446 Page Notes

37 Surah As-Saffat

Page 446 - Related Hadith/Sunnah

Translation of the meaning by Sahih International.

Page 446 - Related Hadiths and Sunnah

(Note: "n.d." denotes classical texts where modern standardized publication years vary across publishers, cited instead by their universally recognized book and Hadith numbers).Page 446 of the Qur'an marks the beginning of Surah As-Saffat (Chapter 37), verses 1 through 24. This Meccan Surah opens with a majestic set of cosmic oaths, shifts into a description of the celestial defense system guarding divine revelation against devils, and concludes on this page with a sobering command to halt the wrongdoers on Judgment Day for immediate interrogation.

Classical commentaries (Tafsir), including those of Ibn Kathir, Al-Tabari, and Al-Qurtubi, connect this specific opening passage to several foundational Hadiths regarding Islamic practice, celestial mechanics, and the afterlife.

1. Verses 1–4: The Angelic Rows and the Sunnah of Prayer Lines

"By those [angels] lined up in rows, and those who drive [the clouds] stubbornly, and those who recite the message: Indeed, your God is One." (Surah As-Saffat 37:1-4)

The majority of the Prophet’s ﷺ companions, including Ibn Mas'ud and Ibn Abbas, confirmed that these verses refer to the discipline of the angels. The Prophet ﷺ utilized this imagery to establish the structural layout of congregational prayer (Salah) for Muslims.

Relevant Hadiths:

• Imitating the Angelic Ranks: The Prophet ﷺ explicitly commanded the believers to mirror the structural layout described in the first verse of this Surah.
  Sahih Muslim (430): Jabir bin Samurah reported: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ came out to us and said, "Why do you not stand in rows as the angels do before their Lord?" We asked, "O Messenger of Allah! How do the angels stand in rows before their Lord?" He replied, "They complete each row beginning with the first and they stand compactly together [leaving no gaps]."

• A Unique Favor to the Ummah: The discipline mentioned in Surah As-Saffat was granted as a distinct distinction to the Muslim community.
  Sahih Muslim (522): The Prophet ﷺ said: "We have been favored over other nations with three things: Our rows [in prayer] have been made like the rows of the angels, the entire earth has been made a place of prayer for us, and its soil has been made a means of purification when water is not found."

2. Verses 6–10: The Eavesdropping Devils and Shooting Stars

"Indeed, We have adorned the lowest heaven with the stars for decoration, and for protection from every rebellious devil... Except such as snatch away something by stealing, and they are pursued by a flaming fire of piercing brightness." (Surah As-Saffat 37:6-10)

These verses explain the metaphysical reality behind shooting stars (Shihab Thaqib), which serve as a security perimeter to guard divine decrees from being intercepted by the Jinn.

Relevant Hadiths:

• The Mechanics of Eavesdropping: The Prophet ﷺ described the physical positions the devils take to intercept the heavenly speech mentioned in these verses.
  Sahih al-Bukhari (4701): Abu Hurairah narrated that the Prophet ﷺ said: "When Allah decrees a matter in heaven, the angels beat their wings in submission to His statement... Then the eavesdroppers [devils] hear it. These eavesdroppers are stacked one on top of the other... A devil catches a word and passes it to the one below him, who passes it to the next, until it reaches the tongue of a magician or fortune-teller. Sometimes a flaming meteor [Shihab] strikes the devil before he can pass it on, and sometimes he passes it on before he is hit."

• Correcting Pagan Myths: Before Islam, Arabs believed meteors signified earthly events. The Prophet ﷺ used the reality of these verses to correct that superstition.
  Sahih Muslim (2229): Ibn Abbas narrated that an Ansari companion was sitting with the Prophet ﷺ when a shooting star lit up the sky. The Prophet asked, "What did you use to say in the Days of Ignorance when a star was shot like this?" They replied, "We used to say a great man was born or a great man died." The Prophet ﷺ corrected them, saying, "These stars are not shot at anyone's death or birth. Rather, when our Lord decrees a matter... the devils attempt to steal a hearing. They are pelted because of it, and whatever they manage to snatch away is true, but they mix it with a hundred lies."

3. Verses 22–24: The Stoppage for Interrogation

"Assemble those who did wrong, together with their companions and what they used to worship other than Allah, and guide them to the path of Hellfire. And stop them; indeed, they are to be questioned." (Surah As-Saffat 37:22-24)

Relevant Hadith & Sunnah Context:

• The Ultimate Question: In classical Tafsir (such as Ibn Kathir), a report from Ibn Abbas indicates that when the angels are ordered to "stop them; indeed, they are to be questioned," the primary matter they will be cross-examined on is their rejection of the testimony of faith (La ilaha illallah).

• The Nature of the Accountability: The Sunnah fills out the details of this specific legal standstill (Waqifuhum) on the Day of Judgment, outlining exactly what questions will be posed during this mandatory containment.
  Sunan al-Tirmidhi (2417): While the wrongdoers are isolated as described in verse 24, the Prophet ﷺ warned that no human will bypass this interrogation checkpoint freely: "The feet of a slave will not move on the Day of Resurrection until he is questioned about four things: about his life and how he spent it, about his knowledge and what he did with it, about his wealth—from where he earned it and on what he spent it, and about his body and how he wore it out."

References

• Al-Bukhari, M. (n.d.). Sahih al-Bukhari. (Reference to Hadith 4701).

• Al-Tirmidhi, M. (n.d.). Sunan al-Tirmidhi. (Reference to Hadith 2417).

• Ibn Kathir, I. (n.d.). Tafsir al-Qur'an al-Azim (Commentary on Surah As-Saffat 37:1-24).

• Muslim ibn al-Hajjaj. (n.d.). Sahih Muslim. (References to Hadiths 430, 522, and 2229).

• Al-Tabari, I. J. (n.d.). Jami' al-Bayan 'an Ta'wil ay al-Qur'an (Tafsir al-Tabari).

(Note: "n.d." denotes classical texts where modern standardized publication years vary across publishers, cited instead by their universally recognized book and Hadith numbers).