Surah Al-Isra 17:78-84 - Quran Translation Commentary

78. Establish salat from the declining of the sun to the darkening of the night, and the recital of the Qur’an at ‘Fajr’. Verily, the recital of Qur’an at ‘Fajr’ is in the divine presence.¹⁰⁸

79. And during the night perform ‘Tahajjud’ prayer, that is additional (duty) for you.¹⁰⁹ It is likely that your Lord will raise you to a praised position.¹¹⁰

80. And pray: “My Lord! Cause me to enter wherever I may enter with truth, and cause me to exit from wherever I may exit with truth,¹¹¹ and give me from Your presence sustaining power.”¹¹²

81. And say: “Truth has come and falsehood has vanished away. Verily, falsehood was bound to vanish.”¹¹³

82. And We are sending down in the form of Qur’an that which is a healing¹¹⁴ and a mercy ¹¹⁵ for believers, but it adds nothing to the evildoers but ruin.¹¹⁶

83. And when We bestow favours on man, he turns his back and keeps aloof, and when ill touches him he grows despondent.¹¹⁷

84. Say: “Each man works in his own way, but your Lord knows best who is best guided.”¹¹⁸

Commentary

108. There are three times when the sun goes down during the day. One when the sun goes down from the middle sky, which is known as ‘zawal’ (decline) of the sun. After this ‘zawal’ the time for the salat of Zuhr (Mid-day) starts. The second time the sun goes down is when the shade of a thing becomes equal to the thing itself. This is the time for the Asr prayer. And the third time of the sun going down is the sun setting totally. This is the time for the Maghrib or evening prayer.

By the darkness of the night is meant that time which starts after the disappearance of the twilight. This is the time for the I’sha prayer and Fajr means the time immediately before the rising of the sun, when the salat of Fajr is offered. Thus there are prayers for five times during the day and night, which have been made compulsory for every Muslim. The details of the times have been mentioned in the ahadith.

By the recital of Qur’an at Fajr is meant the salat of Fajr, and it had been termed as the recital of Qur’an because this distinction of the Fajr prayer is made clear that it is comparatively a prayer with a longer recital of Qur’an, which should be audible. Then the salat of Fajr is termed as ‘Mashhood’ because that time is such when the heart experiences the presence of the Lord near and angels are also said to be present at that time. Accordingly, in a hadith it is stated-

“At that time the angels of the night and the angels of the day remain present.” — (Tirmizi—Abwabut Tafseer).

109. ‘Tahajjud’ means the salat that is to be performed rising from sleep during the night. No time is fixed for this prayer. However, the last part of the night is said to be very propitious.

The Prophet (Sallal Lahu Alaihi Wa Sallam) was directed that this salat was an additional duty for him, that is besides those which have been mentioned above.

110. ‘Praised position’ (Maqam-i-Mahmood) is that rank of high exaltation which would compel the tongues to move in praise.

When this Surah was revealed, the deniers were bent on causing hurt to the Prophet. They had left no stone unturned to cause the Prophet to be disgraced in the eyes of the people, but Allah at such a time gives this glad tiding to His messenger that He wants to exalt him to such a high position that he would attract praises. This not only proved an encouraging statement for the Prophet, but its truth was also seen by the world. The Prophet’s personality is made praiseworthy in the eyes of every justice-loving person, and the high esteem in which every individual among his followers holds him is well known. Every Muslim in his daily prayers sends the gift of ‘darud’ and ‘salam’ to his beloved Prophet. Then the position enjoyed by him in the world will be surpassed by the position that Allah will grant him in the Hereafter. On the Day of Resurrection his station of praise-worthiness will be very prominent-on the Haudh-i-Kauthar (Tank of Kauthar) and on other occasions.

111. A hint of the fact that the time for migration has come near. Accordingly, only a few days after this the event of migration to Madina took place.

In this prayer the real spirit of migration is reflected, and it is this that his going away should be with truth and honour. Therefore, the migration of the Prophet from Makkah was not an escape or running away, but it was the abandoning of native place in the path of Allah, and his entrance into Madina was not like that of a refugee, but it was the entrance of a great personality for a great purpose. For this reason, his companions received him with open arms and most jubilantly and most sincerely.

112. Sustaining power here means political power, and the attribute of the helper manifests that the power that is desired is such as would help in subjugating the enemies of Islam and in making truth victorious.

This prayer was taught to the Prophet in Makkah and through him to the people of faith, which is a proof of the fact that for the religion of truth the demand of power, victory and political superiority is a desirable and desired thing. Those Muslims who object to the demand of political power for the Muslims for this purpose and want that with Islam no talk of political power be entertained, they obtain their concept of religion not from Qur’an but from some other sources.

113. This was the prophecy of Qur’an that although Islam was oppressed in Makkah at that time, but consider it victorious and consider falsehood as vanished. Within less than ten years of this declaration in the year 08 A. H. Islam entered Makkah triumphantly. On this occasion the Prophet was pushing the Idols kept in the House of Ka’ba with his lance and reciting this ayah: “Truth has come and falsehood has vanished away. Verily, falsehood was bound to vanish.” Thus the scene of the truth coming out victorious and the falsehood vanishing was witnessed by the people and the truth or the Quranic prophecy was fully confirmed.

114. Its explanation has been given in Surah Yunus, Note No.88.

115. Its explanation has been given in Surah Yunus Note No.90.

116. By ‘zalim’ or evil-doers are meant those people who do not want to listen to the talk of justice and truth. How can then such people take the teachings of Qur’an seriously. But to them the message of Qur’an has been convincingly conveyed and their increased opposition to Qur’an increases their own chances of ruin.

117. That is: The condition of man is such that after receiving bounties and favours from Allah he becomes careless and turns away from his benefactor, and when some misfortune befalls him he is disappointed, that is he neither expresses gratitude for the favours nor exercises patience and forbearance. He is expressing the same mentality even after receiving the favours.

Say: “Each man works in his own way, but your Lord knows best who is best guided.” They ask you about the spirit. Say: “The spirit is by my Lord’s command. The knowledge given to you is but little.” (Al-Quran)

118. That is: Concerning God and the Hereafter, everybody has fixed his line of action, and everybody has a religion to which he or she is attached, and about whose truth he/she is an assertive claimant. But the definite knowledge about it is possessed only by Allah as to which religion is based on truth. Accordingly, Allah has manifested to you the truthfulness of the Prophet and of his being rightly guided by means of the divine revelations. If people do not believe in it even after this, then they are responsible for their action.