Tafsir al-Baghawi - Al-Baghawi - (7/402)

Tafsir al-BaghawiAl-Baghawi

bow-lengths or even nearer. It has been narrated to us in the account of the Night Journey and Ascension, from Sharik ibn Abd Allah, from Anas: “The Compeller, the Lord of Might, drew near and descended, until He was two bow-lengths away from him, or even nearer.” (1) This is also the narration of Ibn Salamah from Ibn Abbas. Tadallī means descending toward something until one comes near to it.

Mujahid said: “Gabriel drew near to his Lord.” (2)

Al-Dahhak said: “Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, drew near to his Lord and descended, lowering himself in prostration; and he was two bow-lengths away from Him, or even nearer.”

The meaning of His saying, “two bow-lengths,” is: the measure of two bows. The terms qāb, qīb, qād, and qayd all denote a measure. According to al-Dahhak, Mujahid, Ikrimah, and Ata’ in his narration from Ibn Abbas, a qaws is the bow with which one shoots. Thus, He informed that the distance between Gabriel and Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, was the measure of two bows. Mujahid said: it means the distance between a bow and its string. This is an expression emphasizing extreme nearness. Its origin lies in the practice of two Arab allies who, when they wished to establish friendship and a covenant, would come out with their bows and join them together, thereby signifying that they stood in mutual support, each defending the other.

Abd Allah ibn Masud said: “Two bow-lengths” means the measure of two forearms. This was also the view of Sa‘id ibn Jubayr and Shaqiq ibn Salamah. Here, qaws means the forearm, by which all things are measured. “Or even nearer” means: rather, closer.

“Then He revealed to His servant whatever He revealed.” (10)

“Then He revealed” means that Allah revealed to His servant Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, whatever He revealed. This was the view of Ibn Abbas in the narration of Ata’, as well as al-Kalbi, al-Hasan, al-Rabi‘, and Ibn Zayd. Its meaning is: Gabriel conveyed to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, whatever his Lord had revealed to him. (3)

Sa‘id ibn Jubayr said: He revealed to him: “Did He not find you an orphan and give you refuge?” [al-Duha 93:6], up to His saying, exalted is He: “And raised high for you your renown” [al-Sharh 94:4]. It was also said that He revealed to him: “Paradise is forbidden to the prophets until you enter it, and to the nations until your nation enters it.” (4)

(1) For the scholars’ remarks on the narration of Sharik ibn Abdullah and his errors in the wording of the hadith of the Mi'raj (Ascension), see Fath al-Bari, Kitab al-Tawhid, chapter: “What has been narrated concerning Allah’s saying, ‘And Allah spoke to Moses directly,’” 13:478-480; Ibn Kathir, 4:250; and al-Bayhaqi, al-Asma' wa al-Sifat, 2:187. (2) See al-Asma' wa al-Sifat, 2:188. (3) See al-Tabari, 27:47; al-Asma' wa al-Sifat, 2:182. (4) Al-Hafiz Ibn Kathir mentions both views, 4:250.

قَوْسَيْنِ أَوْ أَدْنَى. وَرُوِّينَا فِي قِصَّةِ الْمِعْرَاجِ عَنْ شَرِيكِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ عَنْ أَنَسٍ: وَدَنَا الْجَبَّارُ رَبُّ الْعِزَّةِ فَتَدَلَّى حَتَّى كَانَ مِنْهُ قَابَ قَوْسَيْنِ أَوْ أَدْنَى (١) . وَهَذَا رِوَايَةُ ابْنِ سَلَمَةَ عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ، "وَالتَّدَلِّي" هُوَ النُّزُولُ إِلَى الشَّيْءِ حَتَّى يَقْرَبَ مِنْهُ. وَقَالَ مُجَاهِدٌ: دَنَا جِبْرِيلُ مِنْ رَبِّهِ (٢) . وَقَالَ الضَّحَّاكُ: دَنَا مُحَمَّدٌ ﷺ مِنْ رَبِّهِ فَتَدَلَّى فَأَهْوَى لِلسُّجُودِ، فَكَانَ مِنْهُ قَابَ قَوْسَيْنِ أَوْ أَدْنَى. وَمَعْنَى قَوْلِهِ: "قَابَ قَوْسَيْنِ" أَيْ قَدْرَ قَوْسَيْنِ، وَ"الْقَابُ" وَ"الْقَيْبُ" وَ"الْقَادُ" وَ"الْقَيْدُ": عِبَارَةٌ عَنِ الْمِقْدَارِ، وَ"الْقَوْسُ": مَا يُرْمَى بِهِ فِي قَوْلِ الضَّحَّاكِ وَمُجَاهِدٍ وَعِكْرِمَةَ وَعَطَاءٍ عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ، فَأَخْبَرَ أَنَّهُ كَانَ بَيْنَ جِبْرِيلَ وَبَيْنَ مُحَمَّدٍ ﵉ مِقْدَارُ قَوْسَيْنِ، قَالَ مُجَاهِدٌ: مَعْنَاهُ حَيْثُ الْوَتَرُ مِنَ الْقَوْسِ، وَهَذَا إِشَارَةٌ إِلَى تَأْكِيدِ الْقُرْبِ. وَأَصْلُهُ: أَنَّ الْحَلِيفَيْنِ مِنَ الْعَرَبِ كَانَا إِذَا أَرَادَا عَقْدَ الصَّفَاءِ وَالْعَهْدِ خَرَجَا بِقَوْسَيْهِمَا فَأَلْصَقَا بَيْنَهُمَا، يُرِيدَانِ بِذَلِكَ أَنَّهُمَا مُتَظَاهِرَانِ يُحَامِي كُلُّ وَاحِدٍ مِنْهُمَا عَنْ صَاحِبِهِ. وَقَالَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ مَسْعُودٍ: "قَابَ قَوْسَيْنِ" أَيْ: قَدْرَ ذِرَاعَيْنِ، وَهُوَ قَوْلُ سَعِيدِ بْنِ جُبَيْرٍ وَشَقِيقِ بْنِ سَلَمَةَ، وَ"الْقَوْسُ": الذِّرَاعُ يُقَاسُ بِهَا كُلُّ شَيْءٍ، "أَوْ أَدْنَى": بَلْ أَقْرَبُ. ﴿فَأَوْحَى إِلَى عَبْدِهِ مَا أَوْحَى (١٠) ﴾ ﴿فَأَوْحَى﴾ أَيْ: أَوْحَى اللَّهُ ﴿إِلَى عَبْدِهِ﴾ مُحَمَّدٍ ﷺ مَا أَوْحَى، قَالَ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ فِي رِوَايَةِ عَطَاءٍ، وَالْكَلْبِيِّ، وَالْحَسَنِ، وَالرَّبِيعِ، وَابْنِ زَيْدٍ: مَعْنَاهُ: أَوْحَى جِبْرِيلُ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ مَا أَوْحَى إِلَيْهِ رَبُّهُ ﷿ (٣) . قَالَ سَعِيدُ بْنُ جُبَيْرٍ: أَوْحَى إِلَيْهِ: "أَلَمْ يَجِدْكَ يَتِيمًا فَآوَى" (الضُّحَى-٦) إِلَى قَوْلِهِ تَعَالَى: "وَرَفَعَنَا لَكَ ذِكْرَكَ"، (الشَّرْحِ-٤) وَقِيلَ: أَوْحَى إِلَيْهِ: إِنَّ الْجَنَّةَ مُحَرَّمَةٌ عَلَى الْأَنْبِيَاءِ حَتَّى تَدْخُلَهَا أَنْتَ، وَعَلَى الْأُمَمِ حَتَّى تَدْخُلَهَا أُمَّتُكَ (٤) .

(١) لمعرفة ما قاله أهل العلم في رواية شريك بن عبد الله وأوهامه في ألفاظ حديث المعراج انظر: فتح الباري، كتاب التوحيد، باب ما جاء في قوله ﷿: (وكلم الله موسى تكليما) : ١٣ / ٤٧٨-٤٨٠، ابن كثير: ٤ / ٢٥٠، الأسماء والصفات للبيهقي: ٢ / ١٨٧. (٢) انظر: الأسماء والصفات: ٢ / ١٨٨. (٣) انظر: الطبري:٢٧ / ٤٧، الأسماء والصفات: ٢ / ١٨٢. (٤) ذكر القولين الحافظ ابن كثير: ٤ / ٢٥٠.