9 Preface فَكانَ قابَ قَوسَينِ أَو أَدنىٰAhmed AliUntil a space of two bow (arcs)1 or even less remained, To understand the meaning of qaba qausain, we have to bear in mind the custom of pagan Arabs who, when making a pact, joined two bows, and stretching them together, shot one arrow to show that they were one in their resolution, and united in carrying out the divine resolve. … If taken literally, two bows would mean the arcs of the two enlarged to form one wide arc. The relative positions of the Prophet and ‘what he saw’ (the object) would, thus, be one either side of the sphere so that the Prophet could behold what he saw only in refraction. And who could behold the Supreme Reality directly? The example of Moses is there, 7:143.