1070 - Al-Hasan ibn Abi al-Rabi' narrated to us, 'Abd al-Razzaq informed us, Ma'mar informed us, from Qatadah regarding His saying: "We bring [one] better than it or similar to it," he says: "A verse containing a mitigation, or containing a concession, or containing an order, or containing a prohibition."

His saying: "Do you not know that Allah is over all things competent?"

1071 - Muhammad ibn Yahya narrated to us, Abu Ghassan informed us, Salamah narrated to us, he said: Muhammad ibn Ishaq said regarding His saying: "Over all things competent"—meaning: no one other than You can accomplish this by Your authority and power.

His saying: "Do you not know that to Allah belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth, and you have not besides Allah any protector or helper?"

1072 - 'Ali ibn Abi Dulamah al-Baghdadi narrated to us, 'Abd al-Wahhab ibn 'Ata' narrated to us, from Sa'id, from Qatadah, from Safwan ibn Muhriz, from Hakim ibn Hizam, who said: While the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was among his companions, he said to them: "Do you hear what I hear?" They said: "We do not hear anything." The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "I hear the groaning of the heaven; and it is not blamed for groaning, for there is not a space of a span in it but there is an angel upon it, either prostrating or standing."

1073 - Ahmad ibn 'Isam al-Ansari narrated to us, Mawsil narrated to us, Sufyan narrated to us, Yazid ibn Abi Ziyad narrated to us, from 'Abd Allah ibn al-Harith, who said: Ka'b said: "There is no spot the size of a needle's eye on the earth but there is an angel appointed to it, raising the knowledge of that to Allah. And the angels of the heaven are more numerous than the number of dust particles, and the bearers of the Throne, the distance between the heel of one of them and his marrow is a journey of a hundred years."

His saying: "Or do you want to ask your Messenger as Moses was asked before?"

[The first interpretation]

1074 - Muhammad ibn Yahya narrated to us, Abu Ghassan informed us, Salamah narrated to us, he said: Muhammad ibn Ishaq said: The freed slave of the family of Zayd—meaning Muhammad—ibn Abi Muhammad narrated to me, from 'Ikrimah or Sa'id ibn Jubayr, from Ibn 'Abbas, he said: Rafi' ibn Huraymilah and Wahb ibn Zayd said to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ): "O Muhammad, bring us a scripture that you send down upon us from heaven which we may read, and cause rivers to gush forth for us, and we will follow you and believe you." So Allah revealed concerning that saying of theirs: "Or do you want to ask your Messenger as Moses was asked before? And whoever exchanges faith for disbelief has certainly strayed from the soundness of the way."