Tafsir of Al-Mulk 67:4

Tafsir of Surah Al-Mulk (67:4)

(4) Then return the sight again and again.

This is a command to repeat the gaze upon the creation of the Most Merciful, in the manner of thorough examination and tracking, to see if you find any flaw or defect therein.

This means that if you repeat your look, your sight will not return to you having found what you sought—the discovery of defect or blemish. Rather, it will return to you "khāsi'an" (abased/repulsed).

• "Khāsi'an": This comes from the root meaning of driving something away, as in saying, "I repulsed the dog" (khasta'tu al-kalb), meaning I drove it far away. Al-Mubarrid said: Al-khāsi' is the repulsed and diminished one. Ibn Abbas said: Al-khāsi' is the one who did not see what he desired.

• "Hasīran" (and [your sight] frustrated/weary): Ibn Abbas said this means weary or fatigued (kalīl). Al-Layth said: Fatigue and weariness (al-hasr wa al-husūr) mean exhaustion. Al-Wahidi mentioned two possibilities here:
  1. That al-hasīr is the passive participle from the verb hasara al-'ayn (the eye became weary) after viewing the object. Ru'bah said:

     He makes his eyes weary, and they become wide open.

  2. The view of Al-Farra': That it is the active participle from al-husūr, which means exhaustion. The meaning is that even if he repeats and returns his gaze, he will not find any defect or crack; rather, the sight returns exhausted from fatigue and weariness.

Here are two questions regarding this verse:

First Question: How does the sight return abased and weary after only two returns (karratayn)?

Answer: The dual form here refers to repetition in abundance, similar to the saying, "Labbayka wa sa'dayk" (At your service, again and again), which implies successive responses.

Second Question: What is the meaning of "Thumma irji' al-baṣar" (Then return the sight)?

Answer: He is commanded to return his sight, and then commanded not to be satisfied with the first return, but rather to pause after it, fix his gaze, then return and repeat it until his sight becomes weary from the length of the repetition, yet he will still not stumble upon any flaw.