Anwar Al-Quran

Verses 101–111

17. Al-Israa · The Night Journey

Makkan111 verses

وَلَقَدْ ءَاتَيْنَا مُوسَىٰ تِسْعَ ءَايَٰتٍۭ بَيِّنَٰتٍۢ ۖ فَسْـَٔلْ بَنِىٓ إِسْرَٰٓءِيلَ إِذْ جَآءَهُمْ فَقَالَ لَهُۥ فِرْعَوْنُ إِنِّى لَأَظُنُّكَ يَٰمُوسَىٰ مَسْحُورًۭا

17:101Certainly We gave Moses nine manifest signs. So ask the Children of Israel. When he came to them, Pharaoh said to him, ‘O Moses, indeed I think you are bewitched.’1

قَالَ لَقَدْ عَلِمْتَ مَآ أَنزَلَ هَٰٓؤُلَآءِ إِلَّا رَبُّ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ بَصَآئِرَ وَإِنِّى لَأَظُنُّكَ يَٰفِرْعَوْنُ مَثْبُورًۭا

17:102He said, ‘You certainly know that no one has sent these [signs] except the Lord of the heavens and the earth, as eye-openers, and I, O Pharaoh, indeed think you are doomed.’2

فَأَرَادَ أَن يَسْتَفِزَّهُم مِّنَ ٱلْأَرْضِ فَأَغْرَقْنَٰهُ وَمَن مَّعَهُۥ جَمِيعًۭا

17:103He desired to exterminate them from the land, so We drowned him and all those who were with him.

وَقُلْنَا مِنۢ بَعْدِهِۦ لِبَنِىٓ إِسْرَٰٓءِيلَ ٱسْكُنُوا۟ ٱلْأَرْضَ فَإِذَا جَآءَ وَعْدُ ٱلْءَاخِرَةِ جِئْنَا بِكُمْ لَفِيفًۭا

17:104After him We said to the Children of Israel, ‘Take up residence in the land, and when the occasion of the other [promise] comes, We shall gather you in mixed company.’

وَبِٱلْحَقِّ أَنزَلْنَٰهُ وَبِٱلْحَقِّ نَزَلَ ۗ وَمَآ أَرْسَلْنَٰكَ إِلَّا مُبَشِّرًۭا وَنَذِيرًۭا

17:105With the truth did We send it down, and with the truth did it descend, and We did not send you except as a bearer of good news and as a warner.3

وَقُرْءَانًۭا فَرَقْنَٰهُ لِتَقْرَأَهُۥ عَلَى ٱلنَّاسِ عَلَىٰ مُكْثٍۢ وَنَزَّلْنَٰهُ تَنزِيلًۭا

17:106We have sent the Quran in [discrete] parts so that you may recite it for the people a little at a time, and We have sent it down piecemeal.

قُلْ ءَامِنُوا۟ بِهِۦٓ أَوْ لَا تُؤْمِنُوٓا۟ ۚ إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ أُوتُوا۟ ٱلْعِلْمَ مِن قَبْلِهِۦٓ إِذَا يُتْلَىٰ عَلَيْهِمْ يَخِرُّونَ لِلْأَذْقَانِ سُجَّدًۭا

17:107Say, ‘Whether you believe in it, or do not believe in it, indeed when it is recited to those who were given knowledge before it, they fall down in prostration on their faces,

وَيَقُولُونَ سُبْحَٰنَ رَبِّنَآ إِن كَانَ وَعْدُ رَبِّنَا لَمَفْعُولًۭا

17:108and say, ‘‘Immaculate is our Lord! Indeed Our Lord’s promise is bound to be fulfilled.’’

وَيَخِرُّونَ لِلْأَذْقَانِ يَبْكُونَ وَيَزِيدُهُمْ خُشُوعًۭا ۩

17:109Weeping, they fall down on their faces, and it increases them in humility.’

قُلِ ٱدْعُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ أَوِ ٱدْعُوا۟ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنَ ۖ أَيًّۭا مَّا تَدْعُوا۟ فَلَهُ ٱلْأَسْمَآءُ ٱلْحُسْنَىٰ ۚ وَلَا تَجْهَرْ بِصَلَاتِكَ وَلَا تُخَافِتْ بِهَا وَٱبْتَغِ بَيْنَ ذَٰلِكَ سَبِيلًۭا

17:110Say, ‘Invoke ‘‘Allah’’ or invoke ‘‘the All-beneficent.’’ Whichever [of His Names] you may invoke, to Him belong the Best Names.’ Be neither loud in your prayer, nor murmur it, but follow a middle course between these,45

وَقُلِ ٱلْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ ٱلَّذِى لَمْ يَتَّخِذْ وَلَدًۭا وَلَمْ يَكُن لَّهُۥ شَرِيكٌۭ فِى ٱلْمُلْكِ وَلَمْ يَكُن لَّهُۥ وَلِىٌّۭ مِّنَ ٱلذُّلِّ ۖ وَكَبِّرْهُ تَكْبِيرًۢا

17:111and say, ‘All praise belongs to Allah, who has neither taken any son, nor has He any partner in sovereignty, nor has He any wali out of weakness,’ and magnify Him with a magnification [worthy of Him].

Tafsir

Commentary on this passage

Verse 101

1.According to traditions this Ayat indicates signs like storms, locusts, lice, frogs, blood, destruction of property, staff, luminous hand and drowning of the infidels etc.

Verse 104

2.Allah’s intention was to save Bani Israel from Firon’s tyranny so that they do virtuous deeds and should not be ungrateful to Him. But Bani Israel did not do anything and stuck firmly to their temperaments.

Verse 106

3.It is a fact that Allah has given the whole knowledge of Quran to His Prophet (s.a.) and had also revealed it from the Protected Tablet during the Shab-e-Qadr (Night of Power). But it is also a fact that revelation of verses of the Holy Quran for the community was completed in 23 years continuously and it is not that when and wherever the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) liked he recited the verses without revelation and preached them. The Prophet (s.a.) was completely bound by the revelation of Allah. Whenever the Ayat was revealed the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) read it before the people so that they can understand it and also follow it.

Verse 107

4.There were some people in Hijaz who were following the religion of Ibrahim (a.s.) and due to their pure nature were against idol worship and customs of Ignorance. The effect of Quranic verses was doubled on them. Sometimes they fell down in prostration in awe that the Lord of the worlds was addressing them and sometimes they became unconscious and wept continuously. May Allah grant this same Tawfeeq to all of us.

Footnotes

Explanations of words and phrases in these verses

  1. 1

    Mas-hoor can be in the meaning of I Sahir’ as well as the object, because in the view of Firon, Moosa (a.s.) was a magician or that he has been made a magician.

  2. 2

    Basaaer are the signs of enlightenment. Thaboor is one who is destroyed.

  3. 3

    Mostly the spring water is clean at the source as it flows it becomes dirty, or a matter is initially clear but later it becomes prey to the weak memory of the one who is conveying it, and thus it undergoes a transformation. The Lord of the worlds has e1arifled that this is not the case with Quran. Its beginning and the end is alike. When this Quran began from the realm of Allah, it came with truth and it was never tempered by falsehood.

  4. 4

    The name ‘Rahman’ for Allah was not common among the disbelievers and they raised objection against it. The Holy Quran has made it clear that the personality is worshipped and not the name. Therefore it does not matter by which title you address Him.

  5. 5

    According to Imam Ja’far as-Sadiq (a.s.) ‘Jahara’ is a loud voice and ‘Mukhafeta’ is to recite so softly as not to be audible for the reciter himself. The middle position is that there should be neither loud noise nor carelessness.

  6. Benefit

    The miracles of Moosa(a.s.) were the staff, the luminous arm, storm, locusts, lice, frogs, blood, the path way in the sea and Manna and salwa, which are in any case more than nine. However, only these miracles are mentioned here that were against Firon. Apart from these the miracles of Manna and salwa etc. were for Bani Israel and they are not concerned with confrontation against Firon.

    Benefit: It should be clear that the matter of loud and soft voice is not applicable for two types of prayers. It is concerned with a just way of life. We should be balanced in all our actions and must not give a chance for the disbelievers to object, and they become more deviated as is the effect of the use of excess loudspeakers in some religious programmes.