Beaitoful Taseer of The verse وَرَفَعْنا لَكَ ذِكْرَكَ
And We have raised high your remembrance۔
(Quran 94:4)
1. at-Baydawi said:
وَرَفَعْنَا لَكَ ذِكْرَكَ } بالنبوة وغيرها، وأي رفع مثل أن قرن اسمه باسمه تعالى في كلمتي الشهادة وجعل طاعته طاعته، وصلى عليه في ملائكته وأمر المؤمنين بالصلاة عليه وخاطبه بالألقاب، وإنما زاد { لَكَ } ليكون إبهاماً قبل إيضاح فيفيد المبالغة.
And We have raised high your remembrance” through prophethood and other honors. And what greater elevation is there than that His name is coupled with the name of Allah Almighty in the two testimonies (Shahadatayn), that obedience to him is made equivalent to obedience to Allah, that Allah sends blessings upon him among the angels and commands the believers to send blessings upon him, and that He addresses him with honorable titles? The phrase “for you” was added to create an initial ambiguity before clarification, which enhances the emphasis (on the greatness of this honor).
(Tafsir alBaydawi tafsir of Surah 94 Verse 4)
2. al Qurtubi commented:
عن ابن عباس، قال: يقول له لا ذُكِرتُ إلا ذُكِرتَ معي في الأذان، والإقامة والتشهد، ويوم الجمعة على المنابر، ويوم الفطر، ويوم الأضحى: وأيام التشريق، ويوم عرفة، وعند الجِمار، وعلى الصفا والمروة، وفي خطبة النكاح، وفي مشارق الأرض ومغاربها. ولو أن رجلاً عبد الله جل ثناؤه، وصدّق بالجنة والنار وكل شيء، ولم يشهد أن محمداً رسول الله، لم ينتفع بشيء وكان كافراً. وقيل: أي أعلينا ذكرك، فذكرناك في الكتب المنزلة على الأنبياء قبلك، وأمرناهم بالبشارة بك، ولا دِين إلا ودِينك يظهر عليه. وقيل: رفعنا ذكرك عند الملائكة في السماء، وفي الأرض عند المؤمنين، ونرفع في الآخرة ذكرك بما نعطيك من المقام المحمود، وكرائم الدرجات.
Ibn Abbas said:
“It means that whenever I am mentioned, you are mentioned with Me in the Adhan, the Iqamah, the Tashahhud, on the pulpits during Friday prayers, on Eid al-Fitr, Eid al-Adha, the days of Tashreeq, the day of Arafah, at the Jamarat (during Hajj), on Safa and Marwah, in the marriage sermon, and in the east and west of the earth. If a man were to worship Allah glory be to Him and believe in Paradise, Hell, and everything (in faith), but does not testify that Muhammad (peace be upon him) is the Messenger of Allah, he would not benefit at all and would be a disbeliever.”
It is also said: “We have elevated your mention,” meaning We have mentioned you in the revealed scriptures sent to the prophets before you and commanded them to give glad tidings of you. No religion will prevail except yours.
It is said: “We have exalted your remembrance among the angels in the heavens and among the believers on earth, and We will elevate your status in the Hereafter by granting you the Praiseworthy Station and the noblest ranks.”
(Tafsir al Qurtubi Tafsir of Surah 94 Verse 4)
3. Ibn Kathir quoted a hadith:
عن ابن عباس قال قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم ” سألت ربي مسألة وددت أني لم أسأله، قلت قد كان قبلي أنبياء، منهم من سخرت له الريح، ومنهم من يحيي الموتى، قال يا محمد ألم أجدك يتيماً فآويتك؟ قلت بلى يا رب قال ألم أجدك ضالاً فهديتك؟ قلت بلى يا رب قال ألم أجدك عائلاً فأغنيتك؟ قلت بلى يا رب قال ألم أشرح لك صدرك؟ ألم أرفع لك ذكرك؟ قلت بلى يا رب ”
From Ibn Abbas, who said: The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said:
“I asked my Lord for something, and then I wished I had not asked Him. I said: ‘Before me, there were prophets some for whom the wind was made subservient, and some who could revive the dead.’
Allah said: ‘O Muhammad, did I not find you an orphan and give you shelter?’ I replied: ‘Yes, my Lord.’
He said: ‘Did I not find you lost and guide you?’ I replied: ‘Yes, my Lord.’
He said: ‘Did I not find you in need and enrich you?’ I replied: ‘Yes, my Lord.’
He said: ‘Did I not expand your chest for you? Did I not elevate your mention?’ I replied: ‘Yes, my Lord.’” (Tafsir Ibn Kathir Surah 94-4 ، authenticated by al Hakim and Dhahabi، al Albani in al Saheeha no۔ 2538، Ibn al Jazri in Al-Nashr fi al-Qira’at al-‘Ashr’, fa-qala (2 / 391)
Then Ibn Kathir narrated another hadith where Allah answered:
أو ليس قد أعطيتك أفضل من ذلك كله أني لا أذكر إلا ذكرت معي، وجعلت صدور أمتك أناجيل يقرؤون القرآن ظاهراً، ولم أعطها أمة، وأعطيتك كنزاً من كنوز عرشي لا حول ولا قوة إلا بالله العلي العظيم؟
Have I not given you what is greater than all of that? For whenever I am mentioned, you are mentioned with Me. I have made the hearts of your Ummah like scriptures they recite the Quran openly, a privilege I granted to no other nation. And I have bestowed upon you a treasure from the treasures of My Throne: ‘Lā ḥawla wa lā quwwata illā billāhi al-‘Aliyyi al-‘Aẓīm’ (There is no power nor strength except with Allah, the Most High, the Great).? (Tafsir Ibn Kathir under 94:4)
Ibn Kathir said about the above hadith:
وهذا إسناد فيه غرابة ، ولكن أورد له شاهدا من طريق أبي القاسم ابن بنت منيع البغوي ، عن سليمان بن داود الزهراني ، عن حماد بن زيد ، عن عطاء بن السائب ، عن سعيد بن جبير ، عن ابن عباس مرفوعا بنحوه
This is a chain of transmission with gharābah but supporting evidence is cited through the following isnād: From Abū al-Qāsim ibn Bint Munīʿ al-Baghawī → Sulaymān ibn Dāwūd al-Zahrānī → Ḥammād ibn Zayd → ʿAṭāʾ ibn al-Sāʾib → Saʿīd ibn Jubayr → Ibn ʿAbbās, attributed to the Prophet in similar wording.”
(al Bidaya wal Nihaya vol 6, This chain of hadith is authenticated by al Hakim and Dhahabi، al Albani in al Saheeha no۔ 2538، Ibn al Jazri in Al-Nashr fi al-Qira’at al-‘Ashr’, fa-qala (2 / 391) as mentioned above)
Then he said:
أحسن ما قال الصرصري رحمه الله
لا يَصِحُّ الأذانُ في الفَرْضِ إِلا باسْمِهِ العَذْبِ في الفَمِ المَرْضِيِّ
وقال أيضاً
أَلَمْ تَرَ أَنَّا لا يَصِحُّ أَذانُنا ولا فَرْضُنا إِنْ لَمْ نُكَرِّرْهُ فيهِما
The best of what is Al-Sarsari (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
The call to prayer (Adhan) is not valid in obligatory prayer Unless it is uttered with His sweet Name, pleasing to the mouth.
And he also said:
“Do you not see that our Adhan is not valid,
Nor our obligatory prayer, unless we repeat His Name in both?”
(Tafsir Ibn Kathir under 94:4)
4. al Shawkani said:
والظاهر أن هذا الرفع لذكره الذي امتنّ الله به عليه يتناول جميع هذه الأمور، فكل واحد منها من أسباب رفع الذكر، وكذلك أمره بالصلاة والسلام عليه، وإخباره صلى الله عليه وسلم عن الله عزّ وجلّ أن من صلّى عليه، واحدة صلى الله عليه بها عشراً، وأمر الله بطاعته كقوله{ أَطِيعُواْ ٱللَّهَ وَأَطِيعُواْ ٱلرَّسُولَ } النساء 59 وقوله{ وَمَا ءاتَـٰكُمُ ٱلرَّسُولُ فَخُذُوهُ وَمَا نَهَـٰكُمْ عَنْهُ فَٱنتَهُواْ } الحشر 7 ، وقوله{ قُلْ إِن كُنتُمْ تُحِبُّونَ ٱللَّهَ فَٱتَّبِعُونِى يُحْبِبْكُمُ ٱللَّهُ } آل عمران 31 وغير ذلك. وبالجملة فقد ملأ ذكره الجليل السمٰوات والأرضين، وجعل الله له من لسان الصدق، والذكر الحسن، والثناء الصالح ما لم يجعله لأحد من عباده،{ ذَلِكَ فَضْلُ ٱللَّهِ يُؤْتِيهِ مَن يَشَاء وَٱللَّهُ ذُو ٱلْفَضْلِ ٱلْعَظِيمِ } الحديد 21 اللَّهم صلّ وسلم عليه وعلى آله عدد ما صلى عليه المصلون بكل لسان في كل زمان، وما أحسن قول حسان
أغرّ عليه للنبوّة خاتم من الله مشهور يلوح، ويشهد وضم الإلٰه اسم النبيّ مع اسمه إذا قال في الخمس المؤذن أشهد وشق له من اسمه ليجله فذو العرش محمود، وهذا محمد
And it appears that this raising of his renown which Allah bestowed upon him includes all of these matters (mentioned above in tafaseer) for each one of them is a reason for the elevation of his mention.
Likewise, Allah’s command to send prayers and peace upon him, and his informing ﷺ on behalf of Allah Almighty that whoever sends one prayer upon him, Allah sends upon that person tenfold prayers.
Also, Allah’s command to obey him, as in His saying:
“Obey Allah and obey the Messenger” (An-Nisā’ 4:59)
and His saying:
“Whatever the Messenger gives you, take it; and whatever he forbids you from, abstain from it” (Al-Ḥashr 59:7)
And His saying:
“Say: If you love Allah, then follow me; Allah will love you” (Āl ʿImrān 3:31),
and other such verses.
In short, his noble mention has filled the heavens and the earth, and Allah has granted him the truest reputation, the most beautiful remembrance, and the most virtuous praise that He has not given to any of His servants:
“That is the bounty of Allah; He grants it to whom He wills, and Allah is the Possessor of great bounty” (Al-Ḥadīd 57:21).
O Allah, send prayers and peace upon him and upon his family in number equal to the prayers sent upon him by all those who pray, in every tongue, in every time.
And how beautiful are the words of Ḥassān bin Thabit:
A radiant seal of prophethood upon him from Allah, well-known, shining, and bearing witness.
The Almighty joined the Prophet’s name with His own, when the caller to prayer says in the five prayers: “I bear witness.”
He split from His own Name to honour him, the Owner of the Throne is “Māḥmūd” (The Praised), and this is “Muḥammad” (The Praised One).
(Fath ul Qadeee under 94-4)