Ala-Maududi
(53:11) His heart added no untruth to what he saw.[10]
10. That is, as the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) observed all this in broad daylight in
the waking condition, with open eyes, his heart did not deem it was a delusion, or that it was a
jinn or a devil, who had appeared before him, or that it was an imaginary figure, or a vision
that he was seeing while awake. His heart fully confirmed what his eyes saw that it was the
Angel Gabriel and the message he was conveying was indeed God’s revelation to him.
Here, the question arises: How is it that the Prophet (peace be upon him) did not entertain any
doubt at all concerning such a wonderful and extraordinary observation, and he confirmed with
full faith that whatever his eyes saw was a real face and not an imaginary figure, nor a jinn
nor devil? When we consider this question deeply we are led to five reasons for it:
First, that the external conditions in which this observation was made, testified to its truth
and validity. The Prophet (peace be upon him) did not observe this in darkness, or in a state of
meditation, or in a vision, or in a sleep-like condition, but the day had dawned and he was
fully awake, and he was seeing the whole scene in the broad daylight in the open with his own
eyes precisely in the way as one sees the other things in the world. If doubt is cast on this,
then whatever we see in the day time, e.g. rivers, mountains, men, houses, etc., also would
become doubtful and illusory.
Second, that the Prophet’s (peace be upon him) own internal condition also testified to its
validity. He was in his full senses. He had no idea whatever in his mind that he should observe,
or that he was going to observe such a thing. His mind was absolutely free from such a thought
and any longing for it, and in this state he met with this experience suddenly. There was no
room for doubting that the eyes were seeing an actual scene, but that an imaginary thing had
appeared before his eyes.
Third, that the being who had appeared before him in that condition was so marvelous and
magnificent, so beautiful and bright, that neither had he ever had any concept of such a being
before that he could take it for a product of his own imagination, nor could a jinn or a devil
have such an appearance that he would have taken him for a being other than an angel. Abdullah
bin Masud has reported that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: I saw Gabriel in the shape
that he had six hundred wings. (Musnad Ahmad). In another tradition, Ibn Masud has further
explained that each single wing of Gabriel was so extensive that it seemed to be covering the
whole horizon. (Musnad Ahmad). Allah Himself has described him as shadid al-quwa (one mighty in
power) and dhu-mirra (one endowed with great wisdom).
Fourth, that the teaching that the being was imparting also testified to the validity of the
observation. The Prophet (peace be upon him) had no concept of the knowledge that he received
suddenly through him, a knowledge that comprehended the realities and truths of the whole
universe. About it he could not have the doubt that it consisted of his own ideas which were
being set and arranged by his own mind. Likewise, there was no ground for thinking either that
it was Satan who was imparting that knowledge to him and thus deluding him, for it is not for
Satan that he should teach, nor can he ever teach, the doctrine of Tauhid to man as against
polytheism and idolworship, that he should warn of the accountability of the Hereafter, that he
should create contempt against ignorance and its practices, that he should invite people to
moral excellences, and should exhort a person not only to accept that teaching himself but
should also rise to eradicate polytheism, injustice, wickedness and sin from the world and
replace these evils by the virtues of Tauhid, justice, equity and piety.
The fifth and by far the most important reason is that when Allah chooses a certain person for
His Prophethood, He cleanses his heart of doubts and suspicions and evil suggestions and fills
it with faith and conviction. In that state no hesitation or vacillation is caused in his mind
about the validity of whatever his eyes see and his ears hear. He accepts with complete
satisfaction of the heart every truth that is revealed to him by his Lord, whether it is in the
form of an observation that he is made to witness with the eyes, or in the form of knowledge
which he is inspired with, or in the form of a revelation that is recited to him literally. In
all these cases the Prophet is fully aware that he is absolutely safe and secure against Satanic
interference of every kind, and whatever he is receiving in any form is precisely and definitely
from his Lord. Like all God-given feelings this sense and feeling of the Prophet also is a
certainty which does not admit of any misunderstanding. Just as the fish has a God-given sense
of being a swimmer, the bird of being a bird, and the man of being a man, and there can be no
likelihood of any misunderstanding in this regard, so has the Prophet also a God given sense of
his being a Prophet. He does not even for a moment entertain the doubt that he has perhaps been
involved in the misunderstanding of being a Prophet.