287 Page Notes

17 Al-Isra (continued)

Page 287- Related Hadith/Sunnah

Translation of the meaning by Sahih International.

Page 287 - Related Hadiths and Sunnah

On page 287 of the Quran, Surah Al-Isra (Chapter 17, Verses 50 through 58) continues to address the pagan skepticism surrounding the Resurrection. It establishes a firm blueprint for how believers should conduct their speech under provocation, details the spiritual hierarchy of the Prophets, and refutes the concept of calling upon intercessors or demigods besides Allah.

Below are the primary Hadiths, prophetic traditions, and historical contexts (Asbab al-Nuzul) related directly to these verses, fully cited from classical authoritative sources.

1. Verses 50–51: The Rebuttal to Skeptics of Resurrection

“Say, 'Be you stones or iron, or [any] creation of that which is great within your breasts.' Then they will say, 'Who will restore us?' Say, 'He who created you the first time.' Then they will shake their heads at you...”

The Hadith Context:

When the pagans mockingly asked how dust and shattered bones could be brought back to life, Allah commanded the Prophet ﷺ to tell them that even if they hardened into inanimate, heavy substances like iron or stone, or anything else they deemed harder to animate, re-creation is effortless for the Creator.

The Prophet ﷺ actively confronted this specific form of skepticism. In a famous incident recorded in the Sunan collections, a pagan chief named Al-A'as ibn Wa'il (or Ubayy ibn Khalaf in some narrations) picked up a decayed, crumbling human bone, crushed it into dust with his hands, blew it into the air toward the Prophet's face, and asked: "O Muhammad! Do you claim Allah will resurrect this after it has rotted?"

The Prophet ﷺ responded directly with the paradigm reflected in these verses:

"Yes, Allah will resurrect it. He will cause you to die, then He will bring you back to life, and then He will cast you into the Fire of Hell."

— Recorded by Al-Hakim in Al-Mustadrak (2/429); authenticated by Al-Dhahabi

2. Verse 53: Restraining the Tongue and Satanic Discord

“And say to My servants that they should speak that which is best. Indeed, Satan induces [dissension] among them. Indeed, Satan is ever, to mankind, a clear enemy.”

The Asbab al-Nuzul (Reason for Revelation):

In the early Makkan period, the polytheists frequently insulted, verbally abused, and physically provoked the early Muslims. Frustrated, some companions complained to the Prophet ﷺ and wanted to retaliate with equally harsh words or violence. This verse was revealed to command the believers to maintain absolute dignity, speak only what is "best" (ahsan), and refuse to let anger dictate their tongues.

The Hadith Context:

In his commentary on this exact verse, Ibn Kathir notes that careless or aggressive speech opens the door for Satan to spark deep, lasting hatred between people. To prevent this, the Prophet ﷺ strongly warned against even pointing weapons at one another in jest, as a slip of the hand can escalate into severe regret.

Abu Hurayrah reported that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: "None of you should point a weapon at his brother, for he does not know whether Satan may cause it to slip from his hand, and thus he may fall into a pit of Hellfire."

— Sahih al-Bukhari, Book 92, Hadith 7054; Sahih Muslim, Book 45, Hadith 2617

3. Verse 55: The Preference of Certain Prophets Over Others

“And your Lord is most knowing of whoever is in the heavens and the earth. And We have made some of the prophets exceed others [in various ways], and to David We gave the book [of Psalms].”

The Hadith Context:

The Makkan elites mockingly questioned why Allah would choose an orphaned, common citizen like Muhammad ﷺ to be a Prophet instead of a wealthy king or a powerful chief from Makkah or Ta'if. Allah clarifies that He knows the hearts of His creation and distributes distinct honors to His Prophets according to His wisdom—just as He gave David both kingship and the Zabur (Psalms).

Despite the explicit spiritual ranking of the Prophets mentioned in this verse, the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ strictly forbade Muslims from utilizing these ranks to foster sectarian arrogance or to belittle other messengers.

Abdullah ibn Abbas reported that the Prophet ﷺ said: "No servant [of Allah] should say that I am better than Jonah son of Amittai (Yunus bin Matta)."

— Sahih al-Bukhari, Book 60, Hadith 3393; Sahih Muslim, Book 43, Hadith 2376

4. Verses 56–57: The Futility of Calling Upon Created Deities

“Say, 'Invoke those you have claimed besides Him, for they do not possess the ability to remove adversity from you or to shift it.' Those whom they invoke seek means of access to their Lord, [striving as to] which of them would be nearest...”

The Hadith Context:

These verses were revealed regarding specific groups of people who worshiped righteous creation—such as the Christians worshiping Jesus ('Isa), certain groups worshiping Ezra ('Uzair), and pagan tribes worshiping the angels or a specific group of Jinn. Allah reveals that these entities are themselves desperate servants of God, hoping for His mercy and fearing His punishment.

Abdullah ibn Mas’ud provided the direct historical background for these verses in Sahih al-Bukhari:

"This verse was revealed concerning a group of Arabs who used to worship a group of Jinn. Later on, those Jinn embraced Islam, but the humans who used to worship them continued to worship them [unaware of their conversion]. Thus, the verse was revealed: 'Those whom they invoke seek means of access to their Lord...'"

— Sahih al-Bukhari, Book 65, Hadith 4714

5. Verse 58:

On page 287 of the Quran, Surah Al-Isra (Chapter 17, Verse 58) delivers a sobering reminder of the temporal nature of all human civilization and the absolute reality of divine decree:

“And there is no city but that We will destroy it before the Day of Resurrection or punish it with a severe punishment. That has ever been in the Register inscribed.”

This verse acts as a structural pivot in the Surah. It transitions from refuting the Makkans' immediate demands for worldly miracles to highlighting the macro-timeline of the universe: every single human settlement is destined for an end—either through natural expiration via the onset of the Day of Judgment or through targeted destruction due to its corruption and disbelief.

Classical works of Hadith and exegesis (Tafsir), including those by Ibn Kathir, Al-Bukhari, and Muslim, expound upon this verse through three primary thematic connections.

   The Concept of the Inscribed Register (Al-Lawh Al-Mahfuz)

The verse concludes with the phrase, "That has ever been in the Register inscribed" (fil-Kitabi mastura). Commentators like Ibn Kathir explain that this "Register" is the Preserved Tablet, which contains the finality of all physical creation before it even began.

The absolute nature of this pre-recorded decree is heavily detailed in the Sunnah:

The Prophet ﷺ said: "Allah ordained the measures of the creation fifty thousand years before He created the heavens and the earth, while His Throne was upon the water."

— Sahih Muslim, Book 46, Hadith 2653

In another foundational tradition, the Prophet ﷺ explains the mechanism of this recording process:

"The first thing created by Allah was the Pen. He said to it: 'Write!' It said: 'My Lord, what shall I write?' He said: 'Write down the decrees of everything until the Hour is established.'"

— Sunan Abi Dawud, Book 42, Hadith 4700; authenticated by Al-Albani

   The Final Destruction of All Cities Before the Hour

Scholars note that Verse 58 establishes a universal law: no civilization is permanent. The complete destruction of all remaining cities on Earth will occur as the timeline moves close to the Day of Resurrection.

The Sunnah paints a vivid picture of how major cities—even the most secure or sacred—will experience their physical conclusion. For instance, the Prophet ﷺ foretold the eventual architectural fading of even Medina and Mecca at the very end of worldly history:

• The Abandonment of Medina:
  The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: "The people will leave Medina in spite of its being in its best state with abundant fruits, and none will inhabit it except wild beasts and birds. And the last people to be gathered (on the Day of Judgment) will be two shepherds from the tribe of Muzaynah..."
  — Sahih al-Bukhari, Book 30, Hadith 1874; Sahih Muslim, Book 15, Hadith 499

• The Destruction of the Kaaba:
  Even the sanctuary of Mecca will eventually face the physical reality of this decree at the end of time:
  The Prophet ﷺ said: "The Kaaba will be destroyed by Dhul-Suwayqatayn from Abyssinia."
  — Sahih al-Bukhari, Book 26, Hadith 1591; Sahih Muslim, Book 54, Hadith 2909

   Punishments Meted Out Due to Corruption (Zulm)

The second clause of the verse specifies that some cities face an early end, being "punished with a severe punishment" before the Hour. In Tafsir Ibn Kathir, it is highlighted that this occurs as a direct consequence of a society's persistence in oppression, spiritual corruption, and rejection of moral boundaries.

The Prophet ﷺ explicitly warned his companions about the social triggers that cause divine protection to be lifted from a city, inviting the types of disasters implied by this verse:

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ turned to us and said: "O Muhajirun, there are five things with which you may be tested... A people do not commit fornication openly without scourge and diseases spreading among them that were not known to their ancestors. And they do not cheat in weights and measures but they will be stricken with famine, severe calamity, and the oppression of their rulers..."

— Sunan Ibn Majah, Book 36, Hadith 4019; authenticated by Al-Hakim