Al-Isra 17:72
The Night Journey · Juz 15 · Page 289
وَمَن كَانَ فِي هَٰذِهِۦٓ أَعۡمَىٰ فَهُوَ فِي ٱلۡأٓخِرَةِ أَعۡمَىٰ وَأَضَلُّ سَبِيلٗا ٧٢
And whoever is blind1 in this [life] will be blind in the Hereafter and more astray in way.
1 translator’s note
- i.e., refusing to see the truth. ↩
Tafsir · in English
Tazkirul Quran
Brief · Short modern reflections on each passage.
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Commentary on 17:71–72
In this world all human groups have their leaders. Similarly, in the Hereafter all groups will be rated along with their respective leaders—good people with their good leaders and evil people with their evil leaders. Subsequently, everyone will be given a full record of his deeds in the world he left behind. The record of good people will be placed in their right hands while the record of bad people will be placed in their left hands. This will serve as a tangible sign that the first group is God’s favoured group and the second is the disfavoured group. The division between bad and good in the Hereafter will be on the basis of who lead his life in this world like a deaf and blind man and who lead his life in this world like one possessed of sight. Since God does not converse with man directly in this world, His messages have to be learned through the silent signs of this universe and through the words of God’s messengers. Those who apprehend this indirect communication of the divine message will be regarded as possessing sight in this world. And those who do not understand this ‘indirect language’ and wait for the day when God Himself will appear and speak, are the ones who are blind in the eyes of God. Ultimately, the direct words of God will be of no avail to them. They will remain as far from the reality of truth at that time as they are today.
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17:67
وَإِذَا مَسَّكُمُ ٱلضُّرُّ فِي ٱلۡبَحۡرِ ضَلَّ مَن تَدۡعُونَ إِلَّآ إِيَّاهُۖ فَلَمَّا نَجَّىٰكُمۡ إِلَى ٱلۡبَرِّ أَعۡرَضۡتُمۡۚ وَكَانَ ٱلۡإِنسَٰنُ كَفُورًا ٦٧
And when adversity touches you at sea, lost are [all] those you invoke except for Him. But when He delivers you to the land, you turn away [from Him]. And ever is man ungrateful.
17:68
أَفَأَمِنتُمۡ أَن يَخۡسِفَ بِكُمۡ جَانِبَ ٱلۡبَرِّ أَوۡ يُرۡسِلَ عَلَيۡكُمۡ حَاصِبٗا ثُمَّ لَا تَجِدُواْ لَكُمۡ وَكِيلًا ٦٨
Then do you feel secure that [instead] He will not cause a part of the land to swallow you or send against you a storm of stones? Then you would not find for yourselves an advocate.
17:69
أَمۡ أَمِنتُمۡ أَن يُعِيدَكُمۡ فِيهِ تَارَةً أُخۡرَىٰ فَيُرۡسِلَ عَلَيۡكُمۡ قَاصِفٗا مِّنَ ٱلرِّيحِ فَيُغۡرِقَكُم بِمَا كَفَرۡتُمۡ ثُمَّ لَا تَجِدُواْ لَكُمۡ عَلَيۡنَا بِهِۦ تَبِيعٗا ٦٩
Or do you feel secure that He will not send you back into it [i.e., the sea] another time and send upon you a hurricane of wind and drown you for what you denied?1 Then you would not find for yourselves against Us an avenger.2
17:70
۞ وَلَقَدۡ كَرَّمۡنَا بَنِيٓ ءَادَمَ وَحَمَلۡنَٰهُمۡ فِي ٱلۡبَرِّ وَٱلۡبَحۡرِ وَرَزَقۡنَٰهُم مِّنَ ٱلطَّيِّبَٰتِ وَفَضَّلۡنَٰهُمۡ عَلَىٰ كَثِيرٖ مِّمَّنۡ خَلَقۡنَا تَفۡضِيلٗا ٧٠
And We have certainly honored the children of Adam and carried them on the land and sea and provided for them of the good things and preferred them over much of what We have created, with [definite] preference.
17:71
يَوۡمَ نَدۡعُواْ كُلَّ أُنَاسِۭ بِإِمَٰمِهِمۡۖ فَمَنۡ أُوتِيَ كِتَٰبَهُۥ بِيَمِينِهِۦ فَأُوْلَٰٓئِكَ يَقۡرَءُونَ كِتَٰبَهُمۡ وَلَا يُظۡلَمُونَ فَتِيلٗا ٧١
[Mention, O Muḥammad], the Day We will call forth every people with their record [of deeds].1 Then whoever is given his record in his right hand - those will read their records, and injustice will not be done to them, [even] as much as a thread [inside the date seed].
1 translator’s note
- Other meanings are "with their leader" or "with that which they had followed." ↩
17:72
وَمَن كَانَ فِي هَٰذِهِۦٓ أَعۡمَىٰ فَهُوَ فِي ٱلۡأٓخِرَةِ أَعۡمَىٰ وَأَضَلُّ سَبِيلٗا ٧٢
And whoever is blind1 in this [life] will be blind in the Hereafter and more astray in way.
1 translator’s note
- i.e., refusing to see the truth. ↩
17:73
وَإِن كَادُواْ لَيَفۡتِنُونَكَ عَنِ ٱلَّذِيٓ أَوۡحَيۡنَآ إِلَيۡكَ لِتَفۡتَرِيَ عَلَيۡنَا غَيۡرَهُۥۖ وَإِذٗا لَّٱتَّخَذُوكَ خَلِيلٗا ٧٣
And indeed, they were about to tempt you away from that which We revealed to you in order to [make] you invent about Us something else; and then they would have taken you as a friend.
17:74
وَلَوۡلَآ أَن ثَبَّتۡنَٰكَ لَقَدۡ كِدتَّ تَرۡكَنُ إِلَيۡهِمۡ شَيۡـٔٗا قَلِيلًا ٧٤
And if We had not strengthened you, you would have almost inclined to them a little.
17:75
إِذٗا لَّأَذَقۡنَٰكَ ضِعۡفَ ٱلۡحَيَوٰةِ وَضِعۡفَ ٱلۡمَمَاتِ ثُمَّ لَا تَجِدُ لَكَ عَلَيۡنَا نَصِيرٗا ٧٥
Then [if you had], We would have made you taste double [punishment in] life and double [after] death. Then you would not find for yourself against Us a helper.