| | Bijan Moeinian rendition of Surah Children of Israel, The Israelites(al-Isra`)
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| 17:1 | | Glorified is God Who took His servant (Mohammad) from Mecca to Jerusalem overnight to show him the magnitude of his kingdom. The fact is that He alone hears everything and sees everything |
| 17:2 | | God is the One Who revealed the Scripture to Moses to be used as the guidance for the children of Israel that: “You should not take anyone else but Me (God) as your protector.&rdquo |
| 17:3 | | You are off springs of Noah whom I (God) carried on his ship; What a grateful servant of Mine was Noah |
| 17:4 | | In the Scripture, I forewarned the Israelites that: “You will become tyrant and arrogant twice throughout the history and behave against My commands.&rdquo |
| 17:5 | | When My first warning was materialized, I subjected you to the power of a nation of My servants who utterly destroyed your country; a warning that had to be materialized |
| 17:6 | | Afterwards, I gave you the victory over them and showered you with wealth and children and increased the population of your nation |
| 17:7 | | If you choose to be righteous, you are doing a favor to yourself. If you choose to be evil, your evil acts will come back to haunt you. Thus, when it came to the fulfillment of the second warning, you were subjected to the other people’s tyranny. They brought you to grief and entered into your Temple the same way that they defeated you the first time. What a terrible defeat you were subjected to |
| 17:8 | | Now everything depends upon you. If you behave, God may be merciful to you. But if you go back to your old tricks (such as the way that Israelites have so far behaved in Palestine), I willsubject you again to the punishment. Know that I have made Hell a prison for those who choose to disregard the Lord’s guidance |
| 17:9 | | This Qur’an guides people to the most right path. It also gives the good news: “ A great reward is waiting for those believers who do good things in life.&rdquo |
| 17:10 | | As for those who do not believe in the Hereafter, Qur’an warns them that I have prepared for them a sever punishment |
| 17:11 | | In account of his impatience, man often invokes evil instead of goodness |
| 17:12 | | I offer the night and the day as two miracles of Mine to you. I have prevailed darkness at night and lighted the day so that you may look for your God given blessings. They also are used by you as a mean of calculation and the basis for keeping track of time. See how in detail I explain everything (in Qur’an. |
| 17:13 | | Every man’s fate is attached to his own neck (and depends on his own deeds.) On the Day of Resurrection, I will hand man with a record of his deeds which will be open to review |
| 17:14 | | “Read your records today and judge for yourself!&rdquo |
| 17:15 | | Whoever accepts the guidance, has done himself a favor. Whoever has chooses the wrong path, he has done an injustice to himself. Nobody will be held responsible for somebody else’s wrong doing and I will never punish without first having sent a Messenger (to warn. |
| 17:16 | | Before I destroy a town, I send My Commandments to their elite people. When they choose to continue their wrongdoings, then I totally annihilate them |
| 17:17 | | Just think about how many generations I have destroyed after Noah (meaning that the Great Flood was not the last act of justice of God on earth.) Yes, your Lord reacts against the sins of His servants; He is aware of everything and sees everything |
| 17:18 | | If a person wants something very badly in this world, I readily grant him his wish at my discretion. Then I condemn him to Hell where he will burn and stay there forever disgraced and rejected |
| 17:19 | | As for the believer who chooses the Hereafter (as his priority) and strive hard towards it, his righteous acts will be appreciated |
| 17:20 | | God showers His worldly blessings (upon those who choose this life as their priorities as well as upon those whose priorities are Hereafter) and your Lord’s power to bless is endless |
| 17:21 | | Just look around and see how some have been showered more than the others with my blessings. In the Hereafter, too, people will be showered differently; the difference, however is far greater and more significant |
| 17:22 | | Do not raise none to the level of God. If you do so, you will end up being disgraced and helpless |
| 17:23 | | Your Lord has decreed: You shall worship none but God. You shall honor your parents. As long as your parents are alive, you shall never say any word to them which implies disrespect. You shall not raise your voice over your parents. You shall talk to your parents in the most kind manner |
| 17:24 | | You shall be submissive and gentle to your parents and pray for them saying: “My Lord! Have mercy on my parents; they are the ones who [had mercy on me and went through so much trouble and] brought me up |
| 17:25 | | God knows exactly what is going in your mind. Now, if you choose the righteousness [instead of what your evil thoughts suggest], you will find Him the Most Forgiving towards those who turn to him frequently in obedience and in repentance |
| 17:26 | | You shall fulfill your charitable obligations towards your relatives, needy people, and stranded travelers (refugees) but do not be wasteful |
| 17:27 | | The wasteful people are like Satan’s brothers in the sight of God for the simple reason that Satan [like them] is ungrateful to his Lord |
| 17:28 | | If you [are going through economic hardship and cannot help the others and, therefore, you] are wishfully begging the Lord’s mercy upon them, put them off kindly |
| 17:29 | | You shall not be stingy. You shall not be extravagant either as you will be blamed once you end up in poverty |
| 17:30 | | Your Lord may increase or decrease the earnings of whoever He wills. He is fully aware of the condition of His servants and observes them closely |
| 17:31 | | You shall not kill your children in account of fear of poverty. I will provide for them (as well as for you.) Such killing is a great crime |
| 17:32 | | You shall not even approach adultery. It is a big sin and an evil behavior |
| 17:33 | | You shall not kill any soul (whose killing has been forbidden by God), except in the course of justice.. If someone is killed unjustly, his heir is thus given the authority to enforce justice. He should not go beyond the boundaries of justice (forgive, demand blood money or equality in punishment) and shall be helped [by the Islamic State.] |
| 17:34 | | You shall not even approach to the orphan’s property except for their own sake (such as managing their investment) till they reach the age of maturity. You shall fulfill your pledges. You will be held responsible for them |
| 17:35 | | You shall give full measure when you measure, and weigh with a correct scale. You will find such practice the most profitable at the end |
| 17:36 | | You shall not follow (the guess work and) what you do not have any knowledge about. Remember, your hearing, sight, and mind will be held responsible |
| 17:37 | | You shall not walk on earth with arrogance. You can neither split the earth nor be as tall as the mountains |
| 17:38 | | All the above mentioned things are considered as sin and disgusting by your Lord |
| 17:39 | | All these wise commandments are revealed to you by your Lord. Remember, never set up any deity with God. If you do so, you will be thrown into Hell; you will be blamed and deprived of the Lord’s favors |
| 17:40 | | How come you are looking forward to have sons (which you consider them as a matter of honor) and consider the Lord’s angels as females (which you consider them as a matter of shame)? What a great lie to spread |
| 17:41 | | I have sent this Qur’an to be used as a reference and warning. Instead, the disbelievers dispute it |
| 17:42 | | Say: “If there were any other gods beside Him (as they claim), those gods would have tried [long time ago] to overthrow the Lord of the Throne |
| 17:43 | | Glorified and Above All is God. What they say are big lies |
| 17:44 | | The seven universes, the earth, and whatever there is between, testify for the Lord’s Glory. There is nothing that does not glorify Him; yet you do not understand it (as you do not have the scientific knowledge to see their submission to the will of God, i.e., the laws of the nature set by the Lord.) The Lord is the Most Patient, the Most Forgiving |
| 17:45 | | When you recite the Qur’an, I place between you and those who do not believe in the Hereafter an invisible barrier (to punish them in the most sever manner, i.e., depriving them of understanding. |
| 17:46 | | I have covered their mind with a shield so that they do not understand and made their ears deaf in order not to hear. Therefore, when you use the Qur’an in your discussion, they turn away, fleeing with disenchantment |
| 17:47 | | I know exactly what they would like to hear when they listen to you. I also hear these unjust people’s murmuring when they say: “Do not follow this possessed man.&rdquo |
| 17:48 | | Note how they refer to you and how their attitude leads them further away from the straight path |
| 17:49 | | They [jokingly] say: “Sure, we will be resurrected after beings turned into bones and pieces!&rdquo |
| 17:50 | | Say: “Yes; even if you turn into stones, iron, or whatever you consider in your minds impossible [to be brought back to life.]” They will ask: “Who will bring us back to life? &ldquo |
| 17:51 | | Say: “The One Who created you at first place.” Then they will shake their heads at you [as a sign of making fun of ] and say: “When will this happen?” Say: “Perhaps sooner than you think!&rdquo |
| 17:52 | | On that Day, when I call you (and you will respond with the utmost respect), You will be under the impression that it took only a little while |
| 17:53 | | Tell My servants (the believers) to exchange the kindest words among themselves as Satan is waiting to create disagreement among them. Never forget that Satan is the man’s worse enemy |
| 17:54 | | Know that your Lord knows you very well. Accordingly, He may shower you with His mercy or He may subject you to a punishment. You (Mohammad) are not, therefore, sent to be their guardian (and make those kind of decisions. |
| 17:55 | | Know that your Lord knows about anything in the heavens and on the earth. I have showered My Prophets differently. To David (for example,) I granted Psalms |
| 17:56 | | Say: “Go ahead; ask anyone beside God (whom you respect the most) for help. They have no power to help you nor can they prevent a disaster |
| 17:57 | | In fact, those whom people call upon for help (such as Jesus, Mary, saints, etc.), strive to get closer and closer to the Lord by all possible means. They hope for His mercy and fear His punishment. The punishment of your Lord is indeed a terrible thing |
| 17:58 | | It is written in the Book of the Lord’s decrees that: “Every habitation shall either be destroyed or severely punished before the Day of the Resurrection.&rdquo |
| 17:59 | | Nothing can prevent the Lord from sending His miracles (that you are repeatedly asking for) to you. The fact is, the previous nations (such as the people of Pharaoh) denied such miracles (sending miracles, therefore, is not efficient.) I sent the famous camel (as a miracle) to the people of Thamood (for example;) they responded (to this miracle) by killing her! The main reason for sending the (past) miracles was to warn the people (so that they wake up from the hypnotic dream induced by Satan and come to their senses. What was needed in the time of Mohammad was a Book to relay the Lord’s Message to the entire humanity and to the generations to come, with a guarantee that it will never be falsified. |
| 17:60 | | As I told you before: “Your Lord is in control and that people can only go so far.” What I showed you now (reference to Mohammad’s out of body experience and his visiting the Lord’s Kingdom), as well as the nasty tree (of Zuquum) which is mentioned in Qur’an, are just a trial for the people (to test their degree of belief.) Thus I am giving them warning upon warning; unfortunately, their reaction to each warning is an increased rebellion |
| 17:61 | | I commanded the angels: “Fall prostrate before Adam.” They all followed the order save Satan. He said: “Why should I prostrate to one whom you created from clay?&rdquo |
| 17:62 | | Satan said: “You see this thing that you have made superior to me? If you give me permission, from now till the Day of Resurrection, I will easily mislead his off springs save a few.&rdquo |
| 17:63 | | The Lord replied: “Get out of here. You, and those who follow you, will be cast into the Hell; an awful punishment for your disobedience.&rdquo |
| 17:64 | | “You have my permission to entice them with your voice, mobilize your military forces against them (read the history and see how many evil military forces have made the man’s life miserable), become a partner with them in their wealth and children and (above all) make all kind of promises to them.” Therefore, know that the Satan’s promises are shallow |
| 17:65 | | “As for My true worshippers, you will never dominate them as the Lord is enough of a Protector for them.&rdquo |
| 17:66 | | Your Lord is the One Who is behind the forces that sail your ship through the sea so that you may pick up what He has gracefully provided for you. How merciful is He toward you |
| 17:67 | | And when you encounter a danger upon the see, you forget about all those whom you worship and turn sincerely to the Lord. But when He brings you safely to land, you forget Him. How ungrateful is man |
| 17:68 | | What makes you so sure that He will not order the land to swallow you or send a strong wind to harm you? Whom will you turn to as protector then |
| 17:69 | | Is there any guarantee that (in account of your ingratitude) you will not find yourself one more time in the sea facing another storm which will lead you to drawn? Rest assured that you will not be given a second chance then |
| 17:70 | | See how I have honored the children of Adam, carried them on land and sea, provided them with pure eatables, and given them superiority over many of My creatures |
| 17:71 | | On the Day that I will summon all human beings (with their leaders in front of them), those who will find their report cards in their right hands will find not an atom of injustice |
| 17:72 | | As for those who are blind to the truth in this world, they will find themselves blindly walking in the wrong path (leading to the Hell) in the Hereafter |
| 17:73 | | They almost succeeded in convincing you to walk away from My Revelations and falsify them in order to gain their friendship |
| 17:74 | | If I had not strengthened your faith, you would have compromised a little bit with them |
| 17:75 | | If you had given in to them, I would have subjected you to a double punishment in this world and after death. Then you would not have found anyone to stand for you against Me |
| 17:76 | | The disbelievers frightened you so much that you almost decided to flee. If it would have happened (as it happened a year later), they would not have stayed in power for a long time (as it took only eight years that Mohammad triumphantly returned to Mecca and after years everyone embraced Islam. |
| 17:77 | | Such has been the case of the previous messengers (facing the resistance of the disbelievers and their final defeat) and you will find the same true for you too |
| 17:78 | | Worship the Lord from the moment that sun declines until the night casts its darkness. Also, read Qur’an in the early dawn. This will be credited to your account |
| 17:79 | | As to the nights, spend a part of it in worshipping the Lord and studying of Qur’an. May the Lord raise you to a very high rank |
| 17:80 | | Pray: “My Lord, let me enter (into any situation) in an honorable manner and let me out (of any situation) in an honorable manner and bless me with your most powerful support.&rdquo |
| 17:81 | | Declare: “The truth is revealed and the falsehood is put to shame. The falsehood was destined to be vanished.&rdquo |
| 17:82 | | Send this Qur’an as a mercy and a mean of healing (mental, psychological, moral and cultural diseases) for the believers. As for the disbelievers, it brings their worse out (as they confront the truth. |
| 17:83 | | Man (is not consistent in his behavior. He) becomes proud of himself , when I shower him with my blessings (thinking he has “earned it himself), and becomes depressed in bad times (thus confessing with his behavior that his talents are good for nothing, if they are not backed by God. |
| 17:84 | | Say: “Everyone behaves in accordance with his belief. It is only your Lord who knows who is walking in the right path.&rdquo |
| 17:85 | | They ask you about the nature of the spirit. Reply: “Only God knows about it and he will not let you more than a little bit about this subject.&rdquo |
| 17:86 | | If I will, I can take back all My Revelations (the whole Qur’an) from you. If such things happen (as it has happened in case of the previous religions,) who is going to help you against the Lord |
| 17:87 | | Know that this [availability of Qur’an in its intact form] is out of the Lord’s Mercy. How gracious is Lord to you |
| 17:88 | | Say: “If all human beings and all Jinns (intelligent none human beings) gathered together and help each other, they cannot come up with a book similar to Qur’an.&rdquo |
| 17:89 | | I have cited all kinds of examples in this Qur’an for the people. Yet most people insist in its denial |
| 17:90 | | They say: “We will not believe in what you say unless: You ask the earth to open up a water spring for us (as though the people of Moses submitted to him with the performance of such a miracle.) or … |
| 17:91 | | You own a garden of date palms and grapes, with rivers running through it; or … |
| 17:92 | | You cause the heaven to fall upon us in pieces, as you are threatening us with. You bring God and the angels face to face before us; or … |
| 17:93 | | You own a palace made of precious metals and stones or you ascend up into the sky. Even then we will not believe in you unless you come back from the sky with a book so that we can read it.” Respond: “Glory to the Lord; have I ever claimed that I am more than an ordinary person chosen to convey the Lord’s Message?&rdquo |
| 17:94 | | What prevented the people from believing (when the Lord’s guidance reached them) is their questioning the fact that God has chosen a human being as His Messenger |
| 17:95 | | Say: “I would have sent an angel as My Messenger, if the earth was populated by the angels!&rdquo |
| 17:96 | | Say: “I take only God as my witness (for your reaction to the Message as He is the One Who is going to judge you.) He sees His worshipping creatures (all creature worship God by submitting themselves to the biological laws imposed upon them by the Lord) and knows how they behave |
| 17:97 | | The only one who is really guided, is the one that God has guided him. As for those whom God has let to wonder in the wrong path, they will eventually find that they have no other protector beside the Lord. On the Day of Resurrection, I will summon them to fall prostrate while they are the most miserable: blind, dumb and deaf. Their destination is Hell. If by any chance it cools down, I will re-ignite its fire |
| 17:98 | | This is in account of their disregarding My Revelations and jokingly saying: “When we die and turn into bones and scattered pieces, will be raised as a new being?&rdquo |
| 17:99 | | Can they really not understand that the same God Who has created the heavens and the earth, is Capable of re-creating them? God has granted them a lifelong time (to change themselves), yet they insist upon disbelieving |
| 17:100 | | Say to them: “Even if you had the Lord’s treasures of mercy at your disposition, you would have held it back, fearing that they may be exhausted!” How narrow minded is man |
| 17:101 | | I supported Moses with nine undeniable miracles; you may inquire the Jews about it. Pharaoh’s only response was: “I am afraid that you are a magician!&rdquo |
| 17:102 | | Moses replied: “You know very well that none but the Lord of the heavens and the earth is capable of presenting such miracles. I am afraid that you, Pharaoh, are doomed [in account of your denial.]&rdquo |
| 17:103 | | When Pharaoh finally decided to erase them from the face of the earth, I drowned him and all those who were supporting him |
| 17:104 | | Then I said to the children of Israel: “Settle down in this land; when My promised time comes, I will summon you all together in one group.&rdquo |
| 17:105 | | Truthfully this Qur’an is revealed to you and there is nothing but the truth in it. As for you (Mohammad), You are sent only as a Warner (about the Hell) and announcer of the good news (about the paradise. |
| 17:106 | | This Qur’an is divided into different parts and revealed gradually so that you may recite to people piece by piece |
| 17:107 | | Say: “It does not matter if you believe in this Qur’an or not.” When Qur’an is recited to those who are knowledgeable about the previous Scriptures, they fall down in prostration |
| 17:108 | | The latter say: “Glory to the Lord; His promises are always fulfilled.&rdquo |
| 17:109 | | Then they fall down on their faces, overwhelmed with the excitement and are thus raised to a higher level of humility |
| 17:110 | | Say: “Call Him Allah or call Him Most Merciful, whichever you like the most. The fact of the matter is: to God belongs the nicest names. When you worship your Lord, do not raise your voice nor lower it down; use a moderate tone.&rdquo |
| 17:111 | | And say: “I thank the One Who has never begotten a son, never taken a partner in His Kingdom, and has never been in need of any ally out of weakness.” Then glorify Him in the most glorious way |
