Surah An-Najm, Ayah 13

The Trustworthy Angel brought Allah's Revelation to the Trustworthy Messenger

Allah the Exalted states that the Message His servant and Messenger Muhammad ﷺ brought to people was taught to him by,

شَدِيدُ الْقُوَى

(mighty in power), he is Jibril, peace be upon him,

إِنَّهُ لَقَوْلُ رَسُولٍ كَرِيمٍ ذِى قُوَّةٍ عِندَ ذِى الْعَرْشِ مَكِينٍ مُّطَـعٍ ثَمَّ أَمِينٍ

(Verily, this is the Word a most honorable messenger, owner of power, with (Allah) the Lord of the Throne, obeyed (by the angels) and trustworthy.)(81:19-21) Allah said here,

ذُو مِرَّةٍ

(Dhu Mirrah), meaning, he is mighty in power, according to Mujahid, Al-Hasan and Ibn Zayd. In an authentic Hadith from `Abdullah bin `Umar and Abu Hurayrah, the Prophet said,

ولَقَدْ رَ‌آهُ نَزْلَةً أُخْرَ‌ىٰ عِندَ سِدْرَ‌ةِ الْمُنتَهَىٰ (And indeed he saw him another time by sidrat-ul-muntaha [ the lote-tree in the upper realm ]...53:13-14). Here too there are two views regarding the antecedent of the pronoun hu (him): [ 1] that it refers to seeing Allah; or [ 2] that it refers to seeing Jibra'il (علیہ السلام) . The adverb نَزْلَةً أُخْرَ‌ىٰ nazlatan ` ukhra [ another time or at another descent ], according to overwhelming majority, this nuzul refers to the second descent of Jibra'il (علیہ السلام) . The first vision was experienced in this world on the uppermost horizon of Makkah. The second vision was experienced on the seventh heaven near the Lote-Tree of the Uppermost Realm. Obviously, the Holy Prophet ﷺ went up to the seventh heaven on the Night of Mi` raj. Thus it is possible to determine the approximate time of the second experience, which took place on that occasion. The word sidrah literally denotes lote-tree and muntaha means the place of intiha' [ end ]. Thus sidrat-ul-muntaha is the Lote-Tree on the seventh heaven under the Throne of the Gracious Allah. According to a narration in Muslim, the Tree is on the sixth heaven. Reconciliation is possible between the two apparently conflicting versions in that its root is on the sixth heaven and its branches are spread on the seventh heaven (Qurtubi). Generally the access of angels ends at this point, and therefore, it is called muntaha (the end). Some Traditions inform us that the Divine injunctions first descend from the Divine Throne to the sidrat-ul-muntaha which are handed over to the relevant angels. Similarly, angels going up from the earth to the heaven with Books of Deeds etc. convey them to this point. Then there may be some other way for their presentation to Allah Almighty. This subject is reported from ` Abdullah Ibn Masud ؓ as recorded by Imam Ahmad in his Musnad.

The experience of the Prophet with the angels and his being taught the revelation have been explained in the above verses. For corroborating the reality of these events the statement of the Quran is enough. The Quran’s miraculous discourse proves that it is the Book of God. And every statement of that book which is established as God’s Book shall have to be accepted as authentic.