Prophetic Commentary on the Qur'an (Tafseer of the Prophet (pbuh))

Narrated Yahya bin Abi Kathir: I asked Aba Salama bin `Abdur-Rahman about the first Sura revealed of the Qur'an. He replied "O you, wrapped-up (i.e. Al Muddaththir)." I said, "They say it was, 'Read, in the Name of your Lord Who created,' (i.e. Surat Al-`Alaq (the Clot)." On that, Abu Salama said, "I asked Jabir bin `Abdullah about that, saying the same as you have said, whereupon he said, 'I will not tell you except what Allah's Apostle had told us. Allah's Apostle said, "I was in seclusion in the cave of Hiram', and after I completed the limited period of my seclusion. I came down (from the cave) and heard a voice calling me. I looked to my right, but saw nothing. Then I looked up and saw something. So I went to Khadija (the Prophet's wife) and told her to wrap me up and pour cold water on me. So they wrapped me up and poured cold water on me." Then, 'O you, (Muhammad) wrapped up! Arise and warn,' (Surat Al Muddaththir) was revealed." (74.1)

Narrated Jabir bin `Abdullah: The Prophet said, "I was in a seclusion in the cave of Hira........."(similar to the narration related by `Ali bin Al-Mubarak, 444 above).

Narrated Yahya: I asked Aba Salama, "Which Sura of the Qur'an was revealed first?" He replied, "O you, wrapped-up' (Al-Muddaththir)." I said, "I have been informed that it was, 'Read, in the Name of your Lord who created........ (i.e. Surat Al-Alaq).

Narrated Jabir bin `Abdullah: I heard the Prophet describing the period of pause of the Divine Inspiration. He said in his talk, "While I was walking, I heard voices from the sky. I looked up, and behold ! I saw the same Angel who came to me in the cave of Hira' sitting on a chair between the sky and the earth. I was too much afraid of him (so I returned to my house) and said, 'Fold me up in garments!' They wrapped me up. Then Allah revealed: 'O you wrapped...and desert the idols before the prayer became compulsory.' Rujz means idols.

Narrated Jabir bin `Abdullah: That he heard Allah's Apostle describing the period of pause of the Divine Inspiration, and in his description he said, "While I was walking I heard a voice from the sky. I looked up towards the sky, and behold! I saw the same Angel who came to me in the Cave of Hira', sitting on a chair between the sky and the earth. I was so terrified by him that I fell down on the ground. Then I went to my wife and said, 'Wrap me in garments! Wrap me in garments!' They wrapped me, and then Allah revealed: "O you, (Muhammad) wrapped-up! Arise and warn...and desert the idols." (74.1-5) Abu Salama said....Rujz means idols." After that, the Divine Inspiration started coming more frequently and regularly.

Narrated Ibn `Abbas: The Prophet used to move his tongue when the divine Inspiration was being revealed to him. (Sufyan, a subnarrator, demonstrated (how the Prophet used to move his lips) and added. "In order to memorize it." So Allah revealed: "Move not your tongue concerning (the Qur'an) to make haste therewith." (75.16)

Narrated Musa bin Abi Aisha: That he asked Sa`id bin Jubair regarding (the statement of Allah). 'Move not your tongue concerning (the Qur'an) to make haste therewith.' He said, "Ibn `Abbas said that the Prophet used to move his lips when the Divine Inspiration was being revealed to him. So the Prophet was ordered not to move his tongue, which he used to do, lest some words should escape his memory. 'It is for Us to collect it' means, We will collect it in your chest;' and its recitation' means, We will make you recite it. 'But when We recite it (i.e. when it is revealed to you), follow its recital; it is for Us to explain it and make it clear,' (i.e. We will explain it through your tongue).

Narrated Ibn `Abbas: (as regards) Allah's Statement: "Move not your tongue concerning (the Qur'an) to make haste therewith." (75.16) When Gabriel revealed the Divine Inspiration in Allah's Apostle , he (Allah's Apostle) moved his tongue and lips, and that state used to be very hard for him, and that movement indicated that revelation was taking place. So Allah revealed in Surat Al-Qiyama which begins: 'I do swear by the Day of Resurrection...' (75) the Verses:-- 'Move not your tongue concerning (the Qur'an) to make haste therewith. It is for Us to collect it (Qur'an) in your mind, and give you the ability to recite it by heart. (75.16-17) Ibn `Abbas added: It is for Us to collect it (Qur'an) (in your mind), and give you the ability to recite it by heart means, "When We reveal it, listen. Then it is for Us to explain it," means, 'It is for us to explain it through your tongue.' So whenever Gabriel came to Allah's Apostle ' he would keep quiet (and listen), and when the Angel left, the Prophet would recite that revelation as Allah promised him.

Narrated `Abdullah: We were with the Prophet when Surat Wal-Mursalat was revealed to him. While we were receiving it from his mouth, a snake suddenly came and we ran to kill it, but it outstripped us and entered its hole quickly. Allah's le said, "It has escaped your evil, and you too, have escaped its evil."

Narrated `Abdullah: (Similarly--as no. 452 above.)

Narrated `Abdullah: While we were with Allah's Apostle in a cave, Surat "Wal Mursalat" was revealed to him and we received it directly from his mouth as soon as he had received the revelation. Suddenly a snake came out and Allah's Apostle said, "Get at it and kill it!" We ran to kill it but it outstripped us. Allah's Apostle said, "It has escaped your evil, as you too, have escaped its."

Narrated Ibn `Abbas: (as regards the explanation of Hadith 454). 'Indeed, it (Hell) throws about sparks (huge) as Forts.' We used to collect wood in the form of logs, three cubits long or shorter. for heating purposes in winter., and we used to call such wood, the Qasr.

Narrated `Abdullah: While we were with the Prophet in a cave, Surat wal-Mursalat was revealed to him and he recited it, and I heard it directly from his mouth as soon as he recited its revelation. Suddenly a snake sprang at us, and the Prophet said, "Kill it!" We ran to kill it but it escaped quickly. The Prophet said. "It has escaped your evil, and you too have escaped its evil."

Narrated Al--A`mash: Abu Huraira said, "Allah's Apostle said, 'Between the two sounds of the trumpet, there will be forty." Somebody asked Abu Huraira, "Forty days?" But he refused to reply. Then he asked, "Forty months?" He refused to reply. Then he asked, "Forty years?" Again, he refused to reply. Abu Huraira added. "Then (after this period) Allah will send water from the sky and then the dead bodies will grow like vegetation grows, There is nothing of the human body that does not decay except one bone; that is the little bone at the end of the coccyx of which the human body will be recreated on the Day of Resurrection." (See Hadith No. 338)

Narrated Sahl bin Sa`d: I saw Allah's Apostle pointing with his index and middle fingers, saying. "The time of my Advent and the Hour are like these two fingers." The Great Catastrophe will overwhelm everything.

Narrated Aisha: The Prophet said, "Such a person as recites the Qur'an and masters it by heart, will be with the noble righteous scribes (in Heaven). And such a person exerts himself to learn the Qur'an by heart, and recites it with great difficulty, will have a double reward."

Narrated `Abdullah bin `Umar: The Prophet said, "On the Day when all mankind will stand before the Lord of the Worlds, some of them will be enveloped in their sweat up to the middle of their ears."

Narrated Aisha: I heard the Prophet saying... "He surely will receive an easy reckoning." 84.8

Narrated Ibn `Abbas: (as regards the Verse):--'You shall surely travel from stage to stage (in this life and in the Hereafter).' (It means) from one state to another. That concerns your Prophet.

Narrated Al-Bara: The first of the companions of the Prophet who came to us (in Medina), were Mus`ab bin `Umar and Ibn Um Maktum, and they started teaching us the Qur'an. Then came `Ammar, Bilal and Sa`d. Afterwards `Umar bin Al-Kkattab came along with a batch of twenty (men): and after that the Prophet came. I never saw the people of Medina so pleased with anything as they were with his arrival, so that even the little boys and girls were saying, "This is Allah's Apostle who has come." He (the Prophet ) did not come (to Medina) till I had learnt Surat Al-Ala and also other similar Suras.

Narrated `Abdullah bin Zama: That he heard the Prophet delivering a sermon, and he mentioned the shecamel and the one who hamstrung it. Allah's Apostle recited:-- 'When, the most wicked man among them went forth (to hamstrung the she-camel).' (91.12.) Then he said, "A tough man whose equal was rare and who enjoyed the protection of his people, like Abi Zama went forth to (hamstrung) it." The Prophet then mentioned about the women (in his sermon). "It is not wise for anyone of you to lash his wife like a slave, for he might sleep with her the same evening." Then he advised them not to laugh when somebody breaks wind and said, "Why should anybody laugh at what he himself does?"

Narrated Alqama: I went to Sham with a group of the companions of `Abdullah (bin Mas`ud). Abu Ad-Darda' heard of our arrival so he came to us and said, "Is there anybody among you who can recite (Qur'an)" We replied in the affirmative. Then he asked, "Who is the best reciter?" They pointed at me. Then he told me to recite, so I recited the verse:-- 'By the night as it envelops 'By the day as it appears in brightness; By (Him Who created) male and the female.' (92.1-3) Abu Ad-Darda' then said to me, "Did you hear it (like this) from the mouth of your friend (`Abdullah bin Mas`ud)?" I said, "Yes." He said, "I too, heard it (like this) from the mouth of the Prophet, but these people do not consider this recitation as the correct one."

Narrated Ibrahim: The companions of `Abdullah (bin Mas`ud) came to Abu Darda', (and before they arrived at his home), he looked for them and found them. Then he asked them,: 'Who among you can recite (Qur'an) as `Abdullah recites it?" They replied, "All of us." He asked, "Who among you knows it by heart?" They pointed at 'Alqama. Then he asked Alqama. "How did you hear `Abdullah bin Mas`ud reciting Surat Al-Lail (The Night)?" Alqama recited: 'By the male and the female.' Abu Ad-Darda said, "I testify that I heard me Prophet reciting it likewise, but these people want me to recite it:-- 'And by Him Who created male and female.' but by Allah, I will not follow them."

Narrated `Ali: We were in the company of the Prophet in a funeral procession at Baqi Al-Gharqad. He said, "There is none of you but has his place written for him in Paradise or in the Hell- Fire." They said, "O Allah's Apostle! Shall we depend (on this fact and give up work)?" He said, "Carry on doing (good deeds), for every body will find it easy to do (what will lead him to his destined place)." Then he recited: 'As for him who gives (in charity) and keeps his duty to Allah, and believes in the Best reward from Allah (i.e. Allah will compensate him for what he will spend in Allah's way). So, We will make smooth for him the path of ease. But he who is a greedy miser....for him, the path for evil.' (92.5-10)

Narrated Abu `Abdur-Rahman: `Ali said, "We were sitting with the Prophet," (He then mentioned the Hadith above (469).

Narrated `Ali: While the Prophet was in a funeral procession, he took a small stick and started scraping the earth with it and said, "There is none among you but has his place written for him, either in the Hell Fire or in Paradise." They (the people) said, "Allah's Apostle! Shall we depend on this (and leave work)?" He replied. "Carry on doing (good deeds), for everybody will find easy (to do) such deeds as will lead him to his destined place." The Prophet then recited:-- 'As for him who gives (in charity) and keeps his duty to Allah, and believes in the Best Reward.'.....(92.5-10)

Narrated `Ali: We were in the company of the Prophet and he said, "There is none among you but has his place written for him, either in Paradise or in the Hell-Fire." We said, "O Allah's Apostle! Shall we depend (on this fact and give up work)?" He replied, "No! Carry on doing good deeds, for everybody will find easy (to do) such deeds as will lead him to his destined place." Then the Prophet recited: 'As for him who gives (in charity) and keeps his duty to Allah, and believes in the Best reward. We will make smooth for him the path of ease....the path for evil.' (92.5-10)

Narrated `Ali: While we were in a funeral procession in Baqi Al-Gharqad, Allah's Apostle came and sat down, and we sat around him. He had a small stick in his hand and he bent his head and started scraping the ground with it. He then said, "There is none among you, and no created soul but has his place written for him either in Paradise or in the Hell-Fire, and also has his happy or miserable fate (in the Hereafter) written for him." A man said, "O Allah's Apostle! Shall we depend upon what is written for us and give up doing (good) deeds? For whoever among us is destined to be fortunate (in the Hereafter), will join the fortunate peoples and whoever among us is destined to be miserable will do such deeds as are characteristic of the people who are destined to misery." The Prophet said, "Those who are destined to be happy (in the Hereafter) will find it easy and pleasant to do the deeds characteristic of those destined to happiness, while those who are to be among the miserable (in the Hereafter), will find it easy to do the deeds characteristic of those destined to misery." Then he recited: 'As for him who gives (in charity) and keeps his duty to Allah and believes in the Best reward from Allah, We will make smooth for him the path of ease. But he who is a greedy miser and thinks himself self sufficient, and gives the lie to the Best reward from Allah we will make smooth for him the path for evil.' (92.5-10)

Narrated `Ali: While the Prophet was in a funeral procession. he picked up something and started scraping the ground with it, and said, "There is none among you but has his place written for him either in the Hell Fire or in Paradise." They said, "O Allah's Apostle! Shall we not depend upon what has been written for us and give up deeds? He said, "Carry on doing (good) deeds, for everybody will find easy to do such deeds as will lead him to his destined place for which he has been created. So he who is destined to be among the happy (in the Hereafter), will find it easy to do the deeds characteristic of such people, while he who is destined to be among the miserable ones, will find it easy to do the deeds characteristic of such people." Then he recited: 'As for him who gives (in charity) and fears Allah, and believes in the best....' (92.5-10)