سُوْرَةُ النَّجْمِ
Surah An-Najm (53) — Ayah 12
أَفَتُمَـٰرُونَهُۥ عَلَىٰ مَا يَرَىٰ ﴿12﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
Will you then dispute with him (Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم) about what he saw [during the Mi‘râj: (Ascent of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم to the seven heavens)]
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
أَفَتُمَـٰرُونَهُۥ
afatumārūnahu
Then will you dispute with him
عَلَىٰ
ʿalā
about
مَا
mā
what
يَرَىٰ
yarā
he saw
Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim — Hafiz Abdus Salam Bin Muhammad Bhutvi
Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim is a 4-volume Quran commentary by Hafiz Abdus Salam bin Muhammad Bhutvi, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar and Sheikh ul-Hadith from Pakistan. Based on over 45 years of teaching and research, this tafsir follows the methodology of Tafsir bil-Ma'thur — interpreting the Quran through authentic Hadith, statements of the Companions, and the understanding of the early generations (Salaf). It is distinguished by its complete avoidance of Israeliyyat (Judeo-Christian narratives) and unverified reports. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
(Ayah 12) ➊ {اَفَتُمٰرُوْنَهٗ: ’’تُمَارُوْنَ‘‘ ’’مَارٰي يُمَارِيْ مِرَاءً وَ مُمَارَاةً‘‘} (Mufa‘alah) is a present tense verb, masculine plural, meaning "to argue." This is an address to the polytheists of Makkah: when the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) told them that no devil comes to him, rather, the angel Jibreel comes to him and he sees him—even in his original form—they refused to accept this and began to argue. Allah Almighty says that you yourselves acknowledge your companion as truthful and trustworthy, so when he tells you that the angel Jibreel comes to him and he sees him with his own eyes, you begin to argue with him. What proof do you have to deny him and argue with him about this?
{إِذَا لَمْ تَرَ الْهِلَالَ فَسَلِّمْ ¤ لِأُنَاسٍ رَأَوْهُ بِالْأَبْصَارِ}
"When you have not seen the moon, then accept the statement of those who have seen it with their own eyes."
➋ { عَلٰى مَا يَرٰى :} Note that here Allah Almighty did not say {’’أَفَتُمَارُوْنَهُ عَلٰي مَا رَأَي‘‘} "Then do you argue with him about what he saw," but rather said: « اَفَتُمٰرُوْنَهٗ عَلٰى مَا يَرٰى » "Then do you argue with him about what he sees." From this, it is understood that what the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) was being denied for was his statement: "I see the angel Jibreel when he comes to me." And in reality, this was the case: the first time Jibreel (peace be upon him) came to the Prophet (peace be upon him) in the cave of Hira, although not in his original form, later when he appeared before him in his original form in such a majestic way that the entire horizon from the earth to the sky and from right to left was filled with him, the Prophet (peace be upon him) immediately recognized that this was the same angel who had come to him in the cave of Hira. See the hadith mentioned in the benefit at the end of verses (6 to 9) of this surah. This shows that whenever Jibreel (peace be upon him) came, the Prophet (peace be upon him) recognized him, no matter what form he came in.
{إِذَا لَمْ تَرَ الْهِلَالَ فَسَلِّمْ ¤ لِأُنَاسٍ رَأَوْهُ بِالْأَبْصَارِ}
"When you have not seen the moon, then accept the statement of those who have seen it with their own eyes."
➋ { عَلٰى مَا يَرٰى :} Note that here Allah Almighty did not say {’’أَفَتُمَارُوْنَهُ عَلٰي مَا رَأَي‘‘} "Then do you argue with him about what he saw," but rather said: « اَفَتُمٰرُوْنَهٗ عَلٰى مَا يَرٰى » "Then do you argue with him about what he sees." From this, it is understood that what the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) was being denied for was his statement: "I see the angel Jibreel when he comes to me." And in reality, this was the case: the first time Jibreel (peace be upon him) came to the Prophet (peace be upon him) in the cave of Hira, although not in his original form, later when he appeared before him in his original form in such a majestic way that the entire horizon from the earth to the sky and from right to left was filled with him, the Prophet (peace be upon him) immediately recognized that this was the same angel who had come to him in the cave of Hira. See the hadith mentioned in the benefit at the end of verses (6 to 9) of this surah. This shows that whenever Jibreel (peace be upon him) came, the Prophet (peace be upon him) recognized him, no matter what form he came in.
