The Quran Verse of the Week: Quran 19:64: A Shia Tafsir on Quran 19:64

The Quran Verse of the Week

[Gabriel said],‘We only descend [with revelation] at your Lord’s command––everything before us, everything behind us, everything in between, all belongs to Him––your Lord is never forgetful. (19:64)

In this post we are going to take a look at the interpretation from a Shia tafsir. The following is from An Enlightening Commentary into the Light of the Holy Quran vol. 9 by Ayatullah Allamah Al-Hajj Sayyid Kamal Faqhih Imani. This commentary is freely avaliable online at, https://www.al-islam.org/enlightening-commentary-light-holy-quran-vol-9

Occasions of Revelation

Upon the preceding verse, a group of commentators have said that the descent of the revelations of Allah was discontinued for a few days, Gabriel, the harbinger of divine revelation, did not come to the Prophet (S). After this period, when Gabriel came to the Prophet (S) he asked him why he delayed and he (the Prophet) was anxious to see him.

Gabriel said:

“I am more anxious (to see you), but I am a commissioned servant. When I am commanded to come, I come; and when I am not commanded, I restrain (to come).”ⁱ

For these verses, of course, there is a particular occasion of revelation, which was referred to in the above, but this matter does not hinder that there be a logical connection and relation between them and the former verses. This is an emphasis on the fact that whatever verses Gabriel has brought are utterly from the side of Allah and nothing is said from himself. The first verse, from the tongue of the harbinger of revelation, says: “And we (angels) do not descend but by the command of your Lord…” Every thing belongs to Him and we (angels) are some servants all submitted, because: “…to Him belongs whatever is before us and whatever is behind us and whatever is between these (two)!…” In short, the future and the past and present, here and there and everywhere, this world and Hereafter and the intermediate world all belong to the Pure Essence of Allah.And, you should also do know that your Lord has not been, and is not, forgetful. The verse says: “…And your Lord is not forgetful.”

i The Commentary of Qurtabi, vol. 6, p.4168, and Majma‘-ul-Bayan

The Quran Verse of the Week: Quran 19:64: Sunni Tafsirs On Quran 19:64

The Quran Verse of the Week

[Gabriel said],‘We only descend [with revelation] at your Lord’s command––everything before us, everything behind us, everything in between, all belongs to Him––your Lord is never forgetful. (19:64)

After looking up the reason for revelation, (ideally) the larger history surrounding the time in which the verse was revealed, related Quran verses, and ahadith, we are now ready to turn our attention to what some of the great masters of tafsir have to say about this verse.

In this post we are going to take a look at the interpretations of two classic Sunni tafsirs, Tafsir al-Jalalayn and The Tafsir of Ibn Abbas.

The following are taken from Tafsir al-Jalalayn translated by Feras Hamza and Tafsir of Ibn Abbas translated by Mokrane Guezzou, respectively. Both of these can be found online, for free, at http://www.altafsir.com/

Tafsir al-Jalalayn

When the Revelation did not come for a number of days, the Prophet (s) said to Gabriel, ‘What prevents you from visiting us more often than you do?’ and so the following was revealed: And We do not descend except by the commandment of your Lord. To Him belongs all that is before us, namely, ahead of us, of the affairs of the Hereafter, and all that is behind us, of the affairs of this world, and all that is between those [two], namely, all that takes place from this [point in] time until the coming of the Hour, in other words, to Him belongs knowledge of all of those things. And your Lord is never forgetful, meaning that He is never neglectful of you [even] when the Revelation is postponed from [being sent to] you.ⁱ

Tafsir of Ibn Abbas

(We (angels) come not down) from heaven (save by commandment of thy Lord) O Muhammad. Gabriel said this when Allah withheld the revelation from him for a while after being asked by the Quraysh about the spirit, the two-horned (Dhu’l-Qarnayn) and the people of the Cave. (Unto Him belongs all that is before us) of the matter of the Hereafter (and all that is behind us) of the matter of this worldly life (and all that is between those two) between the two blowings of the Trumpet, (and your Lord was never forgetful) your Lord has not forgotten you since He first sent you the Revelation.ⁱⁱ

iTafsir al-Jalalayn translated by Hamza 19:64

iiTafsir of Ibn Abbas translated by Guezzou 19:64