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 61-70وَ اِذْAnd whenقُلْنَاWe saidلِلْمَلٰٓىِٕكَةِto the AngelsاسْجُدُوْاProstrateلِاٰدَمَto AdamفَسَجَدُوْۤاSo they prostratedاِلَّاۤexceptاِبْلِیْسَ ؕIblisقَالَHe saidءَاَسْجُدُShall I prostrateلِمَنْto (one) whomخَلَقْتَYou createdطِیْنًاۚ(from) clay قَالَHe saidاَرَءَیْتَكَDo You seeهٰذَاthisالَّذِیْwhomكَرَّمْتَYou have honoredعَلَیَّ ؗabove meلَىِٕنْIfاَخَّرْتَنِYou give me respiteاِلٰیtillیَوْمِ(the) Dayالْقِیٰمَةِ(of) the ResurrectionلَاَحْتَنِكَنَّI will surely destroyذُرِّیَّتَهٗۤhis offspringاِلَّاexceptقَلِیْلًا a few قَالَHe saidاذْهَبْGoفَمَنْand whoeverتَبِعَكَfollows youمِنْهُمْamong themفَاِنَّthen indeedجَهَنَّمَHellجَزَآؤُكُمْ(is) your recompenseجَزَآءًa recompenseمَّوْفُوْرًا ample وَ اسْتَفْزِزْAnd inciteمَنِwhoeverاسْتَطَعْتَyou canمِنْهُمْamong themبِصَوْتِكَwith your voiceوَ اَجْلِبْand assaultعَلَیْهِمْ[on] themبِخَیْلِكَwith your cavalryوَ رَجِلِكَand infantryوَ شَارِكْهُمْand be a partnerفِیinالْاَمْوَالِthe wealthوَ الْاَوْلَادِand the childrenوَعِدْهُمْ ؕand promise themوَ مَاAnd notیَعِدُهُمُpromises themالشَّیْطٰنُthe Shaitaanاِلَّاexceptغُرُوْرًا delusion اِنَّIndeedعِبَادِیْMy slavesلَیْسَnotلَكَfor youعَلَیْهِمْover themسُلْطٰنٌ ؕany authorityوَ كَفٰیAnd sufficientبِرَبِّكَ(is) your Lordوَكِیْلًا (as) a Guardian رَبُّكُمُYour Lordالَّذِیْ(is) the One Whoیُزْجِیْdrivesلَكُمُfor youالْفُلْكَthe shipفِیinالْبَحْرِthe seaلِتَبْتَغُوْاthat you may seekمِنْofفَضْلِهٖ ؕHis BountyاِنَّهٗIndeed Heكَانَisبِكُمْto youرَحِیْمًا Ever Merciful 17. Al-Isra Page 289وَ اِذَاAnd whenمَسَّكُمُtouches youالضُّرُّthe hardshipفِیinالْبَحْرِthe seaضَلَّlostمَنْ(are) whoتَدْعُوْنَyou callاِلَّاۤexceptاِیَّاهُ ۚHim AloneفَلَمَّاBut whenنَجّٰىكُمْHe delivers youاِلَیtoالْبَرِّthe landاَعْرَضْتُمْ ؕyou turn awayوَ كَانَAnd isالْاِنْسَانُmanكَفُوْرًا ungrateful اَفَاَمِنْتُمْDo you then feel secureاَنْthat (not)یَّخْسِفَHe will cause to swallowبِكُمْyouجَانِبَsideالْبَرِّ(of) the landاَوْorیُرْسِلَsendعَلَیْكُمْagainst youحَاصِبًاa storm of stonesثُمَّThenلَاnotتَجِدُوْاyou will findلَكُمْfor youوَكِیْلًاۙa guardian اَمْOrاَمِنْتُمْdo you feel secureاَنْthat (not)یُّعِیْدَكُمْHe will send you backفِیْهِinto itتَارَةًanother timeاُخْرٰیanother timeفَیُرْسِلَand sendعَلَیْكُمْupon youقَاصِفًاa hurricaneمِّنَofالرِّیْحِthe windفَیُغْرِقَكُمْand drown youبِمَاbecauseكَفَرْتُمْ ۙyou disbelievedثُمَّThenلَاnotتَجِدُوْاyou will findلَكُمْfor youعَلَیْنَاagainst Usبِهٖthereinتَبِیْعًا an avenger وَ لَقَدْAnd certainlyكَرَّمْنَاWe have honoredبَنِیْۤ(the) children of Adamاٰدَمَ(the) children of Adamوَ حَمَلْنٰهُمْand We carried themفِیonالْبَرِّthe landوَ الْبَحْرِand the seaوَ رَزَقْنٰهُمْand We have provided themمِّنَofالطَّیِّبٰتِthe good thingsوَ فَضَّلْنٰهُمْand We preferred themعَلٰیoverكَثِیْرٍmanyمِّمَّنْof those whomخَلَقْنَاWe have createdتَفْضِیْلًا۠(with) preference

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Translation of Verse 61-70

(17:61) And recall when We asked the angels⁷³ to prostrate themselves before Adam; all prostrated themselves except Iblis,⁷⁴ who said: "Shall I prostrate myself before him whom You created of clay?"

(17:62) He then continued: "Look! This is he whom You have exalted above me! If you will grant me respite till the Day of Resurrection I shall uproot the whole of his progeny⁷⁵ except only a few."

(17:63) Thereupon He retorted: "Be gone! Hell shall be the recompense - and a most ample one - of whosoever of them who follows you.

(17:64) Tempt with your call all whom you wish.⁷⁶ Muster against them all your forces - your cavalry and your foot soldiers;⁷⁷ share with them riches and offspring,⁷⁸ and seduce them with rosy promises - and Satan's promise is nothing but a deception⁷⁹ -

(17:65) but know well that you will have no power against My servants.⁸⁰ Your Lord suffices for them to place their trust in."⁸¹

(17:66) Your Lord is He Who steers your vessels across the seas⁸² that you may seek of His Bounty.⁸³ He is ever Merciful towards you.

(17:67) When a calamity befalls you on the sea, all those whom you invoke forsake you except Him.⁸⁴ But when He delivers you safely to the shore you turn away from Him, for man is indeed most thankless.

(17:68) Do you, then, feel secure against His causing you to be swallowed up by a tract of the earth, or letting loose a deadly whirlwind charged with stones towards you, and there you will find none to protect you?

(17:69) Or do you feel secure that He will not cause you to revert to the sea, and let a tempest loose upon you and then drown you for your ingratitude whereupon you will find none even to inquire of Us what happened to you?

(17:70) Indeed, We honoured the progeny of Adam, and bore them across land and sea and provided them with good things for their sustenance, and exalted them above many of Our creatures.⁸⁵

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Commentary

73. God enabled the Prophet (peace be on him) to witness a number of | things in the course of the Ascension. This was in order that people might learn certain truths for sure through no less truthful and trustworthy a person than the Prophet (peace be on him) who could report to them the truths that he had witnessed at first hand. This was done in order to help people follow the right way as a result of their having fully dependable knowledge of the truth.

However, far from taking any heed of all this, the unbelievers Launched a campaign of ridicule against the Prophet (peace be on him). For example, they had been told by the Prophet (peace be on him) that their willful disregard of the distinction between legitimate and illegitimate earning would lead them to live upon zaqqum. Rather than this producing a healthy response from them, instead the unbelievers made fun of the Prophet, saying, in effect: ‘Look at this man! In one breath he says that Hell is a pit of blazing fire, and in the next, that trees grow in it.’

74. Cf. Towards Understanding the Qur’an, vol. I, al-Baqarah 2: 30-9, pp. 59-67; vol. Il, al-Nisa’ 4: 117-21, pp. 85-7; vol. Il, al-A‘raf 7: 11-25, pp. 7-14; and vol. IV, al-Hijr 15: 26-42 and Ibrahim 14: 22, pp. 288-91 and 265 respectively.

Satan’s story is narrated here so as to bring home to the unbelievers the fact that their defiance, imperviousness to warnings, and their persistent pursuit of evil was tantamount to following in Satan’s footsteps, the one who has always been man’s mortal enemy. By following in Satan’s footsteps, man falls into a ~ trap which Satan had laid for him from the very beginning. It would be pertinent to remember that Satan had threatened at the very commencement of human life on earth that he would never cease in his efforts to mislead mankind. (See al-A ‘raf 7: 16-17 — Ed.)

75. The words of the verse, viz. that ‘I shall uproot the whole of his progeny’ means that he will cause man’s feet to swerve from the path that leads to his well-being, and instead put him on a road which leads to his destruction. The root h n k denotes uprooting, extirpation. Since man has been invested with the vicegerency of God, he is required to be constant in his obedience to Him. Any deviation from this is similar to uprooting a tree by its very roots.

76. The word istifzaz [in its imperative form] used in the present verse conveys the idea of sweeping someone away or causing his feet to swerve because he is weak.

77. Satan’s assault, with his cavalry and infantry, conjures up an image of a robber who wreaks havoc upon a town. Satan’s infantry and cavalry are men and jinn who are engaged in promoting Satan’s mission by a variety of ways and means.

78. This statement is especially significant and full of meaning, for it accurately portrays the relationship between. Satan and his followers. Anyone -who follows Satan in matters relating to the earning and spending of their wealth in fact follow Satan’s complete dictates and thus make Satan their partner. This is true even though Satan neither contributes to man’s effort by sharing in his labor nor shares in the tragic consequences which ensue from the sins that are committed. And yet man faithfully follows Satan’s directives as if the latter had an equal or even the lion’s share in his enterprise. Likewise, a “man’s children are his own and it is he who toils in bringing them up. However, people who lack a correct perspective lead their children towards wrong beliefs and practices almost as if Satan had a share in their parenthood.

79. Satan misleads man by making him cherish false expectations, by holding out rosy promises which have no relation to reality.

80. This statement has two alternative meanings, each of which is correct. In one sense, it means that Satan has no authority over God’s servants in so far as he is not able to compulsively drive them along his way — for this is beyond his power. Satan only has the power to try to mislead man, to coax him towards evil, to furnish him with false advice, and to hold out false promises. The decision, however, as to listening to Satan’s suggestions or to turning them down, is man’s alone. Satan is not in a position to make man follow his ways whether he wants to do so or not.

The verse can also be interpreted as meaning that Satan has no power in respect of God’s chosen men — the righteous. It is only men of. weak resolve who may be deceived by the false promises held out by Satan. As for men who are firm in their devotion to God, Satan cannot possibly sway them.

81. Those who place their trust in God and who look to His guidance and help will never be disappointed. God will provide them with adequate guidance and ample help. Conversely, those who rely on their own resources ‘and-repose their trust in anyone other than God will certainly fail this test.

82. In order to appreciate the connection between the present discourse and the previous one, the reader should recall the contents of the foregoing verses (verse 61 ff.). These verses emphasize Satan’s erstwhile desire to mislead Adam’s offspring by enmeshing them in false hopes and expectations. Satan misleads man so as to prove that the latter does not deserve the exalted status _ which God has conferred upon him. The only way for man to defeat Satan’s design is to remain firm in obedience to God, to turn only to Him for guidance _ and help, and to place reliance on Him alone. Any other course means that man will end up falling into Satan’s trap.

From all this it is quite obvious that those who reject Islam’s message and persist in their polytheistic beliefs and practices are in fact only harming themselves. It is in this context that the doctrine of monotheism is here reinforced and that of polytheism repudiated.

83. God has enabled man to make sea-going vessels such that he can obtain the economic, cultural, scientific and intellectual benefits which accrue from such voyages.

84. This proves that man’s true nature has an inherent consciousness of the only One True God. In the very depths of his heart, man is well aware that God has the power to cause benefit or harm. This is why man turns to the One True God alone whenever he is in serious crisis and when he desperately needs effective support. (For further details see Towards Understanding the Qur’an, vol. IV, Yunus 10, n. 31, p. 28.)

85. It is well known that the power enjoyed by the human race on earth has not been granted by any jinn or angel, nor by any heavenly body, saint or Prophet. Beyond doubt, all the power that has been granted to man is from God and is by way of a special favor. There can be no greater act of ignorance and folly for man than to prostrate himself before anyone other than God, God Who has granted him, to the exclusion of all other species, a uniquely exalted position in His scheme of things.