Surah 17. Al-Israa

SAY:⁶⁵ "Call upon those [beings] whom you imagine [to be endowed with divine powers] beside Him⁶⁶ - and [you will find that] they have it not in their power to remove any affliction from you, or to shift it [elsewhere].⁶⁷

  - Mohammad Asad

Sc., "to those who believe in the existence of any divine power apart from God".

As the sequence shows, this relates to the worship of saints or angels.

I.e., to transfer it unto themselves: obviously an allusion to the Christian doctrine of "vicarious atonement".

Say: "Pray if you will to those whom you assert besides Him; they have neither the power to relieve you from any distress nor to change it."

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Say, 'O Prophet,' 'Invoke those you claim 'to be divine'¹ besides Him- they do not have the power to undo harm from you or transfer it 'to someone else'.'

  - Mustafa Khattab

 i.e., Jesus, Ezra, and the angels. Idol worship is refuted in other passages such as 7:191-198 and 34:22.

Say: Cry unto those (saints and angels) whom ye assume (to be gods) beside Him, yet they have no power to rid you of misfortune nor to change.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Say: "Call on those besides Him whom ye fancy: they have neither the power to remove your troubles from you nor to change them." ²²⁴²

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Men's suspicions of each or of the prophets have been condemned in the previous verses. We now have the strongest condemnation of all, that of imagining any other being as being equal or in the same category with One true God. Allah has all power: they have no power. They cannot remove men's troubles. They cannot even mitigate or change them so as to afford the least relief. Why indulge in false worship?

Those [saintly beings] whom they invoke are themselves striving to obtain their Sustainer's favour - [even] those among them who are closest [to Him]⁶⁸ - hoping for His grace and dreading His chastisement: for, verily, thy Sustainer's chastisement is something to beware of!

  - Mohammad Asad

I.e., the greatest of the prophets, as well as the angels.

Those to whom they pray, themselves seek the means of access to their Rabb - trying as to who can be more near - they hope for His Mercy and fear His punishment, for the punishment of your Rabb is terrible indeed.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

'Even' the closest 'to Allah' of those invoked would be seeking a way to their Lord, hoping for His mercy, and fearing His punishment. Indeed, your Lord's torment is fearsome.

  - Mustafa Khattab

Those unto whom they cry seek the way of approach to their Lord, which of them shall be the nearest; they hope for His mercy and they fear His doom. Lo! the doom of thy Lord is to be shunned.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Those whom they call upon do desire (for themselves) means of access to their Lord even those who are nearest: they hope for His Mercy and fear His Wrath: for the Wrath of thy Lord is something to take heed of. ²²⁴³

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Where men or heroes, or prophets or angels are worshipped, the worship is futile; because (1) even if they are good and holy, and ever so near to Allah, yet the nearest of them have need to seek means of access to Allah, and they do seek such means, viz.: the hope of Allah's Grace; (2) though by their very nature it is impossible for us to suppose that they will incur the Wrath of Allah, yet they are but creatures and are subject to the law of personal responsibility.

And [bear in mind:] there is no community which We will not destroy before the Day of Resurrection,⁶⁹ or chastise [even earlier, if it proves sinful,] with suffering severe: all this is laid down in Our decree.⁷⁰

  - Mohammad Asad

I.e., since everything in this world is ephemeral and bound to perish, man ought to be conscious of the life to come.

Lit., "in the decree" - i.e., in accordance with the immutable laws which God has laid down for His creation.

There is not a town but We shall destroy it before the Day of Resurrection or punish it with a severe punishment; this fact has been recorded in the Eternal Record.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

There is not a 'wicked' society that We will not destroy or punish with a severe torment before the Day of Judgment. That is written in the Record.

  - Mustafa Khattab

There is not a township but We shall destroy it ere the Day of Resurrection, or punish it with dire punishment. That is set forth in the Book (of Our decrees).

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

There is not a population but We shall destroy it before the Day of Judgment or punish it with a dreadful Penalty: that is written in the (eternal) Record. ²²⁴⁴

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

These verses are a commentary on the last clause of the last verse. "The Wrath of thy Lord is something to take heed of." The godless thoughtlessly challenge Allah's Wrath, but do they realise its nature? Even the best of us must be moved with terror when we think of its consequences, were it not for His unbounded Mercy. Those who deny the Hereafter fail to realise its terrible Portents. They ask for Portents and Miracles now, but do they realise that their coming means destruction and misery to those who reject faith? They will come soon enough. The whole world will be convulsed before the Day of Judgment. The part of the wise is to prepare for it.

And nothing has prevented Us from sending [this message, like the earlier ones,] with miraculous signs [in its wake], save [Our knowledge] that the people of olden times [only too often] gave the lie to them:⁷¹ thus, We provided for [the tribe of] Thamud the she-camel as a light-giving portent, and they sinned against it.⁷² And never did We send those signs for any other purpose than to convey a warning.

  - Mohammad Asad

This highly elliptic sentence has a fundamental bearing on the purport of the Qur'an as a whole. In many places the Qur'an stresses the fact that the Prophet Muhammad, despite his being the last and greatest of God's apostles, was not empowered to perform miracles similar to those with which the earlier prophets are said to have reinforced their verbal messages. His only miracle was and is the Qur'an itself - a message perfect in its lucidity and ethical comprehensiveness, destined for all times and all stages of human development, addressed not merely to the feelings but also to the minds of men, open to everyone, whatever his race or social environment, and bound to remain unchanged forever. Since the earlier prophets invariably appealed to their own community and their own time alone, their teachings were, of necessity, circumscribed by the social and intellectual conditions of that particular community and time; and since the people to whom they addressed themselves had not yet reached the stage of independent thinking, those prophets stood in need of symbolic portents or miracles (see surah {6}, note [94]) in order to make the people concerned realize the inner truth of their mission. The message of the Qur'an, on the other hand, was revealed at a time when mankind (and, in particular, that part of it which inhabited the regions marked by the earlier, Judaeo-Christian religious development) had reached a degree of maturity which henceforth enabled it to grasp an idealogy as such without the aid of those persuasive portents and miraculous demonstrations which in the past, as the above verse points out, only too often gave rise to new, grave misconceptions.

See the second paragraph of 7:73 and the corresponding note [57]. Although there is absolutely no indication in the Qur'an that the she-camel referred to was of miraculous origin, it was meant to be a test for the people of Thamud (cf. 54:27 ), and thus a "light-giving portent" (mubsirah).

We refrain from sending signs (miracles) only because the men of former generations treated them as false. For example, We sent the she-camel to the people of Thamud - a manifest sign - but they laid violent hands on her. We send the signs only by way of warning, and if people reject the sign after receiving it, they are doomed.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Nothing keeps Us from sending the 'demanded' signs except that they had 'already' been denied by earlier peoples. And We gave Thamûd the she-camel as a clear sign, but they wrongfully rejected it.¹ We only send the signs as a warning.

  - Mustafa Khattab

 Or they did wrong by it.

Naught hindereth Us from sending portents save that the folk of old denied them. And We gave Thamud the she-camel--a clear portent--but they did wrong in respect of her. We send not portents save to warn.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

And We refrain from sending the Signs only because the men of former generations treated them as false: We sent the She-camel: to the Thamud to open their eyes but they treated her wrongfully: We only send the Signs by way of terror (and warning from evil). ^{2245 2246 2247}

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Past generations treated Signs and Portents with contempt or rebellion, and brought about their own undoing. It is only Allah's Mercy that gives them Grace for a time and prevents the coming of those Portents and Punishments which would overwhelm them if they were put to their trial at once.

An example is cited from the story of Thamud. A wonderful She-camel was sent among them as a Portent and a Symbol. In their wickedness they hamstrung her. So instead of her reclaiming them she was a cause of their destruction, as their sin and rebellion were laid bare. For the story of the She-camel and the references to the passages in which she is mentioned, see n. 1044 to vii. 73.

Signs, Miracles, and Portents are sent by Allah as a warning, to strike terror into the hearts of evil-doers and reclaim them to the right path. I have discussed Fear as a motive for reclaiming certain kinds of hard hearts, in my note 82 to ii. 74. But some hearts are so hard that even this motive does not work. As they have a limited free-will given by Allah, they are to that extent free to choose. But when they actually choose evil, Allah in His infinite Mercy delays their punishment and removes the occasion for their immediate self-destruction by withholding the Signs which might make them transgress all the more and compass their total destruction.

And lo! We said unto thee, [O Prophet:] "Behold, thy Sustainer encompasses all mankind [within His knowledge and might]: and so We have ordained that the vision which We have shown thee⁷³ - as also the tree [of hell,] cursed in this Qur'an - shall be but a trial for men.⁷⁴ Now [by Our mentioning hell] We convey a warning to them: but [if they are bent on denying the truth,] this [warning] only increases their gross, overweening arrogance."

  - Mohammad Asad

The vision (ru'ya) mentioned here is the Prophet's experience of the Ascension, preceded by the Night Journey (see Appendix IV). In as much as this experience was and is open to most conflicting interpretations and, hence, may give rise to doubts regarding its objective reality, it becomes - as stated in the sequence - "a trial for men": the weak of faith and the superficial are shaken in their belief in Muhammad's veracity and, thus, in his prophethood; whereas those who firmly believe in God see in it an extraordinary evidence of the spiritual grace which He bestows on His chosen ones, and are, therefore, strengthened in their faith in the message of the Qur'an.

As regards "the tree cursed in this Qur'an", there is no doubt that it is the "tree of deadly fruit" (shajarat az-zaqquim) spoken of in 37:62 ff. and 44:43 ff. as one of the manifestations of hell (see {37:62-63} and the corresponding notes [22] and [23], the latter of which explains why this "tree" has become "a trial for men"). In the above context it is described as "cursed" because it obviously symbolizes hell itself. The reason why only "hell" - and no other manifestation of the hereafter - is specifically alluded to here becomes evident in the subsequent statement that it is meant to convey a warning.

Remember, O Muhammad! We told you that your Rabb encompasses mankind. We have made the Vision which We showed you, and the cursed tree of Zaqqum which is mentioned in the Qur'an, a test for these people of Makkah. We are giving them warning to be fearful but it only increases their inordinate transgression.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

And 'remember, O Prophet' when We told you, 'Certainly your Lord encompasses the people.' And We have made what We brought you to see¹ as well as the cursed tree 'mentioned' in the Quran² only as a test for the people. We keep warning them, but it only increases them greatly in defiance.

  - Mustafa Khattab

 During the Night Journey mentioned in 17:1.

 The tree of Zaqqûm which grows in the depths of Hell as mentioned in 37:62-65. The pagans of Mecca used to make fun of the Prophet (ﷺ) and say, “How can a tree grow in Hell?”

And (it was a warning) when We told thee: Lo! thy Lord encompasseth mankind, and We appointed the vision which We showed thee as an ordeal for mankind, and (likewise) the Accursed Tree in the Qur'an. We warn them, but it increaseth them in naught save gross impiety.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Behold! We told thee that thy Lord doth encompass mankind round about: We granted the Vision which We showed thee but as a trial for men as also the Cursed Tree (mentioned) in the Qur'an: We put terror (and warning) into them but it only increases their inordinate transgression! ^{2248 2249 2250}

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

The reference may be to lxxii. 28, probably an earlier Makkan revelation. But the argument is independent of time. This verse falls naturally into three divisions. Warnings and Portents and Signs are sent or not sent according to Allah's All-Wise Plan of Mercy and Justice, this is in no wise inconsistent with the apparent freedom given to the wicked: because (1) in any case Allah is all round all His creatures, and His delay as a Sign of Mercy in no way diminishes His power; (2) the Visions of Truth vouchsafed to Prophets of Allah are themselves Signs by which they can warn the ungodly; and (3) sometimes it is more merciful to give them time by not immediately bringing the matter to judgment.

Some Commentators take this as referring to the Mi'raj (xvii. 1) and others to other visions. Such visions are miracles, and become a stumbling block to unbelievers. They are an encouragement to men of faith. Thus they are "a trial for men".

The tree Zaqqum, a bitter and pungent tree described as growing at the bottom of Hell, a type of all that is disagreeable. See xxxvii. 62-65; xliv. 43-46; and lvi. 52. All these are Suras chronologically earlier than this Sura. The application of the name to a tree of the myrobalan kind in the region of Jericho is, I think, of post-Quranic date. It is a trial for wrong-doers. See xxxvii. 63 and n. 4073.

AND LO! We said unto the angels, "Prostrate yourselves before Adam" - whereupon they all prostrated themselves, save Iblis.⁷⁵ Said he: "Shall I prostrate myself before one whom Thou hast created out of clay?"

  - Mohammad Asad

For an explanation of the allegory of Adam and the angels, see {2:30-34}, {7:11-18} and {15:26-41}, as well as the corresponding notes. In the present instance, as in Al-A'raf and Al-Hijr, the accent is on the contempt of Iblls for Adam (which is obviously a metonym for the whole human race): hence, this passage apparently connects with the end of verse {53} above - "verily, Satan is man's open foe!" The stress on man's dignity - expressed in God's commandment to the angels to "prostrate themselves before Adam" - links this allegory with verses {70-72}.

Recall the occasion when We said to the angels: "Prostrate yourselves before Adam." They all prostrated except Iblees (Shaitan), who replied: "Should I prostrate to the one whom You have created from clay?"

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

And 'remember' when We said to the angels, 'Prostrate before Adam,' so they all did- but not Iblîs,¹ who protested, 'Should I prostrate to the one You have created from mud?'

  - Mustafa Khattab

 See footnote for 2:34.

And when We said unto the angels: Fall down prostrate before Adam and they fell prostrate all save Iblis, he said: Shall I fall prostrate before that which Thou hast created of clay?

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Behold! We said to the angels: "Bow down unto Adam": they bowed down except Iblis: he said "Shall I bow down to one whom Thou didst create from clay?" ²²⁵¹

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Cf. vii. 11-18, which deals, as is the case here, with the temptation of the individual human soul, while ii. 30-38 deals with the collective race of man through Adam. Arrogance, jealousy, spite, and hatred are the ingredients in the story of Iblis.

[And] he added: "Tell me, is this [foolish being] the one whom Thou hast exalted above me? Indeed, if Thou wilt but allow me a respite till the Day of Resurrection, I shall most certainly cause his descendants - all but a few - to obey me blindly!"⁷⁶

  - Mohammad Asad

Cf. {7:16-17}. The verb hanaka denotes, literally, "he put a rope around the lower jaw (hanak) [of a horse]", i.e., in order to lead it; hence, the form ihtanaka means "he made [another being] follow him submissively" or "obey him blindly".

Then he asked: "Tell me, is this the one whom You have honored above me? If You give me respite till the Day of Resurrection, I will certainly uproot all but a few of his descendants."

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Adding, 'Do you see this one you honoured above me? If you delay my end until the Day of Judgment, I will certainly take hold of his descendants, except for a few.'

  - Mustafa Khattab

He said: Seest Thou this (creature) whom Thou hast honored above me, if Thou give me grace until the Day of Resurrection I verily will seize his seed, save but a few.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

He said "Seest Thou? This is the one whom thou hast honored above me! If Thou wilt but respite me to the Day of Judgment I will surely bring his descendants under my sway all but a few!" ²²⁵²

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

The power of Evil (Satan) over man is due to man's limited free-will. In other words man hands himself to Evil. As to those who loyally worship and serve Allah, Evil has no power over them. This is expressly mentioned in verse 65 below, and in other places.

[God] answered: "Go [the way thou hast chosen]! But as for such of them as shall follow thee - behold, hell will be the recompense of you [all], a recompense most ample!

  - Mohammad Asad

Allah said: "Go away! Hell is your reward, and the reward of those who follow you, an ample reward it shall be.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Allah responded, 'Be gone! Whoever of them follows you, Hell will surely be the reward for all of you- an ample reward.

  - Mustafa Khattab

He said: Go, and whosoever of them followeth thee--lo! Hell will be your payment, ample payment.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Allah said: "Go thy way; if any of them follow thee verily Hell will be the recompense of you (all) an ample recompense. ²²⁵³

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

The power of Evil is summarily dismissed, but not without a clear warning. "Do thy worst; if any of them misuse their limited free-will and deliberately follow thee, they must take the consequences with thee; all of you must answer according to your personal responsibility."

Entice, then, with thy voice such of them as thou canst, and bear upon them with all thy horses and all thy men,⁷⁷ and be their partner in [all sins relating to] worldly goods and children,⁷⁸ and hold out [all manner of] promises to them: and [they will not know that] whatever Satan promises them is but meant to delude the mind.⁷⁹

  - Mohammad Asad

This is an idiomatically established metaphor, signifying "with all thy might".

An allusion to possessions acquired by sinful means or spent on sinful purposes, and to the begetting of children through fornication or adultery. (It must, however, be pointed out that in the ethics and the canon law of Islam no moral stigma and no legal disability whatever attaches to the child thus begotten.)

Cf. 4:120 and the corresponding note [142].

You may try to allure whomsoever you can with your seductive voice, muster against them all your cavalry and infantry, be their partner in their riches and their children, and promise them what you will - the promises of shaitan are nothing but deception

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

And incite whoever you can of them with your voice, mobilize against them all your cavalry and infantry, manipulate them in their wealth and children, and make them promises.' But Satan promises them nothing but delusion.

  - Mustafa Khattab

And excite any of them whom thou canst with thy voice, and urge thy horse and foot against them, and be a partner in their wealth and children, and promise them. Satan promiseth them only to deceive.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

"Lead to destruction those whom thou canst among them with thy (seductive) voice; make assaults on them with thy cavalry and thy infantry; mutually share with them wealth and children; and make promises to them. But Satan promises them nothing but deceit. ^{2254 2255 2256 2257 2258}

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

"Do thy worst; but ye are both warned that that path leads to destruction."

Evil has many snares for mankind. The one that is put in the foreground is the voice,-the seductive personal appeal, that "makes the worse appear the better part".

The forcible assault of Evil is next mentioned under the metaphor of cavalry and infantry. It is when cajolery and tempting fair-seeming seem to fail that an attack is made in force with weapons of violence, of all kinds, like the different arms in an organised army.

If the first assaults are resisted. Evil has other weapons in its armoury. Tangible fruits are dangled before the eyes, ill-gotten gains and children of sin, that follow from certain very alluring methods of indulgence in passions. Or it may be children dedicated to sin or worldly gains, etc. And then there are all kinds of promises for the future.

This is a parenthetical clause inserted to show up what the promises of the Satan are worth.

"[And yet,] behold, thou shalt have no power over [such of] My servants [as place their trust in Me]:⁸⁰ for none is as worthy of trust as thy Sustainer."

  - Mohammad Asad

I.e., "thou shalt have no real power over them", as brought out in 14:22 and 15:42 .

- as for My servants, you shall have no authority over them. Your Rabb is sufficient as their Guardian."

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

'Allah added,' 'You will truly have no authority over My 'faithful' servants.' And sufficient is your Lord as a Guardian.

  - Mustafa Khattab

Lo! My (faithful) bondmen--over them thou hast no power,--and thy Lord sufficeth as (their) guardian.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

"As for My servants no authority shalt thou have over them." Enough is thy Lord for a Disposer of affairs. ^{2259 2260}

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

This verse should be read along with the two preceding ones to complete their meaning. Evil has no power except over those who yield to its solicitations.

As Evil has no authority over the sincere servants of Allah, they should put their trust completely in Him. For He is All-Sufficient to carry out their affairs, and by His grace, to save them from all harm and danger.

YOUR SUSTAINER is He who causes ships to move onward for you through the sea, so that you might go about in quest of some of His bounty: verily, a dispenser of grace is He unto you.

  - Mohammad Asad

Your Rabb is the One Who drives your ships across the ocean, so that you may seek His bounty; indeed He is ever Merciful to you.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

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

(O mankind), your Lord is He Who driveth for you the ship upon the sea that ye may seek of His bounty. Lo! He was ever Merciful toward you.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

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.

And whenever danger befalls you at sea, all those [powers] that you are wont to invoke forsake you, [and nothing remains for you] save Him: but as soon as He has brought you safe ashore, you turn aside [and forget Him] - for, indeed, bereft of all gratitude is man!

  - Mohammad Asad

Whenever any adversity strikes you at sea, all those to whom you pray besides Him forsake you except He; yet when He brings you safe to the land, you turn your backs upon Him. Indeed, man is ever ungrateful.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

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

And when harm toucheth you upon the sea, all unto whom ye cry (for succour) fail save Him (alone), but when He bringeth you safe to land, ye turn away, for man was ever thankless.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

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.

Can you, then, ever feel sure that He will not cause a tract of dry land to swallow you up, or let loose upon you a deadly stormwind,⁸¹ whereupon you would find none to be your protector?

  - Mohammad Asad

Lit., "a stormwind that raises stones" (Taj al-'Arus, art. hasaba).

Are you confident that He will not cave in the land beneath you, or let loose a deadly tornado upon you? Then you may not find anyone to protect you.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

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

Feel ye then secure that He will not cause a slope of the land to engulf you, or send a sandstorm, upon you, and then ye will find that ye have no protector?

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

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 can you, perchance, feel sure that He will not make you put back to sea⁸² once again, and then let loose upon you a raging tempest and cause you to drown in requital of your ingratitude - whereupon you would find none to uphold you against Us?

  - Mohammad Asad

Lit., "therein".

Or, are you confident that when again you go back to sea He will not smite you with a violent tempest and drown you for your thanklessness? If that happens, then you will not find anyone who can question Us regarding this end of yours.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

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 feel ye secure that He will not return you to that (plight) a second time, and send against you a hurricane of wind and drown you for your thanklessness, and then ye will not find therein that ye have any avenger against Us?

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

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.

NOW, INDEED, We have conferred dignity on the children of Adam,⁸³ and borne them over land and sea, and provided for them sustenance out of the good things of life, and favoured them far above most of Our creation:

  - Mohammad Asad

I.e., by bestowing upon them the faculty of conceptual thinking (cf. 2:31 and the corresponding note [23]), which makes them superior in this respect to all other animate beings, and even to the angels. By stressing here this unique distinction of man, the present passage connects with, and continues the theme of, verse {61} above.

It is Our favor that We have honored the children of Adam, blessed them with conveyances on land and sea, provided them with good and pure things and exalted them above many of Our creatures.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

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

Verily We have honored the children of Adam. We carry them on the land and the sea, and have made provision of good things for them, and have preferred them above many of those whom We created with a marked preferment.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

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?

[but] one Day We shall summon all human beings [and judge them] according to the conscious disposition which governed their deeds [in life]:⁸⁴ whereupon they whose record shall be placed in their right hand⁸⁵ - it is they who will read their record [with happiness]. Yet none shall be wronged by as much as a hair's breadth:⁸⁶

  - Mohammad Asad

Thus Razi interprets the phrase nad'u kulla unasin bi-imamihim (lit., "We shall summon all human beings by [mentioning] their leaders" or "guides"). In his opinion, the expression imam (lit., "leader" or "guide") has in this context an abstract connotation, signifying the conscious disposition, good or bad, which governs a person's behaviour and provides the motives for his deeds. This interpretation is most convincing, and particularly so in view of the fundamental hadith quoted in my note [32] on 53:39 .

A symbolic image, often used in the Qur'an, denoting an acknowledgement of righteousness in the spiritual sense, just as the "left hand" indicates its opposite (cf. 69:19 and {25}, as well as 84:7 ).

This last clause obviously applies to both the righteous and the unrighteous. (For my above rendering of fatil, see surah {4}, note [67].)

Just imagine the scene of that Day when We shall call every community with their respective Imams (leaders): then those who will be given their 'book of deeds' in their right hand will read it with pleasure and they will not be wronged in the least.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

'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.

On the day when We shall summon ill men with their record, whoso is given his book in his right hand such will read their book and they will not be wronged a shred.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

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.

for whoever is blind [of heart] in this [world] will be blind in the life to come [as well], and still farther astray from the path [of truth].⁸⁷

  - Mohammad Asad

Cf. {20:124-125}. This passage shows that man's life in the hereafter is not merely conditioned by the manner of his life on earth, but is also an organic extension of the latter, manifested in a natural development and intensification of previously-existing tendencies.

But those who have played blind in this world will be blind in the hereafter, rather worse than blind in finding the Way to Salvation.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

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

Whoso is blind here wilt be blind in the Hereafter, and yet further from the road.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

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.

AND, behold, they [who have gone astray] endeavour to tempt thee away from all [the truth] with which We have inspired thee, [O Prophet,] with a view to making thee invent something else in Our name - in which case they would surely have made thee their friend!⁸⁸

  - Mohammad Asad

This relates to an offer of "compromise" made by the pagan Quraysh: they demanded of the Prophet that he give some sort of recognition to their tribal deities and attribute this recognition to God; in return, they promised to recognize him as a prophet and to make him their leader. Naturally, the Prophet rejected this offer.

O Muhammad! These people have tried to entice you from Our revelations, hoping that you might fabricate something in Our name. Had you done that, they would have made you their friend.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

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 they indeed strove hard to beguile thee (Muhammad) away from that wherewith We have inspired thee, that thou shouldst invent other than it against Us; and then would they have accepted thee as a friend.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

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.

And had We not made thee firm [in faith], thou might have inclined to them a little⁸⁹ -

  - Mohammad Asad

The implication is that the Prophet's deep faith made it impossible for him to consider anything of this kind.

Had We not strengthened your faith, you might have made some compromise with them.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

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

  - Mustafa Khattab

And if We had not made thee wholly firm thou mightest almost have inclined unto them a little.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

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.

in which case We would indeed have made thee taste double [chastisement] in life and double [chastisement] after death,⁹⁰ and thou wouldst have found none to succour thee against Us!

  - Mohammad Asad

I.e., "for having gone astray despite the revelation bestowed on thee by God, and for having, by thy example, led thy followers astray as well". The purport of the above passage goes, however, beyond the historical event or events to which it relates: it expresses the idea that any conscious offence against a fundamental truth is an unforgivable sin.

In such a case We would have given you double punishment in this life and in the life hereafter. Then you would have found no helper against Our wrath.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

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

Then had We made thee taste a double (punishment) of living and a double (punishment) of dying, then hadst thou found no helper against Us.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

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.