Unique Features of Surah Al-Isra of Glorious Qur’aan!

 

By: Shahid Bin Waheed شاهد بن وحيد

 

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

الحمدلله رب العالمين والصلوة والسلام على اشرف الانبياء وسيدالمرسلين نبينا محمد صل ا لله عليه وعلى آله واصحابه وازواجه اجمعين - امابعد

All the praises and thanks be to Allaah, Sustainer of the Universe, and blessing and salutation to be the most distinguish of the Messengers and foremost among the Prophets, our Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings of Allaah be on him and on his wives, children and Companions.

 

 

A unique feature of Surah Al-Isra is the direct use of the word “Qur’aan”, which is employed around TEN times directly (twice indirectly in Ayaat 86 & 105), a characteristic not found in any other Surah. These references occur in the following Ayaat:

 

Surah Al-Israa 9

إِنَّ هَذَا الْقُرْآنَ يَهْدِي لِلَّتِي هِيَ أَقْوَمُ وَيُبَشِّرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ الَّذِينَ يَعْمَلُونَ الصَّالِحَاتِ أَنَّ لَهُمْ أَجْرًا كَبِيرًا

Verily, this Qur’ān guides to that which is most just and right and gives glad tidings to the believers (in the Oneness of Allāh and His Messenger, Muhammad صلى الله عليه و سلم), who work deeds of righteousness, that they shall have a great reward (Paradise).

 

Surah Al-Israa 41

وَلَقَدْ صَرَّفْنَا فِي هَذَا الْقُرْآنِ لِيَذَّكَّرُوا وَمَا يَزِيدُهُمْ إِلَّا نُفُورًا

And surely, We have explained (Our Promises, Warnings and (set forth many) examples) in this Qur’ān that they (the disbelievers) may take heed, but it increases them in naught save aversion.

 

Surah Al-Israa 45

وَإِذَا قَرَأْتَ الْقُرْآنَ جَعَلْنَا بَيْنَكَ وَبَيْنَ الَّذِينَ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ بِالْآخِرَةِ حِجَابًا مَسْتُورًا

And when you (Muhammad صلى الله عليه و سلم) recite the Qur’ān, We put between you and those who believe not in the Hereafter, an invisible veil {1} (or screen their hearts, so they hear or understand it not).

{1} (V.17: 45) It is said in the Book of Tafsīr (Imām Qurtubī) as regards this Verse (17:45): Narrated Sa‘īd bin Jubair رضي الله عنه "When the Sūrah No.111 (Tabbat Yadā) was revealed, the wife of Abu Lahab came looking for the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم while Abu Bakr رضي الله عنه, was sitting beside him. Abu Bakr said to the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم: "I wish if you get aside (or go away) as she is coming to us, she may harm you." The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said: "There will be a screen set between me and her." So she did not see him. She said to Abu Bakr: "Your companion is saying poetry against me," Abu Bakr said: "By Allāh, he does not say poetry." She said: "Do you believe that?" Then she left. Abu Bakr said, "O Allāh’s Messenger! She did not see you." The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said: "An angel was screening me from her." (This Hadith is quoted in Musnad Abu Ya’la.) It is said that if the above Verse (17:45) is recited by a real believer (of Islāmic Monotheism) he will be screened from a disbeliever. (Allāh knows better). (Tafsīr Al-Qurtubī, Vol.10, Page 269).

 

Surah Al-Israa 46

وَجَعَلْنَا عَلَى قُلُوبِهِمْ أَكِنَّةً أَنْ يَفْقَهُوهُ وَفِي آذَانِهِمْ وَقْرًا وَإِذَا ذَكَرْتَ رَبَّكَ فِي الْقُرْآنِ وَحْدَهُ وَلَّوْا عَلَى أَدْبَارِهِمْ نُفُورًا

And We have put coverings over their hearts lest they should understand it (the Qur’ān), and in their ears deafness. And when you make mention of your Lord Alone ( ilāha illallāh (none has the right to be worshipped but Allāh) Islāmic Monotheism (توحيد الله)) in the Qur’ān, they turn on their backs, fleeing in extreme dislike.

 

Surah Al-Israa 60

وَإِذْ قُلْنَا لَكَ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ أَحَاطَ بِالنَّاسِ وَمَا جَعَلْنَا الرُّؤْيَا الَّتِي أَرَيْنَاكَ إِلَّا فِتْنَةً لِلنَّاسِ وَالشَّجَرَةَ الْمَلْعُونَةَ فِي الْقُرْآنِ وَنُخَوِّفُهُمْ فَمَا يَزِيدُهُمْ إِلَّا طُغْيَانًا كَبِيرًا

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-Isrā{1} ) but a trial for mankind, and (likewise) the accursed tree (Zaqqūm, mentioned) in the Qur’ān. We warn and make them afraid but it only increases them in naught save great disbelief, oppression and disobedience to Allāh.

 

Surah Al-Israa 78

أَقِمِ الصَّلَاةَ لِدُلُوكِ الشَّمْسِ إِلَى غَسَقِ اللَّيْلِ وَقُرْآنَ الْفَجْرِ إِنَّ قُرْآنَ الْفَجْرِ كَانَ مَشْهُودًا

Perform As-Salāt (Iqamāt-as-Salāt) {1} from mid-day till the darkness of the night (i.e. the Zuhr, Asr, Maghrib and Ishāprayers), and recite the Qur’ān in the early dawn (i.e. the morning prayer). Verily, the recitation of the Qur’ān in the early dawn is ever witnessed (attended by the angels in charge of mankind of the day and the night) {2} .

{1} (V.17: 78) See the glossary.

{2} (V.17: 78) Narrated Abu Salāmah bin ‘Abdur-Rāhman: Abu Hurairah رضي الله عنه said, "I heard Allāh’s Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم saying, ‘The reward of a Salāt (prayer) in congregation is twenty-five times superior in degrees to that of a Salāt (prayer) offered by a person alone. The angels of the night and the angels of the day gather at the time of Fajr prayer.’ " Abu Hurairah then added, "Recite the Holy Book if you wish, for ‘Verily, the recitation of the Qur’ān in the early dawn (Fajr prayer) is ever witnessed (attended by the angels in charge of mankind of the day and the night)’ (V.17: 78)". (Sahih Al-Bukhari, Vol.1, Hadith No.621).

 

Surah Al-Israa 82

وَنُنَزِّلُ مِنَ الْقُرْآنِ مَا هُوَ شِفَاءٌ وَرَحْمَةٌ لِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَلَا يَزِيدُ الظَّالِمِينَ إِلَّا خَسَارًا

And We send down of the Qur’ān that which is a healing and a mercy to those who believe (in Islāmic Monotheism and act on it), and it increases the Zālimūn (polytheists and wrong-doers) nothing but loss.

 

Surah Al-Israa 88

قُلْ لَئِنِ اجْتَمَعَتِ الْإِنْسُ وَالْجِنُّ عَلَى أَنْ يَأْتُوا بِمِثْلِ هَذَا الْقُرْآنِ لَا يَأْتُونَ بِمِثْلِهِ وَلَوْ كَانَ بَعْضُهُمْ لِبَعْضٍ ظَهِيرًا

Say: "If the mankind and the jinn were together to produce the like of this Qur’ān, they could not produce the like thereof, even if they helped one another."

 

Surah Al-Israa 89

وَلَقَدْ صَرَّفْنَا لِلنَّاسِ فِي هَذَا الْقُرْآنِ مِنْ كُلِّ مَثَلٍ فَأَبَى أَكْثَرُ النَّاسِ إِلَّا كُفُورًا

And indeed We have fully explained to mankind, in this Qur’ān, every kind of similitude, but most of mankind refuse (the truth and accept nothing) but disbelief.

 

Surah Al-Israa 106

وَقُرْآنًا فَرَقْنَاهُ لِتَقْرَأَهُ عَلَى النَّاسِ عَلَى مُكْثٍ وَنَزَّلْنَاهُ تَنْزِيلًا

And (it is) a Qur’ān, which We have divided (into parts), in order that you might recite it to men at intervals. And We have revealed it by stages (in 23 years).

 

Wednesday, June 02, 2004

 

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