Surah 17:5
Show Full Scripture Context (17:4-8) — 5 Verses
وَقَضَيۡنَآ إِلَىٰ بَنِيٓ إِسۡرَـٰٓءِيلَ فِي ٱلۡكِتَٰبِ لَتُفۡسِدُنَّ فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ مَرَّتَيۡنِ وَلَتَعۡلُنَّ عُلُوّٗا كَبِيرٗا
And We decreed for the Sons of Israel in the Book: ‘You will indeed foment corruption on the earth twice, and you will indeed rise to a great height.’
فَإِذَا جَآءَ وَعۡدُ أُولَىٰهُمَا بَعَثۡنَا عَلَيۡكُمۡ عِبَادٗا لَّنَآ أُوْلِي بَأۡسٖ شَدِيدٖ فَجَاسُواْ خِلَٰلَ ٱلدِّيَارِۚ وَكَانَ وَعۡدٗا مَّفۡعُولٗا
When the first promise came (to pass), We raised up against you servants of Ours, men of harsh violence, and they invaded (your) homes, and it was a promise fulfilled.
ثُمَّ رَدَدۡنَا لَكُمُ ٱلۡكَرَّةَ عَلَيۡهِمۡ وَأَمۡدَدۡنَٰكُم بِأَمۡوَٰلٖ وَبَنِينَ وَجَعَلۡنَٰكُمۡ أَكۡثَرَ نَفِيرًا
Then We returned to you (another) chance against them, and increased you with wealth and sons, and made you more numerous.
إِنۡ أَحۡسَنتُمۡ أَحۡسَنتُمۡ لِأَنفُسِكُمۡۖ وَإِنۡ أَسَأۡتُمۡ فَلَهَاۚ فَإِذَا جَآءَ وَعۡدُ ٱلۡأٓخِرَةِ لِيَسُـُٔواْ وُجُوهَكُمۡ وَلِيَدۡخُلُواْ ٱلۡمَسۡجِدَ كَمَا دَخَلُوهُ أَوَّلَ مَرَّةٖ وَلِيُتَبِّرُواْ مَا عَلَوۡاْ تَتۡبِيرًا
‘If you do good, you do good for yourselves, but if you do evil, (it is likewise) for yourselves.’ When the second promise came (to pass), (We raised up against you servants of Ours) to cause you distress, and to enter the Temple as they entered it the first time, and to destroy completely what they had conquered.
عَسَىٰ رَبُّكُمۡ أَن يَرۡحَمَكُمۡۚ وَإِنۡ عُدتُّمۡ عُدۡنَاۚ وَجَعَلۡنَا جَهَنَّمَ لِلۡكَٰفِرِينَ حَصِيرًا
It may be that your Lord will have compassion on you. But if you return, We shall return, and We have made Gehenna a prison for the disbelievers.
4. And We decreed for the Children of Israel in the Scripture: "Indeed you would do mischief in the land twice and you will become tyrants and extremely arrogant!"
5. So, when the promise came for the first of the two, We sent against you servants of Ours given to terrible warfare. They entered the very innermost parts of your homes. And it was a promise (completely) fulfilled.
6. Then We gave you a return of victory over them. And We helped you with wealth and children and made you more numerous in manpower.
7. (And We said): "If you do good, you do good for your own selves, and if you do evil (you do it) against yourselves." Then, when the second promise came to pass, (We permitted your enemies) to disgrace your faces and to enter the Masjid as they had entered it before, and to destroy with utter destruction all that fell in their hands.
8. It may be that your Lord may show mercy unto you, but if you return (to sins), We shall return (to Our punishment). And We have made Hell a prison for the disbelievers.
It was mentioned in the Tawrah that the Jews would spread Mischief twice
Allah tells us that He made a declaration to the Children of Israel in the Scripture, meaning that He had already told them in the Book which He revealed to them, that they would cause mischief on the earth twice, and would become tyrants and extremely arrogant, meaning they would become shameless oppressors of people, Allah says:
meaning, We already told him about that and informed him of it.
The First Episode of Mischief caused by the Jews, and their Punishment for it
So, when the promise came for the first of the two, meaning the first of the two episodes of mischief.
We sent against you servants of Ours given to terrible warfare.
means, "We unleashed soldiers against you from among Our creatures who were given to terrible warfare," i.e., they had great strength and weapons and power. They entered the very innermost parts of your homes, meaning they took possession of your land and invaded the very innermost parts of your homes, going between and through your houses, coming and going freely with no fear of anyone. This was the promise (completely) fulfilled.
The earlier and later commentators differed over the identity of these invaders. Many Isra'iliyyat (reports from Jewish sources) were narrated about this, but I did not want to make my book too long by including them, because some of them are fabricated, concocted by their heretics, and others may be true, but we have no need of them, praise be to Allah. What Allah has told us in His Book is sufficient and we have no need of what is in the other books that came before. Neither Allah nor His Messenger required us to refer to them. Allah told His Prophet that when they committed transgression and mischief, Allah sent their enemies against them, who defeated them and violated their homes, utterly destroying their towns. This was their punishment for their rebellion.
Then We gave you a return of victory over them.
Then Allah says:
Then, when the second promise came to pass, meaning, the second episode of mischief, when your enemies came again,
(We permitted your enemies) to disgrace your faces, meaning, to humiliate you and subdue you,
and to enter the Masjid, meaning, Bayt Al-Maqdis (Jerusalem).
as they had entered it before, when they entered the very innermost parts of your homes.
and to destroy, wrecking and inflicting ruin upon it.
all that fell in their hands. everything they could get their hands on.
with utter destruction. It may be that your Lord may show mercy unto you, meaning that He may rid you of them.
but if you return (to sins), We shall return (to Our punishment).
meaning, if you return to causing mischief,
We shall return, means, We 'will once again punish you in this world, along with the punishment and torment We save for you in the Hereafter.'
And We have made Hell a prison [Hasir] for the disbelievers.
meaning, a place of permanent detention, a prison which cannot be avoided or escaped. Ibn 'Abbas said, "Hasir here means a jail." Mujahid said, "They will be detained in it." Others said likewise. Al-Hasan said, "Hasir means a bed of Fire." Qatadah said: "The Children of Israel returned to aggression, so Allah sent this group against them, Muhammad and his companions, who made them pay the Jizyah, with willing submission, and feeling themselves subdued."
— from Tafsir Ibn Kathir (Vol. 5, Page 578)