17. Surah Al Isra

The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:

وَقَضَيْنَا إِلَى بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ فِي الْكِتَابِ ...   

17: 4.     And We gave (clear) warning to the Children of Israel in the Book,

... لَتُفْسِدُنَّ فِي الأَرْضِ مَرَّتَيْنِ...

that twice would they do mischief on the earth

...وَلَتَعْلُنَّ عُلُوًّا كَبِيرًا ﴿٤﴾

and be elated with mighty arrogance (and twice would they be punished)!

فَإِذَا جَاء وَعْدُ أُولاهُمَا بَعَثْنَا عَلَيْكُمْ عِبَادًا لَّنَا أُوْلِي بَأْسٍ شَدِيدٍ...   

17: 5.     When the first of the warnings came to pass, We sent against you Our servants given to terrible warfare:

...فَجَاسُواْ خِلاَلَ الدِّيَارِ...

They entered the very inmost parts of your homes;

...وَكَانَ وَعْدًا مَّفْعُولاً ﴿٥﴾

and it was a warning (completely) fulfilled.

Other versions:

17: 4

Pickthall And We decreed for the Children of Israel in the scripture: Ye verily will work corruption in the earth twice, and ye will become great tyrants.

Transliteration Wa qadaina_ ila_ bani isra_'ila fil kita_bi latufsidunna filardi marrataini wa lata'lunna 'uluwwan kabira_(n).

17: 5

Pickthall So when the time for the first of the two came, We roused against you slaves of Ours of great might who ravaged (your) country, and it was a threat performed.

Transliteration Fa iza_ ja_'a wa'du u_la_huma_ ba'asna_ 'alaikum 'iba_dal lana_ uli ba'sin syadidin fa ja_su_ khila_lad diya_r(i), wa ka_na wa'dam maf'u_la_(n).

[[ Ali’s notes - 2173 The Book is the revelation given to the Children of Israel. Here it seems to refer to the burning words of Prophets like Isaiah. For example, see Isaiah, chap. xxiv. or Isaiah v. 20-30, or Isaiah iii. 16-26. (17.4)

2174 What are the two occasions referred to? It may be that "twice" is a figure of speech for "more than once", "often". Or it may be that the two occasions refer to (1) the destruction of the Temple by the Babylonian Nebuchadnezzar in 586 B.C., when the Jews were carried off into captivity, and (2) the destruction of Jerusalem by Titus in A.D. 70, after which the Temple was never re-built. See n. 2168 above. On both occasions it was a judgment of Allah for the sins of the Jews, their backslidings, and their arrogance. (17.4)

2175 A good description of the war-like Nebuchadnezzar and his Babylonians. They were servants of Allah in the sense that they were instruments through which the wrath of Allah was poured out on the Jews, for they penetrated through their lands, their Temple, and their homes, and carried away the Jews, men and women, into captivity. As regards "the daughters of Zion" see the scathing condemnation in Isaiah, iii. 16-26. (17.5)]]