(1–18) “In the name of Allah, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful. * By the star when it descends, * your companion has neither strayed nor erred. * Nor does he speak from his own desire. * It is only a revelation sent down. * He was taught by one of mighty power, * endowed with strength, who then stood poised * while on the highest horizon. * Then he approached and drew near, * until he was two bow-lengths away or even nearer. * Then Allah revealed to His servant what He revealed. * The heart did not deny what the eye saw. * Will you then dispute with him over what he sees? * He certainly saw him on another descent, * at the Lote Tree of the Utmost Boundary, * near which is the Garden of Refuge, * when the Lote Tree was enveloped by what enveloped it. * His sight neither swerved nor transgressed. * He certainly saw some of his Lord’s greatest signs.”
Allah, Exalted is He, swears by the star when it descends—that is, when it sets on the horizon at the close of night, as night departs and day approaches. This is one of Allah’s great signs, warranting His swearing by it. The correct view is that “the star” is a generic noun encompassing all stars. He swears by the stars to affirm the truth of the divine revelation brought by the Messenger—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—for there is a remarkable correspondence between them: Allah made the stars an adornment for heaven, just as revelation and its effects are an adornment for the earth. Were it not for the knowledge inherited from the prophets, people would be in darkness more intense than the blackest night.
The subject of the oath is that the Messenger—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—is free of misguidance in his knowledge and waywardness in his purpose. This necessarily means that he is rightly guided in his knowledge, guides others, possesses sound intentions, and sincerely counsels the community (1)—the opposite of those who are astray, whose knowledge and intentions are corrupt (2).
Allah says, “your companion,” to remind them of what they already knew of his truthfulness and guidance, and that his character was no secret to them. “Nor does he speak from his own desire”—that is, his words do not arise from his personal desires.
“It is only a revelation sent down”—that is, he follows only what Allah has revealed to him of guidance and piety, both for himself and for others.
This demonstrates that the Sunnah is revelation from Allah to His Messenger—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—as Allah, Exalted is He, says, “Allah has sent down to you the Book and wisdom.” It also demonstrates that he is protected from error in everything he reports about Allah, Exalted is He, and His law, for his words do not arise from personal desire but from revelation sent down to him.
Allah then mentions the Messenger’s teacher: Gabriel [peace be upon him], the best, strongest, and most perfect of the [noble] angels. He says, “He was taught by [one of mighty power].” That is, Gabriel—peace be upon him—descended with revelation to the Messenger—may Allah bless him and grant him peace. “One of mighty power” means that he possesses tremendous outward and inward strength. He is strong enough to carry out everything Allah commands him to execute, to convey the revelation to the Messenger—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—and to prevent the devils from snatching it away or inserting into it anything that does not belong to it. It is part of Allah’s preservation of His revelation that He sent it with this strong and trustworthy messenger.
“Endowed with strength”—that is, possessing strength, excellent character, and both outward and inward beauty.
“Then he stood poised”—Gabriel, peace be upon him—⦗819⦘ “while on the highest horizon,” meaning the horizon of heaven, which is higher than (3) the earth. He is thus one of the spirits of the higher realm, whom the devils can neither touch nor reach.
“Then he approached”: Gabriel approached the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—to convey the revelation to him. “And drew near” to him from the highest horizon, “until he was,” in his nearness to him, “two bow-lengths away”—that is, the measure of two bows, the bow being well known—“or even nearer,” meaning closer than two bow-lengths. This indicates the perfect directness (4) with which the message was delivered to the Messenger—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—and that there was no intermediary between him and Gabriel, peace be upon him.
“Then Allah revealed,” through Gabriel, peace be upon him, “to His servant,” Muhammad—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—“what He revealed,” meaning the magnificent law and truthful message that He revealed to him.
“The heart did not deny what the eye saw.” That is, the Messenger’s heart and vision were in complete accord regarding the revelation Allah gave him; his hearing, heart, and sight all concurred concerning it. This demonstrates the perfection of the revelation Allah gave him and that he received it with no doubt, uncertainty, or misgiving whatsoever. His heart did not deny what his eyes saw, nor did he doubt it.
It is also possible that this refers to the great signs of Allah which he—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—saw on the night of his Night Journey, and which he knew with certainty to be true through both his heart and his vision. This [is] the correct interpretation of the noble verse. It has also been said that this refers to the Messenger—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—seeing his Lord on the night of the Night Journey and his Lord speaking to him. Many scholars—may Allah have mercy on them—adopted this view and, on the basis of this verse, affirmed that the Messenger—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—saw his Lord in this world.
The correct view, however, is the first: the one intended was Gabriel, peace be upon him, as the context indicates. Muhammad—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—saw Gabriel in the original form [that is his] twice: once at the highest horizon, below the lowest heaven, as previously stated; and a second time above the seventh heaven, on the night when the Messenger of Allah—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—was taken on the Night Journey. Allah therefore says, “He certainly saw him on another descent”—that is, Muhammad saw Gabriel once more as he descended toward him.
“At the Lote Tree of the Utmost Boundary.” It is an immense tree above the seventh heaven. It is called the Lote Tree of the Utmost Boundary either because everything ascending from the earth reaches its limit there, while everything descending from Allah—revelation and otherwise—descends to it; or because the knowledge of created beings (5) reaches its limit there, since it lies above the heavens and the earth and is thus the utmost boundary in elevation (6); or for some other reason. Allah knows best.
Muhammad—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—saw Gabriel there, in that realm inhabited by the pure and beautiful spirits of the higher realm, which no devil or other evil spirit can approach.
Near that tree is “the Garden of Refuge”—that is, the Garden containing every delight, where every hope finds its fulfillment (7), every desire is directed, and every longing seeks refuge. This demonstrates that Paradise is in the highest realm, above the seventh heaven.
“When the Lote Tree was enveloped by what enveloped it”—that is, something tremendous from Allah’s command enveloped it, the nature of which is known to none but Allah, Majestic and Exalted is He.
“His sight neither swerved nor transgressed.” That is, his gaze did not stray to the right or left from what it was directed toward. “Nor did it transgress”—that is, his sight did not go beyond it. This reflects his consummate propriety—may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him: he stood precisely in the station where Allah had placed him, neither falling short of it, overstepping it, nor deviating from it.
This is the most perfect form of sublime propriety, in which he surpassed all who came before and after him. A deficiency can arise in any of the following ways: a servant may fail to do what he was commanded, perform it inadequately, go to excess in it, or deviate from it to the right or left. All of these were entirely absent from him—may Allah bless him and grant him peace.
“He certainly saw some of his Lord’s greatest signs,” including Paradise, Hell, and the other things he—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—saw on the night of his Night Journey.