Surah An-Najm (53) — Ayah 16

(Ayah 16) {اِذْ يَغْشَى السِّدْرَةَ مَا يَغْشٰى:} The shower of lights upon the Sidrat al-Muntaha at the time of its witnessing, the throngs of angels, and the depiction of its majesty and beauty, is an indication of the limitation of the languages used by humans. (See Ta-Ha: 78) There are a few hints about this in the hadith; one of them has already been mentioned in the commentary of the previous verse: [ وَ غَشِيَهَا أَلْوَانٌ لاَ أَدْرِيْ مَا هِيَ ] [ دیکھیے بخاري : ۳۴۹ ] “And it was covered by such colors that I do not know what they were.” Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated these words from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) regarding Sidrat al-Muntaha in the hadith of Mi’raj: [فَلَمَّا غَشِيَهَا مِنْ أَمْرِ اللّٰهِ مَا غَشِيَ تَغَيَّرَتْ فَمَا أَحَدٌ مِّنْ خَلْقِ اللّٰهِ يَسْتَطِيْعُ أَنْ يَنْعَتَهَا مِنْ حُسْنِهَا فَأَوْحَی اللّٰهُ إِلَيَّ مَا أَوْحٰی] [ مسلم، الإیمان، باب الإسراء برسول اللّٰہ صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم … : ۱۶۲ ] “Then, when it was covered by that which covered it by Allah’s command, its state changed, and then it was such that none among Allah’s creation can describe its beauty. At that time, He revealed to me what He revealed.” And Abdullah ibn Mas’ud (may Allah be pleased with him) said: [ «اِذْ يَغْشَى السِّدْرَةَ مَا يَغْشٰى » قَالَ فَرَاشٌ مِنْ ذَهَبٍ ] [ مسلم، الإیمان، باب في ذکر سدرۃ المنتہٰی : ۱۷۳ ] “What is meant by ‘that which covered the Sidrat al-Muntaha’ is golden moths.” On this occasion, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) saw Jibril (peace be upon him), who had accompanied him, once again in his original form. Abdullah ibn Mas’ud (may Allah be pleased with him) explained the verse: « وَ لَقَدْ رَاٰهُ نَزْلَةً اُخْرٰى (13) عِنْدَ سِدْرَةِ الْمُنْتَهٰى» by stating that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: [ رَأَيْتُ جِبْرِيْلَ صَلَّی اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَلَهُ سِتُّ مِائَةِ جَنَاحٍ، يَنْتَثِرُ مِنْ رِيْشِهِ التَّهَاوِيْلُ الدُّرُّ وَالْيَاقُوْتُ ] [ مسند أحمد : 460/1، ح : ۴۳۹۵ ] “I saw Jibril (peace be upon him); he had six hundred wings, and from his wings, wondrous multicolored pearls and rubies were falling.” The researcher of Musnad said: {’’إِسْنَادُهُ حَسَنٌ‘‘} that its chain is Hasan, and Ibn Kathir (may Allah have mercy on him) said: {’’هٰذَا إِسْنَادٌ جَيِّدٌ قَوِيٌّ‘‘} that its chain is strong and reliable.