17. Surah Al Isra
The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:
أُولَـئِكَ
الَّذِينَ
يَدْعُونَ
يَبْتَغُونَ
إِلَى رَبِّهِمُ
الْوَسِيلَةَ...
17: 57. Those whom they call upon do desire (for themselves) means of access to their Lord --
...أَيُّهُمْ أَقْرَبُ وَيَرْجُونَ رَحْمَتَهُ وَيَخَافُونَ عَذَابَهُ...
even those who are nearest: they hope for His Mercy and fear His Wrath:
C2243. Where men or heroes, or prophets or angels are worshipped, the worship is futile; because;
- even if they are good and holy, and ever so near to Allah, yet the nearest of them have need to seek means of access to Allah, and they do seek such means, viz,: the hope of Allah's Grace;
- though by their very nature it is impossible for us to suppose that they will incur the Wrath of Allah, yet they are but creatures and are subject to the law of personal responsibility.
...إِنَّ عَذَابَ رَبِّكَ كَانَ مَحْذُورًا ﴿٥٧﴾
for the Wrath of thy Lord is something to take heed of.
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.
وَمَا مَنَعَنَا
أَن نُّرْسِلَ
بِالآيَاتِ
إِلاَّ أَن
كَذَّبَ بِهَا
الأَوَّلُونَ...
17: 59. And We refrain from sending the Signs, only because the men of former generations treated them as false:
C2245. Past generations treated Signs and Portents with contempt or rebellion, and brought about their own undoing. It is only Allah's Mercy that gives them Grace for a time and prevents the coming of those Portents and Punishments which would overwhelm them if they were put to their trial at once.
...وَآتَيْنَا ثَمُودَ النَّاقَةَ مُبْصِرَةً فَظَلَمُواْ بِهَا...
We sent the She-camel: to the Thamud to open their eyes, but they treated her wrongfully:
C2246. An example is cited from the story of Thamud.
A wonderful She-camel was sent among them as a Portent and a Symbol. In their wickedness they hamstrung her.
So instead of her reclaiming them she was a cause of their destruction, as their sin and rebellion were laid bare. For the story of the She-camel and the references to the passages in which she is mentioned, see n. 104 4 to 7:73.
...وَمَا نُرْسِلُ بِالآيَاتِ إِلاَّ تَخْوِيفًا ﴿٥٩﴾
We only send the Signs by way of terror (and warning from evil).
C2247. Signs, Miracles, and Portents are sent by Allah as a warning, to strike terror into the hearts of evil-doers and reclaim them to the right path.
I have discussed Fear as a motive for reclaiming certain kinds of hard hearts, in my note 82 to 2:74. But some hearts are so hard that even this motive does not work. As they have a limited free-will given by Allah, they are to that extent free to choose. But when they actually choose evil, Allah in His infinite Mercy delays their punishment and removes the occasion for their immediate self-destruction by withholding the Signs which might make them transgress all the more and compass their total destruction.
Other versions:
17: 57
Yusuf Ali Those whom they call upon do desire (for themselves) means of access to their Lord even those who are nearest: they hope for His Mercy and fear His Wrath: for the Wrath of thy Lord is something to take heed of.
Pickthall Those unto whom they cry seek the way of approach to their Lord, which of them shall be the nearest; they hope for His mercy and they fear His doom. Lo! the doom of thy Lord is to be shunned.
Transliteration Ula_'ikal lazina yad'u_na yabtagu_na ilu_ rabbihimul wasilata ayyuhum aqrabu wa yarj_na rahmatahu_ wa yakha_fu_na 'aza_bah(u_), inna 'aza_ba rabbika ka_na mahzu_ra_(n).
17: 58 ,
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).
17: 59
Yusuf Ali And We refrain from sending the Signs only because the men of former generations treated them as false: We sent the She-camel: to the Thamud to open their eyes but they treated her wrongfully: We only send the Signs by way of terror (and warning from evil).
Pickthall Naught hindereth Us from sending portents save that the folk of old denied them. And We gave Thamud the she-camel--a clear portent--but they did wrong in respect of her. We send not portents save to warn.
Yuksel The rejection of previous people did not stop Us from sending the signs. We sent to Thamud the camel with foresight, but they did her wrong. We do not send the signs except to alert.*
Transliteration Wa ma_ mana'ana_ an nursila bil a_ya_ti illa_ an kazzaba bihal awwalu_n(a), wa a_taina_ samu_dan na_qata mubsiratan fazalamu_ biha_, wa ma_ nursilu bil a_ya_ti illa_ takhwifa_(n).
[[ Yuksel’s note - 017:059 Traditional translations render the meaning of "Ma" as a relative pronoun rather than a negative particle, "What stopped us from sending…." The traditional translation implies that God initially sent signs/miracles to convert people and had an intention to send more signs but He is now disappointed to learn that His signs did not work as expected. Such an implication contradicts the attributes of God detailed in the Quran. Besides, we are repeatedly reminded that the purpose of sending signs/miracles has never been to make people acknowledge the message, but to support the open-minded people in their rational inquiries. The traditional translation also contradicts other verses of the Quran that remind us that messengers were supported by signs/miracles. Muhammad was not given a sign similar to previous messengers, but was rather given a unique sign, the Quran, a perpetual sign for every generation until the end of the world. See 29:51. Also, see 7:73-77; 26:155; 54:27; 91:13.]]