Surah 17

Surah 17:60

"(Remember) when We said to you, ‘Surely your Lord encompasses the people,’ and We made the vision which We showed you only a test for the people, and (also) the cursed tree in the Qur’ān. We frighten them, but it only increases them in great(er) insolent transgression."
Allah has encompassed Mankind and made the Vision of His Prophet a Trial for Them Verses 17:60
Show Full Scripture Context (17:60) — 1 Verse
Verse 60

وَإِذۡ قُلۡنَا لَكَ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ أَحَاطَ بِٱلنَّاسِۚ وَمَا جَعَلۡنَا ٱلرُّءۡيَا ٱلَّتِيٓ أَرَيۡنَٰكَ إِلَّا فِتۡنَةٗ لِّلنَّاسِ وَٱلشَّجَرَةَ ٱلۡمَلۡعُونَةَ فِي ٱلۡقُرۡءَانِۚ وَنُخَوِّفُهُمۡ فَمَا يَزِيدُهُمۡ إِلَّا طُغۡيَٰنٗا كَبِيرٗا

(Remember) when We said to you, ‘Surely your Lord encompasses the people,’ and We made the vision which We showed you only a test for the people, and (also) the cursed tree in the Qur’ān. We frighten them, but it only increases them in great(er) insolent transgression.

60. And (remember) when We told you: "Verily, your Lord has encompassed mankind." And We made not the vision which We showed you but a trial for mankind, and (likewise) the accursed tree in the Qur'an. We warn and make them afraid but it only increases them in naught save great disbelief, oppression and disobedience to Allah.

Allah has encompassed Mankind and made the Vision of His Prophet a Trial for Them

Allah says to His Messenger, encouraging him to convey the Message and informing him that He is protecting him from the people, that He is able to deal with them and that they are in His grasp and under His domination and control.

And (remember) when We told you: "Verily, your Lord has encompassed mankind."

Mujahid, 'Urwah bin Az-Az-Zubayr, Al-Hasan, Qatadah and others said, "This means, He protected you from them."

And We made not the vision which We showed you but a trial for mankind,

Al-Bukhari recorded that Ibn 'Abbas said:

And We made not the vision which We showed you but a trial for mankind,

"This is the vision which the Messenger of Allah saw with his own eyes on the night when he was taken on the Night Journey (Al-Isra').

and (likewise) the accursed tree in the Qur'an.
refers to the Tree of Zaqqum." This was also recorded by Ahmad, 'Abdur-Razzaq and others. It was also reported by Al-'Awfi from Ibn 'Abbas.

It was also interpreted as referring to the Night of the Isra' by Mujahid, Sa'id bin Jubayr, Al-Hasan, Masruq, Ibrahim, Qatadah, 'Abdur-Rahman bin Zayd and several others. We have already quoted at length a comprehensive collection of Hadith about the Isra' at the beginning of this Surah, praise be to Allah. We have also already stated that some people gave up their Islam after they had been following the truth, because their hearts and minds could not comprehend that, and they denied what their knowledge could not grasp, but Allah caused it to increase and strengthen the faith of others, and so He says:

but a trial meaning a test. As for the cursed tree, this is the Tree of Zaqqum. When the Messenger of Allah told them that he had seen Paradise and Hell, and seen the Tree of Zaqqum, they did not believe that, and Abu Jahl, upon whom be the curses of Allah, even said, "Bring us some dates and butter," and he started eating them and saying, "Let us have some Zaqqum, we don't know any other Zaqqum but this." This was narrated by Ibn 'Abbas, Masruq, Abu Malik, Al-Hasan Al-Basri and others. Everyone who interpreted the Ayah to refer to the Night of the Isra', also interpreted it to refer to the Tree of Zaqqum.

[We] make them afraid meaning, 'We make the disbelievers afraid with Our warnings and punishments and torment.'

but it only increases them in naught save great disbelief, oppression and disobedience to Allah.

means, it only pushes them further into their disbelief and misguidance, and this is because Allah has forsaken them.

— from Tafsir Ibn Kathir (Vol. 6, Page 42)

About this Source & Scholarly Authority (Tafsir Ibn Kathir)

Universal Sunni Consensus: Tafsir al-Qur'an al-Azim by Hafiz Ibn Kathir (701–774 AH / 1301–1373 AD) is universally regarded across all major schools of Sunni Islam (traditional, Salafi, Ash'ari) as the most authoritative classical exegesis. It is prized because it relies on Tafsir bil-Ma'thur—interpreting the Quran using the Quran itself, authentic Hadiths of Prophet Muhammad, and recorded statements of the early Companions (Sahabah).

Standard English Edition: This text is from the standard 10-volume English abridgment published by Dar-us-Salam Publications (supervised by Shaykh Safiur-Rahman Al-Mubarakpuri), which is the official, most widely distributed English Quranic commentary in mosques and Islamic libraries worldwide today.