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 23-30وَ قَضٰیAnd has decreedرَبُّكَyour Lordاَلَّاthat (do) notتَعْبُدُوْۤاworshipاِلَّاۤexceptاِیَّاهُHim Aloneوَ بِالْوَالِدَیْنِand to the parentsاِحْسَانًا ؕ(be) goodاِمَّاWhetherیَبْلُغَنَّreachعِنْدَكَwith youالْكِبَرَthe old ageاَحَدُهُمَاۤone of themاَوْorكِلٰهُمَاboth of themفَلَاthen (do) notتَقُلْsayلَّهُمَاۤto both of themاُفٍّa word of disrespectوَّ لَاand (do) notتَنْهَرْهُمَاrepel themوَ قُلْbut speakلَّهُمَاto themقَوْلًاa wordكَرِیْمًا noble وَ اخْفِضْAnd lowerلَهُمَاto themجَنَاحَ(the) wingالذُّلِّ(of) humilityمِنَ(out) ofالرَّحْمَةِ[the] mercyوَ قُلْand sayرَّبِّMy Lord!ارْحَمْهُمَاHave mercy on both of themكَمَاasرَبَّیٰنِیْthey brought me upصَغِیْرًاؕ(when I was) small رَبُّكُمْYour Lordاَعْلَمُ(is) most knowingبِمَاof whatفِیْ(is) inنُفُوْسِكُمْ ؕyourselvesاِنْIfتَكُوْنُوْاyou areصٰلِحِیْنَrighteousفَاِنَّهٗthen indeed Heكَانَisلِلْاَوَّابِیْنَto those who often turn (to Him)غَفُوْرًا Most Forgiving وَ اٰتِAnd giveذَاthe relativesالْقُرْبٰیthe relativesحَقَّهٗhis rightوَ الْمِسْكِیْنَand the needyوَ ابْنَand the wayfarerالسَّبِیْلِand the wayfarerوَ لَاand (do) notتُبَذِّرْspendتَبْذِیْرًا wastefully اِنَّIndeedالْمُبَذِّرِیْنَthe spendthriftsكَانُوْۤاareاِخْوَانَbrothersالشَّیٰطِیْنِ ؕ(of) the devilsوَ كَانَAnd isالشَّیْطٰنُthe Shaitaanلِرَبِّهٖto his Lordكَفُوْرًا ungrateful 17. Al-Isra Page 285وَ اِمَّاAnd ifتُعْرِضَنَّyou turn awayعَنْهُمُfrom themابْتِغَآءَseekingرَحْمَةٍmercyمِّنْfromرَّبِّكَyour Lordتَرْجُوْهَاwhich you expectفَقُلْthen sayلَّهُمْto themقَوْلًاa wordمَّیْسُوْرًا gentle وَ لَاAnd (do) notتَجْعَلْmakeیَدَكَyour handمَغْلُوْلَةًchainedاِلٰیtoعُنُقِكَyour neckوَ لَاand notتَبْسُطْهَاextend itكُلَّ(to its) utmostالْبَسْطِreachفَتَقْعُدَso that you sitمَلُوْمًاblameworthyمَّحْسُوْرًا insolvent اِنَّIndeedرَبَّكَyour Lordیَبْسُطُextendsالرِّزْقَthe provisionلِمَنْfor whomیَّشَآءُHe willsوَ یَقْدِرُ ؕand straitensاِنَّهٗIndeed Heكَانَisبِعِبَادِهٖof His slavesخَبِیْرًۢاAll-Awareبَصِیْرًا۠All-Seer

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Translation of Verse 23-30

23. Your Lord has decreed that you worship none save Him,²⁷ and you treat your parents with kindness. If with you one of them or both of them attain old age, do not say “Fie” to them nor refuse them anything harshly, and speak to them a respectful speech.²⁸

24. And lower to them the wing of submission with mercy,²⁹ and pray: “My Lord! Have mercy on them both as they brought me up when I was an infant.”³⁰

25. Your Lord best knows what is in your hearts.³¹ If you become righteous, then verily He is ever Forgiving to those who turn (to Him).³²

26. Give the kinsman his due, and the destitute and the wayfarer,³³ and squander not (your wealth) wastefully.³⁴

27. Verily the squanderers are brothers of Satans, and the Satan is ever ungrateful to his Lord.³⁵

28. But if, while waiting for your Lord’s mercy, for which you hope, you have to avoid them, then speak to them kindly.³⁶

29. And let not your hand be chained to your neck nor open with a complete opening, lest you sit down rebuked, helpless.³⁷

30. Verily your Lord gives the provision abundantly to whom He will and sparingly³⁸' (to whom He will). Verily, He is Aware and sees His slaves.

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Commentary

27. This is the definite and final decision of Allah that you should worship Him alone and none other. In the foregoing ayah joining any other being with Allah as god was forbidden, and in this ayah worshipping any being other than Allah is forbidden. From this it becomes abundantly clear that worshipping a being other than Allah amounts to making that being as god, whether one may call it vocally god or not, e.g. if a man worships land (Bhoomi puja), it is open polytheism and it is declaring land as god and worthy of worship.

It should be noted that the word ‘Ibadat’ means worship, which has been commanded to be reserved only for Allah alone. As for the obedience it is its natural demand, therefore, commands concerning obedience have been given separately after that. The difference between worship and obedience should be always kept in view, or else the importance of worship in religion will not remain at a level which is its due. (For further explanation, please see Surah Hood, Note No. 5)

On this ‘occasion we consider it necessary to clarify that the opinion of some people, about the commands given in this ayah and the following ayat, that their significance was that of the constitution of the Islamic state of Madina, is not correct. Constitution is a technical term of politics, and here neither politics is under discussion nor the state, but here those good attributes have been mentioned which make a person a worthy human being and which help him to achieve success in the Hereafter and when a group of men, possessing these good qualities appears, then its politics is also coloured in this hue and the system of the state takes its shape according to these good attributes. Therefore, it is not necessary to give these commands a political colour, otherwise the disadvantage would be that the reader’s mind would be misled to think that the addressee of these commands is the Islamic state and not he, and the spirit of these commands will suffer. Such far-fetched explanations do not help in preparing rightful re1igious minds.

28. Among the slaves of God the greatest right is that of the parents, and it is because they brought up the children. It is their right that the children should treat them respectfully and kindly throughout life, i.e. they should treat them kindly, should serve them, should spend for them if it becomes necessary, should not become disobedient and should not cause them pain.

In old age parents become more deserving of service and at this time they become very irritable. Therefore, it has been emphatically stated that nothing should be said which would hurt them, nor should they be denied anything with harshness, but they should be spoken to with respect and tenderness.

29.That is: Treat them with love and tenderness, and deal with them in the nicest possible manner.

30. That is: You should not forget that your parents had undergone untold sufferings in bringing you up. Remembering this obligation of theirs, you should pray for them for mercy. This prayer for their sake is in view of their external condition and old age, therefore, even if they are not Muslims there is nothing wrong in praying for them. As for the prayer for salvation for the polytheist parents, it cannot be done as stated in Surah Taubah, ayah No.113 (See Surah Taubah, Note No.299).

31. That is: He knows very well your intentions, your feelings, and the state of your hearts (minds).

32. If you have committed any faults in your treatment of your parents, then seek Allah’s forgiveness repenting for them and mend yourself for future, for Allah accepts the repentance of those who become righteous, and forgives their faults.

33. By the due here is meant the financial dues, which are ascertained according to their needs and an individual’s personal circumstances. Moreover, this due or right is not limited to the amount of zakat only, but can be beyond that.

34. ‘Tabzeer’ (Wasteful expenditure) means unnecessary spending of wealth, and unnecessary expenditure makes a person careless of paying the dues of others. Those, who get wealth in abundance, think it to be their own property, and then they spend it in unlawful acts and in fulfilling their own desires recklessly, though the wealth is a trust from Allah, which he is responsible to spend in lawful acts, besides others also have some rights in that wealth, and paying those dues is his responsibility. On account of lack of correct Islamic perspective about the wealth and property and for want of a sense of responsibility in this connection, a person spends his wealth senselessly and irresponsibly.

Verily the squanderers are brothers of Satans, and the Satan is ever ungrateful to his Lord. But if, while waiting for your Lord’s mercy, for which you hope, you have to avoid them, then speak to them kindly. (Al-Quran)

35. ‘ Wealth is a great blessing from Allah and its wasteful expenditure is the greatest act lack of appreciation for that blessing. Therefore, whoever spends his wealth wastefully, establishes his relation with Satan, who is the most ungrateful creature.

36. That is: If your financial condition is not such that you may be able to help them, then you should speak to them softly and in such a way that would be sympathetic towards them.

It is also learnt from this ayah that you may be expectant of Allah’s favours for payment of dues of others and for meeting their rights and to make further efforts in that direction is an approved thing.

37. Hand being chained to the neck is an idiom which is used to connote stinginess, miserliness, and opening it with a complete opening means to be a spendthrift. It means that a man should neither be miserly nor a spendthrift in spending his wealth for himself and his kinsmen, but he should be a balanced person in this regard. Those who spend abundantly earn a bad name and helplessness. As against this balance in expenditure makes a man dignified and this practice becomes a means of goodness and blessing for him.

38. This has been explained in Surah Ra’d, Note No.58.