Surah 17. Al-Isra

---

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]

---

Quran Text of Verse 94-100وَ مَاAnd whatمَنَعَpreventedالنَّاسَthe peopleاَنْthatیُّؤْمِنُوْۤاthey believeاِذْwhenجَآءَهُمُcame to themالْهُدٰۤیthe guidanceاِلَّاۤexceptاَنْthatقَالُوْۤاthey saidاَبَعَثَHas Allah sentاللّٰهُHas Allah sentبَشَرًاa humanرَّسُوْلًا Messenger قُلْSayلَّوْIfكَانَ(there) wereفِیinالْاَرْضِthe earthمَلٰٓىِٕكَةٌAngelsیَّمْشُوْنَwalkingمُطْمَىِٕنِّیْنَsecurelyلَنَزَّلْنَاsurely We (would) have sent downعَلَیْهِمْto themمِّنَfromالسَّمَآءِthe heavenمَلَكًاan Angelرَّسُوْلًا (as) a Messenger قُلْSayكَفٰیSufficient isبِاللّٰهِAllahشَهِیْدًۢا(as) a witnessبَیْنِیْbetween meوَ بَیْنَكُمْ ؕand between youاِنَّهٗIndeed Heكَانَisبِعِبَادِهٖof His slavesخَبِیْرًۢاAll-Awareبَصِیْرًا All-Seer 17. Al-Isra Page 292وَ مَنْAnd whoeverیَّهْدِAllah guidesاللّٰهُAllah guidesفَهُوَthen he (is)الْمُهْتَدِ ۚthe guided oneوَ مَنْand whoeverیُّضْلِلْHe lets go astrayفَلَنْthen neverتَجِدَyou will findلَهُمْfor themاَوْلِیَآءَprotectorsمِنْbesides Himدُوْنِهٖ ؕbesides Himوَ نَحْشُرُهُمْAnd We will gather themیَوْمَ(on) the Dayالْقِیٰمَةِ(of) the Resurrectionعَلٰیonوُجُوْهِهِمْtheir facesعُمْیًاblindوَّ بُكْمًاand dumbوَّ صُمًّا ؕand deafمَاْوٰىهُمْTheir abodeجَهَنَّمُ ؕ(is) Hellكُلَّمَاevery timeخَبَتْit subsidesزِدْنٰهُمْWe (will) increase (for) themسَعِیْرًا the blazing fire ذٰلِكَThatجَزَآؤُهُمْ(is) their recompenseبِاَنَّهُمْbecause theyكَفَرُوْاdisbelievedبِاٰیٰتِنَاin Our Versesوَ قَالُوْۤاand saidءَاِذَاWhenكُنَّاwe areعِظَامًاbonesوَّ رُفَاتًاand crumbled particlesءَاِنَّاwill weلَمَبْعُوْثُوْنَsurely (be) resurrectedخَلْقًا(as) a creationجَدِیْدًا new اَوَ لَمْDo notیَرَوْاthey seeاَنَّthatاللّٰهَAllahالَّذِیْthe One Whoخَلَقَcreatedالسَّمٰوٰتِthe heavensوَ الْاَرْضَand the earthقَادِرٌ(is) Ableعَلٰۤی[on]اَنْtoیَّخْلُقَcreateمِثْلَهُمْthe like of themوَ جَعَلَAnd He has madeلَهُمْfor themاَجَلًاa termلَّاnoرَیْبَdoubtفِیْهِ ؕin itفَاَبَیBut refusedالظّٰلِمُوْنَthe wrongdoersاِلَّاexceptكُفُوْرًا disbelief قُلْSayلَّوْIfاَنْتُمْyouتَمْلِكُوْنَpossessخَزَآىِٕنَthe treasuresرَحْمَةِ(of) the Mercyرَبِّیْۤ(of) my Lordاِذًاthenلَّاَمْسَكْتُمْsurely you would withholdخَشْیَةَ(out of) fearالْاِنْفَاقِ ؕ(of) spendingوَ كَانَAnd isالْاِنْسَانُmanقَتُوْرًا۠stingy

---

Translation of Verse 94-100

94. And nothing prevented people from believing when guidance came to them except their saying: ‘What! Allah has sent a human being as a messenger?”¹²⁴

95. Say: “If the angels were walking the earth contentedly, We would have sent down for them from heaven an angel as messenger.”¹²⁵

96. Say: “Sufficient is Allah as witness between me and you. Verily, He knows and observes His slaves.”

97. And he whom Allah guides is rightly guided, and he whom He leaves in error— for him you will find no helper beside Him. And We will assemble them all on the Day of Resurrection, prostrate on their faces, deaf, dumb and blind,¹²⁶ Hell shall be their abode, whenever its flames will die down, we will rekindle them with increased fierceness.¹²⁷

98. This will be their reward because they disbelieved Our revelations and said : “When we are bones and dust, shall we be raised up as a new creation ?”¹²⁸

99. Did they not see that Allah, who has created the heavens and the earth, has power to create the like of them, ¹²⁹ and has appointed for them an end about which there is no doubt ? But the wrongdoers refuse everything except disbelief.¹³⁰

100. Say: “Had you possessed the treasures of my Lord’s mercy, you would have surely withheld them for fear of spending.” Man is very miserly! ¹³¹

---

Commentary

124. That is: People have their own concept that how a human being, walking on earth, can be a prophet. If God really wanted to send a prophet on earth, He would have sent an angel as His messenger. On account of this false concept they deny a man’s being sent as a prophet, as a result they are deprived of the guidance from God which is revealed to the prophet.

Say: “If the angels were walking the earth contentedly, We would have sent down for them from heaven an angel as messenger.” Say: “Sufficient is Allah as witness between me and you. Verily, He knows and observes His slaves.” (Al-Quran)

125.Although angels do come to earth and go back, the creatures that securely and naturally walk on earth and who have been sent here for going through the test are human beings. Therefore, sending of a man as a prophet to human beings is the demand of wisdom, for a prophet’s life is a model for his followers and he is worthy of emulation. If an angel is sent down as a prophet, how can his life be a model for the humans.

126. This has been explained in Note No. 102.

127. That is: The fire of Hell will never die down. The moment its intensity becomes less; it is made to burn with more vigour.

Scientists say that atomic explosions take place in the sun, which maintain its heat at a constant level. This is the condition of the material world. We cannot compare it with the world of the Hereafter. So when Quran informs us about the constant and everlasting burning of Hell fire, what is strange in that?

128. It is the duty of man to believe in the signs of Allah and have faith in the Hereafter. Its denial means disbelief and transgression, and this severe punishment of the Hell fire is the proper reward for such denial and transgression.

129. That is: Such an obvious thing is not understood by these deniers that the Being who has created the heavens and the earth has no difficulty in re-creating or reviving the dead mankind.

130. Occurrence of the Day of Resurrection is beyond any shadow of doubt, and it has been explained by very strong arguments, but those who are false and are wrong-doers are so persistent in their denial that no argument and no proof is acceptable to them.

131 .The purpose is to explain that the Hereafter is the demand of mercy. His mercy is limitless, and by spending nothing diminishes from its treasures. He wants that His sincere slaves should be perpetually blessed with His mercy’ So that they should achieve the ultimate satisfaction. He has created Paradise for the bestowal of His mercy only. Therefore, man’s denial of the Hereafter and his considering of the Paradise as an impossible thing is an absolutely wrong concept of Allah’s attribute of mercy. In fact, man is very narrowminded and miserly. That is why the vastness of Allah’s mercy becomes unacceptable to him. And the condition of these deniers is such that if Allah were to make them the dispensers of His treasures, or would have handed over His treasures of mercy to them, they would have held back their hands and would have deprived the people from their blessings for fear of the treasures being spent. Do they think that God is also like them ? Will there be any decrease in His treasures of mercy if He opens up the gates of His treasures to His sincere slaves ? If such a thinking is not right, then realise that the Paradise is quite in keeping with the demands of wisdom, and for that purpose the next world or the second life is necessary.