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 Surah Al-Isra 17:53-60 [6/12]
  
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Verse Summary -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
وَقُلAnd say
لِّعِبَادِىto My slaves
يَقُولُواْ(to) say
ٱلَّتِىthat
هِىَwhich
أَحْسَنُ‌ۚ(is) best.
إِنَّIndeed,
ٱلشَّيْطَـٰنَthe Shaitaan
يَنزَغُsows discord
بَيْنَهُمْ‌ۚbetween them.
إِنَّIndeed,
ٱلشَّيْطَـٰنَthe Shaitaan
كَانَis
لِلْإِنسَـٰنِto the man
عَدُوًّاan enemy
مُّبِينًاclear.
﴿٥٣﴾
رَّبُّكُمْYour Lord
أَعْلَمُ(is) most knowing
بِكُمْ‌ۖof you.
إِنIf
يَشَأْHe wills,
يَرْحَمْكُمْHe will have mercy on you;
أَوْor
إِنif
يَشَأْHe wills
يُعَذِّبْكُمْ‌ۚHe will punish you.
وَمَآAnd not
أَرْسَلْنَـٰكَWe have sent you
عَلَيْهِمْover them
وَكِيلاً(as) a guardian.
﴿٥٤﴾
وَرَبُّكَAnd your Lord
أَعْلَمُ(is) most knowing
بِمَنof whoever
فِى(is) in
ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٲتِthe heavens
وَٱلْأَرْضِ‌ۗand the earth.
وَلَقَدْAnd verily
فَضَّلْنَاWe have preferred
بَعْضَsome
ٱلنَّبِيِّــۧنَ(of) the Prophets
عَلَىٰto
بَعْضٍ‌ۖothers.
وَءَاتَيْنَاAnd We gave
دَاوُۥدَDawood
زَبُورًاZaboor.
﴿٥٥﴾
قُلِSay,
ٱدْعُواْ"Call
ٱلَّذِينَthose whom
زَعَمْتُمyou claimed
مِّن دُونِهِۦbesides Him,
فَلَا[then] not
يَمْلِكُونَthey have power
كَشْفَ(to) remove
ٱلضُّرِّthe misfortunes
عَنكُمْfrom you
وَلَاand not
تَحْوِيلاً(to) transfer (it)."
﴿٥٦﴾
أُوْلَـٰٓئِكَThose
ٱلَّذِينَwhom
يَدْعُونَthey call,
يَبْتَغُونَseek
إِلَىٰto
رَبِّهِمُtheir Lord
ٱلْوَسِيلَةَthe means of access,
أَيُّهُمْwhich of them
أَقْرَبُ(is) nearest,
وَيَرْجُونَand they hope
رَحْمَتَهُۥ(for) His mercy
وَيَخَافُونَand fear
عَذَابَهُۥٓ‌ۚHis punishment.
إِنَّIndeed,
عَذَابَ(the) punishment
رَبِّكَ(of) your Lord
كَانَis
مَحْذُورًا(ever) feared.
﴿٥٧﴾
وَإِنAnd not
مِّن(is) any
قَرْيَةٍtown
إِلَّاbut
نَحْنُWe
مُهْلِكُوهَا(will) destroy it
قَبْلَbefore
يَوْمِ(the) Day
ٱلْقِيَـٰمَةِ(of) the Resurrection
أَوْor
مُعَذِّبُوهَاpunish it
عَذَابًاwith a punishment
شَدِيدًا‌ۚsevere.
كَانَ ذَٲلِكَThat is
فِىin
ٱلْكِتَـٰبِthe Book
مَسْطُورًاwritten.
﴿٥٨﴾
وَمَاAnd not
مَنَعَنَآstopped Us
أَنthat
نُّرْسِلَWe send
بِٱلْأَيَـٰتِthe Signs
إِلَّآexcept
أَنthat
كَذَّبَdenied
بِهَاthem
ٱلْأَوَّلُونَ‌ۚthe former (people)
وَءَاتَيْنَاAnd We gave
ثَمُودَThamud
ٱلنَّاقَةَthe she-camel
مُبْصِرَةً(as) a visible sign,
فَظَلَمُواْbut they wronged
بِهَا‌ۚher.
وَمَاAnd not
نُرْسِلُWe send
بِٱلْأَيَـٰتِthe Signs
إِلَّاexcept
تَخْوِيفًا(as) a warning.
﴿٥٩﴾
وَإِذْAnd when
قُلْنَاWe said
لَكَto you,
إِنَّ"Indeed,
رَبَّكَyour Lord
أَحَاطَhas encompassed
بِٱلنَّاسِ‌ۚthe mankind."
وَمَاAnd not
جَعَلْنَاWe made
ٱلرُّءْيَاthe vision
ٱلَّتِىٓwhich
أَرَيْنَـٰكَWe showed you
إِلَّاexcept
فِتْنَةً(as) a trial
لِّلنَّاسِfor mankind,
وَٱلشَّجَرَةَand the tree
ٱلْمَلْعُونَةَthe accursed
فِىin
ٱلْقُرْءَانِ‌ۚthe Quran.
وَنُخَوِّفُهُمْAnd We threaten them
فَمَاbut not
يَزِيدُهُمْit increases them
إِلَّاexcept
طُغْيَـٰنًا(in) transgression
كَبِيرًاgreat.
﴿٦٠﴾


وَقُلْ لِّعِبَادِىۡ يَقُوۡلُوا الَّتِىۡ هِىَ اَحۡسَنُ​ؕ اِنَّ الشَّيۡطٰنَ يَنۡزَغُ بَيۡنَهُمۡ​ؕ اِنَّ الشَّيۡطٰنَ كَانَ لِلۡاِنۡسَانِ عَدُوًّا مُّبِيۡنًا‏   رَبُّكُمۡ اَعۡلَمُ بِكُمۡ​ؕ اِنۡ يَّشَاۡ يَرۡحَمۡكُمۡ اَوۡ اِنۡ يَّشَاۡ يُعَذِّبۡكُمۡ ​ؕ وَمَاۤ اَرۡسَلۡنٰكَ عَلَيۡهِمۡ وَكِيۡلًا‏  وَرَبُّكَ اَعۡلَمُ بِمَنۡ فِى السَّمٰوٰتِ وَالۡاَرۡضِ​ؕ وَلَقَدۡ فَضَّلۡنَا بَعۡضَ النَّبِيّٖنَ عَلٰى بَعۡضٍ​ وَّاٰتَيۡنَا دَاوٗدَ زَبُوۡرًا‏  قُلِ ادۡعُوا الَّذِيۡنَ زَعَمۡتُمۡ مِّنۡ دُوۡنِهٖ فَلَا يَمۡلِكُوۡنَ كَشۡفَ الضُّرِّ عَنۡكُمۡ وَلَا تَحۡوِيۡلًا‏  اُولٰۤـئِكَ الَّذِيۡنَ يَدۡعُوۡنَ يَبۡتَغُوۡنَ اِلٰى رَبِّهِمُ الۡوَسِيۡلَةَ اَيُّهُمۡ اَقۡرَبُ وَيَرۡجُوۡنَ رَحۡمَتَهٗ وَيَخَافُوۡنَ عَذَابَهٗؕ اِنَّ عَذَابَ رَبِّكَ كَانَ مَحۡذُوۡرًا‏  وَاِنۡ مِّنۡ قَرۡيَةٍ اِلَّا نَحۡنُ مُهۡلِكُوۡهَا قَبۡلَ يَوۡمِ الۡقِيٰمَةِ اَوۡ مُعَذِّبُوۡهَا عَذَابًا شَدِيۡدًا​ ؕ كَانَ ذٰ لِكَ فِى الۡـكِتٰبِ مَسۡطُوۡرًا‏   وَمَا مَنَعَنَاۤ اَنۡ نُّرۡسِلَ بِالۡاٰيٰتِ اِلَّاۤ اَنۡ كَذَّبَ بِهَا الۡاَوَّلُوۡنَ​ؕ وَاٰتَيۡنَا ثَمُوۡدَ النَّاقَةَ مُبۡصِرَةً فَظَلَمُوۡا بِهَا​ؕ وَمَا نُرۡسِلُ بِالۡاٰيٰتِ اِلَّا تَخۡوِيۡفًا‏  وَاِذۡ قُلۡنَا لَـكَ اِنَّ رَبَّكَ اَحَاطَ بِالنَّاسِ​ ؕ وَمَا جَعَلۡنَا الرُّءۡيَا الَّتِىۡۤ اَرَيۡنٰكَ اِلَّا فِتۡنَةً لِّلنَّاسِ وَ الشَّجَرَةَ الۡمَلۡعُوۡنَةَ فِى الۡقُرۡاٰنِ​ ؕ وَنُخَوِّفُهُمۡۙ فَمَا يَزِيۡدُهُمۡ اِلَّا طُغۡيَانًا كَبِيۡرًا‏  

Translation
(17:53) Tell My servants,57 (O Muhammad), to say always that which is best.58 Verily it is Satan who sows discord among people. Satan indeed is an open enemy to mankind.59 (17:54) Your Lord knows you best. He will have mercy on you if He wills and chastise you if He wills.60 We have not sent you, (O Muhammad), as an overseer over them.61 (17:55) Your Lord knows all who dwell in the heavens and the earth. We have exalted some Prophets over others,62 and We gave the Psalms to David.63 (17:56) Tell them: "Call upon those whom you fancy to be (your helpers) instead of Him! They have no power to remove any affliction from you, nor can they shift it (to any other)."64 (17:57) Those whom they call upon are themselves seeking the means of access to their Lord, each trying to be nearer to Him. They crave for His Mercy and dread His chastisement.65 Surely your Lord's punishment is to be feared. (17:58) There is not a town but We shall destroy it or upon which We shall inflict severe chastisement66 before the Day of Resurrection. This is written down in the Eternal Book (of Allah). (17:59) Nothing hindered Us from sending Our Signs67 except that the people of olden times rejected them as lies. We publicly sent the she-camel to the Thamud to open their eyes but they wronged her.68 We never send Our Signs except to cause people to fear.69 (17:60) And recall when We said to you, (O Muhammad), that your Lord encompasses these people;70 and that We have made that vision that We have shown you,71 and the tree accursed in the Qur'an,72 but as a trial for people. We go about warning them, but each warning leads them to greater transgression.

Commentary

57. The believers.

58. The believers have been enjoined to say only the best things even in their discussion with the disbelievers and other opponents of their faith. They should neither use harsh words nor make exaggerated statements. They should be cool in their conversation and say only what is true and dignified in spite of the provoking behavior of the opponents.

59. The believers have been forewarned to guard against the provocations of Satan, as if to say: While answering your opponents, if you feel that you are being aroused to anger, you should at once understand that it is Satan who is exciting you in order to do harm to your dispute, in which he wants to engage human beings for sowing discord between them.

60. This is to warn the believers to refrain from making claims of piety so as to assign Paradise to themselves and Hell to their opponents. It is Allah alone Who has the power to decide these things because He is fully aware of the known and secret and the present and future things about all human beings. It is He Who will decide whether to show mercy to anyone or give chastisement. However, a man may say in the light of the divine Book that a certain kind of human beings deserve mercy and another kind of people incur chastisement but none has any right to say specifically that a particular man will be given chastisement and another will get salvation.

61. This is to declare that a Prophet is sent to convey the message and not to decide whether a person will receive mercy or get chastisement. It does not, however, mean that, God forbid, the Prophet (peace be upon him) himself did such a thing and Allah had to warn him. In fact, this is to warn the Muslims that when the Prophet himself is not in a position as to decide the fates of the people, they should never think of such a thing as to assign Paradise and Hell to anyone.

62. Though this has apparently been addressed to the Prophet (peace be upon him), in fact the real addressees are the disbelievers of Makkah. This is to rebuke them for the low opinion they held in regard to the Prophet (peace be upon him). As it commonly happens, contemporaries in general and opponents in particular do not see anything great and noble in a person of their own time. The same was the case with the contemporaries of the Prophet (peace be upon him) who could not see anything extraordinary or great in him. He appeared to be merely a common man of their habitation. On the other hand, they were full of praise in regard to the famous personalities who had lived in the past few centuries and imagined them to be the perfection of greatness. That is why, they raised frivolous objections against his claim to Prophethood, as if to say: Look at this man who considers himself to be a Prophet whereas he cannot stand in comparison with the former great Prophets who are held in high esteem by all. Allah has answered their objection, as if to say: We are fully aware of all Our creatures in the heavens and the earth, and We know their ranks but you do not know. We know whom to favor with Prophethood, as We have been favoring the former Prophets and exalting some Prophets above others in rank.

63. It appears that Prophet David (peace be upon him) has been particularly mentioned to show that Prophethood does not mean that one should have nothing to do with the life of this world. This was the answer to the objection they were raising against the claim to Prophethood by Muhammad (peace be upon him), that he was a man of the world. It means to say: Though David was a king who had to engage himself in worldly affairs more than a common man, he was favored by Allah with Prophethood, and given the Book, the Psalms. Likewise Muhammad (peace be upon him) could be favored with Prophethood in spite of the fact that he had wives and children and passed his life like other common people and was engaged in buying and selling in the market. In short, in performing all those duties that a man of the world has to perform to meet his necessities of life. This was necessitated because according to the disbelievers of Makkah, such a man of the world could not be considered to be even a pious man, much less a Prophet. For pious people should have nothing to do with the worldly affairs but should sit in seclusion and remember God whereas the Prophet (peace be upon him) had to work to fulfill the necessities of life.

64. This warning helps to elaborate the doctrine of Tauhid and negate shirk. According to this, shirk is not confined merely to falling prostrate before any other than Allah but it is also shirk to pray to or invoke the help of any other than Allah. For praying to or calling for help any other than Allah is in reality a kind of worship. Therefore, the one who invokes for help any other than Allah is as much guilty of shirk as the worshiper of an idol. This verse also shows clearly that, none other than Allah, has any power to attend to prayers and relieve any one of trouble or alter any one’s bad condition. Hence, if one believes that someone other than Allah has any power, he shall be guilty of shirk.

65. The words of the text are a clear proof that the deities and the helpers referred to in this verse were not idols of stone but were either angels or dead saints. It is clearly implied in this that no prophet, no saint and no angel, whom the people invoke for help, has the power to hear prayers and help anyone. They themselves hope for mercy from Allah and dread His punishment and vie with one another in seeking means for nearness to Him.

66. This is to remove the delusion of the disbelievers that their habitations were immune from danger or chastisement. This verse warns that every habitation will be destroyed as a matter of course or by Allah’s chastisement.

67. Here signs mean those visible miracles which are presented as a proof of Prophethood. The disbelievers from among the Quraish were demanding such signs over and over again.

68. This is to warn the disbelievers, as if to say: It is the mercy of Allah that He is not showing such a sign so that you might mend your ways but in your folly you presume that such a sign cannot be presented. You should know that a sign is not being sent because its denial inevitably brings chastisement and the community is annihilated. You can learn from the past history that those communities which disbelieved in the open signs were utterly destroyed, such as the people of Thamud.

69. That is, miracles are not shown for fun. These are meant to warn the people that the Prophet is being helped by the Almighty and that they should realize the terrible consequences of disobedience.

70. That is, at the very beginning of your Prophethood, when the disbelievers of the Quraish had started opposition to your message, We declared that We are encircling them. They might try their best to obstruct your message, but they will inevitably fail in this and your mission will succeed regardless of opposition. Can’t they see that this declaration has come out true as a miracle, for their opposition has failed to hinder your message, and they have not been able to do any harm to you at all. This was a clear sign of the fact that the mission of the Prophet (peace be upon him) was being supported by the Almighty God. As regards to the declaration that Allah is encircling the disbelievers and helping the mission of the Prophet, it occurs in several Surahs of the first stage of Prophethood at Makkah. For instance, in (Ayats 17-20 of Surah Al-Burooj), Allah says: These disbelievers do not learn a lesson from the stories of the people of the Pharaoh and Thamud but are rejecting the message here as Allah is encircling them on all sides.

71. This refers to Miraj (Ascension) for here word ruya does not mean “seeing things in a dream” but seeing things actually with physical eyes. It is quite obvious that if it had been a mere dream and the Prophet (peace be upon him) had presented it as a dream to the disbelievers, there was no reason why it should have become a trial for them. Everyday people see strange dreams and relate them to the people but these dreams never become such a curious thing as to make people scoff at the dreamer and accuse him of making a false claim or of being a mad person.

72. This cursed tree, Az-zaqqum which has been mentioned in (Ayat 43-44 of Surah Ad-Dukhan), grows at the bottom of Hell and its dwellers shall have to eat from it. This has been called a cursed tree because it is not given to people to eat as a mercy from Allah but as a symbol of His curse so that the accursed people should eat it and get more sore, for this will, so to speak, burn in their bellies like the boiling water.