Tafseer as-Sa'di Vol. 5 Juz 13-15 PDF

 IN TH E N A M E OF ALLAH TH E M OST G R A C IO U S, TH E M OST M ERCIFUL VOLUME 5 T a f s e e r a s - S a 'd i Juz’ 13-15 sunniconnect.com  Title: Tafseer as-Sa'di V o l. 5 (Ju z 13-15) A uth...

 IN TH E N A M E OF ALLAH TH E M OST G R A C IO U S, TH E M OST M ERCIFUL VOLUME 5 T a f s e e r a s - S a 'd i Juz’ 13-15 sunniconnect.com  Title: Tafseer as-Sa'di V o l. 5 (Ju z 13-15) A uthor: A bdur-R ahm an N asir a s-S a ‘di E nglish Edition 1 (2018) Translator: N asiruddin al-K hattab E dited by: H uda K hattab L ayout D esign: IIPH C over D esign: Sam o Press G roup, B eirut sunniconnect.com  17. Soorat al-Isra' (Bani Isra'eel) ( \ 1 ci k k i ) -------------- In the name o f Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful O :.1j~*y\ ojy*) ^ i^ ^ 17:1. Glory be to Him Who took His slave for a journey by night from the Sacred Mosque to the Distant Mosque, the environs of which We have blessed, so that We might show him some of Our signs. Verily He is All-Hearing, All-Seeing. Here Allah (&,) declares Himself to be exalted and almighty, for all great actions belong to Him and all great favours come from Him, among which was the fact that He «ftook His slaved namely His Messenger Muhammad (i|§ ) ^for a journey by night from the Sacred M osque^ which is the noblest o f all mosques *jto the Distant Mosque^ which is one of the most virtuous of mosques, for it is the place o f the Prophets. sunniconnect.com Soorat al-Isra ’ ( 1) | 261 He took him on this journey in a single night, covering a huge distance, and He brought him back the same night, and He showed him some o f His signs which increased him in guidance, deep insight, steadfastness and understanding. This was due to Allah’s care for him and kindness to him, as He guided him to that which was easy in all his affairs, and He bestowed upon him blessings because o f which he surpassed the earlier and later generations. The apparent meaning o f the verse indicates that the Night Journey (Isra ’) occurred at the beginning o f the night, and that the journey began from the Sacred Mosque itself, but it is proven in as-Saheeh that the Prophet ( ^ | ) was taken on the night journey from the house o f Umm H ani’ (radiya Allahu ‘anha - may Allah be pleased with her). Based on that, the virtue that belongs to the Sacred Mosque is applicable to the entire Haram zone; the multiple reward for worship applies to acts o f worship anywhere within the Haram zone. This also indicates that the Night Journey involved both body and soul together, otherwise it would not have been a major sign and great virtue. There are many proven hadiths from the Prophet (j|j§) about the Night Journey which mention the details o f what he saw and state that he was taken on a journey by night to Jerusalem (Bayt al-Maqdis), and then taken up from there to the heavens, until he reached what is above the highest heavens. He also saw paradise and hell, and the Prophets in their various stations in the heavens. Allah enjoined fifty prayers upon him, then he kept going back and asking his Lord to reduce it, based on the advice o f Moosa, the one to whom Allah had spoken directly, until they became five prayers in deed and fifty in reward. He and his Ummah attained great honour on that night, the extent o f which no one knows except Allah (“fe). Allah refers to the Prophet ( 9" / / / ^ / 5 *y s' 9 i V (rr \*yA* f 17:22. Do not associate with Allah any other god, lest you find yourself disgraced and forsaken. That is, do not believe that any created being is deserving o f any kind o f worship or that any o f them can be associated with Allah, for that is blameworthy and leads to failure. Allah, His angels and His Messengers have forbidden the ascription o f partners to Allah and have condemned in the strongest terms anyone who does that, describing this action in the worst terms, by using such words that one may conclude from them that the one who does this is the worst in characteristics and the most abhorrent in description. Such a person is a failure in terms o f both worldly and religious affairs, to the extent o f his detachment from his Lord. Whoever puts his hopes in anything but Allah is a failure and will be left to the one in whom he put his trust, for no one o f A llah’s creation can benefit anyone except by A llah’s leave. Just as the one who believes that there is any other god besides Allah is deserving o f blame and is a failure, the one who affirms His oneness and devotes his worship to Allah alone, putting his hopes in Him and no other, is deserving o f commendation and will receive help from Allah in all his affairs. sunniconnect.com  17:23. Your Lord has ordained that you should worship none but Him and show kindness to parents. If one or both of them reach old age in your care, do not say to them even the mildest word of annoyance or reproach them; rather speak to them with respect. 17:24. And lower to them the wing of humility out of compassion, and say: My Lord, have mercy on them, as they cared for me when I was small. Having forbidden the ascription o f partners to Him, Allah ( ^ ) enjoins affirmation o f His oneness. {(Your Lord has ordained^ as a religious instruction {(that you should worship nonep of the inhabitants o f the heavens and the earth, living or dead {(but Himj», for He is the One, the Eternal, W hom all creatures need, Who possesses all attributes o f perfection and the greatest manifestation o f those attributes, in such a manner that none o f those whom He created resembles Him. He is the Bestower of blessings, both visible and hidden, Who wards off all calamities; the Creator, the Provider, the controller o f all matters. He is the only One Who does all o f that, and no other has any share o f that. After mentioning His rights, Allah speaks o f fulfilling the rights o f parents; {(and show kindness to parents^ that is, be kind to them in all ways, in word and deed, because they are the reason for one’s existence, and they have so much love for their child, show him kindness and are sunniconnect.com Soorat al-Isra' (25) | 275 close to him, which confirms the rights o f the parent over the child and the obligation o f the child to show kindness to them. *{If one or both o f them reach old age in your care)? that is, if they reach this age, at which they become physically weak and need kind and gentle treatment, as is well known, ejdo not say to them even the mildest word o f annoyance)? - this is the least offence, but it is a warning against saying anything that could be more offensive than that. What is meant is: do not offend them in the slightest manner. ^or reproach them)? that is, rebuke them or speak harshly to them, ^rather speak to them with respect)? in ways that they like, politely and gently, with soft words that will bring joy to their hearts and reassure them. That varies from one situation and time to another, according to people’s traditions. «(And lower to them the wing of humility out o f compassionp that is, be humble towards them, out o f compassion and seeking reward from Allah, not because you fear them or hope to get what they have, and other reasons that may deprive one o f reward (from Allah). ejand say: My Lord, have mercy on them)? that is, pray for mercy for them in life and in death, as recompense for their having taken care of you when you were small. From this it is understood that the longer they take care o f you, the more rights they have over you. Similarly, if someone other than the parents takes care o f a person with regard to his religious and worldly interests, and shows him the right path in a sound manner, that person is indebted to the one who took care o f him. $ sunniconnect.com  276 | Tafseer as-Sa'di Juz ’15 17:25. Your Lord knows best what is in your hearts. If you are righteous, then verily He is Oft-Forgiving to those who constantly turn to Him fin repentance]. That is, your Lord (4£) sees what is hidden in your hearts o f good and evil, and He does not look at your deeds or your physical appearance; rather He looks at your hearts and what is in them of good and evil. «flf you are righteous^ in the sense that your intentions and aims are focused on pleasing Allah, and you are keen to draw close to Him, and there are no aspirations in your heart that are contrary to the will o f Allah, «{then verily He is Oft-Forgiving to those who constantly turn to Him^ that is, those who turn back to Him at all times. So if Allah sees into a person’s heart and knows that there is nothing in it except devotion to Him and love for Him and for that which will bring him closer to Him, then - even if that person sometimes behaves in accordance with human inclinations - Allah will pardon him and forgive him for the occasional slip that is out o f character. o 17:26. Give kinsfolk their due, and those in need, and wayfarers- but do not squander your wealth wastefully. sunniconnect.com Soorat al-Isra' (26-30) | 277 17:27. For squanderers are the brothers of the devils. And the Shaytan [the Devil] is ever ungrateful to his Lord. 17:28. If you [O Muhammad] must turn away from them whilst seeking mercy from your Lord for which you hope,17 then say to them words of comfort. 17:29. Do not keep your hand tied to your neck [like a miser], or stretch it forth to its utmost extent [like a squanderer], lest you become blameworthy and destitute. 17:30. Verily your Lord gives abundantly to whomever He will and sparingly [to whomever He will]. Verily He is well aware of His slaves and sees them all. ^Give kinsfolk their due^ o f kindness and honour, both that which is obligatory and that which is sunnah. These rights vary according to the situation, the degree o f relationship and the extent o f need at different times. ^and those in need)? - give them their due o f zakah and other forms o f charity in order to meet their needs dand wayfarers)? this refers to the stranger who is cut off from his homeland. They should all be given from one’s wealth, in such a way that does not harm the giver and is not more than is appropriate, because that would come under the heading o f squandering, which Allah has prohibited. ^F or squanderers are the brothers o f the devils^ because the Shaytan only calls people to that which is blameworthy, so he calls people to be miserly and stingy, then if they disobey him, he calls them to be extravagant and to squander their wealth, whereas Allah (4c) only enjoins moderation in all things and praises people for that, as He says, describing the righteous slaves o f the Most Gracious: 17 T his refers to a situation in w hich he had no resources w ith w hich to help them , and w as him self hoping for mercy, that is, provision, from his Lord. (at-Tabari) sunniconnect.com 278 | Tafseer as-Sa'di J u z '15 ( (And who, when they spend, are neither extravagant nor stingy, but follow a middle path between the [two].]* (al-Furqan 25: 67) ((Do not keep your hand tied to your neck [like a miser]]* this is a metaphor for extreme stinginess and miserliness ( (or stretch it forth to its utmost extent [like a squanderer]]*, spending it on that which is not necessary or more than is appropriate. ( (lest you become]*, if you do that, ( (blameworthy]* that is, subject to blame for what you did ( (and destitute]* that is, empty-handed, with no wealth left and not deserving any praise. The command to give kinsfolk their due is addressed to the one who has the means and can afford it. As for the one who does not have the means or cannot afford it, Allah (4g) instructs him to apologise by saying kind words: ( (If you [O Muhammad] must turn away from them whilst seeking mercy from your Lord for which you hope]* that is, if you must turn away from giving to them until some other time, hoping that Allah will make things easier, ( (then say to them words o f comfort]* that is, kind and gentle words, with a promise to give them something as soon as you can afford it, and apologise for not being able to give them something at present, so that they may go back reassured and comforted, as Allah (4s) says elsewhere: ( (Kind words and forgiveness are better than charity followed by hurtful w ords...]* (al-Baqarah 2: 263) By His kindness towards His slaves, Allah (4s) instructs them to expect mercy and provision from Him. By the same token, promising to give charity and be generous when one can afford it is in itself an act of worship, because thinking o f doing a good deed is in itself a good deed. Hence the individual should do whatever he is able to do o f good, and he should have the intention to do whatever he is not sunniconnect.com Soorat al-Isra' (31) | 279 able to do, so that he will be rewarded for that and in the hope that Allah may make it easy to do it, because o f his hope. Then Allah (4e) tells us that He grants abundant provision to whomever He will among His slaves, and He grants it sparingly to whomever He will, in accordance with His wisdom. ^Verily He is well aware o f His slaves and sees them allp and He gives them according to what He knows is good for them, and He deals with them on the basis of kindness and generosity. 0 0 ll£>- JS& If 4 4 (g ) 17:31. D o not kill y o u r children for fear o f poverty, for We w ill p rovide fo r them an d for you. V erily k illin g th em is a g rav e sin. This is by His mercy towards His slaves, for He is more merciful towards them than their own parents. Therefore He forbids parents to kill their children for fear o f poverty and want, and He guarantees to provide for all. He informs us that killing them is a grave major sin; in fact it is one o f the worst o f major sins, because o f the loss o f mercy from the heart, grave disobedience and transgression by killing children who never did anything wrong. 17:32. D o not ap p ro a ch fo rn icatio n [or ad u ltery ], for it is sh a m efu l, an a b o m in ab le w ay indeed. sunniconnect.com 280 | Tafseer as-Sa 'di Ju z’15 The prohibition on approaching the m atter is more eloquent than the prohibition on simply doing it, because this includes the prohibition o f all precursors that lead to it, for: «...whoever lets his flocks graze around the protected area will soon find his flocks transgressing upon it.» (Bukhari and Muslim) That is especially applicable with regard to this matter, as many people have the strongest inclination towards it. Allah describes fornication (or adultery), because o f its abhorrent nature, as ^shameful)? that is, a sin which is regarded as shameful and evil according to Islamic teachings, reason and human nature, because it involves transgression o f the sacred limits set by Allah, and it is also a transgression against the woman and against her family or husband, it causes trouble in marriages, mixes lineages, and leads to other negative consequences. tfan abominable way indeedp that is, an evil way, the way o f one who has the audacity to commit that grave sin. 0 0 17:33. Do not kill, for that is forbidden by Allah, except in the course of justice. If anyone is killed wrongfully, We have given his heir authority [to seek legal retribution or compensation, or to forgive], but he should not exceed the bounds in the matter of killing, for he is already supported [by Islamic law]. This applies to every soul the killing o f which is ^forbidden by A llah^, whether it is young or old, male or female, free or slave, Muslim or a non-Muslim who has a covenant with the Muslims. sunniconnect.com Soorat al-Isra ’ (34) | 281 ^except in the course o f justice^ such as a life for a life; execution o f a previously-m arried adulterer or an (apostate) who leaves his religion and splits from the main body o f the Muslims; or cases o f self- defence where the attacker cannot be warded off except by killing him. «flf anyone is killed wrongfully^ that is, unlawfully «[We have given his heir^, who is the closest to him o f his male relatives on his father’s side and his heirs ^authority^ to seek legal retribution (qisas) from the killer. That is when the conditions for this retribution are met, namely that the killing was deliberate and the killer was the aggressor (who initiated the fight), and both are o f equal standing. ^but he)* that is, the heir ^should not exceed the bounds in the m atter o f killing, for he is already supported [by Islamic law])*. Exceeding the bounds means overstepping the mark, either by mutilating the killer, or killing him in a manner different from that in which he killed the victim, or killing someone other than the killer. This verse indicates that the right to legal retribution belongs to the heir, so no retribution can be exacted except with his permission, and if he forgives the killer, retribution is waived. It also indicates that Allah will help the heir o f the victim against the killer and anyone who helped the killer, until he is able to settle the score. O o 17:34. Do not touch the orphan’s property, before he comes of age, except to improve it; and fulfil [all] covenants, for [every] covenant will be asked about. sunniconnect.com 282 | Tafseer as-Sa ‘di Juz'15 This highlights A llah’s kindness and mercy towards the orphan who has lost his father when he is still small and is not aware o f what is in his own best interests, nor is he in a position to achieve that. Allah instructs the orphan’s guardians to take care o f him and his wealth, and to handle it in a manner that best serves his interests. The guardians are not to touch it *(except to improve it]) by doing business with it, not exposing it to danger, and working to make it grow. That should continue until the orphan peonies o f age]-), that is, until he reaches puberty and becomes mature. When he comes o f age, guardianship over him ends; he becomes in charge o f his own affairs and his wealth is to be given to him, as Allah (-te) says elsewhere: «(...Then, if you find that they have sound judgement, hand over their property to them... h (an-Nisa’4: 6) { (and fulfil [all] covenants]) that you make, whether the covenant is with Allah or with other people { (for [every] covenant will be asked about]) that is, you will be asked whether you fulfilled it or not; if you fulfilled it, then you will have a great reward, but if you did not, then you will carry a great burden o f sin. (TO 17:35. Give full measure when you measure, and weigh with accurate scales; that is better and more seemly in the end. This is an instruction to be fair and to give full weight and measure, without overcharging or giving short measure. From the general meaning o f the verse it is understood that all kinds o f cheating are sunniconnect.com Soorat al-Isra ’ (36) | 283 prohibited, whether that has to do with price, quality or the terms of any deal entered into, and it is enjoined to be sincere and honest in all dealings. «fthat is betterp than not doing so «jand more seemly in the endp that is, it leads to better consequences, for by following this advice, one will be safe from any bad consequences and will attain blessing (barakah). 17:36. Do not pursue [beliefs, rumours, slander and the like] of which you have no certain knowledge, for verily, the hearing, the sight, and the heart, all of these will be asked about. That is, do not pursue that of which you have no knowledge; rather you should make sure that everything you say or do is verified or proven. So do not think that you can get away with it, for it will be recorded either for you or against you. €(for verily, the hearing, the sight, and the heart, all o f these will be asked aboutp. So the individual - who knows that he is responsible for all that he says and does, and for the way in which he uses his faculties which Allah has created so that he might worship Him - must prepare his answers to that questioning, and that can only be done by using all his faculties in servitude to Allah, doing acts o f devotion to Him alone and refraining from that which Allah ( $£) hates. sunniconnect.com 284 | Tafseer as-Sa‘di J u z ’15 o o 17:37. Do not walk on the earth with insolence, for you cannot cleave the earth, nor can you rival the mountains in height. 17:38. The evil of all that is hateful to your Lord. 17:39. This is part of the wisdom that your Lord has revealed to you [O Muhammad]. Do not associate with Allah any other god, lest you be thrown into hell, blameworthy and outcast. ^Do not walk on the earth with insolence)* that is, with arrogance, too proud to accept the truth and looking down on others, for if you do that «fyou cannot cleave the earth, nor can you rival the mountains in height)* in your arrogance; rather you will be insignificant before Allah and despised by people, hated and resented for having acquired the worst and most reprehensible o f characteristics without being able to attain even some o f what you are pursuing. ^The evil of all thatp namely the things that Allah has prohibited, that are mentioned above (17:22), where Allah says «|Do not associate with Allah any other god)*, and the prohibition on disobedience to parents, and so on, «fis hateful to your Lord)* that is, all o f that will harm those who do it and Allah (4s) hates it and disapproves o f it. tfThis)* that We have explained o f these important rulings ^ is part o f the wisdom that your Lord has revealed to you [O M uhammad])*. W'isdom is enjoining good deeds and noble characteristics, and forbidding evil characteristics and bad deeds. sunniconnect.com Soorat al-Isra ’ (40) | 285 The good deeds mentioned in these verses are part o f the sublime wisdom that the Lord o f the worlds revealed to the leader o f the Messengers in the noblest o f Books, so as to enjoin them upon the best o f nations. So they are part o f that wisdom which, if anyone is granted it, then he has been granted a great deal o f good. This passage ends with the prohibition on worshipping anything other than Allah, as it began: ^Do not associate with Allah any other god, lest you be thrown into hell^ that is, to abide therein forever, for whoever ascribes any partner to Allah, Allah will forbid paradise to him, and his abode will be hell. ^blam eworthy and outcast)* that is, lest you be subject to blame, curses and criticism from Allah, His angels and all the people. 0 (£ * : « ! ®j 17:40. Has your Lord favoured you with sons and taken for Himself daughters from among the angels? Verily, you are uttering a dreadful word! This is a stem denunciation o f those who claimed that Allah had taken from among His creation daughters. ^Has your Lord favoured you with sons)» that is, Has He chosen for you that which is best and perfect, and taken for Him self from among the angels females - as they claimed that the angels were the daughters o f Allah. ^Verily, you are uttering a dreadful word! )* which implies the worst insolence towards Allah, as you attribute offspring to Him, which would imply need on His part, and would imply that some o f His sunniconnect.com  286 | Tafseer as-Sa'di J u z '15 creation have no need o f Him. Moreover, you attributed the inferior o f the two to Him, namely the females, when He is the One Who created you, and you say that He chose the males for you. Exalted be Allah far above what the wrongdoers say. 17:41. We have explained [the truth] in this Qur’an in various ways, so that they may pay heed, but it only increases them in aversion. 17:42. Say [O Muhammad]: If there were [other] gods with Him, as they say, they would surely have sought a way to the Lord of the Throne.18 17:43. Glory be to Him, and exalted be He far above what they say! 17:44. The seven heavens and the earth, and all those who are therein, glorify Him. There is not a thing that does not glorify Him with praise, but you do not understand their glorification. Verily He is Forbearing, Oft-Forgiving. Here Allah (&) tells us that He has explained all issues to His slaves in this Q ur’an. In other words, He discusses various rulings and clarifies them, presenting a great deal o f evidence and proof for that to which He calls people, and He exhorts and reminds so that they 18 What is meant is that they would have sought a way to challenge Him (al-Qurtubi, from Ibn 'Abbas [radiya Alldhu 'anhuma - may Allah be pleased with both of them]); another view is that they would have sought a way to draw near to Him. (at-Tabari) sunniconnect.com Soorat al-Isra' (41-44) | 287 will remember that which will benefit them and thus follow it, and that which will harm them and thus refrain from it. But most people insist on turning away from the revelations o f Allah, because o f their resentment towards the truth and their love for that which they are following of falsehood, to the extent that they are fanatically devoted to the falsehood and they do not listen to the revelations o f Allah or pay attention to them. The issue for which the most proof and evidence is presented is the oneness o f Allah, which is the most important o f fundamental issues. Allah enjoins it, forbids the opposite, and establishes a great deal o f rational and textual proof for it, to the extent that if one listens to some o f it, no room will be left in his heart for any doubt or confusion. Among the evidence for that is the rational evidence that is mentioned here: «(Say)* to the polytheists who associate another god with Allah: «flf there were [other] gods with Him, as they say)* that is, according to their claims and fabrications, ^they would surely have sought a way to the Lord o f the Throne)* that is, they would have tried to seek a way to worship Him and draw close to Him, seeking nearness to Him. So how can the weak human being, who realises how great is his need to be a true slave o f his Lord, associate another god with Allah? Can this be anything but the worst wrongdoing and the greatest foolishness? According to this interpretation, the meaning of this verse is similar to that o f the verses in which Allah says: ^Those upon whom they call themselves seek nearness to their Lord)* (17: 57) and: «|On the day when He gathers them together with those whom they worshipped besides Allah, He will ask:19 Did you lead these slaves 19 This question will be put to those w ho w ere w rongfully w orshipped, such as the angels, ‘Eesa Prophets, righteous people, ‘sa in ts’, idols and so on. sunniconnect.com  288 | Tafseeras-Sa‘di J u z '15 o f Mine astray, or did they stray from the [right] path by themselves? They will say: Glory be to You! It was not proper for us to take anyone as an ally besides You [and worship him]20...)* (al-Furqan 25:17-18) Or it may be that what is meant by the words «(If there were [other] gods with Him, as they say, they would surely have sought a way to the Lord o f the Throne)* is: they would have sought a way to reach Him and they would have tried to challenge Allah (4s), then if they overcame Him, the one who prevailed would be the Lord and God. However, they already knew and admitted that the gods whom they worshipped besides Allah were subjugated and inferior, and had no control over anything. So why did they take them as gods, if they were like that? In this case, the meaning is like that o f the verse in which Allah (4s) says: ^Allah has never begotten a son, nor is there any god besides Him. [In that case,] each god would have taken full control o f what he had created, and each would have rushed to gain supremacy over the Others... )* (al-Mu ’minoon 23: 91) efGlory be to Him, and exalted be He)* that is, He is to be declared holy and far above fjwhat they say)* o f ascribing partners and rivals to Him, for He is sublime and great, and His Majesty is so immense that there can be no gods besides Him. Those who say such a thing have gone far astray and committed a grievous wrongdoing. In comparison to His greatness, great creations are as nothing. In comparison to His Majesty, the greatness o f the seven heavens and all those who are in them, and o f the seven earths and all those who are in them, is very small indeed. f»-v-" ( **11 - r -t t'f-" -' ^ > 1 *-' I j rAj^A. (*_>i Q p Wo* (o r-ts u i ^ y u ^ ) 17:49. They say: What! When we have turned into bones and dust, will we really be raised up and created anew? 17:50. Say: Even if you turned to stone or iron, 17:51. or any other substance you think even more unlikely [to be given life]. Then they will say: Who will bring us back [to life]? Say: The One Who brought you into being in the first instance. They will nod their heads at you [in disbelief and mockery] and say: When will that be? Say: It may well be soon. 17:52. On the day when He calls you, you will respond by praising Him and think that you have tarried but a short while. Here Allah (4g) tells us what was said by those who denied the resurrection, disbelieved in it and thought it unlikely. dThey say: What! When we have turned into bones and dustb that is, when our bodies have disintegrated completely, ^w ill we really be raised up and created anew ?^ That is, that will never happen and it is impossible - according to their claim. They demonstrated extreme ignorance when they disbelieved the M essengers o f Allah, denied the signs o f Allah, and compared the power of the Creator of the heavens and the earth to their puny and weak powers. As they saw that it was impossible for them and they could not do it, they assumed that the power o f Allah was equally weak. Glory be to the One Who made some o f His creation, who claimed that they were people o f mature thinking and intellect, into an example o f ignorance o f the most obvious o f things, for which there is the clearest proof, in order to show His slaves that no one can achieve sunniconnect.com Soorat al-Isra ’ (49-52) | 293 anything except by His help, otherwise there is nothing but doom and misery. ♦(Our Lord, do not let our hearts deviate now after You have guided us, and bestow upon us mercy from Yourself; for You are the Bestower.j) (Al ‘Imran 3: 8) Hence Allah instructed His Messenger (*|§) to say to these people who denied the resurrection because they thought that it was unlikely: ^Say: Even if you turned to stone or iron, or any other substance you think even more unlikely [to be given life])* that is, so that you will be safe - or so you claim - from the power o f Allah reaching you or His will being done concerning you. For you cannot escape Allah, no matter what state you are in and no matter what you are turned to. You have no control over yourselves in this life or after death, so leave control and disposal o f affairs to the One Who has power over all things and Who encompasses all things. ^Then they will say^ when you establish proof against them concerning the resurrection: ^W ho will bring us back [to life]? Say: The One Who brought you into being in the first instance)*. As He originated you, when you were nothing worth mentioning, He will recreate you: ^...A s We originated creation, so We will repeat it...^ (al-Anbiya’ 21: 104) ^They will nod their heads at you [in disbelief and m ockery]^ that is, in denial and amazement at what you say ((and say: When will that be?^ That is, when will this resurrection of which you speak come to pass? They are not affirming the idea o f the resurrection; rather this is foolishness on their part, and is intended to cause annoyance. ((Say: It may well be soon^. There is no benefit in knowing the exact time o f it; rather the benefit is to affirm it, establish it as a belief and prove it. Otherwise everything that is coming is near at hand. sunniconnect.com  294 | Tafseer as-Sa'di Juz’15 { (On the day when He calls you)? to the resurrection, and the Trumpet is blown ^you will respond by praising Him^ that is, you will submit to His command and you will not be able to rebel against Him. «jby praising Him)? - for He is worthy o f praise for all that He does, and He will requite people for their deeds when He gathers them on the Day of Judgement. ^and think that you have tarried but a short while)? because it will happen so quickly, and whatever you had enjoyed o f pleasures will be as if it never happened. This is the event o f which the deniers asked {(When will that be'?)? They will regret it bitterly when it comes, and it is said to them: t-j...This is what you used to deny.)? (al-Mutaffifeen 8 5 : 17) 17:53. Tell My slaves that they should say what is best,22 for Shaytan sows discord among them. Verily Shaytan is to man an avowed enemy. 17:54. Your Lord knows you best: if He wills. He will have mercy on you and if He wills, He will punish you. We have not sent you [O Muhammad] to be in charge of them. 22 What is meant is to speak in a courteous and gracious manner, and not to respond in kind to harsh words. sunniconnect.com Soorat al-Isrd ’ (53-55) | 295 17:55. And your Lord knows best all who are in the heavens and on earth. Indeed We have exalted some o f the Prophets above others, and to Dawood We gave the Zaboor [Psalms]. This is by His kindness towards His slaves, as He enjoined upon them the best manners, deeds and words that lead to happiness in this world and the hereafter. ([Tell My slaves that they should say what is best)* - this is enjoining all words that bring one closer to Allah, such as reading Q ur’an, remembering Him (dhikr), acquiring knowledge, enjoining what is right, forbidding what is wrong, and speaking good and kind words to people in a manner that is appropriate to their various positions and status. If there is a choice between two good things, then it is enjoined to give precedence to the better of the two, if it is not possible to combine both. Speaking good words leads to developing good manners and doing righteous deeds, for the one who controls his tongue will be in control o f all his affairs. ^for Shaytan sows discord among them)* that is, he strives to create trouble between people in a m anner that is detrimental to their religious commitment and worldly affairs. The remedy for that is not to obey him, by avoiding the inappropriate talk to which he calls people, and by being soft and gentle with one another, so as to suppress the Shaytan who seeks to spread discord among them, because he is their true enemy whom they should oppose, for he calls them to: ([...become inhabitants o f the raging fire.)* (Fatir 35: 6) As for brothers in Islam, even if the Shaytan manages to sow discord among them and create enmity between them, the right thing to do is strive against their enemy and suppress their inclinations towards evil, through which the Shaytan finds a way to influence sunniconnect.com  296 | Tafseer as-Sa 'di Juz’15 them. By doing so, they will be obeying their Lord, putting their affairs in order and following the path of wisdom. ^Your Lord knows you best^, better than you know yourselves. Hence He only wants what is good for you and He only enjoins upon you that which is in your best interests. You may want something when the opposite is better. ^ if He wills, He will have mercy on you and if He wills, He will punish you)?. Hence He guides whomever He will to take the measures that lead to mercy, and He forsakes whomever He will, so that he will go astray and will become deserving o f punishment. ^We have not sent you [O Muhammad] to be in charge of them)* and to control their affairs and requite them for their deeds. Rather Allah is in charge o f them, and your role is to convey the message and guide people to the straight path. ^And your Lord knows best all who are in the heavens and on earth]? o f all types o f creatures, so He gives each o f them what he deserves, according to His wisdom, and He favours some o f them over others in terms o f both physical and intangible qualities, just as He favoured some o f the Prophets, who all have in common the fact that they received revelation, over others in terms o f virtues and characteristics that had to do with what Allah blessed them with o f physical characteristics, pleasant manners and attitudes, righteous deeds, num ber o f followers, and revelation o f Books to some o f them that contained rulings and beliefs, as He sent down to Dawood the Zaboor (Psalms), which is the well-known Book. As it is the case that Allah favoured some o f them over others, and gave to some o f them Books, why do those who reject Muhammad ( i l l ) deny what Allah has sent down to him and what He has blessed him with of prophethood and the Book? sunniconnect.com Soorat al-Isra' (56-57) | 297 o o 17:56. Say: Call on those whom you claim [to be gods]23 besides Him; they have no power to relieve you of harm or divert it from you. 17:57. Those upon whom they call themselves seek nearness to their Lord, [competing to see] which of them will be nearest. They hope for His mercy and fear His punishment, for verily the punishment of your Lord is something to be dreaded. ((Say)* to the polytheists who ascribe partners to Allah and take others as gods which they worship as they worship Allah, and they call upon them as they call upon Him, and instruct them to correct what they claim and believe, if they are sincere: ^Call on those whom you claim [to be gods] )* besides Allah, and see whether they can benefit you or ward off harm from you, for they ^have no power to relieve you o f harm or divert it from you)*, such as sickness, poverty, hardship and so on. They cannot ward it off at all, and they also have no power to divert it from one person to another, or to change it from hardship to something less severe. If this is how they are, then why do you call upon them besides Allah? For they have no attributes o f perfection and do not do any useful deeds, so taking them as gods is lacking in religious understanding and reason, and it is foolishness. 23 T hose w ho are falsely w orshipped, w ho are referred to in this and the follow ing verse, are ‘Eesa, ‘U zayr and the angels; they have no pow er to benefit or harm in and o f them selves, and are them selves devoted slaves o f Allah. sunniconnect.com  298 | Tafseer as-Sa'di Juz'15 What is astounding is that when foolishness becomes a common practice and is received from misguided parents, a person sees it as being right thinking, and he sees sincere devotion to Allah alone, the One Who is perfect and bestows all blessings, both apparent and invisible, as foolishness and as something strange, as the polytheists said: ^Has he made all the gods into one God? This is indeed most strange!)? (Sad 38: 5) Then Allah tells us that those whom they worship besides Allah are completely distracted from them because they are concerned with showing their own need for Allah and seeking to draw near to Him: ^Those upon whom they call^ among the Prophets, the righteous and the angels ( [themselves seek nearness to their Lord, [competing to see] which of them will be nearest]? that is, they compete in drawing near to their Lord, striving their utmost to do righteous deeds that will bring them closer to Allah and to His mercy, for they fear His punishment, so they avoid everything that may lead to it. ([for verily the punishment of your Lord is something to be dreaded]? that is, it is something to be feared greatly and one should keep away from anything that could lead to it. These three things - fear, hope and love - which Allah describes as the characteristics o f those who are close to Him are the basis and prerequisites for all goodness. Whoever has all o f them, all his affairs will be in order, but if his heart is devoid of them, good things will disperse from around him and he will be surrounded by troubles. The sign o f love is that which Allah mentions, that a person strives hard to do everything that will bring him closer to Allah, and he competes with others in drawing closer to Him, intending all his deeds for Allah alone, being utterly sincere in doing them and doing them in the best possible manner. Whoever claims that he loves Allah, but does not do this, is lying. sunniconnect.com Soorat al-Isra' 158) | 299 0 o 17:58. There is no city but We will destroy it before the Day of Resurrection, or punish it severely. That is written in the Book [of our decrees].24 That is, there is no city among the cities that disbelieved in the Messengers but it will inevitably be destroyed or punished severely before the Day of Resurrection. This is a decree that has been ordained by Allah, and it will inevitably come to pass. So let the disbelievers hasten to turn to Allah and believe in His Messengers, before they reach a point where punishment will become inevitable. 0 I2^2=i 17:59. Nothing prevents Us from sending signs except that the earlier people rejected them. We sent the she-camel to Thamood as a clear sign, yet they rejected her. We send signs only by way of instilling fear. 17:60. And [remember] when We said to you: Verily your Lord encompasses humankind [with His knowledge and might]. We 24 That is, al-Lawh al-Mahfoodh. sunniconnect.com  300 | Tafseer as-Sa‘di Juz’15 did not make the sight which We showed you,25 and the accursed tree26 [mentioned] in the Qur’an, except as a test for the people. We seek to instil fear in their hearts, but it only increases their inordinate transgression. Here Allah (-Jg) refers to His mercy in that He did not send down the signs demanded by the disbelievers. Nothing prevented Him from sending them except the possibility o f their rejecting them, for if they had rejected them, the punishm ent would have been hastened for them and would have come upon them without delay, as happened to earlier generations who disbelieved in His signs. One o f the greatest signs is that which Allah sent to Thamood, namely the great she-camel, but they rejected that sign, so that fate befell them o f which Allah tells us in His Book. And these people (the disbelievers o f Makkah) are the same: even if great signs were to come to them, they would not believe. What prevented them from believing was not the fact that what the Messenger brought was unclear, as a result o f which they were uncertain as to whether it was true or false, for He brought a great deal o f proof which pointed to the soundness of the message he brought, which would lead to guidance for anyone who was seeking guidance. Any other sign (that they demanded) would be the same, so they would inevitably think o f it as they thought of other signs. Therefore not sending another sign, when this was the case, was better for them. ^We send signs only by way o f instilling fear)? that is, the purpose behind it is not to lead them to faith that could not be achieved otherwise; rather the purpose is to instil fear, so as to deter them (from their obstinate behaviour). 25 This refers to the P rophet’s Isra’ (N ight Journey). 26 This refers to the tree o f az-Zaqqoom , m entioned in (ad-Dukhan 44:43-44), from w hich the people o f hell will be fed. sunniconnect.com Soorat al-Isra ’ (59-60) | 301 ^A nd [rem em ber] w hen We said to you: Verily your Lord encompasses humankind [with His knowledge and might])?, so they have nowhere to turn to and no refuge to escape from Him. This is sufficient for anyone who has intellect to refrain from that which is hateful to Allah, Who encompasses humankind. ^W e did not make the sight which We showed you, and the accursed tree [mentioned] in the Q u r’an, except as a test for the people]?. The majority o f commentators are o f the view that the sight mentioned here refers to the Night Journey (Isra’) and the tree is the tree o f az-Zaqqoom that grows from the depths o f hell. What is meant is that if these two things have become a trial or test that causes confusion to people, to the extent that the disbelievers become more stubborn in their disbelief and increase in evil, and some o f those who had weak faith recanted their faith because what the Prophet (J^ |) told them - o f events that occurred during the Night Journey, and what happened during that journey from the Sacred Mosque to the Distant Mosque - was so extraordinary, and what he told them about a tree growing from the depths o f hell was also extraordinary, and this is what made them reject faith and not accept it, then how about if they saw great signs and remarkable extraordinary events? Is that not more likely to lead to an increase in their evil? Therefore Allah had mercy on them and diverted that from them. Hence you will understand that it is more appropriate that the Q ur’an and Sunnah did not describe in clear terms major events that would occur at later times, because when it comes to things the like o f which people have never seen, their minds may not accept them if they are told o f them before they happen, which may then become a cause o f doubt in the hearts o f some believers, and may prevent others from entering Islam, as they are put off from it. Rather Allah refers to such matters in very general and ambiguous words that refer to all that will happen. sunniconnect.com 302 I Tafseer as-Sa'di J u z '15 e(We seek to instil fear in their hearts)-) by means o f the signs «-(but it only increases their inordinate transgression)). o 17:61. And [remember] when We said to the angels: Prostrate before Adam, and they [all] prostrated except Iblees. He said: Should I prostrate before one whom You have created from clay? 17:62. [Iblees] said: Do you see this one whom You have honoured above me? If You give me respite until the Day of Resurrection, I will surely bring his offspring under my sway, all but a few. 17:63. [Allah] said: Go ahead; whoever among them follows you, verily hell will be the recompense of you all, an ample recompense. 17:64. Entice whomever among them you can with your voice; mobilise your cavalry and infantry against them;27 share with them in their wealth and their children,28 and make promises to them. But Shaytan makes promises to them only in order to deceive them. 27 W h at is m ean t is use all th e m eans at y o u r d isp o sal ag a in st them. (al-Q urtubi) 28 W hat is meant is causing them to acquire and dispose o f wealth in unlawful ways, and to produce children in unlawful ways (by m eans o f fornication). sunniconnect.com Soorat al-lsrd' (61-65) | 303 17:65. Verily you will have no power over My slaves, and sufficient is Allah as a guardian. Here Allah (4g) points out to His slaves the extent o f Shaytan’s enmity and his keenness to mislead them, and that when Allah created Adam, he (Shaytan) was too arrogant to prostrate to him. ^He said)? out o f arrogance: ((Should 1 prostrate before one whom You have created from clay?]) He claimed that he was better than him, because he had been created from fire. We have mentioned above how wrong this false analogy was, in many aspects. When it became clear to Iblees that Allah had favoured Adam, he said to Allah: ((Do you see this one whom You have honoured above me? If You give me respite until the Day o f Resurrection, I will surely bring his offspring under my sway)? that is, 1 will mislead them and not spare anyone, ^all but a few)?. The evil one knew that there would inevitably be some who would oppose him and disobey him. Therefore Allah said to him: ^Go ahead; whoever among them follows you^ and chooses you above his true Lord ((verily hell will be the recompense of you all, an ample recompense)? that is, it is saved for you as requital for your deeds. Then Allah told him to do all that he could to misguide them, saying: ^Entice whomever among them you can with your voice)? - this includes everyone who calls others to sin. ( (mobilise your cavalry and infantry against them ^ - this includes everyone who rides or walks in the course o f committing sin and disobedience towards Allah; he is one o f the cavalry and infantry o f the Shaytan. What is meant is that Allah tests people by means o f this avowed enemy who calls them to disobey Allah by his words and deeds. sunniconnect.com  304 | Tafseer as-Sa'di Juz’15 ^share with them in their wealth and their c h ild r e n - this includes every sin that is connected to their wealth and children, such as w ithholding zakah and expiatory payments, not paying dues, not disciplining children and raising them to do good and keep away from evil, taking wealth unlawfully or using it inappropriately, and acquiring money from bad sources. In fact m any o f the com m entators stated that sharing with the Shaytan in wealth and children also includes not invoking the name o f Allah when eating, drinking and having intercourse, because if a person does not invoke the name o f Allah at those times, the Shaytan will have a share o f those things with him, as is mentioned in the hadith. *fand make promises to them)* that is, attractive promises that have no substance. Hence Allah says: ^But Shaytan makes promises to them only in order to deceive them ^ because his promise is false and has no value, such as when he makes sin and false beliefs fair- seeming to them and promises them reward for that, because they think that they are following truth. Allah (i$g) says elsewhere: ^The Shaytan threatens you with poverty and instructs you to be miserly, but Allah prom ises you His forgiveness and grace... (al-Baqarah 2: 268) Having mentioned what the Shaytan wants to do to people, and what helps to protect one from his temptations, which is true servitude to Allah, adherence to faith and putting one’s trust in Him, Allah now says: ^Verily you will have no power over My slaves|» that is, you have no power to tempt them; rather Allah will ward off all evil from them, if they are true slaves to Him, and He will protect them from the accursed Shaytan and suffice them against him. ^and sufficient is Allah as a g u a rd ia n fo r the one who puts his trust in Him and complies with His commands. sunniconnect.com sunniconnect.com  306 I Tafseer as-Sa‘di Juz’15 ever merciful and compassionate, giving them everything they want and that is useful for them. One of the signs o f His mercy, which indicates that He is the only One Who is deserving o f worship, to the exclusion o f all others, is that if harm befalls them on the sea, and they fear that they will die because o f the high waves, those whom they used to worship besides Allah at times o f ease, among the living and the dead, vanish from their minds, and it is as if they never called upon them at any time, because they realise that those (objects o f worship) are helpless and incapable o f granting relief from hardship. Instead they cry out to the Originator o f the earth and the heavens, Whose help all creatures seek at times o f hardship, and they call upon Him and beseech Him with utter sincerity in such situations. But when Allah grants them relief from hardship and brings them safely to the shore, they forget the one on Whom they called, and they associate others with Him that can neither bring benefit nor cause harm, and can neither give nor withhold, and they turn away from showing sincere devotion to their true Lord and Sovereign. This is indicative o f m an’s ignorance and ingratitude, except those whom Allah has guided and blessed with sound reasoning, so they are guided to the straight path. Such a one knows that the One Who grants relief from hardship and saves one from terrors is the only One Who deserves to be shown sincerity in all one’s actions, at times o f ease and o f hardship. As for the one who fails and is left to his own devices and weak reasoning, at the time o f hardship he focuses only on his immediate interests and need to be saved in that situation. But when he is saved and the hardship is over, he thinks in his ignorance that he has managed to escape from Allah, and the idea of consequences in this world never crosses his mind, let alone consequences in the hereafter. Therefore Allah reminds them by saying: ^Do you then feel secure that He will not cause a tract o f dry land to swallow you up, or that sunniconnect.com Soorat al-Isra' (70) | 307 He will not send against you a violent squall o f pebbles?^ That is, He is able to do all things: if He so willed, He would send down punishment upon you which would come upon you from beneath you by means of the earth swallowing you up, or from above you by means o f showers o f pebbles, and you would be destroyed, so do not think that death or destruction can only come at sea. If you do think that, then do you feel confident that ^that He will not send you back [to sea] once more, then send against you a tempest]? that is, a strong wind that destroys everything in its path «(and drown you because o f your disbelief? Then you will find no one to help you against Us]? and Allah does not wrong them in the slightest. 0 17:70. We have indeed honoured the sons of Adam, given them means of transportation on land and sea, provided them with good things, and have favoured them above many of those whom We have created. This is by His generosity and kindness towards them, the full extent o f which no one can know. He has honoured the children o f Adam in all ways, as He has honoured them with knowledge and reason, sending the Messengers, sending down the Books, making some o f them His close friends and chosen ones, and bestowing upon them blessings both visible and invisible. «fgiven them means o f transportation on land]? such as camels, mules, donkeys and other means o f transportation ^and sea]? such as ships and other vessels sunniconnect.com  308 | Tafseer as-Sa‘di Juz’15 ^provided them with good things^ such as food, drink, clothing and spouses. There is nothing good that has to do with their needs, but Allah has honoured them with it and made it available to them. «fand have favoured them above many o f those whom We have created]* by means o f that for which He has singled them out o f blessings, virtues and qualities that are not given to other types o f creatures. So will they not give thanks to the One Who has bestowed these blessings and warded off harm? These blessings should not be a barrier between them and the One Who bestowed them, and they should not distract them from worshipping their Lord, let alone be used to disobey Him. O o 17:71. [Mention, O Muhammad] the day when We will summon every community with their leaders. Those who are given their record of deeds in their right hands will read their record; they will never be wronged even by as much as the thread in the groove of a date stone. 17:72. Those who are blind [to the truth] in this world will be blind in the hereafter, and even further astray from the path [of truth]. Here Allah (4e) tells us how people will be on the Day o f Resurrection, and that He will call all people, with their leaders and those who called them to true guidance, namely the M essengers and their deputies. Each nation will be presented, brought by their sunniconnect.com Soorat al-Isra ’ (71-72) | 309 Messenger who called them, and their deeds will be judged against the Book to which the Messenger called them: were their deeds in accordance with it or otherwise? Based on this criterion, they will be divided into two groups: ^Those who are given their record o f deeds in their right hands]* because they followed their leader who guided them to the straight path, followed His Book and did a great deal o f good deeds and few bad deeds ^will read their record]* happily and joyfully, rejoicing at what they see in it ^they will never be wronged even by as much as the thread in the groove o f a date stone^ with regard to what they did o f good deeds. ^Those who are blind [to the truth] in this world)* and did not accept the truth or submit to it, rather they followed misguidance ^will be blind in the hereafter)* to following the path that leads to paradise, just as they did not follow it in this world dand even further astray from the path [of truth])* because the requital matches the nature o f the deed; as you sow, so shall you reap. This verse indicates that every nation will be called to its religion and Book: did it act in accordance with it or not? They will not be called to account on the basis o f the law o f a Prophet whom they were not instructed to follow, for Allah does not punish anyone except after proof is established against him and he chooses to reject it. People o f goodness will be given their records o f their deeds in their right hands and they will rejoice greatly; people o f evil will be the opposite o f that and they will not be able to read their records because o f the severity o f their distress and grief. O 0 sunniconnect.com 310 | Tafseer as-Sa'di Juz'15 lA— cii! ^ ^o u J I / / , / ^ / / / / / - ’' > ^ >. *.1 -A Ji L < L ik 0 0 ^ ^ 3 5 g j £ < ] '^ < £ jt ^ ^ (^H&sko'G-&' (§) \% 4\U £X*j£ oCSL, js Q ^ = C J J J 'JjJ I j L ^ i a IiL j £ jf^z= a G t-A 1*:« ! 0JJ~*) 17:89. We have explained [the truth] to man in this Qur’an, discussing different issues in various ways, yet most people persist in disbelief. 17:90. They say: We will never believe in you until you cause a spring to gush forth from the earth for us; 17:91. Or you have a garden of date palms and vines, and you cause rivers to gush forth in their midst; 17:92. Or you cause the sky to fall upon us in pieces, as you claimed [will happen on the Day of Resurrection]; or you bring Allah and the angels before us, face to face; 17:93. Or you have a house made of gold; or you ascend to heaven, and even then we will not believe in your ascent unless you bring down to us a Book we can read. Say: Glory be to my Lord! Am 1 anything but a man, sent as a Messenger? sunniconnect.com  322 | Tafseer as-Sa‘di Juz '15 17:94. Nothing kept the people from believing, when guidance came to them, except that they said: Has Allah sent a [mere] human as a Messenger? 17:95. Say: If there had been angels on earth, walking about and settled therein, We would surely have sent down to them from heaven an angel as a messenger. 17:96. Say: Allah is sufficient as a witness between me and you. Verily He is well aware of His slaves and sees them all. c-fWe have explained [the truth] to man in this Q ur’an, discussing different issues in various ways)? that is, We have various ways of exhortation and comparisons, and We have discussed repeatedly issues that people need to know, so that they may be reminded o f them and fear Allah. But only a few of them pay heed, those for whom Allah has previously decreed happiness, and whom Allah helped and guided. But most people insist on showing ingratitude for this blessing, which is the greatest o f all blessings, and they showed stubbornness by demanding signs other than the signs that Allah sent to His Prophet ( # |) , and they came up with suggested signs from their own ignorant and unjust minds. Hence they said to the Messenger of Allah (^ § ) who brought this Q ur’an which contains all kinds o f proof and signs: «(We will never believe in you until you cause a spring to gush forth from the earth for us)? that is, flowing rivers. ^O r you have a garden o f date palms and vines^ so that you no longer need to walk about in the marketplaces, coming and going. «(Or you cause the sky to fall upon us in pieces, as you claimed [will happen on the Day o f Resurrection])? that is, as a punishment. fjor you bring Allah and the angels before us, face to face)? that is, so we can see them with our own eyes and they testify to the truth o f what you have brought. ^O r you have a house made o f gold)? that is, adorned with gold and other materials sunniconnect.com Soorat al-Isra' (89-96) | 323 ^or you ascend to heaven)? physically, «fand even then we will not believe in your ascent unless you bring down to us a Book we can read)?. As this stubbornness and these demands were the words o f the most foolish and the most wicked o f people, which implied rejection o f the truth and an ill-mannered attitude towards Allah, and stemmed from a belief that it was the Messenger ( ^ ) who produced the signs by himself, Allah instructed him to declare Him to be far above that which they ascribed to Him, so He said: tjSay: Glory be to my Lord)? and exalted be He far above what they say, for His rulings and signs cannot be in accordance with their corrupt whims and desires and their misguided opinions. ^Am I anything but a man, sent as a M essenger?^ 1 have no control over the matter at all. This matter is what prevented most people from believing: the fact that the Messengers who were sent to them were humans o f their own kind. But this was by the mercy o f Allah towards them; He sent to them Messengers from among themselves, for they would not have been able to learn from angels. ^(If there had been angels on earth, walking about and settled therein)? then they would have been able to see angels and learn from them, so «|We would surely have sent down to them from heaven an angel as a messenger)? so that they could learn from them. «(Say: Allah is sufficient as a witness between me and you. Verily He is well aware o f His slaves and sees them all^. Part o f His testimony in support of His Messenger (* |§ ) is the miracles with which He supported him, the signs that He sent down to him and the victory that He granted him over those who opposed him. If the Messenger had fabricated any lies and attributed them to Allah, He would have seized him by his right hand, then cut off his aorta (cf 6 9 : 4 4 - 4 6 ). For Allah is All-Aware, All-Seeing, and nothing about His slaves is hidden from Him. sunniconnect.com  324 | Tafseer as-Sa'di Juz' 15 o o O 1^1 17:97. Whomever Allah guides is truly guided; whomever He causes to go astray, you will find no one to protect them from Him. On the Day of Resurrection, We will gather them on their faces, blind, dumb and deaf. Their abode will be hell; every time its flames die down, We will increase for them the fierceness of the blaze. 17:98. That will be their recompense because they rejected Our revelations and said: What! When we have turned into bones and dust, will we really be raised up and created anew? 17:99. Do they not see that Allah, Who created the heavens and the earth, has power to create the like of them? He has decreed an appointed time for them, of which there is no doubt. Yet the wrongdoers persist in disbelief. 17:100. Say: If you possessed the treasuries of my Lord’s bounty, you would surely hold them back for fear of spending, for man is ever miserly. Here Allah (4s) tells us that He is the only One Who has the power to guide or leave astray. Whomever He guides, He shows him the path of ease and protects him from the path o f hardship, so that he sunniconnect.com Soorat al-Isra ’ (97-100) | 325 will be truly guided. But whomever He sends astray, He will forsake him and leave him to his own devices, so he will have none to guide him other than Allah, and he will have no ally to protect him from the punishment o f Allah, when Allah gathers them on their faces by way o f humiliation and disgrace, blind and dumb, so that they will not be able to see or speak. ^Their abode)? that is, their destination ^will be hell^ in which all distress, anguish and punishment will be combined. every time its flames die down^ and are about to be extinguished f(We will increase for them the fierceness o f the blaze)? that is, We will make it increase in flame. The punishment will never be reduced, nor will they be finished off so that they might die. The punishment will never be alleviated, but Allah (4g) will not wrong them; rather He will requite them for disbelieving in His signs and denying the resurrection o f which all the Messengers and Books spoke, and for demanding signs from their Lord and denying His perfect power. ^and said: What! When we have turned into bones and dust, will we really be raised up and created anew?^ That is, that will never happen, because it is highly unlikely - according to their corrupt way o f thinking. ^D o they not see that Allah, Who created the heavens and the earthy, the creation o f which is greater than the creation o f man ^has power to create the like o f them?)? Indeed He is able to do that. But ^He has decreed an appointed time for them, o f which there is no doubt^ otherwise, if He so willed, he could have brought them all at once. «)Yet)?, even though He has established proof and evidence for the resurrection, ^the wrongdoers persist in disbelief)?, unjustly on their part and in rejection o f the truth. ^Say: If you possessed the treasuries o f my Lord’s bounty)? that never runs out or diminishes sunniconnect.com  326 I Tafseer as-Sa'di Juz’15 ffyou would surely hold them back for fear o f spending)? that is, lest what you spend from them runs out, even though it is impossible for the treasuries o f Allah to run out. But man is inherently stingy and miserly. (w 17:101. We gave Moosa nine clear signs - ask the Children of Israel. When he came to them, Pharaoh said to him: O Moosa, indeed I think you are bewitched. 17:102. Moosa said: You know full well that none but the Lord of the heavens and the earth has sent down these [signs] as clear evidence. Verily, O Pharaoh, I think that you are doomed! 17:103. So he resolved to drive them out of the land, but We drowned him and all those who were with him. 17:104. After his death, we said to the Children of Israel: Dwell in the land, but when the appointed time of the hereafter comes, We will bring you all together as a mixed crowd. That is: you, O Messenger who is supported by signs, are not the first Messenger to be rejected by the people, for before you We sent Moosa ibn ‘Imran, to whom We spoke directly, to Pharaoh and his people, and We gave him sjnine clear signs^. each o f which on its sunniconnect.com Soorat al-Isra' (105) | 327 own would have been sufficient for anyone whose aim was to follow the truth, such as the snake, the staff, the flood, the locusts, the lice, the frogs, the blood, the plague and the parting o f the sea. So if you doubt any o f that, «[ask the Children o f Israel)? ^W hen he came to them, Pharaoh said to him)? despite these signs Moosa, indeed I think you are bewitched)?. ^M oosa said)? to him: ^You know full well)?, O Pharaoh, ^that none but the Lord o f the heavens and the earth has sent down these [signs] as clear evidence)? from Him to His slaves, so your statement is not correct. Rather you only said that in order to deceive your own people and out o f disrespect towards their intelligence. ^Verily, O Pharaoh, I think that you are doomed!)? that is, disgraced and exposed to punishment, subject to condemnation, blame and curses. ^So he)? namely Pharaoh ffresolved to drive them out o f the land)? that is, to expel them and banish them from the land ^but We drowned him and all those who were with him ^ and we caused the Children o f Israel to inherit their land. Hence Allah says: ^A fter his death, we said to the Children o f Israel: Dwell in the land, but when the appointed time o f the hereafter comes, We will bring you all together as a mixed crowd)? that is, all o f you, so that We may requite each one according to his deeds. o 17:105. With the truth We have sent it [the Qur’an] down, and with the truth it has descended. And We have not sent you but as a bearer of glad tidings and a wamer. sunniconnect.com  328 | Tafseer as-Sa'di Juz’15 That is, with the truth We sent down this Noble Q ur’an, speaking of commands and prohibitions, reward and punishment. ^W ith the truth We have sent it [the Q ur’an] down]» that is, with truth from Allah and justice, and with protection from every accursed devil. ^And We have not sent you but as a bearer o f glad tidings^ to those who obey Allah, o f reward in this world and the hereafter «(and a wamerjj to those who disobey Allah, o f punishment in this world and the hereafter. This requires that there should also be further explanation o f the glad tidings and warnings that are given.