At-Takwir (The Overthrowing): (19) Indeed, it is the saying of a messenger...

And know that when the Almighty swore by something, He followed it by mentioning what He swore upon, saying: {Indeed, it is the saying of a noble messenger} (81:19).

There are two opinions regarding this:

1. The First Opinion (The Famous One): That what is meant is that the Qur'an was brought down by Gabriel (Jibrīl).
   • A Strong Objection Arises Here: If God swore that this is the saying of Gabriel, then we are obliged to believe him in that. Even if we do not hold that the literal meaning must be accepted, the possibility remains. If this is the case, it is established that this Qur'an might be the word of Gabriel, not the word of God.
   • If it were the word of Gabriel, it would cease to be a miracle (mu'jiz), because it is possible that Gabriel delivered it to Muhammad (peace be upon him) as a means of misguidance.
   • It cannot be answered by saying that Gabriel is infallible (ma'sūm) and would not commit misguidance, because our knowledge of Gabriel's infallibility is derived from the Prophet's truthfulness, and the Prophet's truthfulness depends on the Qur'an being a miracle, and the Qur'an being a miracle depends on Gabriel's infallibility. This results in a circular argument (dawr), which is impossible.
   • The Answer: Those who argued that the Qur'an was a miracle due to Sarfah (the turning away of people's ability to imitate it) adopted that position to escape this very question. According to that view, the miracle is not in the eloquence itself, but in God removing the knowledge and the drive [to imitate] from the hearts, which no one can do except God Almighty.

2. The Second Opinion: That what Muhammad is informing you about concerning the Hour, as mentioned in this Sura, is neither soothsaying, nor conjecture, nor fabrication; rather, it is the saying of Gabriel, who brought it to him as revelation from God Almighty.

Know that the Almighty described Gabriel here with six attributes:

1. That he is a Messenger (Rasūl): Undoubtedly, he is the Messenger of God to the Prophets. Thus, he is a messenger, and all Prophets are his community (ummah). This is what is meant by His saying: {He sends down the angels with the Spirit by His command upon whom He wills of His servants} (16:2), and **{The trustworthy Spirit brought it down upon your heart}* (26:193-194).
2. That he is Noble (Karīm): Part of his nobility is that he bestows the noblest of gifts, which are knowledge, guidance, and direction.