Anwar Al-Quran

Verses 61–69

17. Al-Israa · The Night Journey

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وَإِذْ قُلْنَا لِلْمَلَٰٓئِكَةِ ٱسْجُدُوا۟ لِءَادَمَ فَسَجَدُوٓا۟ إِلَّآ إِبْلِيسَ قَالَ ءَأَسْجُدُ لِمَنْ خَلَقْتَ طِينًۭا

17:61When We said to the angels, ‘Prostrate before Adam,’ they [all] prostrated, but not Iblis: he said, ‘Shall I prostrate before someone whom You have created from clay?’

قَالَ أَرَءَيْتَكَ هَٰذَا ٱلَّذِى كَرَّمْتَ عَلَىَّ لَئِنْ أَخَّرْتَنِ إِلَىٰ يَوْمِ ٱلْقِيَٰمَةِ لَأَحْتَنِكَنَّ ذُرِّيَّتَهُۥٓ إِلَّا قَلِيلًۭا

17:62Said he, ‘Do You see this one whom You have honoured above me? If You respite me until the Day of Resurrection, I will surely lay my yoke on his progeny, [all] except a few.’

قَالَ ٱذْهَبْ فَمَن تَبِعَكَ مِنْهُمْ فَإِنَّ جَهَنَّمَ جَزَآؤُكُمْ جَزَآءًۭ مَّوْفُورًۭا

17:63Said He, ‘Begone! Whoever of them follows you, indeed the hell shall be your requital, an ample reward.

وَٱسْتَفْزِزْ مَنِ ٱسْتَطَعْتَ مِنْهُم بِصَوْتِكَ وَأَجْلِبْ عَلَيْهِم بِخَيْلِكَ وَرَجِلِكَ وَشَارِكْهُمْ فِى ٱلْأَمْوَٰلِ وَٱلْأَوْلَٰدِ وَعِدْهُمْ ۚ وَمَا يَعِدُهُمُ ٱلشَّيْطَٰنُ إِلَّا غُرُورًا

17:64Instigate whomever of them you can with your voice; and rally against them your cavalry and your infantry, and share with them in wealth and children, and make promises to them!’ But Satan promises them nothing but delusion.*1

إِنَّ عِبَادِى لَيْسَ لَكَ عَلَيْهِمْ سُلْطَٰنٌۭ ۚ وَكَفَىٰ بِرَبِّكَ وَكِيلًۭا

17:65‘As for My servants, you shall have no authority over them.’ And your Lord suffices as trustee.

رَّبُّكُمُ ٱلَّذِى يُزْجِى لَكُمُ ٱلْفُلْكَ فِى ٱلْبَحْرِ لِتَبْتَغُوا۟ مِن فَضْلِهِۦٓ ۚ إِنَّهُۥ كَانَ بِكُمْ رَحِيمًۭا

17:66Your Lord is He who drives for you the ships in the sea that you may seek of His bounty. Indeed, He is most merciful to you.

وَإِذَا مَسَّكُمُ ٱلضُّرُّ فِى ٱلْبَحْرِ ضَلَّ مَن تَدْعُونَ إِلَّآ إِيَّاهُ ۖ فَلَمَّا نَجَّىٰكُمْ إِلَى ٱلْبَرِّ أَعْرَضْتُمْ ۚ وَكَانَ ٱلْإِنسَٰنُ كَفُورًا

17:67When distress befalls you at sea, those whom you invoke besides Him are forsaken. But when He delivers you to land, you are disregardful [of Him]. Man is very ungrateful.2

أَفَأَمِنتُمْ أَن يَخْسِفَ بِكُمْ جَانِبَ ٱلْبَرِّ أَوْ يُرْسِلَ عَلَيْكُمْ حَاصِبًۭا ثُمَّ لَا تَجِدُوا۟ لَكُمْ وَكِيلًا

17:68Do you feel secure that He will not make the coastland swallow you, or He will not unleash upon you a rain of stones? Then you will not find any defender for yourselves.

أَمْ أَمِنتُمْ أَن يُعِيدَكُمْ فِيهِ تَارَةً أُخْرَىٰ فَيُرْسِلَ عَلَيْكُمْ قَاصِفًۭا مِّنَ ٱلرِّيحِ فَيُغْرِقَكُم بِمَا كَفَرْتُمْ ۙ ثُمَّ لَا تَجِدُوا۟ لَكُمْ عَلَيْنَا بِهِۦ تَبِيعًۭا

17:69Do you feel secure that He will not send you back into it another time and unleash against you a shattering gale and drown you because of your unfaith? Then you will not find for yourselves any redresser against Us.3

Tafsir

Commentary on this passage

Verse 61

1.The greatest mischief of Shaitan is that he argues with Allah the Almighty and challenges His law. Though he said that if Adam (a.s.) were better than him he would have paid obeisance to and in this way he is much better than people who know Adam’s (a.s.) excellence hut are not ready to believe in him.

Verse 62

2.Another devilry of Shaitan is that he takes revenge from children and seizes them by the throat. This is also a historical truth. Shaitan wants to tie a string in a throat to accept his suggestion. It is another thing that pious people never heed his suggestions.

Verse 64

3.Participation in property, illegal resources of income and useless expenses are due to useless expenditures. Just as the participation of children sometimes happens by means of copulation and sometimes by wrong training and wings of Shaitan is the best example of his false promises. Sometimes he says you have no concern with the hell and sometimes he says you have a long life to do good deeds. Enjoy yourself with pleasure in youth. After that you can decide what to do.

Footnotes

Explanations of words and phrases in these verses

  1. Benefit

    The 64th ayat mentions all the attacks of Shaitan. Propaganda by voice, swift moving army I through strength, economic ‘ imbalance by wealth, destruction of generation through children, deviation of selfby false promises. All these things are very much present in the satans of the present age.

  2. 1

    Istafzaaz. To invite gradually and then to make a great noise. That is, Shahan first entices with sweet talks then attacks with a great challenge.

    The Lord of the worlds has promised to keep His sincere servants safe in both the cases.

  3. 2

    If it is decided that destruction is possible only in the seas, the Almighty can take them back to the seas. In such circumstances reason demands that man should obey Allah and must not try to escape.

  4. 3

    Tabee. Those who demand blood.

  5. Benefit

    The Word of Karamat (miraculous act) with regard to man is from the aspect of internal characteristic. And word of ‘Fazeelat’ (Superiority) is from the aspect of external and voluntary acts. Or Karamat is a material excellence and ‘Fazilat’ is spiritual merit. The greatest secret of the fazilat ofa man is that he has a mixture of intellect and desires. He can become superior to all creatures by a proper balance of these two. Otherwise he shall be worse than animals because beasts do not have reason and man is a rational being. The word Bani Adam also indicates towards a basic cause of this excellence.