17. Surah Al Isra

The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:

وَإِن مَّن قَرْيَةٍ إِلاَّ نَحْنُ مُهْلِكُوهَا قَبْلَ يَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ أَوْ مُعَذِّبُوهَا عَذَابًا شَدِيدًا...   

17: 58.  There is not a population but We shall destroy it before the Day of Judgment or punish it with a dreadful Penalty:

C2244. These verses are a commentary on the last clause of the last verse. "The Wrath of thy Lord is something to take heed of."

The godless thoughtlessly challenge Allah's Wrath, but do they realise its nature?

Even the best of us must be moved with terror when we think of its consequences, were it not for His unbounded Mercy.

Those who deny the Hereafter fail to realise its terrible Portents. They ask for Portents and Miracles now, but do they realise that their coming means destruction and misery to those who reject faith? They will come soon enough. The whole world will be convulsed before the Day of Judgment. The part of the wise is to prepare for it.

...كَانَ ذَلِك فِي الْكِتَابِ مَسْطُورًا ﴿٥٨﴾

that is written in the (eternal) Record.

Others version:

17: 58 [al-Israa, Mecca 50]

Yusuf Ali There is not a population but We shall destroy it before the Day of Judgment or punish it with a dreadful Penalty: that is written in the (eternal) Record.

Pickthall There is not a township but We shall destroy it ere the Day of Resurrection, or punish it with dire punishment. That is set forth in the Book (of Our decrees).

Yuksel There is not a town before the day of Resurrection that We will not destroy it, or punish it a severe punishment. This has been written in the record.

Transliteration Wa im min qaryatin illa_ nahnu muhliku_ha_ qabla yaumil qiya_mati au mu'azzibu_ha_ 'aza_ban syadida_(n), ka_na za_lika fil kita_bi mastu_ra_(n).