Surah Al-Israa (17) — Ayah 80

(Ayah 80) ➊ { وَ قُلْ رَّبِّ اَدْخِلْنِيْ مُدْخَلَ صِدْقٍ …:} Allah Almighty taught this supplication to His Prophet (peace be upon him) and to every follower of his: O my Lord! Wherever You make me enter in this world and the Hereafter, make me enter with honor and dignity, and wherever You make me exit from, make me exit with honor, and grant me such dominance of strength and authority with proof and evidence that it becomes my helper. For the dominance of proof, invitation (to Islam) is necessary, and for the dominance of authority, jihad is necessary, the first step of which is migration from the land of disbelief. From this, it is understood that this verse was revealed when the Prophet (peace be upon him) was commanded to migrate, so this supplication was accepted and he entered Madinah with honor and dignity, and received help for the religion from the Ansar and the Muhajirin.

➋ In this verse, {’’ سُلْطٰنًا نَّصِيْرًا ‘‘} refers to the dominance of strength and authority, because in terms of proof and evidence, he was always dominant even in Makkah. No one was able to produce even a single surah like Surah Al-Kawthar. Now, for the necks stiffened with stubbornness and hostility, jihad was necessary, for which Allah Almighty sent down iron along with the messengers. See the commentary of Surah Al-Hadid (25). It is obligatory for the people of truth to gain dominance over those who are hostile to the truth; only then can they make Islam prevail over all religions, and only in their own authority can they fully practice Islam, which now remains limited to the mosque, marriage, funeral, etc. Some scholars have said: {’’ إِنَّ اللّٰهَ لَيَزَعُ بِالسُّلْطَانِ مَا لَا يَزَعُ بِالْقُرْآنِ ‘‘} "Allah Almighty, through the Sultan (authority), prevents those immoralities and sins which many people do not refrain from even after listening to the Qur'an."

80. 1. Some say that this was revealed on the occasion of migration when the issue of entering Madinah and leaving Makkah was at hand; some say its meaning is to grant me death with truthfulness and to raise me on the Day of Resurrection with truthfulness. Some say it means to enter me truthfully into the grave and when I am raised from the grave on the Day of Resurrection, to bring me out truthfully from the grave, etc. Imam Shawkani states that since this is a supplication, all these matters are included in its generality.

80. And say: “My Lord, cause me to enter wherever You cause me to enter with truth [101], and cause me to exit wherever You cause me to exit with truth, and grant me from Yourself a supporting authority [102].”

[101] In this verse, there is a clear indication towards your ﷺ migration, which was to occur about a year after the revelation of this verse. The supplication that was taught to you was this: O Allah, create such circumstances that wherever I go, I go for the sake of truth and righteousness, and wherever I depart from (for example, from Makkah), I depart only for the sake of truth and righteousness. Or it means: wherever You take me, take me there with utmost honor and grace so that truth and righteousness prevail, and wherever You make me depart from, then even at that time, let me depart with honor and grace, so that the enemy is humiliated and disgraced, and the friends are joyful and delighted, truth is victorious, and falsehood is defeated.

[102]
The Need for Authority for the Implementation of Religion:

This phrase can have two meanings: one is that grant me such authority and government in which Your help and support are with me. The second is that instill this matter in the heart of some authority or government so that it proves to be my helper in this work of mine, i.e., the elevation of the true religion. Two things are implicitly understood from this verse. One is that for the implementation of the true religion, authority and dominance are necessary; mere advice and admonition can never bring the stubborn to the right path, nor are they willing to abandon their hostile activities. And there comes a point when, after explanation, the use of force also becomes necessary. Therefore, for the establishment of religion, striving for dominance and authority, in addition to inviting towards religion, is equally necessary. In what cases is the pursuit of leadership unlawful? And the second is that the pursuit of leadership, which the Shariah has declared blameworthy, is blameworthy only when the sole purpose is the attainment of wealth and status. But if the purpose is the establishment of religion, then striving for such authority is not only not blameworthy, but it is a collective obligation (fard kifayah), and it is the duty of every Muslim to strive to bring the most suitable person to authority. And if he himself is the most suitable and no other person is available for this purpose, then striving for authority for himself also becomes necessary. [نيز ديكهئے سورة يوسف آيت نمبر 55 كا حاشيه]