Surah 17. Al-Israa

We surely gave Moses nine clear signs.¹ 'You, O Prophet, can' ask the Children of Israel. When Moses came to them, Pharaoh said to him, 'I really think that you, O Moses, are bewitched.'

  - Mustafa Khattab

 The nine signs of Moses are: the staff, the hand (both mentioned in 20:17-22), famine, shortage of crops, floods, locusts, lice, frogs, and blood (all mentioned in 7:130-133). These signs came as proofs for Pharaoh and the Egyptians. Otherwise, Moses had some other signs such water gushing out of the rock after he hit it with his staff, and splitting the sea.

To Moses We did give nine Clear Signs: ask the Children of Israel: when he came to them Pharaoh said to him: "O Moses! I consider thee indeed to have been worked upon by sorcery!" ^{2308 2309 2310}

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Nine Clear Signs: see vii. 133, n. 1091. The story of Pharaoh (or a phase of it) is here told with a view to exhibiting the decline of a soul on account of pride in outward power and dignity.

To them: i.e., to Pharaoh, as sitting in his Council, with the Chiefs of his people. Cf. vii. 103. The whole scene is described in some detail from the point of view of nations or Ummats in vii. 103-133.

At a different and later stage in the scene, Pharaoh's Chiefs call Moses a "sorcerer well-versed" (vii. 109). Here Moses, who had come with the Nine Signs but had not yet shown them, is reproached with being the object of sorcery: he is practically told that he is mad!

Moses replied, 'You know well that none has sent these 'signs' down except the Lord of the heavens and the earth as insights. And I really think that you, O Pharaoh, are doomed.'

  - Mustafa Khattab

Moses said "Thou knowest well that these things have been sent down by none but the Lord of the heavens and the earth as eye-opening evidence: and I consider thee indeed O Pharaoh to be one doomed to destruction!" ²³¹¹

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

We can well suppose Moses to ask Pharaoh to recall all the past history of Moses, for Moses had been brought up in Pharaoh's palace in all the learning of the Egyptians. He could not therefore be mad, or a simpleton worked on by Egyptian magic. What he was going to show was something far greater; it was not the deceptive magic of Pharaoh's sorcerers, but true Signs that came from Allah, the Lord of all power. They were to open the eyes of his people, and if Pharaoh resisted faith. Moses warns him that Pharaoh in that case was doomed to destruction. This is the course of the soul that sinks down by Pride!

So Pharaoh wanted to scare the Israelites out of the land 'of Egypt', but We drowned him and all of those with him.

  - Mustafa Khattab

So he resolved to remove them from the face of the earth: but We did drown him and all who were with him. ²³¹²

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Pharaoh on this tries various subterfuges and plans for removing not only Moses but all his people by doing away with them. The detailed story is not told here but may be read in S. vii. But Allah's Wrath descended on Pharaoh and those who were with him in body and mind. The Egyptians who repented were subject to Pharaoh's wrath but were saved from the Wrath of Allah (vii. 121-126).

And We said to the Children of Israel after Pharaoh, 'Reside in the land, but when the promise of the Hereafter comes to pass,¹ We will bring you all together.'

  - Mustafa Khattab

 This may also refer to the second warning in 17:7.

And We said thereafter to the Children of Israel "Dwell securely in the land (of promise)": but when the second of the warnings came to pass We gathered you together in a mingled crowd. ^{2313 2314}

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

The Israelites were taken to the Promised Land in Palestine, and they established their own kingdom there, but they forfeited Allah's favour by their sins and backslidings and will have to answer like all souls by the law of personal responsibility at the Day of Judgment.

The second of the warnings: the first was probably that mentioned above, in xvii. 5 and the second that mentioned in xvii. 7 (middle). When this second warning due to the rejection of Jesus came to pass, the Jews were gathered together in a mingled crowd. Some Commentators understand the second warning to be the Day of Judgment, the Promise of the Hereafter.

We have sent down the Quran in truth, and with the truth it has come down. We have sent you 'O Prophet' only as a deliverer of good news and a warner.

  - Mustafa Khattab

We sent down the (Qur'an) in Truth and in Truth has it descended: and We sent thee but to give Glad Tidings and to warn (sinners). ^{2315 2316}

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

The Qur-an was sent down by Allah in Truth: it was not forged by any mortal. It has descended in Truth: it was not and has not been falsified or corrupted in the process of being communicated to mankind.

The part of the Prophet was that of a Messenger: he was not responsible if the ungodly rejected it. He fulfilled his mission in promulgating and explaining it and leaving it as a legacy to the world.

'It is' a Quran We have revealed in stages so that you may recite it to people at a deliberate pace. And We have sent it down in successive revelations.

  - Mustafa Khattab

(It is) a Qur'an which We have divided (into parts from time to time) in order that thou mightest recite it to men at intervals: We have revealed it by stages. ²³¹⁷

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

The marvel is that these parts, revealed at different times and in different circumstances, should fit together so closely and consistently as they do. All revelation is progressive. The previous revelations were also progressive. Each of them marked a stage in the world's spiritual history. Man's mind does not take in more than his spiritual state will have prepared him, for Allah's revelation comes as a light to illuminate our difficulties and show us the way in actual situations that arise.

Say, 'O Prophet,' 'Believe in this 'Quran', or do not. Indeed, when it is recited to those who were gifted with knowledge¹ before it 'was revealed', they fall upon their faces in prostration,

  - Mustafa Khattab

 i.e., the faithful among the scholars of the Torah and the Gospel.

Say: "Whether ye believe in it or not it is true that those who were given knowledge beforehand when it is recited to them fall down on their faces in humble prostration" ²³¹⁸

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

No one's belief or unbelief affects the beauty or grandeur of Allah's revelation. But those endowed with spiritual knowledge or insight know at once when they hear Allah's holy Word, and fall down and adore Allah. Those endowed with knowledge include those who had received previous revelations and had kept themselves free from corrupt ideas.

and say, 'Glory be to our Lord! Surely the promise of our Lord has been fulfilled.'

  - Mustafa Khattab

And say: "Glory to our Lord! truly has the promise of our Lord been fulfilled!" ²³¹⁹

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Those who had received previous revelations find in the Qur-an and in the Messenger who brought it, the promise of Allah fulfilled. Those who were spiritually prepared for it found in the same way the satisfaction of their spiritual yearnings: to them, also, Allah's promise was sent to be fulfilled.

And they fall down upon their faces weeping, and it increases them in humility.'

  - Mustafa Khattab

They fall down on their faces in tears and it increases their (earnest) humility. ²³²⁰

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

A feeling of earnest humility comes to the man who realises how, in spite of his own unworthiness, he is brought, by Allah's Mercy, into touch with the most sublime Truths. Such a man is touched with the deepest emotion, which finds its outlet in tears.

Say, 'O Prophet,' 'Call upon Allah or call upon the Most Compassionate- whichever you call, He has the Most Beautiful Names.' Do not recite your prayers too loudly or silently, but seek a way between.

  - Mustafa Khattab

Say: "Call upon Allah or call upon Rahman: by whatever name ye call upon Him (it is well): for to Him belong the Most Beautiful Names. Neither speak thy Prayer aloud nor speak it in a low tone but seek a middle course between." ^{2321 2322 2323}

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Cf. vii. 180. Rahman describes one of the attributes of Allah,-His grace and Mercy which come to the sinner even before he feels conscious of the need of it,-the preventive Grace which saves Allah's servants from sin. See n. 19 to i. 1. Allah can be invoked, either by His simple name, which includes all attributes, or by one of the names implying the attributes by which we try to explain His nature to our limited understanding. The attribute of Mercy in Rahman was particularly repugnant to the Pagan Arabs (see xxv. 60, and xxi. 36): that is why special stress is laid on it in the Qur-an.

These Beautiful Names of Allah are many. The hadith related by Tirmizi, accepted by some as authentic, mentions 99 names of Allah. Qadhi Muhammad Sulaiman has published an Urdu monograph on the subject, published by the Daftar Rahmatun-lil- 'Alamin Patiala, 1930. Those who wish to see a poetic Commentary on the names in the form of stories in English may consult Sir Edwin Arnold's Pearls of the Faith. Sir Edwin's stories are of unequal merit, but a fine example is furnished by No. 4, al-Malik. "The King".

Cf. vii. 205. All prayer should be pronounced with earnestness and humility, whether it is congregational prayer or the private outpouring of one's own soul. Such an attitude is not consistent with an over-loud pronunciation of the words, though in public prayers the standard of permissible loudness is naturally higher than in the case of private prayer. In public prayers, of course, the Azan or call to prayer will be in a loud voice to be heard near and far, but the chants from the Sacred Book should be neither so loud as to attract the hostile notice of those who do not believe not so low in tone as not to be heard by the whole congregation.

And say, 'All praise is for Allah, Who has never had 'any' offspring;¹ nor does He have a partner in 'governing' the kingdom;² nor is He pathetic, needing a protector.³ And revere Him immensely.'

  - Mustafa Khattab

 i.e., Jesus, Ezra, or the angels.

 i.e., another god equal to Him.

 i.e., the idols.

Say: "Praise be to Allah Who begets no son and has no partner in (His) dominion: nor (needs) He any to protect Him from humiliation: Yea magnify Him for His greatness and glory!" ²³²⁴

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

A first step towards the understanding of Allah's attributes is to clear our mind from superstitions, such as that Allah begot a son, or that He has partners, or that He is dependent upon other beings to protect Him from harm and humiliation. We must realise that He is the One and Peerless. His greatness and glory are above anything we can conceive: but using our highest spiritual ideas, we must declare forth His greatness and glory. The Sura began with singing the glory and praises of Allah: it ends on the same note, concluding the argument. The next Sura takes up the same theme from another point of view, and opens with the same note, "Praise be to Allah".