Surah 17

Surah 17:63

"He said, ‘Go, and any of them who follows you! Surely Gehenna will be your payment – an ample payment!"
Tafsir of Surah Al-Isra, Verses 63-65 Verses 17:63-65
Show Full Scripture Context (17:63-65) — 3 Verses
Verse 63

قَالَ ٱذۡهَبۡ فَمَن تَبِعَكَ مِنۡهُمۡ فَإِنَّ جَهَنَّمَ جَزَآؤُكُمۡ جَزَآءٗ مَّوۡفُورٗا

He said, ‘Go, and any of them who follows you! Surely Gehenna will be your payment – an ample payment!

Verse 64

وَٱسۡتَفۡزِزۡ مَنِ ٱسۡتَطَعۡتَ مِنۡهُم بِصَوۡتِكَ وَأَجۡلِبۡ عَلَيۡهِم بِخَيۡلِكَ وَرَجِلِكَ وَشَارِكۡهُمۡ فِي ٱلۡأَمۡوَٰلِ وَٱلۡأَوۡلَٰدِ وَعِدۡهُمۡۚ وَمَا يَعِدُهُمُ ٱلشَّيۡطَٰنُ إِلَّا غُرُورًا

Scare any of them you can with your voice, and assemble against them with your cavalry and your infantry, and associate with them in (their) wealth and children, and make promises to them.’ Yet Satan does not promise them (anything) but deception.

Verse 65

إِنَّ عِبَادِي لَيۡسَ لَكَ عَلَيۡهِمۡ سُلۡطَٰنٞۚ وَكَفَىٰ بِرَبِّكَ وَكِيلٗا

‘Surely My servants – you will have no authority over them.’ Your Lord is sufficient as a guardian.

63. (Allah) said: "Go, and whosoever of them follows you, surely, Hell will be the recompense of you (all) an ample recompense.

64. "And fool them gradually, those whom you can among them with your voice, Ajlib upon them with your cavalry and your infantry, share with them wealth and children, and make promises to them." But Shaytan promises them nothing but deceit.

65. "Verily, My servants, you have no authority over them. And All-Sufficient is your Lord as a Guardian."

When Iblis asked for respite, Allah said to him:

'Go, I will give you respite.' According to another Ayah (Allah) said:

Verily, you are of those allowed respite till the Day of the time appointed. (38:80-81).

Then Allah warned him and those who follow him among the progeny of Adam about Hell:

(Allah) said: "Go, and whosoever of them follows you, surely, Hell will be the recompense of you (all)

meaning, for your deeds.

an ample recompense. Mujahid said, "Sufficient recompense." Qatadah said, "It will be abundant for you and will not be decreased for you."

And fool them gradually those whom you can among them with your voice,

It was said that this refers to singing. Mujahid said, "With idle entertainment and singing," meaning, influence them with that.

And fool them gradually those whom you can among them with your voice

Ibn 'Abbas said, "Every caller who calls people to disobey Allah." This was the view of Qatadah, and was also the opinion favored by Ibn Jarir.

Ajlib upon them with your cavalry and your infantry.

Send your troops and cavalry and infantry against them. The meaning is, send whatever forces you have at your disposal against them. This is a command (related to the divine decree), as Allah says elsewhere:

See you not that We have sent the Shayatin against the disbelievers to push them to do evil. (19:83),

meaning, to provoke them and drive them towards evil.

Ajlib upon them with your cavalry and your infantry,

Ibn 'Abbas and Mujahid said, "Everyone who rides or walks to go and commit sin and disobey Allah." Qatadah said, "He has infantry and cavalry among the Jinn and among humans. They are the ones who obey him." The Arabs use the verb Ajlaba when describing somebody shouting at another person. Hence it is forbidden in races to shout at one another and push one another. From this root is also derived the word Jalabah, which means raising voices.

and share with them wealth and children,

Ibn 'Abbas and Mujahid said, "This means what he commands them to do of spending money in disobedience to Allah, may He be exalted."

and children,

Ibn' Abbas, as reported by Al-'Awfi, Mujahid and Ad-Dahhak said, "This means the children of Zina (i.e., illegitimate children)." 'Ali bin Abi Talhah reported that Ibn 'Abbas said, "This means the children whom they used to kill out of folly, without knowledge." Qatadah reported that Al-Hasan Al-Basri said: "Allah caused Shaytan to take a share of wealth and children by making them Magians, Jews and Christians, and making them follow any religion other than Islam, and by making them give a part of their wealth to the Shaytan." Qatadah said the same.

Verily, My servants, you have no authority over them.

Here Allah tells us that He supports His believing servants, and guards and protects them against the accursed Shaytan. Allah says:

And All-Sufficient is your Lord as a Guardian. meaning, as a Protector, Supporter and Helper.

— from Tafsir Ibn Kathir (Vol. 6, Page 45)

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.