Tafsir of Al-Fajr 89:3

The Shafi' and the Watr, according to what is in the marfu' (attributed) hadith of Jabir to which we have previously alluded, are the Day of Sacrifice (Yawm al-Nahr) and the Day of Arafat. Al-Tibi said: We have narrated from Imam Ahmad and al-Tirmidhi, from Imran ibn Husayn, that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) was asked about the Shafi' and the Watr, and he said: "The prayer is partly Shafi' and partly Watr." He then said: "This is the explanation from which there is no escaping." This has also been narrated from Imran by 'Abd ibn Humayd, Ibn Jarir, Ibn al-Mundhir, Ibn Mardawayh, and Ibn Abi Hatim, and they declared it authentic. However, it is stated in al-Bahr that the hadith of Jabir has a more authentic chain of narration than the hadith of Imran ibn Husayn.

Beyond this, there are many opinions: 'Abd ibn Humayd narrated from al-Hasan that he said: "Our Lord swore by all numbers; some are even (Shafi') and some are odd (Watr)." 'Abd al-Razzaq narrated from Mujahid that he said: "All of creation is even and odd, so He, the Glorified, swore by His creation." Ibn al-Mundhir and a group narrated from him (Mujahid) that he said: "Allah the Exalted is the Watr (One/Odd), and His creation is the Shafi' (even/paired), the male and the female." A similar report is narrated from Abu Salih and Masruq, who recited: "And of all things We have created pairs" (51:49).

It is also said: The intended meaning is the even and odd nights of those [ten] nights. Another opinion is that the Shafi' refers to the days of 'Ad and the Watr to their nights. It is also said that the Shafi' refers to the gates of Paradise and the Watr to the gates of the Fire. There are other opinions as well; it is mentioned in the book al-Tahrir wa al-Tahbir that there are thirty-six opinions regarding them. In al-Kashshaf, it is stated: "They have elaborated so much on the Shafi' and the Watr that they have almost encompassed all the types of things to which these terms apply, and that is of little benefit and worth ignoring."

Some scholars have said: The wording al-Shafi' and al-Watr does not signify the specification or designation of anything they have mentioned; rather, it indicates a universal meaning that encompasses all of it. Perhaps those who interpreted them in a specific way did not claim that the meaning is restricted to what they mentioned, but rather they singled out from the types of what these terms signify that which they saw as having the clearest evidence for Monotheism (Tawhid), or being foundational to the religion, or relevant to what precedes or follows it, or having a greater benefit necessitating gratitude, or other such subtleties. When the interpretation of them by the Lawgiver (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) in some of these ways is established, it is apparent that it is not based on restricting the meaning, but rather it is by way of providing examples of what he saw as having a significant benefit in being specifically mentioned. Consequently, it is permissible for the exegete to apply the term to other potential meanings for the sake of another benefit.

This is an inclination toward the view that the definite article 'al' in both words refers to the genus, not to a specific precedent. However, the apparent meaning of the aforementioned hadiths is that they are definitive in their designation rather than merely representative. If what is said in al-Bahr is correct, then the reliance should be placed upon the hadith of Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him). And Allah the Exalted knows the reality of the matter.

Hamzah, al-Kisa'i, al-Aghar from Ibn Abbas, Abu Raja', Ibn Wathab, Qatadah, Talhah, and al-Hasan (with a differing opinion from him) read it as al-Witr with a kasrah on the waw. This is the dialect of Tamim. The majority read it with a fathah on the waw, which is the dialect of Quraysh. They are two dialects, like al-hibr and al-habr, both meaning "the scholar," according to the author of al-Matli', in reference to the Watr which is the opposite of Shafi'. As for al-witr meaning al-tira (vengeance or animosity), the kasrah is the only pronunciation heard. Al-Asma'i held that both dialects apply to that as well. Yunus reported from Abu 'Amr the reading with a fathah on the waw and a kasrah on the ta', which is either a dialect or a transference of the vowel of the waw in the state of waqf (pause) to the letter preceding it.