The Conditions of the Children of Israel throughout History

Tafsir of Surah al-Isra Ayah 4-8

(We informed the Children of Israel in the scripture that, ‘You would indeed make mischief on the earth twice, and you would indeed be tyrannically arrogant.’

When the promise of the first one came to pass, We would send you some of Our slaves, possessing great might. They would ravage through the houses, and it was a promise that would be inevitably fulfilled.

Then We gave you back dominance over them, provided you with wealth, and made you more in number.

If you act righteously, it is for the benefit of yourselves, and if you act wickedly, you harm yourselves. When the second promise came to pass, We would empower your enemies over you so that they would humiliate you, enter the Mosque as they formerly entered it, and utterly destroy whatever is under their control.

Your Lord may have mercy on you, and if you re-corrupt, We shall re-punish you, and We have made Hell a prison for the disbelievers.)

[Q 17:4-8]

Relationship with the Previous Part

After Allah, Exalted is He, mentioned how He bestowed His blessings on the Children of Israel by revealing the Torah to their Prophet Moses to guide them to the straight path, He mentioned the fact that they did not comply with teachings of the Torah. Rather, they made corruption on earth by killing the Prophets of Allah, and shedding blood. Thus, Allah made the Babylon under the leadership of Nebuchadnezzar dominate them. They killed them, plundered their wealth, ruined Jerusalem, and captured their children and women. This was the first corruption and the punishment for it. Then after the Children of Israel repented, and obeyed Allah, He made them re-dominate, and provided them with wealth and offspring. Then they re-corrupted on earth, disobeyed Allah, and killed Prophet John. Thus, Allah made the Persians dominate them. They killed them, plundered their wealth, and ruined Jerusalem for the second time. After that Allah, Exalted is He, promised to make them victorious if they obeyed Him, and punish them in hellfire if they disobeyed Him and corrupted on earth. 

Tafsir

(We informed the Children of Israel in the scripture that, ‘You would indeed make mischief on the earth twice, and you would indeed be tyrannically arrogant.’) [4]

Allah, Exalted is He, mentioned what the Children of Israel would do, and how their conditions would be. This denotes His comprehensive knowledge.
Allah, Exalted is He, mentioned in the Torah that the Children of Israel would make corruption on the earth twice, and would be tyrannically arrogant. Such acts would cause them loss and destruction.  
Some of the acts of the corruption of the Children of Israel are distortion of the Torah, not complying with its teachings, and killing the Prophets and righteous people. 

(When the promise of the first one came to pass, We would send you some of Our slaves, possessing great might. They would ravage through the houses, and it was a promise that would be inevitably fulfilled.) [5]

When the time of the punishment for your first corruption came – O Children of Israel, We would send you some of Our slaves, possessing great might. They would humiliate, defeat, and subjugate you. They would also ravage your houses, and look for whomever of you, who might be still alive, to kill him. 
Thus, you would be humiliated and killed. Your houses would be ruined, and your wealth would be plundered. This promise of Allah would be inevitably fulfilled, and you could not escape it. 

It may be asked the following question: What is the benefit of Allah’s informing of the fact that the Children of Israel would make corruption on the earth twice, and that He would punish them for their corruption by making some of His slaves dominate and subjugate them?

The answer is as follows: Allah mentions such matter so that it becomes clear that He is not unjust. Allah punishes people because of their sins, though He forgives many of their sins. On the other hand, His mercy embraces them if they repent and obey Him. Moreover, such informing gives warning to the wise everywhere that they must not disobey Allah because the result will be severe punishment.  
In addition, such informing gave warning to the Jews during the time of Prophet Muhammadﷺ and their likes. It made clear to them that one of the rules of Allah is that the end of corruption is loss in this world and punishment in the hereafter.   

(Then We gave you back dominance over them, provided you with wealth, and made you more in number.)[6]

O Children of Israel! After you repented, did righteous deeds, and obeyed your messengers, We gave you back dominance and victory over your enemies, who subjugated and humiliated you. Moreover, We provided you with abundant wealth, and offspring after your enemies plundered your wealth and killed many of your children. We also made your number more than your enemies’ number, and made you stronger than them.
Thus, it was obligatory on you that you should acknowledge these blessings, and use them in a manner that pleases Allah. You should have thanked Allah for His blessings, worshipped Him alone, and obeyed His commands. Indeed, Allah made you victorious after you were defeated, rich after you were poor, and many after your number decreased when your enemies killed many of your people.   
Then Allah, Exalted is He, mentions one of His lasting rules. This rule states that the result of acting righteously is success, the result of sinning is loss, and that every man is responsible for his deeds and their consequences will affect him, whether good or bad. 

(If you act righteously, it is for the benefit of yourselves, and if you act wickedly, you harm yourselves. When the second promise came to pass, We would empower your enemies over you so that they would humiliate you, enter the Mosque as they formerly entered it, and utterly destroy whatever is under their control.)[7]

(If you act righteously, it is for the benefit of yourselves, and if you act wickedly, you harm yourselves.)

O people! If you act righteously by obeying the commands of Allah and avoiding His prohibitions, you will succeed and attain His pleasure. On the other hand, if you act wickedly by disobeying Allah, and committing sins, you will lose, and bear the negative results of your disobedience to Allah. 

Then Allah, Exalted is He, told about what would happen to the Children of Israel after their second corruption.  

(When the second promise came to pass, We would empower your enemies over you so that they would humiliate you, enter the Mosque as they formerly entered it, and utterly destroy whatever is under their control.)[7]

O Children of Israel! When the time of your second corruption came, We would empower your enemies over you. They would humiliate you until the effects of humiliation and sadness became clear on your faces because of the great abuse and killing that you would suffer. Your enemies would enter the mosque in Jerusalem as they formerly entered it, that is to say, by means of dominance and humiliation, and they would destroy the places they controlled. 
Then the ayat are concluded with showing that the destruction that would befall the Children of Israel might be a means for their repentance, which would make them attain the mercy of Allah.

(Your Lord may have mercy on you, and if you re-corrupt, We shall re-punish you, and We have made Hell a prison for the disbelievers.)[8]

(Your Lord may have mercy on you…)

O Children of Israel! Your Lord, Allah, may have mercy on you if you worship Him sincerely, obey Him and do righteous deeds. Indeed, Allah, Exalted is He, only causes afflictions to befall because of sinning. He only removes afflictions by means of repentance and obeying His commands and avoiding His prohibitions. 

(… and if you re-corrupt, We shall re-punish you…)

If you re-corrupt by sinning and disobeying Allah after His mercy embraces you, Allah will re-punish you through killing, and destruction.

Then, Allah, Exalted is He, mentions what the punishment of the disbelievers will be in the hereafter. 

(…and We have made Hell a prison for the disbelievers.)

The punishment of the disbelievers will be Hell in the hereafter. They will be remain there forever, suffering its severe torment. 
The scholars mention many opinions about the identity of the people whom Allah made dominant over the Children of Israel. Commenting on this issue, imam ibn Kathîr said, ‘Many Israeli narrations have been narrated about this issue. I do not think that it is useful to make the book long by mentioning them. That is because some of these narrations are fabricated, and some may be authentic. We do not need them, thank to Allah. What Allah narrated to us about it in the Quran suffices us to the exclusion of what is mentioned in the former books. Moreover, neither Allah nor His messenger made us need them. Allah, Exalted is He, informed us that when the Children of Israel became tyrannical, He made their enemies dominate them so they killed them, entered and destroyed their houses, and humiliated them, which was an appropriate punishment for their disobedience and corruption. Indeed, Allah is never unjust to His slaves. Indeed, the Children of Israel sinned, and killed many prophets and scholars.’  
Imam ar-Rãzy said, ‘You should know that it is not important to know the exact identity of those who subjugated the Children of Israel. Rather, the intended goal is to make clear that when the Children of Israel excessively disobeyed Allah, Exalted is He, He made some people dominate, kill, and annihilate them.’ 

Learned Lessons

• The truthfulness of the information that Allah told about the Children of Israel, that is to say, that they would commit sins. Indeed, His knowledge is comprehensive. 
• Re-punishment may be mercy from Allah. That is because it may be a tool for refinement and repentance.  
• Coping with crises invigorates the souls, opens doors of hope before them, and drives away despair. 
• The result of acting righteously benefits the doer. Likewise, the result of acting wickedly harms the doer. Allah is never unjust to His slaves. He reward them immensely if they obey Him, and punish them if they insist on disobeying Him. 
• Allah is just. Whoever re-disobeys Him, He will re-punish him. Similarly, whoever repents and acts righteously, Allah will have mercy on him, and forgive his sins.
• The punishment of the disbelievers will not be only in the worldly life. They will be also punished in hereafter. They will enter the Hell and remain therein forever, suffering its severe torment. 

Recitation of Surah Al-Isra

How the Disbelievers Listen to the Quran

Muhammad bin Ishãq reported in the biography of Prophet Muhammadﷺ that Muhammad bin Muslim bin Shihãp az-Zuhry said, ‘I was informed that once abû Sufyãn bin Harab, abû Jahal bin Hishãm, and al-A’khnas bin Shurayk went out to listen to the recitation of the Messenger of Allah when he was praying in his house during night. 
Each one of them sat at a different place listening to the recitation without knowing the place of the other ones. They spent the night listening to the prophet’s recitation. At dawn, they left their places. They met one another on their return. They blamed each other, saying, ‘Do not return to listen to Muhammad’s recitation. If someone of the foolish sees you, you will make him doubt.’ Then they returned to their houses.

 The next night, each one of them returned to the same place, and listened to the Prophet’s recitation. Once again, they spent the night listening to the Prophet’s recitation. They said to one another what they said the previous time, and then returned to their houses. The third night, each one of them returned and sat at the same place, and spent the night listening to the Prophet’s recitation. At dawn, they left their places.

 They met on their return to their houses. They said, ‘We shall not leave this place until we make a covenant that we will never return to do so.’ They made a covenant and left one another.

In the morning, al-A’khnas bin Shurayk took his stick, and went to the house of abû Sufyãn bin Harab. He said, ‘Abû Hanzala! Tell me your opinion on what you heard from Muhammad.’ Abû Sufyãn said, ‘O abû Tha’laba! By Allah, I have heard things that I know, but I do not know what they mean. And I heard things I neither know what they mean, nor what they refer to.’

Al-A’khnas said, ‘So am I. By the one you swore.’ Then he left abû Sufyã, and went to abû Jahal. He entered his house and said, ‘O abû al-Hakam! What is your opinion on what you heard from Muhammad? Abû Jahal said, 
‘What I heard! The family of banû Abd-Manãf and our family compete with one another. They fed people, so we fed people, they engaged in battle, so we engaged in battle, and they gave, so we gave. When we have become close to one another like two competing horses, they said, ‘There is a prophet from our family to whom revelation from the heaven comes. How could we compete with that? By Allah, we will neither believe in him, nor trust him.’
 Thereupon, al-A’khans left him.’

The Quran Guides to the Best Way

(Indeed, this Qur’an guides to the best way, and gives good news to the believers, who do righteous deeds that they will have a great reward.) [Quran Surah al-Isra: 9] 

O Muhammad! Indeed, this noble Quran that Allah revealed to you guides people to the right path in all their affairs, worldly and religious, which is following the religion of Islam. Whoever follows this guidance will attain happiness, and whoever does not follow it will lose.

(Indeed, this Quran guides to the best way,)

The author of Fî Zilãl al-Qur’an wrote:

‘It is an absolute statement, regarding the guided ones, and to what they are guided. This guidance includes people and generations that are not restricted by time or place. It also includes every method and path Allah guides them to, and every good to which people are guided to in all times and places.

The Quran guides to the best way in tangible and intangible worlds by means of the clear, and simple creed, not having any complication nor ambiguity. This creed frees man’s soul from burden of myth and superstition. It releases constructive human energy so it works and constructs, harmoniously and compatibly connecting rules governing nature and human natural disposition.

The Quran guides to the best way by harmonizing between man’s outward and inward existence; feelings and behavior; creed and action. They are all linked to the strong unbreakable bond, i.e. there is no god worthy of worship but Allah, Exalted is He. While doing so, man looks closely to the waiting reward in heaven though he is still on earth. Thus, man’s actions become worship if he does them sincerely for the sake of Allah even such actions are done for enjoying and rejoicing in life.

The Quran guides to the best way in the world of worship by balancing between obligations and man’s ability. Thus, obligations are neither difficult so the soul is bored and becomes unable to fulfill them, nor they are easy so the soul becomes lenient and negligent, nor they exceed the limits of reasonableness, rationality, and bearability.

The Quran guides to the best regarding relationships of people with each other, individuals, couples, governments, nations, states, and races. It establishes these relationships on firm and strong foundations that are influenced by neither opinions, whims, love and hatred, nor changed by interests and goals. The Omniscient, Allah, who knows everything about His creation, has established these foundations. He knows what is good for them in every place and every generation, so He guides them to the best way regarding the system of government, finance, society, and international relationship, befitting human beings.

The Quran guides to the best way regarding adopting all divine religions and connecting between them, revering their sacredness, and preserving their inviolability. Thus, all humanity enjoys peace and harmony.’

Theme of Surah al-Isra

The main theme of Surah al-Isra is establishing principles of Islamic creed just as all surahs revealed in Mecca do.

Surah al-Isra informs about a great miracle that was given the final Prophet and Messenger Muhammadﷺ, i.e. the Night Journey from the Sacred mosque in Mecca to al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem. This journey is a magnificent proof of the ability of Allah, Exalted is He, on which He honored His Prophetﷺ. Surah al-Isra also speaks about the book Allah revealed to Moses, i.e. the Torah, to be the guidance for Children of Israel. It also mentions what Allah has informed about the corruption that the Children of Israel would do on the earth. Allah says, interpretation of meaning:

(Glory is to Him who caused His slave to travel by night from the Sacred mosque to al-Aqsa mosque, whose surroundings We have blessed, to show him some of Our proofs. Indeed, He is the all-Hearing, the all-Seeing.

We gave Moses the Book and made it guidance for the Children of Israel, informing them, ‘Do not make other than Me as a worshipped guardian.’

O descendants of those whom We carried with Noah! Indeed, he was a grateful slave.

We informed the Children of Israel in the scripture that, ‘You would indeed make mischief on the earth twice, and you would indeed be tyrannically arrogant.’) [Q 17: 1-4]

Then the surah mentions that Allah revealed the Quran to the Messengerﷺ to guide people to the right path, give good news to those who do righteous deeds, and warn those who refuse to follow the path of guidance. It also states that every human being is responsible for his deeds. He will be called to account for his deeds on the Day of Judgment.

The surah then declares one of the rules of Allah. The rule states that the result of extravagance and disobedience is destruction, that the abode of whoever only seeks the reward of the worldly life is hellfire, and that the abode of whoever seeks the reward of the hereafter and does righteous deeds for the sake of Allah in this world will be Paradise. 

Allah makes clear that happiness in the hereafter is attained by believing in Allah alone, sincerely seeking it, and exerting one’s best efforts to attain it. Then Allah mentions some enjoinments that whoever complies with will attain His pleasure, Exalted is He. For example, Allah says, interpretation of meaning:

(Your Lord has commanded that you worship none but Him, and be dutiful to the parents. If one or both of them become old, being under your care, do not say the slightest bad word to them, nor scold them, and speak kindly to them.)[Q17:23]

(Do not kill a soul whom Allah has forbidden to be killed except for a lawful cause. Whomever is unjustly killed, We have given authority to his guardian to demand retaliation. He must not transgress the lawful limit in carrying out the retaliation. Indeed, he will be victorious.)[Q17:33]

Then the surah praises the Quran, affirms that Allah is One, and has no partner, and mentions that everything praises Allah, Exalted is He. Allah says, interpretation of meaning:

(Indeed, We have diversely clarified things in this Quran for people that they may be admonished, but it increases them only aversion.) [Q 17:41]

(The seven heavens, the earth, and all that is in them glorify Him. There is not a thing but glorifies Him, but you do not understand their glorification. Indeed, He is ever All-Forbearing, Oft-Forgiving.)  [Q 17: 44]

After that, the surah mentions some allegations of the disbelievers, and refutes them. Moreover, it commands the believers to say the best speech.

Allah says, interpretation of meaning:

(They say, ‘When we become bones and crumbled remains, will we be resurrected as a new creation?’)[Q 17:49]

(Tell My slaves that they should say that which is best. Indeed, Satan stirs enmity among them. Verily, Satan is ever an open enemy to man.) [Q 17:53]

Then the surah mentions the story of Adam  and Satan. After that, it refers to some of the blessings that Allah grants His slaves on land and at sea. It also points out to some aspects, denoting the honor Allah bestows on human beings, and portrays some scenes of the Day of the Judgment, indicating how Allah is just. Allah says, interpretation of meaning:

(Indeed, We have honored the children of Adam, subjected what is on the land and at the sea to carry them, provided them with tasty sustenance, and favored them greatly over many of those We have created.)[Q17:70] 

The surah mentions after that some of the blessings Allah granted His Prophet Muhammadﷺ as he made him firm, encountering the cunning of his enemies. Allah commanded him to always pray and recite the Quran because it would increase his firmness. Allah says, interpretation of meaning:

Indeed, they were about to entice you– O Messenger - away from what We have revealed to you to make you fabricate something else against Us. Then they would have made you their beloved friend. [Q17:73] 

Finally, the surah mentions proofs, denoting the Oneness of Allah, Exalted is  He, narrates some of the story of Moses, and affirms that Allah, Exalted  is He, truthfully has revealed the Quran so that people will recite it deliberately.

As the surah begins with praising and glorifying Allah, it is concluded with praising, thanking, and exalting Him. Allah says, interpretation of meaning,

Say, ‘Praise is due to Allah, who has neither a child, nor a partner in His kingdom, nor a supporting ally out of humility. And praise Him greatly.’ [Q:17:111]

After presenting a summary of the most important topics of surah al-Isra, the following points are noted:

• Like all Meccy surahs, surah al-Isra greatly focuses on purifying the creed of the Oneness of Allah from whatever deviation that may affect it. 

• It gives a comprehensive discussion about the personality of the Messengerﷺ. It mentions his Night Journey from the Sacred mosque in Mecca to al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem, the nature and the characteristics of his message, the attitudes of the disbelievers toward his message, the obstinate demands that they asked him, how Allah made His messenger firm, and the good news that Allah gave himﷺ. 

• Surah al-Isra focuses on speaking about the Quran. It refers to the fact that it is guidance, and inimitable.

• Those who do not believe in the Quran cannot understand it. It is healing for all diseases, physical and spiritual ones. This is besides the admonitions are repeated therein, using different manners. The Quran was revealed gradually so people could understand and recite it deliberately.

• The surah gives good attention to discussing Sharî’a obligations related to individual and community behaviors. 

• The surah clarifies the un-changeable rules of Allah regarding being guided and going astray, reward and punishment, giving victory and forsaking, and bestowing mercy and annihilating. 

Tafsir of Surah al-Isra: Ayah 1-3