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 85-93وَ یَسْـَٔلُوْنَكَAnd they ask youعَنِconcerningالرُّوْحِ ؕthe soulقُلِSayالرُّوْحُThe soulمِنْ(is) ofاَمْرِ(the) affairرَبِّیْ(of) my Lordوَ مَاۤAnd notاُوْتِیْتُمْyou have been givenمِّنَofالْعِلْمِthe knowledgeاِلَّاexceptقَلِیْلًا a little وَ لَىِٕنْAnd ifشِئْنَاWe willedلَنَذْهَبَنَّWe (would) have surely taken awayبِالَّذِیْۤthat whichاَوْحَیْنَاۤWe have revealedاِلَیْكَto youثُمَّThenلَاnotتَجِدُyou would findلَكَfor youبِهٖconcerning itعَلَیْنَاagainst Usوَكِیْلًاۙany advocate 17. Al-Isra Page 291اِلَّاExceptرَحْمَةًa mercyمِّنْfromرَّبِّكَ ؕyour LordاِنَّIndeedفَضْلَهٗHis Bountyكَانَisعَلَیْكَupon youكَبِیْرًا great قُلْSayلَّىِٕنِIfاجْتَمَعَتِgatheredالْاِنْسُthe mankindوَ الْجِنُّand the jinnعَلٰۤیtoاَنْ[that]یَّاْتُوْاbringبِمِثْلِthe likeهٰذَا(of) thisالْقُرْاٰنِQuranلَاnotیَاْتُوْنَthey (could) bringبِمِثْلِهٖthe like of itوَ لَوْeven ifكَانَwereبَعْضُهُمْsome of themلِبَعْضٍto some othersظَهِیْرًا assistants وَ لَقَدْAnd verilyصَرَّفْنَاWe have explainedلِلنَّاسِto mankindفِیْinهٰذَاthisالْقُرْاٰنِQuranمِنْfromكُلِّeveryمَثَلٍ ؗexampleفَاَبٰۤیbut refusedاَكْثَرُmostالنَّاسِ(of) the mankindاِلَّاexceptكُفُوْرًا disbelief وَ قَالُوْاAnd they sayلَنْNeverنُّؤْمِنَwe will believeلَكَin youحَتّٰیuntilتَفْجُرَyou cause to gush forthلَنَاfor usمِنَfromالْاَرْضِthe earthیَنْۢبُوْعًاۙa spring اَوْOrتَكُوْنَyou haveلَكَfor youجَنَّةٌa gardenمِّنْofنَّخِیْلٍdate-palmsوَّ عِنَبٍand grapesفَتُفَجِّرَand cause to gush forthالْاَنْهٰرَthe riversخِلٰلَهَاwithin themتَفْجِیْرًاۙabundantly اَوْOrتُسْقِطَyou cause to fallالسَّمَآءَthe skyكَمَاasزَعَمْتَyou have claimedعَلَیْنَاupon usكِسَفًا(in) piecesاَوْorتَاْتِیَyou bringبِاللّٰهِAllahوَ الْمَلٰٓىِٕكَةِand the Angelsقَبِیْلًاۙbefore (us) اَوْOrیَكُوْنَisلَكَfor youبَیْتٌa houseمِّنْofزُخْرُفٍornamentاَوْorتَرْقٰیyou ascendفِیintoالسَّمَآءِ ؕthe skyوَ لَنْAnd neverنُّؤْمِنَwe will believeلِرُقِیِّكَin your ascensionحَتّٰیuntilتُنَزِّلَyou bring downعَلَیْنَاto usكِتٰبًاa bookنَّقْرَؤُهٗ ؕwe could read itقُلْSayسُبْحَانَGlorified (is)رَبِّیْmy Lord!هَلْWhatكُنْتُam Iاِلَّاbutبَشَرًاa humanرَّسُوْلًا۠a Messenger

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Translation of Verse 85-93

85. They ask you about the spirit. Say: “The spirit is by my Lord’s command. The knowledge given to you is but little.”¹¹⁹

86. If We pleased We could take away what We have revealed to you, then you would find none to support you against us.¹²⁰

87. Except for mercy from your Lord, verily His grace to you is very great.

88. Say: “If men and jinn joined to produce the like of this Qur’an, they could not produce one like it, even if they help one another.”¹²¹

89. And We have employed in this Qur’an every kind of parable, yet the greater part of men did not respond, except with denial.¹²²

90. They say: “We will not believe in you until you make a spring gush from the earth.”

91. Or until you have a garden of palms and vines and cause rivers to flow forth in them, full of water.”

92. “Or until you cause the sky to fall upon us in pieces, as you have claimed you can do, or bring Allah and the angels before us.”

93. Or until you have a house of gold, or you ascend to heaven; and we will not believe (even) in your ascension until you send down for us a book which we can read.” Say: “Immaculate is my Lord! What am I, except a human messenger?”¹²³

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Commentary

119. Here ‘Rooh’ (Spirit) means revelation (wahi), and in the Qur’an this word has been used as revelation as a technical term (See Surah Nahl, Note No.3), and here its proof is the context in which it is used. The Question was about the revelation, that is the questioners wanted to know the reality about the hidden conveying of messages. Here they are answered that for them it was sufficient to know that this is the decree from Allah. As for the reality as to how this act is executed, this is of the secrets of the Unseen whose knowledge is not held by men, and man is granted only that much knowledge which is essential for him to pass through the life of test and trial. So when the secret behind the process of conveying the revelation has not been disclosed, in view of some great purpose, then insistence on understanding the details of this process is not right, nor is it right to deny it because all its details have not come in the grasp of our knowledge. If man was not aware in the past of the existence of the radio waves, does it mean that they did not exist before. Then if we are not able ourselves to experience the conveyance of revelation, which only the prophets can experience, whose truthfulness is above suspicion, and when their message itself offers the evidence that it is divine revelation, then why should it not be believed ? Will not its denial be the denial of reality ? And by denying the reality, will not we place our lives on the wrong paths ?

120. As Allah has conveyed this revelation to his Prophet, He can also withdraw it. If He does so, there is no power on earth that would be able to restore it. The idea is to make it clear that the revelation is sent down by Allah, and the Prophet has no say in it, and therefore, to consider it as authored by the Prophet is the denial of reality.

121.This is the challenge of the Qur’an that not only one individual, but the whole mankind, nay, not only the mankind, but even all the jinns united together may try to compose a book like Qur’an, they cannot do it. Fourteen centuries have elapsed since this challenge was thrown, but none has been able to meet it.

The fact is that Qur’an is a living miracle of Allah until the end of this world. There is not the slightest exaggeration in this, this is a solid reality. For the explanation of its miraculous aspects, Note No.30, Surah Baqarah may be seen.

122. That is: We have presented the Dawah in the Qur’an in different ways, and have adopted different styles of comprehension and remembrances, so that people of varying tastes may understand whatever style appeals to them, but the condition of many men is such that they persist in their denial and are not prepared to understand anything.

In the modern times a great objection against Qur’an is that it repeats a thing many times, i.e. there is a lot of repetition in it, although Qur’an says that it is a necessity in connection with guidance and comprehension. The fact is that people think that Qur’an is like other books, which are written as an academic exercise or for providing information, while the subject of Qur’an is the guidance from Allah, and the purpose of its revelation is to change the lives of the people and provide ideological and practical training. For guidance and training it is necessary that roadsigns should be clearly indicated at every turning point, and the lesson be repeated according to the appropriateness of the occasion, so that it may be firmly understood. Besides it requires that to clarify the objective various styles should be adopted. In other words what was the merit of the Qur’an turned out to be its demerit in the eyes of these detractors.

It should be noted that same was the style of the other divine scriptures: In the Torah and the Psalms one thing is repeated many times, as if this is the common characteristic of the heavenly books.

123. That is a brief answer to their big and lengthy demands. It means that the Prophet has not claimed to be god and therefore it is meaningless to demand of him to perform such miracles— Allah is free from all association—The prophet has presented himself only as a messenger, therefore, his message should be examined and evaluated. To perform miracles is not within the powers of the Prophet. It is in Allah’s power. (For further explanation, please see Surah Ibrahim, Note No.30).