Tafseer of The Star · An-Najm · 53:9
And was at a distance of two bow lengths or nearer.
Important: The Arabic source text is always authoritative. This translation is a study aid and has not been verified by scholars — do not use it as a basis for religious proof or for deriving rulings (ahkam). When in doubt, always consult the Arabic text and a qualified scholar.
And His word: فَكَانَ قَابَ قَوْسَيْنِ أَوْ أَدْنَى ("So he was at a distance of two bow-lengths, or even nearer"). He says: Gabriel was, from Muḥammad ﷺ, at the distance of two bows, or even closer than that, that is to say: or yet nearer to him. One says: "huwa minhu qāba qawsayn," and "qība qawsayn," and "qīda qawsayn," and "qāda qawsayn," and "qadā qawsayn" — all of this with the meaning: the measure of two bows.
And it has been said: the meaning of His word فَكَانَ قَابَ قَوْسَيْنِ is that he was distant from him by the measure from the bowstring to the bow.
* Mention of who said that:
Muḥammad ibn ʿAmr related to me, saying: Abū ʿĀṣim related to us, saying: ʿĪsā related to us; and al-Ḥārith related to me, saying: al-Ḥasan related to us, saying: Warqāʾ related to us, both on the authority of Ibn Abī Najīḥ, on the authority of Mujāhid, concerning his word قَابَ قَوْسَيْنِ , he said: the distance from the bowstring to the bow.
Ibn ʿAbd al-Aʿlā related to us, saying: Ibn Thawr related to us, on the authority of Maʿmar, on the authority of al-Ḥasan فَكَانَ قَابَ قَوْسَيْنِ , he said: the measure of two bows.
And Qatāda said likewise.
Ibn Ḥumayd related to us, saying: Mihrān related to us, on the authority of Sufyān, on the authority of Khaṣīf, on the authority of Mujāhid فَكَانَ قَابَ قَوْسَيْنِ , he said: the length, or the measure, of two bows.
Abū Kurayb related to us, saying: Abū Muʿāwiya related to us, on the authority of Ibrāhīm ibn Ṭahmān, on the authority of ʿĀṣim, on the authority of Zirr, on the authority of ʿAbd Allāh "fakāna qāba qawsayn aw adnā," he said: Gabriel, peace be upon him, drew near to him until he was at the distance of a cubit or two cubits.
Ibn Ḥumayd related to us, saying: Ḥakkām related to us, on the authority of ʿAmr, on the authority of ʿĀṣim, on the authority of Abī Razīn قَابَ قَوْسَيْنِ , he said: it is not this [ordinary] bow, but the distance of two cubits or less; and al-qāb is that: the measure of length.
The exegetes differed concerning who is meant by His word فَكَانَ قَابَ قَوْسَيْنِ أَوْ أَدْنَى . Some of them said about it something along the lines of what we have said concerning it.
Ibn Abī al-Šawārib related to us, saying: ʿAbd al-Wāḥid ibn Ziyād related to us, saying: Sulaymān al-Šaybānī related to us, saying: Zirr ibn Ḥubayš related to us, saying: ʿAbd Allāh said concerning this verse فَكَانَ قَابَ قَوْسَيْنِ أَوْ أَدْنَى , he said: the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: "I saw Gabriel; he had six hundred wings."
ʿAbd al-Ḥamīd ibn Bayān al-Sukkarī related to us, saying: Khālid ibn ʿAbd Allāh related to us, on the authority of al-Šaybānī, on the authority of Zirr, on the authority of Ibn Masʿūd, concerning his word فَكَانَ قَابَ قَوْسَيْنِ أَوْ أَدْنَى , he said: he saw Gabriel with six hundred wings in his [true] form.
Muḥammad ibn ʿUbayd related to us, saying: Qabīṣ ibn Layth al-Asadī related to us, on the authority of al-Šaybānī, on the authority of Zirr ibn Ḥubayš, on the authority of ʿAbd Allāh ibn Masʿūd فَكَانَ قَابَ قَوْسَيْنِ أَوْ أَدْنَى , he said: the Prophet ﷺ saw Gabriel, peace be upon him, who had six hundred wings.
Ibn Wakīʿ related to us, saying: Ibn Wahb related to us, saying: Ibn Lahīʿa related to us, on the authority of Abī al-Aswad, on the authority of ʿUrwa, on the authority of ʿĀʾisha, she said: the very first beginning of the matter of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was that he saw, in his sleep, Gabriel, peace be upon him, at Ajyād. Then he went out to relieve himself, and Gabriel called out to him: "O Muḥammad!" The Messenger of Allah ﷺ looked to his right and to his left but saw nothing — three times. Then he went out and saw him, and he betook himself among the people; then he went out, or she said: then he looked — "I am in doubt" — and he saw him. That is His word: وَالنَّجْمِ إِذَا هَوَى * مَا ضَلَّ صَاحِبُكُمْ وَمَا غَوَى * وَمَا يَنْطِقُ عَنِ الْهَوَى ... up to His word: فَتَدَلَّى — Gabriel [drew near] to Muḥammad ﷺ, فَكَانَ قَابَ قَوْسَيْنِ أَوْ أَدْنَى . He says: al-qāb is the half of a finger. And some of them said: there were two cubits between them.
Ibn Ḥumayd related to us, saying: Mihrān related to us, on the authority of Sufyān, on the authority of al-Šaybānī, on the authority of Zirr ibn Ḥubayš, on the authority of Ibn Masʿūd فَكَانَ قَابَ قَوْسَيْنِ أَوْ أَدْنَى , he said: he had six hundred wings, namely Gabriel, peace be upon him.
Ibrāhīm ibn Saʿīd related to us, saying: Abū Usāma related to us, saying: Zakariyyā related to us, on the authority of Ibn Ašwaʿ, on the authority of ʿĀmir, on the authority of Masrūq, he said: I said to ʿĀʾisha: what is His word ثُمَّ دَنَا فَتَدَلَّى * فَكَانَ قَابَ قَوْسَيْنِ أَوْ أَدْنَى * فَأَوْحَى إِلَى عَبْدِهِ مَا أَوْحَى ? She said: that is only Gabriel; he used to come to him in the form of men, but this time he came to him in his [true] form, and he filled the horizon of the heaven.
Others said: no, the one who drew near and was at a distance of two bow-lengths or even nearer was Gabriel, [drawing near] to his Lord.
* Mention of who said that:
Muḥammad ibn ʿAmr related to me, saying: Abū ʿĀṣim related to us, saying: ʿĪsā related to us; and al-Ḥārith related to me, saying: al-Ḥasan related to us, saying: Warqāʾ related to us, both on the authority of Ibn Abī Najīḥ, on the authority of Mujāhid فَكَانَ قَابَ قَوْسَيْنِ أَوْ أَدْنَى , he said: Allah [drew near to] Gabriel, peace be upon him.
Others said: no, the one who was at a distance of two bow-lengths or even nearer was Muḥammad, [drawing near] to his Lord.
* Mention of who said that:
Ibn Ḥumayd related to us, saying: Mihrān related to us, on the authority of Mūsā ibn ʿUbayd al-Ḥimyarī, on the authority of Muḥammad ibn Kaʿb al-Quraẓī, on the authority of one of the companions of the Prophet ﷺ, he said: we said: O Prophet of Allah, have you seen your Lord? He said: "I have not seen Him with my eye, but I have seen Him with my heart, twice." Then he recited ثُمَّ دَنَا فَتَدَلَّى .
Khallād ibn Aslam related to us, saying: al-Naḍr informed us, saying: Muḥammad ibn ʿAmr ibn ʿAlqama ibn Waqqāṣ al-Laythī informed us, on the authority of Kathīr, on the authority of Anas ibn Mālik, he said: the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: "When I was taken up, Gabriel went on until he reached the Garden. He said: I entered and I was given al-Kawthar. Then he went on until he reached the Sidrat al-Muntahā. Then your Lord drew near and descended, and He was at a distance of two bow-lengths or even nearer, and He revealed to His servant what He revealed."
