Surah Al-Isra 17:85-93 - Quran Translation Commentary

(17:88) Say, ‘If the men and Jinn gathered together to produce the like of this Qur’an, they will never produce its like, even if some of them were helpers unto others.¹⁴¹

(17:89) We have indeed variously expounded for the people in this Qur’an every (manner of) similitude, yet most people refuse except (that they should be) unbelievers.

(17:90) They said, ‘We shall never believe you until you break open for us a spring from the ground.

(17:91) Or you have an orchard of date trees and grapes, and cause rivers to gush forth abundantly in its midst.

(17:92) Or make the heaven fall upon us in fragments, as you claim (will happen),¹⁴² or bring God and the angels face to face (before us).

(17:93) Or you have a house of gold,¹⁴³ or go right up into the heaven. Yet, we shall never believe in your going up until you bring down on us a book that we can read.’¹⁴⁴ Say, ‘Glory to my Lord. Am I anything but a human Messenger?’¹⁴⁵

Commentary

138. To what is the allusion is by the term “Ruh” here, at this point? The answer has varied. According to a report from Ibn `Abbas, the allusion is to an angel. Another tradition, (though weak: Ibn Kathir) reports him as transmitting from the Prophet that the angel is so large that he could swallow the heavens and the earth in one gulp. A similar report has come down from `Ali who said that this angel has “seventy thousand heads ..” (Ibn Jarir).

Nevertheless, in a second opinion of Ibn `Abbas, and one that most commentators have adopted, is that it is the human soul that is meant. Several reports have come down from `Abdullah ibn Mas`ud. Here is one,

عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ قَالَ بَيْنَمَا أَنَا أَمْشِى مَعَ النَّبِىِّ -صلى الله عليه وسلم- فِى حَرْثٍ وَهُوَ مُتَّكِئٌ عَلَى عَسِيبٍ إِذْ مَرَّ بِنَفَرٍ مِنَ الْيَهُودِ فَقَالَ بَعْضُهُمْ لِبَعْضٍ سَلُوهُ عَنِ الرُّوحِ فَقَالُوا مَا رَابَكُمْ إِلَيْهِ لاَ يَسْتَقْبِلُكُمْ بِشَىْءٍ تَكْرَهُونَهُ. فَقَالُوا سَلُوهُ فَقَامَ إِلَيْهِ بَعْضُهُمْ فَسَأَلَهُ عَنِ الرُّوحِ - قَالَ - فَأَسْكَتَ النَّبِىُّ -صلى الله عليه وسلم- فَلَمْ يَرُدَّ عَلَيْهِ شَيْئًا فَعَلِمْتُ أَنَّهُ يُوحَى إِلَيْهِ - قَالَ - فَقُمْتُ مَكَانِى فَلَمَّا نَزَلَ الْوَحْىُ قَالَ (وَيَسْأَلُونَكَ عَنِ الرُّوحِ قُلِ الرُّوحُ مِنْ أَمْرِ رَبِّى وَمَا أُوتِيتُمْ مِنَ الْعِلْمِ إِلاَّ قَلِيلاً)

“While I was walking with the Prophet through a field and he was resting by a date palm branch when a group of Jews passed by. One of them said to others, ‘Ask him about the soul.’ Someone said, ‘Are you in doubt that you should be asking him?’ Others said, ‘Do not let him answer you with something that will displease you.’ Finally they decided, ‘Ask him.’ So they asked him about the soul. The Prophet made no reply. (At that moment) it became obvious that the revelation was about to come down. So I stood by. In a while it was revealed, ‘They ask you about the soul..’” (Ibn Jarir).

The hadith is in Bukhari and Muslim (Ibn Kathir and others).

Another version from Ibn `Abbas tells us that the Prophet was asked about the nature of the soul, as to what it is and how it could be punished while residing in a physical body (Ibn Jarir).

The report would imply that this verse is Madinan. But that is not correct. A report in Ahmad says that the Quraysh had asked the Jews to give them something by which they could defeat the Prophet’s purposes. They told them to ask about the soul (Ibn Jarir, Qurtubi, Ibn Kathir). The report is in Tirmidhi (who declared it Sahih), Nasa’i, Ahmad, Hakim (who declared it trustworthy) and Ibn Hibban (Alusi, Shawkani). It is likely that the Prophet was asked a second time at Madinah, by a different set of people (Ibn Kathir).

A contemporary commentary claims that the Polytheists had asked the Prophet: “What is the source of the Qur’an?” But commentaries of old do not have any such narration to this effect. He also claims that Ibn `Abbas understood “Ruh” as “revelation” and that he used to conceal this opinion. He traces the report to Ibn Jarir. But Ibn Jarir has no such statement. Rather, Ibn Jarir reports that Qatadah understood “Ruh” to mean “Jibr’il” (and not revelation). Qatadah then adds that Ibn `Abbas used to conceal this opinion. (But we do not know what exactly Qatadah means by “concealment.” For, other narrators freely report that Ibn `Abbas felt it was an angel who was alluded to. In other words, it is one thing to say Ibn `Abbas used to conceal [while he did not] and another to say [as Ibn Jarir has stated] that Qatadah thought Ibn `Abbas used to conceal).

Nevertheless, in another opinion, also in Ibn Jarir, Ibn `Abbas thought they were a special kind of creation not known to anyone. The great majority in any case believed, as Alusi has stated and which is apparent from discussions in “tafsir” works, that the reference is to “the soul” (Au.).

As regards the nature of the soul, Ibn Kathir writes that the term “nafs” is the basic subtle ingredient, like water in the plants, that, when it occupies a body is referred to as the soul.

Sayyid Qutb sees no point in discussing things that are of no practical benefit: “Discussion over the soul is a journey into the abyss and a waste of energies bestowed by Allah for better purposes. The soul is beyond human perception and understanding, one of the secrets of Allah, and man’s knowledge is limited, not comprehensive. Just enough of it has been given, nor more, no less, that will suffice the needs of khilafah on the earth.”

Majid comments and quotes: “This repudiates the position of those polytheistic religions which hold the spirit or soul of man to be an independent self-subsisting entity, co-eternal with God. In several Indian creeds the fundamental principle is ‘the dualism of prakrati and purusa, “matter” and soul” .. The result is a kind of trinity consisting of God, soul (or souls) and matter, each category of being having independent self-existence. God is eternal; so also is each soul; so also is matter (ERE, II, P. 60). The Greeks, and as their disciples, the early Christian Fathers, also shared the belief in the uncreated nature of the soul. ‘Belief in the pre-existence of the soul prevailed widely among the Greeks from an early date, and at the later time became a theory of their philosophers. The influence of Greek thought in this respect was strongly felt in the early Christian Church, and is still apparent to some extent throughout the whole of Western Civilization (x. p. 236).”

139. Far from being able to explain the spiritual existence of man, modern science has failed to explain even the physical existence. A.J. Thomson was forced to admit, “The more we learn about nature, the more do we become aware of our own ignorance. Every problem that is solved, opens a fresh series of problems not hitherto thought of. The sphere of the Unknown is infinite. The sphere of the Known maybe be expanding, but is always finite. We are no nearer to ultimate solutions than Thales or Pythagoras; the quest for ultimate solution is merely the symptom of a disordered mind (UHW, VIII, p. 5012)” - Majid.

In the field of biology men went from limbs, to parts, to cells, to the DNA in the nucleus, to the nucleotide base pairs, to end up staring at atoms with disbelief. Here is the central command, contained in lifeless atoms, getting such complicated things done, to such precision, as to defy illustration. The process of cell operations is so amazing and singular that nothing else in the universe can be cited as an example. The scientists always had the benefit of denying an effect by pointing to its cause. But here they are, looking at the atoms in the cell, not knowing which is the cause and which the effect in the highly complicated system.

As for physics, all there was to be discovered has been discovered, except for the answers to the perennial questions, where did the laws of nature come from? Why does the matter behave the way it does? Why, for example, an electron is 1836 times lighter than the proton, and so on. The worst scenario, and the best illustration to the words, “And you have not given of knowledge but a little,” is that as the Universe expands at the edges at speeds near equal to that of light, humans will never know what lies there, or how big is the world they live in. This is because, physical laws do not allow for the humans on the earth to receive the news of any body traveling away at near the speed of light. Light emanating from it will eternally travel in the direction of the observer on earth, without reaching it, denying us the knowledge of what lies out there. This is the final nail in the coffin of human limits to knowledge (Au.).

Another point of discussion among the commentators is as follows: That humans do not know the nature of the soul, is evident; but is it unknowable? Ibn Abi Hatim has reported `Abdullah b. Buraydah’s opinion that, “The Prophet died without knowing the nature of the soul.” Alusi disagrees with this statement in view of the famous “Hadith al-Manam” (a trustworthy report) which says,

صَلَّيْتُ اللَّيْلَةَ مَا قُضِيَ لِي، وَوَضَعْتُ جَنْبِي فِي الْمَسْجِدِ، فَأَتَانِي رَبِّي فِي أَحْسَنِ صُورَةٍ، فَقَالَ: يَا مُحَمَّدُ، أَتَدْرِي فِيمَ يَخْتَصِمُ الْمَلأُ الأَعْلَى؟ فَقُلْتُ: لا يَا رَبِّ، قَالَهَا ثَلاثَ مَرَّاتٍ، قُلْتُ: لا يَا رَبِّ، فَوَضَعَ يَدَهُ بَيْنَ كَتِفَيَّ فَوَجَدْتُ بَرْدَهَا بَيْنَ ثَدْيَيَّ، فَتَجَلَّى لِي كُلُّ شَيْءٍ وَعَرَفْتُهُ

“This morning I rose up after the night and Prayed as much as I was destined to. Then I dozed off in my Prayers, until I felt heavy. And lo! I was in the presence of my Lord, the Exalted, the Supreme - in the best form. He asked, ‘Muhammad! What are the angels of the upper-most constellation disputing over?’ I said, ‘I do not know, my Lord!’ That happened three times. Then He placed His palm between my shoulders until I felt the coldness of His fingers over my breast, and everything became clear to me. And I knew..” (The words “I knew..” have been interpreted to mean that he knew everything pertaining to the spiritual world: Au.). In other words, the Prophet had learnt the nature of the soul, apart from other things, following the dream. Further, Alusi and others write, since the verse does not suggest that no one can ever know the nature of the soul there is every possibility that a few others - apart from him - could know.

It is another thing, that perhaps being a thing of the other world, subtle and incorporeal, even if some people knew what it is, they would not be able to describe what exactly they know it as, except in abstract terms rendering the description vague and unintelligible. Hence the inadequate explanations presented by Razi and Alusi in their commentaries and Ibn Qayyim in his “Kitab al-Ruh” (Au.).

Notwithstanding that, the above three scholars have, apart from its nature, discussed various aspects of the Spirit, but, as one would fear, despite lengthy discourses they remain, for want of substance, little more than theoretical exercises. A few aspects discussed are: what exactly constitutes life? Does the soul die? Is it eternal or created? Does it undergo changes? Whether one is distinguishable from another or not? Etc. Another thing discussed is the difference between “Nafs” and “Ruh.” The Sufi opinion, as in Alusi, is that “Nafs” is the primary element in a body (that gives it life). When it brightens up with Allah’s remembrance, contemplation, and ascetic living, it is transformed into “Ruh.” (This too, however, goes without any substantiation: Au.).

To be sure, as to the question, where do the souls go after death, evidences are not lacking. Qurtubi, Ibn al-Qayyim, and Alusi agree on the following: The souls of the Prophets and Messengers are in the upper most zone of “`Illiyun.” When the Prophet said, before his death, “O Allah, to those on High”, that is the place he meant. Souls of the martyr are in Paradise, in birds that feed on fruits, seeking repose by the lamps hanging by the `Arsh. Something similar has been stated about the souls of the Muslim children. A report of Ka`b leads us to believe that the souls of martyrs other than those who fell in battles, such as those who died of plague, of stomach problems, or were drowned, etc., are in the form of green birds that are fed from Paradise morning and evening. Imam Shafe`i believed that the souls of the believers are in Paradise. Ka`b b. Malik, as reported by Imam Malik reported that the believers’ souls are in the body of birds that live on the trees of Paradise. This report is in Ahmad, Nasa’i and Ibn Majah. On the other hand, souls of the unbelievers are in Sijjin. Umm Bishr’s report tells us that the souls of the unbelievers are in the form of black birds in cages that eat of the Fire and repose in a nest in the Fire. They say, “Our Lord. Let not our brothers join us, and do not grant us what You have promised us.” Ibn Hazm has spoken about the general body of the Ahl al-Hadith that the souls of the dead are in the graves. They draw strength from the Prophet’s hadith which says, “When one of you dies, his place is shown to him morning and evening. If he is to be of the people of Paradise, then Paradise, but if he is to be of the people of the Fire, then the Fire. It is said to him, ‘This is your place until Allah raises you.’” And when the Prophet visited the graveyard, he said, “Peace upon you: the place of the believers.” But Ibn `Abdul Barr has pointed out that the above applies to ordinary believers. The souls of martyrs are in Paradise.

Perhaps all the above can be reconciled as in the book “Al-Ifsah” by saying that there are kinds and varieties of souls, treated variously. Some of them are in the form of birds in Paradise, others in cages of green birds, some take repose by the lamps under the `Arsh, others are in cages of white birds, some in the form of starlings in cages, others is other forms given in Paradise, some in shapes given to them in accordance with their deeds, others move around and visit their (earthly) bodies, some are in the care of Mika’il, others in that of Adam, while yet others in the care of Ibrahim.

140. Ibn Mas`ud explained that a time will come when a wind will blow from the Syrian region after which nothing will be left of the Qur’an neither in print nor in the breasts. In support of his words, Ibn Mas`ud recited this verse (Ibn Jarir). This report is trustworthy (Qurtubi). The report is in Sa`id b. Mansur, Ibn Abi Shaybah, Ibn al-Mundhir, Ibn Abi Hatim, Tabarani, Hakim, (who declared it Sahih), Ibn Marduwayh and in Bayhaqi’s “Shu`ab al-Iman”. (Dhahabi agreed with Hakim in ruling it as trustworthy: S. Ibrahim). The report has also come through Mu`adh b. Jabal, through Abu Hurayrah in Ibn Abi Hatim and Hakim who rated it Sahih, and through Hudhayfah b. al-Yaman in the collection of Abu al-Sheikh, Daylami and Ibn Marduwayh (Shawkani).

The report of Hudhaifah says,

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَدْرُسُ الْإِسْلَامُ كَمَا يَدْرُسُ وَشْيُ الثَّوْبِ حَتَّى لَا يُدْرَى مَا صِيَامٌ وَلَا صَلَاةٌ وَلَا نُسُكٌ وَلَا صَدَقَةٌ وَلَيُسْرَى عَلَى كِتَابِ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ فِي لَيْلَةٍ فَلَا يَبْقَى فِي الْأَرْضِ مِنْهُ آيَةٌ وَتَبْقَى طَوَائِفُ مِنْ النَّاسِ الشَّيْخُ الْكَبِيرُ وَالْعَجُوزُ يَقُولُونَ أَدْرَكْنَا آبَاءَنَا عَلَى هَذِهِ الْكَلِمَةِ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ فَنَحْنُ نَقُولُهَا فَقَالَ لَهُ صِلَةُ مَا تُغْنِي عَنْهُمْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَهُمْ لَا يَدْرُونَ مَا صَلَاةٌ وَلَا صِيَامٌ وَلَا نُسُكٌ وَلَا صَدَقَةٌ فَأَعْرَضَ عَنْهُ حُذَيْفَةُ ثُمَّ رَدَّهَا عَلَيْهِ ثَلَاثًا كُلَّ ذَلِكَ يُعْرِضُ عَنْهُ حُذَيْفَةُ ثُمَّ أَقْبَلَ عَلَيْهِ فِي الثَّالِثَةِ فَقَالَ يَا صِلَةُ تُنْجِيهِمْ مِنْ النَّارِ ثَلَاثً

“The Qur’an will get worn as the print on a cloth (gets worn) until a time will come when people will not know what is fasting, or Prayers, or Hajj, or charity. In that phase a time will come to pass on Allah’s Book a night after which not a verse will remain on the earth. Thereafter, very old men and women will say, ‘We found our forefathers saying these words: “there is no god save Allah.” They would not know what is Prayer, or fast, or Hajj, or charity.” At that Sila (b. Zufar) asked, “Of what benefit will the words ‘there is no god save Allah’ be to them?” Hudhayfah ignored the question. He asked him three times. Hudhayfah finally turned to him and said, ‘O Sila. It will rescue them from the Fire.’ He said it three times” (Qurtubi).

141. It is said that a group of Jews visited the Prophet and accused him that what he had brought of the Qur’an was not revelation. They demanded that he should bring a true one, or they will bring something equivalent of what he had brought. In response Allah revealed this verse (Ibn Jarir).

142. They were referring to the Qur’anic statement (34: 9),

إِنْ نَشَأْ نَخْسِفْ بِهِمُ الْأَرْضَ أَوْ نُسْقِطْ عَلَيْهِمْ كِسَفًا مِنَ السَّمَاءِ [سبأ : 9]

“If We wished, We could make the earth swallow them, or let the heaven fall upon them in fragments” (Zamakshari).

143. Although “ornament” is the literal meaning of the textual “zukhruf”, most commentators, such as Ibn Mas`ud, Mujahid, Hasan, Qatadah have explained it as meaning “gold” (Tabari).

144. As context of revelation, it is reported by Ibn Is-haq that once the Quraysh assembled in the Grand Mosque and decided that they should get Muhammad down there and persuade him give up his mission. When the Prophet was told that they wished to see him, he hurried down in hope that they might have at last made up their minds about embracing his message. But when he arrived, one of them said, “We do not know of any individual in our memory who brought such disaster to his own people. You have belittled our forefathers, found fault in our religion, insulted our reason, slandered our gods, and caused division, in short, left nothing that could be brought upon us of the evil. Now, if all that you are looking for by this thing that you have brought is wealth, well then, we shall pool up enough money to make you the richest of us. If leadership is your aim, we shall declare you a leader. If you have territorial ambition, we will declare you a king over us. But, if it is a Jinn which has overcome you we shall treat you thereof.”

A disappointed Prophet told them, “None of it. What I have brought is neither to get some wealth, nor power. But rather, I am Allah’s Messenger sent to you. He has sent down a Book unto me and has commanded me to give glad tidings and warn. So, I have delivered the message. Now it is up to you to accept or reject. If you accept, that will be your good fortune in this world and the Hereafter. But if you reject, then I shall observe patience until Allah decides between me and you.”

They said, “Look Muhammad. If you do not accept what we offer you, then, you are aware that ours is the most constricted land on the earth, the most poverty stricken, affording a life of great hardships. So, ask the Lord God who has sent you to remove the mountains, widen the valleys, and break forth rivers like in Syria and Iraq. Also, let Him resurrect for us our forefathers, among them, especially, Qusayy b. Kilab, who was a renowned, trustworthy man. We shall ask him about your message. If he says, ‘Yes, it is true,’ we will readily accept it. If you did what we ask, and the resurrected acknowledge you, we will know that you have truly been sent by the Lord and shall in that event believe in you.”

The Prophet replied, “I haven’t been raised to perform things of this kind. I have been sent with a message. If you accept it, it will be your share in this world and the Hereafter. But if you reject, then I shall observe patience until Allah decides between me and you.”

They said, “OK. If you cannot do that, then let the One who raised you send down an angel to attest your messengership. Further, let your Lord provide you with orchards, palaces and treasures to afford you a comfortable life and relieve you from going about in the market-place, which does not become of you.”

The Prophet replied in more or less the same terms. Exasperated by his refusals, they said, “Alright then. Bring down the heaven upon us in fragments, just as you threaten.” The Prophet told them, “That is in Allah’s hands alone. If He wishes He will do it.” They replied, “Your Lord knows what we asked. If you can not do these things, then we shall never believe in you, rather, shall oppose you until either of us is destroyed.”

So the Prophet left them. As he was returning `Abdullah b. Abu Umayyah - a cousin of his - followed him and told him, “Muhammad. Your people asked you several things. But you refused all. Listen. By God, I shall never believe in you even if you went up into the heavens and brought down an open book, returning in the company of four angels attesting that you are a Prophet. Nevertheless, even if you did all these things, I don’t think I’ll believe in you.” Then he left.

Back in the assembly Abu Jahl said to others after the Prophet had departed, “Look, my people. Muhammad refused that he will stop insulting our deities. I promise you that if I see him around here prostrating himself, I shall throw a rock on his head” (Ibn Jarir, Qurtubi, Ibn Kathir, Alusi and others: slightly shortened).

It might be amusing to note that the same `Abdullah b. Abu Umayyah later embraced Islam. After all, if a man is not fanatical, in the end reason prevails (Au.).

145. The exclamation, “Glory to my Lord” is in response to the pagan demand to bring Allah before them, while the rest of the words, “Am I anything but a human messenger?” are in response to their other demands (Razi).

Yusuf Ali has a nice comment, the last part of which can be neatly applied to many of today’s Muslims, who await for the final victory of Islam and Muslims to miraculously come about: “This ill-assorted and crude jumble of the sort of miracles which the Unbelievers wanted .. is throughout reminiscent of the materialistic imagination of Jewish sceptics, which was mainly responsible for the fall of the Jewish nation. For a thirsty people sojourning in a dry land, the finding of a spring of water as in the story of Moses or of the well of Zamzam is an appropriate miracle. But miracles are not for faithless crowds to gape at.”