Al-Tafsīr al-Qayyim - Ibn al-Qayyim - (528)

Al-Tafsīr al-QayyimIbn al-Qayyim

and Allah knows best—the preposition lām (“to”) appears in His words, “Whatever is in the heavens and the earth offers glorification to Allah.” Here, glorification means prostration, submission and obedience. Nowhere does He use the direct construction, “Whatever is in the heavens and the earth glorifies Allah.” Similarly, Allah Most High says:

13:15 “To Allah prostrates whoever is in the heavens and the earth.”

Consider also His words:

7:205 “Indeed, those who are with your Lord are not too proud to worship Him; they glorify Him, and to Him they prostrate.”

Notice how He says, “They glorify Him,” having mentioned prostration by its own specific name. Glorification here thus means their remembrance of Him and their declaration that He is free of imperfection.

[Sūrat al-Wāqi'ah (56): verse 79]

“None touch it except those who have been purified.” (79)

The correct interpretation of this verse is that it refers to the scrolls in the angels’ hands, for several reasons.

First, He describes it as “concealed.” Something concealed is hidden from sight, and this applies only to the scrolls in the angels’ hands.

Another reason is that He says, “None touch it except those who have been purified,” meaning the angels. Had He meant believers who have performed ablution, He would have said, “None touch it except those who purify themselves,” as Allah Most High says:

2:251 “Indeed, Allah loves those who repent and loves those who purify themselves.”

The angels have been purified, whereas believers and those who perform ablution purify themselves.

Another reason is that this is a statement, not a prohibition. Had it been a prohibition, He would have said lā yamsas-hu, with the verb in the jussive. The basic rule is that a statement is declarative in both form and meaning.

Another reason is that this refutes those who said that Satan brought this Quran. Allah Most High thus declares that it is in a concealed Book which the devils can neither reach nor gain access to, as He says in Sūrat al-Shu'arā':

26:210–212 “It was not the devils who brought it down. It is not for them to do so, nor are they able. Indeed, they are barred from hearing.”

Rather, it is accessible only to the spirits

والله أعلم- دخلت اللام في قوله تعالى: سَبَّحَ لِلَّهِ ما فِي السَّماواتِ وَالْأَرْضِ والمراد التسبيح الذي هو السجود والخضوع والطاعة، ولم يقل في موضع: سبح الله ما في السموات والأرض، كما قال تعالى ١٣: ١٥ وَلِلَّهِ يَسْجُدُ مَنْ فِي السَّماواتِ وَالْأَرْضِ. وتأمل قوله تعالى: ٧: ٢٠٥ إِنَّ الَّذِينَ عِنْدَ رَبِّكَ لا يَسْتَكْبِرُونَ عَنْ عِبادَتِهِ وَيُسَبِّحُونَهُ وَلَهُ يَسْجُدُونَ فكيف قال: «ويسبحونه» لما ذكر السجود باسمه الخاص، فصار التسبيح: ذكرهم له، وتنزيههم إياه. [سورة الواقعة (٥٦) : آية ٧٩] لا يَمَسُّهُ إِلاَّ الْمُطَهَّرُونَ (٧٩) والصحيح في الآية: أن المراد به: الصحف التي بأيدي الملائكة لوجوه عديدة. منها: أنه وصفه بأنه مكنون، والمكنون المستور عن العيون، وهذا إنما هو في الصحف التي بأيدي الملائكة. ومنها: أنه قال: لا يَمَسُّهُ إِلَّا الْمُطَهَّرُونَ وهم الملائكة ولو أراد المؤمنين المتوضئين لقال: لا يمسه إلا المتطهرون، كما قال تعالى: ٢: ٢٥١ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُحِبُّ التَّوَّابِينَ وَيُحِبُّ الْمُتَطَهِّرِينَ فالملائكة مطهرون، والمؤمنون والمتوضئون متطهرون. ومنها: أن هذا إخبار، ولو كان نهيا لقال: لا يمسسه، بالجزم. والأصل في الخبر، أن يكون خبرا صورة ومعنى. ومنها: أن هذا رد على من قال. إن الشيطان جاء بهذا القرآن، فأخبر تعالى أنه في كتاب مكنون لا تناله الشياطين، ولا وصول لها إليه، كما قال تعالى في آية الشعراء: ٢٦: ٢١٠- ٢١٢ وَما تَنَزَّلَتْ بِهِ الشَّياطِينُ، وَما يَنْبَغِي لَهُمْ وَما يَسْتَطِيعُونَ إِنَّهُمْ عَنِ السَّمْعِ لَمَعْزُولُونَ وأنما تناله الأرواح