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 53-60وَ قُلْAnd sayلِّعِبَادِیْto My slavesیَقُوْلُوا(to) sayالَّتِیْthatهِیَwhichاَحْسَنُ ؕ(is) bestاِنَّIndeedالشَّیْطٰنَthe Shaitaanیَنْزَغُsows discordبَیْنَهُمْ ؕbetween themاِنَّIndeedالشَّیْطٰنَthe Shaitaanكَانَisلِلْاِنْسَانِto the manعَدُوًّاan enemyمُّبِیْنًا clear رَبُّكُمْYour Lordاَعْلَمُ(is) most knowingبِكُمْ ؕof youاِنْIfیَّشَاْHe willsیَرْحَمْكُمْHe will have mercy on youاَوْorاِنْifیَّشَاْHe willsیُعَذِّبْكُمْ ؕHe will punish youوَ مَاۤAnd notاَرْسَلْنٰكَWe have sent youعَلَیْهِمْover themوَكِیْلًا (as) a guardian وَ رَبُّكَAnd your Lordاَعْلَمُ(is) most knowingبِمَنْof whoeverفِی(is) inالسَّمٰوٰتِthe heavensوَ الْاَرْضِ ؕand the earthوَ لَقَدْAnd verilyفَضَّلْنَاWe have preferredبَعْضَsomeالنَّبِیّٖنَ(of) the Prophetsعَلٰیtoبَعْضٍothersوَّ اٰتَیْنَاAnd We gaveدَاوٗدَDawoodزَبُوْرًا Zaboor قُلِSayادْعُواCallالَّذِیْنَthose whomزَعَمْتُمْyou claimedمِّنْbesides Himدُوْنِهٖbesides Himفَلَا[then] notیَمْلِكُوْنَthey have powerكَشْفَ(to) removeالضُّرِّthe misfortunesعَنْكُمْfrom youوَ لَاand notتَحْوِیْلًا (to) transfer (it) اُولٰٓىِٕكَThoseالَّذِیْنَwhomیَدْعُوْنَthey callیَبْتَغُوْنَseekاِلٰیtoرَبِّهِمُtheir Lordالْوَسِیْلَةَthe means of accessاَیُّهُمْwhich of themاَقْرَبُ(is) nearestوَ یَرْجُوْنَand they hopeرَحْمَتَهٗ(for) His mercyوَ یَخَافُوْنَand fearعَذَابَهٗ ؕHis punishmentاِنَّIndeedعَذَابَ(the) punishmentرَبِّكَ(of) your Lordكَانَisمَحْذُوْرًا (ever) feared وَ اِنْAnd notمِّنْ(is) anyقَرْیَةٍtownاِلَّاbutنَحْنُWeمُهْلِكُوْهَا(will) destroy itقَبْلَbeforeیَوْمِ(the) Dayالْقِیٰمَةِ(of) the Resurrectionاَوْorمُعَذِّبُوْهَاpunish itعَذَابًاwith a punishmentشَدِیْدًا ؕsevereكَانَThat isذٰلِكَThat isفِیinالْكِتٰبِthe Bookمَسْطُوْرًا written 17. Al-Isra Page 288وَ مَاAnd notمَنَعَنَاۤstopped UsاَنْthatنُّرْسِلَWe sendبِالْاٰیٰتِthe Signsاِلَّاۤexceptاَنْthatكَذَّبَdeniedبِهَاthemالْاَوَّلُوْنَ ؕthe former (people)وَ اٰتَیْنَاAnd We gaveثَمُوْدَThamudالنَّاقَةَthe she-camelمُبْصِرَةً(as) a visible signفَظَلَمُوْاbut they wrongedبِهَا ؕherوَ مَاAnd notنُرْسِلُWe sendبِالْاٰیٰتِthe Signsاِلَّاexceptتَخْوِیْفًا (as) a warning وَ اِذْAnd whenقُلْنَاWe saidلَكَto youاِنَّIndeedرَبَّكَyour Lordاَحَاطَhas encompassedبِالنَّاسِ ؕthe mankindوَ مَاAnd notجَعَلْنَاWe madeالرُّءْیَاthe visionالَّتِیْۤwhichاَرَیْنٰكَWe showed youاِلَّاexceptفِتْنَةً(as) a trialلِّلنَّاسِfor mankindوَ الشَّجَرَةَand the treeالْمَلْعُوْنَةَthe accursedفِیinالْقُرْاٰنِ ؕthe Quranوَ نُخَوِّفُهُمْ ۙAnd We threaten themفَمَاbut notیَزِیْدُهُمْit increases themاِلَّاexceptطُغْیَانًا(in) transgressionكَبِیْرًا۠great

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Translation of Verse 53-60

53. Tell My ˹believing˺ servants to say only what is best. Satan certainly seeks to sow discord among them. Satan is indeed a sworn enemy to humankind.

54. Your Lord knows you best. He may have mercy on you if He wills, or punish you if He wills. We have not sent you ˹O Prophet˺ as a keeper over them.

55. Your Lord knows best all those in the heavens and the earth. And We have surely favoured some prophets above others, and to David We gave the Psalms. ⁵²⁶

56. Say, ˹O Prophet,˺ "Invoke those you claim ˹to be divine˺ ⁵²⁷ besides Him-they do not have the power to undo harm from you or transfer it ˹to someone else˺."

57. ˹Even˺ the closest ˹to Allah˺ of those invoked would be seeking a way to their Lord, hoping for His mercy, and fearing His punishment. Indeed, your Lord's torment is fearsome.

58. There is not a ˹wicked˺ society that We will not destroy or punish with a severe torment before the Day of Judgment. That is written in the Record.

59. Nothing keeps Us from sending the ˹demanded˺ signs except that they had ˹already˺ been denied by earlier peoples. And We gave Thamûd the she-camel as a clear sign, but they wrongfully rejected it. ⁵²⁸ We only send the signs as a warning.

60. And ˹remember, O Prophet˺ when We told you, "Certainly your Lord encompasses the people." And We have made what We brought you to see ⁵²⁹ as well as the cursed tree ˹mentioned˺ in the Quran ⁵³⁰ only as a test for the people. We keep warning them, but it only increases them greatly in defiance.

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Commentary

526. The reason David is singled out here is because some Jewish authorities at the time of the Prophet ( ﷺ ) claimed that no scripture had been revealed after Moses. So this verse refutes this claim by referring to the Psalms of David.

527. i.e., Jesus, Ezra, and the angels. Idol worship is refuted in other passages such as 7:191-198 and 34:22.

528. Or they did wrong by it.

529. During the Night Journey mentioned in 17:1.

530. The tree of Zaqqûm which grows in the depths of Hell as mentioned in 37:62-65. The pagans of Mecca used to make fun of the Prophet ( ﷺ ) and say, "How can a tree grow in Hell?"