SURAH AL-ISRA

The Night Journey

Also Known as Bani Israel

(Maccie, Surah # 17, Verses 111 )

17:1 Glorified be He (Allah) Who took His servant (Muhammad SAW) for a journey by night from Al-Masjid-al-Haram (at Makkah) to Masjid-Aqsa (in Jerusalem), God has blessed the surroundings of Masjid-Aqsa. He took His servant on this visit to show him (miraculous) evidence of His (existence). It is He who is All-hearing and All-aware.

17:2 And We gave Musa the Scripture and made it a guidance for the Children of Israel (saying): "Take not other than Me as (your) Wakil (Protector, Lord)

17:3 O descendants of those We carried [in the ship] with Noah. Indeed, he was a grateful servant.

ISRAELIS

17:4 And We warned the Children of Israel in the Scripture, “You will certainly cause corruption in the land twice, and you will become extremely arrogant.

17:5 So when the [time of] promise came for the first of them, We sent against you servants of Ours - those of great military might,They entered the very innermost parts of your homes. And it was a promise (completely) fulfilled.

17:6 Then We gave you once again, a return of victory over them. And We helped you with wealth and children and made you more numerous in man power.

17:7 (And We said): "If you do good, you do good for your own selves, and if you do evil (you do it) against yourselves." Then, when the second promise came to pass, (We permitted your enemies) to make your faces sorrowful and to enter the mosque (of Jerusalem) as they had entered it before, and to destroy with utter destruction all that fell in their hands.

17:8 [Then Allah said], "It is expected, [if you repent], that your Lord will have mercy upon you. But if you return [to sin], We will return [to punishment]. And We have made Hell, for the disbelievers, a prison-bed."

17:9 Surely this Quran guides to that which is most upright and gives good news to the believers who do good that they shall have a great reward.

17:10 And that those who do not believe in the Hereafter - We have prepared for them a painful punishment.

17:11 And man invokes (Allah) for evil as he invokes (Allah) for good and man is ever hasty [i.e., if he is angry with somebody, he invokes (saying): "O Allah! Curse him, etc).

17:12 We have made the day and night each as evidence (of Our existence). The night is invisible and the day is visible so that you may seek favors from your Lord and determine the number of years and mark the passing of time. For everything We have given a detailed explanation. 

17:13 We have made every person's actions cling to his neck. On the Day of Judgment, We will bring forth the record of his actions in the form of a wide open book.

17:14 We will tell him, "Read it and judge for yourself."

17:15 Whoever chooses to be guided, it is only for their own good. And whoever chooses to stray, it is only to their own loss. No soul burdened with sin will bear the burden of another. And We would never punish ˹a people˺ until We have sent a messenger ˹to warn them˺.

17:16 And when We decide to destroy a town, We (first) send a definite order (to obey Allah) to those among them [or We (first) increase in number those of its population] who are given the good things of this life. Then, they transgress therein, and thus the word (of torment) is justified against it (them). Then We destroy it with complete destruction.

17:17 And how many generations have We destroyed after Nuh (Noah)! And Sufficient is your Lord as an All-Knower and All-Beholder of the sins of His slaves.

17:18 Whoever desires (only) the enjoyment of this life will receive it if We want it to be so. Then We will make Hell his reward wherein he will suffer, despised and driven away from Our mercy.

17:19 And whoever desires the Hereafter and strives for it, with the necessary effort due for it while he is a believer , then such are the ones whose striving shall be appreciated, thanked and rewarded (by Allah).

17:20 Each group will receive its share of your Lord's generosity. Your Lord's generosity is not limited.

17:21 Look how We have favored [in provision] some of them over others, and certainly the hereafter is much superior in respect of excellence.

17:22 Do not associate with Allah any other god, or you will sit blameworthy, forsaken.

PARENTS OF OLD AGE

17:23 And your Lord has decreed that you worship none but Him. And that you be dutiful to your parents. If one of them or both of them attain old age in your life, say not to them a word of disrespect, nor shout at them but address them in terms of honor.

17:24 Be humble and merciful towards them and say,  'My Lord, have mercy upon them, as they raised me up when I was little.'

17:25 Your Lord knows what is in your heart. If you are righteous, know that He is All-forgiving to those who turn to Him in repentance.

DO NOT WASTE WEALTH

17:26 And give the relative his right, and [also] the poor and the traveler, and do not spend wastefully.

17:27 Indeed, the wasteful are brothers of the Shaitan, and ever has Shaitan been to his Lord ungrateful?

17:28 But if you must turn them down ˹because you lack the means to give˺—while hoping to receive your Lord’s bounty—then ˹at least˺ give them a kind word.

17:29 Do not be stingy (your hand chained to your neck) nor over generous(wasteful) lest you become empty handed and bankrupt.

17:30 Your Lord increases and determines the sustenance of whomever He wants. He is Well Aware and watches over His servants.

DO NO KILL OUT OF FEAR OF POVERTY

17:31 Do not kill your children for fear of poverty. We will give sustenance to all of you. To kill them is certainly a great sin.

17:32 Do not go near adultery. It is truly a shameful deed and an evil way.

KILLING - QISAS

17:33 And do not kill anyone which Allah has forbidden, except for a just cause. And whoever is killed (intentionally with hostility and oppression and not by mistake), We have given his heir the authority [(to demand Qisas, Law of Equality in punishment or to forgive, or to take Diya (blood money)]. But let him not exceed limits in the matter of taking life. Verily, he is helped (by the Islamic law).

PROPERTY OF ORPHANS

17:34 Do not get close to the property of the orphans (unless it is for a good reason) until they are mature and strong. Keep your promise; you will be questioned about it.

GIVE FULL MEASURE IN SCALE

17:35 And give full measure when you measure, and weigh with a balance that is straight. That is good (advantageous) and better in the end.

17:36 Do not follow what you do not know; the ears, eyes, and hearts will all be held responsible for their deeds.

17:37 Do not walk proudly on the earth; your feet cannot tear apart the earth nor are you as tall as the mountains.

17:38 All the bad aspects of these (the above mentioned things) are hateful to your Lord.

17:39 This is part of the wisdom which your Lord has revealed to you ˹O Prophet˺. And do not set up any other god with Allah ˹O humanity˺, or you will be cast into Hell, blameworthy, rejected.

17:40 Then, has your Lord chosen you for [having] sons and taken from among the angels daughters? Indeed, you say a grave saying.

QURAN

17:41 And surely, We have explained [Our Promises, Warnings and (set forth many) examples] in this Quran that they (the disbelievers) may take heed, but it only drives them farther away.

17:42 (Muhammad), ask them, "Had there been many other gods besides Him, as they say, they should have found a way to the Lord of the Throne

17:43 Glorified and Highly Exalted is He above what they claim!

17:44 The seven heavens, the earth, and all those in them glorify Him. There is not a single thing that does not glorify His praises—but you ˹simply˺ cannot comprehend their glorification. He is indeed Most Forbearing, All-Forgiving.

17:45 And when you recite the Qur'an, We put between you and those who do not believe in the Hereafter a concealed partition.

17:46 And We have placed over their hearts coverings, lest they understand it, and in their ears deafness. And when you mention your Lord alone in the Qur'an, they turn back in aversion.

17:47 We know best how they listen to your recitation and what they say privately—when the wrongdoers say, “You would only be following a bewitched man.”

17:48 See how they call you names ˹O Prophet˺!1 So they have gone so ˹far˺ astray that they cannot find the ˹Right˺ Way.

17:49 And they say ˹mockingly˺, “When we are reduced to bones and ashes, will we really be raised as a new creation?”

17:50 Say, ˹O Prophet,˺ “˹Yes, even if˺ you become stones, or iron,

17:51 or whatever you think is harder to bring to life!” Then they will ask ˹you˺, “Who will bring us back ˹to life˺?” Say, “The One Who created you the first time.” They will then shake their heads at you and ask, “When will that be?” Say, “Perhaps it is soon!”

17:52 On the Day He will call you and you will respond with praise of Him and think that you had not remained [in the world] except for a little."

17:53 And say to My believing servant that they should (only) say those words that are the best. (Because) Shaitan verily, sows disagreements among them. Surely, Shaitan  is to man a plain enemy.

17:54 Your Lord knows you best, if He will, He will have mercy on you, or if He will, He will punish you. And We have not sent you (O Muhammad SAW) as a guardian over them.

17:55 And your Lord knows best all who are in the heavens and the earth. And indeed, We have preferred some of the Prophets above others, and to Dawud (David) We gave the Zabur (

17:56 (Muhammad), tell them, "Seek help from those whom you consider equal to God. They are not able to remove or change your hardships".

AULIA ALLAH( Mazar)

17:57 Those whom they call upon desire (for themselves) means of access to their Lord (Allah), as to which of them should be the nearest and they  hope for His Mercy and fear His Torment. Verily, the Torment of your Lord is something to be afraid of!

17:58 And there is no city but that We will destroy it before the Day of Resurrection or punish it with a severe punishment.that is written in the (eternal) Record.

REASON NOT TO SEND MIRACLES ANYMORE

17:59 And nothing has prevented Us from sending miracles except that the former peoples denied them. And We gave Thamud the she-camel as a visible sign, but they wronged her. and We do not send signs (miracles) except to warn [to make (men) fear]

17:60 And (remember) when We told you: "Verily! Your Lord has encompassed mankind. And We made not the vision which we showed you (Al-Isra') but a trial for mankind, and likewise the accursed tree (Zaqqum, mentioned) in the Quran. We warn and make them afraid but it only increases them in naught save great disbelief, oppression and disobedience to Allah.

17:61 And ˹remember˺ when We said to the angels, “Prostrate before Adam,” so they all did—but not Iblîs, who protested, “Should I prostrate to the one You have created from mud?”

17:62 Adding, “Do you see this one you honored above me? If you delay my end until the Day of Judgment, I will certainly take hold of his descendants, except for a few.”

17:63 Allah responded, “Be gone! Whoever of them follows you, Hell will surely be the reward for all of you—an ample reward.

17:64"And Istafziz [befool them gradually] those whom you can among them with your voice (songs, music), make assaults on them with your cavalry and your infantry, mutually share with them wealth and children (earn money by illegal ways usury, immorality), and make promises to them." But Shaitan promises them nothing but deceit.

17:65˹Allah added,˺ “You will truly have no authority over My ˹faithful˺ servants.” And sufficient is your Lord as a Guardian.

HARDSHIPS

17:66 It is your Lord who drives the ship for you through the sea that you may seek of His bounty. Indeed, He is ever, to you, Merciful.

17:67 If you are afflicted by hardships in the middle of the sea, it would be a mistake to call anyone other than Him for help. When Allah saves you from such difficulties, you turn away from Him. Human beings has always been ungrateful.

17:68 Do you then feel secure that He will not cause a side of the land to swallow you up, or that He will not send against you a violent sand-storm? Then, you shall find no Wakil (guardian one to guard you from the torment).

17:69 Or do you feel secure that He will not send you back a second time to sea and send against you a hurricane of wind and drown you because of your disbelief, then you will not find any avenger therein against Us?

17:70 Indeed, We have dignified 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.

GOOD DEEDS IN RIGHT HAND

17:71 (And remember) the Day when We shall call together all human beings with their Imam [their Prophets] So whosoever is given his record in his right hand, such will read their records, and they will not be dealt with unjustly in the least.

17:72 And whoever is blind in this world (i.e., does not see Allah's Signs and believes not in Him), will be blind in the Hereafter, and more astray from the Path.

17:73 And indeed, they were about to tempt you away from that which We revealed to you in order to [make] you invent about Us something else; and then they would have taken you as a friend.

17:74 And had We not made you stand firm, you would nearly have inclined to them a little.

17:75 Had you done so, We would certainly have made you face double punishment in this life and after your death and you would have found none to help you.

17:76 They were about to intimidate you to drive you out of the land ˹of Mecca˺, but then they would not have survived after you ˹had left˺ except for a little while.

17:77˹This has been˺ Our way with the messengers We sent before you. And you will never find any change in Our way.

TIMING OF PRAYERS

17:78 Perform As­Salat (Iqamat-as-Salat) from mid-day till the darkness of the night (i.e. the Zuhr, 'Asr, Maghrib, and 'Isha' prayers), and recite the Quran in the early dawn (i.e. the morning prayer). Verily, the recitation of the Quran in the early dawn is ever witnessed (attended by the angels in charge of mankind of the day and the night).

NAWAFIL

17:79 And in some parts of the night (also) offer the Salat (prayer) with it (i.e. recite the Quran in the prayer), as an additional prayer (Tahajjud optional prayer Nawafil) for you (O Muhammad SAW). It may be that your Lord will raise you to Maqaman Mahmuda (a station of praise and glory, i.e. the highest degree in Paradise!).

DUA BEFORE HIJRAT

17:80 And say (O Muhammad SAW): My Lord! Let my entry (to the city of Al-Madinah) be good, and likewise my exit (from the city of Makkah) be good. And grant me from You an authority to help me (or a firm sign or a proof).

17:81 And declare, “The truth has come and falsehood has vanished. Indeed, falsehood is bound to vanish.”

QURAN

17:82 And We send down from the Quran that which is a healing and a mercy to those who believe , and it increases the Zalimun nothing but loss.

17:83 When We do favors to the human being, he disregards it and turns away from it.And when evil touches him he is in great despair.

17:84 Say, "Everyone does as he wants. Your Lord knows best who has the right guidance."

17:85 And they ask you (O Muhammad SAW) concerning the Ruh (the Spirit); Say: "The Ruh (the Spirit): it is one of the things, the knowledge of which is only with my Lord. And of knowledge, you (mankind) have been given only a little."

17:86 If We willed, We could have certainly taken away what We have revealed to you ˹O Prophet˺—then you would find none to guarantee its return from Us—

17:87 had it not been for the mercy of your Lord. Indeed, His favor upon you is immense.

17:88 Say, "If all human beings and jinn were to come together to bring the equivalent of this Quran, they could not do so, even if they all were to help each other.

17:89 We have mentioned in this Quran all kinds of examples for the human being, but most human beings turn away in disbelief.

17:89 And We have truly set forth every ˹kind of˺ lesson for humanity in this Quran, yet most people persist in disbelief.

WE WILL NOT BELIEVE UNTIL;

17:90 They challenge ˹the Prophet˺, “We will never believe in you until you cause a spring to gush forth from the earth for us,

17:91 or until you have a garden of palm trees and vineyards, and cause rivers to flow abundantly in it,

17:92 or cause the sky to fall upon us in pieces, as you have claimed, or bring Allah and the angels before us, face to face,

17:93 or until you have a house of gold, or you ascend into heaven—and even then we will not believe in your ascension until you bring down to us a book that we can read.” Say, “Glory be to my Lord! Am I not only a human messenger?”

17:94 And nothing has prevented people from believing when guidance comes to them except their protest: “Has Allah sent a human as a messenger?”

17:95 Say, ˹O Prophet,˺ “Had there been angels walking the earth, well settled, We would have surely sent down for them an angel from heaven as a messenger.”

17:96 Say, “Sufficient is Allah as a Witness between me and you. He is certainly All-Knowing, All-Seeing of His servants.”

17:97 And whoever Allah guides - he is the [rightly] guided; and whoever He sends astray - you will never find for them protectors besides Him, and We will gather them on the Day of Resurrection [fallen] on their faces - blind, dumb and deaf. Their refuge is Hell; every time it subsides We increase them in blazing fire.

17:98 That is their reward for rejecting Our signs and asking ˹mockingly˺, “When we are reduced to bones and ashes, will we really be raised as a new creation?”

17:99 Have they not realized that Allah, Who created the heavens and the earth, can ˹easily˺ recreate them? He has ˹already˺ set for them a time, about which there is no doubt. But the wrongdoers persist in denial.

17:100 Say ˹to them, O  Prophet˺, “Even if you were to possess the ˹infinite˺ treasuries of my Lord’s mercy, then you would certainly withhold ˹them˺, fearing they would run out—for humankind is ever stingy!”

17:101 We surely gave Moses nine clear signs.1 ˹You, O  Prophet, can˺ ask the Children of Israel. When Moses came to them, Pharaoh said to him, “I really think that you, O  Moses, are bewitched.”

17:102 Moses replied, “You know well that none has sent these ˹signs˺ down except the Lord of the heavens and the earth as insights. And I really think that you, O  Pharaoh, are doomed.”

17:103 So Pharaoh wanted to scare the Israelites out of the land ˹of Egypt˺, but We drowned him and all of those with him.

17:104 And We said to the Children of Israel after Pharaoh, “Reside in the land, but when the promise of the Hereafter comes to pass,1 We will bring you all together.”

17:105 We sent it (the Quran) in all Truth and in all Truth it came. (Muhammad), We have sent you for no other reason than to be a bearer of glad news and a warner.

17:106 We have divided the Quran into many segments so that you would read them to the people in gradual steps as We reveal them to you from time to time.

17:107 Say (O Muhammad SAW to them): "Believe in it (the Quran) or do not believe. Verily! Those who were given knowledge before it (the Jews and the Christians like 'Abdullah bin Salam and Salman Al-Farisi), when it is recited to them, fall down on their faces in humble prostration."

17:108 and say, ‘Glory be to our Lord! Surely the promise of our Lord has been fulfilled.’

17:109 And they fall down upon their faces weeping, and it increases them in humility.”

RECITE PRAYER NOT TOO LOUD OR SILENTLY

17:110 Say, ˹O Prophet,˺ “Call upon Allah or call upon the Most Compassionate—whichever you call, He has the Most Beautiful Names.” Do not recite your prayers too loudly or silently, but seek a way between.

ALLAH HAS NO PARTNERS!

17:111 And say: "All the praises and thanks be to Allah, Who has not taken a son , and Who has no partner in (His) Kingdom, nor He does not need any guardian to help Him in His need. And glorify Him with [great] glorification."

Online Sources: Citations

https://quran.com/1

https://corpus.quran.com/translation.jsp?chapter=1&verse=1

https://noblequran.com/