Al-Isra 17:60
The Night Journey · Juz 15 · Page 288
وَإِذۡ قُلۡنَا لَكَ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ أَحَاطَ بِٱلنَّاسِۚ وَمَا جَعَلۡنَا ٱلرُّءۡيَا ٱلَّتِيٓ أَرَيۡنَٰكَ إِلَّا فِتۡنَةٗ لِّلنَّاسِ وَٱلشَّجَرَةَ ٱلۡمَلۡعُونَةَ فِي ٱلۡقُرۡءَانِۚ وَنُخَوِّفُهُمۡ فَمَا يَزِيدُهُمۡ إِلَّا طُغۡيَٰنٗا كَبِيرٗا ٦٠
And [remember, O Muḥammad], when We told you, "Indeed, your Lord has encompassed the people."1 And We did not make the sight which We showed you2 except as a trial for the people, as was the accursed tree [mentioned] in the Qur’ān. And We threaten [i.e., warn] them, but it increases them not except in great transgression.
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Tazkirul Quran
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Commentary on 17:60
People often demanded some miracle of their own choice— a miracle, which they wanted in order to judge the veracity of the preacher, whereas if they had kept an open mind, they would have realized that they had already been given that miracle in the form of the special divine succour to the preacher. In answer to their demand for tangible miracles the Quran had this to say: ‘Is this miracle not enough to open their eyes?’ i.e. in the initial stages of conveying the word of God when the Prophet apparently had no power, it was declared that mankind had been encircled by God. This statement was corroborated with the spreading of Islam among the Arab tribes. It saw its completion with the victory of Badr, and the conquest of Makkah after the Hudaybiyyah Peace Treaty. Similarly, when the Prophet Muhammad announced on the morning following the Night Journey that the previous night he had been taken from the Ka‘bah to al-Bayt al-Maqdis, people did not believe him. His opponents summoned those individuals who had actually seen al-Bayt al-Maqdis and the Prophet was then asked to describe the details of the building. This he did with great accuracy. Still these happenings were not taken seriously. They scoffed at them, demanding proof of his veracity in the shape of miracles. The truth is that the actual problem is not one of showing tangible miracles but rather of serious thinking about the mission. When people are not serious about the divine call, they make a mockery of everything, even if it is of great importance. When the Quran warned that in hell people would have to eat the fruit of the Zaqqum tree ( 37:62 ), Abu Jahal called for dates and butter to be brought, and asked others to eat them, saying that that was what Zaqqum was. (Tafsir ibn Kathir). The fruits of this tree will serve as food for the inhabitants of hell. When this verse was revealed in the Quran, one of the leaders of the Quraysh remarked, ‘Look at Abu Kabsha’s son, he warns us of a hell which will burn up everything in it, even the stones. Then how does he think that a tree can grow in that fire? We all know that fire burns everything.’ (At-Tafsir al-Mazhari).
Page 288
17:59
وَمَا مَنَعَنَآ أَن نُّرۡسِلَ بِٱلۡأٓيَٰتِ إِلَّآ أَن كَذَّبَ بِهَا ٱلۡأَوَّلُونَۚ وَءَاتَيۡنَا ثَمُودَ ٱلنَّاقَةَ مُبۡصِرَةٗ فَظَلَمُواْ بِهَاۚ وَمَا نُرۡسِلُ بِٱلۡأٓيَٰتِ إِلَّا تَخۡوِيفٗا ٥٩
And nothing has prevented Us from sending signs [i.e., miracles] except that the former peoples denied them. And We gave Thamūd the she-camel as a visible sign, but they wronged her. And We send not the signs except as a warning.
17:60
وَإِذۡ قُلۡنَا لَكَ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ أَحَاطَ بِٱلنَّاسِۚ وَمَا جَعَلۡنَا ٱلرُّءۡيَا ٱلَّتِيٓ أَرَيۡنَٰكَ إِلَّا فِتۡنَةٗ لِّلنَّاسِ وَٱلشَّجَرَةَ ٱلۡمَلۡعُونَةَ فِي ٱلۡقُرۡءَانِۚ وَنُخَوِّفُهُمۡ فَمَا يَزِيدُهُمۡ إِلَّا طُغۡيَٰنٗا كَبِيرٗا ٦٠
And [remember, O Muḥammad], when We told you, "Indeed, your Lord has encompassed the people."1 And We did not make the sight which We showed you2 except as a trial for the people, as was the accursed tree [mentioned] in the Qur’ān. And We threaten [i.e., warn] them, but it increases them not except in great transgression.
17:61
وَإِذۡ قُلۡنَا لِلۡمَلَٰٓئِكَةِ ٱسۡجُدُواْ لِأٓدَمَ فَسَجَدُوٓاْ إِلَّآ إِبۡلِيسَ قَالَ ءَأَسۡجُدُ لِمَنۡ خَلَقۡتَ طِينٗا ٦١
And [mention] when We said to the angels, "Prostrate to Adam," and they prostrated, except for Iblees.1 He said, "Should I prostrate to one You created from clay?"
1 translator’s note
- See footnote to 2:34. ↩
17:62
قَالَ أَرَءَيۡتَكَ هَٰذَا ٱلَّذِي كَرَّمۡتَ عَلَيَّ لَئِنۡ أَخَّرۡتَنِ إِلَىٰ يَوۡمِ ٱلۡقِيَٰمَةِ لَأَحۡتَنِكَنَّ ذُرِّيَّتَهُۥٓ إِلَّا قَلِيلٗا ٦٢
[Iblees] said, "Do You see this one whom You have honored above me? If You delay me [i.e., my death] until the Day of Resurrection, I will surely destroy1 his descendants, except for a few."
1 translator’s note
- By tempting them and leading them astray. ↩
17:63
قَالَ ٱذۡهَبۡ فَمَن تَبِعَكَ مِنۡهُمۡ فَإِنَّ جَهَنَّمَ جَزَآؤُكُمۡ جَزَآءٗ مَّوۡفُورٗا ٦٣
[Allāh] said, "Go, for whoever of them follows you, indeed Hell will be the recompense of [all of] you - an ample recompense.
17:64
وَٱسۡتَفۡزِزۡ مَنِ ٱسۡتَطَعۡتَ مِنۡهُم بِصَوۡتِكَ وَأَجۡلِبۡ عَلَيۡهِم بِخَيۡلِكَ وَرَجِلِكَ وَشَارِكۡهُمۡ فِي ٱلۡأَمۡوَٰلِ وَٱلۡأَوۡلَٰدِ وَعِدۡهُمۡۚ وَمَا يَعِدُهُمُ ٱلشَّيۡطَٰنُ إِلَّا غُرُورًا ٦٤
And incite [to senselessness] whoever you can among them with your voice and assault them with your horses and foot soldiers and become a partner in their wealth and their children and promise them." But Satan does not promise them except delusion.
17:65
إِنَّ عِبَادِي لَيۡسَ لَكَ عَلَيۡهِمۡ سُلۡطَٰنٞۚ وَكَفَىٰ بِرَبِّكَ وَكِيلٗا ٦٥
Indeed, over My [believing] servants there is for you no authority. And sufficient is your Lord as Disposer of affairs.1
1 translator’s note
- Refer to footnote in 3: 173. ↩
17:66
رَّبُّكُمُ ٱلَّذِي يُزۡجِي لَكُمُ ٱلۡفُلۡكَ فِي ٱلۡبَحۡرِ لِتَبۡتَغُواْ مِن فَضۡلِهِۦٓۚ إِنَّهُۥ كَانَ بِكُمۡ رَحِيمٗا ٦٦
It is your Lord who drives the ship for you through the sea that you may seek of His bounty. Indeed, He is ever, to you, Merciful.