Tafseer of The Constellations · Al-Burooj · 85:3
And [by] the witness and what is witnessed,
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 statement: ( وَشَاهِدٍ وَمَشْهُودٍ — "and by a witness and a witnessed"). The scholars of interpretation (ahl al-taʾwīl) differed concerning its meaning. Some said: its meaning is: and I swear by a witness — they said: that is Friday — and by a witnessed — they said: that is the Day of ʿArafa.
* Mention of who said that:
Yaʿqūb related to me, saying: Ibn ʿUlayya informed us, saying: Yūnus informed us, saying: ʿAmmār informed me, saying: Abū Hurayra said: the witness is Friday, and the witnessed is the Day of ʿArafa. Yūnus said: and so also said al-Ḥasan.
Ibn al-Muthannā related to us, saying: Muḥammad ibn Jaʿfar related to us, saying: Shuʿba related to us, on the authority of Abū Isḥāq, who said: I heard Ḥāritha ibn Muḍarrib relate on the authority of ʿAlī — may Allah be pleased with him — that concerning this verse ( وَشَاهِدٍ وَمَشْهُودٍ ) he said: Friday and the Day of ʿArafa.
Muḥammad ibn Saʿd related to me, saying: my father related to me, saying: my uncle related to me, saying: my father related to me, on the authority of his father, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās: ( وَشَاهِدٍ وَمَشْهُودٍ ) he said: the witness is Friday, and the witnessed is the Day of ʿArafa. And it is also said: the witness is the human being, and the witnessed is the Day of Resurrection.
Bishr related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda: ( وَشَاهِدٍ وَمَشْهُودٍ ) — two tremendous days among the days of the worldly life; we used to be told that the witness is Friday, and the witnessed is the Day of ʿArafa.
Ibn ʿAbd al-Aʿlā related to us, saying: Ibn Thawr related to us, on the authority of Maʿmar, on the authority of Qatāda: ( وَشَاهِدٍ وَمَشْهُودٍ ) he said: the witness is Friday, and the witnessed is the Day of ʿArafa.
Ibn Ḥumayd related to us, saying: Mihrān related to us, on the authority of Sufyān, on the authority of Abū Isḥāq, on the authority of al-Ḥārith, on the authority of ʿAlī — may Allah be pleased with him —: ( وَشَاهِدٍ وَمَشْهُودٍ ) he said: the witness is Friday, and the witnessed is the Day of ʿArafa.
Yūnus related to me, saying: Ibn Wahb informed us, saying: Ibn Zayd said concerning His statement: ( وَشَاهِدٍ ) Friday, ( وَمَشْهُودٍ ) the Day of ʿArafa.
Abū Kurayb related to us, saying: Wakīʿ related to us, on the authority of Mūsā ibn ʿUbayda, on the authority of Ayyūb ibn Khālid, on the authority of ʿAbd Allāh ibn Rāfiʿ, on the authority of Abū Hurayra, who said: the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: "The witness is Friday, and the witnessed is the Day of ʿArafa."
Abū Kurayb related to us, saying: Ibn Numayr and Isḥāq al-Rāzī related to us, on the authority of Mūsā ibn ʿUbayda, on the authority of Ayyūb ibn Khālid, on the authority of ʿAbd Allāh ibn Rāfiʿ, on the authority of Abū Hurayra, who said: the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: "The witnessed is the Day of ʿArafa, and the witness is Friday."
Sahl ibn Mūsā related to us, saying: Ibn Abī Fudayk related to us, on the authority of Ibn Ḥarmala, on the authority of Saʿīd, that he said: the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: "Indeed, the lord of days is Friday, and that is the witness, and the witnessed is the Day of ʿArafa."
Ibn Ḥumayd related to us, saying: Mihrān related to us, on the authority of Mūsā ibn ʿUbayd, on the authority of Ayyūb ibn Khālid, on the authority of ʿAbd Allāh ibn Rāfiʿ, on the authority of Abū Hurayra, on the authority of the Prophet ﷺ, who said: "The witnessed is the Day of ʿArafa, and the witness is Friday; in it is a moment which no believer happens upon while beseeching Allah for some good thing, but that He answers him, and nothing for which he asks Him for protection against evil, but that He grants him protection."
Muḥammad ibn ʿAwf related to me, saying: Muḥammad ibn Ismāʿīl related to us, saying: my father related to me, saying: Ḍamḍam ibn Zurʿa related to me, on the authority of Shurayḥ ibn ʿUbayd, on the authority of Abū Mālik al-Ashʿarī, who said: the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: "Indeed, the witness is Friday, and indeed, the witnessed is the Day of ʿArafa; and Friday is Allah's best choice for us."
Saʿīd ibn al-Rabīʿ al-Rāzī related to me, saying: Sufyān related to us, on the authority of ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn Ḥarmala, on the authority of Saʿīd ibn al-Musayyab, who said: the lord of days is Friday, and that is a witness.
And others said: the witness is Muḥammad ﷺ, and the witnessed is the Day of Resurrection.
* Mention of who said that:
Abū Kurayb related to us, saying: Wakīʿ related to us, on the authority of Shuʿba, on the authority of ʿAlī ibn Zayd, on the authority of Yūsuf al-Makkī, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās, who said: the witness is Muḥammad ﷺ, and the witnessed is the Day of Resurrection; then he recited: ذَلِكَ يَوْمٌ مَجْمُوعٌ لَهُ النَّاسُ وَذَلِكَ يَوْمٌ مَشْهُودٌ ("That is a Day for which mankind shall be gathered, and that is a witnessed Day") (11:103).
Ibn Ḥumayd related to us, saying: Jarīr related to us, on the authority of Mughīra, on the authority of Shibāk, who said: a man asked al-Ḥasan ibn ʿAlī about ( وَشَاهِدٍ وَمَشْهُودٍ ). He said: have you asked anyone before me? He said: yes, I asked Ibn ʿUmar and Ibn al-Zubayr, and they said: the Day of the Sacrifice and Friday. He said: no, rather the witness is Muḥammad ﷺ; then he recited: فَكَيْفَ إِذَا جِئْنَا مِنْ كُلِّ أُمَّةٍ بِشَهِيدٍ وَجِئْنَا بِكَ عَلَى هَؤُلاءِ شَهِيدًا ("How then, when We bring from every community a witness, and We bring you as a witness over these?") (4:41), and the witnessed is the Day of Resurrection; then he recited: ذَلِكَ يَوْمٌ مَجْمُوعٌ لَهُ النَّاسُ وَذَلِكَ يَوْمٌ مَشْهُودٌ ("That is a Day for which mankind shall be gathered, and that is a witnessed Day") (11:103).
Ibn Ḥumayd related to us, saying: Mihrān related to us, on the authority of Sufyān, on the authority of Jābir, on the authority of Abū al-Ḍuḥā, on the authority of al-Ḥasan ibn ʿAlī, who said: the witness is Muḥammad ﷺ, and the witnessed is the Day of Resurrection.
Saʿīd ibn al-Rabīʿ related to me, saying: Sufyān related to us, on the authority of ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn Ḥarmala, on the authority of Saʿīd ibn al-Musayyab: ( وَمَشْهُودٍ ) the Day of Resurrection.
And others said: the witness is the human being, and the witnessed is the Day of Resurrection.
* Mention of who said that:
Muḥammad ibn ʿUbayd al-Muḥāribī related to me, saying: Asbāṭ related to us, on the authority of ʿAbd al-Malik, on the authority of Ibn Abī Najīḥ, on the authority of Mujāhid, concerning His statement: ( وَشَاهِدٍ وَمَشْهُودٍ ) he said: the witness is the son of Ādam, and the witnessed is the Day of Resurrection.
Muḥammad ibn ʿAmr related to me, saying: Abū ʿĀṣim related to us, saying: ʿĪsā related to us, on the authority of Ibn Abī Najīḥ, on the authority of Mujāhid, concerning His statement: ( وشاهد ومشهود ) he said: the human being, and concerning His statement: ( ومشهود ) he said: the Day of Resurrection.
Ibn Ḥumayd related to us, saying: Mihrān related to us, on the authority of Sufyān, on the authority of Ibn Abī Najīḥ, who said: the witness is the human being, and the witnessed is the Day of Resurrection.
Yaʿqūb related to me, saying: Ibn ʿUlayya related to us, on the authority of Khālid al-Ḥadhdhāʾ, on the authority of ʿIkrima, concerning His statement: ( وَشَاهِدٍ وَمَشْهُودٍ ) he said: the witness is the son of Ādam, and the witnessed is the Day of Resurrection.
I was told on the authority of al-Ḥusayn, who said: I heard Abū Muʿādh say: ʿUbayd informed us, saying: I heard al-Ḍaḥḥāk say concerning His statement: ( وَشاَهِدٍ ) — by it He means the human being — ( وَمَشْهُودٍ ) the Day of Resurrection; Allah has said: وَذَلِكَ يَوْمٌ مَشْهُودٌ ("and that is a witnessed Day") (11:103).
And others said: the witness is Muḥammad ﷺ, and the witnessed is Friday.
* Mention of who said that:
Ibn Ḥumayd related to us, saying: Yaḥyā ibn Wāḍiḥ related to us, saying: al-Ḥusayn related to us, on the authority of Yazīd, on the authority of ʿIkrima, concerning His statement: ( وَشَاهِدٍ وَمَشْهُودٍ ) he said: the witness is Muḥammad ﷺ, and the witnessed is Friday; that is His statement: فَكَيْفَ إِذَا جِئْنَا مِنْ كُلِّ أُمَّةٍ بِشَهِيدٍ وَجِئْنَا بِكَ عَلَى هَؤُلاءِ شَهِيدًا ("How then, when We bring from every community a witness, and We bring you as a witness over these?") (4:41).
And others said: the witness is Allah, and the witnessed is the Day of Resurrection.
* Mention of who said that:
ʿAlī related to me, saying: Abū Ṣāliḥ related to us, saying: Muʿāwiya related to me, on the authority of ʿAlī, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās, concerning His statement: ( وَشَاهِدٍ ) — He says: Allah; ( وَمَشْهُودٍ ) — He says: the Day of Resurrection.
And others said: the witness is the Day of the Sacrificial Feast (al-aḍḥā), and the witnessed is Friday.
* Mention of who said that:
Ibn Ḥumayd related to us, saying: Jarīr related to us, on the authority of Mughīra, on the authority of Shibāk, who said: a man asked al-Ḥasan ibn ʿAlī about ( َشَاهِدٍ وَمَشْهُودٍ ). He said: have you asked anyone before me? He said: yes, I asked Ibn ʿUmar and Ibn al-Zubayr, and they said: the Day of the Slaughter and Friday.
And others said: the witness is the Day of the Sacrificial Feast, and the witnessed is the Day of ʿArafa.
* Mention of who said that:
Ibn Ḥumayd related to us, saying: Mihrān related to us, on the authority of Sufyān, on the authority of Ibn Abī Najīḥ, on the authority of Mujāhid, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās: ( وَشَاهِدٍ وَمَشْهُودٍ ) he said: the witness is the Day of ʿArafa, and the witnessed is the Day of Resurrection.
And others said: the witnessed is Friday, and they transmitted that on the authority of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
* Mention of the narration concerning that:
Aḥmad ibn ʿAbd al-Raḥmān related to us, saying: my uncle ʿAbd Allāh ibn Wahb related to me, saying: ʿAmr ibn al-Ḥārith informed me, on the authority of Saʿīd ibn Abī Hilāl, on the authority of Zayd ibn Ayman, on the authority of ʿUbāda ibn Nusayy, on the authority of Abū al-Dardāʾ, who said: the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: "Invoke many blessings upon me on Friday, for it is a witnessed Day which the angels attend."
And the correct of what may be said concerning this is, in our view, that one says: Allah has sworn by a witness that witnesses, and by a witnessed that is witnessed, and He has not informed us, along with His oath thereby, which witness and which witnessed He intended. And everything that we have mentioned which the scholars said is intended among that which deserves to be called "witness and witnessed" ( َشَاهِدٍ وَمَشْهُودٍ ).
