Fatwa ID: 09453
Answered by Mufti Sakib Shadman
Question:
Assalamu alaikum,is there tafseer for hadith : from Abu Moosa Al-Ash’ari may Allaah be pleased with him. He said: “The Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam said: “His veil is the light – in the narration of Abu Bakr (instead of the word” light”) it is fire. If he reveals it, the splendor of His Countenance would burn His creation as far as His sight reaches.”
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Answer:
The Hadith in question is:
Abu Musa reported: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was standing amongst us, and he told us five things. He said: Verily the Exalted and Mighty God does not sleep, and it does not befit Him to sleep. He lowers the scale and lifts it. The deeds in the night are taken up to Him before the deeds of the day, and the deeds of the day before the deeds of the night. His veil is the light.
In the Hadith narrated by Abu Bakr (instead of the word “light”), it is fire. If he withdraws it (the veil), the splendour of His countenance would consume His creation so far as His sight reaches.
(Sahih Muslim 179a) [1]
According to Imam Nawawi (ra), the veil in this Hadith refers to the inability of all creations to see Allah ﷻ in this world. [2] Thus, Allah ﷻ is not surrounded by a physical veil; rather, the creation is prevented from seeing their creator, Allah ﷻ. It has been said that just like how people are unable to stare at a bright light or fire due to its blinding rays, we are also incapable of viewing Allah ﷻ. This powerful light emanates from Allah’s Grandeur and Majesty. [3]
The word وجه (face/countenance) refers to the Divine Essence of Allah ﷻ, which is beyond human comprehension and bears no similitude to his creation.
Allah ﷻ is all-seeing, thus his sight encompasses all creation. Hence, if the veil were lifted, the whole creation would be consumed and annihilated due to Allah’s absolute Majesty and Greatness, which we cannot fathom.
Sheikh Al-Zaydani states that the creation cannot view Allah ﷻ in this Dunya (world) due to Allah’s grandeur; hence, if Allah’s veil were lifted, the creation would be destroyed, exalted is Allah above being viewed in this Dunya.[4]
In the Tafsir of Jalalayn it states that when Allah Ta’ala revealed His light to the mountain, it was to the extent of half the tip of a little finger, it became crushed and level with the Earth, and Musa (as) fainted simply by looking at the mountain.[5]
Only Allah ﷻ knows best.
Written by Mufti Sakib Shadman
Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah
Darul Ifta Birmingham
References:
[1]
حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ، وَأَبُو كُرَيْبٍ قَالاَ حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو مُعَاوِيَةَ، حَدَّثَنَا الأَعْمَشُ، عَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ مُرَّةَ، عَنْ أَبِي عُبَيْدَةَ، عَنْ أَبِي مُوسَى، قَالَ قَامَ فِينَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم بِخَمْسِ كَلِمَاتٍ فَقَالَ “ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ لاَ يَنَامُ وَلاَ يَنْبَغِي لَهُ أَنْ يَنَامَ يَخْفِضُ الْقِسْطَ وَيَرْفَعُهُ يُرْفَعُ إِلَيْهِ عَمَلُ اللَّيْلِ قَبْلَ عَمَلِ النَّهَارِ وَعَمَلُ النَّهَارِ قَبْلَ عَمَلِ اللَّيْلِ حِجَابُهُ النُّورُ – وَفِي رِوَايَةِ أَبِي بَكْرٍ النَّارُ – لَوْ كَشَفَهُ لأَحْرَقَتْ سُبُحَاتُ وَجْهِهِ مَا انْتَهَى إِلَيْهِ بَصَرُهُ مِنْ خَلْقِهِ ” . – وَفِي رِوَايَةِ أَبِي بَكْرٍ عَنِ الأَعْمَشِ وَلَمْ يَقُلْ حَدَّثَنَا .
Sahih Muslim 179a
[2]
مَعْنَى سُبُحَاتُ وَجْهِهِ نُورُهُ وَجَلَالُهُ وَبَهَاؤُهُ وَأَمَّا الْحِجَابُ فَأَصْلُهُ فِي اللُّغَةِ الْمَنْعُ وَالسَّتْرُ وَحَقِيقَةُ الْحِجَابِ إِنَّمَا تَكُونُ لِلْأَجْسَامِ المحدودة والله تعالى مُنَزَّهٌ عَنِ الْجِسْمِ وَالْحَدِّ وَالْمُرَادُ هُنَا الْمَانِعُ مِنْ رُؤْيَتِهِ وَسُمِّيَ ذَلِكَ الْمَانِعُ نُورًا أَوْ نَارًا لِأَنَّهُمَا يَمْنَعَانِ مِنَ الْإِدْرَاكِ فِي الْعَادَةِ لِشُعَاعِهِمَا وَالْمُرَادُ بِالْوَجْهِ الذَّاتُ وَالْمُرَادُ بِمَا انْتَهَى إِلَيْهِ بَصَرُهُ مِنْ خَلْقِهِ جَمِيعُ الْمَخْلُوقَاتِ لِأَنَّ بَصَرَهُ سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى مُحِيطٌ بِجَمِيعِ الْكَائِنَاتِ وَلَفْظَةُ مِنْ لِبَيَانِ الْجِنْسِ لَا لِلتَّبْعِيضِ وَالتَّقْدِيرُ لَوْ أَزَالَ الْمَانِعَ مِنْ رُؤْيَتِهِ وَهُوَ الْحِجَابُ الْمُسَمَّى نُورًا أَوْ نَارًا وَتَجَلَّى لِخَلْقِهِ لَأَحْرَقَ جَلَالُ ذَاتِهِ جَمِيعَ مَخْلُوقَاتِهِ وَاللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ
Al-Minhaj, 2nd ed., 1972, (Vol.3, pg.14, Dār Ihya al-Turath al-Arabi)
[3]
قيل: حجابه النور؛ يريد أن حجابه على خلاف الحجب المعهودة، فهو محتجب على الخلق بأنوار عزه وجلاله وسعة عظمته وكبريائه، وذلك هو الحجاب الذي تدهش دونه العقول وتذهب الأبصار وتتحير البصائر
Sharh Sunan Ibn Majah lil-Harari, 1st ed., 2018 (Vol.2, pg.196, Dār al-Minhaj)
[4]
أحرقت”؛ يعني: لو رفعَ حجابَه لاحترقَ خلقُه؛ لأنه لا طاقةَ لهم أن ينظروا إلى ذاته، بل هو الله تعالى أعظمُ وأجلُّ من أن يراه أحدٌ في الدنيا، كما قال تعالى لموسى: {لَنْ تَرَانِي}، وهذا في الدنيا، وأما في الآخرة يراه أهلُ الجنة إذا أراهم نفسَه، وأما رؤيةُ نبيِّنا – عليه السلام – إياه ليلةَ المعراج يأتي ذكره في موضعه إن شاء الله تعالى
Al-Mafatih Fi Sharh al-Masabih, 1st ed., 2012 (Vol.1, pg.196, Dār al-Nawadir)
[5]
وَلَمَّا جَاءَ مُوسَى لِمِيقَاتِنَا} أَيْ لِلْوَقْتِ الَّذِي وَعَدْنَاهُ بِالْكَلَامِ فِيهِ {وَكَلَّمَهُ رَبّه} بِلَا وَاسِطَة كَلَامًا سَمِعَهُ مِنْ كُلّ جِهَة {قَالَ رَبّ أَرِنِي} نَفْسك {أَنْظُر إلَيْك قَالَ لَنْ تَرَانِي} أَيْ لَا تَقْدِر عَلَى رُؤْيَتِي وَالتَّعْبِير بِهِ دُون لَنْ أَرَى يُفِيد إمْكَان رُؤْيَته تَعَالَى {وَلَكِنْ اُنْظُرْ إلَى الْجَبَل} الَّذِي هُوَ أَقْوَى مِنْك {فَإِنْ اسْتَقَرَّ} ثَبَتَ {مَكَانه فَسَوْف تَرَانِي} أَيْ تَثْبُت لِرُؤْيَتِي وَإِلَّا فَلَا طَاقَة لَك {فَلَمَّا تَجَلَّى رَبّه} أَيْ ظَهَرَ مِنْ نُوره قَدْر نِصْف أُنْمُلَة الْخِنْصَر كَمَا فِي حَدِيث صَحَّحَهُ الْحَاكِم {لِلْجَبَلِ جَعَلَهُ دَكًّا} بِالْقَصْرِ وَالْمَدّ أَيْ مَدْكُوكًا مُسْتَوِيًا بِالْأَرْضِ {وَخَرَّ مُوسَى صَعِقًا} مَغْشِيًّا عَلَيْهِ لِهَوْلِ مَا رَأَى {فَلَمَّا أَفَاقَ قَالَ سُبْحَانك} تَنْزِيهًا لَك {تُبْت إلَيْك} مِنْ سُؤَال مَا لَمْ أُؤْمَر بِهِ {وَأَنَا أَوَّل الْمُؤْمِنِينَ} فِي زَمَانِي
Tafseer al-Jalalayn, 1st ed. (pg.213, Dār al-Hadith)