Anwar Al-Quran

Verses 18–29

17. Al-Israa · The Night Journey

Makkan111 verses

مَّن كَانَ يُرِيدُ ٱلْعَاجِلَةَ عَجَّلْنَا لَهُۥ فِيهَا مَا نَشَآءُ لِمَن نُّرِيدُ ثُمَّ جَعَلْنَا لَهُۥ جَهَنَّمَ يَصْلَىٰهَا مَذْمُومًۭا مَّدْحُورًۭا

17:18Whoever desires this transitory life, We expedite for him therein whatever We wish, for whomever We desire. Then We appoint hell for him, to enter it, blameful and spurned.1

وَمَنْ أَرَادَ ٱلْءَاخِرَةَ وَسَعَىٰ لَهَا سَعْيَهَا وَهُوَ مُؤْمِنٌۭ فَأُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ كَانَ سَعْيُهُم مَّشْكُورًۭا

17:19Whoever desires the Hereafter and strives for it with an endeavour worthy of it, should he be faithful,—the endeavour of such will be well-appreciated.2

كُلًّۭا نُّمِدُّ هَٰٓؤُلَآءِ وَهَٰٓؤُلَآءِ مِنْ عَطَآءِ رَبِّكَ ۚ وَمَا كَانَ عَطَآءُ رَبِّكَ مَحْظُورًا

17:20To these and to those—to all We extend the bounty of your Lord, and the bounty of your Lord is not confined.3

ٱنظُرْ كَيْفَ فَضَّلْنَا بَعْضَهُمْ عَلَىٰ بَعْضٍۢ ۚ وَلَلْءَاخِرَةُ أَكْبَرُ دَرَجَٰتٍۢ وَأَكْبَرُ تَفْضِيلًۭا

17:21Observe how We have given some of them an advantage over some others; yet the Hereafter is surely greater in respect of ranks and greater in respect of relative merit.

لَّا تَجْعَلْ مَعَ ٱللَّهِ إِلَٰهًا ءَاخَرَ فَتَقْعُدَ مَذْمُومًۭا مَّخْذُولًۭا

17:22Do not set up another god besides Allah, or you will sit blameworthy, forsaken.

۞ وَقَضَىٰ رَبُّكَ أَلَّا تَعْبُدُوٓا۟ إِلَّآ إِيَّاهُ وَبِٱلْوَٰلِدَيْنِ إِحْسَٰنًا ۚ إِمَّا يَبْلُغَنَّ عِندَكَ ٱلْكِبَرَ أَحَدُهُمَآ أَوْ كِلَاهُمَا فَلَا تَقُل لَّهُمَآ أُفٍّۢ وَلَا تَنْهَرْهُمَا وَقُل لَّهُمَا قَوْلًۭا كَرِيمًۭا

17:23Your Lord has decreed that you shall not worship anyone except Him, and [He has enjoined] kindness to parents. Should any of them or both reach old age at your side, do not say to them, ‘Fie!’ And do not chide them, but speak to them noble words.4

وَٱخْفِضْ لَهُمَا جَنَاحَ ٱلذُّلِّ مِنَ ٱلرَّحْمَةِ وَقُل رَّبِّ ٱرْحَمْهُمَا كَمَا رَبَّيَانِى صَغِيرًۭا

17:24Lower the wing of humility to them, mercifully, and say, ‘My Lord! Have mercy on them, just as they reared me when I was [a] small [child]!’

رَّبُّكُمْ أَعْلَمُ بِمَا فِى نُفُوسِكُمْ ۚ إِن تَكُونُوا۟ صَٰلِحِينَ فَإِنَّهُۥ كَانَ لِلْأَوَّٰبِينَ غَفُورًۭا

17:25Your Lord knows best what is in your hearts. Should you be righteous, He is indeed most forgiving toward penitents.

وَءَاتِ ذَا ٱلْقُرْبَىٰ حَقَّهُۥ وَٱلْمِسْكِينَ وَٱبْنَ ٱلسَّبِيلِ وَلَا تُبَذِّرْ تَبْذِيرًا

17:26Give the relatives their [due] right, and the needy and the traveller [as well], but do not squander wastefully.5

إِنَّ ٱلْمُبَذِّرِينَ كَانُوٓا۟ إِخْوَٰنَ ٱلشَّيَٰطِينِ ۖ وَكَانَ ٱلشَّيْطَٰنُ لِرَبِّهِۦ كَفُورًۭا

17:27Indeed the wasteful are brothers of satans, and Satan is ungrateful to his Lord.

وَإِمَّا تُعْرِضَنَّ عَنْهُمُ ٱبْتِغَآءَ رَحْمَةٍۢ مِّن رَّبِّكَ تَرْجُوهَا فَقُل لَّهُمْ قَوْلًۭا مَّيْسُورًۭا

17:28And if you have to hold off from [assisting] them [for now], seeking your Lord’s mercy which you expect [in the future], speak to them gentle words.

وَلَا تَجْعَلْ يَدَكَ مَغْلُولَةً إِلَىٰ عُنُقِكَ وَلَا تَبْسُطْهَا كُلَّ ٱلْبَسْطِ فَتَقْعُدَ مَلُومًۭا مَّحْسُورًا

17:29Do not keep your hand chained to your neck, nor open it altogether, or you will sit blameworthy and regretful.6

Tafsir

Commentary on this passage

Verse 18

1.The Holy Quran has clarified again and again that only faith and practice is not the cause of salvation. It is a duty of those who are seekers of the next world that they should be faithful to Allah and also endeavour for the Hereafter so that their efforts are acceptable.

Verse 22

2.This is the best point that those who believe in many gods, their gods have became careless from them and a man becomes a waif and each god surrenders him to other gods as is the condition of Muslim rulers of the present age that they consider each global power as God and everyone look down upon them with disdain.

Verse 23

3.A man came to Holy Prophet to join the Jehad. The Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) asked him: Are your parents alive? He said: Yes. The Prophet (s.a.w.s.) said: Go and serve them as this is your Jehad.

Verse 24

4.The supplication of Imam Sajjad (a.s.) for the parents is as follows. “O Lord! Have compassion on them as they brought me up when I was young. O Lord! They took a lot of pain for my protection and remained hungry for obtaining provisions of my sustenance. They do not demand their rights from me, and I also don’t know how much they have right upon me and I can’t give their dues also.”

Footnotes

Explanations of words and phrases in these verses

  1. Benefit

    “Saee Shukr” is much more precious than Paradise that it is not only kindness, but that it is the patronage of the Creator and it is a limitless thing. Also that this recompense is not in contradiction of worldly comfort. Only the necessary thing is that this world is a path to the hereafter, so that there is no sort of preference for the world instead of the hereafter.

  2. 1

    This indicates that even those who seek material things are unable to obtain all they desire. However, everyone gets according to his status.

  3. 2

    Just striving for the hereafter is not sufficient. Effort should be as befits for the hereafter.

  4. 3

    In this world there is only a difference of wealth and poverty, knowledge and ignorance, health and sickness and of the circumstances of this life. In the hereafter there is difference of heaven and hell which is greater difference and most severe.

  5. 4

    This indicates that one should not begin disliking the service to one’s parents because Allah knows what is in our hearts.

  6. 5

    Israaf is to spend more than is needed and Tabzeer is to spend where there is no occasion or need to spend; whether this is less or more.

  7. 6

    One whose hands are tied to his neck becomes helpless. And one who is a miser makes himself helpless and he regrets it in the hereafter. That he has lived like a destitute but has to give account like a wealthy man.

  8. Benefit

    The words uff and tuff was initially used for dirt especially the dirt below nails. Later it came to be used for every dirty matter. And finally it came to be used for an expression of distaste. Islam has prohibited this too. Benefit: Tabzeer - Sprinkling of wealth like one sprinkles seeds. ‘Near Kindred’ denotes Fatimah (s.a.) whom the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) gifted Fadak after the revelation of this ayat.