بِسۡمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
Al-Isra 17:107
The Night Journey · Juz 15 · Page 293
قُلۡ ءَامِنُواْ بِهِۦٓ أَوۡ لَا تُؤۡمِنُوٓاْۚ إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ أُوتُواْ ٱلۡعِلۡمَ مِن قَبۡلِهِۦٓ إِذَا يُتۡلَىٰ عَلَيۡهِمۡ يَخِرُّونَۤ لِلۡأَذۡقَانِۤ سُجَّدٗاۤ ١٠٧
Say, "Believe in it or do not believe." Indeed, those who were given knowledge before it1 - when it is recited to them, they fall upon their faces in prostration,
1 translator’s note
- i.e., the righteous among the People of the Scriptures who recognize the truth contained in the Qur’ān. ↩
Tafsir · in English
Ibn Kathir (abridged)
Medium · The classic, abridged: ayahs explained by ayahs and hadith.
Change
Commentary on 17:107–109
Those Who were given Knowledge before truly admit the Qur'an
Allah says to His Prophet Muhammad ﷺ:
قُلْ
(Say) O Muhammad to these disbelievers concerning what you have brought to them of this Glorious Qur'an:
ءَامِنُواْ بِهِ أَوْ لاَ تُؤْمِنُواْ
("Believe in it (the Qur'an) or do not believe (in it).) meaning, it is all the same whether you believe in it or not, for it is true in and of itself. It was revealed by Allah, Who mentioned it previously in the Books that He revealed to other Messengers. Hence He says:
إِنَّ الَّذِينَ أُوتُواْ الْعِلْمَ مِن قَبْلِهِ
(Verily, those who were given knowledge before it,) meaning righteous people among the People of the Book, who adhered to their Books and appreciated them without distorting them.
إِذَا يُتْلَى عَلَيْهِمْ
(when it is recited to them,) means, when this Qur'an is recited to them,
يَخِرُّونَ لِلاٌّذْقَانِ سُجَّدًا
(fall down on their chins (faces) in humble prostration. ) means, to Allah, in gratitude for the blessing He has bestowed on them by considering them fit to live until they met this Messenger to whom this Book was revealed. Hence they say:
سُبْحَانَ رَبِّنَآ
(Glory be to our Lord!), meaning, they extol and glorify their Lord for His perfect power and for not delaying the fulfillment of the promise which He made through His earlier Prophets, that He would send Muhammad ﷺ. Hence they said:
سُبْحَانَ رَبِّنَآ إِن كَانَ وَعْدُ رَبِّنَا لَمَفْعُولاً
(Glory be to our Lord! Truly, the promise of our Lord must be fulfilled.)
وَيَخِرُّونَ لِلاٌّذْقَانِ يَبْكُونَ
(And they fall down on their chins (faces) weeping) means, in submission to Allah, may He be glorified, and in expression of their belief and faith in His Book and His Messenger .
وَيَزِيدُهُمْ خُشُوعًا
(and it increases their humility.) means, it increases them in faith and submission. As Allah says:
وَالَّذِينَ اهْتَدَوْاْ زَادَهُمْ هُدًى وَءَاتَهُمْ تَقُوَاهُمْ
(While as for those who accept guidance, He increases their guidance and bestows on them their Taqwa. ) (47:17).
وَيَخِرُّونَ
(And they fall down) is a description rather than an action (i.e., this is a further description of their humility as referred to in Ayah 107; it does not imply that they prostrate twice).
Page 293
17:105
وَبِٱلۡحَقِّ أَنزَلۡنَٰهُ وَبِٱلۡحَقِّ نَزَلَۗ وَمَآ أَرۡسَلۡنَٰكَ إِلَّا مُبَشِّرٗا وَنَذِيرٗا ١٠٥
And with the truth We have sent it [i.e., the Qur’ān] down, and with the truth it has descended. And We have not sent you, [O Muḥammad], except as a bringer of good tidings and a warner.
17:106
وَقُرۡءَانٗا فَرَقۡنَٰهُ لِتَقۡرَأَهُۥ عَلَى ٱلنَّاسِ عَلَىٰ مُكۡثٖ وَنَزَّلۡنَٰهُ تَنزِيلٗا ١٠٦
And [it is] a Qur’ān which We have separated [by intervals] that you might recite it to the people over a prolonged period. And We have sent it down progressively.
17:107
قُلۡ ءَامِنُواْ بِهِۦٓ أَوۡ لَا تُؤۡمِنُوٓاْۚ إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ أُوتُواْ ٱلۡعِلۡمَ مِن قَبۡلِهِۦٓ إِذَا يُتۡلَىٰ عَلَيۡهِمۡ يَخِرُّونَۤ لِلۡأَذۡقَانِۤ سُجَّدٗاۤ ١٠٧
Say, "Believe in it or do not believe." Indeed, those who were given knowledge before it1 - when it is recited to them, they fall upon their faces in prostration,
1 translator’s note
- i.e., the righteous among the People of the Scriptures who recognize the truth contained in the Qur’ān. ↩
17:108
وَيَقُولُونَ سُبۡحَٰنَ رَبِّنَآ إِن كَانَ وَعۡدُ رَبِّنَا لَمَفۡعُولٗا ١٠٨
And they say, "Exalted is our Lord! Indeed, the promise of our Lord has been fulfilled."
17:109
وَيَخِرُّونَ لِلۡأَذۡقَانِ يَبۡكُونَ وَيَزِيدُهُمۡ خُشُوعٗا۩ ١٠٩
And they fall upon their faces weeping, and it [i.e., the Qur’ān] increases them in humble submission.
17:110
قُلِ ٱدۡعُواْ ٱللَّهَ أَوِ ٱدۡعُواْ ٱلرَّحۡمَٰنَۖ أَيّٗا مَّا تَدۡعُواْ فَلَهُ ٱلۡأَسۡمَآءُ ٱلۡحُسۡنَىٰۚ وَلَا تَجۡهَرۡ بِصَلَاتِكَ وَلَا تُخَافِتۡ بِهَا وَٱبۡتَغِ بَيۡنَ ذَٰلِكَ سَبِيلٗا ١١٠
Say, "Call upon Allāh or call upon the Most Merciful [ar-Raḥmān]. Whichever [name] you call - to Him belong the best names." And do not recite [too] loudly in your prayer or [too] quietly but seek between that an [intermediate] way.
17:111
وَقُلِ ٱلۡحَمۡدُ لِلَّهِ ٱلَّذِي لَمۡ يَتَّخِذۡ وَلَدٗا وَلَمۡ يَكُن لَّهُۥ شَرِيكٞ فِي ٱلۡمُلۡكِ وَلَمۡ يَكُن لَّهُۥ وَلِيّٞ مِّنَ ٱلذُّلِّۖ وَكَبِّرۡهُ تَكۡبِيرَۢا ١١١
And say, "Praise to Allāh, who has not taken a son and has had no partner in [His] dominion and has no [need of a] protector out of weakness; and glorify Him with [great] glorification."
18:1
ٱلۡحَمۡدُ لِلَّهِ ٱلَّذِيٓ أَنزَلَ عَلَىٰ عَبۡدِهِ ٱلۡكِتَٰبَ وَلَمۡ يَجۡعَل لَّهُۥ عِوَجَاۜ ١
[All] praise is [due] to Allāh, who has sent down upon His Servant [Muḥammad (ﷺ)] the Book and has not made therein any deviance.1
1 translator’s note
- From the truth or the straight path. ↩
18:2
قَيِّمٗا لِّيُنذِرَ بَأۡسٗا شَدِيدٗا مِّن لَّدُنۡهُ وَيُبَشِّرَ ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَ ٱلَّذِينَ يَعۡمَلُونَ ٱلصَّٰلِحَٰتِ أَنَّ لَهُمۡ أَجۡرًا حَسَنٗا ٢
[He has made it] straight, to warn of severe punishment from Him and to give good tidings to the believers who do righteous deeds that they will have a good reward [i.e., Paradise]
18:3
مَّٰكِثِينَ فِيهِ أَبَدٗا ٣
In which they will remain forever
18:4
وَيُنذِرَ ٱلَّذِينَ قَالُواْ ٱتَّخَذَ ٱللَّهُ وَلَدٗا ٤
And to warn those who say, "Allāh has taken a son."
Translation: Saheeh International · Text and layout: Quran Foundation · Mushaf fonts: King Fahd Complex, provided by Quran Foundation · Privacy