Verse:1 Commentary Commentary

Described in this verse is the event of Mi` raj (the Ascent to the heavens, or al-'Isra', the midnight journey of the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم which is a signal honor and distinctive miracle of our Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم). The word: أَسْرَ‌ىٰ (asra) is a derivation from: اِسْرَ‌ىٰ (isra' ) which literally means to make someone travel at night. After that, the introduction of the word: لَيْلًا (lailan) also makes this sense very clear. Then, by placing this word as a common noun, the indication released was that during this event the time spent was that of a part of the night - not even that of the whole night. The journey from al-Masjid al-Haram to al-Masjid al-Aqsa mentioned in this verse is called al-'Isra' and the name of the journey from here to the seven heavens is al-Mi` raj. Isra' stands proved under the definitive textual authority of this verse and the Mi` raj finds mention in the verses of Surah an-Najm and is proved by Ahadith appearing in an uninterrupted succession. The word: بِعَبْدِهِ (bi'abdihi: His servant) used here for the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم is special. It shows that, in this magnificent setting of honor and welcome, when Allah Ta' ala, on His own, elects to call someone His servant', a unique bond of love lies embedded therein and that this is the highest honor any man could ever have.

This is similar to what has been said in another verse: عِبَادُ الرَّ‌حْمَـٰنِ الَّذِينَ يَمْشُونَ عَلَى الْأَرْ‌ضِ هَوْنًا (and the servants of Ar-Rahman [ the Most Merciful ] are those who walk on the Earth gently - al-Furqan, 25:63) where the objective is to increase the prestige of those who are acceptable with Him. From here, we also learn that the highest achievement man is capable of is to become a perfect servant of Allah - for, on this eve of special honour, the quality of ideal servitude, out of his many attributes of perfection, was chosen. Then, the presence of this expression yields yet another beneficial outcome in that no one gets the wrong impression of divinity from this wonderful journey by night which, from its beginning to the end, is full of extra-habitual miracles. This is something like what happened with the Christians who fell into deception over the event of Sayyidna ` Isa (علیہ السلام) being raised unto the heavens. For this reason, by saying - ('abd: servant), it was declared that, despite all those attributes, achievements and miracles, the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم was still a servant of Allah, not god.

The Qur'an, Sunnah and 'Ijma' prove that the Mi` raj was physical.

It is proved from the text of the Holy Qur'an, and from Ahadith coming in uninterrupted succession mentioned later that the entire journey of the Isra' and Mi` raj was not simply spiritual, instead, it was physical - like the journey of anyone else. The very first word of the Holy Qur'an in this Surah: سُبحَانَ (Subhan: Pure is He! ) carries a hint in this direction because this word is used to register wonder or introduce a great marvel. Had the Mi` raj been merely spiritual, just a matter of dream, what was there so unusual about it? As for a dream, every Muslim, even every human being, can see it and report that he or she went to the heavens, did this and did that.

The second indication embedded in the word: عَبد ('abd: servant) also points out in the same direction because ` abd is no spirit all by itself, instead, it is the name of the combination of body and spirit.

In addition to that, when the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم related the event of Mi` raj to Sayyidah Umm Hani ؓ ، she advised him not to mention it before anyone otherwise people would falsify it even more. Had this been the matter of a dream, what was there in it that needed to be falsified?

After that, when he did tell people about it, the disbelievers of Makkah called it a lie and made fun of him, so much so that some neo-Muslims became apostates (murtadd) after hearing the news. If this would have been the matter of a dream, the likelihood of such reactions was least warranted. And that he had experienced some spiritual Mi` raj in the form of a dream, before this or after that, does not become contrary to it. According to the majority of Muslim scholars, the word: الرُّ‌ؤْيَا (ar-ru'ya) in the verse of the Qur'an: وَمَا جَعَلْنَا الرُّ‌ؤْيَا الَّتِي أَرَ‌يْنَاكَ (And We showed you the scene - 17:60) means: رُؤیۃ (ruyah: seeing). But, it has been expressed through the word: رؤیا (ru۔ ya, which is frequently used in the sense of seeing a dream). The reason for this expression could be that this thing has been called ru'ya in the sense of a simile. This is like someone seeing a dream. And if, ru' ya is taken to mean dream itself, then, it is also not too far out to say that the event of Mi` raj, in addition to its being physical, also transpired, before or after it, in the form of a spiritual Mi` raj as a dream as well. Therefore, the saying, that it was a dream, reported from Sayyidna ` Abdullah ibn ` Abbas ؓ and Umm al-Mu'minin Sayyidah ` A'ishah ؓ is also correct in its place - but, it does not necessarily imply that physical Mi` raj did not take place.

It appears in Tafsir al-Qurtubi that the Ahadith relating to the event of al-Isra' are recurrent and uninterrupted. Naqqash has reported related narratives from twenty Sahabah of the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم . Then, Qadi 'Iyad has given additional details in Al-Shifa' (Qurtubi).

Irnam Ibn Kathir (رح) has, in his Tafsir, reported all these narratives and after applying the standard rules of scrutiny has mentioned the names of twentyfive Sahabah from whom these reports come. Their names are:

1. Sayyidna ` Umar ibn al-Khattab,

2. Sayyidna 'Ali al-Murtada,

3. Sayyidna ` Abdullah ibn Mas' ud,

4. Sayyidna Abu Dharr al-Ghifari,

5. Sayyidna Malik ibn Sa` sa` ah,

6. Sayyidna Abu Hurairah,

7. Sayyidna Abu Said al-Khudri,

8. Sayyidna ` Abdullah ibn ` Abbas,

9. Sayyidna Shaddad ibn Aws,

10. Sayyidna Ubaiyy ibn Ka'b,

11. Sayyidna ` Abd ar-Rahman ibn al-Quraz,

12. Sayyidna Abu Hayyah (اَبُو حیہ),

13. Sayyidna Abu Laila,

14. Sayyidna ` Abdullah ibn ` Umar,

15. Sayyidna Jabir ibn ` Abdullah,

16. Sayyidna Hudhayfah ibn Yaman,

17. Sayyidna Buraidah,

18. Sayyidna Abu Ayyut al-Ansari,

19. Sayyidna Abu 'Umamah,

20. Sayyidna Samurah ibn Jundub,

21. Sayyidna Abu al-Hamra',

22. Sayyidna Suhayb al-Rumi,

23. Sayyidah Umm Hani',

24. Umm al-Mu'minin Sayyidah ` A'ishah,

25. Sayyidah Asma' bint Abi Bakr, After that, Ibn Kathir said:

فَحدِیث الاسراِء اجمع علیہ المسلمون و اعرض عنہ الزنادقۃ و الملحدون (ابن کثیر)

As for the Hadith of al-Isra', there is a consensus of all Muslim on it. Only heretics and atheists have denied it. (Ibn Kathir)

A brief account of Mi` raj - as reported by Ibn Kathir

After having explained the present verse in his Tafsir along with a detailed background of relevant Ahadith, Imam Ibn Kathir (رح) has said: The truth of the matter is that the journey of Isra' came to pass when the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم was awake, not dreaming. From Makkah al-Mukarramah to Baitulmaqdis, the journey was covered on buraq (a special heavenly horse to ride). When he reached the gate of Baitulmaqdis, he tied the buraq close to the gate, entered the Masjid of Baitulmaqdis and offered two rak' at of Tahiyyatul-masjid (prayer in honor of the Mosque) facing its orientation. After that, a staircase was brought which had steps to go up from below. Through this staircase, he went to the first heaven. After that, he went to the rest of the heavens. [ Only Allah knows the reality of this staircase - what it was and how did it work and things like that. In our day too, many kinds of stairs are in use. There are stairs that escalate automatically and there are elevators that take one up. Therefore, falling into any doubt or suspicion about this miraculous staircase is not right.] On every heaven, the resident angels greeted him and on every heaven, he met blessed prophets who were stationed on a particular heaven, such as, Sayyidna Musa (علیہ السلام) on the sixth heaven, and Sayyidna Ibrahim Khalilullah (علیہ السلام) on the seventh heaven. After that, he went beyond the stations of all these blessed prophets and reached a plain where he could hear the sound of the pen writing destinies. And he saw the Sidratul-muntaha, the Far Tree in Jannah, on which moths in gold and variegated colors were falling from above by the command of Allah and which was surrounded by angels of Allah. And it was at this place that the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم saw Sayyidna Jibra` il al-Amin in his real form with six hundred wings. And right there, he saw a flag in green that had the horizon all covered up. And he also saw al-Bayt al-Ma` mur (the well-attended House believed to be located in Jannah exactly above the Baytullah in Makkah) sitting by which was the founder of the Ka'bah, Sayyidna Ibrahim (علیہ السلام) with his back reclining against its wall. Seventy thousand angels enter this Bayt al-Ma` mur every day who shall be waiting for their turn to re-enter there right through the day of Qiyamah. And the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم saw the Jannah and the Jahannam with his own blessed eyes. At that time, first came the command that his people were being obligated with fifty prayers, then, these were reduced to five. This shows the importance and merit of Salah as being the foremost out of all acts of ` Ibadah.

After that, he alighted back into Baytul-maqdis and, with him, so did the blessed prophets he had met on different heavens (as if) they had come to see him off as far as Baytul-maqdis. At that time, as it was time for Salah, he offered the prayer with all prophets. It is also probable that this Salah was the Salah of Fajr the same day. Ibn Kathir says that this event concerning the prayer with prophets led by the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم has come to pass, as held by some, before he went to the heavens. But, as obvious, this event took place after the return because it has been reported in the incident relating to his meeting with blessed prophets at different heavens that it was Sayyidna Jibra'il who introduced him to all prophets. Had this event relating to his leading the prayer passed earlier, no introduction was needed there - and, for that matter, it is obvious enough that the real purpose of this journey was to visit with the heavenly hosts. Doing that first appears to be more likely. Once he was done with the real mission, all prophets came to say good bye to him up to Baytul-maqdis and by making him the Imam of the prayer through a signal from Sayyidna Jibra'il, his precedence over others was demonstrated practically.

After that, he departed from Baytul-maqdis riding buraq and reached Makkah al-Mu` azzamah while it was still dark. وَاللہ سبحانہ تعالیٰ اَعلَم (And Allah, the Pure and the High, knows best).

The testimony of a non-Muslim about the event of Mi` raj

It appears in Tafsir ibn Kathir that Hafiz Abu Nu'aym al-Isbahani, in his book, Dala'il al-Nubuwwah, has reported a narrative from Muhammad ibn Ka'b al-Qurazi on the authority of Muhammad ibn ` Amr al-Waqidi giving details of the event as follows:

. The Scholars of Hadith say that Al-Waqidi is weak in Hadith narrations but a cautious Muhaddith like Imam Ibn Kathir has reported his narration for the reason that this matter is not connected with ` Aqa'id or Halal and Haram and in such historical matters his narration is trustworthy - Muhammad Shafi' eager to use this occasion to say things about the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم which show his insignificance. But, says Abu Sufyan: Nothing stopped me from doing that except that I may slip and say something which turns out to be a lie and I stand disgraced in the eyes of the Emperor and my own comrades keep taunting me for being a liar. Certainly, then it occurred to me that I should relate the event of Mi` raj before him. The Emperor would himself conclude from it that it was a lie. So, I said: I shall describe before you what he claims to have happened to him regarding which you will yourself realize that it was a lie. Hiraql asked: What event is that? Abu Sufyan said: This claimant of prophet-hood says that, one night, he left Makkah al-Mukarramah, reached this Masjid Baytul-maqdis of yours and, then, within that night, before dawn, he returned to us in Makkah al-Mukarramah!

The Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم sent Sayyidna Dihyah ibn Khalifah with a blessed letter from him to the Roman Emperor, Caesar. After that, he has given a detailed account of how Sayyidna Dihyah reached the Emperor, delivered the letter, and how intelligent he was in his mission (an event present in the Sahih of al-Bukhari as well as in all trustworthy books of Hadith). Towards the end of it, it has been reported that Hiraql, the Roman Emperor, once he had read the blessed letter, ordered that all Arab traders who were visiting the country at that time should be assembled together. He wanted to investigate into the background of the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم . The royal order was carried out. Abu Sufyan ibn Harb and those with him visiting Syria at that time with their famous trade caravan were presented before the Emperor. Details of the questions asked by the Emperor are present in the Sahih of al-Bukhari and Muslim, as well as elsewhere. Abu Sufyan was really

At that time, the leading scholar of Elia' (Baytul-maqdis) was standing close to Hiraql, the Roman Emperor. He disclosed that he knew that night. The Emperor turned to him and inquired as to how did he come to know about it. He submitted that, as a matter of habit, he would not sleep at night until he had closed all gates of Baytul-maqdis. That night he habitually closed all gates but one which would not close despite his effort. He summoned his staff. They all tried but they too failed to close it. The panels of the gate remained simply unmoved from their place. It seemed as if they were trying to move some mountain. Rendered helpless, he called technicians and carpenters. They looked at the gate and decided that the weight of the building has come to rest on the panels of the gate. There was no way it could be closed before morning. When morning comes, they said, they will see how this could be fixed. Nonplussed, he returned leaving both panels of the gate ajar. As soon as it was morning, he came back to the gate where he noticed that someone had made a hole in the rock close to the gate of the Masjid which gave the impression that some animal was tied down there. At that time he had told his colleagues: Perhaps, Allah Ta` ala has caused this gate not to close today because some prophet was to come here. And then, he also stated that this blessed prophet has also offered his prayer in this Masjid of ours. Thereafter, he has described further details. (Ibn Kathir, p. 24, v. 3)

The date of the event of a1-'Isra' and Mi` raj

Imam al-Qurtubi (رح) has said in his Tafsir that the narratives of Hadith regarding the date of Mi` raj are quite different. According to Musa ibn 'Uqbah, this event came to pass six month before the Hijrah to Madinah. Sayyidah ` A'ishah ؓ says that Umm al-Mu'minin Sayyidah Khadijah ؓ had passed away before the injunction making Salah a Fard (obligation) was revealed. Imam Zuhri says that the event of the sad demise of Sayyidah Khadijah ؓ took place seven years after the call to the mission of prophet-hood.

According to some Hadith narratives, the event of Mi` raj happened five years after the call to prophet-hood. Ibn Ishaq says that the event of Mi` raj took place at a time when Islam had spread throughout the tribes of Arabia generally. The outcome of all these narratives is that the event of Mi` raj dates back to several years before the Hijrah to Madinah.

Al-Harbi says that the event of al-'Isra' and Mi` raj has happened during the night of the 27th of Rabi' ath-Thani, one year before Hijrah and Ibn al-Qasim adh-Dhahabi says that it took place eighteen months after the call to prophethood. Esteemed Muhaddithin (Hadith scholars) who have mentioned these different narratives have not followed it up with any decisive statement. And as commonly known, the 27th night of the month of Rajab is the Night of Mi` raj. وَاللہ سُبحَانہ تعالیٰ اعلَم (And Allah, the Pure and the High, knows best).

Al-Masjid al-Haram and al-Masjid al-Aqsa

Sayyidna Abu Dharr al-Ghifari says that he asked the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم : 'Which Masjid of this world comes first?' He said, 'Al-Masjid al-Haram.' Then he inquired, 'Which one after that?' He said, 'Al-Masjid al-Aqsa.' Then he tried to find out the intervening time difference between the two whereupon he said, 'Forty years.' After that, he added, ' (as for the order of these masajid, this is it) but, Allah Ta' ala has made the entire Earth a masjid for us. Wherever comes the time of Salah, offer it right there.' (Reported by Muslim)

Early Tafsir authority, Mujahid says that Allah Ta` ala has made the site of Baytullah two thousand years before He made the entire Earth and that its foundations reach as far down as the seventh (strata of) Earth and that al-Masjid al-Aqsa was made by Sayyidna Sulayman (علیہ السلام) . (Reported by an-Nasa'i with sound chains of authority from Sayyidna ` Abdullah ibn ` Umar) (Tafsir al-Qurtubi, p. 137, v. 4)

And al-Masjid al-Haram is the name of the Mosque that stands around the Baytullah ash-Sharif while, on occasions, the entire Haram is also identified as al-Masjid al-Haram. In terms of this second sense, the dichotomy of those two reports - some hold that the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم left for the nocturnal journey, al-'Isra', from the home of Sayyidah Umm Hani' ؓ while others say that he departed from the section of Baytullah known as Hatim - stands removed. If we were to take al-Masjid al-Haram in its general sense, it is not far out to believe that he may have been there in the home of Sayyidah Umm Hani' ؓ first, then he walked over to the Hatim of Ka'bah and then began the journey of al-'Isra' from there. Allah knows best.

AI-Masjid al-Aqsa and blessings of the Syrian environs

The word: حَول - (hawl: environs) in the verse: بارکنا حولہ (the environs of which We have blessed) means the entire land of Syria. It appears in a Hadith that Allah Ta` ala has made the land from the ` Arsh (Divine Throne) to the river, Euphrates and, out of this, He has bestowed particular holiness on the land of Palestine. (Ruh al-Maani)

The blessings it has are both religious and worldly. As for religious blessings, it has been the Qiblah of all past prophets, and their home, and the last resting place. And that its land is green, lush and verdant with streams, rivers and fruit farms etc. shows its worldly blessings.

Sayyidna Mu` adh ibn Jabal reports that the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said: Allah Ta' ala says: 0 land of Syria, thou art My region chosen from many and I shall make My chosen servants reach thee. (Qurtubi) And it appears in a Hadith of the Musnad of Ahmad that the Imposter will traverse the whole Earth but he will not be granted access to four Mosques: (1) Masjid of Madinah, (2) Masjid of Makkah al-Mukarramah, (3) Al-Masjid al-Aqsa and (4) Masjid Tur. Verse:2 Commentary - - - Verse:3 Commentary - - - Verse:4 Commentary Sequence of Verses

Verses 2 and 3 featuring the statement: (We made it guidance for the children of Bani Isra'il) exhorted the Bani Isra'il to follow and obey the Divine Law. The verses that follow warn and admonish them on their disobedience. These verses mention two events relating to the Bani Isra'il so that they serve as a lesson. Tuned to sin and disobedience, first they increased the tempo of their hostility. Allah Ta` ala set their enemies upon them. They shook them up. The Jews got the message, cut down on their mischief and gave the impression of having been corrected. But, soon after, the same lust for mischief and misdeeds overtook them. So then, Allah Ta' ala had them punished at the hands of their enemies. The Qur'an mentions two events while history carries six like these:

1. The first event came to pass some time after the demise of Sayyidna Sulayman (علیہ السلام) ، the founder of Al-Masjid al-Aqsa, when the ruler of Baytul-maqdis became irreligious and corrupt. The ruler of Egypt attacked him and took away the gold and silver of Baytul-maqdis. But, he did not demolish the city and the Masjid.

2. The second event relates to the period nearly four hundred years after that. Some Jews settled in Baytul-maqdis started idol-worship while the rest began disputing among themselves. This ill omen prompted another ruler of Egypt to attack them which somewhat affected the city and the Masjid both. After that, their condition took a turn for the better.

3. The third event came to pass after some years when Nebuchadnezzar, the King of Babylon ransacked Baytul-maqdis. He conquered the city, looted property and took back a lot of people as prisoners of war. When he left, he had a member of the family of the former king appointed a ruler of the city as his deputy.

4. When this new king, who worshipped idols and was corrupt, rebelled against Nebuchadnezzar, he returned, killed people, destroyed property en masse and burned the city razing it to rubbles. This happened nearly four hundred and fifteen years after the construction of the Masjid. After that, the Jews went out as exiles to Babylon where they lived in disgrace for seventy years. After that, the King of Iran attacked the King of Babylon and conquered it. Then the King of Iran showed mercy to the Jewish expatriates and ordered that they should be sent back to Syria along with things looted from them. Now the Jews had repented having forsaken their habitual sins and misdeeds. When they resettled there, they restored the original structure of Al-Masjid al-Aqsa with the support of the King of Iran.

5. Then came the fifth event. When the Jews had peace and prosperity once again, the first thing they forgot was their past. They returned to the kind of evil deeds they were used to. Then, it so happened that, one hundred and seventy years before the birth of Sayyidna ` Isa (علیہ السلام) ، the king who had founded Antakiah (Antioch) attacked, killed forty thousand Jews and took with him another forty thousand as prisoners and slaves, even desecrated the Masjid though its structure remained safe. But, later, the successors of that king rendered the city and the Masjid totally denuded. Soon after this, Baytul-maqdis came under the authority of Roman kings. They put the Masjid back into shape and it was after eight years that Sayyidna ` Isa (علیہ السلام) was born.

6. Forty years after the physical ascension of Sayyidna ` Isa (علیہ السلام) ، the Jews chose to rebel against their Roman rulers. The Romans destroyed the city and the Masjid once again relegating it to what it was. The king at that time was called Titus who was neither Jewish nor Christian because long after him Constantine I was a Christian. From that time to the time of Sayyidna ` Umar ؓ ، this Masjid lay desolate until he had it reconstructed. These six events have been reported in Tafsir Bayan al-Qur'an with reference to Tafsir Haqqani.

Now, it is difficult to precisely determine as to which two out of those mentioned above are the two events mentioned by the Holy Qur' an. But, as obvious, the events that are major and serious among these, in which the Jews were far too wicked and more seriously punished too, should be taken as the likely ones. The fourth and the sixth event seem to be fit for such application. At this point, a lengthy Hadith narrated by Sayyidna Hudhayfah ؓ ، with its chains of authority ascending to the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم ، has been reported in Tafsir al-Qurtubi. It also helps in determining that these two events mean the fourth and the sixth event. The translation of this lengthy Hadith is given below:

Sayyidna Hudhayfah ؓ says that he asked the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم if Baytul-maqdis was a great Masjid in the sight of Allah. He said that it was the most distinct house of Worship in the world, the greatest of all houses, which Allah Ta' ala made for Sulayman (علیہ السلام) ، the son of Dawud, peace be on both, with gold, silver and precious stones like ruby and emerald. The manner in which this happened was, when Sulayman (علیہ السلام) started its construction, Allah Ta` ala made the Jinn subservient to him. The Jinn collected this gold, silver and precious stones and used them in the making of the Masjid. Sayyidna Hudhayfah ؓ ' says that he, then, asked as to where and how did all that gold, silver and precious stones go out of Baytul-Maqdis? The Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said: When the Bani Isra'il disobeyed Allah Ta` ala, got involved in sins and misdeeds and killed their noble prophets, Allah Ta` ala set King Nebuchadnezzar on them. He was a fire-worshipper who ruled Baytul-Maqdis for seven hundred years.

And when the Qur' an says: فَإِذَا جَاءَ وَعْدُ أُولَاهُمَا بَعَثْنَا عَلَيْكُمْ عِبَادًا لَّنَا أُولِي بَأْسٍ شَدِيدٍ (So, when came the time appointed for the first of the two, We sent upon you some servants belonging to Us having strong aggressive power - 17:5), it means this event. The army of Nebuchadnezzar entered the Masjid of al-Quds, killed men, took women and children prisoners and carried away with him all gold, silver and everything of value belonging to Baytul-maqdis loaded on one hundred and seventy thousand vehicles. He kept the treasure in his country, Babylon and kept the children of Isra'il as his serfs and slaves for a hundred years making them do hard labor in utter disgrace.

Then Allah Ta' ala made a king from among the kings of Persia to stand up against him. He conquered Babylon, freed the remnants of Bani Isra'il from the bondage of Nebuchadnezzar and made arrangements to have all valuables he had brought from Baytul-maqdis returned back to it. Then he sternly told the Bani Isra'il that should they, in future, return to disobedience and sin, he too will return the punishment of killing and prison back on them. This is what the verse of the Qur'an: عَسَىٰ رَ‌بُّكُمْ أَن يَرْ‌حَمَكُمْ ۚ وَإِنْ عُدتُّمْ عُدْنَا (May be your Lord would bestow mercy upon you. And if you do this again, We shall do that again - 17:8) means.

Later, when the Bani Isra'il had come back to Baytul-maqdis (with lost wealth and property in their possession), they went back to the life of sins and misdeeds. At that time, Allah Ta` ala set the Roman Emperor, Caesar upon them. This is what the verse: فَإِذَا جَاءَ وَعْدُ الْآخِرَ‌ةِ لِيَسُوءُوا وُجُوهَكُمْ (Later, when came the time appointed for the second, [ We sent others ] so that they spoil your faces - 17:7) means. The Roman Emperor launched a two-pronged attack, from the land and the sea. He killed many and many were those he took prisoners. Then he had all this wealth of Baytul-maqdis loaded on one hundred and seventy thousand vehicles and took it home. There he had it deposited in the Temple of Gold. This wealth is still there, and there it will remain until comes the Mahdi who would bring these back to Baytul-maqdis on one hundred and seventy thousand boats and it will be at this place that Allah Ta' ala will assemble everyone, former and later. (Lengthy Hadith as reported by al-Qurtubi in his Tafsir)

It appears in Bayan al-Qur'an, that the two events mentioned in the Qur'an refer to the disobedience of two Divine Codes of Law, first the disobedience to the Code brought by Sayyidna Musa (علیہ السلام) and, then, after the advent of Sayyidna 'Isa (علیہ السلام) the disobedience to the Code brought by him. Thus, all events described above can be considered as relevant to the first disobedience. Now that we have gone through the details of the events, we can turn to the explanation of the verses cited above.

Commentary

The outcome of the events mentioned above is that Allah Ta' ala had decreed that the Bani Isra'il will be successful, having the best of both worlds, the material and the spiritual, as long as they continue to obey Allah. But, whenever they deviate from the dictates of Faith, they shall be put to disgrace, and that they would be subjected to punishment at the hands of enemies and disbelievers. Then, not only that the enemies will run over them destroying their lives and properties, but it would also happen that their Qiblah, their sacred Baytul-Maqdis, will also not remain safe against the onslaught of that enemy. Their disbelieving enemies will barge into the Mosque of Baytul-Maqdis and defile and damage it. This too will be a part of the punishment of Bani Isra'il themselves. The Holy Qur'an has told us about two events relating to them. The first one dates back to the time of Mosaic religious law while the second pertains to the Christian. During both these periods, the Bani Isra'il rebelled against the divine law of the time. In the first case, a disbelieving Magian monarch was made to sit over them, and Baytul-Maqdis, who brought great destruction upon them. In the second case, a Roman emperor was set against them who killed and pillaged and made Baytul-Maqdis all demolished and rendered desolate. And along with this description, it has also been mentioned that the Bani Isra'il - when, on both occasions, they repented from their misdeeds resolving not to go near them again - Allah Ta` ala reinstated their country, wealth and children. Verse:5 Commentary - - - Verse:6 Commentary - - - Verse:7 Commentary - - - Verse:8 Commentary After having mentioned these two events, Allah Ta' ala declared His Law in such matters by saying: إِنْ عُدتُّمْ عُدْنَا (If you do this again, We shall do that again - 8). This law which means - if you return to disobedience and contumacy, We shall, once again, make a similar penalty and punishment zoom back upon you' - has been declared as valid right through the last day of Qiyamah. That its addressees were the people of Bani Isra'il who were present during the blessed time of the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم serves as a reminder to them. It is being pointed out to them that they should not forget that they were seized by divine punishment twice when they had first opposed the code of Sayyidna Musa (علیہ السلام) ، and then the code of Sayyidna 'Isa (علیہ السلام) . Now this was the period of the Code of laws brought by the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم . This was a period that will continue up to the Last Day. Let them, therefore, realize that the fate of those who chose to be hostile to it will turn out to be no different. Consequently, this was actually happened. These people became hostile to Islam and the religious code of laws brought by the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم . When they did that, they were expelled and disgraced at the hands of Muslims, and finally Baytul-Maqdis, their Qiblah, too came under Muslim control. However, the only difference was that their past conquering kings had treated them disgracefully and had desecrated their Qiblah too. Now when Muslims took over Baytul-Maqdis, they reconstructed the great Mosque of al-Quds ash-Sharif which was lying demolished and desolate for centuries and thereby reinstated the honor and reverence of the Qiblah of prophets.

The events of Bani Isra'il are a lesson for Muslims and what has happened to Baytul-Maqdis in our time is a part of the same chain

Obviously, the purpose of narrating these events relating to the Bani Isra'il in the Qur'an and making Muslims listen to them is to let Muslims understand that they are no exceptions to this divine law. Be it this mortal world or the eternal universe of their Faith, their honor and ascendancy, possessions and wealth are inseparably tied with obedience to Allah. Whenever they veer away from their obedience to Allah and the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم their enemies and disbelieving tyrants of all sorts shall be empowered to prevail over them. When this happens, the desecration of their places of worship will also not remain too far.

The calamity of the Jewish usurpation of Baytul-Maqdis in our time and the added sacrilege of setting fire to it has thrown the world of Islam into acute anxiety. In reality, it is confirming the Qur'an. Muslims forgot Allah and His Rasul صلى الله عليه وسلم ، ignored the life waiting for them in the Hereafter and opted to scrounge for their share in the glamour and grandeur of the mortal world. When they became aliens to the dictates of the Qur' an, and Sunnah, the same divine law stood activated before them. A few hundred thousand Jews overcame them. They also inflicted the loss of life and property on them. Worse still is the fate of one of the three greatest mosques of the world according to the religious law of Islam, a mosque that has the distinction of being the Qiblah of all prophets. It was snatched from them and those who took it over had a track record of being the most disgraced people in this world, that is, the Jews. In addition to that, it is common observation that these people stand nowhere close to Muslims in terms of their numbers, nor do they have some signif-icant superiority over the current collective Muslim holdings of war materials. This also tells us that this event does not really give Jews any niche of honour in the annals of world nations. However, it does provide punishment for Muslims in return for their disobedience. It clearly shows that everything that came to pass came as the punishment of our own misdeeds. And it also shows that there is no remedy for it except that we should feel ashamed of our misdeeds, make a genuine taubah (repentance), start obeying the commandments of Allah, become true Muslims and shun the great sins of imitating and trusting others. If we were to do just that, insha'Allah, true to the Divine promise, Baytul-Maqdis and Palestine shall return to us. But, it is regrettable that the present-day Arab rulers and common Muslims living in Arab lands have yet to be alerted to that reality. They are still relying on foreign assistance while making plans of taking Baytul-Maqdis back, something that does not appear to be probable, at least outwardly. Where else shall we lodge our plaint but Allah!

The only weapon system and military hardware with which Baytul-Maqdis and Palestine can return to Muslim hands are still there waiting to be picked up - Return to Allah, genuinely and passionately. Have certitude of Akhirah. Obey the injunctions of the Shari'ah. Stay away from imitating and trusting others in our social and political goals. Finally, let us place our trust in Allah and wage a purely Islamic Jihad as enjoined by the Shari'ah. May Allah Ta` ala give our Arab rulers and other Muslims the ability to answer the challenge effectively.

A strange coincidence

Allah Ta` ala has made two places on this Earth to serve as the Qiblah or orientation for those who worship Him, the Baytul-Maqdis and the Baytullah. But, the divine law relating to each of them is different. That Baytullah shall be protected and that disbelievers shall never take it over is a security concern that Allah Ta' ala has taken it upon Himself. The Event of the Elephant mentioned in Surah al-Fil (105) of the Holy Qur'an came as its result. When the Christian king of Yaman (Abrahah al-Ashram) invaded Baytullah, Allah Ta' ala destroyed him and his army along with the contingent of elephants he had brought, through birds, much before he could reach Baytullah.

But, this law does not apply in the case of Baytul-Maqdis. Instead, as the verses cited above tell us, when Muslims go astray and start indulging in disobedience and sin, this Qiblah will be snatched away from them and it will pass into the control of disbelievers.

Disbelievers too are the servants of Allah, but not among the accepted ones

About the first event (5), the Holy Qur' an said: When the people of Faith start letting them be seduced to discord, sin, disobedience and disorder, Allah Ta' ala shall set upon them such servants of His as would break into their homes killing and plundering. At this place, the Qur' an has used the expression: عِباداً لَّنَا (` ibadal-lana: Some servants belonging to Us) and not: عِبَادَنَا (` ibadana: Our servants) - even though it was brief. There is wisdom behind it. Is it not that the attribution of a servant to Allah is, for him, the greatest conceivable honor? This is similar to what we have explained at the beginning of this very Surah under our comments on the first verse: أَسْرَ‌ىٰ بِعَبْدِهِ (asra' bi` abdihi: made His servant travel at night). There it was said that certainly great was the honour and nearness the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم was blessed with during the night of the Mi` raj. But, when the Qur'an describes this event, it does not mention either his blessed name or some attribute. It simply said: عَبْدِهِ (abdihi: His servant). This tells us that the ultimate perfection a human person can have, and the highest station he can occupy, is that Allah Ta' ala chooses to cherish a servant by calling him 'His' servant. In the verse under reference, the people who meted out the punishment to the Bani Isra'il were kafirs, or disbelievers after all. Therefore, instead of calling them: عِبَادِنَا (Our servants), Allah Ta' ala has broken the element of attribution and connection and said: عِبَاداًلَّنا (some servants belonging to Us). Thus, a hint has been given here that all human beings are nothing but servants of Allah as created, but because of the absence of 'Iman or faith, they are not the kind of accepted servants who could be attributed directly to Allah Ta` ala. Verse:9 Commentary Sequence

At the beginning of the Sarah, the majesty of the prophet-hood of the Messenger of Allah was described through the miracle of al-Mi` raj. The present verses cite the miracle of Qur'an as its confirmation.

Commentary

The most upright way

The way to which the Qur'an guides has been called 'aqwam,' the most upright. 'Aqwam' can be explained by saying that it is a way that is closer to the destination, is easy and free of dangers at the same time. (Qurtubi) This tells us that the rules set for human life by the Holy Qur'an are a combination of all three features mentioned above. However, it is a different matter that man may start taking this way to be difficult or dangerous on occasions because of his own lack of comprehension. But, the Lord of all the worlds has the most comprehensive knowledge of every single particle in the entire universe. Before Him, the past and the future are the same. It is He who can have the knowledge of the reality as to the function and form most beneficial for human beings. And since man is unaware of things as they are in a comprehensive setting, he can-not identify even his own good or bad fully and decisively. Verse:10 Commentary - - -