Al-Najm (The Star): (17) His gaze swerved not...

Issue 1: The definite article al- (ال) in {al-baṣar} (the gaze).

This definite article admits of two interpretations:

1. The well-known meaning: It refers to the gaze of Muhammad (PBUH).
   • If we interpret the covering of the Lote Tree (Sidrat al-Muntahā) as locusts or moths (as a test), then "His gaze swerved not" means he did not look away, nor was he distracted by them, nor did he cut off his sight from the intended object. In this case, the covering by locusts/moths served as a trial and test for Muhammad (PBUH).
   • If we interpret the covering as the Lights of God, there are two possibilities:
     • He did not look to the right or the left, but was fully engaged in contemplating those Lights.
     • His gaze did not swerve due to being struck by awe (like fainting), unlike Moses (peace be upon him), who averted his gaze and fainted. The first interpretation demonstrates the etiquette of Muhammad (PBUH), and the second demonstrates his strength.

2. The article al- is for generic definition (li-taʿrīf al-jins): Meaning, his gaze did not swerve at all in that place due to the immense majesty/awe.
   • If this were the case, one might ask: Why did He not say, "His gaze swerved not" (using the indefinite form baṣar), as the indefinite noun in a negative context implies generality?
   • The response is that this is similar to His saying: {Vision perceives Him not} (Al-Anʿām: 103), and He did not say, "No vision perceives Him" (lā yudrikuhu baṣar).

Issue 2: If the intended meaning is Muhammad's gaze, would saying "His heart swerved not" (mā zāgha qalbuhu) have sufficed to convey the meaning of {His gaze swerved not}?

No. This is because when someone is present before a great King, they naturally feel awe and trembling out of respect for His greatness, even if their heart is strong. Therefore, saying {His gaze swerved not} conveys the significance that the matter was so great that his sight did not deviate, which was not due to a lack of choice on the part of the gazer.

Issue 3: The meaning of {and nor did it transgress} (wa mā ṭaghā).

This is a conjunction of an independent clause to another clause, or the conjunction of an implied clause to a clause.

• Independent: Zayd went out, and ʿAmr came in.
• Implied: Zayd went out, and [he] came in.

Both interpretations are permissible here:

1. Independent Clause: It is as if the Almighty said upon the appearance of the Light: His gaze did not swerve, and Muhammad did not transgress due to turning away. If he had turned away, he would have been transgressing.
2. Implied Clause (More apparent):
   • Based on the view that the Lote Tree was covered by locusts, "His gaze swerved not" means he did not look at them. {And nor did it transgress} means he did not turn toward anything other than God.
   • Based on the view that it was covered by Light, {His gaze swerved not} means he did not incline away from the Lights, and {and nor did it transgress} means he did not seek anything beyond them.

A subtle point: God Almighty said, mā zāgha (did not swerve) and mā ṭaghā (did not transgress), and did not say mā māla (did not incline) or mā jāwaza (did not exceed). This is because inclination (mayl) and exceeding (mujāwaza) are blameworthy in that situation, so the terms zaygh (deviation) and ṭughyān (transgression) were used for them.

Another interpretation: This serves as a clarification that Muhammad (PBUH) reached the Lote Tree of Certainty, above which there is no certainty.

• {His gaze swerved not}: He did not incline away from the true path; he did not see the thing contrary to what it truly was. This is unlike one who looks at the sun, for example, and then looks at something white; he sees it as yellow or green because his sight has deviated from the norm of vision.
• {and nor did it transgress}: He did not imagine the non-existent to be existent, thus seeing the non-existent as exceeding the limit.

! 7 < { He had certainly seen of the Great Signs of his Lord. } > 7 !