Indeed, the pronoun refers to the Qur'an, it is the saying of a noble Messenger, who is Gabriel, blessings and peace be upon him. Mahmoud said: "What is meant by the noble Messenger is Gabriel, peace be upon him. And His saying 'near the Owner of the Throne' indicates the greatness of his status and position. There is also a reference to the mentioned context, meaning near the Owner of the Throne." Ahmad said: "Gabriel, blessings and peace be upon him, would not be pleased with this interpretation that implies a shortcoming regarding the bearer of glad tidings and the warner, blessings and peace be upon him. Indeed, Al-Zamakhshari followed his desires in laying the foundations of his corrupt doctrine, thus he erred regarding both the origin and the branch. We will clarify this, by the will and power of Allah, and we say: First, the scholars of tafsir have differed. A large number of them have gone to say that what is meant by the noble Messenger here, up to the last of the attributes, is Muhammad, blessings and peace be upon him. If that is the case, and Allah knows best, then that is the usual favor of Allah upon His Prophet. If what is meant is Gabriel, peace be upon him, then people have differed in the preference between the angels and the messengers. The famous view of Abu Al-Hasan is the preference of the messengers. The doctrine of the Mu'tazila is the preference of the angels. However, the disputants have all agreed that it is not permissible to prefer one of the two noble groups in a way that implies a deficiency of a specific angel or a specific messenger. For although preference is established, specifying it causes harm to the one who is less preferred. This is what the knowledgeable ones understood from his saying, blessings and peace be upon him: "Do not prefer me over Yunus ibn Mattah," meaning do not specify a less preferred one. For the general preference is established by the consensus of the Muslims, that is, the preference of the Prophet, blessings and peace be upon him, over all the prophets. My grandfather, may Allah have mercy on him, used to clarify this with an example, saying: If I said in the presence of a group of jurists: So-and-so is the best of his time, there would be a possibility of this preference among the group, even if it necessitated their inclusion among the less preferred. However, if I specified one of them and said: So-and-so is better than you and more pious to Allah, it would quickly bring harm to some of them. Once it is established that the belief in general preference does not necessitate the permissibility of specifying preference, you would know that Al-Zamakhshari erred in his principle. For even if it is assumed that the angels are better, as he believes, it is not permissible to say that one of the angels is better than one of the prophets in a specific manner, especially regarding the chief of the children of Adam, peace and blessings be upon him. Then the discussion returns to the verse after conceding that what is meant is Gabriel, and after we have referred to the Prophet, blessings and peace be upon him, as less preferred to Allah. We say: There is no attribute mentioned except that the Prophet, blessings and peace be upon him, is similar to it. The first of them is: a noble Messenger, for it has been said regarding him, blessings and peace be upon him, at the end of Surah Al-Haaqqa: "Indeed, it is the saying of a noble Messenger." It has also been said that what is meant is Gabriel, but this is rejected by His saying: "And it is not the saying of a poet." Al-Zamakhshari agreed with this in what has preceded. This is the first and greatest of the attributes. As for His saying: 'possessor of strength,' there is no dispute about it, for there is no argument that Gabriel, peace be upon him, has the virtue of physical strength. He who uproots cities with a feather from his wing, there is no doubt in the superiority of his strength over the strength of humans. This has also been said in the interpretation of His saying: 'possessor of might, then he became firm,' and His saying: 'near the Owner of the Throne, established and obeyed there.' The obedience of the angels to our Prophet, blessings and peace be upon him, has also been established. It has been reported that Gabriel, peace be upon him, said to the Prophet, blessings and peace be upon him: "Indeed, Allah sends you greetings of peace, and He has commanded the King of the Mountains to obey you when Quraysh harmed you." The angel greeted him and said: "If you command me to crush them with the two mountains, I will do so." But the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, was patient and sought reward.

And greater and more honorable than that is his praised station in the great intercession on the Day when no one precedes him. When Allah, the Most High, says to him: 'Raise your head and say, you will be heard, and ask, you will be given, and intercede, you will be granted intercession.' As for the trustworthy one, he said, and he is the truthful and believed: 'By Allah, I am indeed trustworthy on earth and trustworthy in the heavens.' And suffice it is his saying: 'And he is not miserly regarding the unseen.' If you read it with a dhad, it means that he ﷺ is trustworthy regarding the unseen and not suspected. If you read it with a dha, it returns to generosity. So how can it lead to preference with the attributes common between the virtuous and the less virtuous? As for me, I have no discussion in the essence of the matter, but the response to him is in his error on every statement that is determined. Otherwise, the matter is not in this book. We ask Allah to keep us firm in faith in Him, His angels, His books, and His messengers, and on the firm saying in this world and the Hereafter, and to fill our hearts with love for them, and to make our seeking of Him through them, and He is sufficient for us and the best disposer of affairs. The One of strength, as His saying: 'Strong in strength, the One of might.' When the state of the station is according to the state of the possible, he said: 'Near the Owner of the Throne,' to indicate the greatness of his status and position. There is a reference to the mentioned circumstance, namely: 'Near the Owner of the Throne,' while he is with Allah obeyed among His close angels who act upon His command and return to His opinion. It has been read: 'Then,' to emphasize the trustworthiness and to clarify that it is one of his best counted attributes.