Indexed OCR Text

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Surah Bani Isra'il : 17 : 53 - 55
verses. Then, it stands proved from many explications of the Qur'an, and
Sunnah that stations of Resurrection will be different with a correspond-
ing difference in the states and conditions of people in each of these.
Imam al-Qurtubi has said that rising in Resurrection will begin with the
praise of Allah with everyone doing it when rising and on it will end all
وَقُضِىَ بَيْنَهُمُ بِالْحَقِّ وَ قِيْلَ الْحَمُدُ لِلْهِ رَبِّ الْعُلَمِينَ :matters. This is as it was already said
(And matters between them have been settled in accordance with the
truth and it was said: All praise belongs to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds
- az-Zumar, 39:75)
Verses 53 - 55
وَقُلُ لِعِبَادِىُ يَقُوْلُوا الَّتِىُ هِىَ أَحْسَنُ ، إِنَّ الشَّيْطُنَ يَنْزَعُ بَيْنَهُمُ + إِنَّ
الشَّيَطْنَ كَانَ لِلْإِنْسَانِ عَدُوًّا مُّبِيْنًا ﴿٠٦﴾ رَبُّكُمْ أَعْلَمُ بِكُمُ + إِنْ يَّشَأْ
يَرْحَمُكُمُ أَوْ إِنُ يَّشَأْ يُعَذِبُكُمُ، وَمَآ أَرُسَلْنُكَ عَلَيْهِمْ وَكِيْلاً ﴿٥٤)
وَرَبُّكَ أَعْلَمُ بِمَنُ فِى السَّمُوتِ وَالْأَرْضِ * وَلَقَدُ فَضَّلْنَا بَعُضَ النَّبِيْنَ
عَلَى بَعُض وَّاتَيْنَا دَاوُدَ زَبُوُرًا ﴿٥٥﴾
And tell My servants that they should speak that which
is best. Surely, Satan creates discord among them. In-
deed, Satan is an open enemy to mankind. [53]
Your Lord knows you best. If He so wills, He will have
mercy on you and if He so wills, He will punish you. And
We have not sent you to be responsible for them. [54]
And your Lord knows best about all those in the heav-
ens and the earth. And We have certainly granted excel-
lence to some prophets over the others. And We gave
Dawud the Zabur (the Psalms). [55]
Commentary
Using foul or harsh language is not correct, even against infidels
The first verse (53) prohibits Muslims from talking harshly to disbe-
lievers. It means that a hard line should not be taken unnecessarily, and
should there be the need, even killing would be in order - as succinctly

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put in two lines of Persian poetry:
وكر ثون بفتوى بريزى رواست
كر كم شرع آب خوردن خطاست
Whereas, without an injunction of the Shari'ah, to drink water
is a sin,
In another case, to shed blood under Fatwa is permissible!
Since it is possible to suppress the aggressive might of disbelievers
and their hostility to Islam through fighting and killing (as an inevitable
measure of defense), therefore, it is allowed. However, by using foul lan-
guage and harsh words, neither a castle stands conquered nor anyone
guided right, therefore, it has been prohibited. Imam al-Qurtubi said
that this verse was revealed in the background of an event relating to
Sayyidna 'Umar 4. It so happened that someone used foul language
against Sayyidna 'Umar see who retaliated harshly and wanted to kill
him. This posed the danger of a war breaking out between their two
tribes. Thereupon, this verse was revealed.
And according to the interpretation of Imam al-Qurtubi, this verse
contains a guideline for Muslims as to how they should address each oth-
er. It suggests that they should not speak harshly at the time of mutual
difference, for this is a trap door through which the Shaitan pushes them
into mutual infighting and disorder.
That Zabur (the Psalms) has been mentioned particularly in the last
sentence of verse 55:وَاتَيْنَا دَاوُدَ زَبُوُرًا (And We gave Dawud the Zabur) has
been done, perhaps, because Zabur reports that the Holy Prophet 5 will
be a ruler along with being a messenger and prophet. This is as it ap-
pears in the Qur'an: ◌َوَلَقَدُ كَتَبْنَا فِى الزَّبُوُرِ مِنْ بَعُدِ الذِّكْرِ أَنَّ الْأَرْضَ يَرِثُهَا عِبَادِىَ الصُّلِحُون (And
We have already written in the Zabur, after the [previous] mention, that
the land is inherited by My righteous servants - al-Anbiya', 21:105).
At this stage, Imam al-Baghawi says in his Tafsir that Zabur is a
book of Allah revealed to Sayyidna Dawud 4ee. It has one hundred and
fifty surahs or chapters and all surahs are restricted to praises of Allah
and prayers to Him. The areas of lawful and unlawful, obligations and
limits have not been taken up there.

518
Sūrah Bani Isra'il : 17 : 56 - 58
Verses 56 - 58
قُلِ ادْعُوا الَّذِيْنَ زَعَمْتُمُ مِنْ دُونِهِ فَلاَ يَمْلِكُوْنَ كَشْفَ الضُّرِّ عَنْكُمُ
وَلاَ تَحُوِيُلاَ ﴿٠٦﴾ أُولَئِكَ الَّذِيْنَ يَدْعُوُنَ بَيْتَغُونَ إِلَى رَبِّهِمُ الْوَسِيْلَةَ
أَيُّهُمُ أَقْرَبُ وَيَرْجُوُنَ رَحُمَتَهُ وَيَخَافُوْنَ عَذَابَه، ﴿ إِنَّ عَذَابَ رَبِّكَ
كَانَ مَحُذُوُرًا ﴿٥٧﴾ وَإِنُ مِّنُ قَرْيَةٍ إِلَّ نَحُنُ مُهُلِكُوْهَا قَبْلَ يَوْمِ الْقِيْمَةِ
اوُ مُعَذِّبُوُهَا عَذَابًا شَدِيْدًا كَانَ ذُلِكَ فِى الْكِتُبِ مَسُطُورًا ﴿٠٨﴾
Say, "Call those whom you assume (to be gods), besides
Him, while they have no power to remove distress from
you nor to shift it." [56]
And those whom they invoke, do themselves seek the
means of closeness to their Lord as to which of them is
the closest, and they hope for His Mercy and fear His
punishment. Indeed, the punishment of your Lord is to
be feared. [57]
And there is no town but We are to destroy it before the
Doomsday or punish it with severe punishment. That is
what stands written in the Book. [58]
Commentary
The word 'al-wasilah' in:َيَبْتَغُوُنَ إِلَى رَبِّهِمُ الْوَسِيلَة (seek the means of close-
ness to their Lord - 57) conveys the sense of that which is used as a
means of reaching someone. As for reaching Allah, the wasilah or means
is to always keep the pleasure of Allah in sight when learning or doing
anything while adhering to the injunctions of the Sharl'ah strictly. Thus,
the sense of the sentence is that all of them are seeking the closeness of
Allah Ta'ala through their righteous deeds.
يَرُجُوُنَ رَحُمَتَه، وَيَخَافُونَ :About the sentence which follows immediately after
'ile (hope for His Mercy and fear His punishment - 57), Sahl ibn
'Abdullah said: Hope and Fear, that is, hoping for mercy from Allah as
well as fearing Him are two different states one is in. When they stay at
par, one keeps on course, correct and stable. And if any one of the two
overcomes the other, one finds the equilibrium of his spiritual state sub-
jected to disorder to the measure of that imbalance. (Qurtubi)

519
Sūrah Bani Isra'il : 17 : 59 - 60
Verses 59 - 60
وَمَا مَنَعَنَا أَنْ تُرُسِلَ بِالْأَيْتِ إِلَّ انُ كَذَّبَ بِهَا الْأَوِّلُوُنَ﴿ وَ اتَيْنَا ثَّمُوُدَ
النَّاقَةَ مُبْصِرَةً فَظْلَمُوْا بِهَاء وَمَا نُرُسِلُ بِالْأَيْتِ إِلاَّ تَخُوِيْفًا ﴿٠٩﴾ وَإِذُ
قُلْنَا لَكَ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ أَحَاطَ بِالنَّاسِ ، وَمَا جَعَلْنَا الرُّءُ يَا الَّتِىُّ أَرَيْنُكَ إِلاَّ
فِتْنَةً لِلنَّاسِ وَالشَّجَرَةَ الْمَلْعُوْنَةَ فِى الْقُرْآنِ * وَنُخَوِّفُهُمُ " فَمَا يَزِيْدُهُمُ
إِلَّ طُغْيَانًا كَبِيرًا (٢)
And nothing made us refrain from sending the signs ex-
cept that the earlier people had belied them. And We
gave Thamud the she-camel, an eye-opener, then they
did wrong to her. And We do not send signs but to warn.
[59]
And (remember) when We said to you that your Lord en-
compasses all humans. And We did not make the scene
but We showed to you a test for the people - and the tree
cursed in the Qur'an also. And We warn them, yet it
adds to nothing but their enormous rebellion. [60]
Commentary
وَمَا جَعَلْنَا الرُّءُ يَا الَّتِىّ آَرَيْنُكَ إِلاَّ فِتْنَةٌ :60 appearing in verse (فِتْنَه) 'The word 'fitnah
És (And We showed you the scene [in the Night of Ascent - al-Mi'raj]
only to make it a test for the people) is used in the Arabic language to
convey many different meanings. It could mean falling into error and
going astray, or trial or test or some disorder or upheaval as well. At this
place, the probability of all these meanings exists. Early Tafsir author-
ities - Sayyidah 'A'ishah, Sayyidna Mu'awiyah, Hasan, Mujahid and oth-
ers - have taken 'fitnah' as carrying the last sense given above. They
have said that this 'fitnah' was that of apostacy (Irtidad) which relates
to the time when the Holy Prophet told people about Mi'raj, how he
went on his nocturnal journey to Baitul-Maqdis, to the heavens from
there and his return to Makkah al-Mukarramah before dawn. There
were many neo-Muslims who had yet to become staunch in their faith
fell into the error of belying his statement and turned apostates. (Qurțubi)
It also stands proved from this event that the word 'le'' (ru'ya) is
though also used in the Arabic language in the sense of dream but, at

520
Sūrah Bani Isra'il : 17 : 61 - 65
this place, what is being recounted is no matter of some dream. Had
that been the case, there was no reason why people would become apos-
tates. Dreams are dreams. Everyone can see such dreams. In fact, the
purpose of employing the word: 4%) (ru'ya) at this place is to show that
the marvel was witnessed while awake. While commenting on this verse,
some commentators have interpreted it to be referring to other events
too besides the event of Mi'raj. But, they do not apply here as a whole.
Therefore, the majority of commentators have declared the event of
Mi'raj alone as the relevant subject of this verse. (As described in detail by
al-Qurțubi)
Verses 61- 65
وَإِذْ قُلْنَا لِلْمَلْئِكَةِ اسْجُدُوا لِأَدَمَ فَسَحَدُوْآ إِلَّ اِبْلِيْسَ * قَالَ ءَ أَسْجُدُ
لِمَنُ خَلَقْتَ طِيْنًا ﴿٢﴾ قَالَ أَرَءَيْتَكَ هذَا الَّذِىُ كَرَّمُتَ عَلَىَّ ◌َلَئِنُ
آَخَّرْتَنِ إِلَى يَوْمِ الْقِيْمَةِ لَاَحْتَنِكَنَّ ذُرِيَتَهَ إِلَّ قَلِيْلاً ﴿٦٢﴾ قَالَ اذْهَبُ
فَمَنُ تَبِعَكَ مِنْهُمُ فَإِنَّ جَهَنَّمَ جَزَآؤُكُمُ جَزَآءٍ مَّوْفُورًا ﴿٦٣)
وَاسْتَفْزِزُ مَنِ اسْتَطَعُتَ مِنْهُمُ بِصَوْتِكَ وَأَجْلِبُ عَلَيْهِمُ بِخَيْلِكَ وَرَجِلِكَ
وَشَارِكُهُمْ فِى الْأَمُوَالِ وَالْأَوْلاَدِ وَعِدُهُمُ ، وَمَا يَعِدُهُمُ الشَّيْطِنُ إِلاَّ
غُرُورًا ﴿١٤﴾ إِنَّ عِبَادِىُ لَيْسَ لَكَ عَلَيْهِمُ سُلُطْنٌ، وَكَفَى بِرَبِّكَ
وَكِيُلاً ﴿٦٥﴾
And (remember) when We said to the angels, "Prostrate
before 'Adam." So, they prostrated, except Iblis (Satan).
He said, "Shall I prostrate before the one You have creat-
ed from mud?" [61] He added, "Tell me, this one whom
You have honoured above me; if You give me respite till
the Doomsday, I shall subdue his progeny, except a few
of them." [62] He (Allah) said, " Go then, for whoever of
them follows you, the Hell shall be the recompense of
you all - a full recompense. [63] And entice with your
voice those of them you can, and rally against them your
horsemen and your footmen, and share with them in
their wealth and their children, and make promises to
them" - and Satan promises them nothing but delusion -

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Sūrah Bani Isra'il : 17 : 61 - 65
[64] "As for My servants, you have no control over them.
And your Lord is enough to look after (everything)." [65]
Commentary
The word:َّلاَحْتَنِكَن (subdue) in verse 62 is from: إِحْتِنَاك (ihtinak) which
means to exterminate or uproot something, or to subdue and overpower
it completely. (Qurtubi) The word: jpr, (and entice) in verse 64 is from
jew! (istifzaz) which basically means to cut off or to tear away from and
at this place it means to tear away from the path of truth. This is fol-
lowed by 'S'ye (with your voice). Sawt ('@'e), the Arabic word for voice is
well known. What is the voice of Satan? Sayyidna 'Abdullah ibn 'Abbas
says: The voices of songs, musical instruments and the hullabaloo of fun
and games are the voices of Satan that he employs to tear people away
from the path of truth. (Qurtubi) This tells us that (singing or listening to)
music and (playing or listening to) musical instruments are prohibited.
(Qurțubi)
While refusing to prostrate before Sayyidna 'Adam &el, Iblis (the Sa-
tan) had said two things:
(1) That 'Adam was created from mud and he was from fire and that
there was no reason why mud was given precedence over fire. This ques-
tion was an effort to find out the wisdom of the order given to him before
he could comply with the Divine command - something the one so com-
manded has no right to ask. That Allah, the Exalted, would let the com-
manded one have the right to demand the wisdom of His command is far
out specially when we see in our everyday life that human beings them-
selves would not give their servant the right to say no to them. Think of
a master asking his servants to do something and the servant demand-
ing the master that he should first explain the wisdom of that assign-
ment. Therefore, this question was considered unworthy of an answer
and no answer was given. In addition to that, the answer is already obvi-
ous. Giving precedence to something over the other is the prerogative of
the Being that created and nurtured everyone. Whenever and whatever
He declares to be superior becomes exactly so.
(2) Secondly, he had said if he was given respite till the day of
Qiyamah, he will mislead the entire progeny of 'Adam, except a few of
them. That Allah Ta'ala has elected to answer in the later verses. He

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Sūrah Bani Isra'il : 17 : 66 - 70
said that the Satan will have no control over His sincere servants even if
he were to rally his entire forces against them and as for the insincere
who fall into his trap, they will meet the same fate as his, all consigned
to Hell. When this verse (64) mentions the horsemen and footmen of the
Satanic army, it does not necessarily mean that the Satan actually has
combat support in that formation. In fact, this is a manner of referring
to the full force and power of the Satan. And if the Satan does have
horsemen and footmen actually, even that too cannot be denied.
Sayyidna 'Abdullah ibn 'Abbas 4
said: Those who come out in support
of disbelief and sin, horsemen or footmen, they are nothing but the army
of the Satan. Now remains the question as to how the Satan came to
know that he would succeed in enticing and misleading the progeny of
'Adam, the basis on which he claimed that he will subdue them. There
are two possibilities. Perhaps, by looking at the ingredients that went
into the making of man, he had gathered that man would be de-
sire-prone and it would not be difficult to entice him successfully. And
then, it is also not far out to believe that his very claim was nothing but
a bland lie.
As for the sense of: ◌ِوَشَارِكُهُمُ فِى الْأَمُوَالِ وَالْأَوُلاَد (and share with them in
their wealth and their children - 64), Sayyidna 'Abdullah ibn 'Abbas
said: Wealth and property acquired by false, impermissible and unlawful
means or spent on what is haram is the sharing of the Satan in it. As for
the sharing of the Satan in children, it could either be through illegitima-
cy, or by naming them like disbelievers and polytheists , or by indulging
in polytheistic customs to ensure their security, or by taking to haram
sources of income to bring them up. (Qurțubi)
Verses 66 - 70
رَبُّكُمُ الَّذِىُ يُزُجِىُ لَكُمُ الْفُلُكَ فِى الْبَحُر لِتَبْتَغُوا مِنُ فَضْلِهٍ ﴿ إِنَّهِ،
كَانَ بِكُمُ رَحِيمًا ﴿٦٦﴾ وَإِذَا مَسَّكُمُ الضُّرُّفِى الْبَحْرِضَلَّ مَنْ تَدْعُوْنَ
إِلَّ ◌ِيَّهٌُ فَلَمَّا نَحُّكُمُ إِلَى الْبَرِ اَعْرَضْتُمْ وَكَانَ الْإِنْسَانُ كَفُورًا ﴿٦٧﴾
أَفَمِنْتُمُ اَنُ يَّخْسِفَ بِكُمْ حَانِبَ الْبَرِّ أَوْ يُرْسِلَ عَلَيْكُمُ خَاصِبًا ثُمَّ

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Surah Bani Isra'il : 17 : 66 - 70
لَاتَجِدُوْا لَكُمُ وَكِيْلاً ﴿١٨﴾ آَمُ أَمِنْتُمْ أَنْ يُعِيْدَكُمُ فِيْهِ تَارَةً أُخُرى
فَيْرُسِلَ عَلَيْكُمُ قَاصِفًا مِّنَ الرِّيْحِ فَيُغْرِقَكُمُ بِمَا كَفَرْتُمُ " ثُمَّ لاَتَجِدُوْا
لَكُمُ عَلَيْنَا بِهِ تَبْيُعًا ﴿١٩﴾ وَلَقَدُكَرَّمُنَا بَنِىَّ أَدَمَ وَحَمَلْنُهُمُ فِى
الْبَرِّوَالْبَحُرِ وَرَزَقْتُهُمُ مِّنَ الطَِّبْتِ وَفَضَّلْنُهُمُ عَلَى كَثِيرٍ مِّمَّنُ خَلَقْنَا
تَفْضِيلاً (*)﴾
Your Lord is the One who causes ships to sail for you
through the sea, so that you may go in quest of His boun-
ty; surely, He is Ever Merciful for you. [66]
And when you face a hardship at sea, forgotten are
those whom you used to invoke, except Him (Allah).
Then, once He brings you safe to the land, you turn
away (from Him). And man is so ungrateful. [67] Do you,
then, feel secure from that He makes a part of the land
sink down along with you, or that He sends down a rain
of stones on you, whereupon you will find no one to pro-
tect you? [68] Or, do you feel secure from that He takes
you back to it (the sea) once again, and sends a heavy
storm of wind upon you which drowns you for your dis-
belief, whereupon you will find no one to pursue your
case against Us? [69]
And We bestowed dignity on the children of 'Adam and
provided them with rides on the land and in the sea,
and provided them with a variety of good things and
made them much superior to many of those We created.
[70]
Commentary
Why are the children of 'Adam superior?
The last of the verses cited above mentions the superiority of the chil-
dren of 'Adam over most of the Divine creation. Here, we have to consid-
er two things: (1) What are the attributes and reasons of this superior-
ity? (2) What is the sense of the statement in the verse: 'made them
much superior to many of those We created'?
(1) The first question can be answered in detail by saying that Allah
Ta'ala has blessed the children of 'Adam with such multi-dimensional at-
tributes as are not found in many of those He has created. The beauty of

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form and features, the balance of body, the balance of temperament and
the balance of height and built are good examples. These attributes
bestowed on human beings are not found in other living forms in that
balanced measure. In addition to that, they have been endowed with dis-
tinct reason and intelligence through which they get things done up and
down in the universe of their experience. Allah Ta'ala has given them
the built-in capability to compound and manufacture, from out of what
has been Divinely created, materials and things which serve them in liv-
ing, moving, eating and wearing in all sorts of ways.
No less is their gift of communication, speech, comprehension, under-
standing and explanation. This remains unmatched by other living
forms. Using signs and symbols to communicate what lies in one's heart
and telling others what one thinks and feels through letters and writings
are all manifestations of the signal human distinction. Some scholars
have said that eating with the fingers of the hand is also a particular
human attribute. Other than man, all animals eat with their mouth.
The practice of compounding edibles with different things in order to
make these delicious and beneficial is the way of human beings alone.
Animals eat things that are single and simple. Some would eat raw
meat, others would go by grass or some fruit. However, they all eat sim-
ples. It is man alone who prepares food through compounding all sorts of
solids, liquids, spices and herbs (which has, in our day, assumed the stat-
us of the highly publicized art of cuisine). Then, there is the most pro-
nounced superiority of reason and intelligence through which human be-
ings are supposed to recognize their Creator and Master, find out what
He likes and dislikes and do what He likes and avoid what He dislikes.
Thus, in terms of reason and intelligence, the created have three kinds.
Common animals have desires but no reason and intelligence (as we
understand it). The angels have reason and intelligence, but do not have
desires. Human beings have both. They have reason and intelligence as
well as desires. This is the reason why, when he suppresses his desires
through reason and intelligence and succeeds in saving himself from in-
dulging in things disliked by Allah Ta'ala, he reaches a station which is
even higher than that of many angels.
(2) We can now turn to the sense of the statement that the children
of'Adam were made much superior than many of those Allah created. As

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Sūrah Bani Isra'il : 17 : 71 - 72
for the superiority of the children of 'Adam over all created forms in the
world, higher and lower, and all animals, it cannot be disputed by any-
one. Similarly, the Jinn are like human beings in terms of reason and in-
telligence. That human beings are superior to them as well is accepted
by all. What remains now is the case of angels. Who is superior, man or
angel? What can be authentically said about it is that common righteous
believers among human beings, such as the men of Allah, are superior to
angels in general. But, special angels, such as Jibra'il and Mika'il and
others, are superior to the common righteous believers while special be-
lievers, such as the blessed prophets .Je, are superior even to spe-
cial angels. As far as disbelievers and sinners among human beings are
concerned, they just cannot be compared with angels. In fact, they are
not even superior to animals in terms of the real purpose of life, that of
seeking success through righteousness. About them, the Holy Qur'an has
already given its verdict: ◌ُّأُولَئِكَ كَالْأَنْعَامِ بَلُ هُمْ أَضَل (They are like cattle. Rather,
they are much more misled - 7:179) (Tafsir Mazhari). Allah knows best.
Verses 71 - 72
يَوْمَ نَدُعُوا كُلَّ أنَاسٍ ) بِمَامِهِمُ : فَمَنُ أُوْنِىَ كِتْبَهْ بِيَمِيْنِهِ فَأُوْلَئِكَ
يَقْرَءُ وُنَ كِتْبَهُمُ وَلاَ يُظْلَمُوْنَ فَتِيْلاً ﴿٧١﴾ وَمَنُ كَانَ فِىُّ هْذِهَ اَعُمْى
فَهُوَ فِى الْآخِرَةِ اَعُمَى وَأَضَلُّ سَبَيْلاً ﴿١٢﴾
(Think of) the Day We will call every people with their
books of deeds. So, whoever is given his book in his
right hand, then, such people will read their book and
they shall not be wronged even a bit. [71]
And whoever is blind in this (world) will be blind in the
Hereafter and far more astray from the path. [72]
Commentary
يَوْمَ نَدُعُوا كُلّ أُنَاس»:71 Imam) in the first sentence of verse) إِمَام :The word
ly translated as '(Think of) the Day We will call every people with
their book of deeds' appears here in the sense of 'book' as in Surah Ya
Sin: ◌ٍوَكُلَّ شَىْءٍ أَحْصَيْنُهُ فِىِّ إِمَامٍ مُبِين (and We have enumerated everything in a
clear book - 36:12). Here, .(U) means a clear book. Then, 'kitab' is called
'imam' for the reason that, in the event of some error or difference, one

526
Surah Bani Isra'il : 17 : 71 - 72
turns to the book very much like turning to a religious leader who is fol-
lowed. (Qurțubi)
And it also appears from a Hadith of Tirmidhi as narrated by Sayyid-
na Abu Hurairah 4
(Tirmidhi calls it Hasan Gharib) that, 'imam' in
this verse means 'kitab.' The words of the Hadith are given below:
يَوْمَ نَدُعُوا كُلَّ أُنَاسٍ) بِمَامِهِمُ قَالَ يُدُعَى أَحَدُهُمُ فَيُعُطَى كِتَابُهِ بِيَّمَيْنِهِ
Explaining the verse ◌ْ71) يَومَ نَدُعُوا كُلَّ أُنَاسٍ) بِمَامِهِم), the Holy Prophet
himself said: One of them will be called and his book of deeds will be
given in his right hand. (From a lengthy Hadith)
It also stands established from this Hadith that 'imam' has been
used here in the sense of 'book', and that 'kitab' signifies the 'book of
deeds.' (Maulana Ashraf 'Ali Thanavi has, therefore, translated 'imam' as the 'book
of deeds')
Also reported from some commentators, including Sayyidna 'Ali
al-Murtada 400 and Mujahid, is the meaning of 'imam' as religious lead-
er. It means that everyone is to be called as the follower of a certain lead-
er - whether they be blessed prophets or their deputies, the Shaykhs and
the 'Ulama', or leaders who have been inviting people to error and sin.
(Qurțubī)
Given this meaning, the sense of the verse would be that everyone
will be called by the name of his or her leader and all those so called will
be assembled at one place. For example, there will be the followers of
Sayyidna Ibrahim &gal, the followers of Sayyidna Musa and Sayyidna
'Isa (JI Lagle and the followers of Sayyidna Muhammad al-Mustafa
Then, possibly the names of those will also be called out who are their di-
rect instructors or leaders (such as 'Ulama' and religious guides).
The Book of Deeds
As it appears from several verses of the Holy Qur'an, only disbeliev-
ers will be given the book of deeds in the left hand. This is as it is said in
the verse: إِنَّهُ كَانَ لَايُؤُمِنُ بِاللَّهِ الْعَظِيم (Indeed, he was not used to believing in Al-
إِنَّهُ ظَنَّ أَنْ لَّنْ يَّحُورَ :lah, the Great - al-Haqqah, 69:33) and also in another verse
(Indeed, he surmised that he would never return - al-Inshiqaq, 84:14). In
the first verse quoted above, faith has been negated explicitly while the
second carries a denial of the Hereafter - which too is disbelief after all.

527
Sūrah Bani Isra'll : 17 : 73 - 77
This comparative look tells us that those who shall get their book of
deeds in the right hand will be the people of faith, pious or sinner. The
believer will read his or her book of deeds in delight. In fact, the happy
believer will have others read it too. This happiness will be because of
having one's 'Iman (faith) intact and because of deliverance from eternal
punishment - though, punishment may also come for some deeds.
How the book of deeds will be given in the right or the left hand is so-
mething not mentioned in the Holy Qur'an. But, the expression: 1.
(causing the books fly) has appeared in some Ahadith (reported by
Ahmad on the authority of Sayyidah 'A'ishah Que JU , ascending to the
Holy Prophet ). And in some narrations of Hadith, it appears that all
books of deeds will be there at one place under the 'Arsh (Throne). Then
a wind will blow and cause these to fly and reach the hands of people in
a manner that some will get it in their right hand and some others in the
left. (Reported by al-'Uqaili on the authority of Sayyidna Anas
% ascending to the
Holy Prophet ) (Bayan al-Qur'an from Ruh al-Ma'ani)
Verses 73 - 77
وَإِنُ كَادُوا لَيَفْتِنُوْنَكَ عَنِ الَّذِىِّ أَوْ حَيْنَآ إِلَيْكَ لِتَفْتَرِىَ عَلَيْنَا غَيْرَه،ق
وَإِذَا لاَّ تَّخَذُوُكَ خَلِيُلاً ﴿٧٣﴾ وَلَوُ لََّ أَنْ تَبَتْنُكَ لَقَدُ كِدُتَّ تَرُكَنُ
إِلَيْهِمُ شَيْئًا قَلِيلاً (٣٢)﴾ إِذَا لََّ ذَقْتُكَ ضِعُفَ الْحَيْوةِ وَضِعُفَ الْمَمَاتِ
ثُمَّ لاَتَجِدُ لَكَ عَلَيْنَا نَصِيرًا ﴿٧٥﴾ وَإِنُ كَادُوا لَيَسْتَفِزُّوْنَكَ مِنَ الْأَرْضِ
لِيُخْرِجُوُكَ مِنْهَا وَإِذَا لَّا يَلْبِئُونَ خِلْفَكَ إِلاَّ قَلِيْلاً ﴿٧٦﴾ سَنَّةَ مَنْ قَدُ
أَرُسَلْنَا قَبْلَكَ مِنْ رُّسُلِنَا وَلاَتَجِدُ لِسُّنَّتِنَا تَحُوِيُلاً ﴿٧٧﴾
And surely, they were about to tempt you away from
what We have revealed to you, so that you forge someth-
ing else in Our name, and in that case they would have
certainly made you a friend. [73]
And had We not made you firm, it was likely that you
would have inclined towards them a little. [74]
In that case, We would have surely made you taste a dou-
ble (punishment) in life and a double (punishment) after

528
Surah Bani Isra'il : 17 : 73 - 77
death, then you would not have found anyone to help
you against Us. [75]
And they were likely to harass you in the land, so that
they could expel you from there. And in that case, they
would have not lived (there) after you, but a little. [76]
Such has been Our way with the messengers We sent be-
fore you. And you will find no reversal in Our way. [77]
Commentary
Out of the verses appearing above, the first three relate to a particu-
lar event. To determine it precisely, Tafsir Mazhari carries some rele-
vant reports. The event which is closer and more supportive in terms of
the indicators set in the Qur'an is what has been reported by Ibn Abi
Hatim as based on a narrative of Sayyidna Jubayr ibn Nufayr de. Ac-
cording to this report, some chiefs of the Quraysh of Makkah came to the
Holy Prophet
and said: 'If you have been really sent to us, you should
remove these poor and broken down people from around you, for sitting
with such people is a matter of insult for us. If you do that, we too will
become your companions and friends.' When they said this, the Holy
Prophet
somewhat leaned towards the idea that he might do someth-
ing like that as suggested by them in the hope that they may, perhaps,
become Muslims. Thereupon, this verse was revealed.
Through this verse, the Holy Prophet
was sounded that their sug-
gestion was a fitnah and the friendship they were talking about was also
a fitnah (a trial or test or a ruse to tempt him into creating discord in his
ranks). Therefore, he should not accept it. After that, the text says: Had
your Lord not been particular about your grooming and fortitude, it was
not too far out that you could have come somewhat closer to tilting to-
wards their proposal.
From this verse, says Tafsir Mazhari, it is clearly understood that
there was just no probability of the Holy Prophet & ever tilting towards
such absurd demands from the Quraysh disbelievers. Yes, coming close
to tilting, and that too within a very insignificant limit, was probable.
But, by making him ma'sum (protected, infallible), Allah Ta'ala saved
him from drifting even to that limit. If we were to think about it, this
verse provides a great proof of the highest moral disposition with which
all prophets (Jule were blessed. So, had there been even no shield of

529
Sūrah Bani Isra'il : 17 : 73 - 77
prophetic infallibility, still such was the natural disposition of the Proph-
et of Islam that tilting towards the absurd proposal of disbelievers would
have never been possible for him. However, there did exist the probabil-
ity of his coming somewhat closer, in an insignificant measure, towards
the act of tilting - something terminated by the prophetic infallibility.
After that, it was said : ◌ِإِذًا لَّذَقُنُكَ ضِعُفَ الْحَيْوةِ وَضِعُفَ الْمَمَات It means: Suppos-
ing the impossible, if you would have come closer to tilting towards their
wrong move, your punishment would have been double in life and double
after death (in the grave or the Hereafter, because even an insignificant
error made by those close to Allah is considered to be very grave). What
has been said here is almost the same as was said about the blessed
يْنِسِآءَ النَّبِيّ مَنْ يَّاتٍ مِنْكُنَّ بِفَاحِشَةٍ :wives of the Holy Prophet in Surah al-Ahzab
-O wives of the Prophet, whoever of you should com) مُبَّنَةٍ يُضْعَفُ لَهَا الْعَذَابُ ضِعُفَيْنِ
mit a clear act of immodesty, the punishment for her will be multiplied
doubly - 33:30).
Istifzaz in:َوَإِنُ كَادُوا لَيَسْتَفِرُونَك (And they were likely to harass you - 76) lit-
erally means to cut off, or tear away from, or to provoke into moving
from a place. At this place, the sense is to expel the Holy Prophet
from his station at Makkah or Madinah. The verse means: Had they
done that, their punishment would have been that they themselves
would have not been able to live there much longer after you. This is the
description of another event. There are two reports about it. One event
relates to Madinah al-Tayyibah. The Jews of the city came to the Holy
Prophet g. They told him: 'O Abu al-Qasim 3, if you are true in your
claim to be a prophet, you should go and live in Syria because the land of
Syria is the land of al-Mahshar (the Resurrection) and the land of proph-
ets too.' The Holy Prophet
was somewhat impressed by what they
said and when he traveled to Syria at the time of the battle of Tabuk,
the idea of taking up residence in Syria was still on his mind. But, the
revelation of the verse: ◌َوَانُ كَادُوا لَيَسْتَفِزُّونَك (And they were likely to harass
you - 76) at that time stopped him from doing so. After presenting this re-
port, Ibn Kathir has, however, declared it to be unsatisfactory.
As an alternate, he points out to another event which transpired in
Makkah al-Mukarramah and which, according to him, is the point of ref-
erence in this verse for the fact that this Surah was Makki provided a
strong coherence for it. As the event goes, once the Quraysh disbelievers

530
Surah Bani Isra'il : 17 : 78 - 82
intended to expel the Holy Prophet
from Makkah al-Mukarramah.
Thereupon, Allah Ta ala revealed the verse: ◌َكَادُوا لَيَسْتَفِزُّونَك where the Qu-
raysh disbelievers were warned that in the event they expelled the Holy
Prophet % from Makkah, they too would not be sitting in Makkah in
peace any longer. This is the event Ibn Kathir considers to be the
weightier choice as the point of reference in the verse. Then, he goes on
to explain that this warning of the Holy Qur'an was seen come true by
the disbelievers of Makkah with their own eyes. When the Holy Prophet
migrated from Makkah al-Mukarramah, they were unable to sit there
in peace even for a day. It was within a period of a year and six months
that Allah Ta'ala made them assemble on the plains of Badr where
seventy of their chiefs were killed and their initial aggressive power was
broken. Then came the final outcome of the battle of 'Uhud which made
them more awe-stricken, and the last confrontation of the battle of
al-Ahzab virtually broke their back. It was in the eighth year of Hijrah
that the Holy Prophet
conquered the whole of Makkah al-Mukarra-
mah.
The last verse (77) : سُنَّةً مَنْ قَدُ أَرْسَلْنَا (Such has been Our way with the mes-
sengers We sent ... ) tells us that, according to the customary way and
law of Allah Ta'ala, when a people expel their prophet from his home-
land, or compel him to leave by scaring and harassing, then, those peo-
ple too are not left to continue living there. They are visited by the pun-
ishment of Allah Ta'ala.
Verses 78 - 82
أَقِمِ الصَّلْوَةَ لِدُلُوُكِ الشَّمُسِ إِلَى غَسَقِ الَّيْلِ وَقُرَانَ الْفَحُرِ * إِنَّ قُرَانَ
الْفَحُرُ كَانَ مَشُهُوُدًا ﴿٢٨﴾ وَمِنَ الَّيْلِ فَتَهَجَّدُبِهِ نَافِلَةً لَّكَ مَِّعَسىّ أَنْ
يَّيْعَثَكَ رَبُّكَ مَقَامًا مَّحْمُودًا ﴿٢٩﴾ وَ قُلُ رَّبِّ اَدْخِلْنِىُ مُدُخَلَ صِدُق
وَاَخْرِجُنِىُ مُخْرَجَ صِدُق وَّاجُعَلُ لِيُ مِنْ لَّدُنُكَ سُلُطْنَا نَصِيرًا (٨٠)
وَقُلُ جَآءَ الْحَقُّ وَزَهَقَ الْبَاطِلُ* إِنَّ الْبَاطِلَ كَانَ زَهُوْقًا ﴿٨١) وَنُنَزِّلُ
مِنَ الْقُرْآنِ مَاهُوَشِفَاءٌ وَّرَحْمَةٌ لِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ * وَلاَ يَزِيْدُ الظُّلِمِينَ إِلاَّ
خَسَارًا ﴿٨٢﴾.

531
Sūrah Bani Isra'il : 17 : 78 - 82
Establish salah between the decline of the sun and the
darkness of the night, and the recital at dawn. Surely,
the recital at dawn is well attended. [78] And during the
night, wake up for salah, an additional prayer for you.
It is very likely that your Lord places you at a Praised
Station. [79]
And say, "O my Lord, make me enter a rightful entrance
and make me exit a rightful exit, and grant me from
Your Own a power, favoured (by You)." [80] And say,
"Truth has come and falsehood has vanished. Falsehood
is surely bound to vanish." [81]
And We reveal the Qur'an which is cure and mercy for
the believers. And it adds nothing to the unjust but loss.
[82]
Commentary
Salah is the best defense against enemy hostility
Previous verses have mentioned the hostility of the enemies of Islam,
the plans they made to hurt and harass the Holy Prophet af and what
was to be done in response. By giving the Holy Prophet
the command
to establish Salah in the verses cited above, it is being suggested that it
is the best remedy against the mischief made and pain caused by ene-
mies. This is similar to what has been said more clearly in a verse of
Surah al-Hijr: ◌َوَلَقَدُ نَعُلَمُ أَنَّكَ يَضِيُقُ صَدُرُكَ بِمَا يَقُولُوُنَ فَسَبِّحُ بِحَمُدٍ رَبِّكَ وَكُنُ مِّنَ السُّحِدِين It
means: "And indeed We know that your heart feels distressed for what
they say. So, proclaim the purity and glory of your Lord, and be among
those who prostrate." (Qurtubi)
This verse declares devotion to the remembrance of Allah (dhikr)
through His praises (hamd) and His glorification (tasbih) and Salah
(prayer) as the panacea of pains inflicted by enemies. Dhikr and Salah
are special safety shields against their aggressive designs. Then, it is
also not far out to believe that staying safe against the pain inflicted by
enemies depends on the help and support of Allah Ta'ala. So, the best
medium of acquiring this help is Salah as stated in the Holy Qur'an:
.(2:153 - Seek help through patience and prayer) وَاسْتَعِيْنُوا بِالصَّبْرِ وَالصَّلْوةِ
The injunction of five prayers
The majority of leading Tafsir authorities has declared this verse to
be a comprehensive injunction for all five daily prayers. The reason is

532
Sūrah Bani Isra'il : 17 : 78 - 82
that the word: J'y's (duluk) is essentially used in the sense of 'decline' and
the decline of the Sun begins at the time of meridian - though, it could
also be applied to the sunset. But, at this place, the majority of Sahabah
and Tabi'in have taken the word: J'Js (duluk) to mean the post-meridian
decline of the Sun. (as explained in details by al-Qurtubi, al-Mazhari and Ibn
Kathir).
The word: ◌ٌغَسَق (ghasaq) in the next phrase : إلى غَسَق اليل means the dark-
ness of the night when it is complete. Imam Malik has reported this very
Tafsir of 'ghasaq' from Sayyidna Ibn 'Abbas
Thus, within the statement : لِدُلُوُكِ الشَّمُسِ إِلى غَسَقِ الَّيُل (between the decline
of the Sun and the darkness of the night), four prayers stand covered.
These are Zuhr, 'Asr, Maghrib and 'Isha'. And also identified there is the
time when two of these prayers begin, that is, the time of Zuhr begins
from the decline (zawal) of the Sun and the time of 'Isha' from: JU
(ghasaq al-layl) that is, at the time when the darkness of night is
complete. Therefore, the great Imam, Abu Hanifah has ruled that the
time of 'Isha' begins from the time when, after the red glow, the white
glow of the evening also disappears. Everyone knows that, close to the
sunset, a red glow appears on the western horizon and, soon after this
redness, there spreads a sort of whiteness on it. Then, this whiteness too
disappears. It is obvious that the darkness of the night will be complete
only when the whiteness of the horizon also goes away. Therefore, these
words support the view of Imam Abu Hanifah. Other Imams have ruled
that the time of 'Isha' begins after the disappearance of the red glow on
the evening horizon and that this is the Tafsir of 'ghasaq al-layl' (the
darkness of night).
In the next phrase: Alors, (wa Qur'an al-fajr: translated as 'and
the recital at dawn'), the word: 'Qur'an' denotes Salah at this place be-
cause the Qur'an is an integral part of Salah. Most Tafsir authorities -
Ibn Kathir, al-Qurtubi, Mazhari and others - have adopted this very
دُلُوُكِ الشَّمُس إلى :meaning. Therefore, the sense of the verse is that the words
JJ J (between the decline of the Sun and the darkness of the night) car-
ried a description of four prayers. Identified now is the fifth prayer, that
of Fajr. It has been described separately which is an indicator of the par-
ticular importance and merit of this Salah.

533
Surah Bani Isra'il : 17 : 78 - 82
The word 'mashhud' in the expression: 6'4 35 (kana mashhuda)
has been derived from shahadah that means 'to be present.' This is a
time when, according to clear statements in authentic Ahadith, both
groups of angels, those of the night and those of the day, present them-
selves for Salah. Therefore, it has been called 'mashhud' (hence, translat-
ed as 'well-attended'). The injunction of five prayers has appeared in this
verse briefly. It has been explained fully by the Holy Prophet;
through
his word and deed - and unless one acts in accordance with this explana-
tion, no one can perform Salah. I just do not know how those who claim
to understand the Qur'an without Hadith and the statements of the
Rasul of Allah go about making their Salah? Similarly, in this verse, the
recital of the Qur'an within the Salah has also been mentioned briefly.
As for its details, it stands proved from the word and deed of the Holy
Prophet
that the recitation in the Fajr prayer should be long - to the
measure of strength and ability, less than that in Zuhr and Jumu'ah, av-
erage in 'Asr and 'Isha' and very brief in Maghrib. As for the mention of
a long recitation in Maghrib and very brief in Fajr in some reports, it
stands practically abandoned. Imam al-Qurțubi carries the riwayah of
Şahin Muslim in which the recitation of long Surahs like Surah al-A'raf
and Mursalat in the Salah of Maghrib, or the recitation of only the
Mu'awwadhatain (the last two Surahs) as sufficient in the Salah of Fajr
فمتروك بالعمل ولانكاره على معاذ التطويل :have been reported. He, then, comments
It means that these incidentals of long recitation in وبامره الائمة بالتخفيف
Maghrib and brief in Fajr stand abandoned in the light of the constant
practice of the Holy Prophet
as well as his verbal sayings. (Qurțubi)
The time of the Salah of Tahajjud: Injunctions and rulings
The word : تَهَجُّد (tahajjud) in:وَمِنَ الَيُلِ فَتَهَجَّدُ به (And during the night,
wake up for Salah - 79) has been derived from >>> :hujud. This word is
used for two opposite meanings, that of sleeping and that of waking
both. But, the words: وَمِنَ الْيُل فَتَهَجَّدُ به, at this place, mean 'be awake with
the Qur'an in a part of the night' because the pronoun in: « (bihl: with it)
reverts back to the Qur'an. (Mazhari). 'Being awake with the Qur'an'
means the making of Salah (with full compliance of what it requires).
This very nightly prayer is called the prayer of Tahajjud in the terminolo-
gy of Shari'ah. Speaking generally, the sense in which it has been taken
is that the prayer said after waking up from a short sleep is the Tahaj-
:

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Surah Bani Isra'il : 17 : 78 - 82
jud. But, according to Tafsir Mazhari, the sense of the verse is no more
than sacrificing sleep to make Salah during some part of the night. This
sense holds good for sleeping a little, then waking up from it and making
Salah. Very similarly, it is also good if one begins by postponing sleep for
Tahajjud and makes the Salah. The condition that one has to sleep be-
fore doing the prayer of Tahajjud is not found in the words used by the
Qur'an. Apart from this, there are reports from Ahadith which support
this general sense of Tahajjud.
And the definition of the prayer of Tahajjud reported from al-Hasan
al-Başrī by Imam Ibn Kathir also confirms this element of generality.
The words of the report are as follows:
قال الحسن البصرى هو ما كان بعد العشاء، ويحمل على ما كان بعد النوم
Al-Hasan al-Basri says: The prayer of Tahajjud holds good for
every prayer that is said after al-'Isha' And, (because of actual
practice) it will be applied to that which is said after some
sleep. (Ibn Kathir)
The outcome is that being after sleep is no condition in the real sense
of the prayer of Tahajjud - and this condition is not present in the words
of the Qur'an as well. But, speaking generally, it has been the constant
practice of the Holy Prophet 5 and his noble Companions
that they
used to do their Tahajjud prayer after waking up in the later part of the
night, therefore, this would be the better way of doing it.
Is the prayer of Tahajjud Fard (obligatory) or Nafl (additional)?
The words: Ja : nafl and att nafilah in: Watt (an additional prayer
for you - 79) literally mean 'additional.' Therefore, prayer (Salah) and
charity (sadaqah, khairat) etc. that is not obligatory or necessary and,
the doing of which brings thawab (reward), and not doing which entails
no sin or misconduct, are called nafl. In this verse, by looking at the
words: Watt (an additional prayer for you) with the prayer of Tahajjud,
it is summarily understood that the prayer of Tahajjud is particularly as-
sociated with the Holy Prophet
as nafl for him. The fact, though, is
that its effect as nafl is shared by all, the Holy Prophet
and his entire
ummah. Therefore, some respected early commentators have taken 'nafi-
lah' at this place as an attribute of faridah or duty. The meaning given
by them is that the Muslim community at large is obligated with five

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daily prayers only, but Tahajjud has also been made an additional obliga-
tion on the Holy Prophet . So, at this place, the word: all :nafilah ap-
pears in the sense of an additional obligation, not in the general sense of
nafl.
Let us look at the correct investigative position in this matter. When,
during the early stage of Islam, Surah al-Muzzammil was revealed, that
was a time when five prayers had yet to be obligated. What everyone
was obligated with was the prayer of Tahajjud. This obligation has been
mentioned in Surah al-Muzzammil (73). Then, it was in the night of the
Mi'raj (Ascent) that five prayers were made obligatory (fard). So, as for
the obligatory nature of Tahajjud, it was abrogated as a duty on the Mus-
lim community at large, by consensus. However, difference did exist
about its obligatory nature. Was it also abrogated in the case of the Holy
Prophet
Or, did it remain an obligation on him as a matter of special
consideration - and in this verse, the expression: W alt (nafilatal-lak)
means exactly that 'the prayer of Tahajjud is an additional obligation on
you.' But, according to Tafsir al-Qurtubi, this is not correct for many rea-
sons. Firstly, there is no justification for taking nafl as fard. If it is sup-
posed to be figurative speech, then, there will be no reality against it.
Secondly, in authentic Ahadith, only five fixed prayers have been men-
tioned as obligatory (fard). At the end of another Hadith, it has been
said that the fifty prayers made obligatory initially in the nocturnal jour-
ney of the Mi'raj were later reduced in number and set at five. Thus, the
number was, though, reduced but the reward promised against these
was that of no less than fifty. Then it was said: ◌َمَا يُبَدَّلُ الْقَوُلُ لَدَى (The word
[given to My servants] will not be changed with Me - Qaf, 50:29). It
means: When the command was given for fifty, the reward shall be given
for no less than fifty, though the number to be actually performed was re-
duced.
The outcome of these narrative reports is no other but that no Salah
- other than the five prayers - is obligatory (fard) on the Muslim ummah
at large and on the Holy Prophet & himself. Then, there is a reason for
it too. Had the word: al : nafilah been used here in the sense of an 'addi-
tional duty,' then, rather than using the word: 30 (lak: for you) after it,
the word used should have been: Que ('alaik: on you) since the latter sig-
nifies obligation while the word: 30 (lak: for you) is used only for approv-