Tafsir of Ad-Dhuha 93:7

Surah Ad-Duha (The Morning Light): Verse 7

{ وَوَجَدَكَ ضَالًّا فَهَدَى } (And He found you lost and guided you.)

Some scholars hold that the Prophet (PBUH) was a disbeliever in the beginning, whom Allah then guided and made a Prophet.

• Al-Kalbī said: "Lost" (ضَالًّا) means you were a disbeliever among misguided people, so He guided you to Monotheism (Tawhīd).
• As-Suddī said: He was upon the religion of his people for forty years.
• Mujāhid said: "Lost" means unaware of the guidance intended for him (the Prophethood).

Evidence cited for this view: They cite other verses, such as:

• { And verily, before this, you were among the heedless } (Ash-Shūrā: 52).
• { And indeed, before it, you were of those unaware } (Yūsuf: 3).
• { If you should commit shirk, your deeds would surely become worthless } (Az-Zumar: 65).

They argue that these verses imply the possibility of prior error, necessitating that the verse { And He found you lost } be interpreted accordingly.

The Majority View (Al-Jumhūr): The consensus among scholars is that the Prophet (PBUH) never disbelieved in Allah even for a single moment.

• The Mu'tazila argued that this view (of prior disbelief) is rationally impossible because it would repel people from accepting him.
• Our companions (Ahl al-Sunnah) argue that it is not rationally impossible; it is conceivable that a person could be a disbeliever, and then Allah grants him faith and honors him with Prophethood. However, the transmitted evidence (Dalīl al-Sam'ī) proves that this conceivable event did not actually occur, as stated in: { Your companion is neither astray nor deluded } (An-Najm: 2).

The scholars provided many interpretations for this verse:

1. Unaware of the Path: Narrated from Ibn 'Abbās, Al-Hasan, Ad-Ḍaḥḥāk, and Shahr ibn Ḥawshab: "Lost" means unaware of the signs of divine blessings (ma'ālim al-ni'mah) and the rulings of the Sharia, so He guided you to them. This aligns with { And verily, before this, you were among the heedless }.

2. Lost from His Wet Nurse: He was lost from his wet nurse, Ḥalīmah, when she intended to return him to his grandfather. This led to her entering the sanctuary of Hubal, where the idols fell down, and a voice was heard saying: "The destruction of these idols is at the hands of this boy." (A long story follows this point).

3. Lost from His Grandfather: Narrated in a marfū' report that the Prophet (PBUH) said: "I was lost from my grandfather 'Abd al-Muṭṭalib as a lost child; hunger almost killed me, so Allah guided me." Ad-Ḍaḥḥāk mentioned that he clung to the curtains of the Ka'bah, reciting:

   O Lord, return my son Muḥammad! O my Lord, return him and bestow a favor upon me! He kept repeating this near the House until Abū Jahl approached him on a she-camel, saying: "We do not know what to do about your son." 'Abd al-Muṭṭalib asked why. Abū Jahl replied: "I tethered the she-camel and made him ride behind me, but the she-camel refused to stand. When I made him ride in front of me, the she-camel stood up, as if saying: 'O fool, he is the leader (Imām), how can he ride behind the one being followed?'" Ibn 'Abbās said: Allah returned him to his grandfather through the hand of his enemy, just as He did with Moses, preserving him through the hand of his enemy.

4. Lost on a Journey: When he went out with Khadījah's servant, Maysarah, a disbeliever seized the reins of his camel, causing them to get lost. Allah then sent Gabriel (AS) in the form of a man who guided him back to the caravan. Another account suggests Abū Ṭālib lost him on the way to Syria, and Allah guided him.

5. Submerged Among Disbelievers: It is said that water is called ḍāll when it is submerged. The meaning is: You were submerged among the disbelievers in Mecca, so Allah strengthened you until you manifested His religion.

6. A Unique Tree: Arabs call a solitary tree in the desert ḍāllah. It is as if Allah is saying: That land was like a wilderness (mafāzah) containing no tree bearing the fruit of faith in Allah and His knowledge except you. Thus, you were a solitary tree in the wilderness of ignorance, and He found you lost (unique/solitary) and guided people through you. This is analogous to the Prophet's saying: "Wisdom is the lost property (ḍāllat) of the believer."

7. Lacking Knowledge: He was lost from the knowledge of Allah while he was a young child, as in { And Allah brought you out from the wombs of your mothers while you knew nothing } (An-Naḥl: 78). So, Allah created in you intellect, guidance, and knowledge. The term "lost" here means devoid of knowledge, not characterized by erroneous belief.

8. Unaware of Prophethood: You were lost from the possibility of Prophethood; you did not aspire to it, nor did it cross your mind, especially since the Jews and Christians claimed Prophethood belonged to the Children of Israel. So, He guided you to the Prophethood you never expected.

9. Addressing the People: Sometimes the Master (Sayyid) is addressed, but the intended meaning refers to his people. Thus, { And He found you lost } means: He found your people misguided, so He guided them through you and your Law.

10. Isolated from the Misguided: He was found isolated from the misguided, separate from their religion. The greater your distance from them, the greater their misguidance. He guided you by making you mix with them and call them to the clear religion.

11. Lost Regarding Emigration: You were lost regarding the Hijra, confused under the control of Quraysh, wishing to leave them, but you could not depart without Allah's permission. When He permitted it, and the Truthful One (Aṣ-Ṣiddīq) agreed with him, and He guided him to the tent of Umm Ma'bad, and what followed regarding Suraqah and the manifestation of strength in religion—that was the meaning of { so He guided }.

12. Lost Regarding the Qibla: You were lost regarding the Qibla, wishing that the Ka'bah be made your direction, but you did not know if that would happen. So Allah guided you by saying: { We will surely turn you to a Qibla that pleases you } (Al-Baqarah: 144). This state of confusion was termed "lostness."

13. Fear of Gabriel: When Gabriel first appeared to him, he did not know if it was Gabriel or not and feared him intensely, sometimes wanting to throw himself from the mountain. Allah guided him until he recognized that it was Gabriel (AS).

14. Meaning Love: "Lost" can mean love, as in { Indeed, you are in your old error } (Yūsuf: 95), meaning your love. The meaning here is: You were loving, so He guided you to the religious laws by which you draw near to serving your Beloved.

15. Unaware of Worldly Affairs: You were lost regarding worldly matters, not knowing trade or similar things. Then He guided you until your trade profited greatly, leading Khadījah to desire you. The meaning is that you had no concern for the world; you knew only religion, so He guided you to worldly necessities afterward.

16. Lost Among His People: You were lost in the sense that you were lost among your people; they harmed you and did not accept you as a ruler. So, your affair was strengthened, and He guided you until you became their commander and governor.

17. Lost Regarding the Heavens: You were lost in that you did not know the path to the heavens, so He guided you when He ascended with you to the heavens on the Night of Ascension (Mi'rāj).

18. Forgetful of a Command: You were lost, meaning forgetful of Allah's saying: { lest one of them should forget } (Al-Baqarah: 282). So He guided you, meaning He reminded you. On the Night of Ascension, due to awe, he forgot what was necessary to say, so Allah guided him on the manner of praise until he said: "I cannot enumerate praise for You."

19. Concealed Knowledge: Although he knew Allah in his heart, he did not outwardly show any contradiction to the people. This state was described as "lostness."

20. A Hadith on Pre-Prophetic Conduct: 'Alī (RA) narrated from the Prophet (PBUH) that he said: "I never intended to do anything the people of Jahiliyyah used to do, except twice. Both times Allah prevented me from what I intended. After that, I never intended any evil until Allah honored me with His Message. One night, I asked a boy from Quraysh who was tending sheep for me on the heights of Mecca: 'If you guard my sheep for me tonight so I can enter Mecca and socialize as the young men do,' I set out intending that. I reached the first house in Mecca and heard the sound of drums and flutes. They were announcing the wedding of so-and-so, son of so-and-so, to so-and-so. I sat down to watch them, and Allah struck my ears, and I slept. Nothing woke me except the touch of the sun. I returned to my companion and asked what he had done. I told him what happened. The next night, I asked him again to guard the sheep. Allah struck my ears again, and nothing woke me except the touch of the sun. After that, I never intended any evil until Allah honored me with His Message."

{ وَوَجَدَكَ عَآئِلًا فَأَغْنَىٰ } (And He found you poor and made you self-sufficient.)

Regarding the Almighty's saying: { And He found you poor (ʿā'ilan) so He made you self-sufficient (Aghnā) }...