Surah 17. Al-Israa

It is your Lord Who steers the ships for you through the sea, so that you may seek His bounty. Surely He is ever Merciful to you.

  - Mustafa Khattab

Your Lord is He that maketh the Ship go smoothly for you through the sea in order that ye may seek of His Bounty: for He is unto you Most Merciful. ²²⁶¹

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

This illustration of the sea, and the skill with which, by Allah's grace, men pass through it with ease in order to earn material gains by commerce, social gains by human intercourse, and spiritual gains by knowledge, is frequently used to enforce Allah's goodness to man. Cf. ii. 164.

When you are touched with hardship at sea, you 'totally' forget all 'the gods' you 'normally' invoke, except Him. But when He delivers you 'safely' to shore, you turn away. Humankind is ever ungrateful.

  - Mustafa Khattab

When distress seizes you at sea those that ye call upon besides Himself leave you in the lurch! But when He brings you back safe to land ye turn away (from Him). Most ungrateful is man! ²²⁶²

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Against Allah's gracious gifts and mercies is contrasted man's ingratitude. In danger he remembers Allah, the One True God, but relapses into his own fancies when the danger is past. Cf. also x. 22-23.

Do you feel secure that He will not cause the land to swallow you up, or unleash upon you a storm of stones? Then you will find none to protect you.

  - Mustafa Khattab

Do ye then feel secure that He will not cause you to be swallowed up beneath the earth when ye are on land or that He will not send against you a violent tornado (with showers of stones) so that ye shall find no one to carry out your affairs for you? ²²⁶³

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Man is safe neither on land nor at sea except by the grace and mercy of Allah. How forcibly this is brought home to us by the Quetta earthquake of 31st May 1935, when tens of thousands of men, women, and children, perished in a few moments, by night, buried in debris! The stories of violent destructive tornadoes in such areas as the southern United States are equally impressive. The destruction is so sudden that the victims have no time to arrange anything. They are simply wiped out.

Or do you feel secure that He will not send you back to sea once again, and send upon you a violent storm, drowning you for your denial? Then you will find none to avenge you against Us.

  - Mustafa Khattab

Or do ye feel secure that He will not send you back a second time to sea and send against you a heavy gale to drown you because of your ingratitude so that ye find no helper therein against Us? ²²⁶⁴

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

If a man flees from the Wrath of Allah, there is no place secure for him. He may flee from sea to land, and back again from land to sea. But his life depends on the Disposer of all affairs. He may go again and again to sea, and perhaps finally end by being drowned.

Indeed, We have honoured the children of Adam, carried them on land and sea, granted them good and lawful provisions, and privileged them far above many of Our creatures.

  - Mustafa Khattab

We have honored the sons of Adam; provided them with transport on land and sea; given them for sustenance things good and pure; and conferred on them special favors above a great part of Our Creation. ²²⁶⁵

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

The distinction and honour conferred by Allah on man are recounted in order to enforce the corresponding duties and responsibilities of man. He is raised to a position of honour above the brute creation: he has been granted talents by which he can transport himself from place to place by land, sea, and now by air: all the means for the sustenance and growth of every part of his nature are provided by Allah; and his spiritual faculties (the greatest gift of Allah) raise him above the greater part of Allah's Creation. Should he not then realise his noble destiny and prepare for his real life in the Hereafter?

'Beware of' the Day We will summon every people with their leader.¹ So whoever will be given their record in their right hand will read it 'happily' and will not be wronged 'even by the width of' the thread of a date stone.

  - Mustafa Khattab

 Other meanings include: with their record of deeds, or their prophet, or their scripture.

One day We shall call together all human beings with their (respective) Imams: those who are given their record in their right hand will read it (with pleasure) and they will not be dealt with unjustly in the least. ^{2266 2267}

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

I have discussed the various meanings of Imam in ii. 124, n. 124. What is the meaning here? The Commentators are divided. Some understand the meaning to be that each People or Group will appear with its Leader, who will bear witness to its virtues or sins: Cf. xvi. 84. Another view is that the Imam is their revelation, their Book. A third is that the Imam is the record of deeds spoken of in the next clause. I prefer the first.

Literally, by the value of a fatil, a small skin in the cleft of a date-stone: this has no value.

But whoever is blind 'to the truth' in this 'world' will be blind in the Hereafter, and 'even' far more astray from the 'Right' Way.

  - Mustafa Khattab

But those who were blind in this world will be blind in the Hereafter and most astray from the Path. ²²⁶⁸

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

On the Judgment Day the children of light will receive and peruse their record, and will render joyful thanks to Allah for His Mercies. What of the children of darkness? They had already been blind in this world's life, and they will not receive the light of Allah's Countenance then. On the contrary they will find that the longer the time they have travelled, the farther away they have gone from the Path. Notice the association of ideas-blindness, not seeing the light, going farther and farther away from the true Path.

They definitely 'thought they' were about to lure you away from what We have revealed to you 'O Prophet', hoping that you would attribute something else to Us falsely- and then they would have certainly taken you as a close friend.¹

  - Mustafa Khattab

 The pagans of Mecca tried in vain to dissuade the Prophet (ﷺ) from preaching the message of Islam. In some instances they offered to worship his Allah if he agreed to bow to their idols, and some even offered him riches and positions if he just stopped preaching in the city.

And their purpose was to tempt thee away from that which We had revealed unto thee to substitute in Our name something quite different: (in that case) behold! they would certainly have made thee (their) friend! ²²⁶⁹

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

It happens with men of Allah, and it happened with the holy Prophet, that they are tempted by the world with many things which appeal to the world generally, if they would make some small concession in their favour. The "small concession" may hold the key of the position, and neutralise the whole teaching sent by Allah. If the Prophet had accepted wealth and position among the Quraish and "only respected" their idols! The Quraish would have taken him into their inner circle! A dishonest liar like Musailama would have jumped at the opportunity and been hailed as a friend and associate and made much of. But Prophets of Allah are made of sterner stuff. They are given special strength to resist all plausible deception.

Had We not made you steadfast, you probably would have inclined to them a little,

  - Mustafa Khattab

And had We not given thee strength thou wouldst nearly have inclined to them a little. ²²⁷⁰

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

From a purely human point of view it may seem policy to make a small "concession" to men's weakness in order to fulfil a divine mission. But the divine Messenger is given special strength to resist such temptations.

and then We truly would have made you taste double 'punishment' both in this life and after death, and you would have found no helper against Us.

  - Mustafa Khattab

In that case We should have made thee taste an equal portion (of punishment) in this life and an equal portion in death: and moreover thou wouldst have found none to help thee against Us! ^{2271 2272}

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

If such a thing was possible for a true Messenger of Allah, viz.: a compromise with evil and a dereliction of his mission, he would be no exception to the law of personal responsibility. Indeed, as the power and the responsibility were greater, the punishment would have been greater too. It would have been double,-an exposure in this life and the usual punishment in or after death for a desertion of Truth.

The motive held out by the world for a compromise with Truth is itself fallacious. The motive is that the compromise may bring influence, position, and opportunity, if not wealth and the other good things of life. But these themselves (if attained) would be of no use or help if pitted against the command of Allah.

They were about to intimidate you to drive you out of the land 'of Mecca', but then they would not have survived after you 'had left' except for a little while.

  - Mustafa Khattab

Their purpose was to scare thee off the land in order to expel thee; but in that case they would not have stayed (therein) after thee except for a little while. ²²⁷³

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

As happened in the case of the holy Prophet, the enemies try to frighten the Prophet of Allah away from their midst, so that, once away, they could expel him and keep him out. But they are counting without the Plan of Allah. If they persecute the righteous, they dig their own graves!

'This has been' Our way with the messengers We sent before you. And you will never find any change in Our way.

  - Mustafa Khattab

(This was Our) way with the apostles We sent before thee: thou wilt find no change in Our ways. ²²⁷⁴

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

This was no new thing in history. Allah protects His own, and the ungodly cannot long enjoy the fruits of their unrighteousness even if their punishment be delayed a little while.

Observe the prayer from the decline of the sun until the darkness of the night and the dawn prayer, for certainly the dawn prayer is witnessed 'by angels'.¹

  - Mustafa Khattab

 This verse gives the times of the five daily prayers: the decline of the sun refers to the afternoon and late afternoon prayers, the darkness of night refers to sunset and late evening prayers, then the dawn prayer.

Establish regular prayers at the sun's decline till the darkness of the night and the morning prayer and reading: for the prayer and reading in the morning carry their testimony. ^{2275 2276}

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

The Commentators understand here the command for the five daily canonical prayers, viz.: the four from the declination of the sun from the zenith to the fullest darkness of the night, and the early morning prayer, Fajr, which is usually accompanied by a reading of the holy Qur-an. The four afternoon prayers are: Zuhr, immediately after the sun begins to decline in the afternoon; 'Asr, in the late afternoon; Magrib, immediately after sunset; and Isha, after the glow of sunset has disappeared and the full darkness of the night has set in. There is difference of opinion as to the meaning of particular words and phrases, but none as to the general effect of the passage.

The morning prayer is specially singled out for separate mention, because the morning is a "peaceful hour" and special influences act on the soul awaking from the night's rest. Special testimony is borne to the prayers of this hour by the angelic host.

And rise at 'the last' part of the night, offering additional prayers, so your Lord may raise you to a station of praise.¹

  - Mustafa Khattab

 This refers to the time when the Prophet (ﷺ) will make intercession (shafâ’ah) on the Day of Judgment.

And pray in the small watches of the morning: (it would be) an additional prayer (or spiritual profit) for thee: soon will thy Lord raise thee to a station of Praise and Glory! ^{2277 2278}

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

This is held to be addressed specially to the holy Prophet who usually prayed more than the five canonical prayers. The Tahajjud was a prayer after midnight, in the small watches of the morning.

To the Prophet was to be assigned in the Hereafter the highest Post of Honour and Glory-the Maqam Mahmud, implying his excellence above all other Prophets. The immediate reference may be to the hope that the Makkan persecution will soon be over and the glorious work in Madinah will begin.

And say, 'My Lord! Grant me an honourable entrance and an honourable exit¹ and give me a supporting authority from Yourself.'

  - Mustafa Khattab

 This verse was revealed when the Prophet (ﷺ) received the order to emigrate from Mecca to Medina. So here he (ﷺ) is praying to leave Mecca honourably and enter Medina honourably. It can also apply to any worldly activity that a person starts and finishes.

Say: "O my Lord! let my entry be by the Gate of Truth and Honor and likewise my exit by the Gate of Truth and Honor; and grant me from Thy Presence an authority to aid (me)." ^{2279 2280}

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

The entry and exit here referred to may be interpreted in four senses: (1) entry into death and exit at the resurrection: for the righteous, who have purified their souls by prayer (last verse) and spiritual teaching from the Qur-an (next verse), there is on each occasion a fuller and fuller realisation and enjoyment of truth and honour: for those who are estranged from Allah, the effect is the opposite: the truth becomes bitter and there is ignominy and exposure instead of honour: (2) entry for the holy Prophet into the new life at Madinah, which was still in the womb of futurity, and exit from the life of persecution and the milieu of falsehood, which surrounded him in his native city of Makkah still given up to idolatry: (3) referring to the impending Hijrat again, the prayer may mean, "Let it be from pure motives of truth and spiritual honour, and not from motives of anger against the city of Makkah or its persecutors, or of ambition or worldly power from the city of Madinah, which was ready to lay everything at the Prophet's feet": (4) generally, entry and exit at every stage of life.

All prayer must be for Allah's aid and authority. However much we may plan, our success must depend on His aid. However nobler our motives, we have no right to imperil any lives unless there is authority in the Word of Allah. The Prophet only acts on Allah's commission and inspiration.