فَأَوْحَىٰٓ إِلَىٰ عَبْدِهِۦ مَآ أَوْحَىٰ 10
Translations
And he revealed to His Servant what he revealed [i.e., conveyed].
Transliteration
Fa-awḥā ilā 'abdihi mā awḥā
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah refers to Allah's revelation to His servant Muhammad (peace be upon him) during the night of Isra and Mi'raj. The phrase 'what He revealed' is deliberately vague, indicating the profound and inexpressible nature of the divine communication. Classical scholars like Al-Tabari and Ibn Kathir note that this verse emphasizes the completeness and certainty of the revelation received by the Prophet, without specifying its exact nature, as some aspects of divine revelation transcend human language.
Revelation Context
This ayah is part of Surah An-Najm's broader context describing the Prophet's miraculous night journey and encounter with the divine. The surah opens by swearing by the star and describes the Prophet's vision of Jibril (Gabriel) and his ascent to the heavens. This specific verse comes after the Prophet's testimony to what he witnessed, affirming that Allah conveyed to His servant exactly what needed to be conveyed.
Related Hadiths
Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim contain detailed accounts of the Isra and Mi'raj, including the Prophet's description of his journey and the revelations he received. A related hadith from Sahih Muslim describes how the Prophet saw Jibril in his true form with 600 wings.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches us that divine truth sometimes transcends human language and rational explanation—the most profound spiritual experiences may not be fully expressible in words. It also affirms complete trust in the Prophet's testimony and reminds believers that some mysteries of faith are meant to be accepted with certainty rather than fully comprehended.