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 71-77یَوْمَ(The) DayنَدْعُوْاWe will callكُلَّallاُنَاسٍۭhuman beingsبِاِمَامِهِمْ ۚwith their recordفَمَنْthen whoeverاُوْتِیَis givenكِتٰبَهٗhis recordبِیَمِیْنِهٖin his right handفَاُولٰٓىِٕكَthen thoseیَقْرَءُوْنَwill readكِتٰبَهُمْtheir recordsوَ لَاand notیُظْلَمُوْنَthey will be wrongedفَتِیْلًا (even as much as) a hair on a date seed وَ مَنْAnd whoeverكَانَisفِیْinهٰذِهٖۤthis (world)اَعْمٰیblindفَهُوَthen heفِیinالْاٰخِرَةِthe Hereafterاَعْمٰی(will be) blindوَ اَضَلُّand more astrayسَبِیْلًا (from the) path وَ اِنْAnd indeedكَادُوْاthey were about (to)لَیَفْتِنُوْنَكَtempt you awayعَنِfromالَّذِیْۤthat whichاَوْحَیْنَاۤWe revealedاِلَیْكَto youلِتَفْتَرِیَthat you inventعَلَیْنَاabout Usغَیْرَهٗ ۖۗother (than) itوَ اِذًاAnd thenلَّاتَّخَذُوْكَsurely they would take youخَلِیْلًا (as) a friend وَ لَوْ لَاۤAnd if notاَنْ[that]ثَبَّتْنٰكَWe (had) strengthened youلَقَدْcertainlyكِدْتَّyou almostتَرْكَنُ(would) have inclinedاِلَیْهِمْto themشَیْـًٔا(in) somethingقَلِیْلًاۗۙa little اِذًاThenلَّاَذَقْنٰكَWe (would) have made you tasteضِعْفَdoubleالْحَیٰوةِ(in) the lifeوَ ضِعْفَand doubleالْمَمَاتِ(after) the deathثُمَّThenلَاnotتَجِدُyou (would) have foundلَكَfor youعَلَیْنَاagainst Usنَصِیْرًا any helper 17. Al-Isra Page 290وَ اِنْAnd indeedكَادُوْاthey were aboutلَیَسْتَفِزُّوْنَكَ(to) scare youمِنَfromالْاَرْضِthe landلِیُخْرِجُوْكَthat they evict youمِنْهَاfrom itوَ اِذًاBut thenلَّاnotیَلْبَثُوْنَthey (would) have stayedخِلٰفَكَafter youاِلَّاexceptقَلِیْلًا a little سُنَّةَ(Such is Our) Wayمَنْ(for) whomقَدْ[verily]اَرْسَلْنَاWe sentقَبْلَكَbefore youمِنْofرُّسُلِنَاOur Messengersوَ لَاAnd notتَجِدُyou will findلِسُنَّتِنَا(in) Our wayتَحْوِیْلًا۠any alteration

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Translation of Verse 71-77

(17:71) Then think of the Day We shall summon every community with its leader. Those who are given their Record in their right hand shall read the Record of their deeds⁸⁶ and shall not be wronged a whit.

(17:72) Whoever lived in this world as blind shall live as blind in the Life to Come; rather, he will be even farther astray than if he were (just) blind.

(17:73) (O Muhammad), they had all but tempted you away from what We have revealed to you that you may invent something else in Our Name.⁸⁷ Had you done so, they would have taken you as their trusted friend.

(17:74) Indeed, had We not strengthened you, you might have inclined to them a little,

(17:75) whereupon We would have made you taste double (the chastisement) in the world and double (the chastisement) after death, and then you would have found none to help you against Us.⁸⁸

(17:76) They were bent upon uprooting you from this land and driving you away from it. But were they to succeed, they would not be able to remain after you more than a little while.⁸⁹

(17:77) This has been Our Way with the Messengers whom We sent before you.⁹⁰ You will find no change in Our Way.

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Commentary

86. The Qur’an repeatedly mentions that the righteous will be handed the scroll of their deeds in their right hand, and that they will rejoice looking at it and will even show the scroll to others. As for the evil-doers, they will be handed this scroll in their left hand, and instead of rejoicing they will try to hide it behind their backs. For details see al-Haqqah 69: 19-28 and al-Inshiqaq 84: 13).

87. This alludes to the circumstances confronting the Prophet (peace be on him) during the last ten to twelve years in Makka, The Makkan unbelievers spared no effort in trying to dissuade the Prophet (peace be on him) from propagating his message of God’s unity, of a compromise with them in respect of their polytheistic doctrines and in forcing him to strike some kind practices. In pursuance of this aim, they subjected him to a variety of tests.

These ranged from trying to trick him, to seducing him with various temptations, carrying out false propaganda against him, subjecting him to persecution, and by putting pressure on him through economic sanctions and social boycotts.

88. Here, the situation obtaining at the time is reviewed. In this context, it is emphasized that if the Prophet (peace be on him) had struck a compromise with the forces of falsehood despite his full knowledge of the truth, he might have pleased his degenerate people, but would have incurred God’s wrath and punishment both in the present life and the Next. The Prophet (peace be on him) is also informed that left entirely to oneself no one, not even a Prophet, has the power to successfully withstand the onslaught of falsehood. One can only do so with God’s help and succor. In the face of fierce opposition, the Prophet’s patience and steadfastness enabled him to stand firm in his adherence to the truth, but this had been granted by none other than God Himself.

89. Although this was an unequivocal prediction, at the time it may have seemed little more than a mere threat. It became reality, however, within a period of ten to eleven years. Barely more than one year after the revelation of this surah, the Makkan unbelievers forced the Prophet Muhammad (peace be on him) to leave his home town. Within a further eight years, however, the Prophet (peace be on him) had returned to Makka as victor. Thereafter, in less than another two years, the whole of the Arabian Peninsula had been purged of polytheists. Anyone who lived there subsequently did so as a Muslim only.

90. This has. been God’s way of dealing with a people who either kill or banish a Prophet — such a people are never allowed to survive for long. They were either destroyed by God’s scourge, or God caused some fierce enemy to overwhelm them, or else they were overpowered by the followers of the Prophet pertaining at the time.