Al-Isra 17:87
The Night Journey · Juz 15 · Page 291
إِلَّا رَحۡمَةٗ مِّن رَّبِّكَۚ إِنَّ فَضۡلَهُۥ كَانَ عَلَيۡكَ كَبِيرٗا ٨٧
Except [We have left it with you] as a mercy from your Lord. Indeed, His favor upon you has ever been great.
Tafsir · in English
Tazkirul Quran
Brief · Short modern reflections on each passage.
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Commentary on 17:86–88
The Quran used to be revealed to the Prophet Muhammad at particular times. Apart from this, the Prophet had no power to compose words such as those of the Quran; his own personal way of expressing himself was always quite different in style. The Prophet was quite disturbed when for a long time no revelations were made to him. But it was not possible for him to compose verses like those of the Quran on his own or with the help of his Companions. It is a fact that there is a great difference between the language and style of the Hadith and the Quran. This difference can be seen even today by any Arabic scholar. This is a clear proof of the fact that the Quran is not a composition of the Prophet Muhammad: it has come from a mind far superior to the human mind. Those who believed that the Quran was composed of human words, were asked to compose such words as those of the Quran. If what they believed was true, and it was a human composition, they too should have had the power to compose such scriptures. They might even seek the help of others, and strive to produce verses like those of the Quran. But no one was able to answer this challenge at that time. Even in later times, no stylist or scholar has been able to produce any composition paralleling the verses of the Quran. Events show that a number of people did in fact strive very hard, but they could not produce a single verse like that of the Quran.
Page 291
17:87
إِلَّا رَحۡمَةٗ مِّن رَّبِّكَۚ إِنَّ فَضۡلَهُۥ كَانَ عَلَيۡكَ كَبِيرٗا ٨٧
Except [We have left it with you] as a mercy from your Lord. Indeed, His favor upon you has ever been great.
17:88
قُل لَّئِنِ ٱجۡتَمَعَتِ ٱلۡإِنسُ وَٱلۡجِنُّ عَلَىٰٓ أَن يَأۡتُواْ بِمِثۡلِ هَٰذَا ٱلۡقُرۡءَانِ لَا يَأۡتُونَ بِمِثۡلِهِۦ وَلَوۡ كَانَ بَعۡضُهُمۡ لِبَعۡضٖ ظَهِيرٗا ٨٨
Say, "If mankind and the jinn gathered in order to produce the like of this Qur’ān, they could not produce the like of it, even if they were to each other assistants."
17:89
وَلَقَدۡ صَرَّفۡنَا لِلنَّاسِ فِي هَٰذَا ٱلۡقُرۡءَانِ مِن كُلِّ مَثَلٖ فَأَبَىٰٓ أَكۡثَرُ ٱلنَّاسِ إِلَّا كُفُورٗا ٨٩
And We have certainly diversified for the people in this Qur’ān from every [kind of] example, but most of the people refused except disbelief.
17:90
وَقَالُواْ لَن نُّؤۡمِنَ لَكَ حَتَّىٰ تَفۡجُرَ لَنَا مِنَ ٱلۡأَرۡضِ يَنۢبُوعًا ٩٠
And they say, "We will not believe you until you break open for us from the ground a spring
17:91
أَوۡ تَكُونَ لَكَ جَنَّةٞ مِّن نَّخِيلٖ وَعِنَبٖ فَتُفَجِّرَ ٱلۡأَنۡهَٰرَ خِلَٰلَهَا تَفۡجِيرًا ٩١
Or [until] you have a garden of palm trees and grapes and make rivers gush forth within them in force [and abundance]
17:92
أَوۡ تُسۡقِطَ ٱلسَّمَآءَ كَمَا زَعَمۡتَ عَلَيۡنَا كِسَفًا أَوۡ تَأۡتِيَ بِٱللَّهِ وَٱلۡمَلَٰٓئِكَةِ قَبِيلًا ٩٢
Or you make the heaven fall upon us in fragments as you have claimed or you bring Allāh and the angels before [us]
17:93
أَوۡ يَكُونَ لَكَ بَيۡتٞ مِّن زُخۡرُفٍ أَوۡ تَرۡقَىٰ فِي ٱلسَّمَآءِ وَلَن نُّؤۡمِنَ لِرُقِيِّكَ حَتَّىٰ تُنَزِّلَ عَلَيۡنَا كِتَٰبٗا نَّقۡرَؤُهُۥۗ قُلۡ سُبۡحَانَ رَبِّي هَلۡ كُنتُ إِلَّا بَشَرٗا رَّسُولٗا ٩٣
Or you have a house of ornament [i.e., gold] or you ascend into the sky. And [even then], we will not believe in your ascension until you bring down to us a book we may read." Say, "Exalted is my Lord! Was I ever but a human messenger?"
17:94
وَمَا مَنَعَ ٱلنَّاسَ أَن يُؤۡمِنُوٓاْ إِذۡ جَآءَهُمُ ٱلۡهُدَىٰٓ إِلَّآ أَن قَالُوٓاْ أَبَعَثَ ٱللَّهُ بَشَرٗا رَّسُولٗا ٩٤
And what prevented the people from believing when guidance came to them except that they said, "Has Allāh sent a human messenger?"
17:95
قُل لَّوۡ كَانَ فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ مَلَٰٓئِكَةٞ يَمۡشُونَ مُطۡمَئِنِّينَ لَنَزَّلۡنَا عَلَيۡهِم مِّنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ مَلَكٗا رَّسُولٗا ٩٥
Say, "If there were upon the earth angels walking securely,1 We would have sent down to them from the heaven an angel [as a] messenger."
1 translator’s note
- i.e., who were settled and established there, as is man. ↩
17:96
قُلۡ كَفَىٰ بِٱللَّهِ شَهِيدَۢا بَيۡنِي وَبَيۡنَكُمۡۚ إِنَّهُۥ كَانَ بِعِبَادِهِۦ خَبِيرَۢا بَصِيرٗا ٩٦
Say, "Sufficient is Allāh as Witness between me and you. Indeed He is ever, concerning His servants, Aware and Seeing."