The Ocean of the Quran

A verse by verse explanation of The Ultimate Scripture

Al-Najm – Verse 6

ذو مِرَّةٍ فَاستَوىٰ

Possessed of power, he rose upright.

EXEGESIS

Dhū mirrah means the one who possesses mirrah. Mirrah literally means a rope that is made of strongly knit fibres that is very difficult to undo. Because of this it is used to describe something that is strong. In this sense, mirrah and quwwah and shiddah have very similar meanings.‎[1] Dhū mirrah literally means the one in possession of power.

It has been reported from the Prophet and Imam al-Ṣādiq (a) that ‘charity (ṣadaqah) is not allowed [to be received] by the wealthy and the one in possession of able-bodied strength (dhī mirrah sawī)’.‎[2] In this hadith, dhū mirrah is used of one who is in possession of physical power. It is also used in conjunction with sawī, being upright.

The exegetes have also suggested different interpretations for dhū mirrah; see Review of Tafsīr Literature for some of those opinions.

Istawā is a verb and comes from sawī or sawā, meaning to be alike and balanced. Istawā can be used when describing two or more subjects. For example, saying Ali and Hasan istawā in such-and-such thing means they are equals in it (tasāwayā), as in the verse, They are not equal (yastawūn) with Allah (9:19). Alternatively, it can be used to describe something that is balanced in itself, as in, and they grow stout and settle (istawā) on their stalks (48:29) – being able to stand upright without falling over.‎[3] Related to this is the meaning of being firmly positioned, such as in the verse, When you, and those who are with you, are settled (istawayta) in the ark (23:28). It can also have the meaning of reaching a state of being firmly grounded in one’s mental faculties, and thus a type of maturity: When he came of age and became fully matured (istawā) (28:14).

Here, it most likely means that Gabriel was upright, meaning he rose up to the horizon. This is because, as we mentioned, the context of the verses is about the Prophet seeing Gabriel who appeared to him in his true form, which the next verse describes While he was on the highest horizon.

EXPOSITION

Continuing with the description of Gabriel, we are told that he is dhū mirrah (Possessed of power). Rāzī has pointed out that some might argue that dhū mirrah should not mean strength as the previous verse already mentioned power (quwwah), and this description would therefore be redundant. He answers this by saying that the verse is asserting that Gabriel has a strength and power that is known, and he has strengths and powers that are unknown, such as when it is said, ‘this man has lots of wealth, and he has some wealth that no one is even aware of’.‎[4] This is appropriate considering the upcoming topic of the Night of Ascension and the theme of spiritual eminence. Like Gabriel, the Prophet received some revelation that we are aware of and some of which we are unaware, as verse 10 states: Whereat He revealed to His servant whatever He revealed. In other words, we know some aspects of the spiritual eminence of the Prophet and Gabriel, but there are many of their merits which are unknown to us. We know some of what happened during the Night of Ascension, but not all of it; we know some of Gabriel’s powers, but he has others still, indeed he is Powerful and eminent with the Lord of the Throne (81:20).

We are then told that Gabriel rose upright, which most likely means that Gabriel appeared to the Prophet in his true form. This would connect it to the next verse, meaning: he rose upright to the highest horizon. Usually, Gabriel appeared in the form of a man when bringing revelation. Apparently, he appeared to him twice in his true form, once on the earth While he was on the highest horizon (verse 7), when the Prophet was in Ḥirāʾ, and a second time in the heavens during the Night of Ascension, when he was within two bows length or even nearer (verse 9).‎[5]

It could be noted that in both descriptions there is some distance that is accounted for; highest horizon and two bows’ length both paint the picture of there being some distance between the Prophet and Gabriel. This may suggest that seeing Gabriel in his true form was difficult for the Prophet.‎[6] This is also why he usually adopted the form of a man.

REVIEW OF TAFSĪR LITERATURE

The exegetes have suggested different meanings for dhū mirrah in this verse:

  1. From Ibn Abbas and Qatādah, that dhū mirrah here means the one who has been created imbued with strength.‎[7]
  2. It has the meaning of dhū murūr, meaning the one who comes and goes between heaven and earth.‎[8]
  3. It means of healthy body, free of any ailments or disfigurements.‎[9] Or tall and well-proportioned.‎[10]
  4. The one who is in possession of strong mental capacities.‎[11]

Whilst none of these opinions are problematic, what we mentioned earlier is most supported by the meaning of mirrah and the context of the surah.

Similarly, the exegetes have not agreed on the meaning of istawā. Some have said the subject of this verb is Gabriel,‎[12] while others have said it is the Prophet.‎[13] As for what it means:

  1. He appeared in ‘the form that he was created in’ to the Prophet.‎[14] Related to this, some exegetes have mentioned from Ibn Abbas, Ibn Masʿūd, Qatādah, and ʿAbd-Allāh ibn Masʿūd that the Prophet saw Gabriel in his true form only twice, once near Ḥirāʾ and once during the Night of Ascension near the Lote Tree.‎[15]
  2. Gabriel appeared to the Prophet in the form of a man.‎[16] Though Thaʿlabī does not mention it, the verse whereupon We sent to her Our spirit and he became incarnate for her as a well-proportioned (sawī) human (19:17) could support this view. In this verse, spirit is referring to Gabriel.
  3. Ṭabarī connects it to the following verse, in the sense of fastawā wa huwa … meaning ‘he rose up (istawā) while he was with him on the highest horizon’, referring to Gabriel while he was with the Prophet.‎[17] Thaʿlabī agrees, however explicating that this meant on the Night of Ascension.‎[18] Ṭūsī, like Ṭabarī, connects it to the following verse, but he says it about Gabriel appearing upright when he came to the Prophet on the highest horizon.‎[19] This seems to be the most appropriate understanding.
  4. The Prophet and Gabriel were equally powerful and rose up together on the Night of Ascension.‎[20]
  5. Gabriel rose up after teaching the revelation to the Prophet.‎[21] Alternatively, that he paused upright in the sky after teaching the revelation, so that the Prophet would see him.‎[22]

If one were to consider the subject of the verb in the previous verb to be God, istawā would mean: God established Himself on His Throne, or that He is in possession of justice.‎[23] If one considered it to be the Prophet, then it would mean: he has perseverance and is firmly established.‎[24]

INSIGHTS FROM OTHER TRADITIONS

  1. While I, Daniel, was watching the vision and trying to understand it, there before me stood one who looked like a man. And I heard a man’s voice from the Ulai calling, ‘Gabriel, tell this man the meaning of the vision.’ As he came near the place where I was standing, I was terrified and fell prostrate.‎[25] 
[1] Tibyan, 9/422; Qurtubi, 17/85.
[2] Tibyan, 9/422; Tabari, 27/26; Thalabi, 9/136; Ahmad, 2/164; Darimi, 1/286; Ibn Majah, 1/589; Tirmidhi, 2/82. For the slightly different variant from Imam al-Ṣādiq (a) see Kafi, 3/560; Wasail, 9/231. In this variant, wealthy (ghanī) is replaced with muḥtarif, the one who is capable of working. In another variant the Imam adds: ‘He said it regarding the wealthy, and he did not say it regarding the one in possession of able-bodied strength.’ (Faqih, 3/177; Wasail, 9/232).
[3] Raghib, p. 439.
[4] Razi, 28/238.
[5] Tabrisi, 9/262; Tabari, 27/27; Mizan, 19/28.
[6] Indeed some exegetes mention that the Prophet fainted when he saw him on the horizon. See for example Tabrisi, 9/262.
[7] Tibyan, 9/422; Tabari, 27/25; Razi, 28/238.
[8] Tabrisi, 9/262.
[9] Tabari, 27/25.
[10] Baghawi, 4/301.
[11] Zamakhshari, 4/419; Alusi, 14/47.
[12] See for example Tabari, 27/26; Tabrisi, 9/262; Thalabi, 9/137; Mizan, 19/27.
[13] Tabari, 27/26.
[14] Tabrisi, 9/262.
[15] Tirmidhi, 5/69; Tabari, 27/27; Suyuti, 6/123.
[16] Thalabi, 9/137.
[17] Tabari, 27/26.
[18] Thalabi, 9/137. See also Qurtubi, 17/85.
[19] Tibyan, 9/422-423. See also Baghawi, 4/301.
[20] Thalabi, 9/137.
[21] Thalabi, 9/137; Tabrisi, 9/262.
[22] Tabrisi, 9/262.
[23] Nemuneh, 22/493.
[24] Mizan, 19/28.
[25] Daniel 8:15-17.