فَكَانَ قَابَ قَوْسَيْنِ أَوْ أَدْنَىٰ 9
Translations
And was at a distance of two bow lengths or nearer.
Transliteration
Fakana qaba qawsayn aw adna
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah describes the intimate proximity that the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) achieved with the Divine during his miraculous Night Journey and Ascension (Isra' and Mi'raj). The phrase 'qaba qawsayn aw adna' (the distance of two bows' length or even nearer) indicates an extraordinarily close spiritual closeness to Allah that no other creation has experienced. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari interpret this as describing the unparalleled station of the Prophet, where he came closer to the Divine Presence than the span of two archers' bows, emphasizing both the miraculous nature of the event and the Prophet's unique spiritual rank.
Revelation Context
This ayah is part of Surah An-Najm, which details the Prophet's experience of the Mi'raj—his miraculous night ascension through the heavens. The surah was revealed in Mecca during the middle Meccan period and serves to affirm the supernatural realities of the unseen realm and validate the Prophet's extraordinary spiritual experience, which many contemporaries initially disbelieved.
Related Hadiths
Sahih Bukhari (3887): The Prophet Muhammad described his ascension, stating he was brought to the Lote Tree of the Utmost Boundary (Sidrat al-Muntaha) in the seventh heaven. Muslim (172): Detailed accounts of the Mi'raj in which the Prophet witnessed the Divine signs and experienced closeness to Allah that transcended normal human experience.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah reminds believers that Allah can bring His chosen servants into extraordinary proximity to His presence, transcending ordinary human limitations, and encourages us to recognize the Prophet's unparalleled spiritual rank. It also serves as evidence that the spiritual realm is real and accessible to those whom Allah chooses, inspiring believers to seek closeness to the Divine through obedience and remembrance.