Tafsir of Ghafir 40:15

"Exalted of degrees" (Rafi‘ al-Darajat): This is a participle functioning as a noun (sifah mushabbahah) attributed to its active agent, derived from "the thing was raised" (rafa‘a al-shay’), meaning it became high. It is also permissible to consider it an intensive form (sighat mubalaghah) from the category of those who perform the action, attributed to the object, though this is strained.

"The degrees" are the ascents of the angels—upon them be peace—until they reach the Throne; that is, He is the Exalter of the ranks of His angels and their pathways to His Throne. Ibn Jubayr interpreted this as the heavens, and there is no harm in this, for the angels ascend from one heaven to another until they reach the Throne. However, he treated "Exalter" (Rafi‘an) as an active participle attributed to the object, saying: "He raised one heaven above another, and the Throne is above them all." As you have just heard, there is a remoteness in this view. Describing Him, the Almighty, with this is to indicate—by way of inclusion—His glory and His sovereignty.

It is also possible that it is a metonymy for the loftiness of His status and His authority, just as His saying, "Possessor of the Throne," is a metonymy for His kingdom. There is no consideration here as to whether He, the Sublime, has a physical throne or not; for a metonymy, even if it does not negate the possibility of a literal meaning, does not necessitate that it be intended. It is related from Ibn Zayd that he said: "It means [He is] Great in attributes," which seems to be an explanation of the implied metonymical meaning. It has been said: "These are the degrees of His reward which He grants to His allies on the Day of Resurrection." This is reported from Ibn ‘Abbas and Ibn Salam, and it is more appropriate to His saying, "So call upon Allah, [being] sincere to Him in religion." The first meaning is more appropriate to His saying, "He casts the Spirit of His command," as it includes the mention of the angels—upon them be peace—who are the ones who descend with the Spirit, as He, the Sublime, says: "He sends down the angels with the Spirit of His command."

In any case, "Exalted of degrees," "Possessor of the Throne," and the sentence "He casts" are three predications. It is said: They follow from His saying, "It is He who shows you..." [al-Mu'min: 13], though Abu Hayyan considered this unlikely due to the length of the separation. It is also said: They follow an implied predicate, and the sentence serves as a justification for specifying worship and sincerity in religion for Him alone. It includes the explanation of sending down spiritual sustenance after the explanation of sending down physical sustenance in "He sends down for you from the sky provision." For the "Spirit" (al-Ruh), according to what is reported from Qatada, is Revelation; according to what is reported from Ibn ‘Abbas, it is the Quran, which runs through hearts as the spirit runs through bodies. Al-Dahhak explained it as Gabriel—upon him be peace—who is the life of hearts in view of the knowledge he brings down. Ibn ‘Atiyyah permitted it to mean everything with which Allah favors His servants who are guided, in granting understanding of faith and noble rational truths, though this is as you see.

Regarding His saying, "of His command," it is said: It is an explanation of the "Spirit," interpreted in a way that includes both command and prohibition. The term "command" (amr) was preferred over the term "revelation" (wahy) to indicate that the life of hearts is specifically achieved through revelation by means of both the "stripping away" [of impurities] and the "adornment" [with virtues] obtained through obedience and abstinence.

It is reported from Ibn ‘Abbas that "command" means "decree" (qada'). Thus, the particle "of" (min) is originative, connected to an implied element acting as a state (hal) from the "Spirit"—meaning originating from His command—or as an attribute to it, according to the opinion of those who permit the omission of the relative pronoun from part of its relative clause, meaning "that which originates from His command." Some interpreted it as "the angel," making "of" originative and connected to an implied element acting as a state or attribute as previously mentioned, with the angel being the source of revelation because he receives it from Him. Those who interpreted the Spirit as Gabriel—upon him be peace—said: "of" denotes causality, connected to "casts," meaning: He sends down the Spirit for the sake of delivering His command.

"Upon whom He wills of His servants"—namely, the one whom He, the Sublime, has chosen for His message and to deliver His rulings to them. The renewal and continuity implied by "He casts" (yulqi) is evident; for the casting [of revelation] has not ceased from the time of Adam—upon him be peace—until the end of the time of our Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—and it remains in the status of continuity until the Hour is established, through the presence of those who uphold the call. According to what Abu Dawud reported from Abu Hurayrah, from the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—he said: "Indeed, Allah will send for this nation at the head of every hundred years someone who will renew for it its religion," meaning by reviving that which had worn away of acting upon the Book and the Sunnah, and commanding what is required by them. The matter of this renewal, according to what Ibn ‘Atiyyah allowed, does not require what has been mentioned.

"Exalted" (Rafi‘) was recited in the accusative case as a form of praise. "To warn" is the causal reason for the "casting." The implied pronoun therein refers to Allah, the Sublime, or to "whom," meaning the one to whom it is cast, or to the Spirit, or to the Command. Its return to the one to whom it is cast—the Messenger—is closer in wording and meaning due to the proximity of the reference and the strength of the attribution; for he is the one who truly warns of the Fire without an intermediary. Abu Hayyan leaned toward it returning to Him, the Sublime, because He is the one spoken about.

"The Day of Meeting": This is a direct object for "to warn," or it acts as an adverb of time, while the thing being warned of is omitted; that is, "to warn of the punishment or the like on the Day of Meeting." And His saying, the Sublime...