بِسۡمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
Al-Isra 17:2
The Night Journey · Juz 15 · Page 282
وَءَاتَيۡنَا مُوسَى ٱلۡكِتَٰبَ وَجَعَلۡنَٰهُ هُدٗى لِّبَنِيٓ إِسۡرَٰٓءِيلَ أَلَّا تَتَّخِذُواْ مِن دُونِي وَكِيلٗا ٢
And We gave Moses the Scripture and made it a guidance for the Children of Israel that you not take other than Me as Disposer of affairs,1
1 translator’s note
- i.e., trust in Allāh, knowing that He (subḥānahu wa taʿālā) is responsible for every occurrence. ↩
Tafsir · in English
Tazkirul Quran
Brief · Short modern reflections on each passage.
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Commentary on 17:2–3
The implication of the above-mentioned event was that the Children of Israel, the Jews, were deposed from the position of the ‘bearers of the Scriptures’ in favour of the Children of Ishmael (Banu Isma‘il). This event took place in accordance with the way of God, who has always chosen a particular group for the declaration of the truth. This is the greatest honour one can have in this world. However, this selection is not based on race or community. A group is entitled to this honour only if it is able to demonstrate the necessary competence. The moment its competence becomes questionable, it must forgo its entitlement to this honour. This happened in the case of the respective communities of Adam, Noah, Moses, and Jesus—without exception. This is the law of God, moreover, for any future community and there can be no exception to it for anyone. To qualify for this position, the chosen group must treat God as the sole guardian, (wakil), and, placing their full trust in the one and only God, should leave all their affairs to Him. When man discovers God in all His majesty and power, it is but natural that he should make God his guardian. One who attains the true realization of God will make God his everything, and will lead the life of a true believer in the present world. In order to lead such a life, man has to find God as the greatest reality, that is, the Creator and Lord of all creation. Moreover, only those who attain this status in the realization of God can properly discharge the responsibility of calling upon others to the truth. To preach the word of God, it is absolutely necessary to be completely selfless, for total concentration cannot be developed in a man unless all his hopes and fears are attached to God; God should be his everything.
Page 282
سورة الإسراء
Al-Isra
The Night Journey · Meccan · 111 ayahs
بِسۡمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
17:1
سُبۡحَٰنَ ٱلَّذِيٓ أَسۡرَىٰ بِعَبۡدِهِۦ لَيۡلٗا مِّنَ ٱلۡمَسۡجِدِ ٱلۡحَرَامِ إِلَى ٱلۡمَسۡجِدِ ٱلۡأَقۡصَا ٱلَّذِي بَٰرَكۡنَا حَوۡلَهُۥ لِنُرِيَهُۥ مِنۡ ءَايَٰتِنَآۚ إِنَّهُۥ هُوَ ٱلسَّمِيعُ ٱلۡبَصِيرُ ١
Exalted1 is He who took His Servant [i.e., Prophet Muḥammad (ﷺ)] by night from al-Masjid al-Ḥarām to al-Masjid al-Aqṣā,2 whose surroundings We have blessed, to show him of Our signs. Indeed, He is the Hearing,3 the Seeing.4
4 translator’s notes
17:2
وَءَاتَيۡنَا مُوسَى ٱلۡكِتَٰبَ وَجَعَلۡنَٰهُ هُدٗى لِّبَنِيٓ إِسۡرَٰٓءِيلَ أَلَّا تَتَّخِذُواْ مِن دُونِي وَكِيلٗا ٢
And We gave Moses the Scripture and made it a guidance for the Children of Israel that you not take other than Me as Disposer of affairs,1
1 translator’s note
- i.e., trust in Allāh, knowing that He (subḥānahu wa taʿālā) is responsible for every occurrence. ↩
17:3
ذُرِّيَّةَ مَنۡ حَمَلۡنَا مَعَ نُوحٍۚ إِنَّهُۥ كَانَ عَبۡدٗا شَكُورٗا ٣
O descendants of those We carried [in the ship] with Noah. Indeed, he was a grateful servant.
17:4
وَقَضَيۡنَآ إِلَىٰ بَنِيٓ إِسۡرَٰٓءِيلَ فِي ٱلۡكِتَٰبِ لَتُفۡسِدُنَّ فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ مَرَّتَيۡنِ وَلَتَعۡلُنَّ عُلُوّٗا كَبِيرٗا ٤
And We conveyed1 to the Children of Israel in the Scripture that, "You will surely cause corruption on the earth twice, and you will surely reach [a degree of] great haughtiness."
1 translator’s note
- Foretold out of divine knowledge of what they would do. ↩
17:5
فَإِذَا جَآءَ وَعۡدُ أُولَىٰهُمَا بَعَثۡنَا عَلَيۡكُمۡ عِبَادٗا لَّنَآ أُوْلِي بَأۡسٖ شَدِيدٖ فَجَاسُواْ خِلَٰلَ ٱلدِّيَارِۚ وَكَانَ وَعۡدٗا مَّفۡعُولٗا ٥
So when the [time of] promise came for the first of them,1 We sent against you servants of Ours - those of great military might, and they probed [even] into the homes,2 and it was a promise fulfilled.
17:6
ثُمَّ رَدَدۡنَا لَكُمُ ٱلۡكَرَّةَ عَلَيۡهِمۡ وَأَمۡدَدۡنَٰكُم بِأَمۡوَٰلٖ وَبَنِينَ وَجَعَلۡنَٰكُمۡ أَكۡثَرَ نَفِيرًا ٦
Then We gave back to you a return victory over them. And We reinforced you with wealth and sons and made you more numerous in manpower.
17:7
إِنۡ أَحۡسَنتُمۡ أَحۡسَنتُمۡ لِأَنفُسِكُمۡۖ وَإِنۡ أَسَأۡتُمۡ فَلَهَاۚ فَإِذَا جَآءَ وَعۡدُ ٱلۡأٓخِرَةِ لِيَسُـُٔواْ وُجُوهَكُمۡ وَلِيَدۡخُلُواْ ٱلۡمَسۡجِدَ كَمَا دَخَلُوهُ أَوَّلَ مَرَّةٖ وَلِيُتَبِّرُواْ مَا عَلَوۡاْ تَتۡبِيرًا ٧
[And said], "If you do good, you do good for yourselves; and if you do evil, [you do it] to them [i.e., yourselves]." Then when the final [i.e., second] promise came, [We sent your enemies] to sadden your faces and to enter the masjid [i.e., the temple in Jerusalem], as they entered it the first time, and to destroy what they had taken over with [total] destruction.