| Chapter 17 : Surah Bani Israil |
(Revealed before Hijrah) Date of Revelation and Context Subject-Matter The Surah opens with the subject of lsra' (Spiritual Night Journey of the Holy Prophet) in order to show that as the successor and counterpart of Moses, his followers will conquer the lands which were promised to Moses, and that like Moses he will have to leave his native place. But his Emigration will lead to very rapid progress and advancement of his noble cause. Then it is briefly stated that the people of Moses acquired great power and prestige through their Prophet, though subsequently they came to grief by defying and ignoring Divine warning. But the Qur'an, being a much more complete code of Laws, is capable of bringing about a greater and a completer change in the lives of its followers than was the Book of Moses. This brief reference to the rise and decline of Jews is attended with a warning to Muslims that God would bestow upon them His favours and like the Jews they would also rise to great heights of material greatness and glory, but that after they had acquired wealth, power and influence, they should not forget God. Then some rules of conduct are mentioned by acting upon which a people could rise to a very high spiritual stature. But, instead of benefiting by these rules, disbelievers arrogantly turn away from them and give no thought to the dreadful end to which their conceit and pride are likely to lead them. They are warned that rejection of truth never produces wholesome results and that they will be visited with severe Divine punishment, particularly in the Latter Days, when the world will witness a fight to the finish between the forces of Light and Darkness and finally the forces of Satan shall be completely routed. The Surah then administers a severe rebuke to disbelievers that they seek to annihilate the Holy Prophet, but God has decreed a great and noble purpose for him and a mighty destiny awaits him. His name shall be known unto the remotest corners of the earth and shall be honoured to the end of time. The world shall recognize him as humanity's greatest Guide and Leader and the Qur'an as a storehouse of limitless spiritual knowledge. The Surah closes with a brief description of the signs of the Latter Days and of the evils which will then prevail in the world and declares that it is prayer and true connection with God that can save man from sin.
سُبْحَانَ الَّذِي أَسْرَى بِعَبْدِهِ لَيْلاً مِنَ الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ إِلَى الْمَسْجِدِ الأَقْصَى الَّذِي بَارَكْنَا حَوْلَهُ لِنُرِيَهُ مِنْ آيَاتِنَا إِنَّهُ هُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْبَصِيرُ
فَإِذَا جَاءَ وَعْدُ أُولاَهُمَا بَعَثْنَا عَلَيْكُمْ عِبَادًا لَنَا أُولِي بَأْسٍ شَدِيدٍ فَجَاسُوا خِلاَلَ الدِّيَارِ وَكَانَ وَعْدًا مَفْعُولاً
إِنْ أَحْسَنتُمْ أَحْسَنتُمْ ِلأَنفُسِكُمْ وَإِنْ أَسَأْتُمْ فَلَهَا فَإِذَا جَاءَ وَعْدُ الآخِرَةِ لِيَسُوءُوا وُجُوهَكُمْ وَلِيَدْخُلُوا الْمَسْجِدَ كَمَا دَخَلُوهُ أَوَّلَ مَرَّةٍ وَلِيُتَبِّرُوا مَا عَلَوْا تَتْبِيرًا
إِنَّ هَذَا الْقُرْآنَ يَهْدِي لِلَّتِي هِيَ أَقْوَمُ وَيُبَشِّرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ الَّذِينَ يَعْمَلُونَ الصَّالِحَاتِ أَنَّ لَهُمْ أَجْرًا كَبِيرًا
وَجَعَلْنا اللَّيْلَ وَالنَّهَارَ آيَتَيْنِ فَمَحَوْنَا آيَةَ اللَّيْلِ وَجَعَلْنَا آيَةَ النَّهَارِ مُبْصِرَةً لِتَبْتَغُوا فَضْلاً مِنْ رَبِّكُمْ وَلِتَعْلَمُوا عَدَدَ السِّنِينَ وَالْحِسَابَ وَكُلَّ شَيْءٍ فَصَّلْنَاهُ تَفْصِيلاً
مَنِ اهْتَدَى فَإِنَّمَا يَهْتَدِي لِنَفْسِهِ وَمَنْ ضَلَّ فَإِنَّمَا يَضِلُّ عَلَيْهَا وَلاَ تَزِرُ وَازِرَةٌ وِزْرَ أُخْرَى وَمَا كُنَّا مُعَذِّبِينَ حَتَّى نَبْعَثَ رَسُولاً وَإِذَا أَرَدْنَا أَنْ نُهْلِكَ قَرْيَةً أَمَرْنَا مُتْرَفِيهَا فَفَسَقُوا فِيهَا فَحَقَّ عَلَيْهَا الْقَوْلُ فَدَمَّرْنَاهَا تَدْمِيرًا
مَنْ كَانَ يُرِيدُ الْعَاجِلَةَ عَجَّلْنَا لَهُ فِيهَا مَا نَشَاءُ لِمَنْ نُرِيدُ ثُمَّ جَعَلْنَا لَهُ جَهَنَّمَ يَصْلاَهَا مَذْمُومًا مَدْحُورًا
وَقَضَى رَبُّكَ أَلاَّ تَعْبُدُوا إِلاَّ إِيَّاهُ وَبِالْوَالِدَيْنِ إِحْسَانًا إِمَّا يَبْلُغَنَّ عِنْدَكَ الْكِبَرَ أَحَدُهُمَا أَوْ كِلاَهُمَا فَلاَ تَقُلْ لَهُمَا أُفٍّ وَلاَ تَنْهَرْهُمَا وَقُلْ لَهُمَا قَوْلاً كَرِيمًا
وَلاَ تَقْتُلُوا النَّفْسَ الَّتِي حَرَّمَ اللَّهُ إِلاَّ بِالْحَقِّ وَمَنْ قُتِلَ مَظْلُومًا فَقَدْ جَعَلْنَا لِوَلِيِّهِ سُلْطَانًا فَلاَ يُسْرِفْ فِي الْقَتْلِ إِنَّهُ كَانَ مَنصُورًا وَلاَ تَقْرَبُوا مَالَ الْيَتِيمِ إِلاَّ بِالَّتِي هِيَ أَحْسَنُ حَتَّى يَبْلُغَ أَشُدَّهُ وَأَوْفُوا بِالْعَهْدِ إِنَّ الْعَهْدَ كَانَ مَسْئُولاً
ذَلِكَ مِمَّا أَوْحَى إِلَيْكَ رَبُّكَ مِنَ الْحِكْمَةِ وَلاَ تَجْعَلْ مَعَ اللَّهِ إِلَهًا آخَرَ فَتُلْقَى فِي جَهَنَّمَ مَلُومًا مَدْحُورًا
تُسَبِّحُ لَهُ السَّمَاوَاتُ السَّبْعُ وَالأَرْضُ وَمَنْ فِيهِنَّ وَإِنْ مِنْ شَيْءٍ إِلاَّ يُسَبِّحُ بِحَمْدِهِ وَلَكِنْ لاَ تَفْقَهُونَ تَسْبِيحَهُمْ إِنَّهُ كَانَ حَلِيمًا غَفُورًا
وَجَعَلْنَا عَلَى قُلُوبِهِمْ أَكِنَّةً أَنْ يَفْقَهُوهُ وَفِي آذَانِهِمْ وَقْرًا وَإِذَا ذَكَرْتَ رَبَّكَ فِي الْقُرْآنِ وَحْدَهُ وَلَّوْا عَلَى أَدْبَارِهِمْ نُفُورًا نَحْنُ أَعْلَمُ بِمَا يَسْتَمِعُونَ بِهِ إِذْ يَسْتَمِعُونَ إِلَيْكَ وَإِذْ هُمْ نَجْوَى إِذْ يَقُولُ الظَّالِمُونَ إِنْ تَتَّبِعُونَ إِلاَّ رَجُلاً مَسْحُورًا
أَوْ خَلْقًا مِمَّا يَكْبُرُ فِي صُدُورِكُمْ فَسَيَقُولُونَ مَنْ يُعِيدُنَا قُلِ الَّذِي فَطَرَكُمْ أَوَّلَ مَرَّةٍ فَسَيُنْغِضُونَ إِلَيْكَ رُءُوسَهُمْ وَيَقُولُونَ مَتَى هُوَ قُلْ عَسَى أَنْ يَكُونَ قَرِيبًا
وَقُلْ لِعِبَادِي يَقُولُوا الَّتِي هِيَ أَحْسَنُ إِنَّ الشَّيْطَانَ يَنزَغُ بَيْنَهُمْ إِنَّ الشَّيْطَانَ كَانَ لِلإِنسَانِ عَدُوًّا مُبِينًا
وَرَبُّكَ أَعْلَمُ بِمَنْ فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالأَرْضِ وَلَقَدْ فَضَّلْنَا بَعْضَ النَّبِيِّينَ عَلَى بَعْضٍ وَآتَيْنَا دَاوُودَ زَبُورًا
أُوْلَئِكَ الَّذِينَ يَدْعُونَ يَبْتَغُونَ إِلَى رَبِّهِمُ الْوَسِيلَةَ أَيُّهُمْ أَقْرَبُ وَيَرْجُونَ رَحْمَتَهُ وَيَخَافُونَ عَذَابَهُ إِنَّ عَذَابَ رَبِّكَ كَانَ مَحْذُورًا وَإِنْ مِنْ قَرْيَةٍ إِلاَّ نَحْنُ مُهْلِكُوهَا قَبْلَ يَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ أَوْ مُعَذِّبُوهَا عَذَابًا شَدِيدًا كَانَ ذَلِكَ فِي الْكِتَابِ مَسْطُورًا وَمَا مَنَعَنَا أَنْ نُرْسِلَ بِالآياتِ إِلاَّ أَنْ كَذَّبَ بِهَا الأَوَّلُونَ وَآتَيْنَا ثَمُودَ النَّاقَةَ مُبْصِرَةً فَظَلَمُوا بِهَا وَمَا نُرْسِلُ بِالآياتِ إِلاَّ تَخْوِيفًا وَإِذْ قُلْنَا لَكَ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ أَحَاطَ بِالنَّاسِ وَمَا جَعَلْنَا الرُّؤْيَا الَّتِي أَرَيْنَاكَ إِلاَّ فِتْنَةً لِلنَّاسِ وَالشَّجَرَةَ الْمَلْعُونَةَ فِي الْقُرْآنِ وَنُخَوِّفُهُمْ فَمَا يَزِيدُهُمْ إِلاَّ طُغْيَانًا كَبِيرًا
وَاسْتَفْزِزْ مَنِ اسْتَطَعْتَ مِنْهُمْ بِصَوْتِكَ وَأَجْلِبْ عَلَيْهِمْ بِخَيْلِكَ وَرَجِلِكَ وَشَارِكْهُمْ فِي الأَمْوالِ وَالأَولاَدِ وَعِدْهُمْ وَمَا يَعِدُهُمْ الشَّيْطَانُ إِلاَّ غُرُورًا
وَإِذَا مَسَّكُمُ الضُّرُّ فِي الْبَحْرِ ضَلَّ مَنْ تَدْعُونَ إِلاَّ إِيَّاهُ فَلَمَّا نَجَّاكُمْ إِلَى الْبَرِّ أَعْرَضْتُمْ وَكَانَ الإِنْسَانُ كَفُورًا
أَمْ أَمِنتُمْ أَنْ يُعِيدَكُمْ فِيهِ تَارَةً أُخْرَى فَيُرْسِلَ عَلَيْكُمْ قَاصِفًا مِنْ الرِّيحِ فَيُغْرِقَكُمْ بِمَا كَفَرْتُمْ ثُمَّ لاَ تَجِدُوا لَكُمْ عَلَيْنَا بِهِ تَبِيعًا وَلَقَدْ كَرَّمْنَا بَنِي آدَمَ وَحَمَلْنَاهُمْ فِي الْبَرِّ وَالْبَحْرِ وَرَزَقْنَاهُمْ مِنَ الطَّيِّبَاتِ وَفَضَّلْنَاهُمْ عَلَى كَثِيرٍ مِمَّنْ خَلَقْنَا تَفْضِيلاً يَوْمَ نَدْعُو كُلَّ أُنَاسٍ بِإِمَامِهِمْ فَمَنْ أُوتِيَ كِتَابَهُ بِيَمِينِهِ فَأُوْلَئِكَ يَقْرَءُونَ كِتَابَهُمْ وَلاَ يُظْلَمُونَ فَتِيلاً
قُلْ لَئِنِ اجْتَمَعَتِ الإِنسُ وَالْجِنُّ عَلَى أَنْ يَأْتُوا بِمِثْلِ هَذَا الْقُرْآنِ لاَ يَأْتُونَ بِمِثْلِهِ وَلَوْ كَانَ بَعْضُهُمْ لِبَعْضٍ ظَهِيرًا
أَوْ يَكُونَ لَكَ بَيْتٌ مِنْ زُخْرُفٍ أَوْ تَرْقَى فِي السَّمَاءِ وَلَنْ نُؤْمِنَ لِرُقِيِّكَ حَتَّى تُنَزِّلَ عَلَيْنَا كِتَابًا نَقْرَؤُهُ قُلْ سُبْحَانَ رَبِّي هَلْ كُنتُ إِلاَّ بَشَرًا رَسُولاً
وَمَنْ يَهْدِ اللَّهُ فَهُوَ الْمُهْتَدِ وَمَنْ يُضْلِلْ فَلَنْ تَجِدَ لَهُمْ أَوْلِيَاءَ مِنْ دُونِهِ وَنَحْشُرُهُمْ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ عَلَى وَجُوهِهِمْ عُمْيًا وَبُكْمًا وَصُمًّا مَأْوَاهُمْ جَهَنَّمُ كُلَّمَا خَبَتْ زِدْنَاهُمْ سَعِيرًا
أَوَلَمْ يَرَوْا أَنَّ اللَّهَ الَّذِي خَلَقَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالأَرْضَ قَادِرٌ عَلَى أَنْ يَخْلُقَ مِثْلَهُمْ وَجَعَلَ لَهُمْ أَجَلاً لاَ رَيْبَ فِيهِ فَأَبَى الظَّالِمُونَ إِلاَّ كُفُورًا
وَلَقَدْ آتَيْنَا مُوسَى تِسْعَ آيَاتٍ بَيِّنَاتٍ فَاسْألْ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ إِذْ جَاءَهُمْ فَقَالَ لَهُ فِرْعَوْنُ إِنِّي لَأَظُنُّكَ يَامُوسَى مَسْحُورًا
قُلْ ادْعُوا اللَّهَ أَوْ ادْعُوا الرَّحْمَنَ أَيًّامَّا تَدْعُوا فَلَهُ الأَسْمَاءُ الْحُسْنَى وَلاَ تَجْهَرْ بِصَلاَتِكَ وَلاَ تُخَافِتْ بِهَا وَابْتَغِ بَيْنَ ذَلِكَ سَبِيلاً وَقُلِ الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي لَمْ يَتَّخِذْ وَلَدًا وَلَمْ يَكُنْ لَهُ شَرِيكٌ فِي الْمُلْكِ وَلَمْ يَكُنْ لَهُ وَلِيٌّ مِنَ الذُّلِّ وَكَبِّرْهُ تَكْبِيرًا
1590. The verse which seems to mention a vision of the Holy Prophet is supposed by most Commentators of the Qur'an to refer to his Mi'raj (Spiritual Ascension). Contrary to popular opinion we are inclined to the view that the verse deals with the Isra' (Spiritual Night Journey) of the Holy Prophet in a vision from Mecca to Jerusalem, while his Mi'raj (Spiritual Ascension) has been dealt with at some length in Surah AI-Najm. All the facts; mentioned in Surah Al-Najm (vv. 8-18) which was revealed immediately after the Emigration to Abyssinia which took place in the month of Rajab in the 5th year of the Call, are to be found narrated in detail in the traditions which deal with the Mi'raj of the Holy Prophet. The Isra' or the Spiritual Night Journey of the Holy Prophet from Mecca to Jerusalem, with which the present verse deals, took place in the eleventh year of the Call, according to Zurqani, and in the 12th year according to Muir and some other Christian writers. According to Merdawaih and Ibn Sa'd, however, the Isra' took place on the 17th of Rabi' Al-Awwal, a year before Hijrah (Al-Khasais Al-Kubra). Baihaqui also relates that the Isra' took place a year or six months before the Hijrah. Thus all relevant traditions go to show that the Isra' took place a year or six months prior to Hijrah about the 12th year of the Call when after the death of Khadijah which took place in the 10th year, the Holy Prophet was living with Umm Hani', his cousin. But the Mi'raj, according to overwhelming scholarly opinion, took place about the 5th year. Thus the two incidents are separated from each other by an interval of six or seven years and, therefore, cannot be identical; the one must be regarded as quite distinct and separate from the other. Moreover, the incidents which are mentioned in the Traditions to have taken place in the Prophet's Mi'raj, are of quite a distinct nature from those which took place in his Isra'. It may also be stated in passing that the two incidents were only spiritual phenomena and that the Holy Prophet did not physically go up to heaven or travelled to Jerusalem. In addition to this strong historical evidence; other relevant circumstances lend support to the view that the two incidents were quite distinct and separate from each other: (a) The Qur'an gives an account of the Holy Prophet's Mi'raj (Spiritual Ascension) in Chapter 53, but (b) Umm Hani' the Holy Prophet's cousin with whom he was staying on the night when the Isra' (Spiritual Night Journey to Jerusalem) took place speaks only of his visit to Jerusalem and makes no mention of his journey to the heavens. She was the first person whom the Holy Prophet informed of his Night Journey to Jerusalem and at least seven collectors of Traditions have given her account of the incident on the authority of four different reporters who have reported the incident from her. All these four reporters concur in saying that the Holy Prophet went to Jerusalem and returned to Mecca the same night. If the Holy Prophet had spoken of his Ascension to the heavens also, Umm Hani' could not have failed to refer to it in one or other of her reports. But she does not do so in any of her reports, which conclusively shows that during the night in question the Holy Prophet made the Isra' or the Spiritual Night Journey to Jerusalem only and that the Mi'raj did not take place on that occasion. It seems that some reporters of Traditions mixed up the two accounts of the Isra' and the Mi'raj. The confusion appears to have arisen from the word Isra' (Night Journey) having been used both for the Isra' and the Mi'raj; and the resemblance that existed in some of the details in the descriptions of the Isra' and the Mi'raj heightened and confirmed it. (c) The Traditions which first give an account of the Holy Prophet's visit to Jerusalem and then of his transportation from Jerusalem to heaven also state that at Jerusalem he met the former Prophets, including Adam, Abraham; Moses and Jesus, and that in the heavens he met the same Prophets again but did not recognize them. How did these Prophets whom he had met at Jerusalem reach the heavens before him and why could he not recognize them while he had seen them only a short while ago in the course of the same journey. It is inconceivable that he should have failed to recognize them when he had met them only a short while ago in the course of the same journey. 1591. "The Distant Mosque" refers to Prophet Solomon's Temple at Jerusalem. 1591A. The Vision of the Prophet referred to in the present verse implied a great prophecy. His journey to "The Distant Mosque" meant his Emigration to Medina where he was to build a Mosque which was destined to become later on the Central Mosque of Islam, and his seeing himself in the Vision that he was leading other Prophets of God in Prayers signified that the New Faith-Islam-was not to remain confined to the place of its birth but was to spread all over the world and the followers of all religions were to join its fold. His going to Jerusalem in the Vision may also be understood to mean that he was to be given dominion over the territory in which Jerusalem was situated. This prophecy was fulfilled during the Caliphate of 'Umar. 1592. The two transgressions of the Israelites mentioned in the Book of Moses (Deut. 28:15, 49-53, 63, 64 & 30:15) are referred to in this verse. Those amongst the Children of Israel who disbelieved were cursed twice by David and Jesus, son of Mary (5:79) and consequently were punished twice. 1593. The first Divine punishment overtook the Israelites after David, and the second after Jesus. It appears from the Bible that the Jews had become a very powerful nation after Moses, and in the time of David they laid the foundations of a mighty kingdom which continued to flourish for sometime after his death in its old might and glory. Then it fell a prey to gradual decay and in about 733 B.C. Samaria was conquered by the Assyrians, who annexed the whole of Israel north of Jezreel. In 608 B.C. Palestine was ravaged by an Egyptian force under Pharaoh Necho and the Israelites came under Egyptian sway (Jew. Enc., vol. 6, p. 665). The loss of their temporal power and their destruction and desolation, however; did not induce them to mend their ways. They persisted in their old wicked practices. The Prophet Jeremiah warned them to give up their evil ways as the wrath of God was about to overtake them, but they paid no heed to Jeremiah's warnings. In the reign of Jehoiakim, Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon made his first invasion of Palestine and carried off some of the Temple vessels, but the city was spared the rigors of a siege. In 597 B.C. also the city was invested and fell victim to a severe famine. The rebellion of Zedekiah, however, caused a second invasion by Nebuchadnezzar in 587 B.C., and after a siege of a year and a half, the city was taken by storm. King Zedekiah fled from the city but was taken prisoner. His sons were slain and his eyes were put out, and bound in fetters he was carried off to Babylon. The Temple, the King's palace and all the great buildings in the city were burnt down, the chief priests and other leaders were put to death and many people were carried off in captivity (Jew. Enc. vol. 6; p. 665 & vol. 7; p. 122 under "Jerusalem"). 1594. The Jews fared well in exile. Most of them were employed on public works in central Babylonia and many among them eventually gained their freedom and rose to influential positions. Their faith and religious devotion were renewed; the literature of the Kingdom was studied, re-edited, and adapted to the needs of the reviving Community, and the hope of restoration to Palestine was preached and cherished. About 545 B.C., this aspiration took a more definite form. The Jews made a secret agreement with Cyrus, King of Media and Persia and helped him to conquer Babylon. The city surrendered to his army without resistance in July, 539 B.C. As a reward for their services Cyrus permitted the Jews to return to Jerusalem and also helped them to rebuild the Temple (Historians' History of the World. vol. 11, p. 126; Jew. Enc., vol. 7, under "Jerusalem;" Enc. Bib., under "Cyrus" and 2 Chronicles 36:22, 23). The Judean, Sheshbazzar (a governor under Cyrus) brought back to the Temple vessels which Nebuchadnezzar had carried away and prepared to undertake the work at the expense of the royal purse. A large body of exiles returned to Jerusalem (Ezra 1:3-5). The work of rebuilding the Temple steadily progressed and was completed in 516 B.C. It is to these events and the subsequent prosperity of the Jews that the verse under comment refers. All this, however, was foretold by Moses long before it came to pass (Deut. 30: 1-5). 1594A. The words also mean: 'They might humiliate your leaders,' wujuh meaning leaders (Lane). 1595. This verse speaks of the second relapse into iniquitous ways of the Jews and of the punishment which befell them in consequence. They persecuted Jesus and sought to kill him on the Cross and stamp out his Movement. So God afflicted them with a terrible punishment when in 70 A.D. the Roman forces under Titus swept the country and amid circumstances of unparalleled horror Jerusalem was destroyed and the Temple of Solomon was burnt down (Enc. Bib., under "Jerusalem"). This disaster took place when Jesus was yet living in Kashmir. This was also foretold by Moses (Deut. 32:18-26). It may be noted here that this prophecy about the second punishment is mentioned in the Bible after the prophecy which speaks of the first punishment (Deut. chap. 28). More than that, it is mentioned even after the prophecy which speaks of the return of the Jews to Jerusalem (Deut. 30:1-5). This shows that this prophecy (Deut. 32:18-26) refers to the second punishment, to which reference has been made in the Qur'an, viz., You will surely do great mischief in the land twice (175). The verse implied a warning for Muslims that, like the Jews, they too will be punished twice if they did not give up their evil ways. But they did not profit by the timely warning and did not give up their evil ways and were punished twice. The first punishment overtook them when Baghdad fell in 1258 A.D. The barbarous hordes of Halaku completely destroyed that great seat of learning and power and 18,00,000 Muslims are said to have been put to the sword. Islam; 1596. The goal which the Qur'an sets before its followers is nobler and more sublime than that of the former peoples, and promises its true followers both spiritual and temporal blessings. They should, therefore, make great efforts to attain them and be on their guard against a lax and undisciplined life and in every way prove themselves deserving of the promised Divine boons. 1597. The Arabic expression means that such is the condition of man that while by words of his mouth he prays to God to grant him good, by his actual evil deeds he invites the displeasure and punishment of God. Thus his actions belie his words. The expression may also be taken to mean that 'man calls for evil as he should have called for good.' According to both the renderings the verse signifies that when nations or individuals attain material wealth and rise to power and influence, they tend to neglect their duties and responsibilities and thus in the very hour of their power and glory they lay the foundations of their later decay and death. The verse may also mean that man invites evil to himself with the same zeal and vehemence as God invites him to good. In this case the act of inviting to good will be taken as referring to God. 1598. Both night and day have their benefits for man; but whereas the benefits of the night are subtle and hidden, those of the day are clear and manifest. The verse may also signify that the natural phenomenon of the alternation of night and day helps man to determine dates of the year and to prepare calendars. This phenomenon has also led to the development and progress of the science of mathematics. 1599. The fastening of the works to the neck of a man denotes that his actions and their effects stick to him permanently as long as he lives, Ta'ir (bird) signifying an habitual act (Aqrab). He is reminded that a deed once done cannot be undone and has far-reaching effects and, even if hidden from the human eye, it remains attached to the doer's neck, and it is impossible to obliterate it. The verse may also mean that man augurs good or evil from outside things while his good or bad augury is inseparably linked to his own neck. 1600. Punishment is not something that comes from outside but it takes its birth within man himself. In fact, the punishments and rewards of Heaven and Hell will only be so many embodiments and representations of the deeds, good or bad, of man done by him in this life. Thus in this life man is the architect of his own destiny and in the next he will be, so to say, his own rewarder or punisher. 1601. Everyone has to bear his own cross. Nobody's vicarious sacrifice can do him any good. The verse strikes at the root of the doctrine of atonement. 1602. The world has, in our own generation, seen pestilences; famines, wars, earthquakes and other calamities of unprecedented severity and unparalleled magnitude in such rapid succession as to embitter human life. Before these calamities and catastrophes visited the earth, God must have raised a Warner. 1603. By Qaryah (township) is here meant the Mother-town, i.e.; a town which serves as a metropolis or centre of culture and politics for other towns. 1604. The pronoun 'it' refers to the Hereafter and the meaning is that only such efforts, as are calculated to secure the good of the Hereafter, will be productive of really good results. 1605. Divine aid is of two kinds: (1) General aid, as a result of which good works and efforts of all sorts of peoples-Muslims, Christians, Jews, Hindus; etc., bear fruit according to their scope and magnitude; and (2) special grace and succor of God which is confined to spiritual matters and which is given to His true servants only and is denied to disbelievers. 1606. Shirk (associating false gods with Allah) causes man to sink morally and spiritually. Never has a people, steeped in Shirk, been known to have made any real moral or material progress. In fact all evils spring from Shirk. 1607. With this verse begin those principles and rules of conduct by observing which a people can preserve the integrity of their organization and render it safe against disintegration and decline. Pride of place is given to belief in the Oneness of God and condemnation of Shirk (setting up equals with Allah), because belief in Divine Unity is a seed out of which grow all virtues, and lack of which lies at the root of all sins. It constitutes the basis and the foundation for both the law of nature and the law of the Shari’ah. That the whole law of the Shari’ah is based on belief in the Unity of God is too patent a reality to need any explanation; but even the law of nature and all scientific progress are also based on it. For, if it be supposed that there are more gods than one; it necessarily follows that there are more than one law of nature. But in the absence of one fixed and uniform natural law all progress of science will come to an end, because all the discoveries and inventions made by science are due to the belief that an ordered, fixed and unchangeable system pervades the whole universe. The second important commandment laid down in the verse concerns man's moral conduct. His obligations towards his parents form the most important part of it; because it is his parents who first of all direct a man's attention to God and it is in the parental mirror that Divine attributes are reflected and on a minor human scale are given practical expression. But whereas the commandment in relation to God is negative, in the case of parents it is positive. Man is told that since it is not possible for him to make a return of God's favors, he should at least refrain from Shirk, but as in the case of parents he is in a position to return their love and kindness, though only very inadequately, he is given a positive commandment to be kind and generous to them. 1608. In Arabic the word Uff is used to express one's disgust by words of mouth and Nahr is used to express it by actual deed. By combining these two words the verse means that oneshould never speak harshly to one's parents, much less act unkindly towards them. 1609. By a beautiful simile the verse inculcates kindness to parents. As parental love is incapable of being adequately repaid, the deficiency in this respect is enjoined to be made up by prayer for them. The prayer shows that in old age parents need to be tended as carefully and affectionately as little children are looked after in their childhood by their parents. 1610. He who does not make right use of God-given gifts is guilty of ingratitude to Him, and he who, squanders away his wealth, in fact, seeks to shirk the responsibilities which lie upon him for its proper use. 1611. Help may sometimes be denied to a seemingly needy person when it is feared that the giving of it would have an adverse effect upon him; for instance, he may be a professional beggar or may be addicted to some bad habit. In such a case a word of good cheer may be used to give comfort to the beggar. 1612. A believer should not be so miserly as not to spend his money even when there is a real and genuine need for it, nor should he squander away his money thoughtlessly and without purpose so that when money is required for a real national need he should find to his regret that he could not contribute to it. 1613. Those miserly parents who do not give proper education to, or provide proper food and clothing for, their children; in fact, contribute both to their physical and moral death. The verse strongly condemns such "slaying" of innocent children who, if given right kind of education and afforded proper opportunities to rise to their full stature, are likely to become very useful members of the society. The "slaying of children" may also signify the questionable practice of unnecessary birth control which is encouraged in modern society. 1614. The words Khit' and khata' differ in their significance. Whereas the former is intentional, the latter may both be intentional and unintentional (Aqrab). The Qur'an has used the former word to establish the fact that the slaying of children is a crime at which human nature revolts and recoils and only a person devoid of all human feelings is capable of doing it. 1615. The commandment forbidding 'the slaying of children' is followed by another equally weighty injunction about adultery because adultery also causes the death of innumerable children in different forms. Unlike the biblical commandment, 'Thou shalt not commit adultery,' the Qur'an says, 'Go not nigh unto adultery,' which is clearly a more comprehensive and more effective and sensible commandment. The Qur'an not only prohibits and condemns the actual act of adultery but seeks to close and shut all those avenues that lead to it. 1616. In the preceding two verses reference was made to the two indirect ways of slaying. The verse under comment speaks of direct murder. After the murderer is convicted by a properly constituted court, the heirs of the murdered person have the right either to have the murderer legally executed or accept blood money in lieu of the death of the murdered person. If, however, it is against the interests of public peace or morality to allow blood money to the heirs or if the demand of the heirs be found to be not bona-fide; the court may refuse to accept their option and order the murderer's execution. In fact, both the heirs and the State equally share the right to pardon or punish the guilty person. This right of the State in regard to the punishment of the guilty person covers all matters to which the injunction about retribution applies. Whereas in the earlier part of the verse the rights of the party offended against have been safeguarded, the words, let him not exceed the prescribed bounds in slaying, imply a recommendation in favor of the murderer. The words show that although 'life for life' is the general rule; the heirs of the murdered person should not always insist upon the literal execution of this commandment. The murderer is to suffer the extreme penalty of the law only when the dictates of equity, public peace and morality demand it. His life may be spared and blood money accepted if this act of grace is calculated to lead to his moral reformation. 1617. After having laid down the law about the punishment for murder which leaves behind orphans in two families-in the family of the murderer and in that of the murdered person-the Qur'an proceeds to give directions about the rights of orphans. One of the most important of these is with regard to their property. The word "covenant" (meaning an obligation) has been used here to emphasize the fact that taking proper care of the property of the orphans constitutes no favor to them but is a responsibility and a duty to be discharged fully and honestly. 1618. The secret of the commercial progress and prosperity of a people lies in honest and fair dealing in commercial transactions. 1619. The verse cuts at the root of all sources of suspicion which in natural order are "the ear," "the eye" and "the heart." "The ear" is the first avenue through which most suspicions enter one's mind. Most suspicions are caused by ill-founded reports which one hears about another person. Next source is that of sight. A person sees another doing a certain act and interprets it wrongly and is led to suspect the latter's motives and intentions. The last and most degraded kind of suspicion is that which a person entertains about another person not as the result of a bad report which he might have heard about him. nor in consequence of a bad act or deed which he might have seen him committing but which is purely the figment of his own diseased mind. Thus it is not only human life and property (to which a reference has already been made in the preceding verse) which are sacred and inviolable, but human honor also is sacrosanct and an attack upon it also will have to be accounted for. 1620. To be proud of and exult over one's achievements not only smacks of frivolity, but does moral injury to the proud person, for such an attitude makes him content with what he has already achieved and is thus calculated to impede and arrest his moral progress. 1621. For a revealed Book which has to deal with all matters of importance it is but natural and even necessary that it should revert, time and again, to the relevant points which bear on the main theme. When repetition is intended to throw light upon a matter from a new angle or to refute a new objection, no sane and intelligent person can take objection to it. 1622. Whereas the words, The seven heavens and the earth and those that are therein extol His glory, refer to the collective evidence that the whole universe bears to the Unity of God;the words, and there is not a thing but glorifies Him with His praise, refer to the evidencewhich all things bear to Oneness of the Divine Being individually and separately. The formermeans that the beautiful arrangement and order existing in the universe unmistakably showthat its Creator is One, and the latter mean that everything in this universe, within its ownlimited sphere and in its own inimitable way, demonstrates God's various attributes. 1623. It is the covering of malice and envy, or that of a false sense of dignity and racial pride or of the fear of loss of social position and income; or the covering of a longstanding custom and belief fondly and firmly held that stands in the way of the acceptance of truth by disbelievers. It is a subtle covering which disbelievers themselves do not properly perceive. 1624. The verse may either be taken as saying to disbelievers that even if their hearts should become hard like iron or stone or any other similar substance, God would bring about among them that wholesome change which He has decreed to bring about through the Holy Prophet. Or, it may be taken as answering their doubts about Resurrection mentioned in the previous verse; and says to them that they could not escape Divine punishment even if they became converted into iron or stone or any other hard substance. 1625. The verse may refer to angels, Prophets and saints whom some people worship as gods. 1626. The reference is to the punishment which presages a universal calamity or series of calamities as foretold by God's Prophets and also in the Qur'an. 1627. Or, the meaning may be: Could the fact that former people rejected the Prophets be the reason that further Signs should not be sent, i.e., it could not be the reason for the withholding of heavenly Signs. 1627A. The reference here is to the Vision mentioned in v. 2 of this Surah. In this Vision the Holy Prophet saw himself leading all other Prophets in Prayers in the Temple at Jerusalem which was the Qiblah of the Jews. The Vision implied that in some future time the followers of those Prophets would join the fold of Islam. This is what is meant by the words, thy Lord has decreed the ruin of this people. The general spread of Islam would follow in the wake of the worldwide disasters of which mention has been made in v. 59. 1628. 'The cursed tree' seems to be the Jewish people who have been repeatedly mentioned in the Qur'an as having been cursed by God (5:14, 61, 65, 79). The curse of God has dogged the footsteps of these unfortunate people from the time of the Prophet David right down to our own time. This interpretation of the expression finds additional support from the fact that the present Surah particularly deals with the Israelites as its very name, Bani Isra'il, suggests. The fact that the verse begins with a mention of the Vision in which the Holy Prophet saw himself leading the Israelite Prophets in Prayers in Jerusalem, the centre of the Jewish Faith, lends further support to the assumption that by 'cursed tree' is meant the Jewish people, the word Shajarah signifying a tribe. The verse speaks both of the Vision and the Jewish people (the accursed tree) to whom this Vision specially refers as 'a trial for men.' The Jews have, throughout the ages, proved to be a source of much misery and distress for mankind, particularly for Muslims. 1629. The particle lam among other things means, "with." The expression li Adama may mean 'with Adam.' 1630. By "resurrection" is here meant the spiritual resurrection which is experienced by every believer when his faith becomes perfect and Satan ceases to exercise control over him. 1631. Whether or not Satan has succeeded in carrying out his threat in leading astray a vast majority of mankind is an important question which calls for an answer. A hurried and thoughtless glance over the state of good and evil in the world may lead one to the wrong conclusion that evil predominates over good in the world. But the truth is the other way about. If, for example, all the utterances of the greatest of liars were to be critically examined, the number of his truthful utterances will be found to be far exceeding his lies. Similarly, the number of the wicked people in the world is much smaller than that of the good and the virtuous people. The fact that wickedness attracts such wide notice in itself constitutes a proof of the fact that human nature is innately good and recoils at even a slight touch of evil. It is, therefore, wrong to suppose that Satan has succeeded in carrying his threat into actual fact. 1632. The verse describes the three devices that are adopted by the sons of darkness to entice men away from the right way: (1) They try to intimidate the poor and the weak by holding out threats of violence to them. (2) They use more drastic measures against those who are not frightened by verbal threats of violence by forming alliances against them and making a concerted attack upon them and persecuting and oppressing them in every way. (3) They seek to entice away the powerful and the more influential by offering to make them their leaders if only they cease to support the cause of truth. 1633. Man is amenable to the enticements of Satan so long as he is not "resurrected," i.e., so long as his faith does not attain its full stature. 1634. Such is the nature of man that when he is in distress he becomes humble and prays to God and promises and vows to lead a virtuous life. But once he is out of danger he is as arrogant and boastful as ever. 1635. God has equally honored all the children of Adam and has not favored any particular nation or tribe. The verse demolishes all foolish notions of superiority based on color, creed, race or nationality. It further says that all avenues of progress and prosperity have been kept open equally for all men and these avenues lie as much in travel by land as by sea. 1635A. The laying of stress on travel by sea in the Qur'an seems to be rather strange. The fact, that a Book revealed to an Arab, and of all Arabs the Holy Prophet, who throughout his life never experienced a sea-voyage, should have so much emphasized the importance of sea voyaging, does indeed show that the Qur'an could not have been his composition. He did not and could not know the great benefits of sea-voyaging. 1635B. As a class man, being God's vicegerent on earth, is superior to all other creation. 1636. The right hand is a symbol of blessing while the left is that of punishment. Also in the human body the right side enjoys a certain superiority over the left since the tissues of the right side generally are stronger than those of the left. Giving of the record of one's deeds in one's right hand as mentioned in this verse signifies that it will be a favorable and blessed record. Again, the right hand signifies strength and power (69:46). The holding by believers of their records in their right hands is meant to signify that they had taken hold of virtue with strength and resolution, while the holding by disbelievers of their records in their left hands would signify that they did not strive after virtue with requisite strength and zeal. 1637. Those; who do not make proper use of their spiritual eyes in this world, would remain deprived of spiritual sight in the life to come. The Qur'an speaks of those who do not ponder over the Signs of God and do not benefit by them as "blind." Such men will remain spiritually blind in the next life also. 1638. Disbelievers were determined to put the Holy Prophet to great hardship on account of the Teaching which had been revealed to him so that they might compel him to alter it and devise other than the one embodied in the Qur'an. It is to these evil designs of disbelievers and their complete failure in getting them carried out that reference has been made in this verse. 1639. The Prophet's nature was so pure that even if the Qur'an had not been revealed to him and he had no knowledge of God's great intentions about him, he would hardly have stooped to practice Shirk. 1640. The enemies of the Holy Prophet wanted to brand him with the stigma of legal banishment so that he might lose all dignity with his people, but God Himself commanded him to leave Mecca and thus saved him from this stigma which involved for him the loss of citizenship of that town. 1641. Dalakat al-Shamsu means; (1) the sun declined from the meridian; (2) it became yellow; (3) it set. Ghasaq means, the darkness of the night, or when redness in the horizon after sunset disappears (Lane). This verse seems to denote the hours of the five daily Prayers of Islam. The three meanings of Duluk indicate the times of Afternoon Prayer, the Late Afternoon Prayer and the Sunset Prayer. The expression, Ghasaqil-Lail, includes the times of Sunset Prayer but particularly refers to the Night Prayer, and the words Qur'an al-Fajr indicate the hour of the Morning Prayer. 1642. In addition to the meaning given in the text Nafilah means a special favor, and signifies that Prayers are not a burden to weary the flesh but a privilege and a special favor from God. 1643. Perhaps no other person has been so much maligned and abused as the Holy Prophet of Islam and certainly no other person has been the recipient of so much Divine praise and the object of the invocation of so many Divine blessings and favors upon him as he. The Tahajjud Prayer is best suited for the believer's spiritual exaltation as in the stillness of the night, being all alone with his Creator, he enjoys special Divine communion. 1644. In acceptance of his prayers and supplications, the Holy Prophet in this verse has been vouchsafed the glad tidings that in fulfillment of the prophecy made in the words, Glory be to Him Who carried His servant by night from the Sacred Mosque to the Distant Mosque (17:2),he would be taken to Medina. In anticipation of the fulfillment of this prophecy he is commanded to pray that his entry in Medina may be doubly blessed and so may his departure from the town-Mecca-in which he is now living. 1645. It is among the marvels of Quranic diction that to convey a certain sense it selects that particular word which points to a long sequence of events. In this particular instance the sense of the vanishing of falsehood might as well have been expressed by some other word such as Halaka (perished) or Bafala (became useless), but neither of these words would have conveyed the sense of gradual weakening and ultimate disappearance which is expressed by Zahaqa. The verse contains the hint that with the entry of the Holy Prophet into Medina, his power would continue to grow and that of his enemy decline till it would be finally broken. Again, it is a marvel of the style of the Qur'an that, without being poetry, its verses possess poetic rhythm and cadence without which it is not possible to give full expression to feelings of extreme delight. The verse under comment furnishes one such example. After the conquest of Mecca as the Holy Prophet was clearing the Ka'bah of the idols which had desecrated it, he repeatedly recited this verse as he struck the idols (Bukhari). 1646. The words, 'Ala Shakilati-hi, mean, according to his own motives; way of thinking; aims and purposes. 1647. In the period of their spiritual decline and decadence the Jews seem to have come to dabble in occult practices like many modern Spiritualists, Theosophists and Hindu Yogis. Some of the Jews of Medina also seem to have resorted to these practices in the time of the Holy Prophet. This is why when the Meccan idolaters sought their help to confute the Holy Prophet, they suggested that they (the Meccan idolaters) should question him about the human soul. The Qur'an answers them by the verse under comment by saying that the soul derives its powers from the command of God and anything else that is claimed to be acquired by the so-called spiritual exercises and magical art is all humbug. The question regarding the nature of the human soul is reported to have been first put to the Holy Prophet at Mecca by the Quraish and then, according to 'Abd Allah bin Mas'ad, by the Jews at Medina. The soul has been described here as something created by the direct command of God. According to the Qur'an all creation falls under two categories: (1) Original creation which is brought about without the aid or help of any substance or matter previously created. (2) Subsequent creation which is brought about with the aid and help of the means and matter previously created. The former kind of creation falls under the category of Amr (lit. command) for which see 2:118, and the latter is known as Khalq (lit. creating). The human soul belongs to the first category. The word Ruh also means, Divine revelation (Lane). The context seems to support this 1648. The verse seems to imply a prophecy that a time would come when Quranic knowledge would depart from the earth. A similar prophecy of the Holy Prophet has been reported by Merdawaih, Baihaqui and Ibn Majah that there would come a time when the kernel and spirit of the Qur'an would disappear from the earth, and not all the so-called mystics and Sufis of the time claiming, like their Jewish prototypes, to possess supernatural powers, would be able to restore it with their concerted efforts. 1649. The challenge is held out in the first place to those people who indulge in occult practices that they should summon to their aid the hidden spirits from whom they claim to receive spiritual knowledge. The challenge also stands for all time to all people who deny the Divine origin of the Holy Qur'an. 1650. Human faculties being limited man can, at best, deal with only a limited number of problems. But the Qur'an has fully dealt with all those matters that concern his moral and spiritual development. 1651. When the Meccans were confounded by the answers of the Qur'an to their questions and objections, they turned round and demanded of the Holy Prophet that if the Qur'an comprehended every kind of knowledge then he should be able to work miracles-cause springs to gush forth from the earth, grow gardens and build houses of gold for himself, etc. 1652. In answer to their impudent demands the disbelievers are told that these demands pertain either to God or to the Prophet. The demands of the first category are frivolous in character and God is above such frivolities. As for their demands pertaining to the Holy Prophet, they are incompatible with his limited powers as a human being and his mission as a Prophet of God. 1653. The verse may have two meanings: (a) Angels descend upon angel-like men; and not upon their opposites, and if the disbelievers should also bring about an angelic change in their lives, angels would descend upon them. (b) Beings of the same species only can serve as exemplars or models for one another. Thus only a man could be the bearer of Divine Message for mankind, because only he alone could serve as a model for other men. 1654. When, by burning in the Fire for a long time, the disbelievers' feelings became dull, God would again sharpen them and they would once more begin to feel the torment of burning as keenly as before. 1655. All rejection of religion and truth is, in fact, the result of denial of the Hereafter. This is why the Qur'an has laid so much stress on Life after death and reverts to this all important subject time and again. 1656. The verse embodies an invincible argument to prove the existence of Life after death. It does not straightway say to disbelievers that they would be born again because God has the power to give them a new birth. Such a statement would have been an empty assertion. On the contrary, it says to them that if they would not believe that there is life after death, they would as well disbelieve if they were told that they would lose their power and prestige to those very weak and poor Muslims whom they now looked down upon as of no worth and consequence. If this seemingly impossible prophecy about their own destruction and about that of the rise to power of the poor Muslims turned out to be true, the claim that there is a life after death would automatically become established. 1657. These nine Signs mentioned elsewhere in the Qur'an are. (a) the rod (7: 108): (b) the white hand (7:109); (c). (d) drought and scarcity of fruits (7: 13 1): (e) the storm; (f) the locusts: (g) the lice; (h) the frogs; and (i) the punishment of the blood (7:134). 1658. The verse implies that like Jews, the Muslims would suffer national disaster twice. The first of these two disasters befell Muslims when Baghdad fell to the arms of the Tartars under Halaku Khan. They are here told that they would be visited with Divine punishment for the second time in the Latter Days-in the time of the Promised Messiah, just as the Jews were punished in that of the first Messiah-Jesus. The verse signifies that when Muslims are punished for the second time, which means the fulfillment of 'the promise of the Latter Days,' the Jews would be brought back to the Holy Land from all parts of the world. The prophecy has been remarkably fulfilled by the return of the Jews to Palestine under the Balfour Declaration and by the setting up of the so-called State of Israel. 'The promise of the Latter Days' applies to the time of the Promised Messiah (Bayan). 1659. The Qur'an had to meet the needs of two classes of people: (a) It had to answer the temporary objections of its immediate addressees and to satisfy the immediate spiritual needs 1660. The verse expresses a Muslim's state of mind when in the posture of prostration the realization of the greatness of God and of his own weakness humbles his spirit. The believers are required to prostrate themselves after reciting those verses in which the command to fall down in prostration is contained. The Holy Prophet used to prostrate himself after having recited any of those verses. 1661. God possesses innumerable attributes and a Muslim should invoke in his prayer that particular Divine attribute which has special bearing on the matter for which he seeks Divine guidance and help.
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