Surah Al Isra ayat 23 Tafsir Quran 17:23

﴿۞ وَقَضَىٰ رَبُّكَ أَلَّا تَعْبُدُوا إِلَّا إِيَّاهُ وَبِالْوَالِدَيْنِ إِحْسَانًا ۚ إِمَّا يَبْلُغَنَّ عِندَكَ الْكِبَرَ أَحَدُهُمَا أَوْ كِلَاهُمَا فَلَا تَقُل لَّهُمَا أُفٍّ وَلَا تَنْهَرْهُمَا وَقُل لَّهُمَا قَوْلًا كَرِيمًا﴾
[ الإسراء: 23]

17:23 And your Lord has decreed that you not worship except Him, and to parents, good treatment. Whether one or both of them reach old age [while] with you, say not to them [so much as], "uff," and do not repel them but speak to them a noble word.

And your Lord has decreed He has commanded that you worship none save Him and that you show kindness to parents by being dutiful to them. If they should reach old age with you one of them ahaduhumā is the subject of the verb or both a variant reading for yablughanna has yablughān ‘both should reach’ in which case ahaduhumā would be substituting for the dual indicator alif of yablughān then do not say to them ‘Fie’ read uffan or uffin uffa or uffi a verbal noun meaning tabban ‘perish!’ or qubhan ‘evil!’ nor repulse them but speak to them gracious words fair and gentle words.

Allah, your Creator, has ordained, that you worship no one but Him and you adore Him with appropriate acts and rites and that you commit your parents to your kind care. When one or both of them attain old age they expect your friendly disposition by your conduct to them. Therefore do not offend them by giving vent to an exclamation of impatience or disgust nor should you rebuke or reprimand them and let your dissertation with them be a sweet discourse

The Command to Worship Allah Alone and to be Dutiful to One's Parents Allah commands us to worship Him alone, with no partner or associate.
The word Qada normally having the meaning of decree here means "commanded".
Mujahid said that وَقُضِىَ ( And He has Qada ) means enjoined.
This is also how Ubayy bin Ka`b, Ibn Mas`ud and Ad-Dahhak bin Muzahim recited the Ayah as:
«وَوَصَّى رَبُّكَ أَلَّا تَعْبُدُوا إِلَّا إِيَّاه»
"And your Lord has Wassa enjoined that you worship none but Him." The idea of worshipping Allah is connected to the idea of honoring one's parents.
Allah says: وَبِالْوَلِدَيْنِ إِحْسَانًا ( And that you be dutiful to your parents. ) Here He commands good treatment of parents, as He says elsewhere: أَنِ اشْكُرْ لِى وَلِوَلِدَيْكَ إِلَىَّ الْمَصِيرُ ( give thanks to Me and to your parents.
Unto Me is the final destination ) 31:14 إِمَّا يَبْلُغَنَّ عِندَكَ الْكِبَرَ أَحَدُهُمَا أَوْ كِلاَهُمَا فَلاَ تَقُل لَّهُمَآ أُفٍّ ( If one of them or both of them attain old age in your life, say not to them a word of disrespect, ) means, do not let them hear anything offensive from you, not even say "Uff!" which is the mildest word of disrespect, وَلاَ تَنْهَرْهُمَا ( and do not reprimand them ) means, do not do anything horrible to them. وَلاَ تَنْهَرْهُمَا ( and do not reprimand them ) `Ata' bin Rabah said that it meant, "Do not raise your hand against them." When Allah forbids speaking and behaving in an obnoxious manner, He commands speaking and behaving in a good manner, so He says: وَقُل لَّهُمَا قَوْلاً كَرِيمًا ( but address them in terms of honor. ) meaning gently, kindly, politely, and with respect and appreciation. وَاخْفِضْ لَهُمَا جَنَاحَ الذُّلِّ مِنَ الرَّحْمَةِ ( And lower unto them the wing of submission and humility through mercy, ) means, be humble towards them in your actions. وَقُل رَّبِّ ارْحَمْهُمَا كَمَا رَبَّيَانِى صَغِيرًا ( and say: "My Lord! Bestow on them Your Mercy as they did bring me up when I was young." ) means, say this when they grow old and when they die.
Ibn `Abbas said: "But then Allah revealed: مَا كَانَ لِلنَّبِىِّ وَالَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ أَن يَسْتَغْفِرُواْ لِلْمُشْرِكِينَ ( It is not (proper ) for the Prophet and those who believe to ask Allah's forgiveness for the idolators.
..)" 9:13 There are many Hadiths which speak about honoring one's parents, such as the Hadith narrated through a number of chains of narration from Anas and others, which states that the Prophet climbed up on the Minbar, and then said, ( (Amin, Amin, Amin. )) It was said, "O Messenger of Allah, why did you say Amin" He said:
«أَتَانِي جِبْرِيلُ فَقَالَ: يَا مُحَمَّدُ رَغِمَ أَنْفُ رَجُلٍ ذُكِرْتَ عِنْدَهُ فَلَمْمُيصَلِّ عَلَيْكَ، قُلْ: آمِينَ، فَقُلْتُ: آمِينَ، ثُمَّ قَالَ: رَغِمَ أَنْفُ رَجُلٍ دَخَلَ عَلَيْهِ شَهْرُ رَمَضَانَ ثُمَّ خَرَجَ فَلَمْ يُغْفَرْ لَهُ، قُلْ: آمِينَ، فَقُلْتُ: آمِينَ، ثُمَّ قَالَ: رَغِمَ أَنْفُ رَجُلٍ أَدْرَكَ وَالِدَيْهِ أَوْ أَحَدَهُمَا فَلَمْ يُدْخِلَاهُ الْجَنَّةَ، قُلْ: آمِينَ، فَقُلْتُ: آمِين»
( Jibril came to me and said, "O Muhammad, he is doomed who hears you mentioned and does not say Salla upon you." He said, "Say Amin," so I said Amin.
Then he said, "He is doomed who sees the month of Ramadan come and go, and he has not been forgiven." He said, "Say Amin," so I said Amin.
Then he said, "He is doomed who grows up and both his parents or one of them are still alive, and they do not cause him to enter Paradise." He said, "Say Amin," so I said Amin. ) Another Hadith Imam Ahmad reported from Abu Hurayrah that the Prophet said:
«رَغِمَ أَنْفُ، ثُمَّ رَغِمَ أَنْفُ ثُمَّ رَغِمَ أَنْفُ رَجُلٍ أَدْرَكَ أَحَدَ أَبَوَيْهِ أَوْ ( كِلَيْهِمَا ) عِنْدَ الْكِبَرِ وَلَمْ يَدْخُلِ الْجَنَّة»
( He is doomed, he is doomed, he is doomed, the man whose parents, one or both of them, reach old age while he is alive and he does not enter Paradise. ) This version is Sahih although no one recorded it other than Muslim. Another Hadith Imam Ahmad recorded Mu`awiyah bin Jahimah As-Salami saying that Jahimah came to the Prophet and said: "O Messenger of Allah, I want to go out to fight and I have come to seek your advice." He said,
«فَهَلْ لَكَ مِنْ أُم»
( Do you have a mother ) He said, "Yes." The Prophet said,
«فَالْزَمْهَا فَإِنَّ الْجَنَّةَ عِنْدَ رِجْلَيْهَا»
( Then stay with her, for Paradise is at her feet. ) Similar incidents were also recorded by others.
This was recorded by An-Nasa'i and Ibn Majah. Another Hadith Imam Ahmad recorded that Al-Miqdam bin Ma`dikarib said that the Prophet said:
«إِنَّ اللهَ يُوصِيكُمْ بِآبَائِكُمْ إِنَّ اللهَ يُوصِيكُمْ بِأُمَّهَاتِكُمْ إِنَّ اللهَ يُوصِيكُمْ بِأُمَّهَاتِكُمْ إِنَّ اللهَ يُوصِيكُمْ بِأُمَّهَاتِكُمْ إِنَّ اللهَ يُوصِيكُمْ بِالْأَقْرَبِ فَالْأَقْرَب»
( Allah enjoins you concerning your fathers, Allah enjoins you concerning your mothers, Allah enjoins you concerning your mothers, Allah enjoins you concerning your mothers, Allah enjoins you concerning your close relatives then the next in closeness. ) This was recorded by Ibn Majah from the Hadith of `Abdullah bin `Ayyash. Another Hadith Ahmad recorded that a man from Banu Yarbu` said: "I came to the Prophet while he was talking to the people, and I heard him saying,
«يَدُ الْمُعْطِي الْعُلْيَا، أُمَّكَ وَأَبَاكَ، وَأُخْتَكَ وَأَخَاكَ، ثُمَّ أَدْنَاكَ أَدْنَاك»
( The hand of the one who gives is superior.
(Give to ) your mother and your father, your sister and your brother, then the closest and next closest.)"

(17:23) Your Lord has enjoined the following: *25 1. You should not worship anyone but Him. *26

And your Lord has decreed that you meaning

*25) In the succeeding verses, those main basic principles have been put forward on which Islam desires to build the whole structure of human life.
These form, so to say, the Manifesto of the Invitation of the Holy Prophet declared by him at the end of the Makki stage of his mission, on the eve of the new stage at AI-Madinah so that it should be known to aII that the new Islamic Society and State were going to be built on such and such ideological, moral, cultural economic and legal principles.
( Please also refer to vv.
151-153 and E.N.'s thereof of Chapter VI ).

*26) This commandment is very comprehensive.
It prohibits not only the worship of anyone except AIIah but also implies that one should obey and serve and submit to AIIah alone without question: one should accept His Commandments and Law alone to be worthy of obedience and His authority to be supreme above aII.
This was not merely an instruction confined to a religious creed and individual practice but it served as the foundation of the moral, cultural, and political system which was practically established in Al-Madinah by the Holy Prophet.
Its first and foremost principle was that AIIah alone is the Master, Sovereign and Law-giver.

 

The Command to Worship Allah Alone and to be Dutiful to One's Parents Allah commands us to worship Him alone, with no partner or associate.
The word Qada normally having the meaning of decree here means "commanded".
Mujahid said that وَقُضِىَ ( And He has Qada ) means enjoined.
This is also how Ubayy bin Ka`b, Ibn Mas`ud and Ad-Dahhak bin Muzahim recited the Ayah as: «وَوَصَّى رَبُّكَ أَلَّا تَعْبُدُوا إِلَّا إِيَّاه» "And your Lord has Wassa enjoined that you worship none but Him." The idea of worshipping Allah is connected to the idea of honoring one's parents.
Allah says: وَبِالْوَلِدَيْنِ إِحْسَانًا ( And that you be dutiful to your parents. ) Here He commands good treatment of parents, as He says elsewhere: أَنِ اشْكُرْ لِى وَلِوَلِدَيْكَ إِلَىَّ الْمَصِيرُ ( give thanks to Me and to your parents.
Unto Me is the final destination ) 31:14 إِمَّا يَبْلُغَنَّ عِندَكَ الْكِبَرَ أَحَدُهُمَا أَوْ كِلاَهُمَا فَلاَ تَقُل لَّهُمَآ أُفٍّ ( If one of them or both of them attain old age in your life, say not to them a word of disrespect, ) means, do not let them hear anything offensive from you, not even say "Uff!" which is the mildest word of disrespect, وَلاَ تَنْهَرْهُمَا ( and do not reprimand them ) means, do not do anything horrible to them. وَلاَ تَنْهَرْهُمَا ( and do not reprimand them ) `Ata' bin Rabah said that it meant, "Do not raise your hand against them." When Allah forbids speaking and behaving in an obnoxious manner, He commands speaking and behaving in a good manner, so He says: وَقُل لَّهُمَا قَوْلاً كَرِيمًا ( but address them in terms of honor. ) meaning gently, kindly, politely, and with respect and appreciation. وَاخْفِضْ لَهُمَا جَنَاحَ الذُّلِّ مِنَ الرَّحْمَةِ ( And lower unto them the wing of submission and humility through mercy, ) means, be humble towards them in your actions. وَقُل رَّبِّ ارْحَمْهُمَا كَمَا رَبَّيَانِى صَغِيرًا ( and say: "My Lord! Bestow on them Your Mercy as they did bring me up when I was young." ) means, say this when they grow old and when they die.
Ibn `Abbas said: "But then Allah revealed: مَا كَانَ لِلنَّبِىِّ وَالَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ أَن يَسْتَغْفِرُواْ لِلْمُشْرِكِينَ ( It is not (proper ) for the Prophet and those who believe to ask Allah's forgiveness for the idolators.
..)" 9:13 There are many Hadiths which speak about honoring one's parents, such as the Hadith narrated through a number of chains of narration from Anas and others, which states that the Prophet climbed up on the Minbar, and then said, ( (Amin, Amin, Amin. )) It was said, "O Messenger of Allah, why did you say Amin" He said: «أَتَانِي جِبْرِيلُ فَقَالَ: يَا مُحَمَّدُ رَغِمَ أَنْفُ رَجُلٍ ذُكِرْتَ عِنْدَهُ فَلَمْمُيصَلِّ عَلَيْكَ، قُلْ: آمِينَ، فَقُلْتُ: آمِينَ، ثُمَّ قَالَ: رَغِمَ أَنْفُ رَجُلٍ دَخَلَ عَلَيْهِ شَهْرُ رَمَضَانَ ثُمَّ خَرَجَ فَلَمْ يُغْفَرْ لَهُ، قُلْ: آمِينَ، فَقُلْتُ: آمِينَ، ثُمَّ قَالَ: رَغِمَ أَنْفُ رَجُلٍ أَدْرَكَ وَالِدَيْهِ أَوْ أَحَدَهُمَا فَلَمْ يُدْخِلَاهُ الْجَنَّةَ، قُلْ: آمِينَ، فَقُلْتُ: آمِين» ( Jibril came to me and said, "O Muhammad, he is doomed who hears you mentioned and does not say Salla upon you." He said, "Say Amin," so I said Amin.
Then he said, "He is doomed who sees the month of Ramadan come and go, and he has not been forgiven." He said, "Say Amin," so I said Amin.
Then he said, "He is doomed who grows up and both his parents or one of them are still alive, and they do not cause him to enter Paradise." He said, "Say Amin," so I said Amin. ) Another Hadith Imam Ahmad reported from Abu Hurayrah that the Prophet said: «رَغِمَ أَنْفُ، ثُمَّ رَغِمَ أَنْفُ ثُمَّ رَغِمَ أَنْفُ رَجُلٍ أَدْرَكَ أَحَدَ أَبَوَيْهِ أَوْ ( كِلَيْهِمَا ) عِنْدَ الْكِبَرِ وَلَمْ يَدْخُلِ الْجَنَّة» ( He is doomed, he is doomed, he is doomed, the man whose parents, one or both of them, reach old age while he is alive and he does not enter Paradise. ) This version is Sahih although no one recorded it other than Muslim. Another Hadith Imam Ahmad recorded Mu`awiyah bin Jahimah As-Salami saying that Jahimah came to the Prophet and said: "O Messenger of Allah, I want to go out to fight and I have come to seek your advice." He said, «فَهَلْ لَكَ مِنْ أُم» ( Do you have a mother ) He said, "Yes." The Prophet said, «فَالْزَمْهَا فَإِنَّ الْجَنَّةَ عِنْدَ رِجْلَيْهَا» ( Then stay with her, for Paradise is at her feet. ) Similar incidents were also recorded by others.
This was recorded by An-Nasa'i and Ibn Majah. Another Hadith Imam Ahmad recorded that Al-Miqdam bin Ma`dikarib said that the Prophet said: «إِنَّ اللهَ يُوصِيكُمْ بِآبَائِكُمْ إِنَّ اللهَ يُوصِيكُمْ بِأُمَّهَاتِكُمْ إِنَّ اللهَ يُوصِيكُمْ بِأُمَّهَاتِكُمْ إِنَّ اللهَ يُوصِيكُمْ بِأُمَّهَاتِكُمْ إِنَّ اللهَ يُوصِيكُمْ بِالْأَقْرَبِ فَالْأَقْرَب» ( Allah enjoins you concerning your fathers, Allah enjoins you concerning your mothers, Allah enjoins you concerning your mothers, Allah enjoins you concerning your mothers, Allah enjoins you concerning your close relatives then the next in closeness. ) This was recorded by Ibn Majah from the Hadith of `Abdullah bin `Ayyash. Another Hadith Ahmad recorded that a man from Banu Yarbu` said: "I came to the Prophet while he was talking to the people, and I heard him saying, «يَدُ الْمُعْطِي الْعُلْيَا، أُمَّكَ وَأَبَاكَ، وَأُخْتَكَ وَأَخَاكَ، ثُمَّ أَدْنَاكَ أَدْنَاك» ( The hand of the one who gives is superior.
(Give to ) your mother and your father, your sister and your brother, then the closest and next closest.)"

( Thy Lord hath decreed ) your Lord has commanded, ( that ye worship none save Him ) that you declare the divine Oneness of none save Allah, Exalted is He, ( and (that you show ) kindness to parents) be dutiful to them. ( If one of them ) one of the parents ( or both of them to attain old age with thee, say not Fie unto them ) do not address them with foul language ( nor repulse them ) nor be harsh with them, ( but speak unto them a gracious word ) kind words.

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 honour.

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