التَّزَايُغ (At‑Tazaayugh)
Comes from زَاغَ (Zaagha) and conveys being crooked or bent away from being straight — used for crooked teeth or a bent spear.
Precision of the words used
التَّزَايُغAt‑Tazaayugh زَاغَZaagha طَغَىTaghaa
زَاغَ (Zaagha)
Means to turn away, depart or deviate “from” something. Example usage includes زَاغَ البَصَر where the sight turns away as can happen at the time of fear.
وَمَن يَزِغْ مِنْهُمْ عَنْ أَمْرِنَا
Saba’ (34): 12 فَلَمَّا زَاغُوا أَزَاغَ اللَّهُ قُلُوبَهُمْ
As‑Saff (61): 5 وَإِذْ زَاغَتِ الْأَبْصَارُ
Al‑Ahzab (33): 10 طَغَى (Taghaa)
Exceeding limits: “And he did not Taghaa” can mean the sight did not go beyond what it was seeing, in line with “it did not deviate” — the eyes were completely transfixed upon this sight.
No harm in the vision: Exceeding limits brings harm (e.g., staring at the sun). From this: the Messenger ﷺ was not harmed by what he saw and was able to withstand the vision before him.
Not rebellious: He ﷺ did not turn his sight away nor look in a rebellious or disrespectful manner, but with humility, love, awe, and respect.
وَإِن يَكَادُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا لَيُزْلِقُونَكَ بِأَبْصَارِهِمْ لَمَّا سَمِعُوا الذِّكْرَ
“And verily, those who disbelieve would almost make you slip with their eyes (through hatred) when they hear the Reminder (the Qur'an)” — Al‑Qalam (68): 51.
Insights illuminating the scene
Al‑Biqaa’iy
“It (i.e., وَمَا طَغَىٰ) means it (i.e., الْبَصَرُ – sight) did not exceed the limit of what had been permitted for it even though that world was strange for a human being and contains wondrous sights that bewilder the one looking at them.”
Insight: Even amidst a strange and unfamiliar world of amazing and wondrous sights, his sight remained fixed on the Lote tree (Sidrah) that was being covered and did not exceed that to look elsewhere. Something overtook this Sidrah so overpowering and captivating that he was unable to look anywhere else.
Ar‑Razi
مَالَ (Maala) shares the sense “to deviate” like زَاغَ (Zaagha), and تَجَاوَزَ (Tajaawaza) “to exceed limits” like طَغَى (Taghaa). The chosen words carry spiritual meanings.
رَبَّنَا لَا تُزِغْ قُلُوبَنَا بَعْدَ إِذْ هَدَيْتَنَا
“Our Lord, let not our hearts deviate after You have guided us” — Aali ‘Imran (3): 8.
Thus: “The eye did not turn away” can also carry the spiritual meaning “His heart did not deviate,” and “nor did it transgress” can carry “and his heart did not rebel.” Here, the wording unites the spiritual and the physical.
From wording to meaning
مَا زَاغَ — No deviation
Steadfastness: no turning aside from what was shown; no departure due to fear or bewilderment.
وَمَا طَغَىٰ — No transgression
Within bounds: no exceeding the permitted limit; transfixed upon the designated sight.
Spiritual resonance
Heart aligned: “His heart did not deviate; his heart did not rebel” — the spiritual mirrors the physical.
How the roots appear elsewhere
Turning away — زَاغَ
وَمَن يَزِغْ مِنْهُمْ عَنْ أَمْرِنَا
Saba’ (34): 12 فَلَمَّا زَاغُوا أَزَاغَ اللَّهُ قُلُوبَهُمْ
As‑Saff (61): 5 وَإِذْ زَاغَتِ الْأَبْصَارُ
Al‑Ahzab (33): 10 Manner of looking
Not rebellious or disrespectful; rather in humility, love, awe, and respect.
وَإِن يَكَادُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا لَيُزْلِقُونَكَ بِأَبْصَارِهِمْ لَمَّا سَمِعُوا الذِّكْرَ
Those who disbelieve looked with hatred — Al‑Qalam (68): 51 — in contrast to the noble gaze described here.
What this ayah conveys
The sight remained unwavering and within divine bounds despite a world “strange” and “wondrous” enough to bewilder.
The gaze did not go beyond the appointed vision and was not harmful; it withstood the vision.
The comportment of the gaze was not rebellious — it was marked by humility, love, awe, and respect.
The wording embraces both physical and spiritual meanings: no deviation or rebellion of the eye — and of the heart.
The sight remained fixed upon the Lote tree (Sidrah) that was being covered; it did not exceed to look elsewhere.