Tuesday, April 4, 2017

Surah As Saffat Notes (1-12)


Source: Ibn Kathir






Which was revealed in Makkah


The Virtues of Surat As-Saffat

An-Nasa'i recorded that `Abdullah bin `Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, said, "The Messenger of Allah used to command us to make our prayers short and he used to recite As-Saffat when he lead us in prayer.'' This was recorded by An-Nasa'i only.


The angels witness to the Oneness of Allah.




(By those who drive the clouds in a good way. ) means that they drive the clouds.

(By those who bring the Dhikr.) As-Suddi said, "The angels bring the Scriptures and the Qur'an from Allah to mankind.''



(1) By those (angels) ranged in ranks (or rows).

It was reported that `Abdullah bin Mas`ud, may Allah be pleased with him, said:

"(By those ranged in ranks.) -- they are the angels;




(2) By those (angels) who drive the clouds in a good way.

(By those who drive the clouds in a good way. ) they are the angels;


(3) By those (angels) who bring the Book and the Quran from Allah to mankind.

(By those who bring the Dhikr.) they are the angels.'' 

This was also the view of Ibn `Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, Masruq, Sa`id bin Jubayr, `Ikrimah, Mujahid, As-Suddi, Qatadah and Ar-Rabi` bin Anas. 

Qatadah said, "The angels form ranks in the heavens.'' 

Muslim recorded that Hudhayfah, may Allah be pleased with him, said, "The Messenger of Allah said:
(We have been favoured over the rest of mankind in three ways: our ranks have been made like the ranks of the angels; the entire earth has been made a Masjid for us, and its soil has been made a means of purification for us if we cannot find water.)'' 

Muslim, Abu Dawud, An-Nasa'i and Ibn Majah recorded that Jabir bin Samurah, may Allah be pleased with him, said, "The Messenger of Allah said: (Will you not form ranks as the angels form ranks in the presence of their Lord) We said, `How do the angels form ranks in the presence of their Lord' He said: (They complete the rows nearer the front and they consolidate the rows. )'' As-Suddi and others said that the Ayah



The One True God is Allah




(4) Verily your Ilah (God) is indeed One (i.e. Allah);


(5) Lord of the heavens and of the earth, and all that is between them, and Lord of every point of the sun's risings. (None has the right to be worshipped but Allah).

(Verily, your God is indeed One, Lord of the heavens and the earth,) This is the One by Whom the oath is sworn, stating that there is no God worthy of worship but He, Lord of the heavens and the earth,

(and all that is between them,) means, of created beings.

(and Lord of every point of the sun's risings.) means, He is the Sovereign Who is controlling His creation by subjugating it and all that is in it of stars, planets and heavenly bodies which appear from the east and set in the west. Mentioning the east is sufficient and there is no need for the west to be mentioned too, because it is implied in what is said. 

This has also been stated clearly elsewhere, in the Ayat:

(So I swear by the Lord of all the points of sunrise and sunset in the east and the west that surely We are able.) (70:40)

((He is) the Lord of the two easts and the Lord of the two wests. ) (55:17) which refers to the rising and setting points of the sun and the moon in both winter and summer.




The Adornment and Protection of the Heaven comes from Allah





(6) Verily! We have adorned the near heaven with the stars (for beauty).

Allah tells us that He has adorned the lowest heaven with the heavenly bodies for those among the people of the earth who look at it. The stars and planets in the sky give light to the people of earth, as Allah says:

(And indeed We have adorned the nearest heaven with lamps, and We have made such lamps (as) missiles to drive away the Shayatin, and have prepared for them the torment of the blazing Fire.) (67:5),

(And indeed, We have put the big stars in the heaven and We beautified it for the beholders. And We have guarded it against every outcast Shaytan. Except him who steals the hearing then he is pursued by a clear flaming fire.) (15:16-18). 

And Allah says here:



(7) And to guard against every rebellious devil.

(And to guard) meaning, to protect as it should be protected,

(against every rebellious Shaytan. ) means, every insolent and impudent devil, when he wants to eavesdrop (on news in the heavens), a piercing fire comes and burns him. Allah, may He be glorified, says:




(8) They cannot listen to the higher group (angels) for they are pelted from every side.

(They cannot listen to the higher group) meaning, they cannot reach the higher group -- which refers to the heavens and the angels in them -- when they speak of what has been revealed by Allah of His Laws and decrees. We have already mentioned this when explaining the Hadiths quoted when we discussed the Ayah,

(when fear is banished from their hearts, they say: "What is it that your Lord has said'' They say: "The truth. And He is the Most High, the Most Great.) (34:23). Allah says:

(for they are pelted) meaning, they are hit,

(from every side.) means, from all directions from which they try to reach the heaven.


(9) Outcast and theirs is a constant (or painful) torment.

(Outcast,) means, they are rejected, and are repelled and prevented from reaching it, and they are pelted.

(and theirs is a constant torment.) means, in the Hereafter, they will have an ongoing, everlasting and painful torment, as Allah says:

(and ﴿We﴾ have prepared for them the torment of the blazing Fire) (67:5).


(10) Except such as snatch away something by stealing and they are pursued by a flaming fire of piercing brightness.

(Except such as snatch away something by stealing,) means, except for the one among the Shayatin who manages to get something, which is a word he has heard from the heaven. Then he throws it down to the one who is beneath him, who in turn throws it down to the one who is beneath him. Perhaps the flaming fire will strike him before he is able to throw it down, or perhaps he will throw it -- by the decree of Allah -- before the flaming fire strikes him and burns him. So the other devil takes it to the soothsayer, as we have seen previously in the Hadith. 

Allah says:

(Except such as snatch away something by stealing, and they are pursued by a flaming fire of piercing brightness.) meaning, shining brightly. 

Ibn Jarir recorded that Ibn `Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, said, "The Shayatin had places where they sat in the heavens listening to what was being revealed by Allah. The stars did not move and the Shayatin were not struck. When they heard the revelation, they would come down to earth and to every word they would add nine of their own. When the Messenger of Allah was sent, if a Shaytan wanted to take his seat in the heavens, the flaming fire would come and would not miss him; it would burn him every time. They complained about this to Iblis, may Allah curse him, and he said, `Something must have happened.' He sent his troops out and they found the Messenger of Allah standing in prayer between the two mountains of Nakhlah.'' -- Waki` said, "This means in the valley of Nakhlah.'' -- "They went back to Iblis and told him about that, and he said, `This is what has happened.'''




The Certainty of Life after Death


(11) Then ask them (i.e. these polytheists, O Muhammad SAW): "Are they stronger as creation, or those (others like the heavens and the earth and the mountains, etc.) whom We have created?" Verily, We created them of a sticky clay.

Allah says: `Ask these people, those who deny the resurrection, which is harder to create Are they more difficult to create or the heavens, the earth, the angels, devils, the mighty creatures -- everything in between them' Ibn Mas`ud said that they admitted that these things were harder to create than they were. If this is the case, then why do they deny the resurrection, when they see things that are greater than that which they deny As Allah says:

(The creation of the heavens and the earth is indeed greater than the creation of mankind; yet, most of the mankind know not) (40:57) Then Allah explains that they were created from something weak, as He says:

(Verily, We created them of a sticky clay.) Mujahid, Sa`id bin Jubayr and Ad-Dahhak said, "This is the useful kind of mud which sticks to itself.'' 

Ibn `Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, and `Ikrimah said, "It is sticky and useful.'' 

Qatadah said, "It is that which sticks to the hand.''


(12) Nay, you (O Muhammad SAW) wondered (at their insolence) while they mock (at you and at the Quran).

(Nay, you wondered while they mock.) means, `you were astounded, O Muhammad, at these people who denied the resurrection whilst you were certain that it is true, when they disbelieved in what Allah told you of this wondrous matter, which is the re-creation of their bodies after they have disintegrated. They oppose what you say because of their intense disbelief and they make fun of what you tell them about that.' Qatadah said, "Muhammad was astounded by the mockery of the misguided ones among the sons of Adam.''

(And when they see an Ayah) means, clear evidence and proof,

(they mock at it.) Mujahid and Qatadah said, "They make fun of it.''

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