Chapters on Tafsir

Narrated 'Abdur-Rahman bin Zaid: from 'Abdullah (regarding the Ayah): The heart lied not in what he saw (53:11). He said: "The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) saw Jibra'il in a Hullah (dress normally made up of two pieces) of Rafraf filling what is between the heavens and the earth."

Narrated 'Ata: from Ibn 'Abbas (regarding this Ayah): Those who avoid great sins and Al-Fawahish except Al-Lamam (minor sins) (53:32). He said: "The Prophet (ﷺ) said: 'Your forgiveness, O Allah is so ample, and which of Your worshipers has not committed Al-Lamam (minor sins)!'"

Narrated Ibn Mas'ud, may Allah be pleased with him: "We were with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) in Mina, when the moon was cleft asunder into two parts. Part of it was behind the mountain, and part of it before it. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said to us: 'Bear witness' meaning: The house has drawn near, and the moon has been cleft asunder (54:1)."

Narrated Anas: "The people of Makkah asked the Prophet (ﷺ) for a sign, so the moon was cleft asunder in Makkah two times (meaning two parts), so the following was revealed: 'The Hour has drawn near, and the moon has been cleft asunder, up to his saying: 'Magic, Mustamir (54:1 & 2)' meaning 'Going away.'"

Narrated Ibn Mas'ud: "The moon was cleft asunder during the time of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), so the Prophet (ﷺ) said to us: 'Bear witness.'"

Narrated Ibn 'Umar: "The moon was split during the time of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). So the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: 'Bear witness.'"

Narrated Muhammad bin Jubair bin Mut'im: from his father who said: "The moon was split during the time of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) until it became as two sections, one above this mountain and one above that mountain. So they said: 'Muhammad has cast a spell upon us.' Some of them said: 'If he could cast a spell upon us, he can not cast a spell upon all of the people.'"

Narrated Abu Hurairah: "The idolaters of the Quraish came to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) arguing about Qadar, so the following was revealed: The day they will be dragged on their faces into the Fire. Taste you the touch of Hell! Verily, We have created all things with Qadar (54:48 & 49)."

Muhammad bin Al Munkadir narrated that: Jabir [may Allah be pleased with him] said: “The Messenger of Allah came out to his Companions, and recited Surat Ar-Rahman from its beginning to its end for them, and they were silent. So he said: ‘I recited it to the Jinns on the ‘Night of the Jinns,’ and they had a better response to it than you did. Each time I came to Allah’s saying: ‘Which of your Lords favor do you deny.’ They said: “We do not deny any of Your favors our Lord! And Yours is praise.”

Abu Hurairah narrated that the Messenger of Allah said: “Allah said: ‘I have prepared for My righteous worshippers, what no eye has seen, nor ear has hear, and no human heart has conceived.’ So recite if you wish: No person knows what is kept hidden for them of delights of the eyes as a reward for what they used to do. And in Paradise there is a tree under whose shade a rider can travel for one hundred years without stopping. Recite if you wish: And in shade extended. And the space occupied by a whip in Paradise is better than the world and whatever is in it. Recite if you wish: And whoever is removed away from the Fire and admitted to Paradise, he indeed is successful. The life of this world is only the enjoyment of deception.”

Anas narrated that the Prophet said: “Indeed in Paradise there is a tree under whose shade a rider can travel for one hundred years without stopping. Recite if you wish: And in shave extended. And water flowing constantly.”

Abu Sa’eed Al-Khudri may Allah be pleased with him, narrated : from the Prophet – regarding Allah’s saying ‘And on couches raised high – he said: “Their height is as what is between the heavens and the earth, and the distance between the two of them is five hundred years.”

Abu Abdur-Rahman narrated from Ali that : the Messenger of Allah said: And you make your provision your demise! – he said: “Your gratitude is expressed by saying: ‘We received rain because of this and that celestial position, and because of this and that star.’”

Anas [may Allah be pleased with him] said: “The Messenger of Allah recited: Verily, We have created them a special creation. He said: “Among that special creation is the women who were decrepit, bleary eyed and elderly in the world.”

Abu Ishaq narrated from Ikrimah, from Ibn Abbas who said: “Abu Bakr [may Allah be pleased with him] said: ‘O Messenger of Allah! You have become gray.’ He said: ‘I have gone gray from (Surat) Hud, Al-Waqiah, Al-Mursalat and Amma Yatasa’lim and Idhash Shamsu Kuwwirat.’”

Al-Hasan narrated that: Abu Hurairah said: “Once when the Prophet of Allah was sitting with his Companions, a cloud came above them, so the Prophet of Allah said: ‘Do you know what this is?’ They said: ‘Allah and His Messenger know better.’ He said: ‘These are the clouds that are to drench the earth, which Allah [Blessed and Most High] dispatches to people who are not grateful to Him, nor supplicate to Him.’ Then he said: ‘Do you know what is above you?’ They said: ‘Allah and His Messenger know better.’ He said: ‘Indeed it is a preserved canopy of the firmament whose surge is restrained.’ Then he said: ‘Do you know how much is between you and between it?’ They said: ‘Allah and His Messenger know better.’ He said: ‘Between you and it [is the distance] of five-hundred year.’ Then he said: ‘Do you know what is above that.’ They said: ‘Allah and His Messenger know better.’ He said: ‘Verily, above that are two Heavens, between the two of them there is a distance of five-hundred years’ – until he enumerated seven Heavens – ‘What is between each of the two Heavens is what is between the heavens and the earth.’ Then he said: ‘Do you know what is above that?’ They said: ‘Allah and His Messenger know better.’ He said: ‘Verily, above that is the Throne between it and the heavens is a distance [like] what is between two of the heavens.’ Then he said: ‘Do you know what is under you?’ They said: ‘Allah and His Messenger know better.’ He said: ‘Indeed it is the earth.’ Then he said: ‘Do you know what is under that?’ They said: ‘Allah and His Messenger know better.’ He said: ‘Verily, below it is another earth, between the two of which is a distance of five-hundred years.’ Until he enumerated seven earths: ‘Between every two earths is a distance of five-hundred years.’ Then he said: ‘By the One in Whose Hand is the soul of Muhammad! If you were to send [a man] down with a rope to the lowest earth, then he would descend upon Allah.’ Then he recited: He is Al-Awwal, Al-Akhir, Az-Zahir Al-Batin, and He has knowledge over all things.”

Salamah bin Sakhr Al Ansari said: “I was a man who had an issue with intercourse with a women that none other than me had. When (the month of) Ramadan entered, I pronounced Zihar upon my wife (to last) until the end of Ramadan, fearing that I might have an encounter with her during the night, and I would continue doing that until daylight came upon me, and I would not be able to stop. One night while she was serving me, something of her became exposed for me, so I rushed myself upon her. When the morning came I went to my people to inform them about what happened to me. I said: ‘Accompany me to the Messenger of Allah to inform him about my case.’ They said: ‘No by Allah! We shall not do that, we feat that something will be revealed about us in the Qur’an, or the Messenger of Allah might say something about us, the disgrace of which will remain upon us. But you do and do whatever you want.’” He said: “So I left and I went to the Messenger of Allah, and informed him of my case. He said: ‘You are the one who did that?” I said: ‘I am the one.’ He said: ‘You are the one who did that?” I said: ‘I am the one.’ He said: ‘You are the one who did that?” I said: ‘I am the one, it is before you, so give me Allah’s judgment, for I shall be patient with that.’ He said: ‘Free a slave.’” He said: “I struck the sides of my neck with me hands, and said: ‘No by the One Who sent you with the Truth! I possess nothing besides it.’ He said: ‘Then fast for two months’ I said: ‘O Messenger of Allah! Did this occur to me other than when I was fasting?’ He said: ‘Then feed sixty poor people.’ I said: ‘By the One Who sent you with the Truth! We have spent these nights of ours hungry without an evening meal.’ He said: ‘Go to the one with the charity from Banu Ruzaiq, tell him to give it to you, then feed a Wasq of it, on your behalf, to sixty poor people. Then help yourself and your dependants with the remainder of it.’” He said: “I returned to my people and said: ‘I found dejection and bad ideas with you, and I found liberalness and blessing with the Messenger of Allah. He ordered me to take your charity, so give it to me.’ So they gave it to me.”

Ali bin Abi Talib said: “When (the following) was revealed: ‘O you who believe! When you consult the Messenger in private, spend something in charity before your private consultation.’ The Prophet said to me: ‘What do you think? A dinar?’ I said: ‘They will not be able to.’ He said: ‘Then half a Dinar?’ I said: ‘They will not be able.’ He said: ‘Then how much?’ I said ‘A barely corn.’ He said: ‘You made it too little.’” He said: “So the Ayah was revealed: ‘Are you afraid of spending in charity before your private consultation?’ He said: “It was about my case for which Allah lightened the burden upon this Ummah.”

Anas bin Malik narrated that: A Jew came to the Prophet of Allah and his Companions and said: “As-Samu Alaikum (Death be upon you).” So the people replied to him. The Prophet of Allah said: “Do you know what this person said?” They said: “Allah and His Messenger know better – he said the Salam – O Allah’s Prophet.” He said: “No, rather he said like this and that. Bring him back for e=me.” So they brought him back and he said: “Did you say As-Samu Alaikum? He said: “Yes.” So with that Allah’s Prophet said: “When one of the People of the Book gives you the Salam, then say: “Alaika Ma Qulta (Whatever you said to you too).” He said: ‘And when they come to you, they greet you with a greeting wherewith Allah greets you not.’

Ibn Umar [may Allah be pleased with him] said: “The Messenger of Allah ordered burning and cutting down the date palms of Banu An-Nadir, and that (place was called Al-Buwairah. So Allah revealed: What you cut down of the Linah, or you left of them standing on their trunks, it was by the leave of Allah, and in order that He might disgrace the rebellious.”

Hafs bin Ghiyath narrated: “Habib bin Abi Amrah narrated to us, from Sa’eed bin Jubair, from Ibn Abbas, regarding the saying of Allah, the Mighty and Sublime: What you cut down of the Linah, or you left of them standing on their trunks – he said: ‘The Linah is the date-palms.’ That He might disgrace the rebellious. He said: ‘They were forced from their forts.’ And they were ordered to cut down the date-pals, that caused some hesitation in their chests, so the Muslims said: “We cut some of them, and we left some of them, so let us ask the Messenger of Allah is we are to be rewarded for those that we cut down, and if we will be burdened for what we left?” So Allah [Most High] revealed the Ayah: What you cut down of the Linah, or you left of them standing on their trunks.”

Abu Hurairah narrated: That a man from the Ansar had a guest spend the night with him, but he did not have anything to eat but his meal and the meal for his children, so he said to his wife: ‘Put the children to sleep, extinguish the torches, and give me whatever you have with you for the guest.’ So this Ayah was revealed: And they give preference over themselves even though they were in need of that.”

Al-Hasan bin Muhammad – and he is Al-Hanafiyyah- narrated from Ubaidallah bin Abi Rafi who said: “I heard Ali bin Abi Talib saying: “the Messenger of Allah dispatched us – myself, Az-Zubair, and Al-Miqad bin Al- Aswad. He said: “Proceed until you reach Rawdah Khakh, where there is a lady carrying a letter. Take the letter from her and bring it to me.” So we proceeded on our way with our horses galloping until we reached the Rawdah. There we found the lady and said to her: “Give me the letter.” She said: “I have no letter.” We said: “Either you take out the letter, or we shall take off your clothes.’” He said: ‘So she took it out of her braid.’ He said: ‘We brought it to the Messenger of Allah, and it was from Hatib bin Abi Balta’ah, addressed to some of people among the idolaters of Makkah, infrmed them of some matter regarding the Prophet. So he said: “What is this O Hatib?” He said: “Do not be hasty with me O Messenger of Allah! I was a person who is an ally to the Quraish, not being related to them. The Muhajirun who are with you have relatives who can protect their families and their wealth in Makkah. So since I have no lineage among them, I wanted to do them a favor, so they might protect my relatives. I did not do this out of disbelief, nor to renegade from my religion, nor did I do it to chose disbelief [after Islam].” The Prophet said: “He said the truth.” Umar bin Al-Khattab said: “Allow me to chop off the head of this hypocrite!” The Prophet said: “Indeed he participated in (the battle of) Badr. You do not know, perhaps Allah looked at those who attended Badr and said: ‘O people of Badr! Do as you like, for I have forgiven you.’” He said: ‘It was about him, that this Surah was revealed: O you who believe! Do not take My enemies and your enemies as protecting friends showing affection towards them.’”

Ma’mar narrated from Az-Zuhri, from Urwah that Aishah said: “The Messenger of Allah would not have examined (the women) except for the Ayah in which Allah said: When believing come to you pledging to you.” Ma’mar said: “Ibn Tawus informed me from his father who said: ‘The hand of the Messenger of Allah did not touch the hand of a women he had not acquired.’”

Shahr bin Hawshab said: “Umm Salamah Al-Ansariyyah narrated to us, she said: ‘A woman said: “What is this Ma’ruf for which we are not to disobey in?” He (pbuh) said: “[That you not wail.]” I said: “O Messenger of Allah! Verily Banu so-and-so comforted me in the case of my uncle, and I must reciprocate for them.’ But he refused to allow me. So I asked him again numerous times, then he permitted me to reciprocate for them. So after reciprocating for the, I did not wail for anyone else until this time. And there does not remain a woman except that she has wailed besides me.’”

[Abu An-Nasr narrated : from Ibn Abbas, regarding the saying of Allah, the Most High: When believing women come to you as emigrants, examine them. He said: “When a woman come to the Prophet to accept Islam, she would have to take and an oath by Allah: ‘I have not left out of anger with my husband, I have not left except out of love for Allah and His Messenger.’”]