Al-Isra 17:57
The Night Journey · Juz 15 · Page 287
أُوْلَٰٓئِكَ ٱلَّذِينَ يَدۡعُونَ يَبۡتَغُونَ إِلَىٰ رَبِّهِمُ ٱلۡوَسِيلَةَ أَيُّهُمۡ أَقۡرَبُ وَيَرۡجُونَ رَحۡمَتَهُۥ وَيَخَافُونَ عَذَابَهُۥٓۚ إِنَّ عَذَابَ رَبِّكَ كَانَ مَحۡذُورٗا ٥٧
Those whom they invoke1 seek means of access to their Lord, [striving as to] which of them would be nearest, and they hope for His mercy and fear His punishment. Indeed, the punishment of your Lord is ever feared.
1 translator’s note
- Among the righteous of Allāh's creation, such as angels, prophets, deceased scholars, etc. ↩
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Commentary on 17:56–57
The gods of the Idolators can neither benefit nor harm; rather they themselves seek to draw close to Allah
Allah says:
قُلْ
(Say) O Muhammad to these idolators who worship things other than Allah,
ادْعُواْ الَّذِينَ زَعَمْتُم مِّن دُونِهِ
(Call upon those - besides Him whom you pretend.) such as idols and rivals of Allah. Even if you turn to them,
فَلاَ يَمْلِكُونَ كَشْفَ الضُّرِّ عَنْكُمْ
(They have neither the power to remove the adversity from you) they have no such power at all,
وَلاَ تَحْوِيلاً
(nor even to shift (it from you to another person.)) to lift the distress from you and give it to someone else. The meaning is that the only one Who is able to do that is Allah Alone, with no partner or associate, Who is the One Who creates and issues commands.
قُلِ ادْعُواْ الَّذِينَ زَعَمْتُم
(Say: "Call upon those whom you pretend) Al-`Awfi reported from Ibn `Abbas, "The people of Shirk used to say, `we worship the angels and the Messiah and `Uzayr,' while these (the angels and the Messiah and `Uzayr) themselves call upon Allah."
أُولَئِكَ الَّذِينَ يَدْعُونَ
(Those whom they call upon, desire) Al-Bukhari recorded from Sulayman bin Mahran Al-A`mash, from Ibrahim, from Abu Ma`mar, from `Abdullah:
أُولَئِكَ الَّذِينَ يَدْعُونَ يَبْتَغُونَ إِلَى رَبِّهِمُ الْوَسِيلَةَ
(Those whom they call upon, desire a means of access to their Lord,) "Some of the Jinn used to be worshipped, then they became Muslims." According to another report: "Some humans used to worship some of the Jinn, then those Jinn became Muslim, but those humans adhered to their religion (of worshipping the Jinn)."
وَيَرْجُونَ رَحْمَتَهُ وَيَخَفُونَ عَذَابَهُ
(they hope for His mercy and fear His torment.) Worship cannot be complete or perfect unless it is accompanied by both fear and hope. Fear stops one from doing things that are forbidden, and hope makes one do more good deeds.
إِنَّ عَذَابَ رَبِّكَ كَانَ مَحْذُورًا
(Verily, the torment of your Lord is (something) to be afraid of!) meaning, one should beware of it and be afraid lest it happen. We seek refuge with Allah from that.
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17:50
۞ قُلۡ كُونُواْ حِجَارَةً أَوۡ حَدِيدًا ٥٠
Say, "Be you stones or iron1
1 translator’s note
- i.e., even if you should be stones or iron. ↩
17:51
أَوۡ خَلۡقٗا مِّمَّا يَكۡبُرُ فِي صُدُورِكُمۡۚ فَسَيَقُولُونَ مَن يُعِيدُنَاۖ قُلِ ٱلَّذِي فَطَرَكُمۡ أَوَّلَ مَرَّةٖۚ فَسَيُنۡغِضُونَ إِلَيۡكَ رُءُوسَهُمۡ وَيَقُولُونَ مَتَىٰ هُوَۖ قُلۡ عَسَىٰٓ أَن يَكُونَ قَرِيبٗا ٥١
Or [any] creation of that which is great1 within your breasts." And they will say, "Who will restore us?" Say, "He who brought you forth the first time." Then they will nod their heads toward you2 and say, "When is that?" Say, "Perhaps it will be soon -
17:52
يَوۡمَ يَدۡعُوكُمۡ فَتَسۡتَجِيبُونَ بِحَمۡدِهِۦ وَتَظُنُّونَ إِن لَّبِثۡتُمۡ إِلَّا قَلِيلٗا ٥٢
On the Day He will call you and you will respond with praise of Him and think that you had not remained [in the world] except for a little."
17:53
وَقُل لِّعِبَادِي يَقُولُواْ ٱلَّتِي هِيَ أَحۡسَنُۚ إِنَّ ٱلشَّيۡطَٰنَ يَنزَغُ بَيۡنَهُمۡۚ إِنَّ ٱلشَّيۡطَٰنَ كَانَ لِلۡإِنسَٰنِ عَدُوّٗا مُّبِينٗا ٥٣
And tell My servants to say that which is best. Indeed, Satan induces [dissension] among them. Indeed Satan is ever, to mankind, a clear enemy.
17:54
رَّبُّكُمۡ أَعۡلَمُ بِكُمۡۖ إِن يَشَأۡ يَرۡحَمۡكُمۡ أَوۡ إِن يَشَأۡ يُعَذِّبۡكُمۡۚ وَمَآ أَرۡسَلۡنَٰكَ عَلَيۡهِمۡ وَكِيلٗا ٥٤
Your Lord is most knowing of you. If He wills, He will have mercy upon you; or if He wills, He will punish you. And We have not sent you, [O Muḥammad], over them as a manager.
17:55
وَرَبُّكَ أَعۡلَمُ بِمَن فِي ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضِۗ وَلَقَدۡ فَضَّلۡنَا بَعۡضَ ٱلنَّبِيِّـۧنَ عَلَىٰ بَعۡضٖۖ وَءَاتَيۡنَا دَاوُۥدَ زَبُورٗا ٥٥
And your Lord is most knowing of whoever is in the heavens and the earth. And We have made some of the prophets exceed others [in various ways], and to David We gave the book [of Psalms].
17:56
قُلِ ٱدۡعُواْ ٱلَّذِينَ زَعَمۡتُم مِّن دُونِهِۦ فَلَا يَمۡلِكُونَ كَشۡفَ ٱلضُّرِّ عَنكُمۡ وَلَا تَحۡوِيلًا ٥٦
Say, "Invoke those you have claimed [as gods] besides Him, for they do not possess the [ability for] removal of adversity from you or [for its] transfer [to someone else]."
17:57
أُوْلَٰٓئِكَ ٱلَّذِينَ يَدۡعُونَ يَبۡتَغُونَ إِلَىٰ رَبِّهِمُ ٱلۡوَسِيلَةَ أَيُّهُمۡ أَقۡرَبُ وَيَرۡجُونَ رَحۡمَتَهُۥ وَيَخَافُونَ عَذَابَهُۥٓۚ إِنَّ عَذَابَ رَبِّكَ كَانَ مَحۡذُورٗا ٥٧
Those whom they invoke1 seek means of access to their Lord, [striving as to] which of them would be nearest, and they hope for His mercy and fear His punishment. Indeed, the punishment of your Lord is ever feared.
1 translator’s note
- Among the righteous of Allāh's creation, such as angels, prophets, deceased scholars, etc. ↩
17:58
وَإِن مِّن قَرۡيَةٍ إِلَّا نَحۡنُ مُهۡلِكُوهَا قَبۡلَ يَوۡمِ ٱلۡقِيَٰمَةِ أَوۡ مُعَذِّبُوهَا عَذَابٗا شَدِيدٗاۚ كَانَ ذَٰلِكَ فِي ٱلۡكِتَٰبِ مَسۡطُورٗا ٥٨
And there is no city but that We will destroy it1 before the Day of Resurrection or punish it with a severe punishment. That has ever been in the Register2 inscribed.
Translation: Saheeh International · Text and layout: Quran Foundation · Mushaf fonts: King Fahd Complex, provided by Quran Foundation · Privacy