Surah Al-Israa (17): Read Online and Download - English Translation

About the last sentence: يَبْكُونَ وَيَزِيدُهُمْ خُشُوعًا (And they fall down on their faces weeping and it increases them in the humbleness of heart -109), it appears in Tafsir Mazhari that being in tears while reciting the Qur’ an stands as a highly recommended and reward worthy act (mustahabb). Sayyidna Abu Hurairah ؓ narrates that the Holy Prophet ﷺ said, 'a person who wept in fear of Allah shall not go to Hell until milk is returned to the udder after having been milked. (It means, as it is not possible to put milk once milked back into the udder, very similarly, it is also not possible that a person who weeps in fear of Allah were to go to Hell). And says another report, 'Allah Ta’ ala has forbidden the fire of Hell on two eyes - the eye that weeps in fear of Allah, and the eye that stays awake at nights guarding the Islamic frontiers. (Baihaqi, and Hakim) And Sayyidna Nadr ibn Sa'd ؓ reports that the Holy Prophet ﷺ said, 'a people, among whom there is someone who weeps in fear of Allah, will be delivered from the fire of Hell because of him.' (Ruh al- Ma’ ani from Tirmidhi)

The reason for the big trouble Muslims are in today is no other but that there are very few left among them who would weep fearing Allah. After reporting the Ahadith showing the merits of weeping in fear of Allah at this point, the author of Ruh al-Ma’ ani says: وینبغی ان یکون ذٰلَک حال العلماء (And that is the state the ` Ulama' should be in) - because, Ibn Jarir, Ibn al-Mundhir and others have quoted the following saying of ` Abd al-Ala Taimi:

'A person who has received the kind of knowledge that does not make him cry [ because of having realized the reality of things ] should be enough to make you understand that he has not been given the knowledge that brings benefits.'

Commentary

These are the last verses of Surah Bani Isra'il (Al-'Isra' ). The Surah began with a declaration of the purity and oneness of Allah Ta’ ala, and this is how it is being concluded. The revelation of these verses was based on some events. The first one came to pass on a certain day when the Holy Prophet ﷺ ، during his supplication, said 'Ya Allah' and 'Ya Rahman.' The Mushriks thought that he was calling two Gods. They said, 'he forbids us to call anyone else other than the One while he himself calls two deities.' The answer to this comment was given in the first part of the verse by saying that the most exalted Allah does not have a mere two names. He has many more names and all of them are the best of names. Call Him by any of these and it means the One and Only Allah. So, it was made clear that their apprehensions on that count were wrong.

As for the second incident, when the Holy Prophet ﷺ would recite the Qur'an loudly during Salah, the Mushriks made fun of him and passed audacious remarks berating the Qur’ an, archangel Jibra'il, even Allah Ta` ala. In response to that, the last part of this very verse was revealed where he has been advised to take to a middle course between the loud and the low, as the average voice took care of the functional necessity. And as for the opportunity the Mushriks had to cause pain to them over the loud pitch of the voice, they would be relieved of that too.

The third problem was that the Jews and Christians proposed children for Allah Ta` ala and the pagan Arabs said that idols were partners of Allah. The Sabians and the Magians used to hold that not being particularly close to Allah amounted to a personal loss of worth and honor. In answer to these three religious groups, the last verse was revealed where their three notions have been refuted.

It will be noted that, in this world, the one from whom strength and support is received is sometimes younger than one, like children, and sometimes an equal, like a partner, and sometimes older than one, like a supporter and helper. Here, in this verse, Allah Ta’ ala has refuted all three in the same order.

Ruling

The etiquette of recitation in Salah as given in verse no is that it should not be in a voice raised very high, nor should it be in a voice so lowered that those standing behind in the congregation cannot hear it. This injunction, as obvious, is particular with prayers wherein the recitation is voiced. As for the prayers of Zuhr and ` Asr, the recitation therein is totally unvoiced as proved from uninterrupted Sunnah.

In prayers with voiced recitation, included there are the Fard of Maghrib, ` Isha' and Fajr, as well as the prayer of Tahajjud - as in a Hadith which says: Once the Holy Prophet ﷺ passed by Sayyidna Abu Bakr and Sayyidna ` Umar ؓ at the time of Tahajjud. Sayyidna Abu Bakr was reciting in a lowered voice while Sayyidna ` Umar was reciting in a loud voice. The Holy Prophet ﷺ said to Sayyidna Abu Bakr ؓ ، 'why would you recite in such a lowered voice?' Sayyidna Abu Bakr said, 'the One I wanted to talk to in secret, Him I have made to hear, because Allah Ta` ala hears every voice, even the lowest of the low.' The Holy Prophet ﷺ said, 'recite somewhat loudly.' Then he said to Sayyidna ` Umar ؓ ، 'why do you recite in such a loud voice?' Sayyidna ` Umar (رح) said, 'I recite loudly to wake up the drowsy, and shaitan.' He ordered him too, 'you should recite in a voice somewhat lowered.' (Tirmidhi as quoted Mazhari)

Problems and their solutions relating to the loud or lowered rendering of the recitation of the Qur'an in Salah, or on occasions other than it, have been already explained in Surah al-A` raf (see commentary under Verse 55, Volume III). About the last verse beginning with: قُلِ الحَمدُ للہِ (say, 'alhamdulillah: praise belongs to Allah' ), the Hadith says that this is the 'ayah' (verse) of 'izzah' (power and glory). [ The reference is to the efficacy of the verse in seeking the help of Allah to overcome weaknesses and difficulties ]. (Reported by Abmad and at-Tabarani on the authority of Sayyidna Mu۔ adh al-Juhaniyy as in Mazhari) This verse also provides an essential guidance. The drive of the meaning is that it does not matter how much one devotes to the worship of Allah, one is still obligated to take his or her deed to be deficient as compared with His due right and confess to the likely shortfall in performing it. (Mazhari)

And Sayyidna Anas ؓ has said that a child from the tribe of Bani ` Abd al-Muttalib, when able to say meaningful words, was taught to recite this verse by the Holy Prophet ﷺ . Then he recited the verse:

وَقُلِ الْحَمْدُ لِلَّـهِ الَّذِي لَمْ يَتَّخِذْ وَلَدًا وَلَمْ يَكُن لَّهُ شَرِ‌يكٌ فِي الْمُلْكِ وَلَمْ يَكُن لَّهُ وَلِيٌّ مِّنَ الذُّلِّ وَكَبِّرْ‌هُ تَكْبِيرً‌ا

And say, "Praise belongs to Allah who has neither taken to Him a son, nor is there any partner to Him in His kingdom, nor is anyone [ needed ] to protect Him because of [ any ] weak-ness. And proclaim His greatness, an open proclamation" - 111). (Mazhari)

And Sayyidna Abu Hurairah ؓ has said that once he went out with the Holy Prophet ﷺ ، in a manner that his hand was in Holy Prophet ﷺ 's hands. He passed by a person who was disheveled and worried. He asked, 'what brought you to this condition?' That person said, 'sickness and poverty have done this to me.' He said, 'I am going to tell you a few words. If you recite these, your sickness and poverty will go away. The words were:

وَقُلِ الْحَمْدُ لِلَّـهِ الَّذِي لَمْ يَتَّخِذْ وَلَدًا وَلَمْ يَكُن لَّهُ شَرِ‌يكٌ فِي الْمُلْكِ وَلَمْ يَكُن لَّهُ وَلِيٌّ مِّنَ الذُّلِّ وَكَبِّرْ‌هُ تَكْبِيرً‌ا

I place my trust in the Ever Living who is not to die. Praise be-longs to Allah who has neither taken to Him a son, nor is there any partner to Him in His kingdom, nor is anyone (needed) to protect Him because of (any) weakness. And proclaim His greatness, an open proclamation. (17:111)

After the passage of some time, when he went that way, he found his condition good and showed his pleasure about it. That person told him, 'since the time you taught me these words, I recite them punctually.' (Abu Ya'la and Ibn al-Sunni, as quoted by Mazhari)

The Tafslr of Surah Bani Isra’ i1 ends here

With the help of Allah

After al-` Isha, Jumada I, 1390 Hijrah

Praised be Allah, from the beginning to the end.

A personal postscript by the author

While writing these lines, this humble servant of Allah has completed full seventy five years of his age on 21 Sha` ban, 1390 Hijrah. Year seventy-six opens amidst diseases of different kinds including the natural weakness that sets in at this age. Then there is the mass of things to do and problems to resolve. Who can look forward to the task of writing beyond this point for it would be hoping against hope. But, when it comes to the service of the Qur'an things become different. When some-one does something in the name of the Qur’ an, no matter how insignificant, it becomes for a servant of Allah a matter of good fortune and honour. This thought led me to begin the Tafsir of Surah al-Kahf with the name of Allah. The idea was to take whatever it was possible to do during the years of life left as sufficient and good enough, because the purpose is not to finish the Qur'an, the purpose is to consume one's years and energy into the Qur'an. And Allah is the Over of ability and the helper of the effort made in His way.

(Abridged from the detailed note)