17. Surah Al Isra

The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:

ذَلِكَ مِمَّا أَوْحَى إِلَيْكَ رَبُّكَ مِنَ الْحِكْمَةِ...   

17: 39.  These are among the (precepts of) wisdom, which thy Lord Has revealed to thee.

C2224. The moral law, as expounded in 17:23-39 is far in advance of the bare Decalogue in that it searches out motives, and draws pointed attention to the weak and helpless if we are to reach any real understanding of Allah.

It begins with a mention of the worship of Allah, the One True God and ends with a similar mention to close the argument, thus emphasizing the fact that the love of Allah embraces the love of man and practical help of our fellow-creatures. (R).

...وَلاَ تَجْعَلْ مَعَ اللّهِ إِلَهًا آخَرَ فَتُلْقَى فِي جَهَنَّمَ مَلُومًا مَّدْحُورًا ﴿٣٩﴾

Take not, with Allah, another object of worship, lest thou shouldst be thrown into Hell, blameworthy and rejected.

C2225. "Blameworthy" carries us back by reminiscence to 17:29, between which and this verse there is mention of crimes committed out of covetousness and a selfish disregard of other people's rights.

"Rejected" carries back our reminiscence to 17:18, from which to here we have a reference to crimes that lead to deprivation of Allah's grace.

The latter is of course wider than the former.

Note how subtly the two streams of thought are here conjoined.

Other versions:

17: 39

Yusuf Ali These are among the (precepts of) wisdom which thy Lord Has revealed to thee. Take not with Allah another object of worship lest thou shouldst be thrown into Hell blameworthy and rejected.

Pickthall This is (part) of that wisdom wherewith thy Lord hath inspired thee (O Muhammad). And set not up with Allah any other god, lest thou be cast into hell, reproved, abandoned.

Yuksel That is from what your Lord has inspired to you of the wisdom. Do not make with God another god, or you will be cast into hell, blameworthy and rejected.*

Transliteration Za_lika mimma_ auha_ ilaika rabbuka minal hikmah(ti), wa la_ taj'al ma'alla_hi ila_han a_khara fa tulqa_ fi jahannama malu_mam madhu_ra_(n).