Surah Al Isra ayat 60 Tafsir Quran 17:60

﴿وَإِذْ قُلْنَا لَكَ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ أَحَاطَ بِالنَّاسِ ۚ وَمَا جَعَلْنَا الرُّؤْيَا الَّتِي أَرَيْنَاكَ إِلَّا فِتْنَةً لِّلنَّاسِ وَالشَّجَرَةَ الْمَلْعُونَةَ فِي الْقُرْآنِ ۚ وَنُخَوِّفُهُمْ فَمَا يَزِيدُهُمْ إِلَّا طُغْيَانًا كَبِيرًا﴾
[ الإسراء: 60]

17:60 And [remember, O Muhammad], when We told you, "Indeed, your Lord has encompassed the people." And We did not make the sight which We showed you except as a trial for the people, as was the accursed tree [mentioned] in the Qur'an. And We threaten them, but it increases them not except in great transgression.

And remember when We said to you ‘Truly your Lord encompasses mankind’ in knowledge and power over them such that they are within His grasp so deliver the Message to them and do not fear anyone because God will protect you from them. And We did not appoint the vision that We showed you before your very eyes during the Night Journey except as a test for people for the people of Mecca — since they denied it and some of them even apostatised when he the Prophet informed them of it — and likewise the tree cursed in the Qur’ān namely the tree called Zaqqūm Q.3762ff that issues from the very root of the Blazing Fire of Hell; We made it a test for them because they said ‘Fire consumes trees so how can it cause it the Zaqqūm tree to issue forth?’. And We seek to deter them with it but it Our deterrence only increases them in gross insolence.

And for once We told you O Muhammad that Allah, your Creator, surrounds all people on all sides -therefore declare Allahs message and do not be afraid ever-. We only made you see the vision of glory We presented to you in your night journey through the spiritual world to test the inclination of the people and their spiritual and moral attributes. The same purpose was also served by the accursed tree growing in the bottom of Hell to feed the sinners. We purposed that the infidels be moved with a mingled feeling of dread and veneration toward Allah and realize the evil consequence of disobeying and denying Him. But on the contrary, it only makes them sink deeper under the vexations of their minds, run riot and transgress the goal

Allah has encompassed Mankind and made the Vision of His Prophet a Trial for Them Allah says to His Messenger , encouraging him to convey the Message and informing him that He is protecting him from the people, that He is able to deal with them and that they are in His grasp and under His domination and control. وَإِذْ قُلْنَا لَكَ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ أَحَاطَ بِالنَّاسِ ( And (remember ) when We told you: "Verily, your Lord has encompassed mankind..") Mujahid, `Urwah bin Az-Az-Zubayr, Al-Hasan, Qatadah and others said, "This means, He protected you from them." وَمَا جَعَلْنَا الرُّءْيَا الَّتِى أَرَيْنَـكَ إِلاَّ فِتْنَةً لِّلنَّاسِ ( And We made not the vision which We showed you but a trial for mankind, ) Al-Bukhari recorded that Ibn `Abbas said: وَمَا جَعَلْنَا الرُّءْيَا الَّتِى أَرَيْنَـكَ إِلاَّ فِتْنَةً لِّلنَّاسِ ( And We made not the vision which We showed you but a trial for mankind, ) "This is the vision which the Messenger of Allah ﷺ saw with his own eyes on the night when he was taken on the Night Journey ( Al-Isra' ). وَالشَّجَرَةَ الْمَلْعُونَةَ فِى القُرْءَانِ and ( likewise ) the accursed tree in the Qur a0n.
refers to the Tree of Zaqqum." This was also recorded by Ahmad, `Abdur-Razzaq and others.
It was also reported by Al-`Awfi from Ibn `Abbas.
It was also interpreted as referring to the Night of the Isra' by Mujahid, Sa`id bin Jubayr, Al-Hasan, Masruq, Ibrahim, Qatadah, `Abdur-Rahman bin Zayd and several others.
We have already quoted at length a comprehensive collection of Hadith about the Isra' at the beginning of this Surah, praise be to Allah.
We have also already stated that some people gave up their Islam after they had been following the truth, because their hearts and minds could not comprehend that, and they denied what their knowledge could not grasp, but Allah caused it to increase and strengthen the faith of others, and so He says: إِلاَّ فِتْنَةً ( but a trial ), meaning a test.
As for the cursed tree, this is the Tree of Zaqqum.
When the Messenger of Allah ﷺ told them that he had seen Paradise and Hell, and seen the Tree of Zaqqum, they did not believe that, and Abu Jahl, upon whom be the curses of Allah, even said, "Bring us some dates and butter," and he started eating them and saying, "Let us have some Zaqqum, we don't know any other Zaqqum but this." This was narrated by Ibn `Abbas, Masruq, Abu Malik, Al-Hasan Al-Basri and others.
Everyone who interpreted the Ayah to refer to the Night of the Isra', also interpreted it to refer to the Tree of Zaqqum. وَنُخَوِّفُهُمْ ( We make them afraid ) meaning, `We make the disbelievers afraid with Our warnings and punishments and torment.' فَمَا يَزِيدُهُمْ إِلاَّ طُغْيَانًا كَبِيرًا ( but it only increases them in naught save great disbelief, oppression and disobedience to Allah. ) means, it only pushes them further into their disbelief and misguidance, and this is because Allah has forsaken them.

(17:60) Call to mind, (O Muhammad) We told you at the very beginning that your Lord is encircling these people. *70 And We made what We have shown you now *71 and also the Tree which has been cursed in the Qur'an *72 as a trial for these people." We are giving them warning after warning but each warning helps only to increase their insurrection.

And [remember, O Muhammad], when We told meaning

*70) That is, " At the very beginning of your Prophethood, when the disbelievers of the Quraish had started opposition to your message, We declared that We are encircling them.
They might try their worst to obstruct your Message, but they will inevitably fail in this and your Mission will succeed in the teeth of opposition.
Can't they see that this declaration has come out true as a miracle, for their opposition has failed to hinder your Message, and they have not been able to do any harm to you at all ? This was a clear Sign of the fact that the Mission of the Holy Prophet was being supported by the Almighty God.
"
As regards the declaration that Allah is encircling the disbelievers and helping he mission of the Prophet, it occurs in several Surahs of the first stage of Prophethood at Makkah.
For instance, in'vv.
17-20 of LXXV, Allah says, " These disbelievers do not learn a lesson from the stories of the people of the Pharaoh and Thamud but are rejecting the Message hereas Allah is encircling them on all sides.
"
*71) This refers to Mi`raj ( Ascension ) for here word " ru'ya " does not mean " seeing things in a dream " but seeing things actually with physical eyes.
It is quite obvious that if it had been a mere " dream " and the Holy Prophet had presented it as a dream to the disbelievers, there was no reason why it should have become a trial for them.
Everyday people see strange dreams and relate them to the people but these dreams never become such a curious thing as to make people scoff at the dreamer and accuse him of making a false claim or of being a mad person.

*72) This cursed tree, Az-Zaqqum " which has been mentioned in vv 43-4 of Surah XLIV, grows at the bottom of Hell and its dwellers shall have to eat it.
This has een called a cursed tree because it is not given to people to eat as a mercy rom Allah but as a symbol of His curse so that the accursed people should eat it and get more sore, for this will, so to speak, burn in their bellies like the boiling water.

 

Allah has encompassed Mankind and made the Vision of His Prophet a Trial for Them Allah says to His Messenger , encouraging him to convey the Message and informing him that He is protecting him from the people, that He is able to deal with them and that they are in His grasp and under His domination and control. وَإِذْ قُلْنَا لَكَ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ أَحَاطَ بِالنَّاسِ ( And (remember ) when We told you: "Verily, your Lord has encompassed mankind..") Mujahid, `Urwah bin Az-Az-Zubayr, Al-Hasan, Qatadah and others said, "This means, He protected you from them." وَمَا جَعَلْنَا الرُّءْيَا الَّتِى أَرَيْنَـكَ إِلاَّ فِتْنَةً لِّلنَّاسِ ( And We made not the vision which We showed you but a trial for mankind, ) Al-Bukhari recorded that Ibn `Abbas said: وَمَا جَعَلْنَا الرُّءْيَا الَّتِى أَرَيْنَـكَ إِلاَّ فِتْنَةً لِّلنَّاسِ ( And We made not the vision which We showed you but a trial for mankind, ) "This is the vision which the Messenger of Allah ﷺ saw with his own eyes on the night when he was taken on the Night Journey ( Al-Isra' ). وَالشَّجَرَةَ الْمَلْعُونَةَ فِى القُرْءَانِ and ( likewise ) the accursed tree in the Qur a0n.
refers to the Tree of Zaqqum." This was also recorded by Ahmad, `Abdur-Razzaq and others.
It was also reported by Al-`Awfi from Ibn `Abbas.
It was also interpreted as referring to the Night of the Isra' by Mujahid, Sa`id bin Jubayr, Al-Hasan, Masruq, Ibrahim, Qatadah, `Abdur-Rahman bin Zayd and several others.
We have already quoted at length a comprehensive collection of Hadith about the Isra' at the beginning of this Surah, praise be to Allah.
We have also already stated that some people gave up their Islam after they had been following the truth, because their hearts and minds could not comprehend that, and they denied what their knowledge could not grasp, but Allah caused it to increase and strengthen the faith of others, and so He says: إِلاَّ فِتْنَةً ( but a trial ), meaning a test.
As for the cursed tree, this is the Tree of Zaqqum.
When the Messenger of Allah ﷺ told them that he had seen Paradise and Hell, and seen the Tree of Zaqqum, they did not believe that, and Abu Jahl, upon whom be the curses of Allah, even said, "Bring us some dates and butter," and he started eating them and saying, "Let us have some Zaqqum, we don't know any other Zaqqum but this." This was narrated by Ibn `Abbas, Masruq, Abu Malik, Al-Hasan Al-Basri and others.
Everyone who interpreted the Ayah to refer to the Night of the Isra', also interpreted it to refer to the Tree of Zaqqum. وَنُخَوِّفُهُمْ ( We make them afraid ) meaning, `We make the disbelievers afraid with Our warnings and punishments and torment.' فَمَا يَزِيدُهُمْ إِلاَّ طُغْيَانًا كَبِيرًا ( but it only increases them in naught save great disbelief, oppression and disobedience to Allah. ) means, it only pushes them further into their disbelief and misguidance, and this is because Allah has forsaken them.

( And (it was a warning ) when We told thee: Lo! thy Lord encompasseth mankind) He is aware of the people of Mecca: those who will believe and those who will not, ( and We appointed the vision ) We did not show you the vision ( which We showed thee ) in your nocturnal ascension ( as an ordeal for mankind ) as a misfortune for the people of Mecca, ( and (likewise ) the Accursed Tree in the Qur’an) and the same applies to the mention of the Zaqqum tree in the Qur’an. ( We warn them ) by the Zaqqum tree, ( but it ) the warning ( increaseth them in naught save gross impiety ) save further engagement in transgression.

And (remember) when We told you: "Verily! Your Lord has encompassed mankind (i.e. they are in His Grip)." And We made not the vision which we showed you (O Muhammad as an actual eye-witness and not as a dream on the night of 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.

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