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,

C2173. 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, 24.

or Isaiah 5:20-30,

or Isaiah 3:16-26.

... لَتُفْسِدُنَّ فِي الأَرْضِ مَرَّتَيْنِ...

that twice would they do mischief on the earth

C2174. 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;

-         the destruction of the Temple by the Babylonian Nebuchadnezzar in 586 B.C., when the Jews were carried off into captivity,

-         and 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.

...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:

C2175. 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, 3:16-26.

...فَجَاسُواْ خِلاَلَ الدِّيَارِ...

They entered the very inmost parts of your homes;

...وَكَانَ وَعْدًا مَّفْعُولاً ﴿٥﴾

and it was a warning (completely) fulfilled.

ثُمَّ رَدَدْنَا لَكُمُ الْكَرَّةَ عَلَيْهِمْ ...

17: 6.     Then did We grant you the Return as against them:

C2176. The return of the Jews from the Captivity was about 520 B.C.

They started life afresh. They rebuilt their Temple. They carried out various reforms and built up a new Judaism in connection with Ezra. See appendix II following Surah 5.

For a time they prospered. Meanwhile their old oppressors the Babylonians had been absorbed by Persia. Subsequently Persia was absorbed in Alexander's Empire. The whole of western Asia was Helienized, and the new school of Jews was Helienized also, and had a strong centre in Alexandria.

But their footing in Palestine continued, and under the Asmonaean Dynasty (B.C. 167-63), they had a national revival, and the names of the Makkah bees are remembered as those of heroes.

Another dynasty, that of the Idummaeans, (B.C. 63 to B.C. 4), to which Herod belonged, also enjoyed some semi-independent power. The scepter of Syria (including Palestine) passed to the Romans in B.C. 65, and Jewish feudatory Kings held power under them. But the Jews again showed a stiff-necked resistance to Allah's Messenger in the time of Jesus, and the inevitable doom followed in the complete and final destruction of the Temple under Titus in 70 A.C.

... وَأَمْدَدْنَاكُم بِأَمْوَالٍ وَبَنِينَ...

We gave you increase in resources and sons,

...وَجَعَلْنَاكُمْ أَكْثَرَ نَفِيرًا ﴿٦﴾

and made you the more numerous in manpower.

إِنْ أَحْسَنتُمْ أَحْسَنتُمْ لِأَنفُسِكُمْ وَإِنْ أَسَأْتُمْ فَلَهَا...   

17: 7.     If ye did well, ye did well for yourselves;

if ye did evil, (ye did it) against yourselves;

C2177. This is a parenthetical sentence. If anyone follows Allah's Law, the benefit goes to himself: he does not bestow a favour on anyone else.

Similarly evil brings its own recompense on the doer of evil.

...فَإِذَا جَاء وَعْدُ الآخِرَةِ لِيَسُوؤُواْ وُجُوهَكُمْ ...

so when the second of the warnings came to pass, (We permitted your enemies) to disfigure your faces,

C2178. The second doom was due to the rejection of the Message of Jesus.

"To disfigure your faces" means to destroy any credit or power you may have got:

the face shows the personality of the man.

... وَلِيَدْخُلُواْ الْمَسْجِدَ...

and to enter your Temple

C2179. Titus's destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. was complete. He was a son of the Roman Emperor Vespasian, and at the date of the destruction of Jerusalem, had the title of Caesar as heir to throne.

He ruled as Roman Emperor from 79 to 81 A.C.

...كَمَا دَخَلُوهُ أَوَّلَ مَرَّةٍ وَلِيُتَبِّرُواْ مَا عَلَوْاْ تَتْبِيرًا ﴿٧﴾

as they had entered it before,

and to visit with destruction all that fell into their power.

C2180. Merivale in his Romans Under the Empire gives a graphic account of the siege and final destruction (ed. 1890, 7:221-255).

The population of Jerusalem was then 200,000. According to the Latin historian Tacitus it was as much as 600,000.

There was a famine and there were massacres. There was much fanaticism. The judgment of Merivale is:

"They" (the Jews) "were judicially abandoned to their own passions and the punishment which naturally awaited them". (7:221).

عَسَى رَبُّكُمْ أَن يَرْحَمَكُمْ...   

17: 8.     It may be that your Lord may (yet) show Mercy unto you;

C2181. Now we come to the time of our holy Prophet.

In spite of all the past, the Jews could still have obtained Allah's forgiveness if they had not obstinately rejected the greatest of the Prophets also.

If they were to continue in their sins, Allah's punishment would also continue to visit them.

...وَإِنْ عُدتُّمْ عُدْنَا...

but if ye revert (to your sins), We shall revert (to Our punishments):

...وَجَعَلْنَا جَهَنَّمَ لِلْكَافِرِينَ حَصِيرًا ﴿٨﴾

and We have made Hell a prison for those who reject (all Faith).

C2182. There is such a thing as disgrace in this life, but the final disgrace is in the Hereafter, and that will be irretrievable.

Notice that the allegorical reference to Jewish history, when brought into relation with the true meaning of Mi’raj, refers to the constant struggle of the individual soul against evil. It has its setbacks and its punishments. But if it is true to itself and is true to the Faith in Allah, Allah will give it strength and make it successful in its fight against evil. For Allah's Mercy is unbounded and comes to suffering humanity again and again. (R).

إِنَّ هَـذَا الْقُرْآنَ يِهْدِي لِلَّتِي هِيَ أَقْوَمُ...   

17: 9.     Verily this Qur'án doth guide to that which is most right (or stable),

C2183. The instability and crookedness of the Jewish soul having been mentioned, the healing balm which should have cured it is now pointed out.

The Message of the Quran is for all.

-        Those who have Faith and show that Faith in their conduct must reap their spiritual reward.

-        But those who reject Faith cannot escape punishment.

Apart from what is past, apart from questions of national or racial history, there is a Hope, -and a Danger- for every soul.

...وَيُبَشِّرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ الَّذِينَ يَعْمَلُونَ الصَّالِحَاتِ أَنَّ لَهُمْ أَجْرًا كَبِيرًا ﴿٩﴾

and giveth the glad tidings to the Believers who work deeds of righteousness, that they shall have a magnificent reward;

Other versions:

17: 4 [ al-Israa, Mecca 50

Yusuf Ali And We gave (clear) warning to the Children of Israel in the Book that twice would they do mischief on the earth and be elated with mighty arrogance (and twice would they be punished)!

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.

Yuksel We decreed to the Children of Israel in the book, that you will make corruption twice on earth, and that you will reach the zenith of arrogance.

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

17: 5

Yusuf Ali When the first of the warnings came to pass We sent against you Our servants given to terrible warfare: They entered the very inmost parts of your homes; and it was a warning (completely) fulfilled.

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.

Yuksel 17:5 So, when the promise of the first one comes to pass, We would send against you servants of Ours who are very powerful, thus they managed to breach your very homes, and this was a promise which has come to pass.

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).

17: 6

Yusuf Ali Then did We grant you the Return as against them: We gave you increase in resources and sons and made you the more numerous in manpower.

Pickthall Then we gave you once again your turn against them, and We aided you with wealth and children and made you more in soldiery,

Yuksel Then We gave back to you your independence from them, and We supplied you with wealth and children, and We made you more influential.

Transliteration Summa radadna_ lakumul karrata 'alaihim wa amdadna_kum bi amwa_liw wa banina wa ja'alna_kum aksara nafira_(n).

17: 7

Yusuf Ali If ye did well ye did well for yourselves; if ye did evil (ye did it) against yourselves; so when the second of the warnings came to pass (We permitted your enemies) to disfigure your faces and to enter your Temple as they had entered if before and to visit with destruction all that fell into their power.

Pickthall (Saying): If ye do good, ye do good for your own souls, and if ye do evil, it is for them (in like manner). So, when the time for the second (of the judgments) came (We roused against you others of Our slaves) to ravage you, and to enter the Temple even as they entered it the first time, and to lay waste all that they conquered with an utter wasting.

Yuksel If you do good, then it will be good for you, and if you do bad, then so be it. But when the promise of the second time comes, they will make your faces filled with sorrow and they will enter the Temple as they did the first time, and they will strike down all that was raised up.

Transliteration In ahsantum ahsantum li anfusikum, wa in asa'tum falaha_, fa iza_ ja_'a wa'dul a_khirati liyasu_'u wuju_hakum wa liyadkhulul masjida kama_ dakhalu_hu awwala marratiw wa liyutabbiru_ ma_ 'alau tatbira_(n).

17: 8

Yusuf Ali It may be that your Lord may (yet) show Mercy unto you; but if ye revert (to your sins) We shall revert (to Our punishments): and We have made Hell a prison for those who reject (all Faith).

Pickthall It may be that your Lord will have mercy on you, but if ye repeat (the crime) We shall repeat (the punishment), and We have appointed hell a dungeon for the disbelievers.

Yuksel 17:8 Perhaps your Lord will have mercy on you, and if you revert then so will We. We made hell a prison for the ingrates.

Transliteration 'Asa_ rabbukum ay yarhamakum, wa in 'uttum 'udna_, wa ja'alna_ jahannama lil ka_firin

17: 9

Yusuf Ali Verily this Qur'an doth guide to that which is most right (or stable) and giveth the glad tidings to the Believers who work deeds of righteousness that they shall have a magnificent reward;

Pickthall Lo! this Quran guideth unto that which is straightest, and giveth tidings unto the believers who do good works that theirs will be a great reward.

Yuksel 17:9 This Quran guides to what is more upright, and it gives glad tidings to those who acknowledge, those who do good work that they will have a great reward.

Transliteration Inna ha_zal qur'a_na yahdi lil lati hiya aqwamu wa yubasysyirul mu'mininal lazina ya'malu_nas sa_liha_ti anna lahum ajran kabira_(w),