A written book on parchment in paper. They touched it with their hands, and it was not limited to their sight, so that they would not say, 'Maqmoud said: "And it was not limited to their sight so that..." Ahmad said: 'The apparent benefit of their touching it with their hands is to confirm the reading closely, meaning they read it while it was in their hands, not far from them, because they believed. Otherwise, the sight cannot be grasped by touch, so the benefit of its increase is to perceive it in two ways, as understood from the words of al-Zamakhshari.' Our eyes were veiled, and they would have no excuse. They would say, 'This is nothing but clear magic,' stubbornly and defiantly against the truth after its appearance. The matter would have been decided for their destruction, then they would not be looked upon after its descent for the blink of an eye. [Maqmoud said: 'This means they would not be looked upon after its descent for the blink of an eye...'] Ahmad said: 'It is not proper to make the cause of their destruction the clarity of the verse in the descent of the angel, for this statement might imply that the verses which they were obliged to believe in were without the descent of the angel in clarity, and that is not the case. The correct view - and Allah knows best - is that the cause of their hastened punishment was the estimation of the descent of the angel, and their disbelief was because they proposed something that did not depend on the obligation of faith. For what depends on the obligation is the miracle in terms of it being miraculous, not the specific miracle. If they were answered regarding their proposed halt and it did not benefit them, they would then be at the utmost in their stubbornness appropriate to not being looked upon, and Allah knows best.' This is because if they witnessed the angel descending upon the Messenger of Allah, blessings and peace be upon him, in his form. [It is agreed upon from the narration of Masruq from Aisha that the Prophet, blessings and peace be upon him, saw Gabriel in his form twice.]

And in one narration of it: Gabriel saw him with six hundred wings. This is a verse that is clearer than anything and more certain. Then they do not believe, as He said: "And if We had sent down to them the angels and the dead spoke to them, they would not have been spared, just as the companions of the table were destroyed." Or because the choice, which is the basis of the obligation, would cease upon the descent of the angels. He returned to his words. He said: "Or because the choice, which the basis of the obligation is built upon, would cease upon the descent of the angel, and their destruction would be necessary, or because if they witnessed the angel in his form, their souls would depart from the horror of what they see." Ahmad said: "This point is strengthened by His saying: 'And if We had made him an angel, We would have made him a man.'" Ibn Abbas said: "So that they could see him and not perish from witnessing his form." Thus, their destruction would be necessary. Or because if they witnessed an angel in his form, their souls would depart from the horror of what they see. And the meaning of 'then' after what is between the two matters: He returned to his words. He said: "And the meaning of 'then' after what is between the two matters is the decree of the matter..." Ahmad said: "And this point is one of the merits of his reminders." The decree of the matter, and the absence of warning. He made the absence of warning more severe than the decree of the matter because the suddenness of hardship is more severe than the hardship itself. And if We had made him an angel, and if We had sent the messenger as an angel as they proposed, for they used to say: 'If only an angel were sent down to Muhammad.' At times they would say: 'This is nothing but a human like you. If our Lord had willed, He would have sent down angels.' We would have made him a man, for We would have sent him in the form of a man, just as Gabriel descended upon the Messenger of Allah, blessings and peace be upon him, in the best of conditions in the form of Dihyah. It is agreed upon from the narration of Abu Othman Al-Nahdi from Usamah ibn Zayd who said: "I was informed that Gabriel came to the Prophet, blessings and peace be upon him, while he was with Umm Salamah, and he spoke, then he stood up. The Prophet said to Umm Salamah: 'Who is this?' She said: 'Dihyah Al-Kalbi... the narration.' And for Al-Hakim from the narration of Masrook from Aisha who said: 'I saw the Messenger of Allah, blessings and peace be upon him, speaking in my lap to a man whom I resembled to Dihyah Al-Kalbi. He said to me: 'This is Gabriel, and he sends you greetings.' And for Al-Tabarani from the narration of Qatadah from Anas: 'The Messenger of Allah, blessings and peace be upon him, used to say: Gabriel comes to me in the form of Dihyah Al-Kalbi.' Anas said: 'And Dihyah was a tall, handsome, white man.' In its chain is 'Ufair ibn Sa'dan, who is weak. And for Abu Na'im in the Delail from the narration of Safwan ibn Amr from Shuraih ibn 'Ubaid from the Prophet, blessings and peace be upon him, who said: 'I saw Gabriel in the form in which he was created, and I used to see him before that in different forms, and most often I would see him in the form of Dihyah Al-Kalbi.' Its narrators are trustworthy, except that it is interrupted. And Ibn Sa'd narrated from the way of Yahya ibn Ya'mur from Ibn Umar: 'Gabriel used to come to the Messenger of Allah, blessings and peace be upon him, in the form of Dihyah Al-Kalbi.' Because they would not remain upon seeing the angels in their forms. And We would confuse them and mix upon them what they mix upon themselves at that time, for they say. If they see the angel in the form of a human: 'This is a human and not an angel.' If he said to them: 'The proof that I am an angel is that I brought the miraculous Qur'an, which speaks that I am an angel and not a human,' they would deny him just as they denied Muhammad, blessings and peace be upon him. If they did that, they would be forsaken as they are forsaken now, for he is not Allah upon them. And it is possible that it is meant: 'And We would confuse them then like what they confuse upon themselves now in their disbelief in the clear signs of Allah.' Ibn Muhaisn read: 'And We confused them,' with one 'lam.' And Al-Zuhri read: 'And We would confuse them with what they confuse,' with emphasis.