Musa عليه السلام questioned the Angels: ‘Does Allah sleep?”

June 13, 2012 at 5:51 am (Arabic language, Food for the soul, Quotes)
Tags: Arabic language, Food for the soul, Quotes

حدثنا الـحسن بن يحيـى، قال: أخبرنا عبد الرزاق، قال: أخبرنا معمر، قال: وأخبرنـي الـحكم بن أبـان، عن عكرمة مولـى ابن عبـاس فـي قوله: { لاَ تَأْخُذُهُ سِنَةٌ وَلاَ نَوْمٌ } أن موسى سأل الـملائكة: هل ينام الله؟ فأوحى الله إلـى الـملائكة، وأمرهم أن يؤرّقوه ثلاثاً فلا يتركوه ينام. ففعلوا، ثم أعطوه قارورتـين فأمسكوه، ثم تركوه وحذروه أن يكسرهما. قال: فجعل ينعس وهما فـي يديه، فـي كل يد واحدة. قال: فجعل ينعس وينتبه، وينعس وينتبه، حتـى نعس نعسة، فضرب بإحداهما الأخرى فكسرهما. قال معمر: إنـما هو مثل ضربه الله، يقول: فكذلك السموات والأرض فـي يديه. 

 

On the authority of ‘ikrmah the free slave of Ibn Abbas, regarding His saying:  لاَ تَأْخُذُهُ سِنَةٌ وَلاَ نَوْمٌ . 

 

Musa عليه السلام questioned the Angels: ‘Does Allah sleep?” So Allah revealved to the Angels and commanded them to prevent him from sleeping three times and not to leave him to sleep, which they did. After that they gave him two bottles and made him to hold onto them. Then they left him while warning him not to break them. Musa عليه السلام then began to doze while they (the bottles) were in his hands, one in each hand. He would begin to doze and awake then doze and awake, until sleep over came him which caused the bottles to strike one another, thus breaking them. Muammar said: It was only an example which Allah had struck for him. So just like that are the sky and earth in His hands.

 

Tafseer al-Tabari