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Surah An-Najm, Verse 9

سورة النجم، الآية ٩

53:9 Juz 27 Hizb 53 Page 526 of the mushaf Meccan surah

Text of verse 53:9

فَكَانَ قَابَ قَوْسَيْنِ أَوْ أَدْنَىٰ ۝٩

Transliteration

fakāna qāba qawsayni aw adnā

Translation

And was at a distance of two bow lengths or nearer.

Translation in another language
Mahmoud Khalil Al-Hussary Read in the surah

Verse 9 of Surah An-Najm (53:9), a Meccan surah, is in juz 27, on page 526 of the mushaf. Read it in Arabic with its transliteration, translations and tafsir, and listen to it recited by 74 reciters.

Listen to verse 9 of Surah An-Najm

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Tafsir of verse 9

Al-Mukhtasar

So his closeness to him was the distance of two bow lengths or even closer.

Tafsir of the whole Surah An-Najm

Other translations of verse 9

until he was only two bow-lengths away or even closer.

And was at a distance of two bows’ length or (even) nearer.

Till he was (distant) two bows' length or even nearer,

And was at a distance of but two bow-lengths or (even) nearer;

So he was the measure of two bows or closer still.

So he was at two bows (distance) or (even) closer (still).

Verse 9 word by word

  1. فَكَانَ fakāna And was ك و ن
  2. قَابَ qāba (at) a distance ق و ب
  3. قَوْسَيْنِ qawsayni (of) two bow-(lengths) ق و س
  4. أَوْ aw or
  5. أَدْنَىٰ adnā nearer د ن و

Hadiths that cite this verse

Authentic Muttafaq ‘alayh (Bukhari and Muslim) Sahih al-Bukhari 3235

I asked Aisha "What about His Statement:-- "Then he (Gabriel) approached And came closer, And was at a distance Of but two bow-lengths Or (even) nearer?" (53.8-9) She replied, "It was Gabriel who used to come to the Prophet (ﷺ) in the figure of a man, but on that occasion, he came in his actual and…

ذَاكَ جِبْرِيلُ كَانَ يَأْتِيهِ فِي صُورَةِ الرَّجُلِ، وَإِنَّهُ أَتَاهُ هَذِهِ الْمَرَّةَ فِي صُورَتِهِ الَّتِي هِيَ صُورَتُهُ، فَسَدَّ الأُفُقَ‏.‏

Narrated by Ā’ishah + 1 other version

Authentic Muttafaq ‘alayh (Bukhari and Muslim) Sahih al-Bukhari 4856

Regarding the Verses: 'And was at a distance of but two bow-lengths or (even) nearer; So did (Allah) convey the Inspiration to His slave (Gabriel) and then he Gabriel) conveyed (that to Muhammad...' (53.9-10) Ibn Mas`ud narrated to us that the Prophet (ﷺ) had seen Gabriel with six hundred wings.

أَنَّهُ رَأَى جِبْرِيلَ لَهُ سِتُّمِائَةِ جَنَاحٍ‏.‏

Narrated by Abdullah ibn Mas‘ūd + 3 other versions

Authentic Muttafaq ‘alayh (Bukhari and Muslim) Sahih al-Bukhari 4857

I asked Zirr about the Statement of Allah: 'And was at a distance of but two bow-lengths or (even) nearer. So did Allah convey the Inspiration to His slave (Gabriel) and then he (Gabriel) conveyed that to Muhammad.' (53.10) He said, "Abdullah (bin Mas`ud) informed us that Muhammad had seen Gabriel…

أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا صلى الله عليه وسلم رَأَى جِبْرِيلَ لَهُ سِتُّمِائَةِ جَنَاحٍ‏.‏

Narrated by Abdullah ibn Mas‘ūd + 3 other versions

Authentic Muttafaq ‘alayh (Bukhari and Muslim) Sahih Muslim 177d

I said to 'A'isha: What about the words of Allah:" Then he drew nigh and came down, so he was at a distance of two bows or closer still: so He revealed to His servant what He revealed" (al-Qur'an, liii. 8-10)? She said: It implies Gabriel. He used to come to him (the Holy Prophet) in the shape of…

جِبْرِيلُ صلى الله عليه وسلم كَانَ يَأْتِيهِ فِي صُورَةِ الرِّجَالِ وَإِنَّهُ أَتَاهُ فِي هَذِهِ الْمَرَّةِ فِي صُورَتِهِ الَّتِي هِيَ صُورَتُهُ فَسَدَّ أُفُقَ السَّمَاءِ ‏.‏

Narrated by Ā’ishah + 1 other version

Other hadiths (8)

Verses related to verse 9

Cited by Ibn Kathir in his explanation of this verse

  • Ash-Sharh 94:4

    وَرَفَعْنَا لَكَ ذِكْرَكَ

    And raised high for you your repute.

  • Al-Baqarah 2:74

    ثُمَّ قَسَتْ قُلُوبُكُم مِّنۢ بَعْدِ ذَٰلِكَ فَهِىَ كَٱلْحِجَارَةِ أَوْ أَشَدُّ قَسْوَةً وَإِنَّ مِنَ ٱلْحِجَارَةِ لَمَا يَتَفَجَّرُ مِنْهُ ٱلْأَنْهَٰرُ وَإِنَّ مِنْهَا لَمَا يَشَّقَّقُ فَيَخْرُجُ مِنْهُ ٱلْمَآءُ وَإِنَّ مِنْهَا لَمَا يَهْبِطُ مِنْ خَشْيَةِ ٱللَّهِ وَمَا ٱللَّهُ بِغَٰفِلٍ عَمَّا تَعْمَلُونَ

    Then your hearts became hardened after that, being like stones or even harder. For indeed, there are stones from which rivers burst forth, and there are some of them that split open and water comes out, and there are some of them that fall down for fear of Allāh. And Allāh is not unaware of what you do.

  • An-Nisa 4:77

    أَلَمْ تَرَ إِلَى ٱلَّذِينَ قِيلَ لَهُمْ كُفُّوٓا۟ أَيْدِيَكُمْ وَأَقِيمُوا۟ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَءَاتُوا۟ ٱلزَّكَوٰةَ فَلَمَّا كُتِبَ عَلَيْهِمُ ٱلْقِتَالُ إِذَا فَرِيقٌ مِّنْهُمْ يَخْشَوْنَ ٱلنَّاسَ كَخَشْيَةِ ٱللَّهِ أَوْ أَشَدَّ خَشْيَةً وَقَالُوا۟ رَبَّنَا لِمَ كَتَبْتَ عَلَيْنَا ٱلْقِتَالَ لَوْلَآ أَخَّرْتَنَآ إِلَىٰٓ أَجَلٍ قَرِيبٍ قُلْ مَتَٰعُ ٱلدُّنْيَا قَلِيلٌ وَٱلْـَٔاخِرَةُ خَيْرٌ لِّمَنِ ٱتَّقَىٰ وَلَا تُظْلَمُونَ فَتِيلًا

    Have you not seen those who were told, "Restrain your hands [from fighting] and establish prayer and give zakāh"? But then when battle was ordained for them, at once a party of them feared men as they fear Allāh or with [even] greater fear. They said, "Our Lord, why have You decreed upon us fighting? If only You had postponed [it for] us for a short time." Say, "The enjoyment of this world is little, and the Hereafter is better for he who fears Allāh. And injustice will not be done to you, [even] as much as a thread [inside a date seed]."

  • As-Saffat 37:147

    وَأَرْسَلْنَٰهُ إِلَىٰ مِا۟ئَةِ أَلْفٍ أَوْ يَزِيدُونَ

    And We sent him to [his people of] a hundred thousand or more.

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