Surah Al-Israa (17) — Ayah 5

➊ {فَاِذَا جَآءَ وَعْدُ اُوْلٰىهُمَا …:} There is no strong and reliable source for determining these two instances of corruption and their punishment except the Qur’an and Sunnah, because history—especially pre-Christian history—has neither any authentication nor any solid evidence for its verification. As for their corruption, it is countless. Just look at the corruptions mentioned in the Noble Qur’an: demanding to make an idol as soon as they crossed the sea, then Samiri making the calf and their worship of it, then their continuous various demands from Musa (peace be upon him), to the extent that they made seeing Allah with their own eyes a condition for believing in Musa (peace be upon him). Then, upon being invited to go out for jihad, saying «فَاذْهَبْ اَنْتَ وَ رَبُّكَ فَقَاتِلَاۤ اِنَّا هٰهُنَا قٰعِدُوْنَ » [ المائدۃ : ۲۴ ], then their consuming usury, taking bribes, hunting on the Sabbath (Saturday) through trickery instead of honoring it. The prevalence of idolatry and adultery under the influence of neighboring nations, altering the Book of Allah, consuming people’s wealth through false means, elevating their elders and prophets to the status of God, imitating their priests and monks, the priests and monks consuming people’s wealth through false means and turning people away from the true religion, killing Allah’s prophets and the righteous who enjoin good, then not believing in the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) despite recognizing him, rather seeking to kill him. In short, their corruptions are countless. Similarly, the scourge of Allah’s punishment continuously raining down upon them is not limited to just two times, but being repeatedly subjected to the worst punishments until the Day of Resurrection is mentioned in the Noble Qur’an. Allah said: «وَ اِذْ تَاَذَّنَ رَبُّكَ لَيَبْعَثَنَّ عَلَيْهِمْ اِلٰى يَوْمِ الْقِيٰمَةِ مَنْ يَّسُوْمُهُمْ سُوْٓءَ الْعَذَابِ » [ الأعراف : ۱۶۷ ] “And when your Lord declared openly that He would surely keep sending against them, until the Day of Resurrection, those who would inflict upon them a terrible punishment.” Therefore, determining these two instances is a difficult task. The disagreement among the commentators regarding this determination is also evidence of this. Some consider the king of Babylon, Sennacherib, and his warrior companions as its referent, some consider the Amalekites, some Nebuchadnezzar, and some modern commentators have quoted lengthy passages from the Bible and considered some events and personalities mentioned therein as its referent, even though it is not permissible to believe in anything from the Bible except what is mentioned in the Qur’an and Hadith. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) clearly said: [ لاَ تُصَدِّقُوْا أَهْلَ الْكِتَابِ وَلَا تُكَذِّبُوْهُمْ وَ قُوْلُوْا : «اٰمَنَّا بِاللّٰهِ وَ مَاۤ اُنْزِلَ » البقرة : ۱۳۶ ] [ بخاري، الشہادات، باب لا یسأل أہل الشرک…، قبل ح : ۲۶۸۵، تعلیقاً عن أبي ھریرۃ رضی اللہ عنہ ] “Do not say the People of the Book are truthful nor say they are liars, but rather say: We believe in Allah and in whatever He has revealed.” In this same chapter, Imam Bukhari (may Allah have mercy on him) narrated from Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) that he said: [ يَا مَعْشَرَ الْمُسْلِمِيْنَ ! كَيْفَ تَسْأَلُوْنَ أَهْلَ الْكِتَابِ ؟ وَكِتَابُكُمُ الَّذِيْ أُنْزِلَ عَلٰی نَبِيِّهِ صَلَّی اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَحْدَثُ الْأَخْبَارِ بِاللّٰهِ تَقْرَءُوْنَهُ لَمْ يُشَبْ وَقَدْ حَدَّثَكُمُ اللّٰهُ أَنَّ أَهْلَ الْكِتَابِ بَدَّلُوْا مَا كَتَبَ اللّٰهُ وَغَيَّرُوْا بِأَيْدِيْهِمُ الْكِتَابَ فَقَالُوْا : «هٰذَا مِنْ عِنْدِ اللّٰهِ لِيَشْتَرُوْا بِهٖ ثَمَنًا قَلِيْلًا » [البقرة : ۷۹] أَفَلاَ يَنْهَاكُمْ مَا جَاءَكُمْ مِنَ الْعِلْمِ عَنْ مُسَاءَلَتِهِمْ؟ وَلَا وَاللّٰهِ ! مَا رَأَيْنَا مِنْهُمْ رَجُلاً قَطُّ يَسْأَلُكُمْ عَنِ الَّذِيْ أُنْزِلَ عَلَيْكُمْ ] [ بخاری، الشھادات، باب لا یسأل أھل الشرک عن الشھادۃ وغیرھا : ۲۶۸۵ ] “O group of Muslims! How do you ask the People of the Book, while your Book which was revealed to your Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) is the latest of all news from Allah? You read it in such a state that it has not been mixed with anything, and there is no doubt that Allah has informed you that whatever Allah wrote, the People of the Book changed it and altered the Book with their own hands and said: This is from Allah, so that they may purchase with it a small price. Does not the knowledge that has come to you prevent you from asking them? And no, by Allah! We have never seen any man among them asking you about what has been revealed to you.” Now, how can one believe in something that cannot even be called true? However, the lack of this determination makes no difference, because the Noble Qur’an is not merely a book of history, nor are events always mentioned in full sequence and detail everywhere in it; rather, only that part of the events is mentioned which is related to admonition and lesson. However, if its details are known from a reliable source, it increases admonition and lesson.

➋ According to the Noble Qur’an, after leaving Egypt, Musa (peace be upon him) commanded the Children of Israel to wage jihad to enter the Holy Land and informed them that Allah had decreed that this land would become their possession. But this generation, accustomed to slavery, refused to go out for jihad in extremely insolent words. For details, see Surah al-Ma’idah (20 to 26). As a result, they wandered in the desert for forty years. Musa (peace be upon him) passed away during this period. This great prophet of Allah longed so much to enter the Holy Land that at the time of his death he prayed: O Allah! Bring me so close to the Holy Land that I may reach it by throwing a stone. So Allah accepted his prayer. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “If I were there, I would show you his grave on the side of the road beneath the red dune.” [ بخاري، أحادیث الأنبیاء، باب وفاۃ موسٰی و ذکرہ بعد : ۳۴۰۷ ] When that generation perished and a new generation was born in the era of freedom, they conquered the land of Sham and Bayt al-Maqdis, and Allah granted them the blessing of rule with freedom. How long this period lasted, Allah knows best, but with the passage of time, due to distancing from religion and love of the world, they began to fight among themselves, cast aside the commands of Allah, and committed such corruption in the land that Allah sent upon them His severe warrior servants, as mentioned in this verse. They entered their homes, took possession of their houses, lands, women, and children, and expelled them from Bayt al-Maqdis and the land of Sham. Entering Bayt al-Maqdis, they desecrated it as much as they could. This was the punishment for the first corruption. Allah did not specify who the king of these invaders was at that time. After some time, some chiefs of the Children of Israel requested the prophet of the time to appoint a king for the return to the Holy Land and for their captives, and by Allah’s command, Talut was appointed. This detailed incident has already passed in Surah al-Baqarah (246 to 251) and its commentary. At that time, the king of the disbelievers was Jalut; it is possible that the scourge of punishment upon the Children of Israel was also at his hands. In any case, the disbelievers were defeated and Dawud (peace be upon him) killed Jalut. The Children of Israel again took possession of the Holy Land and Allah’s religion again prevailed. After Talut, Dawud (peace be upon him) further expanded this kingdom through jihad, and after him, Sulayman (peace be upon him) was granted such a kingdom that, according to his supplication, was not suitable for anyone after him. For details, see Surah al-Naml (15 to 44), Surah Sad (17 to 40), Surah al-Anbiya (77 to 82), and Surah Saba (10 to 14). All these are explanations of the verse under commentary: «ثُمَّ رَدَدْنَا لَكُمُ الْكَرَّةَ عَلَيْهِمْ وَ اَمْدَدْنٰكُمْ بِاَمْوَالٍ وَّ بَنِيْنَ وَ جَعَلْنٰكُمْ اَكْثَرَ نَفِيْرًا ». After their deaths, a period of moral decline and worldliness began, to the extent that many prophets and righteous people who forbade sin were martyred. Acting upon Allah’s commands ceased, and as a result of neighboring and befriending polytheist nations, polytheism, magic, unjust killing, adultery, robbery, etc. spread, and Allah’s limits were suspended, to the extent that they even, in their belief, crucified Masih (peace be upon him). Many other evils have also been mentioned in the previous footnote. They fought among themselves and split into many sects and kingdoms. After killing the prophets and, in their belief, crucifying Masih (peace be upon him), again the most severe scourge of Allah’s punishment struck them. This was the second occasion when Allah’s severe warrior people attacked them and treated them as mentioned in the next verse {’’فَاِذَا جَآءَ وَعْدُ الْاٰخِرَةِ لِيَسُوْٓءٗا وُجُوْهَكُمْ ‘‘}.