إِلّا مَنِ ارتَضىٰ مِن رَسولٍ فَإِنَّهُ يَسلُكُ مِن بَينِ يَدَيهِ وَمِن خَلفِهِ رَصَدًا
Except to an apostle He approves of. Then He dispatches a sentinel before and behind him.
EXEGESIS
Irtaḍā is the verbal form 8 of the verb raḍiya that lexically means to be satisfied, to consent to something, to approve of and to be pleased with something. The infinitive riḍā is the opposite of sakhaṭ (displeasure). The term riḍwān implies a higher degree of approval and pleasure. The verb irtaḍā, besides containing the basic meaning of the verb raḍiya, bears the connotation of being pleased out of one’s volition and choice. In the verse under discussion the verb signifies God’s pleasure and choice.
Rasūl is a noun that derives from the infinitive risl, which lexically means to release or to set something free. The term irsāl – a derivative of risl – came to be thereafter gradually used in the case of dispatching a person or a thing from one place to another, while the word rasūl came to denote the one who has been sent – an envoy. The term rasūl in this verse implies all messengers who have been appointed for the office of divine prophecy. It is in fact an explanative word for the phrase man irtaḍā – those whom God has approved of.
Yasluku is an imperfect tense that derives from the root sulūk, which implies to travel along a road or to enter upon a course or road. The verb, however, also bears the connotation of making someone enter upon a course. In the verse under discussion, yasluku signifies the appointment of the angels by God to constantly accompany one of His prophets.
Bayn is a noun as well as an adverb of time and place that denotes lexically the situation of something between two things. It has occurred in the Quran in this sense in 18:32.
Yaday-hi: yaday is the dual form of the noun yad that means hand. However, it is frequently deployed in Arabic together with bayn to signify the adverbial qualification of time and place. The literal translation of the phrase bayna yaday would be ‘between the two hands’. However, this phrase is basically deployed in Arabic to imply ‘to be in front of someone or something’, be it near or far. Moreover, the phrase has also occurred in the Quran in 5:48 referring to the past. However, the phrase has also been explained by some grammarians to mean ‘to be nearer to something’ as understood from 7:17. Since in the verse under discussion the phrase bayna yaday-hi has appeared in contrast with khalf (behind), it would signify in front and ahead of something. However, taking into account the context of this verse, the phrase implies all directions as asserted by some exegetes. The pronoun hi (he) affixed to yaday as well as khalf refers to rasūl – an apostle.
Raṣad is a noun that lexically means to keep one’s eyes on something, to observe a thing, or to lie in wait for something. Said differently, the term signifies to guard or to protect something. The term raṣad is used for singular and plural alike. The noun raṣad in this verse implies guards, and refers to the divine angels. On this basis, the second part of the verse under discussion would thus mean: when God wills to unveil the unseen to any of His messengers, He dispatches His angels to guard him from all directions.
EXPOSITION
This verse is an exceptive sentence related to the noun aḥad (anyone) in verse 26. Besides, the second part of the verse describes the way in which the ghayb reaches the messengers of God: Then He dispatches a sentinel before and behind him.
After clearly asserting in the previous verse that God alone has knowledge of the unseen, this verse reveals an exception to this general Quranic principle by stating explicitly that God shares this knowledge with His messengers of whom He has approved. Considering this exception, the negation of the knowledge of ghayb from all other than God in verse 26 is thus to emphasise that it is God alone who possesses such knowledge independently and by His very essence, whereas other than God would only have access to this kind of knowledge through divine bestowal. Similarly, it is in light of this explanation that verses in the Quran such as 6:50, 7:188, and 46:9 need to be understood.
As verse 26 might yield a misconception in the minds of the disbelievers that the Holy Prophet knows nothing about the unseen and is himself not clear about what he claims to have been assigned by God to communicate to mankind, the primary intent of this verse has been to clarify this potential misconstruction by asserting that the Prophet, like other divine envoys, possesses some knowledge of the unseen.
Although the term rasūl has been used in the verse to explain those of whom God has approved in order to reveal the ghayb to them, the unseen is also disclosed to a nabī as understood from 4:163. 4:163 also indicates that revelation is part of the unseen that God unveils for His chosen servants. Tabatabai goes further to note that it is inferred from such verses of the Quran as 32:24, 6:75, and 102:1 that knowledge of the unseen is also possessed by the imām – in the Quranic sense of the word – who has attained the position of ṣabr (fortitude) and yaqīn (certitude). As proven in Islamic theology, the infallible successors of the Holy Prophet also possess knowledge of the ghayb but through the mediation of the Prophet.
Although the higher realms of existence are considered to be ghayb in respect to us, they are not so in relation to the divine angels, because such realities are all manifest for them. This is also true of the revelation after the angels have been entrusted to deliver it to a messenger. Moreover, it also becomes clear that the disclosure of some forms of the unseen – like witnessing some of the realities of the hereafter – would only be applicable and relevant to people who dwell in this lower realm of existence, i.e. the material world; otherwise, such realities are openly witnessed by those who have already departed from this world.
The second part of the verse describes the manner in which the ghayb is communicated to a messenger of God, and it is as such similar in purport to 10:61.
What is understood from the verse is that the divine message is heavily guarded throughout the time it departs from its source until when it is communicated to its final recipient – mankind and the jinn. As such, the phrase min bayni yaday-hi (before [him]) points to the phase of communication between the prophet and the people, whilst min khalfi-hi (behind him) represents the phase of transmission from the source of revelation to the messenger. Accordingly, the verse would read: God dispatches His angels to guard the phase of communication between the prophet and people, and the phase of transmission of the revelation from its source to the apostle.
The divine angels are commissioned to protect the revelation from any form of alteration, addition, or subtraction that may be caused by the devils, either directly or indirectly.
Considering the context surrounding this verse and the deployment of the term rasūl in it, it is inferred that the domain of the disclosure of ghayb includes all that which is necessary for a prophet to efficiently communicate the divine message to its final recipient. This involves tenets of beliefs and religious injunctions, stories and narratives, advice and admonition, words of wisdom, as well as the miracles that support the claim to divine prophecy such as foretelling the future (see 11:65), and giving information about what is normally hidden from people (see 3:49). This is unlike knowledge about the time of the Day of Resurrection and the like, which are outside the scope of the functions of divine prophecy.
INSIGHTS FROM HADITH
- Imam al-Riḍā (a) told a person by the name of Ibn Haddāb: ‘Would you believe me if I were to inform you that you will be afflicted with the death of your relative in the coming days?’ He replied: ‘No, because the knowledge of the ghayb lies with God alone.’ The Imam said: ‘Has not God said: Knower of the unseen, He does not disclose His unseen to anyone except to an apostle He approves of? The Prophet of God is the approved of God whilst we are the inheritors of this Prophet to whom God has unveiled whatever He wishes of His unseen, thus we have knowledge of that which has happened and that which is going to happen until the Day of Resurrection.’
Note: There are numerous reports on this topic mentioned in the Shia works of hadith. The basic purport of these narrations is that the Prophet received this knowledge through revelation, whilst it reached the Imams from the Prophet through spiritual inheritance.
- Abū Baṣīr reports Imam al-Ṣādiq (a) to have said: ‘There are two types of knowledge with God, the all-mighty, the majestic; a knowledge that He has not disclosed to anyone among His creation, and a knowledge that He has given to His angels and messengers. That which He has granted to His angels and prophets has also reached us.’
- Imam al-Ṣādiq (a) has said: ‘When the Imam intends to have knowledge of something, God gives him that knowledge.’
- Imam al-Ṣādiq (a) is reported to have said: ‘The imām who has no knowledge of that which is going to befall him and of how his life will end, is not the proof of God over His creation.’
- Muhammad ibn Muslim narrates that he heard Imam al-Bāqir (a) saying: ‘Gabriel (a) brought two pomegranates from paradise to Prophet Muhammad (s). When Ali (a) saw them, he said: “What are these two pomegranates in your hand?” The Prophet (s) replied: “This one is the prophecy (nubuwwah) of which you have no share at all; and this is the knowledge (ʿilm).” Then the Prophet (s) split it into two halves, he gave one half to Ali and retained the other half for himself, and said: “You are my partner (sharīk) in it and I am your partner in it.”’ [Imam al-Bāqir (a) then went on to say:] ‘By God, there is nothing that Allah – the all-mighty, the majestic – taught the Prophet of God (s) of the letter (ḥarf), except that he in turn taught it to Ali. This knowledge thereafter reached us.’ Muhammad Ibn Muslim continues: ‘The Imam (a) uttered this sentence and placed his hand on his bosom.’
Note: Ḥarf in the like of these narrations apparently signifies levels of the great divine name (al-ism al-aʿẓam). There are many narrations from the Ahl al-Bayt to the effect that the great divine name has seventy-three letters which are possessed by the prophets and the chosen servants of God in varied degrees.
REVIEW OF TAFSĪR LITERATURE
Bearing in mind that the word rasūl in this verse is explanative of the phrase man irtaḍā (those of whom God has approved), Zamakhsharī holds that the knowledge of the unseen is restricted to the divine messengers only, and that none else, even those who may have attained higher levels of proximity to God (awliyāʾ allāh), has access to such knowledge; this is because although God is pleased with them, they do not hold the office of divine prophecy.
Ibn Kathīr is of the view that the word rasūl in the verse includes messengers from amongst the humans as well as the angels.
Ṭabrisī interprets the word raṣad in the verse as ‘a means’ and maintains that the second part of this verse implies that God discloses the ghayb for His messenger by appointing a way for him to have access to knowledge of what happened in the past and that which is going to occur in the future. However, the interpretation provided earlier under the Exposition of this verse appears to be more harmonious with the context of this verse.
[1] Hans Wehr, under raḍiya.
[2] Lisan, under r-ḍ-y.
[3] Raghib, under r-ḍ-y.
[4] Tahqiq, under r-ḍ-y.
[5] Tantawi, 15/145; Ahsan al-Hadith, 11/391; Ithna Ashari, 13/353; Shawkani, 5/372; Sabzawari, 7/253; Qurtubi, 20/27; Tabrisi.J, 4/379.
[6] For more explanation on the meaning of this word and its usage in the Quran, see rasūlahu under the Exegesis of verse 23.
[7] Raghib, under r-s-l.
[8] Mizan, 20/53; Tabrisi, 10/563; Shawkani, 5/372; Alusi, 15/107; Sabzawari, 7/253; Tantawi, 15/145; Ahsan al-Hadith, 11/391; Qurtubi, 20/27.
[9] Mizan, 20/53.
[10] For further information on this word, see yasluk-hu under the Exegesis of verse 17.
[11] Hans Wehr, under salaka; Lisan and Raghib, under s-l-k.
[12] Lisan and Raghib, under s-l-k.
[13] Shawkani, 5/375. See also Mizan, 20/54.
[14] Qamus, under bayn.
[15] Raghib, under b-y-n.
[16] Raghib, under b-y-n; Qamus, under bayn.
[17] Qamus, under bayn.
[18] Tabrisi, 9/195.
[19] Qamus, under bayn.
[20] Qamus, under bayn.
[21] Raghib, under bayn.
[22] Shubbar, p. 536; Tabari, 29/77.
[23] Shawkani, 5/375; Tantawi, 15/146.
[24] Mizan, 20/54.
[25] Hans Wehr, under raṣada.
[26] Mizan, 20/54.
[27] Mizan, 20/54; Nemuneh, 25/141.
[28] Shawkani, 5/375; Shubbar, p. 536.
[29] Alusi, 15/107; Tantawi, 15/145.
[30] Mizan, 20/53.
[31] Mizan, 20/55.
[32] Mizan, 20/55-56. Makārim Shīrāzī considers this as the most recognised way of reconciliation between these apparently antithetical verses in the Quran. He however goes on to list four other possible ways of reconciling these verses (see Nemuneh, 25/146-151).
[33] Alusi, 15/107.
[34] According to the narrations of the Ahl al-Bayt, the difference between a rasūl and a nabī is that the latter receives revelation either in form of vision or by hearing a voice in the state of wakefulness but without seeing the angel of revelation, whereas a rasūl witnesses the angel who then communicates to him the message (Nemuneh, 13/92-93. See also Mizan, 1/277).
[35] Mizan, 20/56.
[36] Mizan, 20/56.
[37] Shubbar, p. 536. See also al-Muẓaffar, ՙAqāi՚d al-Imāmiyyah, (reviewed by Dr Ḥāmid Ḥanafī, Anṣāriyān: Qum, 1387 AHS), p. 67.
[38] Mizan, 20/56.
[39] Mizan, 20/54.
[40] Mizan, 10/88.
[41] Mizan, 20/56.
[42] Mizan, 20/54. See also Ahsan al-Hadith, 11/392.
[43] Mizan, 20/54.
[44] Revelation is a special form of communication through which the ghayb is disclosed to the prophets.
[45] Mizan, 20/54, 5/141, 7/328, 10/238, and 17/121. See also Alusi, 15/107. Some exegetes maintain that this protection is for the purpose of preventing the devils from amongst the jinn from eavesdropping on the revelation either from Gabriel (Tibyan, 10/158) or from the prophet after it has been delivered to him (Qurtubi, 20/29).
[46] Mizan, 20/58. See also Alusi, 15/107; Qurtubi, 20/27.
[47] Shawkani, 5/373.
[48] Rawandi, 1/343-344. In the same report, the Imam foretold of other events also related to him that came to be true. When asked whether Imam al-Riḍā (a) was right, he said: ‘I was confident at the very time he informed me that all this is going to happen, but I pretended not to admit.’
[49] Mizan, 20/59.
[50] Nur, 5/442.
[51] Nur, 5/443.
[52] Nur, 5/443.
[53] Nur, 5/444.
[54] See Kafi, 1/230. There is a common misconception about the greatest divine name as to whether it is a word or phrase, the recital of which enables one who possesses it to perform supernatural acts. However, the truth about the greatest divine name is that the divine attributes that we know of, either in form of words or phrases, all represent existential realities. And it is the reality reflected by these words that are effective and empower one spiritually, not the utterance of mere words even though by a sinful person (Subḥānī, al-Fikr al-Khālid, 1/23). As such, the possession of the greatest divine name means to practically foster the divine attributes within oneself such that one’s existence embodies the qualities of God (Nemuneh, 7/31). It is at this stage that man is able to perform miraculous acts albeit by the permission of God and for purposes approved by the shariah.
[55] Zamakhshari, 4/632.
[56] Ibn Kathir, 8/259. See also Tantawi, 15/146.
[57] Tabrisi, 10/563. See also Sabzawari, 7/253; Khatib, 15/1244.
[58] Fadlallah, 23/170.