Surah At-Takwir — Verse 23

Key Words and Phrases:

• رَآهُ (ra'āhu): He saw him — referring to the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ seeing the Angel Jibrīl (Gabriel), peace be upon him.
• بِالْأُفُقِ الْمُبِينِ (bil-ufuqil-mubīn): At the clear/horizon — the visible, open horizon where the sky meets the earth, specifically the eastern horizon from which the sun rises.

Explanation of the Verse:

This verse is a direct and powerful testimony to the truthfulness of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ and the reality of his encounter with the Angel Jibrīl. Allah, the Most High, is addressing the doubters and the disbelievers who accused the Prophet of madness or delusion. The verse affirms that the Prophet ﷺ truly and certainly saw Jibrīl — not in a dream, not in a vague vision, but with his own eyes — at the clear, open horizon of the sky, in the east where the sun rises.

This sighting occurred when Jibrīl appeared to the Prophet ﷺ in his true, magnificent form, with six hundred wings that filled the horizon. The Prophet ﷺ saw him clearly and unmistakably at that luminous, expansive horizon — a place where there is no ambiguity, no shadow, and no room for doubt. It was a direct, physical, and certain vision granted by Allah to His chosen Messenger as a confirmation of his prophethood and the divine origin of the revelation he received.

The verse serves as a profound reassurance: the one who brought the Qur'an to humanity was not a madman, nor a poet, nor a soothsayer — but a truthful Messenger who witnessed the angel of revelation with his own eyes. This sighting was a mercy from Allah to strengthen the heart of His Prophet ﷺ and to establish, beyond any doubt, that the message he conveyed was from the Lord of the Worlds.

Reflection and Call to Faith:

Dear reader, ponder the greatness of this moment: the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, a human being like us, was honoured with a direct vision of the noble angel Jibrīl in his true form — a sight so immense that it filled the horizon. This was not imagination or fantasy; it was a reality witnessed by the most truthful of all creation. If the Prophet ﷺ could see the angel of revelation at the clear horizon, then the Qur'an he brought is undoubtedly the word of Allah — pure, unaltered, and preserved.

This verse invites you to reflect: if you truly believe in Allah and His Messenger, then the Qur'an is your guide, your light, and your mercy. It calls you to open your heart to its message, to live by its teachings, and to find peace in its recitation. The same Allah who honoured His Prophet with this vision is the One who speaks to you today through His Book. Will you not listen? Will you not respond to His call?

Let this verse strengthen your faith, increase your love for the Prophet ﷺ, and remind you that the truth of Islam is built upon certainty — certainty that Allah revealed His final message to a truthful Messenger, who saw what he conveyed and conveyed what he saw. Embrace this truth, and you will find success in this life and the Hereafter.