Surah 17. Al-Isra

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Verses [Section]: 1-10[1], 11-22 [2], 23-30 [3], 31-40 [4], 41-52 [5], 53-60 [6], 61-70 [7], 71-77 [8], 78-84 [9], 85-93 [10], 94-100 [11], 101-111 [12]

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Quran Text of Verse 101-111وَ لَقَدْAnd certainlyاٰتَیْنَاWe had givenمُوْسٰیMusaتِسْعَnineاٰیٰتٍۭSignsبَیِّنٰتٍclearفَسْـَٔلْso askبَنِیْۤ(the) Children of Israelاِسْرَآءِیْلَ(the) Children of Israelاِذْwhenجَآءَهُمْhe came to themفَقَالَthen saidلَهٗto himفِرْعَوْنُFiraunاِنِّیْIndeed, Iلَاَظُنُّكَ[I] think youیٰمُوْسٰیO Musaمَسْحُوْرًا (you are) bewitched قَالَHe saidلَقَدْVerilyعَلِمْتَyou knowمَاۤnoneاَنْزَلَhas sent downهٰۤؤُلَآءِtheseاِلَّاexceptرَبُّ(the) Lordالسَّمٰوٰتِ(of) the heavensوَ الْاَرْضِand the earthبَصَآىِٕرَ ۚ(as) evidenceوَ اِنِّیْand indeed Iلَاَظُنُّكَ[I] surely think youیٰفِرْعَوْنُO Firaun!مَثْبُوْرًا (you are) destroyed فَاَرَادَSo he intendedاَنْtoیَّسْتَفِزَّهُمْdrive them outمِّنَfromالْاَرْضِthe landفَاَغْرَقْنٰهُbut We drowned himوَ مَنْand whoمَّعَهٗ(were) with himجَمِیْعًاۙall وَّ قُلْنَاAnd We saidمِنْۢafter himبَعْدِهٖafter himلِبَنِیْۤto the Children of Israelاِسْرَآءِیْلَto the Children of IsraelاسْكُنُواDwellالْاَرْضَ(in) the landفَاِذَاthen whenجَآءَcomesوَعْدُ(the) promiseالْاٰخِرَةِ(of) the HereafterجِئْنَاWe will bringبِكُمْyouلَفِیْفًاؕ(as) a mixed crowd 17. Al-Isra Page 293وَ بِالْحَقِّAnd with the truthاَنْزَلْنٰهُWe sent it downوَ بِالْحَقِّand with the truthنَزَلَ ؕit descendedوَ مَاۤAnd notاَرْسَلْنٰكَWe sent youاِلَّاexceptمُبَشِّرًا(as) a bearer of glad tidingsوَّ نَذِیْرًاۘand a warner وَ قُرْاٰنًاAnd the QuranفَرَقْنٰهُWe have dividedلِتَقْرَاَهٗthat you might recite itعَلَیtoالنَّاسِthe peopleعَلٰیatمُكْثٍintervalsوَّ نَزَّلْنٰهُAnd We have revealed itتَنْزِیْلًا (in) stages قُلْSayاٰمِنُوْاBelieveبِهٖۤin itاَوْorلَا(do) notتُؤْمِنُوْا ؕbelieveاِنَّIndeedالَّذِیْنَthose whoاُوْتُواwere givenالْعِلْمَthe knowledgeمِنْbefore itقَبْلِهٖۤbefore itاِذَاwhenیُتْلٰیit is recitedعَلَیْهِمْto themیَخِرُّوْنَthey fallلِلْاَذْقَانِon their facesسُجَّدًاۙ(in) prostration وَّ یَقُوْلُوْنَAnd they sayسُبْحٰنَGlory be toرَبِّنَاۤour Lord!اِنْIndeedكَانَisوَعْدُ(the) promiseرَبِّنَا(of) our Lordلَمَفْعُوْلًا surely fulfilled وَ یَخِرُّوْنَAnd they fallلِلْاَذْقَانِon their facesیَبْكُوْنَweepingوَ یَزِیْدُهُمْand it increases themخُشُوْعًا۩(in) humility قُلِSayادْعُواInvokeاللّٰهَAllahاَوِorادْعُواinvokeالرَّحْمٰنَ ؕthe Most GraciousاَیًّاBy whatever (name)مَّاBy whatever (name)تَدْعُوْاyou invokeفَلَهُto Him (belongs)الْاَسْمَآءُthe Most Beautiful Namesالْحُسْنٰی ۚthe Most Beautiful Namesوَ لَاAnd (do) notتَجْهَرْbe loudبِصَلَاتِكَin your prayersوَ لَاand notتُخَافِتْbe silentبِهَاthereinوَ ابْتَغِbut seekبَیْنَbetweenذٰلِكَthatسَبِیْلًا a way وَ قُلِAnd sayالْحَمْدُAll Praiseلِلّٰهِ(is) for Allahالَّذِیْthe One Whoلَمْhas not takenیَتَّخِذْhas not takenوَلَدًاa sonوَّ لَمْand notیَكُنْisلَّهٗfor Himشَرِیْكٌa partnerفِیinالْمُلْكِthe dominionوَ لَمْand notیَكُنْisلَّهٗfor Himوَلِیٌّany protectorمِّنَout ofالذُّلِّweaknessوَ كَبِّرْهُAnd magnify Himتَكْبِیْرًا۠(with all) magnificence

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Translation of Verse 101-111

101. And We gave to Moosa nine clear signs.¹³² Ask Bani Israil when he came to them, Firaun said to him: “Moosa, I think that you are bewitched.”¹³³

102. He replied: “You know full well that none but the Lord of the heavens and the earth has sent down these eye-opening proofs,¹³⁴ and I think O Firaun! you are destined to be doomed.”

103. Then he wished to scare them from the land, so We drowned him and those with him, altogether.¹³⁵

104. And thereafter We said to Bani Israil : “Dwell in the land.¹³⁶ When the promise of the Hereafter comes to be fulfilled, We will assemble you all together.” ¹³⁷

105. We have sent it down with truth,¹³⁸ and with truth has it descended.¹³⁹ And We have sent you as naught but a bearer of good tidings and a warner.

106. And Qur’an We have divided it into sections that you may recite it to mankind at intervals, and We have revealed it by gradual revelation.’¹⁴⁰

107. Say: “Believe therein or believe not, verily, those who were given knowledge before it,¹⁴¹ prostrate themselves upon their faces when it is read to them.¹⁴²”

108. Saying: ‘Immaculate is our Lord! The promise of our Lord was bound to be fulfilled.’ ¹⁴³

109.++” And they fall down on their faces, prostrating themselves, weeping, and their humility further increases.”¹⁴⁴

110. Say:”Call Allah or call Rahman.¹⁴⁵ By whatever name you may call Him, His are the most beautiful names.”¹⁴⁶ Offer salat neither with a loud voice nor with a low one but follow between them a middle course.¹⁴⁷

111. And say: “Praise be to Allah ¹⁴⁸ who has never taken son, who has no partner in His sovereignty, nor has He any (need) for a protector for weakness. ¹⁴⁹ And proclaim His greatness as is His due.¹⁵⁰

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Commentary

132. The nine miracles performed by Prophet Moosa have been mentioned in Surah A’raf, i.e. (1) Turning of the staff into a snake (2) the brilliant hand (3) Famine (4) Shortage in farm produce (5) Storm (6) Locusts (7) Lice (8) Frogs and (9) Blood.

For explanation, please see Surah A’raf Notes Nos. 163, 164, 186, 187, 188, 189, 190 and 191.

133. That is: Bani Israil well know that even after seeing the nine miracles performed by Prophet Moosa, Firaun did not accept the true faith. Nay, he had belied Moosa, saying that he had been under the influence of some magic, that is why he is talking about prophethood. This obduracy of Firaun is being presented before the polytheists of Makkah who were demanding of the Prophet that he perform certain miracles. It is presented as an example, so that they may give up this absurd demand.

134. That is: These signs are sufficient to open the eyes of man and they are the clear proofs of the fact that they have been manifested by the Lord of the universe. In other words, there is no doubt about their being miracles.

135. Bani Israil wanted to leave the country, but Firaun was not allowing them to do so. However subsequently realising that Prophet Moosa, and Bani Israil are creating for him one difficulty or another every now and then, he wanted to keep them away from the country, but in the end Firaun himself had to depart from his land for good. He and his companions were drowned in the sea.

Quraish were also bent on seeing that the Prophet (Sallal Lahu Alaihi Wa Sallam) is made to leave Makkah. Therefore, this event had been narrated to them to enable them to take a lesson from it. But they did not learn anything from it, and they compelled the Prophet to leave Makkah. In the end they themselves had to leave the town when the Prophet entered it victoriously.

136. Means the lands of Syria and Palestine, because after leaving Egypt Bani Israil had reached their native land via the valley of Teeh.

137. That is: Do not think that they have to dwell in the world forever, but remember that the real abode is in the Hereafter, and when the Day of Resurrection will occur, we will gather you all in our presence.

But this lesson was forgotten by Bani Israil. Accordingly, in the available editions of the Torah this event is not at all found recorded. What they remembered was that they got a country in which the rivers of milk and honey flow.

138. The topic mentioned was concerning Qur’an. In between, the subject of miracles came up and the event of Moosa and Firaun was narrated. Now the narration reverts to Qur’an.

139. That is: Qur’an is Truth from top to bottom, and is free from every kind of adulteration. In this neither Satan could interfere nor could anybody else add or remove anything. It was revealed to the Prophet (Sallal Lahu Alaihi Wa Sallam) in the same way and form in which Allah wanted it to be revealed. And as it was revealed to the Prophet, he conveyed it to the people exactly as it was with absolute honesty.

140. This is the answer to the objection that why the Qur’an was not revealed at one time in the form of a complete book. Allah said that it has been revealed in the form of ayat and surahs gradually in stages, so that the Prophet may read it to the people at intervals.

For those who were the first addressees of the Qur’an, this concession was necessary that in view of the conditions that obtained in consequence of the Prophets dawah, the Qur’an should offer them guidance accordingly. In this way it would be easier for the followers to follow the directions in practice and also understand it.

141. Refers to those people of the Book who had the knowledge of the divine scriptures and were also pious. They immediately understood that it was the Divine word when they heard the Qur’an, and then their condition became as is further described.

142. The word used here means falling by the chin, which has been translated, according to the English idiom, as falling down on their faces. Throwing the chin up is the sign of pride, but the men of faith prostrate themselves before God by lowering their chins, on their faces, in a spirit of humility.

143. That is: The promise of sending a divine messenger with certain attributes, made in the Torah and Injeel, has been fulfilled by the coming of this Prophet, Muhammad, Sallal Lahu Alaihi Wa Sallam.

144. By listening to Qur’an they are so moved that tears come out of their eyes and they prostrate themselves, and thus the listening to Qur’an increases their sense of humility.

Their first ‘sajda’ (prostrating themselves), mentioned in ayah No.107 above, was in celebration of the revelation of Qur’an, and the second ‘sajda’ is the result of their being emotionally moved by listening to the Qur’an.

This is the ayah of ‘sajda’, and on its recitation one should perform a sajda.

145. For the explanation of the word Rahman, please see Note No.5, Surah Fatiha. In Qur’an the word ‘Rahman’ has been used as an attribute of Allah as also as ‘Ism-i-llm’, therefore, it is exclusive for Allah and is not to be used for any other being. The deniers of Qur’an had raised an unreasonable objection as to why two names were being used—Allah and Rahman, which shows that there are two gods, while we know only one Allah and do not know any Rahman. The answer is given to this objection that either you call Him Allah or Rahman, He is one and the same, it does not affect the monotheistic belief. It means that they are indulging in futile wordy debates when the meaning and the reality is only one.

146. For explanation, please see Surah A’raf Notes Nos. 278 and 279.

147. Since the best way to call or invoke Allah is to offer prayer (Salat), it is directed here that it should be offered with all solemnity and in a dignified way. In the salat the voice should not be raised so high and loud that it may seem rowdy nor should it be so low that the ‘muqtadi’ (followers) may not be able to hear the recitation. The right way is to use the voice in a balanced way.

It should be noted that here the discussion is not about what parts of the salat should be loud or low-voiced, but that the salat which are to be offered with audible recitations, care should be taken to be neither very loud nor very low. The recitation should not be so loud that the dignity of the salat be made to suffer nor so low that the followers may not be able to hear it. To avoid both the extremes, the middle course should be adopted and the balanced voice be used, so that the solemnity and peace of salat may be maintained, and those standing in salat behind may be able to hear.

148. This is the concluding portion. The Surah, began with the mention of Allah’s Immaculateness and it is ending with His praise.

149. In this ayah all the three forms of polytheism, indulged in generally by the people of religion, are repudiated; one, the belief of Allah’s being the begotten son, second the concept of some having a share in His kingdom or godhood, and third the idea of someone being His helper.

A helper is needed by one who is helpless. Allah is free from such a want. He is Mighty and All powerful, then why would He need a helper.

150. That is: Proclaim His greatness in such a way that His sublimity is fully expressed and the defects and weaknesses that the polytheists ascribed to Him are convincingly repudiated. Allahu Akbar (Allah is the greatest), the words which are repeated in the Azan and salat are the acknowledgement and expression of the sublimity and greatness of Allah.