonder, the Holy Prophet’s gaze was only towards the manifest Glory of the Lord and never even cast his glance on anything around him, nor did his eye or his sight or attention was so much engrossed in view the glory of the Lord that it did not care to turn towards anything of his environment though everything was full of marvels and wonder. This is only the skeleton of the great event each expression here has its mystic meaning see note by (A.P.) below.

There was no visual delusion nor any physical disturbance. (A.P.)

Verse 18

Let not any misleading idea pollute our faith that it is in the highest heaven that God lives or His existence is found only there, for it is not in the sense of any physical space but it is to denote the excellence or the degree of the special manifestation of His Higher glory, otherwise His ‘Arsh’ or the Throne of lbs authority and glory extends over the heavens and the earth31.

Of all the Apostles of God, it was only Moses whom only the prefigurement of the divine effulgence on earth took place. See 20:10-14, 20:28-30 and Exodus here below:

1. “Now Moses kept the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian, ‘and he led the flock behind the desert, and came to the mountain of God, even to Horeb.”

2. “And the Angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked and behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed.

3. “And Moses said, I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt.

4. “And when the Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I.

5. “And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground.

6. “Moreover he said, I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look upon God.’’’’

Exodus 3/1-6.

It was only through the manifestation of a fire in the bush and when Moses desired to see God’s face, firstly he was admonished to give up the desire for he would never be able to witness it but at the insistence on his part the All-Merciful Lord did grant him a merciful audience of only a little of the manifestation of His glory on the Mount Tur - Sinai.

The Mount was burnt and reduced to ashes and bits and Moses fell unconscious32, which event is referred to in 2:55. But in the case of the Holy Prophet the manifestation of His Glory through the greatest of His signs was in the heavens.

Verse 19

When the Holy Prophet was reciting this Sura, a voice was heard reciting “There are the lofty idols, verily their intercession is sought”, to disturb the recital of the Sura and to put the audience into confusion but the whole context goes against this insertion33 (A.P.).

Verse 23

What the idolaters worship as gods, are merely names without any reality or anything which at all existed34. It was only their conjectures35.

Verse 24

It is not for man to have anything he covets for, i.e., no man has the power or the authority to provide himself with whatever he wants.

Verse 25

The Kingdom, i.e., the Authority, from the beginning to the end is exclusively God’s and of no one else.

• 1. Refer to Verses 4:113; 93:7.
• 2. The Holy Prophet.
• 3. His speech.
• 4. Refer to Verse 10:15.
• 5. No one else.
• 6. Refer to Verse 81:20.
• 7. The Holy Prophet.
• 8. Refer to Verse 17:1.
• 9. In between the creation and the Creator i.e. between the finite and the infinite (A.P.). Refer to Verse 17:1.
• 10. In his state of Ascension (A.P.).
• 11. The Holy Prophet.
• 12. Archangel Gabriel.
• 13. The last but one height in Heaven
• 14. Overshadowing.
• 15. Refer to Verses 34:16; 56:28.
• 16. Paradise, Heavenly adobe of Bliss.
• 17. There was no visual delusion nor any nor any intellectual or emotional disturbance.
• 18. This and the following Verses are in immediate refutation of the confusing satanic insertion (A.P.).
• 19. Refer to Verses 16:57; 16:58; 43:16; 52:39.
• 20. The false gods or the deities which the idolators worship they are mere names of unreal imaginary beings- - hence they are mere names - and nothing more.
• 21. Refer to Verses 7:71; 12:40.
• 22. God’s is the ultimate as is the Start, the Lord of all.
• 23. Refer to Verses 81:21-24.
• 24. Refer to Verse 18:18.
• 25. Refer to Verse 10:15.
• 26. Tabari, Ibn Khaldun, Abdul Fida, EHI.
• 27. Refer to Verse 18:20.
• 28. Refer to Verses 2:30-38 and their commentary.
• 29. Refer to Durr al Manthur, Kanz al-’Ummal, Yanabi al Mawaddat, Riaz al Nuzra and Arjah al-Muttalib.
• 30. Refer to Verses 2:117; 16:40; 19:35; 40:68; 36:82.
• 31. Refer to Verse 2:255.
• 32. Refer to Verse 7:143.
• 33. For full details refer to the commentary of Verses 22:52 and 22:53.
• 34. Refer to Verses 7:71; 12:40.
• 35. Refer to Verse 6:117.