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

I said to `Aisha, "O Mother! Did Prophet Muhammad see his Lord?" Aisha said, "What you have said makes my hair stand on end ! Know that if somebody tells you one of the following three things, he is a liar: Whoever tells you that Muhammad saw his Lord, is a liar." Then Aisha recited the Verse: 'No vision can grasp Him, but His grasp is over all vision. He is the Most Courteous Well-Acquainted with all things.' (6.103) 'It is not fitting for a human being that Allah should speak to him except by inspiration or from behind a veil.' (42.51) `Aisha further said, "And whoever tells you that the Prophet knows what is going to happen tomorrow, is a liar." She then recited: 'No soul can know what it will earn tomorrow.' (31.34) She added: "And whoever tell you that he concealed (some of Allah's orders), is a liar." Then she recited: 'O Apostle! Proclaim (the Message) which has been sent down to you from your Lord..' (5.67) `Aisha added. "But the Prophet (ﷺ) saw Gabriel in his true form twice."

During the lifetime of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) the moon was split into two parts; one part remained over the mountain, and the other part went beyond the mountain. On that, Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "Witness this miracle."

The moon was cleft asunder while we were in the company of the Prophet, and it became two parts. The Prophet (ﷺ) said, Witness, witness (this miracle).

The moon was cleft asunder during the lifetime of the Prophet.

The people of Mecca asked the Prophet (ﷺ) to show them a sign (miracle). So he showed them (the miracle) of the cleaving of the moon.

The moon was cleft asunder into two parts.

Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "Two gardens, the utensils and the contents of which are of silver, and two other gardens, the utensils and contents of which are of gold. And nothing will prevent the people who will be in the Garden of Eden from seeing their Lord except the curtain of Majesty over His Face."

The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "In Paradise there is a tree which is so big that a rider can travel in its shade for one hundred years without passing it; and if you wish, you can recite: 'In shade long extended.' 56.30.

I asked Ibn `Abbas about Surat Al-Tauba, and he said, "Surat Al-Tauba? It is exposure (of all the evils of the infidels and the hypocrites). And it continued revealing (that the oft-repeated expression): '...and of them ...and of them.' till they started thinking that none would be left unmentioned therein." I said, "What about) Surat Al-Anfal?" He replied, "Surat Al-Anfal was revealed in connection with the Badr Battle." I said, "(What about) Surat Al-Hashr?" He replied, "It was revealed in connection with Bani an-Nadir."

I asked Ibn `Abbas about Surat Al-Hashr. He replied, "Say Surat An-Nadir."

Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) sent me along with AzZubair and Al-Miqdad and said, "Proceed till you reach a place called Raudat-Khakh where there is a lady travelling in a howda on a camel. She has a letter. Take the letter from her." So we set out, and our horses ran at full pace till we reached Raudat Khakh, and behold, we saw the lady and said (to her), "Take out the letter!" She said, "I have no letter with me." We said, "Either you take out the letter or we will strip you of your clothes." So she took the letter out of her hair braid. We brought the letter to the Prophet (ﷺ) and behold, it was addressed by Hatib bin Abi Balta'a to some pagans at Mecca, informing them of some of the affairs of the Prophet. The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "What is this, O Hatib?" Hatib replied, "Do not be hasty with me, O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! I am an Ansari man and do not belong to them (Quraish infidels) while the emigrants who were with you had their relatives who used to protect their families and properties at Mecca. So, to compensate for not having blood relation with them.' I intended to do them some favor so that they might protect my relatives (at Mecca), and I did not do this out of disbelief or an inclination to desert my religion." The Prophet then said (to his companions), "He (Hatib) has told you the truth." `Umar said, "O Allah's Apostle! Allow me to chop his head off?" The Apostle said, "He is one of those who witnessed (fought in) the Battle of Badr, and what do you know, perhaps Allah looked upon the people of Badr (Badr warriors) and said, 'Do what you want as I have forgiven you.' " (`Amr, a sub-narrator, said,: This Verse was revealed about him (Hatib): 'O you who believe! Take not My enemies and your enemies as friends or protectors.' (60.1)Narrated `Ali: Sufyan was asked whether (the Verse): 'Take not My enemies and your enemies...' was revealed in connection with Hatib. Sufyan replied, "This occurs only in the narration of the people. I memorized the Hadith from `Amr, not overlooking even a single letter thereof, and I do not know of anybody who remembered it by heart other than myself."

I heard Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) saying, 'I have several names: I am Muhammad and I am Ahmad, and I am Al- Mahi with whom Allah obliterates Kufr (disbelief), and I am Al-Hashir (gatherer) at whose feet (i.e. behind whom) the people will be gathered (on the Day of Resurrection), and I am Al-Aqib (i.e. who succeeds the other prophets in bringing about good).

While we were sitting with the Prophet (ﷺ) Surat Al-Jumu'a was revealed to him, and when the Verse, "And He (Allah) has sent him (Muhammad) also to other (Muslims).....' (62.3) was recited by the Prophet, I said, "Who are they, O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)?" The Prophet (ﷺ) did not reply till I repeated my question thrice. At that time, Salman Al-Farisi was with us. So Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) put his hand on Salman, saying, "If Faith were at (the place of) Ath-Thuraiya (pleiades, the highest star), even then (some men or man from these people (i.e. Salman's folk) would attain it."

The Prophet (ﷺ) said. Then some men from these people would attain it."

While I was taking part in a Ghazwa. I heard `Abdullah bin Ubai (bin Abi Salul) saying. "Don't spend on those who are with Allah's Messenger (ﷺ), that they may disperse and go away from him. If we return (to Medina), surely, the more honorable will expel the meaner amongst them." I reported that (saying) to my uncle or to `Umar who, in his turn, informed the Prophet (ﷺ) of it. The Prophet (ﷺ) called me and I narrated to him the whole story. Then Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) sent for `Abdullah bin Ubai and his companions, and they took an oath that they did not say that. So Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) disbelieved my saying and believed his. I was distressed as I never was before. I stayed at home and my uncle said to me. "You just wanted Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) to disbelieve your statement and hate you." So Allah revealed (the Sura beginning with) 'When the hypocrites come to you.' (63.1) The Prophet (ﷺ) then sent for me and recited it and said, "O Zaid! Allah confirmed your statement."

That `Abdullah bin `Umar told him that he had divorced his wife while she was in her menses so `Umar informed Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) of that. Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) became very angry at that and said, "(Ibn `Umar must return her to his house and keep her as his wife till she becomes clean and then menstruates and becomes clean again, whereupon, if he wishes to divorce her, he may do so while she is still clean and before having any sexual relations with her, for that is the legally prescribed period for divorce as Allah has ordered."

If someone says to his wife, "You are unlawful to me." he must make an expiation (for his oath). Ibn `Abbas added: There is for you in Allah's Messenger (ﷺ), an excellent example to follow.

Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) used to drink honey in the house of Zainab, the daughter of Jahsh, and would stay there with her. So Hafsa and I agreed secretly that, if he come to either of us, she would say to him. "It seems you have eaten Maghafir (a kind of bad-smelling resin), for I smell in you the smell of Maghafir," (We did so) and he replied. "No, but I was drinking honey in the house of Zainab, the daughter of Jahsh, and I shall never take it again. I have taken an oath as to that, and you should not tell anybody about it."

(regarding the Verse):-- 'Cruel after all that, base-born (of illegitimate birth).' (68.13) It was revealed in connection with a man from Quaraish who had a notable sign (Zanamah) similar to the notable sign which usually-hung on the neck of a sheep (to recognize it).

I heard the Prophet (ﷺ) saying. "May I tell you of the people of Paradise? Every weak and poor obscure person whom the people look down upon but his oath is fulfilled by Allah when he takes an oath to do something. And may I inform you of the people of the Hell-Fire? They are all those violent, arrogant and stubborn people."