بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

Transcription
Bismi Allahi alrrahmani alrraheemi
Edip-Layth
In the name of God, the Gracious, the Compassionate.
The Monotheist Group
In the name of God, the Almighty, the Merciful.
Muhammad Asad
In the name of God, The Most Gracious, The Dispenser of Grace:
Rashad Khalifa
In the name of GOD, Most Gracious, Most Merciful. ,
Shabbir Ahmed
All praise is due to God, the Lord/Cherisher/Sustainer of the Universe and everything therein.
Çeviriyazı
Bismillâhir rahmânir rahîm.
Edip Yüksel
Rahman, Rahim Allah'ın ismiyle
Yaşar Nuri Öztürk
Rahman ve Rahim Allah'ın adıyla...
Muhammed Esed
RAHMÂN, RAHÎM ALLAH ADINA
Ali Bulaç
Rahman ve Rahim olan Allah'ın adıyla

17:1 سبحن الذى اسرى بعبده ليلا من المسجد الحرام الى المسجد الاقصا الذى بركنا حوله لنريه من ءايتنا انه هو السميع البصير

Transcription (English)
17:1 Subhana allathee asrabiAAabdihi laylan mina almasjidi alharami ilaalmasjidi al-aqsa allathee barakna hawlahulinuriyahu min ayatina innahu huwa alssameeAAualbaseeru
Edip-Layth (Quran: A Reformist Translation)
17:1 Glory be to the One who took His servant by night from the Restricted Temple to the most distant temple which We had blessed around, so that We may show him of Our signs. Indeed, He is the Hearer, the Seer.1

Note 1

Hadith books contain many hearsay stories on this issue. See the note for verse 20:41.

The Monotheist Group (The Quran: A Monotheist Translation)
17:1 Glory be to the One who took His servant by night from the Restricted Temple to the most distant temple which We had blessed around, so that We may show him of Our signs. Indeed, He is the Hearer, the Seer.
Muhammad Asad (The Message Of Quran)
17:1 LIMITLESS in His glory is He who transported His servant by night from the Inviolable House of Worship [at Mecca] to the Remote House of Worship [,at Jerusalem] - the environs of which We had blessed1 -so that We might show him some of Our symbols: for, verily, He alone is all-hearing, all-seeing.2

Note 1
The above short reference to the Prophet's mystic experience of the "Night Journey" (al-isra') to Jerusalem and the subsequent "Ascension" (mi'raj) to heaven is fully discussed in Appendix IV at the end of this work. - "The Inviolable House of Worship" (al-masjid al-haram is one of the designations given in the Qur'an to the Temple of the Ka`bah, the prototype of which owed its origin to Abraham (see surah 2, note 102) and was "the first Temple set up for mankind" (3: %), i.e., the first ever built for the worship of the One God. "The Remote [lit., "farthest"] House of Worship", on the other hand, denotes the ancient Temple of Solomon-or, rather, its site - which symbolizes here the long line of Hebrew prophets who preceded the advent of Muhammad and are alluded to by the phrase "the environs of which We had blessed". The juxtaposition of these two sacred temples is meant to show that the Qur'an does not inaugurate a "new" religion but represents a continuation and the ultimate development of the same divine message, which was preached by the prophets of old.

Note 2
Although the term ayah is most frequently used in the Qur'an in the sense of "[divine] message", we must remember that, primarily, it denotes "a sign [or "token"] by which a thing is known" (Qamus). As defined by Raghib, it signifies any perceivable phenomenon (irrespective of whether it is apparent to the senses or only to the intellect) connected with a thing that is not, by itself, similarly perceivable: in brief, a "symbol". Hence, the expression min ayatina may be suitably rendered as "some of Our symbols", i.e., insight, through symbols, into some of the ultimate truths.
Rashad Khalifa (The Final Testament)
17:1 Most glorified is the One who summoned His servant (Muhammad) during the night, from the Sacred Masjid (of Mecca) to the farthest place of prostration, whose surroundings we have blessed, in order to show him some of our signs. He is the Hearer, the Seer.,1

Note 1
"The Aqsa Mosque" means "the farthest place where there is prostration," many billions of Light Years away. This verse informs us that Muhammad, thesoul, was taken to the highest Heaven to be given the Quran (2:185, 44:3, 53:1, & 97:1).
Shabbir Ahmed (Quran As It Explains Itself)
17:1 Glorious is He Who initiated the migration of His servant by night, from the Sacred Masjid to the Remote Masjid whose environment We did bless that We may show him some of Our signs. He is the Hearer, the Seer.1

Note 1


This is the 17th Surah of the Qur’an. Some exponents refer to it as Surah Bani Israel. It has 111 verses. Asra (Night Journey) is often confused with Me’raaj (Ascension). Since God is Omnipresent, the notion of anyone going to meet with Him over the skies does not stand up to reason. Asra signifies night journey and it refers to the beginning of the exalted Messenger's emigration from Makkah to Madinah by night. Verses 20:77 and 26:52 use the same term for migration of Prophet Moses along with his followers across the sea. Also consider 17:2. Masjid Al-Aqsa means the Remote Mosque and refers to the ‘Remote Mosque’ in Madinah, the place where Muslims used to congregate before the Prophet's arrival to the city. Masjid may also be understood here as Madinah since it was the place of regular congregations. The famous Masjid Al-Aqsa, the so-called Qiblah Awwal, the supposed First Holy Sanctuary, is widely known as Haram Shareef in Jerusalem. But, in fact, it was built in 72 AH (691 CE) by the Umayyad Ruler, Abdul Malik bin Marwan, about 60 years after the exalted Messenger passed on. The First Sanctuary was nothing but Ka’bah in Makkah 3:96. Jerusalem, until the Muslim conquest under the second Caliph of Islam in 637 CE, had been under the control of Byzantine Christians for centuries, and there was no person worshiping in a Masjid anywhere in the world but Madinah. So, the question of the presence of a Masjid in Jerusalem during the lifetime of the exalted Prophet should not arise. Again, Muslims conquered Jerusalem in 637 CE during the Rule of the second Caliph of Islam, Hazrat Umar. When he visited the place, he along with his companions continued to pray in open grounds, although Pope Severinus gave him the key to the city and invited him to pray in the Church of Holy Sepulture. But Hazrat Umar feared that Muslims might start converting churches into Masjids, so he politely declined. If a Masjid were present, he would have prayed there. The word Me'raaj (physical Ascension) nowhere occurs in the Qur’an. Yet, under erroneous traditions, it is a popular, though non-Qur’anic, belief among many Muslims that the exalted Messenger was taken up physically to the Heights/Skies to meet with God! The Qur’an sets the records straight by asserting that the First ever blessed Sanctuary was the Ka’bah built by Prophets Abraham and Ishmael in Makkah. And that the Divine laws remain unchanged under all circumstances. Bodily Ascension is a Biblical and not a Qur’anic theme at all.



Qubbah-tas-Sakhra (Dome of the Rock)is an Islamic shrine and major landmark located on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, near Al-Aqsa. It was completed in 691 CE. Temple Mount is a holy site for Judaism as well. There is a very questionable history that the Dome of the Rock was constructed over the site of the Second Jewish Temple which was completely destroyed during the Roman invasion by General Titus in 70 CE.



The exalted Messenger never ascended to the heavens. Allah is everywhere. Our brilliant Muhaddithin and historians bring a lot of irrational and contradictory material on this subject:



01. Me’raaj happened in Madinah.



02. No sorry! It happened in Makkah.



03. It happened just before Hijrah.



04. Sorry! It happened 9 years before Hijrah.



05. The Prophet was sleeping at Umm Hani’s house - what? Gabriel held his hand and took him to Allah up there in the heavens.



06. Oh’ no! (That would be a slander). He was sleeping in the Ka’bah.



07. Gabriel opened his chest and poured faith and wisdom from a platter of gold before taking him up there.



08. Sorry! That surgery was performed when he was 3 years old.



09. Gabriel took him straight to the heavens. Sorry again! The angel first took him to Jerusalem.



10. No, it was not Gabriel. Burraaq (The Centauress with the head and face of a beautiful woman and the body of a horse) carried him to the heavens at lightning speed.



These are not even 10% of the insults. The real ascension of the exalted Messenger was his character, and not some kind of Greek Mythology.



With the Glorious Name of God, the Instant and Sustaining Source of all Mercy and Kindness



20:23. Signs that the Divine System will begin to prevail from there

17:2 وءاتينا موسى الكتب وجعلنه هدى لبنى اسرءيل الا تتخذوا من دونى وكيلا

Transcription (English)
17:2 Waatayna moosa alkitabawajaAAalnahu hudan libanee isra-eela allatattakhithoo min doonee wakeelan
Edip-Layth (Quran: A Reformist Translation)
17:2 We gave Moses the book and We made it guidance for the Children of Israel: "Do not pick any protector besides Me."
The Monotheist Group (The Quran: A Monotheist Translation)
17:2 And We gave Moses the Book and We made it a guidance for the Children of Israel: "Do not believe in any besides Me."
Muhammad Asad (The Message Of Quran)
17:2 And [thus, too,] We vouchsafed revelation unto Moses,3 and made it a [source of] guidance for the children of Israel, [commanding them:] "Do not ascribe to any but Me the power to determine your fate,4

Note 3
The conjunctive particle "And" which introduces this verse is meant to show that the mystic Night Journey - and, by implication, the subsequent Ascension as well - were experiences of the same high order of divine grace as the revelation bestowed upon Moses. The Qur'an mentions in 4:164 that "God spoke His word unto Moses", i.e., directly (takliman); see also 7:143, and especially verse 144, in which God says to Moses, "I have raised thee above all people ... by virtue of My speaking [unto thee]". A similar directness of experience is alluded to in the opening words of this surah, "Limitless in His glory is He who transported His servant (Muhammad] by night ... so that We might show him some of Our symbols" (see note 2 above; also, Appendix IV). Apart from this, the reference, in this and many other places in the Qur'an, to the religious history of the Hebrews is due to the fact that the revelations granted to their prophets represent the earliest formulation of monotheism, which makes it ideologically important for its later development.

Note 4
The term wakil denotes "one who is entrusted with the management of (another person's] affairs", or "is responsible for [another person's] conduct". When applied to God, it is sometimes used in' the sense of "guardian" (e.g., in 3:173), or "defender" (e.g., in 4:109), or-in combination with the phrase `ala kulli shay'in (as, e.g., in 6:102 or 11:12) -in the sense of "the One who has everything in His care". In the present instance (as well as in 39:62) the term evidently alludes to God's exclusive power to determine the fate of any created being or thing.
Rashad Khalifa (The Final Testament)
17:2 Similarly, we gave Moses the scripture, and rendered it a beacon for the Children of Israel that: "You shall not set up any idol as a lord and master beside Me.",
Shabbir Ahmed (Quran As It Explains Itself)
17:2 (Recall that Moses had to migrate from Pharaoh's kingdom to the Sinai Peninsula.) We gave Moses the scripture and We appointed it a Guide to the Children of Israel, saying, “Choose no guardian besides Me.”

17:3 ذرية من حملنا مع نوح انه كان عبدا شكورا

Transcription (English)
17:3 Thurriyyata man hamalnamaAAa noohin innahu kana AAabdan shakooran
Edip-Layth (Quran: A Reformist Translation)
17:3 They were the progeny of those whom We carried with Noah, he was a thankful servant.
The Monotheist Group (The Quran: A Monotheist Translation)
17:3 The progeny of those whom We carried with Noah, he was a thankful servant.
Muhammad Asad (The Message Of Quran)
17:3 O you descendants of those whom We caused to be borne (in the ark] with Noah! Behold, he was a most grateful servant (of Ours]!"
Rashad Khalifa (The Final Testament)
17:3 They are descendants of those whom we carried with Noah; he was an appreciative servant.,
Shabbir Ahmed (Quran As It Explains Itself)
17:3 They were the descendants of those whom We carried on the ship along with Noah. Surely, he was a most grateful servant of Ours.

17:4 وقضينا الى بنى اسرءيل فى الكتب لتفسدن فى الارض مرتين ولتعلن علوا كبيرا

Transcription (English)
17:4 Waqadayna ila banee isra-eelafee alkitabi latufsidunna fee al-ardi marratayniwalataAAlunna AAuluwwan kabeeran
Edip-Layth (Quran: A Reformist Translation)
17:4 We decreed to the Children of Israel in the book, that you will make corruption twice on earth, and that you will reach the zenith of arrogance.
The Monotheist Group (The Quran: A Monotheist Translation)
17:4 And We decreed to the Children of Israel in the Book, that you will make corruption twice on the earth, and that you will become very high and mighty.
Muhammad Asad (The Message Of Quran)
17:4 And we made [this] known to the children of Israel through revelation:5 Twice, indeed, will you spread corruption on earth and will indeed become grossly overbearing!6

Note 5
Lit., "in the revelation" - here evidently used in the generic sense of the word, and probably applying to predictions contained in the Torah (Leviticus xxvi, 14-39 and Deuteronomy xxviii, 15-68) as well as the prophecies of Isaiah, Jeremiah, John and Jesus.

Note 6
Since both the Bible and the Qur'an mention that the children of Israel rebelled against the law of God on many occasions, there is every reason to assume that the expression "twice" (marratayn) does not refer to two single instances but, rather, to two distinct, extended periods of their history.
Rashad Khalifa (The Final Testament)
17:4 We addressed the Children of Israel in the scripture: "You will commit gross evil on earth, twice. You are destined to fall into great heights of arrogance.,
Shabbir Ahmed (Quran As It Explains Itself)
17:4 We had informed the Children of Israel in the scripture, "Surely, you will work corruption on the earth twice, and show great arrogance and tyranny.”

17:5 فاذا جاء وعد اولىهما بعثنا عليكم عبادا لنا اولى باس شديد فجاسوا خلل الديار وكان وعدا مفعولا

Transcription (English)
17:5 Fa-itha jaa waAAdu oolahumabaAAathna AAalaykum AAibadan lana oleeba/sin shadeedin fajasoo khilala alddiyariwakana waAAdan mafAAoolan
Edip-Layth (Quran: A Reformist Translation)
17:5 So, when the promise of the first one comes to pass, We would send against you servants of Ours who are very powerful, thus they managed to breach your very homes, and this was a promise which has come to pass.
The Monotheist Group (The Quran: A Monotheist Translation)
17:5 So, when the promise of the first one comes to pass, We would send against you servants of Ours who are very powerful, thus they managed to breach your very homes, and this was a promise which has come to pass.
Muhammad Asad (The Message Of Quran)
17:5 Hence, when the prediction of the first of those two [periods of iniquity] came true, We sent against you some of Our bondmen of terrible prowess in war, and they wrought havoc throughout the land: and so the prediction was fulfilled.7

Note 7
The term `ibad, rendered by me above as "bondmen", denotes every kind of "created beings" (in this case, obviously human beings) inasmuch as all of them are, willingly or unwillingly, subservient to God's will (cf. 13:15 and the corresponding note 33). It is probable that the phrase "Our bondmen of terrible prowess in war" relates to the Assyrians who overran Palestine in the seventh century B.C. and caused the disappearance of the greater part of the Hebrew nation (the ten "lost tribes"), and to the Babylonians who, about one hundred years later, destroyed Solomon's Temple and carried off the remainder of the children of Israel into captivity, or to both, thus comprising all these events within one "period" (see foregoing note).-God's "sending" tribulations upon reprobate sinners is here, as elsewhere in the Qur'an, a metonym for the natural law of cause and effect to which, in the long run, the life of man-and particularly the corporate life of nations and communities -is subject.
Rashad Khalifa (The Final Testament)
17:5 "When the first time comes to pass, we will send against you servants of ours who possess great might, and they will invade your homes. This is a prophecy that must come to pass.,
Shabbir Ahmed (Quran As It Explains Itself)
17:5 When the first of the warnings came to pass, We sent against you Our servants of great might (armies of Nimrod Nebuchadnezzar, the King of Babylon) who ravaged your country, a warning fulfilled (and took you to Babylon as slaves in 586 BC).

17:6 ثم رددنا لكم الكرة عليهم وامددنكم بامول وبنين وجعلنكم اكثر نفيرا

Transcription (English)
17:6 Thumma radadna lakumu alkarrataAAalayhim waamdadnakum bi-amwalin wabaneenawajaAAalnakum akthara nafeeran
Edip-Layth (Quran: A Reformist Translation)
17:6 Then We gave back to you your independence from them, and We supplied you with wealth and children, and We made you more influential.
The Monotheist Group (The Quran: A Monotheist Translation)
17:6 Then We gave back to you your independence from them, and We supplied you with wealth and sons, and We made you more influential.
Muhammad Asad (The Message Of Quran)
17:6 And after a time We allowed you to prevail against them once again,8 and aided you with wealth and offspring, and made you more numerous [than ever].

Note 8
Lit., "We gave back to you the turn against them" - apparently a reference to the return of the Jews from the Babylonian captivity in the last quarter of the sixth century B.C., the partial re-establishment of their state, and the building of a new temple in the place of the one that had been destroyed.
Rashad Khalifa (The Final Testament)
17:6 "Afterwards, we will give you a turn over them, and will supply you with a lot of wealth and children; we will give you the upper hand.,
Shabbir Ahmed (Quran As It Explains Itself)
17:6 Then, We granted you victory over them (when King Cyrus of Persia defeated the Babylonians and brought you back to your country in 520 BC). We then, helped you with wealth and children and made you numerous in soldiery.

17:7 ان احسنتم احسنتم لانفسكم وان اساتم فلها فاذا جاء وعد الءاخرة ليسوا وجوهكم وليدخلوا المسجد كما دخلوه اول مرة وليتبروا ما علوا تتبيرا

Transcription (English)
17:7 In ahsantum ahsantumli-anfusikum wa-in asa/tum falaha fa-itha jaawaAAdu al-akhirati liyasoo-oo wujoohakum waliyadkhulooalmasjida kama dakhaloohu awwala marratin waliyutabbiroo maAAalaw tatbeeran
Edip-Layth (Quran: A Reformist Translation)
17:7 If you do good, then it will be good for you, and if you do bad, then so be it. But when the promise of the second time comes, they will make your faces filled with sorrow and they will enter the Temple as they did the first time, and they will strike down all that was raised up.
The Monotheist Group (The Quran: A Monotheist Translation)
17:7 If you do good, then it will be good for you, and if you do bad, then so be it. But when the promise of the second time comes, they will make your faces filled with sorrow and they will enter the Temple as they did the first time, and they will strike down all that was raised up.
Muhammad Asad (The Message Of Quran)
17:7 [And We said:] "If you persevere in doing good, you will but be doing good to yourselves; and if you do evil, it will be [done] to yourselves." And so, when the prediction of the second [period of your iniquity] came true, [We raised new enemies against you, and allowed them] to disgrace you utterly,9 and to enter the Temple as [their forerunners] had entered it once before, and to destroy with utter destruction all that they had conquered.

Note 9
Lit., "to bring evil to your faces". Inasmuch as the face is the most prominent and expressive part of the human body, it is often used as a metonym for one's whole being; hence, the "evil done to one's face" is synonymous with "utter disgrace". Most probably, this passage relates to the destruction of the Second Temple and of Jewish statehood by Titus in the year 70 of the Christian era.
Rashad Khalifa (The Final Testament)
17:7 "If you work righteousness, you work righteousness for your own good, but if you commit evil you do so to your own detriment. Thus, when the second time comes to pass, they will defeat you and enter the masjid, just as they did the first time. They will wipe out all the gains you had accomplished.",
Shabbir Ahmed (Quran As It Explains Itself)
17:7 We made it clear, “If you do collective good, you will be doing good to yourselves. And if you do evil, you will hurt yourselves. (You did not heed these warnings), and then the second warning came to pass.2

Note 2
The Roman General Titus invaded Jerusalem in 70 CE. His armies entered the Temple and destroyed everything they conquered completely, just as the Babylonians had done before

17:8 عسى ربكم ان يرحمكم وان عدتم عدنا وجعلنا جهنم للكفرين حصيرا

Transcription (English)
17:8 AAasa rabbukum an yarhamakumwa-in AAudtum AAudna wajaAAalna jahannama lilkafireenahaseeran
Edip-Layth (Quran: A Reformist Translation)
17:8 Perhaps your Lord will have mercy on you, and if you revert then so will We. We made hell a prison for the ingrates.
The Monotheist Group (The Quran: A Monotheist Translation)
17:8 Perhaps your Lord will have mercy on you, and if you revert then will We will also revert. And We made Hell a gathering place for the rejecters.
Muhammad Asad (The Message Of Quran)
17:8 Your Sustainer may well show mercy unto you; but if you revert [to sinning], We shall revert [to chastising you]. And [remember this:] We have ordained that [in the hereafter] hell shall close upon all who deny the truth.
Rashad Khalifa (The Final Testament)
17:8 Your Lord showers you with His mercy. But if you revert to transgression, we will counter with retribution. We have designated Gehenna as a final abode for the disbelievers.,
Shabbir Ahmed (Quran As It Explains Itself)
17:8 Now is the time that your Lord may bless you with His mercy (as the Final Messenger is in your midst 7:157). If you repeat your transgressions, We will counter with retribution. We have made Hell a prison for opponents of the Divine Order.

17:9 ان هذا القرءان يهدى للتى هى اقوم ويبشر المؤمنين الذين يعملون الصلحت ان لهم اجرا كبيرا

Transcription (English)
17:9 Inna hatha alqur-ana yahdeelillatee hiya aqwamu wayubashshiru almu/mineena allatheenayaAAmaloona alssalihati anna lahum ajrankabeeran
Edip-Layth (Quran: A Reformist Translation)
17:9 This Quran guides to what is more upright, and it gives glad tidings to those who acknowledge, those who promote reforms that they will have a great reward.
The Monotheist Group (The Quran: A Monotheist Translation)
17:9 This Qur'an guides to that which is more upright, and it gives glad tidings to the believers who do good works that they will have a bountiful reward.
Muhammad Asad (The Message Of Quran)
17:9 VERILY, this Qur'an shows the way to all that is most upright,10 and gives the believers who do good deeds the glad tiding that theirs will be a great reward;

Note 10
I.e., conformable to ethical rectitude and beneficial to man's individual and social life. Thus, after showing that sinning is synonymous with denying the truth, the discourse returns to the fundamental theme 9f the Qur'an, already alluded to in verse 2 of this surah: namely, the statement that God always offers guidance to man through the revelations which He bestows upon His prophets.
Rashad Khalifa (The Final Testament)
17:9 This Quran guides to the best path, and brings good news to the believers who lead a righteous life, that they have deserved a great recompense.,
Shabbir Ahmed (Quran As It Explains Itself)
17:9 Surely, this Qur’an guides to what is most upright, and gives good news of a great reward to those who accept it, and benefit the creation.

17:10 وان الذين لا يؤمنون بالءاخرة اعتدنا لهم عذابا اليما

Transcription (English)
17:10 Waanna allatheena layu/minoona bial-akhirati aAAtadna lahum AAathabanaleeman
Edip-Layth (Quran: A Reformist Translation)
17:10 For those who do not acknowledge the Hereafter, We have prepared for them a painful retribution.
The Monotheist Group (The Quran: A Monotheist Translation)
17:10 And for those who do not believe in the Hereafter, We have prepared for them a painful retribution.
Muhammad Asad (The Message Of Quran)
17:10 and [it announces, too,] that We have readied grievous suffering for those who will not believe in the life to come.
Rashad Khalifa (The Final Testament)
Quran: Our Means to Salvation17:10 As for those who disbelieve in the Hereafter, we have prepared for them a painful retribution.,
Shabbir Ahmed (Quran As It Explains Itself)
17:10 And that for those who disbelieve in the life to come, We have readied grievous suffering.

17:11 ويدع الانسن بالشر دعاءه بالخير وكان الانسن عجولا

Transcription (English)
17:11 WayadAAu al-insanu bialshsharriduAAaahu bialkhayri wakana al-insanuAAajoolan
Edip-Layth (Quran: A Reformist Translation)
17:11 The human asks for evil as he asks for 'good'; the human is prone to be hasty.
The Monotheist Group (The Quran: A Monotheist Translation)
17:11 And man calls to evil as much as he calls to good, and man was always hasty.
Muhammad Asad (The Message Of Quran)
17:11 As it is,11 man [often] prays for things that are bad as if he were praying for something that is good:12 for man is prone to be hasty [in his judgments].

Note 11
This, to my mind, is the meaning of the conjunctive particle wa in the above context.

Note 12
Cf. 2:216-"it may well be that you hate a thing the while it is good for you, and it may well be that you love a thing the while it is bad for you: and God knows, whereas you do not know": in other words, divine guidance is the only objective criterion as to what is good and what is bad.
Rashad Khalifa (The Final Testament)
17:11 The human being often prays for something that may hurt him, thinking that he is praying for something good. The human being is impatient.,
Shabbir Ahmed (Quran As It Explains Itself)
17:11 Man asks for what is evil for him as he prays for the good. Man is prone to be hasty in judgment.

17:12 وجعلنا اليل والنهار ءايتين فمحونا ءاية اليل وجعلنا ءاية النهار مبصرة لتبتغوا فضلا من ربكم ولتعلموا عدد السنين والحساب وكل شىء فصلنه تفصيلا

Transcription (English)
17:12 WajaAAalna allayla waalnnaharaayatayni famahawna ayata allayliwajaAAalna ayata alnnahari mubsiratanlitabtaghoo fadlan min rabbikum walitaAAlamoo AAadada alssineenawaalhisaba wakulla shay-in fassalnahutafseelan
Edip-Layth (Quran: A Reformist Translation)
17:12 We made the night and the day as two signs, so We erased the sign of night and We made the sign of day manifest, that you may seek bounty from your Lord, and that you may know the number of the years and the count. Everything We have detailed meticulously.
The Monotheist Group (The Quran: A Monotheist Translation)
17:12 And We made the night and the day as two signs, so We erased the sign of night and We made the sign of day to see-in, that you may seek bounty from your Lord, and that you may know the number of the years and the count. And everything We have detailed completely.
Muhammad Asad (The Message Of Quran)
17:12 And We have established the night and the day as two symbols;13 and thereupon We have effaced the symbol of night and set up [in its place] the light giving symbol of day,14 so that you might seek to obtain your Sustainer's bounty and be aware of the passing years15 and of the reckoning [that is bound to come]. For clearly, most clearly, have We spelt out everything!16

Note 13
Regarding the primary meaning of the term ayah, see note 2 above. In the present context, the expression ayatayn ("two symbols") refers - as the subsequent clause shows - to the symbols of spiritual darkness and light.

Note 14
I.e., the message of the Qur'an, which is meant to lead man out of spiritual ignorance and error into the light of faith and reason.

Note 15
Lit., "the count (`adad) of years". Since, as the Qamus points out, this phrase denotes also "the years of [a person's] life, which he counts", it obviously implies here a call to spiritual self-criticism in view of the ephemeral nature of one's worldly life.

Note 16
Le., everything that man may be in need of in the domain of ethics and religion.
Rashad Khalifa (The Final Testament)
17:12 We rendered the night and the day two signs. We made the night dark, and the day lighted, that you may seek provisions from your Lord therein. This also establishes for you a timing system, and the means of calculation. We thus explain everything in detail.,
Shabbir Ahmed (Quran As It Explains Itself)
17:12 (Right and wrong have been made distinct as day and night.) We have appointed the Night and the Day as two of Our signs. The sign of the Night We have made darkness while the sign of the Day we have made sight-giving so that you may seek the bounty from your Lord, and be aware of the numbers and counting of years. Thus, We have explained all things in detail.3

Note 3
6:97, 10:5. Reckon every day, month and year to see what you have gained and lost in your self-development

17:13 وكل انسن الزمنه طئره فى عنقه ونخرج له يوم القيمة كتبا يلقىه منشورا

Transcription (English)
17:13 Wakulla insanin alzamnahu ta-irahufee AAunuqihi wanukhriju lahu yawma alqiyamati kitabanyalqahu manshooran
Edip-Layth (Quran: A Reformist Translation)
17:13 We have attached every human's deeds to his own neck, and We bring forth for him a book on the day of Resurrection which he will find on display.2

Note 2

All our intentions, words, and actions are recorded in a record. We will be impeached by this record on the Day of Judgment. See 57:22.

The Monotheist Group (The Quran: A Monotheist Translation)
17:13 And We have attached to the neck of every man his deeds, and We bring forth for him a record on the Day of Resurrection which he will find on display.
Muhammad Asad (The Message Of Quran)
17:13 And every human being's destiny have We tied to his neck;17 and on the Day of Resurrection We shall bring forth for him a record which he will find wide open;

Note 17
The word ta'ir literally signifies a "bird" or, more properly, a "flying creature". Since the pre-Islamic Arabs often endeavoured to establish a good or bad omen and, in general, to foretell the future from the manner and direction in which birds would fly, the term ta'ir came to be tropically used in the sense of "fortune", both good and evil, or "destiny". (See in this connection surah 3, note 37, and surah 7, note 95.) It should, however, be borne in mind that the Qur'anic concept of "destiny" relates not so much to the external circumstances of and events in man's life as, rather, to the direction which this life takes in result of one's moral choices: in other words, it relates to man's spiritual fate-and this, in its turn, depends-as the Qur'an so often points out-on a person's inclinations, attitudes and conscious actions (including self-restraint from morally bad actions or, alternatively, a deliberate omission of good actions). Hence, man's spiritual fate depends on him-self and is inseparably linked with the whole tenor of his personality; and since it is God who has made man responsible for his behaviour on earth, He speaks of Himself as having "tied every human being's destiny to his neck".
Rashad Khalifa (The Final Testament)
The Video Tape17:13 We have recorded the fate of every human being; it is tied to his neck. On the Day of Resurrection we will hand him a record that is accessible.2 ,

Note 2
Your life is already recorded, as if on a video tape, from birth to death. This same record will be made accessible to us upon resurrection.57:22 &Appendix 14..
Shabbir Ahmed (Quran As It Explains Itself)
17:13 All deeds of the humans are instantly recorded on their own ‘self’, as if the record book is fastened to their own necks. And We shall bring forth this record book wide open to them on the Day of Resurrection.

17:14 اقرا كتبك كفى بنفسك اليوم عليك حسيبا

Transcription (English)
17:14 Iqra/ kitabaka kafa binafsikaalyawma AAalayka haseeban
Edip-Layth (Quran: A Reformist Translation)
17:14 Read your book! Today, you suffice as a reckoner against yourself.
The Monotheist Group (The Quran: A Monotheist Translation)
17:14 Read your record! It is sufficient for you that you are aware of yourself today.
Muhammad Asad (The Message Of Quran)
17:14 [and he will be told:] "Read this thy record,! Sufficient is thine own self today to make out thine account!"18

Note 18
The "record" and the subsequent "account" represent man's total comprehension, on Judgment Day, of all his past life (Razi). This allegory occurs in the Qur'an in many formulations, e.g., in 37:19 or 39:68, and perhaps most incisively in 50:22 "now We have lifted from thee thy veil, and sharp is thy sight today!"
Rashad Khalifa (The Final Testament)
17:14 Read your own record. Today, you suffice as your own reckoner.,
Shabbir Ahmed (Quran As It Explains Itself)
17:14 "Read your book! You are a sufficient auditor for yourself this Day."

17:15 من اهتدى فانما يهتدى لنفسه ومن ضل فانما يضل عليها ولا تزر وازرة وزر اخرى وما كنا معذبين حتى نبعث رسولا

Transcription (English)
17:15 Mani ihtada fa-innama yahtadeelinafsihi waman dalla fa-innama yadilluAAalayha wala taziru waziratun wizra okhrawama kunna muAAaththibeena hattanabAAatha rasoolan
Edip-Layth (Quran: A Reformist Translation)
17:15 Whoever is guided is guided for himself, and whoever is misguided is for his own loss. No person shall carry the load of another, and We were not to punish until We send a messenger.3

Note 3

This verse confirms the Biblical verse Ezekiel 18:20 . However, the Bible also contains verses claiming collective punishment: Exodus 20:5 ; Lamentations 5:7; Psalms 109:9-10.

The Monotheist Group (The Quran: A Monotheist Translation)
17:15 Whoever is guided is guided for himself, and whoever is misguided is for his own loss. And no person shall carry the burdens of another, and We were not to punish until We send a messenger.
Muhammad Asad (The Message Of Quran)
17:15 Whoever chooses to follow the right path, follows it but for his own good; and whoever goes astray. goes but astray to his own hurt; and no bearer of burdens shall be made to bear another" burden.19 Moreover. We would never chastise [any community for the wrong they may do[ ere We have sent an apostle [to them].20

Note 19
See 6:164, 35:18 and 39:7, as well as the corresponding notes; also 53:38, which represents the earliest Qur'anic statement of this fundamental principle of ethics.

Note 20
Sc., "so that they might fully understand the meaning of right and wrong": cf. 6:131 and the corresponding note 117, as well as 29:59 (which, in the chronology of revelation, immediately precedes the present surah!).
Rashad Khalifa (The Final Testament)
17:15 Whoever is guided, is guided for his own good, and whoever goes astray does so to his own detriment. No sinner will bear the sins of anyone else. We never punish without first sending a messenger.,
Shabbir Ahmed (Quran As It Explains Itself)
17:15 So, whoever goes right, does it for his own ‘self’, and whoever strays, strays against his own ‘self’. No person bears the load of another. And We never punish any people until We have sent a Messenger.4

Note 4
The Eternal Messenger now is the Qur’an

17:16 واذا اردنا ان نهلك قرية امرنا مترفيها ففسقوا فيها فحق عليها القول فدمرنها تدميرا

Transcription (English)
17:16 Wa-itha aradna an nuhlikaqaryatan amarna mutrafeeha fafasaqoo feehafahaqqa AAalayha alqawlu fadammarnahatadmeeran
Edip-Layth (Quran: A Reformist Translation)
17:16 If We wish to destroy a town, We allow its privileged hedonists to rule it, then they commit evil in it, then it deserves the punishment, then We destroy it completely.
The Monotheist Group (The Quran: A Monotheist Translation)
17:16 And if We wish to destroy a town, We allow its carefree to rule it, then they commit wickedness in it, then it deserves the punishment, then We destroy it completely.
Muhammad Asad (The Message Of Quran)
17:16 But when [this has been done, and] it is Our will to destroy a community, We convey Our last warning21 to those of its people who have lost themselves entirely in the pursuit of pleasures;22 and [if] they [continue to] act sinfully, the sentence [of doom] passed on the community takes effect, and We break it to smithereens.

Note 21
Lit.. "Our command", i e., to mend their ways. The term qaryah (ht., "town") denotes usually - though not always - a "community" or "people of a community".

Note 22
Le., to the exclusion of all moral considerations. (por the above rendering of the expression mutraf, see surah 11, note 147.) The people referred to here are those who, by virtue of their wealth and social position, embody the real leadership of their community and are, therefore, morally responsible for the behaviour of their followers.
Rashad Khalifa (The Final Testament)
17:16 If we are to annihilate any community, we let the leaders commit vast corruption therein. Once they deserve retribution, we annihilate it completely.,
Shabbir Ahmed (Quran As It Explains Itself)
17:16 (Here is the Divine Law of Requital for communities.) We let the leaders of a community commit corruption, drift out of discipline and consider themselves above law. Then the sentence is passed against them and We annihilate them completely.5

Note 5
And the leaders and the public are left blaming one another. 7:38, 10:28, 14:21, 16:86

17:17 وكم اهلكنا من القرون من بعد نوح وكفى بربك بذنوب عباده خبيرا بصيرا

Transcription (English)
17:17 Wakam ahlakna mina alqurooni minbaAAdi noohin wakafa birabbika bithunoobiAAibadihi khabeeran baseeran
Edip-Layth (Quran: A Reformist Translation)
17:17 How many a generation have We destroyed after Noah? It is enough for your Lord to have knowledge and sight over the sins of His servants.
The Monotheist Group (The Quran: A Monotheist Translation)
17:17 And how many a generation have We destroyed after Noah? And it is enough for your Lord to have knowledge and sight over the sins of His servants.
Muhammad Asad (The Message Of Quran)
17:17 And how many a generation have We [thus] destroyed after [the time of] Noah! For, none has the like of thy Sustainer's awareness and insight into His creatures' sins.
Rashad Khalifa (The Final Testament)
17:17 Many a generation have we annihilated after Noah. Your Lord is most efficient in dealing with the sins of His servants; He is fully Cognizant, Seer.,
Shabbir Ahmed (Quran As It Explains Itself)
17:17 How many generations has Our law annihilated since Noah! God suffices as the Knower and Beholder of what causes His servants to trail behind.

17:18 من كان يريد العاجلة عجلنا له فيها ما نشاء لمن نريد ثم جعلنا له جهنم يصلىها مذموما مدحورا

Transcription (English)
17:18 Man kana yureedu alAAajilataAAajjalna lahu feeha ma nashao limannureedu thumma jaAAalna lahu jahannama yaslahamathmooman madhooran
Edip-Layth (Quran: A Reformist Translation)
17:18 Whoever seeks the life of haste, We will hasten for Him what he wishes, then We will make hell for him a place which he will reach disgraced and rejected.
The Monotheist Group (The Quran: A Monotheist Translation)
17:18 Whoever seeks the life of haste, We will make for him what he wishes, then We will make Hell for him a place which he will reach disgraced and rejected.
Muhammad Asad (The Message Of Quran)
17:18 Unto him who cares for [no more than the enjoyment of] this fleeting life We readily grant thereof as much as We please, [giving] to whomever it is Our will [to give]; but in the end We consign him to [the suffering of] hell;23 which he will have to endure disgraced and disowned!

Note 23
lit., "We assign [or "shall assign"] hell to him".
Rashad Khalifa (The Final Testament)
Choose Your Priorities Carefully This Life17:18 Anyone who chooses this fleeting life as his priority, we will rush to him what we decide to give him, then we commit him to Gehenna, where he suffers forever, despised and defeated.,
Shabbir Ahmed (Quran As It Explains Itself)
17:18 Those who desire only the quick gains of this life, We readily grant them from it according to Our laws, to those whom We will. In the end, We have appointed for them Hell. They will endure its heat, condemned and rejected. [2:200, 11:15-16]

17:19 ومن اراد الءاخرة وسعى لها سعيها وهو مؤمن فاولئك كان سعيهم مشكورا

Transcription (English)
17:19 Waman arada al-akhirata wasaAAalaha saAAyaha wahuwa mu/minun faola-ika kanasaAAyuhum mashkooran
Edip-Layth (Quran: A Reformist Translation)
17:19 Whoever seeks the Hereafter and strives for it as it deserves, and is an acknowledging person, then their effort is appreciated.
The Monotheist Group (The Quran: A Monotheist Translation)
17:19 And whoever seeks the Hereafter and strives for it as it deserves, and is a believing person, then to those what they have sought is given in thanks.
Muhammad Asad (The Message Of Quran)
17:19 But as for those who care for the [good of the] life to come, and strive for it as it ought to be striven for, and are [true] believers withal24 -they are the ones whose striving finds favour [with God]!

Note 24
Since caring and striving for the good of the hereafter presupposes belief in God and in man's responsibility before Him, it is obvious that the term "believer" relates, in this context, to a cognition of God's absolute oneness and uniqueness as well as to a willing acceptance of the guidance offered to man through prophetic revelation. - In the original, the whole preceding sentence has the singular form ("he who cares ... and strives ... and is a believer"); but in view of the next clause, which is expressed in the plural, it is preferable to render these pronouns, agreeably with Arabic usage, uniformly in the plural.
Rashad Khalifa (The Final Testament)
The Hereafter17:19 As for those who choose the Hereafter as their priority, and work righteousness, while believing, their efforts will be appreciated.,
Shabbir Ahmed (Quran As It Explains Itself)
17:19 And the one who keeps the life to come in view and strives for it as best as he can, provided he is a true believer; the endeavor of every such person will be accepted. [2:201]

17:20 كلا نمد هؤلاء وهؤلاء من عطاء ربك وما كان عطاء ربك محظورا

Transcription (English)
17:20 Kullan numiddu haola-i wahaola-imin AAata-i rabbika wama kana AAataorabbika mahthooran
Edip-Layth (Quran: A Reformist Translation)
17:20 For both groups We will bestow from the bounty of your Lord. The bounty of your Lord is never restricted.
The Monotheist Group (The Quran: A Monotheist Translation)
17:20 For both groups We will bestow from the bounty of your Lord. And the bounty of your Lord is never restricted.
Muhammad Asad (The Message Of Quran)
17:20 All [of them] -these as well as those -do We freely endow with some of thy Sustainer's gifts, since thy Sustainer's giving is never confined [to one kind of man].
Rashad Khalifa (The Final Testament)
17:20 For each one of them we provide; we provide for those and these from your Lord's bounties. Your Lord's bounties are inexhaustible.,
Shabbir Ahmed (Quran As It Explains Itself)
17:20 All, these as well as those, We bestow on them some of your Lord’s gifts since your Lord’s giving is not confined. [42:20]

17:21 انظر كيف فضلنا بعضهم على بعض وللءاخرة اكبر درجت واكبر تفضيلا

Transcription (English)
17:21 Onthur kayfa faddalnabaAAdahum AAala baAAdin walal-akhiratuakbaru darajatin waakbaru tafdeelan
Edip-Layth (Quran: A Reformist Translation)
17:21 See how We have preferred some of them over the others; and in the Hereafter are greater levels, and greater preference.
The Monotheist Group (The Quran: A Monotheist Translation)
17:21 See how We have preferred some of them over the others; and in the Hereafter are greater levels, and greater preference.
Muhammad Asad (The Message Of Quran)
17:21 Behold how We bestow [on earth) more bounty on some of them than on others: but [remember that] the life to come will be far higher in degree and far greater in merit and bounty.25

Note 25
Lit., "greater in degrees and greater in the bestowal of bounty (tafdilan )" - but since the latter term obviously comprises, in this instance, the concept of "merit" as well, a composite rendering would seem to be indicated.
Rashad Khalifa (The Final Testament)
17:21 Note how we preferred some people above others (in this life). The differences in the Hereafter are far greater and far more significant.,
Shabbir Ahmed (Quran As It Explains Itself)
17:21 Behold how We bestow more bounty on some of them than others. But the life to come will be far higher in degree and far greater in bounty.

17:22 لا تجعل مع الله الها ءاخر فتقعد مذموما مخذولا

Transcription (English)
17:22 La tajAAal maAAa Allahi ilahanakhara fataqAAuda mathmooman makhthoolan
Edip-Layth (Quran: A Reformist Translation)
17:22 Do not set up with God another god; or you will find yourself disgraced, abandoned.
The Monotheist Group (The Quran: A Monotheist Translation)
17:22 Do not make with God another god, or you will find yourself disgraced, abandoned.
Muhammad Asad (The Message Of Quran)
17:22 DO NOT set up any other deity side by side with God, lest thou find thyself disgraced and forsaken:
Rashad Khalifa (The Final Testament)
Major Commandments17:22 You shall not set up any other god beside GOD, lest you end up despised and disgraced.,
Shabbir Ahmed (Quran As It Explains Itself)
17:22 Do not set up gods besides God. If you run manmade systems, disregarding the Permanent Values, you will face an embarrassing failure.

17:23 وقضى ربك الا تعبدوا الا اياه وبالولدين احسنا اما يبلغن عندك الكبر احدهما او كلاهما فلا تقل لهما اف ولا تنهرهما وقل لهما قولا كريما

Transcription (English)
17:23 Waqada rabbuka alla taAAbudooilla iyyahu wabialwalidayni ihsananimma yablughanna AAindaka alkibara ahaduhumaaw kilahuma fala taqul lahuma offinwala tanharhuma waqul lahuma qawlan kareeman
Edip-Layth (Quran: A Reformist Translation)
17:23 Your Lord decreed that you shall not serve except Him, and do good to your parents. When one of them or both of them reaches old age, do not say to them a word of disrespect nor raise your voice at them, but say to them a kind saying.
The Monotheist Group (The Quran: A Monotheist Translation)
17:23 And your Lord decreed that you shall not serve except He, and do good to your parents. When one of them or both of them reach old age, do not say to them a word of disrespect nor shout at them, but say to them a kind saying.
Muhammad Asad (The Message Of Quran)
17:23 for thy Sustainer has ordained that you shall worship none but Him. And do good unto [thy] parents.26 Should one of them, or both, attain to old age in thy care, never say "Ugh"27 to them or scold them, but [always] speak unto them with reverent speech,

Note 26
Whereas God is the real, ultimate cause of man's coming to life, his parents are its outward, immediate cause: and so the preceding call to God is followed by the injunction to honour and cherish one's parents. Beyond this, the whole of the present passage - up to and including verse 39- is meant to show that kindness and just dealings between man and man are an integral part of the concept of "striving for the good of the life to come"

Note 27
In Arabic, uff - a word or sound indicative of contempt, dislike or disgust.
Rashad Khalifa (The Final Testament)
17:23 Your Lord has decreed that you shall not worship except Him, and your parents shall be honored. As long as one or both of them live, you shall never say to them, "Uff" (the slightest gesture of annoyance), nor shall you shout at them; you shall treat them amicably.,
Shabbir Ahmed (Quran As It Explains Itself)
17:23 (A benevolent society begins at home.) Your Lord has decreed that you serve none but Him, and always be kind to your parents. If one of them or both attain old age, do not utter the slightest harsh word to them. Never repel them and always address them respectfully. [2:233, 7:189, 17:23-24, 31:13-15, 36:68, 46:15]

17:24 واخفض لهما جناح الذل من الرحمة وقل رب ارحمهما كما ربيانى صغيرا

Transcription (English)
17:24 Waikhfid lahuma janahaalththulli mina alrrahmati waqulrabbi irhamhuma kama rabbayanee sagheeran
Edip-Layth (Quran: A Reformist Translation)
17:24 Lower for them the wing of humility through mercy, and say, "My Lord, have mercy upon them as they have raised me when I was small."
The Monotheist Group (The Quran: A Monotheist Translation)
17:24 And lower for them the wing of humility through mercy, and say: "My Lord, have mercy upon them as they have raised me when I was young."
Muhammad Asad (The Message Of Quran)
17:24 and spread over them humbly the wings of thy tenderness,28 and say: "O my Sustainer! Bestow Thy grace upon them, even as they cherished and reared me when I was a child!"

Note 28
Lit., "lower for them the wing of humility, out of tenderness (rahmah)" = a metonymical expression evocative of a bird that lovingly spreads its wings over its offspring in the nest.
Rashad Khalifa (The Final Testament)
17:24 And lower for them the wings of humility, and kindness, and say, "My Lord, have mercy on them, for they have raised me from infancy.",
Shabbir Ahmed (Quran As It Explains Itself)
17:24 Lower for them the wing of kindness and humility and say, "My Lord! Bestow upon them Your grace as they raised me in kindness since I was little."

17:25 ربكم اعلم بما فى نفوسكم ان تكونوا صلحين فانه كان للاوبين غفورا

Transcription (English)
17:25 Rabbukum aAAlamu bima fee nufoosikumin takoonoo saliheena fa-innahu kana lil-awwabeenaghafooran
Edip-Layth (Quran: A Reformist Translation)
17:25 Your Lord is fully aware of what is in yourselves. If you are good, then He is to those who repent a Forgiver.
The Monotheist Group (The Quran: A Monotheist Translation)
17:25 Your Lord is fully aware of what is in your souls. If you are good, then He is to the obedient a Forgiver.
Muhammad Asad (The Message Of Quran)
17:25 Your Sustainer is fully aware of what is in your hearts. If you are righteous, [He will forgive you your errors]:29 for, behold, He is much-forgiving to those who turn unto Him again and again.

Note 29
This interpolation gives the meaning of the above elliptic sentence (Tabari, Baghawi Zamakhshari, Razi).
Rashad Khalifa (The Final Testament)
17:25 Your Lord is fully aware of your innermost thoughts. If you maintain righteousness, He is Forgiver of those who repent.,
Shabbir Ahmed (Quran As It Explains Itself)
17:25 Your Lord knows best what is in your minds. If you work for social welfare, He grants the protection of forgiveness to those who take corrective action when they falter.6

Note 6
Saaleh = He who contributes to the society = Who does acts of social welfare = Helps people = Restores balance. Ghafarah = Helmet = Guarding against deterioration = Protection = Forgiveness. Awwabeen = Those who take corrective action = Who return to the right road

17:26 وءات ذا القربى حقه والمسكين وابن السبيل ولا تبذر تبذيرا

Transcription (English)
17:26 Waati tha alqurba haqqahuwaalmiskeena waibna alssabeeli walatubaththir tabtheeran
Edip-Layth (Quran: A Reformist Translation)
17:26 Give the relative his due, and the poor, and the wayfarer; and do not waste excessively.
The Monotheist Group (The Quran: A Monotheist Translation)
17:26 And give the relative his due, and the poor, and the wayfarer; and do not waste excessively.
Muhammad Asad (The Message Of Quran)
17:26 And give his due to the near of kin,30 as well as to the needy and the wayfarer,31 but do not squander [thy substance] senselessly.32

Note 30
In this instance, "his due" evidently refers to the loving consideration due to one's relatives (Zamakhshari and Razi); those of them who are in a state of want are included in the subsequent mention of "the needy" (al-miskin).

Note 31
Regarding this expression, see surah 2, note 145.

Note 32
Lit., "with [utter] squandering" (tabdhiran), i.e., senselessly and to no good purpose. It is to be borne in mind that the term tabdhir does not relate to the quantity but, rather, to the purpose of one's spending. Thus, Ibn `Abbas and Ibn Mas'ud (both of them quoted by Tabari) defined tabdhir as "spending without a righteous purpose" or "in a frivolous (batil) cause": and Mujahid is reported (ibid.) to have said, "If a man were to spend all that he possesses in a righteous cause, it could not be termed squandering; but if he spends even a small amount in a frivolous cause, it is squandering."
Rashad Khalifa (The Final Testament)
17:26 You shall give the due alms to the relatives, the needy, the poor, and the traveling alien, but do not be excessive, extravagant.,
Shabbir Ahmed (Quran As It Explains Itself)
17:26 And give your relative his or her Divinely ordained right, and give to those whose running businesses have stalled, those who have lost their jobs, the needy wayfarer, the homeless, and the one who reaches you in a state of destitution. Do not squander your wealth senselessly.7

Note 7
2:261, 6:141. Squanderers cannot be charitable

17:27 ان المبذرين كانوا اخون الشيطين وكان الشيطن لربه كفورا

Transcription (English)
17:27 Inna almubaththireena kanooikhwana alshshayateeni wakana alshshaytanulirabbihi kafooran
Edip-Layth (Quran: A Reformist Translation)
17:27 Those who waste excessively are brothers to the devils, and the devil was an unappreciative of his Lord.
The Monotheist Group (The Quran: A Monotheist Translation)
17:27 Those who waste excessively are brothers to the devils, and the devil was to his Lord a rejecter.
Muhammad Asad (The Message Of Quran)
17:27 Behold, the squanderers are, indeed, of the ilk of the satans - inasmuch as Satan has indeed proved most ungrateful to his Sustainer.33

Note 33
Since squandering - in the sense explained in the preceding note - implies an utter lack of gratitude for the gift of sustenance bestowed by God upon man, the squanderers are described as being "of the ilk [lit., "brethren"] of the satans". Regarding the deeper meaning of the terms "satans" and "satanic", see surah 15, note 16.
Rashad Khalifa (The Final Testament)
17:27 The extravagant are brethren of the devils, and the devil is unappreciative of his Lord.,
Shabbir Ahmed (Quran As It Explains Itself)
17:27 Squanderers are close companions of Satan, their selfish desires. And Satan is ever ungrateful to his Lord.

17:28 واما تعرضن عنهم ابتغاء رحمة من ربك ترجوها فقل لهم قولا ميسورا

Transcription (English)
17:28 Wa-imma tuAAridanna AAanhumuibtighaa rahmatin min rabbika tarjooha faqullahum qawlan maysooran
Edip-Layth (Quran: A Reformist Translation)
17:28 If you turn away from them to seek a mercy from your Lord which you desire, then say to them a gentle saying.
The Monotheist Group (The Quran: A Monotheist Translation)
17:28 And if you turn away from them to seek a mercy from your Lord which you desire, then say to them a gentle saying.
Muhammad Asad (The Message Of Quran)
17:28 And if thou [must] turn aside from those [that are in want, because thou thyself art] seeking to obtain thy Sustainer's grace and hoping for it,34 at least speak unto them with gentle speech.

Note 34
Le., "because thou art thyself in want, and therefore unable to help others".
Rashad Khalifa (The Final Testament)
17:28 Even if you have to turn away from them, as you pursue the mercy of your Lord, you shall treat them in the nicest manner.,
Shabbir Ahmed (Quran As It Explains Itself)
17:28 If you are waiting for affluence from your Lord, and are unable to currently help the needy, then speak to them in kindness, and treat them in the nicest manner.

17:29 ولا تجعل يدك مغلولة الى عنقك ولا تبسطها كل البسط فتقعد ملوما محسورا

Transcription (English)
17:29 Wala tajAAal yadaka maghloolatan ilaAAunuqika wala tabsutha kulla albastifataqAAuda malooman mahsooran
Edip-Layth (Quran: A Reformist Translation)
17:29 Do not make your hand stingy by holding it to your neck, nor shall you make it fully open so you become in despair and regret.
The Monotheist Group (The Quran: A Monotheist Translation)
17:29 And do not make your hand stingy by holding it to your neck, nor shall you lay it fully open so you become in despair and regret.
Muhammad Asad (The Message Of Quran)
17:29 And neither allow thy hand to remain shackled to thy neck,35 nor stretch it forth to the utmost limit [of thy capacity], lest thou find thyself blamed [by thy dependants], or even destitute.

Note 35
A metaphor signifying miserliness and, in particular, unwillingness to help others (cf. a similar expression in 5:64).
Rashad Khalifa (The Final Testament)
Stinginess Condemned17:29 You shall not keep your hand stingily tied to your neck, nor shall you foolishly open it up, lest you end up blamed and sorry.,
Shabbir Ahmed (Quran As It Explains Itself)
17:29 You should not keep your hand chained to your neck in stinginess, nor open it foolishly lest you sit down destitute and denuded.

17:30 ان ربك يبسط الرزق لمن يشاء ويقدر انه كان بعباده خبيرا بصيرا

Transcription (English)
17:30 Inna rabbaka yabsutu alrrizqaliman yashao wayaqdiru innahu kana biAAibadihikhabeeran baseeran
Edip-Layth (Quran: A Reformist Translation)
17:30 Your Lord lays out openly the provision for whom He wishes, and He is able to do so. He is Ever-aware and Watcher to His servants.
The Monotheist Group (The Quran: A Monotheist Translation)
17:30 Your Lord lays out openly the provision for whom He wishes, and He is able to do so. He is Expert and Seer over His servants.
Muhammad Asad (The Message Of Quran)
17:30 Behold, thy Sustainer grants abundant sustenance, or gives it in scant measure, unto whomever He wills: verily, fully aware is He of [the needs of] His creatures, and sees them all.
Rashad Khalifa (The Final Testament)
17:30 For your Lord increases the provision for anyone He chooses, and reduces it. He is fully Cognizant of His creatures, Seer.,
Shabbir Ahmed (Quran As It Explains Itself)
17:30 Your Lord provides sustenance in abundance and scarcity according to His laws. He is fully Cognizant, Seer of His servants.8

Note 8
Manyyasha = According to His laws = Common but erroneous translation, ‘whom He pleases’. God has appointed laws for affluence and poverty in societies. In the Divine System every individual will get fair return for his labor. 53:39

17:31 ولا تقتلوا اولدكم خشية املق نحن نرزقهم واياكم ان قتلهم كان خطا كبيرا

Transcription (English)
17:31 Wala taqtuloo awladakumkhashyata imlaqin nahnu narzuquhum wa-iyyakuminna qatlahum kana khit-an kabeeran
Edip-Layth (Quran: A Reformist Translation)
17:31 Do not kill your born children out of fear of poverty; We shall provide for you and them. The killing of them was a big mistake.4

Note 4

The Arabic word we translated as "children" is aWLaD (plural of WaLaD) and it literally means "those who are born." The story of pagans killing their daughters by burying them alive years after they were born is a mythology. They were simply practicing infanticide, that is, they would murder their daughters as soon as they learned their sexes. For abortion, see 46:15.

The Monotheist Group (The Quran: A Monotheist Translation)
17:31 And do not kill your children out of concern of poverty; We shall provide for you and them. The killing of them was a big mistake.
Muhammad Asad (The Message Of Quran)
17:31 Hence, do not kill your children for fear of poverty :36 it is We who shall provide sustenance for them as well as for you. Verily, killing them is a great sin.

Note 36
Historically, this may be a reference to the pre-Islamic Arabian custom of burying unwanted female children alive (see note 4 on 81:8), as well as to the occasional-though much rarer-sacrifices of male children to some of their gods (see Zamakhshari 's comments on 6:137). Beyond this, however, the above prohibition has a timeless validity inasmuch as it relates also to abortions undertaken "for fear of poverty", i.e., on purely economic grounds.
Rashad Khalifa (The Final Testament)
Abortion is Murder17:31 You shall not kill your children due to fear of poverty. We provide for them, as well as for you. Killing them is a gross offense.,
Shabbir Ahmed (Quran As It Explains Itself)
17:31 Do not kill your children (nor deprive them of good rearing) for fear of poverty. We are the One Who provide for them as well as for you. Surely, killing them is a grave offense.9

Note 9
Killing children = Slaying them = Depriving them of proper education and training = Rearing children callously. The Divine System will take responsibility of all human needs. 6:151, 9:111, 20:118

17:32 ولا تقربوا الزنى انه كان فحشة وساء سبيلا

Transcription (English)
17:32 Wala taqraboo alzzinainnahu kana fahishatan wasaa sabeelan
Edip-Layth (Quran: A Reformist Translation)
17:32 Do not go near adultery, for it is a sin and an evil path.
The Monotheist Group (The Quran: A Monotheist Translation)
17:32 And do not come near adultery, for it is immoral and an evil path.
Muhammad Asad (The Message Of Quran)
17:32 And do not commit adultery37 -for, behold, it is an abomination and an evil way.

Note 37
Lit., "do not come near adultery", thus intensifying the prohibition. It is to be noted that the term zina signifies all sexual intercourse between a man and a woman who are not husband and wife, irrespective of whether either of them is married to another partner or not; hence, it denotes both "adultery" and "fornication" in the English senses of these terms.
Rashad Khalifa (The Final Testament)
17:32 You shall not commit adultery; it is a gross sin, and an evil behavior.,
Shabbir Ahmed (Quran As It Explains Itself)
17:32 Do not come close to adultery, for, it is an abomination and an evil way.

17:33 ولا تقتلوا النفس التى حرم الله الا بالحق ومن قتل مظلوما فقد جعلنا لوليه سلطنا فلا يسرف فى القتل انه كان منصورا

Transcription (English)
17:33 Wala taqtuloo alnnafsa allateeharrama Allahu illa bialhaqqiwaman qutila mathlooman faqad jaAAalnaliwaliyyihi sultanan fala yusrif fee alqatli innahukana mansooran
Edip-Layth (Quran: A Reformist Translation)
17:33 Do not kill, for God has made this forbidden, except in the course of justice. Whoever is killed unjustly, then We have given his heir authority. Since he received help let him not transgress in the taking of a life.
The Monotheist Group (The Quran: A Monotheist Translation)
17:33 And do not take a life, for God has made this forbidden, except in the course of justice. And whoever is killed innocently, then We have given his heir authority, so let him not transgress in the taking of a life, for He will be given victory.
Muhammad Asad (The Message Of Quran)
17:33 And do not take any human being's life -[the life] which God has willed to be, sacred-otherwise than in [the pursuit of] justice.38 Hence, if anyone has been slain wrongfully, We have empowered the defender of his rights [to exact a just retribution] ;39 but even so, let him not exceed the bounds of equity in [retributive] killing.40 [And as for him who has been slain wrongfully -] behold, he is indeed succoured [by God] !41

Note 38
Le., in the execution of a legal sentence or in a just war (see 2:190 and the corresponding note 167), or in individual; legitimate self-defence.

Note 39
This refers to the legal punishment for homicide, termed qisas ("just retribution") and explained in 2:178 and the corresponding notes. In the present context, the term wall ("protector" or "defender of [one's] rights") is usually taken to mean the heir or next of kin of the victim; Zamakhshari, however, observes that it may also apply to the government (as-sultan): an interpretation which is obviously based on the concept of the government as the "protector" or "defender of the rights" of all its citizens. As regards the expression qutila mazluman ("slain wrongfully"), it is obvious that it refers only to cases of wilful homicide, since the concept of zulm applies in the Qur'an exclusively to intentional and never to accidental wrongdoing.

Note 40
Thus, the defender of the victim's rights (in this case, a court of justice) is not only not entitled to impose a capital sentence on any but the actual murderer or murderers, but may also, if the case warrants it, concede mitigating circumstances and refrain from capital punishment altogether.

Note 41
I.e., he is avenged in this world by the retribution exacted from his murderer, and in the life to come, blessed by the special grace which God bestows on all who have been slain without any legal or moral justification (Razi). Some of the commentators, however, relate the pronoun "he" to the defender of the victim's rights, respectively, to the latter's heir or next of kin, and explain the above phrase as meaning "he is sufficiently helped by the law of just retribution (qisas) and should not, therefore, demand any punishment in excess of what is equitable".
Rashad Khalifa (The Final Testament)
17:33 You shall not kill any person - for GOD has made life sacred - except in the course of justice. If one is killed unjustly, then we give his heir authority to enforce justice. Thus, he shall not exceed the limits in avenging the murder; he will be helped.,
Shabbir Ahmed (Quran As It Explains Itself)
17:33 You shall not kill any person, for God has forbidden it, except in the course of justice (through an appropriate court). In case of unjust killing, We have given rights to the victim’s next of kin. With that right of retribution, comes the responsibility that, since the law is helping them, he (the next of kin) must not exceed the limits.10

Note 10
2:178, 5:32, 6:152, 42:40. Illa bil-Haqq = Except in the course of justice = Except for a just cause

17:34 ولا تقربوا مال اليتيم الا بالتى هى احسن حتى يبلغ اشده واوفوا بالعهد ان العهد كان مسولا

Transcription (English)
17:34 Wala taqraboo mala alyateemiilla biallatee hiya ahsanu hattayablugha ashuddahu waawfoo bialAAahdi inna alAAahda kanamas-oolan
Edip-Layth (Quran: A Reformist Translation)
17:34 Do not go near the orphan's money, except for what is best, until he reaches maturity. Fulfill your oath, for the oath brings responsibility.
The Monotheist Group (The Quran: A Monotheist Translation)
17:34 And do not come near the money of the orphan, except for that which is best, until he reaches his independence. And fulfill the pledge, for the pledge brings great responsibility.
Muhammad Asad (The Message Of Quran)
17:34 And do not touch the substance of an orphan, save to improve it, before he comes of age.42 And be true to every promise - for, verily, [on Judgment Day] you will be called to account for every promise which you have made !43

Note 42
See surah 6, note 149.

Note 43
Lit., "every promise shall be asked about" or "investigated".
Rashad Khalifa (The Final Testament)
17:34 You shall not touch the orphans' money except for their own good, until they reach maturity. You shall fulfill your covenants, for a covenant is a great responsibility.,
Shabbir Ahmed (Quran As It Explains Itself)
17:34 Go not near the wealth of the orphan, except for his or her own good, until they come of age. (Then let them make their own decisions.) This is a covenant that you must fulfill. Surely, you will be questioned about all your covenants.

17:35 واوفوا الكيل اذا كلتم وزنوا بالقسطاس المستقيم ذلك خير واحسن تاويلا

Transcription (English)
17:35 Waawfoo alkayla itha kiltum wazinoobialqistasi almustaqeemi thalika khayrun waahsanuta/weelan
Edip-Layth (Quran: A Reformist Translation)
17:35 Give full measure when you deal, and weigh with a balance that is straight. That is good and better in the end.
The Monotheist Group (The Quran: A Monotheist Translation)
17:35 And give full measure when you deal, and weigh with a balance that is straight. That is good and better in the end.
Muhammad Asad (The Message Of Quran)
17:35 And give full measure whenever you measure, and weigh with a balance that is true:44 this will be [for your own] good, and best in the end.

Note 44
Lit., "straight" (mustaqim)-a term which in the Qur'an has invariably a spiritual or moral connotation. Hence, as in the similar phrase in 6:152, the above injunction applies not merely to commercial transactions but to all dealings between man and man.
Rashad Khalifa (The Final Testament)
17:35 You shall give full measure when you trade, and weigh equitably. This is better and more righteous.,
Shabbir Ahmed (Quran As It Explains Itself)
17:35 (Always be mindful of just dealings.) Give full measure when you measure, and weigh with even scale. This is the best way and it will prove to be best in the end. [81:1-3]

17:36 ولا تقف ما ليس لك به علم ان السمع والبصر والفؤاد كل اولئك كان عنه مسولا

Transcription (English)
17:36 Wala taqfu ma laysa laka bihiAAilmun inna alssamAAa waalbasara waalfu-adakullu ola-ika kana AAanhu mas-oolan
Edip-Layth (Quran: A Reformist Translation)
17:36 Do not uphold what you have no knowledge of. For the hearing, eyesight, and mind, all these are held responsible for that.5

Note 5

This verse instructs us to use both our reason and senses to examine all the information we receive. It warns us against blindly following a religious teaching or political ideology. It warns us not to be hypnotized by the charisma of leaders nor by the social conventions. A society comprised of iconoclastic individuals that value rational and empirical inquiry will never become the victim of religious fanaticism or tragedies inflicted by charismatic politicians. A religion or sect that glorifies ignorance and gullibility can be very dangerous for its followers and others. As the Physicist Steven Weinberg once put profoundly, "With or without religion, you would have good people doing good things, and evil people doing evil things. But for good people to do evil things, that takes religion." See 6:74.

The following advice is attributed to Buddha. We are not quoting this because we consider his name to be an authority, nor because we are sure that it is uttered or written by a man called Buddha; but because it articulates a profound fact: "Do not put faith in traditions, even though they have been accepted for long generations and in many countries. Do not believe a thing because many repeat it. Do not accept a thing on the authority of one or another of the sages of old, nor on the ground of statements as found in the books. Never believe anything because probability is in its favor. Do not believe in that which you yourselves have imagined, thinking that a god has inspired it. Believe nothing merely on the authority of the teachers or the priests. After examination, believe that which you have tested for yourself and found reasonable, which is in conformity with your well being and that of others." Interestingly, this is the summary of many verses in the Quran! If the above wise statements were indeed made by Buddha, then he would be the first one who would reject the allegiance of the so-called Buddhists.

The Biblical, "Know the truth, and the truth will set you free!" (John 3:24 ), is a powerful statement against idolatry and ignorance. St. Paul and his followers, such as Tertullian and many other church leaders turned the wisdom preached by Jesus into bigotry and dogmatism that considered philosophy and philosophers the enemy. Most faithful of religions nod positively at Voltaire's depiction of their understanding: "The truths of religion are never so well understood as by those who have lost the power of reasoning."

If I really want to name myself with suffixes such as an –ist, –ite, or –an, then I should call myself Truthist, Truthite, or Truthian! Or, maybe just, Godist, Godite, Godian!

The Quran repeatedly advises us to use our intellect, to reason, to be open-minded, to be the seekers of truth, to be philosophers, to be critical thinkers, and not to be the followers of our wishful thinking or a particular crowd. For instance, see 2:170, 171, 242, 269; 3:118, 190; 6:74; 7:169; 8:22; 10:42, 100; 11:51; 12:2, 111; 13:4, 19; 16:67; 21:10, 67; 23:80; 24:61; 29:63; 30:28; 38:29; 39:9, 18, 21; 40:54; 59:14. See also 6:110.

The Monotheist Group (The Quran: A Monotheist Translation)
17:36 And do not uphold what you have no knowledge of; for the hearing, eyesight, and heart - all these you are responsible for.
Muhammad Asad (The Message Of Quran)
17:36 And never concern thyself with anything of which thou hast no knowledge:45 verily, [thy] hearing and sight and heart - all of them - will be called to account for it [on Judgment Day]!

Note 45
Or: "do not follow [or "pursue"] anything...", etc. This would seem to relate to groundless assertions about events or people (and hence to slander or false testimony), to statements based on guesswork unsupported by evidence, or to interfering in social situations which one is unable to evaluate correctly.
Rashad Khalifa (The Final Testament)
Crucial Advice17:36 You shall not accept any information, unless you verify it for yourself. I have given you the hearing, the eyesight, and the brain, and you are responsible for using them.,
Shabbir Ahmed (Quran As It Explains Itself)
17:36 Do not reach conclusions about that of which you have no knowledge. (Using your senses and intellect, you must verify it for yourself.) Surely, the hearing, the sight and the faculty of reasoning – all of them – will be questioned. [32:9, 45:23, 46:26]

17:37 ولا تمش فى الارض مرحا انك لن تخرق الارض ولن تبلغ الجبال طولا

Transcription (English)
17:37 Wala tamshi fee al-ardi marahaninnaka lan takhriqa al-arda walan tablugha aljibalatoolan
Edip-Layth (Quran: A Reformist Translation)
17:37 Do not walk in the land arrogantly, for you will not penetrate the earth, nor will you reach the mountains in height.
The Monotheist Group (The Quran: A Monotheist Translation)
17:37 And do not walk in the land arrogantly, for you will not penetrate the earth, nor will you reach the mountains in height.
Muhammad Asad (The Message Of Quran)
17:37 And walk not on earth with haughty self-conceit: for, verily, thou canst never rend the earth asunder, nor canst thou ever grow as tall as the mountains!
Rashad Khalifa (The Final Testament)
17:37 You shall not walk proudly on earth - you cannot bore through the earth, nor can you be as tall as the mountains.,
Shabbir Ahmed (Quran As It Explains Itself)
17:37 Do not walk on earth with pride. Neither could you bore through the earth, nor could you become as tall as the mountains.11

Note 11
The body language speaks louder than words. 3:187, 31:19, 40:75

17:38 كل ذلك كان سيئه عند ربك مكروها

Transcription (English)
17:38 Kullu thalika kana sayyi-ohuAAinda rabbika makroohan
Edip-Layth (Quran: A Reformist Translation)
17:38 All of this is bad, and disliked by your Lord.
The Monotheist Group (The Quran: A Monotheist Translation)
17:38 All of this is bad, and disliked by your Lord.
Muhammad Asad (The Message Of Quran)
17:38 The evil of all this is odious in thy Sustainer's sight:46

Note 46
According to some commentators, this condemnation refers to what has been mentioned in the preceding two verses; more probably, however, it extends to the subject-matter of all the prohibitions - whether enunciated as such or merely implied - in verses 22-37.
Rashad Khalifa (The Final Testament)
17:38 All bad behavior is condemned by your Lord.,
Shabbir Ahmed (Quran As It Explains Itself)
17:38 The evil of all this is detestable in the Sight of your Lord.

17:39 ذلك مما اوحى اليك ربك من الحكمة ولا تجعل مع الله الها ءاخر فتلقى فى جهنم ملوما مدحورا

Transcription (English)
17:39 Thalika mimma awhailayka rabbuka mina alhikmati wala tajAAal maAAaAllahi ilahan akhara fatulqa feejahannama malooman madhooran
Edip-Layth (Quran: A Reformist Translation)
17:39 That is from what your Lord has inspired to you of the wisdom. Do not make with God another god, or you will be cast into hell, blameworthy and rejected.6

Note 6

The followers of hadith and sunna claim that Muhammed was given both the Quran and Wisdom, the latter being delivered in hadith books. For those who know the nature of hadith collections, this is clearly not a wise statement. The verse expressly states that the Wisdom is not separate from the Quran; it is in the Quran. We cannot divorce the Quran from wisdom and make a mockery of "wisdom" by using it to sanctify contradictory hearsay accounts and medieval culture. Besides, the fabricators of hadith were not "wise" enough to name their fabrications "Wisdom," since they picked a wrong word, hadith, which is negatively treated by the Quran when it is used for any other utterance besides the Quran (6:112; 33:38). Furthermore, one of the attributes of the Quran is hakym, which means "wise." See 9:31; 17:46; 18:26; 36:1; 42:21.

The Monotheist Group (The Quran: A Monotheist Translation)
17:39 That is from what your Lord has inspired to you of the wisdom. And do not make with God another god, or you will be cast into Hell, blameworthy and regretting.
Muhammad Asad (The Message Of Quran)
17:39 this is part of that knowledge of right and wrong with which thy Sustainer has inspired thee.47 Hence, do not set up any other deity side by side with God,48 lest thou be cast into hell, blamed [by thyself] and rejected [by Him]!

Note 47
Or: "which thy Sustainer has revealed to thee". It is to be noted that the noun hikmah, usually signifying "wisdom", is derived from the verb hakama ("he prevented" or "restrained [him or it]", i.e., from acting in an undesirable manner). Hence, the primary meaning of hikmah is "that which prevents one from evil or ignorant behaviour" (cf. Lane 11, 617); in its positive sense, it signifies "[conscious] insight into that which is most excellent" (Lisan al-`Arab, Taj al-'Arus). Inasmuch as this term refers here, in particular, to what is "odious in God's sight", it implies moral discrimination (or "the knowledge of right and wrong") on the part of men; and this, in its turn, presupposes the existence of an absolute, God-willed standard of moral values.

Note 48
Since there is no basis for an acceptance of absolute moral values - i.e., values that are independent of time and social circumstances-without a belief in God and His ultimate judgment, the passage ends, as it began. with a call to a cognition of God's oneness and uniqueness.
Rashad Khalifa (The Final Testament)
Quran Is Wisdom17:39 This is some of the wisdom inspired to you by your Lord. You shall not set up another god beside GOD, lest you end up in Gehenna, blamed and defeated.,
Shabbir Ahmed (Quran As It Explains Itself)
17:39 This is some of the wisdom your Lord has revealed to you. Do not set up with God any other god, lest you be cast into Hell, blameworthy and rejected. [2:269]

17:40 افاصفىكم ربكم بالبنين واتخذ من الملئكة انثا انكم لتقولون قولا عظيما

Transcription (English)
17:40 Afaasfakum rabbukum bialbaneenawaittakhatha mina almala-ikati inathaninnakum lataqooloona qawlan AAatheeman
Edip-Layth (Quran: A Reformist Translation)
17:40 Has your Lord preferred for you the males, while He takes the females as controllers? You are indeed saying a great thing!
The Monotheist Group (The Quran: A Monotheist Translation)
17:40 Has your Lord preferred for you the males, while He takes the females as angels? You are indeed saying a grave thing!
Muhammad Asad (The Message Of Quran)
17:40 HAS, THEN, your Sustainer distinguished you by [giving you] sons, and taken unto Himself daughters in the guise of angels?49 Verily, you are uttering a dreadful saying!

Note 49
Lit., "and taken unto Himself, out of the angels, females": an allusion to the pre-Islamic Arabian belief that the angels - conceived of as a kind of female sub-deities - were God's "daughters", and this despite the pagan Arabs' contempt for female offspring (cf. 16:57 and the corresponding notes). In its wider implication, this rhetorical question is meant to bring out the absurdity of the supposition that God's divinity could be projected into, or shared by, any other being (cf. 6:100).
Rashad Khalifa (The Final Testament)
17:40 Has your Lord given you boys, while giving Himself the angels as daughters?! How could you utter such a blasphemy?,
Shabbir Ahmed (Quran As It Explains Itself)
17:40 What! Has your Lord distinguished you by giving you sons, and chosen for Himself daughters in the guise of angels? Certainly, you speak a monstrous word! [16:57]

17:41 ولقد صرفنا فى هذا القرءان ليذكروا وما يزيدهم الا نفورا

Transcription (English)
17:41 Walaqad sarrafna fee hathaalqur-ani liyaththakkaroo wama yazeeduhumilla nufooran
Edip-Layth (Quran: A Reformist Translation)
17:41 We have cited in this Quran so they may remember, but it only increases their aversion!
The Monotheist Group (The Quran: A Monotheist Translation)
17:41 And We have dispatched in this Qur'an that they may remember, but it only increases their aversion!
Muhammad Asad (The Message Of Quran)
17:41 And, indeed, many facets have We given [to Our message] in this Qur'an, so that they [who deny the truth] might take it to heart: but all this only increases their aversion.
Rashad Khalifa (The Final Testament)
17:41 We have cited in this Quran (all kinds of examples), that they may take heed. But it only augments their aversion.,
Shabbir Ahmed (Quran As It Explains Itself)
17:41 We have explained things in various ways in this Qur’an so that they understand, but it only increases their flight from the truth.12

Note 12
Blind following, arrogance, preconceived notions disable reason. 4:88

17:42 قل لو كان معه ءالهة كما يقولون اذا لابتغوا الى ذى العرش سبيلا

Transcription (English)
17:42 Qul law kana maAAahu alihatunkama yaqooloona ithan laibtaghaw ila theealAAarshi sabeelan
Edip-Layth (Quran: A Reformist Translation)
17:42 Say, "If there had been gods with Him as they say, then they would have tried to gain a way to the Possessor of Authority."
The Monotheist Group (The Quran: A Monotheist Translation)
17:42 Say: "If there had been gods with Him as they say, then they would have tried to gain a way to the Throne."
Muhammad Asad (The Message Of Quran)
17:42 Say: "If there were-as some people assert [other] deities side by side with Him, surely [even] they would have to strive to find a way unto Him who is enthroned on His almightiness?"50

Note 50
The term `arsh (lit., "throne" or, more properly, "seat of power") is used in the Qur'an to denote God's absolute sway over all that exists; hence, the expression dhu 'l-arsh may be suitably rendered as "He who is enthroned in His almightiness". Beyond this, the commentators are not entirely agreed as to the purport of the above sentence. Some take it to mean that "had there been other deities apart from God, they would endeavour to deprive Him of some or all of His power, and would thus create chaos in the universe". Others-and most prominently among them Tabari and Ibn Kathir - have a far better, though somewhat more complicated explanation to offer. Starting from the legitimate assumption that those who believe in the existence of other deities or divine powers apart from God regard them as no more than mediators between man and Him, the argument runs thus: If those alleged divine or semi-divine "mediators" would really exist, then it is obvious that, being no more than mediators, even they would have to recognize Him as the Supreme Being - which would amount to admitting that they have no power of their own but are, in the last resort, entirely dependent on and subject to Him: and this unavoidable conclusion implies a negation of any divinity in those imaginary "mediators". This being so, is it not far more reasonable for man to turn directly to God, who is almighty, all-seeing, all-hearing, and has therefore no need of any mediator?
Rashad Khalifa (The Final Testament)
17:42 Say, "If there were any other gods beside Him, as they claim, they would have tried to overthrow the Possessor of the throne.",
Shabbir Ahmed (Quran As It Explains Itself)
17:42 Say, "If there were any other deities side by side with Him, as they claim, even those would have to find a way to the Lord of the Throne of Almightiness.”

17:43 سبحنه وتعلى عما يقولون علوا كبيرا

Transcription (English)
17:43 Subhanahu wataAAalaAAamma yaqooloona AAuluwwan kabeeran
Edip-Layth (Quran: A Reformist Translation)
17:43 Be He glorified and high above from what they say.
The Monotheist Group (The Quran: A Monotheist Translation)
17:43 Be He glorified and exalted above what they say, a great falsehood.
Muhammad Asad (The Message Of Quran)
17:43 Limitless is He in His glory, and sublimely, immeasurably exalted above anything that men may say [about Him]51

Note 51
See surah 6, note 88.
Rashad Khalifa (The Final Testament)
17:43 Be He glorified, He is much too exalted, far above their utterances.,
Shabbir Ahmed (Quran As It Explains Itself)
17:43 Glorified is He, and High Exalted above what they say!

17:44 تسبح له السموت السبع والارض ومن فيهن وان من شىء الا يسبح بحمده ولكن لا تفقهون تسبيحهم انه كان حليما غفورا

Transcription (English)
17:44 Tusabbihu lahu alssamawatualssabAAu waal-ardu waman feehinna wa-in minshay-in illa yusabbihu bihamdihi walakinla tafqahoona tasbeehahum innahu kana haleemanghafooran
Edip-Layth (Quran: A Reformist Translation)
17:44 He is glorified by the seven heavens and the earth and who is in them, and there is not a thing but it glorifies His praise, but you do not understand their glorification. He is Compassionate, Forgiving.
The Monotheist Group (The Quran: A Monotheist Translation)
17:44 He is glorified by the seven heavens and the earth and that which is in them, and there is not a thing except it glorifies His praise, but you do not comprehend their glorification. He is Compassionate, Forgiving.
Muhammad Asad (The Message Of Quran)
17:44 The seven heavens52 extol His limitless glory, and the earth, and all that they contain; and there is not a single thing but extols His limitless glory and praise: but you [O men] fail to grasp the manner of their glorifying Him!53 Verily, He is forbearing, much-forgiving!

Note 52
For an explanation of this expression, see surah 2, note 20.

Note 53
Le., although everything in creation bears witness to the existence of a conscious Creative Will, man is only too often blind and deaf to this overwhelming evidence of God's ever-present almightiness.
Rashad Khalifa (The Final Testament)
17:44 Glorifying Him are the seven universes, the earth, and everyone in them. There is nothing that does not glorify Him, but you do not understand their glorification. He is Clement, Forgiver.,
Shabbir Ahmed (Quran As It Explains Itself)
17:44 All the seven Highs and their Lows, and all beings in them are working His Plan, displaying that He is Praiseworthy. All creatures are playing their role in the Universe. In your present state of knowledge, you do not understand their exact modes of action. God, the Clement, the Absolver of imperfections, sustains and maintains them in Order.

17:45 واذا قرات القرءان جعلنا بينك وبين الذين لا يؤمنون بالءاخرة حجابا مستورا

Transcription (English)
17:45 Wa-itha qara/ta alqur-anajaAAalna baynaka wabayna allatheena layu/minoona bial-akhirati hijabanmastooran
Edip-Layth (Quran: A Reformist Translation)
17:45 When you study the Quran, We place between you and those who do not acknowledge the Hereafter an invisible barrier.
The Monotheist Group (The Quran: A Monotheist Translation)
17:45 And when you read the Qur'an, We place between you and those who do not believe in the Hereafter an invisible barrier.
Muhammad Asad (The Message Of Quran)
17:45 But [thus it is:]54 whenever thou recitest the Qur'an, We place an invisible barrier between thee and those who will not believe in the life to come:_

Note 54
This passage connects with verse 41 above.
Rashad Khalifa (The Final Testament)
17:45 When you read the Quran, we place between you and those who do not believe in the Hereafter an invisible barrier.,
Shabbir Ahmed (Quran As It Explains Itself)
17:45 When you recite the Qur’an, We put an invisible veil between you and those who disbelieve in the Hereafter.13

Note 13
17:41. Disbelievers in the eternal life remain preoccupied with the glitter of this world, a mental barrier to understanding

17:46 وجعلنا على قلوبهم اكنة ان يفقهوه وفى ءاذانهم وقرا واذا ذكرت ربك فى القرءان وحده ولوا على ادبرهم نفورا

Transcription (English)
17:46 WajaAAalna AAala quloobihimakinnatan an yafqahoohu wafee athanihim waqran wa-ithathakarta rabbaka fee alqur-ani wahdahuwallaw AAala adbarihim nufooran
Edip-Layth (Quran: A Reformist Translation)
Quran Alone17:46 We place shields over their hearts, that they should not understand it, and deafness in their ears. If you mention your Lord in the Quran alone, they run away turning their backs in aversion.7

Note 7

Those who do not acknowledge the hereafter with certainty will not understand the Quran, and they will claim that the Quran is difficult or even impossible to understand on its own. See 54:17,and 40.

Traditional translations and commentaries somehow separate the word “Quran” from the adjective (wahdahu = alone, only) that follows it. They translate it as "Lord alone in the Quran." Though there are many verses emphasizing God's oneness (see 39:45), this verse could be understood as another one emphasizing that message. However, this could be only a secondary meaning of this particular verse, since the adjective wahdehu is used not after the word Rab (Lord) but after the word Quran. In Arabic if one wants to say ‘Quran alone,’ the only way of saying it is "Quranun wahdahu." The mathematical structure of the Quran too confirms our translation. For instance, the word wahdahu is used for God in 7:70; 39:45; 40:12 and 60:4. If we add these numbers we get 361, or 19x19. However, if we add 17:46, where the word wahdahu is used for the Quran, the total is not in harmony with the great mathematical system.

The Monotheist Group (The Quran: A Monotheist Translation)
17:46 And we place shields over their hearts, that they should not understand it, and a deafness in their ears. And if you mention your Lord in the Qur'an alone, they run away turning their backs in aversion.
Muhammad Asad (The Message Of Quran)
17:46 for, over their hearts We have laid veils which prevent them from grasping its purport, and into their ears, deafness.55 And so, whenever thou dost mention, while reciting the Qur'an, thy Sustainer as the one and only Divine Being,56 they turn their backs [upon thee] in aversion.

Note 55
Cf. 6:25. See also 2:7 and the corresponding note.

Note 56
Lit., "whenever thou dost mention in the Qur'an thy Sustainer alone".
Rashad Khalifa (The Final Testament)
Quran: The ONLY Source17:46 We place shields around their minds, to prevent them from understanding it, and deafness in their ears. And when you preach your Lord, using the Quran alone, they run away in aversion.,3

Note 3
The Arabic word "alone" refers to God in 7:70,39:45,40:12& 84, and60:4. If you add these numbers, you get 361, 19x19. But if you include17:46, which refers to the Quran, the product is not a multiple of 19. "Alone,"therefore refers to the Quran in17:46(Appendix 18.).
Shabbir Ahmed (Quran As It Explains Itself)
17:46 And We place shields over their hearts and minds to prevent them from grasping it, and cause deafness in their ears. Their minds, hearts, and ears act impermeable when you mention your Lord in the Qur’an, Him alone, and they turn their backs in disgust.14

Note 14
They wish to hear about their saints and ‘Imams’

17:47 نحن اعلم بما يستمعون به اذ يستمعون اليك واذ هم نجوى اذ يقول الظلمون ان تتبعون الا رجلا مسحورا

Transcription (English)
17:47 Nahnu aAAlamu bimayastamiAAoona bihi ith yastamiAAoona ilayka wa-ithhum najwa ith yaqoolu alththalimoonain tattabiAAoona illa rajulan mashooran
Edip-Layth (Quran: A Reformist Translation)
17:47 We are fully aware of what they are listening to when they are listening to you, and when they conspire secretly the wicked say, "You are but following a bewitched man!"
The Monotheist Group (The Quran: A Monotheist Translation)
17:47 We are fully aware of what they are listening to, for they are listening to you but while they are in private counsel the wicked say: "You are following a man who is bewitched!"
Muhammad Asad (The Message Of Quran)
17:47 We are fully aware of what they are listening for when they listen to thee:57 for when they are secluded among themselves, lo! these wrongdoers say [unto one another], "If you were to follow [Muhammad, you would follow] only a man bewitched!"

Note 57
I.e., to find fault with the message of the Qur'an.
Rashad Khalifa (The Final Testament)
17:47 We are fully aware of what they hear, when they listen to you, and when they conspire secretly - the disbelievers say, "You are following a crazy man.",
Shabbir Ahmed (Quran As It Explains Itself)
17:47 We are best Aware of what they wish to hear when they listen to you. Then they hold secret meetings and these wrongdoers say, "You only follow a man who is under the influence of magic."15

Note 15
It is unfortunate that under the influence of fabricated traditions, most Muslims even today believe that a Jewish magician successfully cast a spell of ‘magic’ on the exalted Prophet! Traditions and Ahadith that clash with the Qur’an, were obviously contrived by forgers in the guise of ‘Imams’ 25:8

17:48 انظر كيف ضربوا لك الامثال فضلوا فلا يستطيعون سبيلا

Transcription (English)
17:48 Onthur kayfa daraboolaka al-amthala fadalloo fala yastateeAAoonasabeelan
Edip-Layth (Quran: A Reformist Translation)
17:48 See how they cite the examples for you. They have gone astray, and cannot come to the path.
The Monotheist Group (The Quran: A Monotheist Translation)
17:48 See how they put forth the examples for you. They have gone astray, and cannot come to the path.
Muhammad Asad (The Message Of Quran)
17:48 See to what they liken thee, [O Prophet simply] because they have gone astray and are now unable to find a way [to the truth]!
Rashad Khalifa (The Final Testament)
17:48 Note how they describe you, and how this causes them to stray off the path.,
Shabbir Ahmed (Quran As It Explains Itself)
17:48 See what similes they strike for you (O Prophet)! They are going astray to the point of no return.

17:49 وقالوا اءذا كنا عظما ورفتا اءنا لمبعوثون خلقا جديدا

Transcription (English)
17:49 Waqaloo a-itha kunnaAAithaman warufatan a-innalamabAAoothoona khalqan jadeedan
Edip-Layth (Quran: A Reformist Translation)
17:49 They said, "When we are bones and fragments, will we then be resurrected to a new creation?"
The Monotheist Group (The Quran: A Monotheist Translation)
17:49 And they said: "When we are bones and fragments, will we then be resurrected to a new creation?"
Muhammad Asad (The Message Of Quran)
17:49 And [thus, too,] they say, "After we will have become bones and dust, shall we, forsooth, be raised from the dead in a new act of creation?"
Rashad Khalifa (The Final Testament)
17:49 They said, "After we turn into bones and fragments, we get resurrected anew?!",
Shabbir Ahmed (Quran As It Explains Itself)
17:49 And they say, "What! After we are bones and fragments, shall we be raised up as a new creation?"

17:50 قل كونوا حجارة او حديدا

Transcription (English)
17:50 Qul koonoo hijaratan aw hadeedan
Edip-Layth (Quran: A Reformist Translation)
17:50 Say, "Even if you be stones or iron."
The Monotheist Group (The Quran: A Monotheist Translation)
17:50 Say: "Even if you be stones or metal."
Muhammad Asad (The Message Of Quran)
17:50 Say: "[You will be raised from the dead even though] you be stones or iron
Rashad Khalifa (The Final Testament)
17:50 Say, "Even if you turn into rocks or iron.,
Shabbir Ahmed (Quran As It Explains Itself)
17:50 Say, "Even if you turn into rocks or iron!”

17:51 او خلقا مما يكبر فى صدوركم فسيقولون من يعيدنا قل الذى فطركم اول مرة فسينغضون اليك رءوسهم ويقولون متى هو قل عسى ان يكون قريبا

Transcription (English)
17:51 Aw khalqan mimma yakburu fee sudoorikumfasayaqooloona man yuAAeeduna quli allathee fatarakumawwala marratin fasayunghidoona ilayka ruoosahumwayaqooloona mata huwa qul AAasa an yakoona qareeban
Edip-Layth (Quran: A Reformist Translation)
17:51 "Or a creation that is held dear in your chests." They will say, "Who will return us?" Say, "The One who initiated you the first time." They will shake their heads to you and say, "When is this?" Say, "Perhaps it is near."
The Monotheist Group (The Quran: A Monotheist Translation)
17:51 "Or a creation that is held dear in your chests." They will say: "Who will return us?" Say: "The One who initiated you the first time." They will shake their heads to you and say: "When is this?" Say: "Perhaps it is near."
Muhammad Asad (The Message Of Quran)
17:51 or any [other] substance which, to your minds, appears yet farther removed [from life]!"58 And [if] thereupon they ask, "Who is it that will' bring us back [to life]?"-say thou: "He who has brought you into being in the first instance." And [if] thereupon they shake their heads at thee [in disbelief] and ask, "When shall this be?"-say thou: "It may well be soon,

Note 58
Lit., "or any created matter which, in your hearts, appears yet more difficult" - i.e., even less susceptible of having or receiving life.
Rashad Khalifa (The Final Testament)
17:51 "Even if you turn into any kind of creation that you deem impossible." They will then say, "Who will bring us back?" Say, "The One who created you in the first place." They will then shake their heads and say, "When will that be?" Say, "It may be closer than you think.",
Shabbir Ahmed (Quran As It Explains Itself)
17:51 “Or fossilize into forms as far away from life as you can imagine, you shall be raised up.” Then they might say, “Who shall bring us back to life?” Tell them, “He Who initiated you in the first place.” They will then shake their heads and say, "When will that be?" Say, "It may be sooner than you think!"

17:52 يوم يدعوكم فتستجيبون بحمده وتظنون ان لبثتم الا قليلا

Transcription (English)
17:52 Yawma yadAAookum fatastajeeboona bihamdihiwatathunnoona in labithtum illa qaleelan
Edip-Layth (Quran: A Reformist Translation)
17:52 The day He calls you and you respond by His grace, and you think that you only stayed a little while.
The Monotheist Group (The Quran: A Monotheist Translation)
17:52 The Day He calls you and you respond by His grace, and you think that you only stayed a little while.
Muhammad Asad (The Message Of Quran)
17:52 on a Day when He will call you, and you will answer by praising Him, thinking all the while that you have tarried [on earth] but a little while."59

Note 59
Man's life on earth will appear to him "but as a little while" in comparison with the unlimited duration of the life in the hereafter (Tabari, Zamakhshari). A further implication is that man's concept of "time" is earthbound and, hence, has no meaning in the context of ultimate reality. The preceding reference to the erstwhile deniers of the possibility of resurrection as "answering God's call by praising Him" implies that as soon as they are resurrected they will become fully aware of His existence and almightiness.
Rashad Khalifa (The Final Testament)
17:52 The day He summons you, you will respond by praising Him, and you will then realize that you had lasted in this life but a short while.,
Shabbir Ahmed (Quran As It Explains Itself)
17:52 A Day when He will call you, you will be spellbound with His glory. Then you will think that you lived in this world only a short while.

17:53 وقل لعبادى يقولوا التى هى احسن ان الشيطن ينزغ بينهم ان الشيطن كان للانسن عدوا مبينا

Transcription (English)
17:53 Waqul liAAibadee yaqooloo allateehiya ahsanu inna alshshaytana yanzaghubaynahum inna alshshaytana kana lil-insaniAAaduwwan mubeenan
Edip-Layth (Quran: A Reformist Translation)
17:53 Say to My servants to speak what is best. The devil plants animosity between them. The devil was to the people a clear enemy.
The Monotheist Group (The Quran: A Monotheist Translation)
17:53 And say to My servants to speak that which is best. The devil makes bitterness between them. The devil is to man a clear enemy.
Muhammad Asad (The Message Of Quran)
17:53 AND TELL My servants that they should speak in the most kindly manner [unto those who do not share their beliefs]:60 verily, Satan is always ready to stir up discord between men61 - for, verily, Satan is man's open foe!

Note 60
Cf. 16:125 (and the corresponding note 149) as well as 29:46.

Note 61
Lit., "Satan stirs up discord between them".
Rashad Khalifa (The Final Testament)
17:53 Tell My servants to treat each other in the best possible manner, for the devil will always try to drive a wedge among them. Surely, the devil is man's most ardent enemy.,
Shabbir Ahmed (Quran As It Explains Itself)
17:53 (They must do good works in this short lifespan, so) Tell My servants to speak to one another in a kind manner and treat one another nicely. Satan, their selfishness, creates discord among them. For, Satan is an open foe for humans.

17:54 ربكم اعلم بكم ان يشا يرحمكم او ان يشا يعذبكم وما ارسلنك عليهم وكيلا

Transcription (English)
17:54 Rabbukum aAAlamu bikum in yasha/ yarhamkumaw in yasha/ yuAAaththibkum wama arsalnakaAAalayhim wakeelan
Edip-Layth (Quran: A Reformist Translation)
17:54 Your Lord is fully aware of you, if He wishes He will have mercy on you, or if He wishes He will punish you. We have not sent you as a guardian over them.
The Monotheist Group (The Quran: A Monotheist Translation)
17:54 Your Lord is fully aware of you, if He wishes He will have mercy on you, or if He wishes He will punish you. And We have not sent you as a guardian over them.
Muhammad Asad (The Message Of Quran)
17:54 Your Sustainer is fully aware of what you are [and what you deserve]: if He so wills, he will bestow [His] grace upon you; and if He so wills, He will chastise you. Hence, We have not sent thee [unto men, O Prophet,] with the power to determine their fate,62

Note 62
For my rendering of the term wakil, in this context, as "one who has the power to determine the fate [of another being]", see note 4 on verse 2 of this surah. An alternative, equally acceptable rendering of the above phrase would be, "We have not sent thee charged with responsibility for their conduct."
Rashad Khalifa (The Final Testament)
17:54 Your Lord knows you best. According to His knowledge, He may shower you with mercy, or He may requite you. We did not send you to be their advocate.,
Shabbir Ahmed (Quran As It Explains Itself)
17:54 Your Lord is best Aware of you (what you are, what you do and what you deserve). He will bestow His grace upon you or He will chastise you according to His laws. We have not sent you (O Prophet) as a warden over them.

17:55 وربك اعلم بمن فى السموت والارض ولقد فضلنا بعض النبين على بعض وءاتينا داود زبورا

Transcription (English)
17:55 Warabbuka aAAlamu biman fee alssamawatiwaal-ardi walaqad faddalna baAAdaalnnabiyyeena AAala baAAdin waataynadawooda zabooran
Edip-Layth (Quran: A Reformist Translation)
17:55 Your Lord is fully aware of who is in the heavens and the earth. We have preferred some prophets over others, and We gave David the Psalms.8

Note 8

The Creator and Master of prophets and messengers has given each special qualities and skills. It is not up to us to put them in a competition that ultimately produces fancy lies and idols. See 2:285.

The Monotheist Group (The Quran: A Monotheist Translation)
17:55 And your Lord is fully aware of who is in the heavens and the earth. And We have preferred some prophets over others, and We gave David the Psalms.
Muhammad Asad (The Message Of Quran)
17:55 seeing that thy Sustainer is fully aware of [what is in the minds of] all beings that are in the heavens and on earth. But, indeed, We did endow some of the prophets more highly than others63 -just as We bestowed upon David a book of divine wisdom [in token of Our grace]64

Note 63
This seems to be an allusion to the role of Muhammad as the Last Prophet (Zamakhshari, Baydawi): despite his personal inability to "determine the fate" of the people to whom he conveyed God's message, that message is destined to remain alive forever.

Note 64
I.e., just as David's "book of divine wisdom" (the Psalms) had outlived the glory of his earthly kingdom, so will Muhammad's message, the Qur'an, outlive all the changing fortunes of his followers.
Rashad Khalifa (The Final Testament)
17:55 Your Lord is the best knower of everyone in the heavens and the earth. In accordance with this knowledge, we preferred some prophets over others. For example, we gave David the Psalms.,
Shabbir Ahmed (Quran As It Explains Itself)
17:55 And your Lord is best Aware of all beings who are in the highs and the lows. We caused some Prophets to excel the others. To David We gave a Book of wisdom16

Note 16
The Psalms, as well as a kingdom that was matchless in its times. 21:79, 34:10, 38:19. All Prophets were one in purpose, so we make no distinction between them. 2:62, 2:136, 2:253

17:56 قل ادعوا الذين زعمتم من دونه فلا يملكون كشف الضر عنكم ولا تحويلا

Transcription (English)
17:56 Quli odAAu allatheena zaAAamtum mindoonihi fala yamlikoona kashfa alddurriAAankum wala tahweelan
Edip-Layth (Quran: A Reformist Translation)
17:56 Say, "Call on those you have claimed besides Him. For they have no power to remove harm from you or shift it."
The Monotheist Group (The Quran: A Monotheist Translation)
17:56 Say: "Call on those you have claimed besides Him. For they have no power to remove harm from you or shift it."
Muhammad Asad (The Message Of Quran)
17:56 SAY:65 "Call upon those [beings] whom you imagine [to be endowed with divine powers] beside Him66 and [you will find that] they have it not in their power to remove any affliction from you, or to shift it [elsewhere]. "67

Note 65
Sc., "to those who believe in the existence of any divine power apart from God".

Note 66
As the sequence shows, this relates to the worship of saints or angels.

Note 67
I.e., to transfer it onto themselves: obviously an allusion to the Christian doctrine of "vicarious atonement".
Rashad Khalifa (The Final Testament)
17:56 Say, "Implore whatever idols you have set up beside Him." They have no power to relieve your afflictions, nor can they prevent them.,
Shabbir Ahmed (Quran As It Explains Itself)
17:56 (All these Prophets taught that there is only One True God.) Say, "Call unto those saints, angels, idols, whom you consider gods besides Him. They have no power to rid you of any troubles, nor can they divert them."

17:57 اولئك الذين يدعون يبتغون الى ربهم الوسيلة ايهم اقرب ويرجون رحمته ويخافون عذابه ان عذاب ربك كان محذورا

Transcription (English)
17:57 Ola-ika allatheena yadAAoonayabtaghoona ila rabbihimu alwaseelata ayyuhum aqrabuwayarjoona rahmatahu wayakhafoona AAathabahuinna AAathaba rabbika kana mahthooran
Edip-Layth (Quran: A Reformist Translation)
17:57 The ones they call on, they are themselves seeking a path to their Lord which is nearer, and they desire His mercy, and they fear His retribution. The retribution of your Lord is to be feared!
The Monotheist Group (The Quran: A Monotheist Translation)
17:57 The ones you call on, they are themselves seeking a path to their Lord which is nearer, and they desire His mercy, and they fear His retribution. The retribution of your Lord is to be feared!
Muhammad Asad (The Message Of Quran)
17:57 Those [saintly beings] whom they invoke are themselves striving to obtain their Sustainer's favour - [even] those among them who are closest [to Him]68 - hoping for His grace and dreading His chastisement: for, verily, thy Sustainer's chastisement is something to beware of!

Note 68
I.e., the greatest of the prophets, as well as the angels.
Rashad Khalifa (The Final Testament)
17:57 Even the idols that they implore are seeking the ways and means towards their Lord. They pray for His mercy, and fear His retribution. Surely, the retribution of your Lord is dreadful.,
Shabbir Ahmed (Quran As It Explains Itself)
17:57 Even the believing sages whom they call upon, are themselves striving to obtain their Lord's favor and closeness. They hope for His grace, and fear His requital. Surely, your Lord’s requital is something to beware of!

17:58 وان من قرية الا نحن مهلكوها قبل يوم القيمة او معذبوها عذابا شديدا كان ذلك فى الكتب مسطورا

Transcription (English)
17:58 Wa-in min qaryatin illa nahnumuhlikooha qabla yawmi alqiyamati aw muAAaththiboohaAAathaban shadeedan kana thalika fee alkitabimastooran
Edip-Layth (Quran: A Reformist Translation)
17:58 There is not a town before the day of Resurrection that We will not destroy it, or punish it a severe punishment. This has been written in the record.
The Monotheist Group (The Quran: A Monotheist Translation)
17:58 And there is not a town before the Day of Resurrection that We will not destroy it, or punish it with a severe punishment. This has been written in the record.
Muhammad Asad (The Message Of Quran)
17:58 And [bear in mind:] there is no community which We will not destroy before the Day of Resurrection,69 or chastise [even earlier, if it proves sinful,] with suffering severe: all this is laid down in Our decree.70

Note 69
I.e., since everything in this world is ephemeral and bound to perish, man ought to be conscious of the life to come.

Note 70
Lit., "in the decree" -i.e., for His creation. in accordance with the immutable laws which God has laid down
Rashad Khalifa (The Final Testament)
17:58 There is not a community that we will not annihilate before the Day of Resurrection, or inflict severe retribution upon them. This is already written down in the book.,
Shabbir Ahmed (Quran As It Explains Itself)
17:58 There is not a township but We will destroy it before the Day of Resurrection, or punish it with dire punishment. This is well recorded in the Divine Database.

17:59 وما منعنا ان نرسل بالءايت الا ان كذب بها الاولون وءاتينا ثمود الناقة مبصرة فظلموا بها وما نرسل بالءايت الا تخويفا

Transcription (English)
17:59 Wama manaAAana an nursila bial-ayatiilla an kaththaba biha al-awwaloona waataynathamooda alnnaqata mubsiratan fathalamoobiha wama nursilu bial-ayatiilla takhweefan
Edip-Layth (Quran: A Reformist Translation)
17:59 The rejection of previous people did not stop Us from sending the signs. We sent to Thamud the camel with foresight, but they did her wrong. We do not send the signs except to alert.9

Note 9

Traditional translations render the meaning of "Ma" as a relative pronoun rather than a negative particle, "What stopped us from sending…." The traditional translation implies that God initially sent signs/miracles to convert people and had an intention to send more signs but He is now disappointed to learn that His signs did not work as expected. Such an implication contradicts the attributes of God detailed in the Quran. Besides, we are repeatedly reminded that the purpose of sending signs/miracles has never been to make people acknowledge the message, but to support the open-minded people in their rational inquiries. The traditional translation also contradicts other verses of the Quran that remind us that messengers were supported by signs/miracles. Muhammed was not given a sign similar to previous messengers, but was rather given a unique sign, the Quran, a perpetual sign for every generation until the end of the world. See 29:51. Also, see 7:73; 26:155; 54:27; 91:13.

The Monotheist Group (The Quran: A Monotheist Translation)
17:59 And what stopped Us from sending the signs except that the previous people disbelieved in them. And We sent to Thamud the camel with foresight, but they did her wrong. And We do not send the signs except to make them fearful.
Muhammad Asad (The Message Of Quran)
17:59 And nothing has prevented Us from sending [this message, like the earlier ones,] with miraculous signs [in its wake], save [Our knowledge] that the people of olden times [only too often] gave the lie to them:71 thus, We provided for [the tribe of] Thamud the she-camel as a light-giving portent, and they sinned against it.72 And never did We send those signs for any other purpose than to convey a warning.

Note 71
This highly elliptic sentence has a fundamental bearing on the purport of the Qur'an as a whole. In many places the Qur'an stresses the fact that the Prophet Muhammad, despite his being the last and greatest of God's apostles, was not empowered to perform miracles similar to those with which the earlier prophets are said to have reinforced their verbal messages. His only miracle was and is the Qur'an itself - a message perfect in its lucidity and ethical comprehensiveness, destined for all times and all stages of human development, addressed not merely to the feelings but also to the minds of men, open to everyone, whatever his race or social environment, and bound to remain unchanged forever. Since the earlier prophets invariably appealed to their own community and their own time alone, their teachings were, of necessity, circumscribed by the social and intellectual conditions of that particular community and time; and since the people to whom they addressed themselves had not yet reached the stage of independent thinking, those prophets stood in need of symbolic portents or miracles (see surah 6, note 94) in order to make the people concerned realize the inner truth of their mission. The message of the Qur'an, on the other hand, was revealed at a time when mankind (and, in particular, that part of it which inhabited the regions marked by the earlier, Judaeo-Christian religious development) had reached a degree of maturity which henceforth enabled it to grasp an ideology as such without the aid of those persuasive portents and miraculous demonstrations which in the past, as the above verse points out, only too often gave rise to new, grave misconceptions.

Note 72
See the second paragraph of 7:73 and the corresponding note 57. Although there is absolutely no indication in the Qur'an that the she-camel referred to was of miraculous origin, it was meant to be a test for the people of Thamud (cf. 54:27), and thus a "light-giving portent" (mubsirah).
Rashad Khalifa (The Final Testament)
Old Kind of Miracles Made Obsolete17:59 What stopped us from sending the miracles is that the previous generations have rejected them. For example, we showed Thamoud the camel, a profound (miracle), but they transgressed against it. We sent the miracles only to instill reverence.,
Shabbir Ahmed (Quran As It Explains Itself)
17:59 (They keep asking for visible signs for fulfillment of the warnings of the oncoming disaster, such as the sign of the she-camel of Thamud.) Nothing has changed Our plan to send down this revelation, even though the previous generations have often denied Our verses. (For example) We sent the she-camel to Thamud, a visible sign of their compliance. But they did wrong to her. We send messages that they fear (the consequences of their misdeeds and establish the right System in their societies).17

Note 17
7:73, 11:89, 26:141, 27:45. Thamud killed the visible sign of the she-camel and incurred heavy retribution

17:60 واذ قلنا لك ان ربك احاط بالناس وما جعلنا الرءيا التى ارينك الا فتنة للناس والشجرة الملعونة فى القرءان ونخوفهم فما يزيدهم الا طغينا كبيرا

Transcription (English)
17:60 Wa-ith qulna laka inna rabbakaahata bialnnasi wama jaAAalnaalrru/ya allatee araynaka illafitnatan lilnnasi waalshshajarataalmalAAoonata fee alqur-ani wanukhawwifuhum famayazeeduhum illa tughyanan kabeeran
Edip-Layth (Quran: A Reformist Translation)
17:60 We had said to you: "Your Lord has encompassed the people." We did not make the vision that We showed you except as a test for the people, and the tree that was cursed in the Quran. We alert them, but it only increases their transgression.10

Note 10

This might be a reference to Muhammed's journey to receive revelation (17:1 and 53:1). The diabolically poisonous tree, zaqqum, grows inside hell (37:62) and we are informed that it will confuse and expose the hypocrites as unappreciative people since they cannot understand that the hellfire is a metaphor. With their shallow literal understanding, they solidify their dogmatic fanaticism by scoffing at the Quran, "How can a tree grow in the middle of fire?" God uses examples with multiple purposes, thereby guiding those who are appreciative and misleading those who have already made their minds and chosen the wrong path (2:26; 3:7; 17:82; 74:31). No wonder, the Quran is a mercy and reminder for those who wish to take heed (6:157; 7:203; 12:111; 17:82; 29:51; 31:3; 45:20).

The Monotheist Group (The Quran: A Monotheist Translation)
17:60 And when We said to you: "Your Lord has encompassed the people." And We did not make the vision that We showed you except as a test for the people, and the tree that was cursed in the Qur'an. And We are making them fearful, but it only increases their transgression.
Muhammad Asad (The Message Of Quran)
17:60 And lo! We said unto thee, [O Prophet:] "Behold, thy Sustainer encompasses all mankind [within His knowledge and might]: and so We have ordained that the vision which We have shown thee73 -as also the tree [of hell,] cursed in this Qur'an - shall be but a trial for men .74 Now [by Our mentioning hell] We convey a warning to them: but [if they are bent on denying the truth,] this [warning] only increases their gross, overweening arrogance."

Note 73
The vision (ru'ya) mentioned here is the Prophet's experience of the Ascension, preceded by the Night Journey (see Appendix IV). Inasmuch as this experience was and is open to most conflicting interpretations and, hence, may give rise to doubts regarding its objective reality, it becomes-as stated in the sequence-"a trial for men": the weak of faith and the superficial are shaken in their belief in Muhammad's veracity and, thus, in his prophethood; whereas those who firmly believe in God see in it an extraordinary evidence of the spiritual grace which He bestows on His chosen ones, and are, therefore, strengthened in their faith in the message of the Qur'an.

Note 74
As regards "the tree cursed in this Qur'an", there is no doubt that it is the "tree of deadly fruit" (shajarat az-zaqqum) spoken of in 37:62 ff. and 44:43 ff. as one of the manifestations of hell (see 37:62 and the corresponding notes 22 and 23, the latter of which explains why this "tree" has become "a trial for men"). In the above context it is described as "cursed" because it obviously symbolizes hell itself. The reason why only "hell"-and no other manifestation of the hereafter-is specifically alluded to here becomes evident in the subsequent statement that it is meant to convey a warning.
Rashad Khalifa (The Final Testament)
17:60 We informed you that your Lord fully controls the people, and we rendered the vision that we showed you a test for the people, and the tree that is accursed in the Quran. We showed them solid proofs to instill reverence in them, but this only augmented their defiance.,4

Note 4
Muhammad's journey to the highest heaven to receive the Quran, as stated in 17:1 and 53:1, , is a test because the people had to believeMuhammad on faith.
Shabbir Ahmed (Quran As It Explains Itself)
17:60 We said to you (O Prophet), “Your Lord encompasses all mankind, so We have given you the vision (of mankind’s unity)." Those who hinder this Plan will end up eating the bitter, pungent Tree of Division that is mentioned in the Qur’an. This vision and the Tree of Division shall be a test for them. Now We have conveyed a warning to them, yet, for a time it shall increase them in gross rebellion.18

Note 18
Vision: Mankind will become one community again. Division: 7:19, 14:26, 15:39, 17:60, 37:65, 38:82, 44:44

17:61 واذ قلنا للملئكة اسجدوا لءادم فسجدوا الا ابليس قال ءاسجد لمن خلقت طينا

Transcription (English)
17:61 Wa-ith qulna lilmala-ikatiosjudoo li-adama fasajadoo illa ibleesa qalaaasjudu liman khalaqta teenan
Edip-Layth (Quran: A Reformist Translation)
17:61 We said to the controllers: "Fall prostrate to Adam." So they fell prostrate except for Satan, he said, "Shall I prostrate to one you have created from clay!"
The Monotheist Group (The Quran: A Monotheist Translation)
17:61 And We said to the angels: "Yield to Adam." So they yielded except for Satan, he said: "Shall I yield to one you have created from clay!"
Muhammad Asad (The Message Of Quran)
17:61 AND LO! We said unto the angels, "Prostrate yourselves before Adam"-whereupon they all prostrated themselves, save Iblis.75 Said he: "Shall I prostrate myself before one whom Thou hast created out of clay?"

Note 75
For an explanation of the allegory of Adam and the angels, see 2:30, 7:11 and 15:26, as well as the corresponding notes. In the present instance, as in Al-A'raf and Al-Hijr, the accent is on the contempt of Iblis for Adam (which is obviously a metonym for the whole human race): hence, this passage apparently connects with the end of verse 53 above-"verily, Satan is man's open foe!" The stress on man's dignity - expressed in God's commandment to the angels to "prostrate themselves before Adam" - links this allegory with verses 70-72.
Rashad Khalifa (The Final Testament)
17:61 When we said to the angels, "Fall prostrate before Adam," they fell prostrate, except Satan. He said, "Shall I prostrate to one You created from mud?",
Shabbir Ahmed (Quran As It Explains Itself)
17:61 (Refresh the story of your common origin and the challenge facing humanity since day one.) We made angels, the Divine laws in the Universe, subservient to Adam, the mankind. It was Iblees, their despondence after fulfilling their selfish desires, that refused to submit. He said, "Shall I bow to one whom You have created from inorganic matter (and thus charged him with material temptations)?” [2:30-39, 7:11-14, 15:27-41]

17:62 قال ارءيتك هذا الذى كرمت على لئن اخرتن الى يوم القيمة لاحتنكن ذريته الا قليلا

Transcription (English)
17:62 Qala araaytaka hatha allatheekarramta AAalayya la-in akhkhartani ila yawmi alqiyamatilaahtanikanna thurriyyatahu illa qaleelan
Edip-Layth (Quran: A Reformist Translation)
17:62 He said, "Shall I show You this one whom You have preferred over me, that if You respite me until the day of Resurrection, I will destroy his progeny, except for a few."
The Monotheist Group (The Quran: A Monotheist Translation)
17:62 He said: "Shall I show You this one whom You have preferred over me, that if You respite me until the Day of Resurrection, I will seize his progeny, except for a few."
Muhammad Asad (The Message Of Quran)
17:62 [And] he added: "Tell me, is this [foolish being] the one whom Thou hast exalted above me? Indeed, if Thou wilt but allow me a respite till the Day of Resurrection, I shall most certainly cause his descendants-all but a few-to obey me blindly !76

Note 76
Cf. 7:16. The verb hanaka denotes, literally, "he put a rope around the lower jaw (hanak) [of a horse]", i.e., in order to lead it; hence, the form ihtanaka means "he made [another being] follow him submissively" or "obey him blindly".
Rashad Khalifa (The Final Testament)
17:62 He said, "Since You have honored him over me, if You respite me till the Day of Resurrection, I will possess all his descendants, except a few.",
Shabbir Ahmed (Quran As It Explains Itself)
17:62 He said, “Since You have honored him above me, grant me respite until the Day of Resurrection, and I will put reins through the noses of his children and pull them wherever I please. Only a few will withstand my temptation."

17:63 قال اذهب فمن تبعك منهم فان جهنم جزاؤكم جزاء موفورا

Transcription (English)
17:63 Qala ithhab faman tabiAAakaminhum fa-inna jahannama jazaokum jazaan mawfooran
Edip-Layth (Quran: A Reformist Translation)
17:63 He said, "Go, and whoever follows you from them. Hell shall be the reward to you all, a reward well deserved."
The Monotheist Group (The Quran: A Monotheist Translation)
17:63 He said: "Go, and whoever follows you from them. Hell shall be the reward to you all, a reward well deserved."
Muhammad Asad (The Message Of Quran)
17:63 [God] answered: "Go [the way thou hast chosen]! But as for such of them as shall follow thee - behold, hell will be the recompense of you (all], a recompense most ample!
Rashad Khalifa (The Final Testament)
17:63 He said, "Then go; you and those who follow you will end up in Hell as your requital; an equitable requital.,
Shabbir Ahmed (Quran As It Explains Itself)
17:63 God said, "Go! But whoever of them follows you, Hell will be the reward for all of you, an ample recompense."

17:64 واستفزز من استطعت منهم بصوتك واجلب عليهم بخيلك ورجلك وشاركهم فى الامول والاولد وعدهم وما يعدهم الشيطن الا غرورا

Transcription (English)
17:64 Waistafziz mani istataAAtaminhum bisawtika waajlib AAalayhim bikhaylika warajlikawasharik-hum fee al-amwali waal-awladiwaAAidhum wama yaAAiduhumu alshshaytanu illaghurooran
Edip-Layth (Quran: A Reformist Translation)
17:64 "Mobilize whoever you can with your voice, and mobilize all your forces and men against them, and you may share their money and children, and promise them." But the devil promises nothing but deceit.
The Monotheist Group (The Quran: A Monotheist Translation)
17:64 "And entice whoever you can of them with your voice, and mobilize all your forces and men against them, and you may share with them in their money and children, and promise them." But the devil promises nothing but deceit.
Muhammad Asad (The Message Of Quran)
17:64 Entice, then, with thy voice such of them as thou canst, and bear upon them with all thy horses and all thy men,77 and be their partner in [all sins relating to] worldly goods and children,78 and hold out [all manner of] promises to them: and [they will not know that] whatever Satan promises them is but meant to delude the mind.79

Note 77
This is an idiomatically established metaphor, signifying "with all thy might".

Note 78
An allusion to possessions acquired by sinful means or spent on sinful purposes, and to the begetting of children through fornication or adultery. (It must, however, be pointed out that in the ethics and the canon law of Islam no moral stigma and no legal disability whatever attaches to the child thus begotten.)

Note 79
Cf. 4:120 and the corresponding note 142.
Rashad Khalifa (The Final Testament)
17:64 "You may entice them with your voice, and mobilize all your forces and all your men against them, and share in their money and children, and promise them. Anything the devil promises is no more than an illusion.,
Shabbir Ahmed (Quran As It Explains Itself)
17:64 "Tempt and allure them with your voice such of them as you can (through the media and show biz, and propaganda against the truth). You may prompt them into armed conflicts, and entice them with monetary help, business partnerships and ready loans. You may misguide the children with detrimental educational programs, and counter-productive recreation. And hold out promises to them.” Whatever Satan promises them, is meant to deceive their mind.

17:65 ان عبادى ليس لك عليهم سلطن وكفى بربك وكيلا

Transcription (English)
17:65 Inna AAibadee laysa laka AAalayhimsultanun wakafa birabbika wakeelan
Edip-Layth (Quran: A Reformist Translation)
17:65 "As for My servants, you will have no power over them." Your Lord suffices as a Caretaker.11

Note 11

The most efficient weapon against Perverse is la ilaha illa allah, that there is no god but the one God. See 15:40.

The Monotheist Group (The Quran: A Monotheist Translation)
17:65 "As for My servants, you will have no power over them." And your Lord is enough as a Caretaker.
Muhammad Asad (The Message Of Quran)
17:65 "(And yet,] behold, thou shalt have no power over [such of] My servants [as place their trust in Me]:80 for none is as worthy of trust as thy Sustainer."

Note 80
I.e., "thou shalt have no real power over them", as brought out in 14:22 and 15:42.
Rashad Khalifa (The Final Testament)
17:65 "As for My servants, you have no power over them." Your Lord suffices as an advocate.,
Shabbir Ahmed (Quran As It Explains Itself)
17:65 “Indeed, you shall have no power over My faithful servants. And your Lord suffices as their Guardian." [15:40-42]

17:66 ربكم الذى يزجى لكم الفلك فى البحر لتبتغوا من فضله انه كان بكم رحيما

Transcription (English)
17:66 Rabbukumu allathee yuzjee lakumualfulka fee albahri litabtaghoo min fadlihi innahukana bikum raheeman
Edip-Layth (Quran: A Reformist Translation)
17:66 Your Lord is the One Who drives the ships for you in the sea so that you may seek of His bounty. He is Compassionate towards you.12

Note 12

Water, with its unique chemical and physical properties, is crucial for life. For instance, the maximum density of water being at +4 Celsius degrees, in other words, its expansion in solid form, prevents oceans from freezing from the bottom up. Thus, oceans, with their diverse organisms, function as giant livers cleaning the air in the atmosphere.

The Monotheist Group (The Quran: A Monotheist Translation)
17:66 Your Lord is the One Who drives the ships for you in the sea so that you may seek of His bounty. He is Merciful towards you.
Muhammad Asad (The Message Of Quran)
17:66 YOUR SUSTAINER is He who causes ships to move onward for you through the sea, so that you might go about in quest of some of His bounty: verily, a dispenser of grace is He unto you.
Rashad Khalifa (The Final Testament)
17:66 Your Lord is the One who causes the ships to float on the ocean, that you may seek His bounties. He is Most Merciful towards you.,5

Note 5
We now learn from physics and physical chemistry that water possesses unique qualities that render it perfectly suitable for serving our variousneeds.
Shabbir Ahmed (Quran As It Explains Itself)
17:66 (O Mankind, be mindful of your Lord to ward off Satan.) Your Lord is He Who causes the ships to move on for you through the sea that you may seek of His bounty. Surely, He is Most Gracious towards you.

17:67 واذا مسكم الضر فى البحر ضل من تدعون الا اياه فلما نجىكم الى البر اعرضتم وكان الانسن كفورا

Transcription (English)
17:67 Wa-itha massakumu alddurrufee albahri dalla man tadAAoona illa iyyahufalamma najjakum ila albarri aAAradtumwakana al-insanu kafooran
Edip-Layth (Quran: A Reformist Translation)
17:67 When harm should afflict you at sea, then all those whom you called on besides Him suddenly vanish from you except for Him. So when He saves you to dry land, you turn away. The people are ever ungrateful.
The Monotheist Group (The Quran: A Monotheist Translation)
17:67 And if harm should afflict you at sea, then all those whom you called on besides Him suddenly vanish from you except for Him. So when He saves you to dry land, you turn away. Man is ever rejecting.
Muhammad Asad (The Message Of Quran)
17:67 And whenever danger befalls you at sea, all those (powers] that you are wont to invoke forsake you, [and nothing remains for you] save Him: but as soon as He has brought you safe ashore, you turn aside [and forget Him]-for, indeed, bereft of all gratitude is man!
Rashad Khalifa (The Final Testament)
Bad Weather Friends17:67 If you are afflicted in the middle of the sea, you forget your idols and sincerely implore Him alone. But as soon as He saves you to the shore, you revert. Indeed, the human being is unappreciative.,
Shabbir Ahmed (Quran As It Explains Itself)
17:67 (His laws are changeless and, therefore, trustworthy.) When harm touches you on the sea, those you call upon besides Him, fail you miserably. (You try to save the ship according to Divine laws and forget superstitions.) But when He brings you safely ashore, you turn away and forget Him. Most ungrateful is the human being.

17:68 افامنتم ان يخسف بكم جانب البر او يرسل عليكم حاصبا ثم لا تجدوا لكم وكيلا

Transcription (English)
17:68 Afaamintum an yakhsifa bikum janibaalbarri aw yursila AAalaykum hasiban thumma latajidoo lakum wakeelan
Edip-Layth (Quran: A Reformist Translation)
17:68 Are you confident that He will not cause this side of the land to swallow you up, or that He would not send a violent storm against you? Then you will find no caretaker for yourselves.
The Monotheist Group (The Quran: A Monotheist Translation)
17:68 Are you confident that He will not cause this side of the land to swallow you up, or that He would not send a violent storm against you? Then you will find no caretaker for yourselves.
Muhammad Asad (The Message Of Quran)
17:68 Can you, then, ever feel sure that He will not cause a tract of dry land to swallow you up, or let loose upon you a deadly storm-wind,81 whereupon you would find none to be your protector?

Note 81
Lit., "a storm-wind that raises stones" (Taj al-'Arus, art. hasaba).
Rashad Khalifa (The Final Testament)
17:68 Have you guaranteed that He will not cause the land, on shore, to swallow you? Or, that He will not send upon you a tempest, then you find no protector?,
Shabbir Ahmed (Quran As It Explains Itself)
17:68 (You forget that His laws apply to land as they do in the entire Universe). Can you then, ever feel sure that He will not cause the dry land to engulf you, or let loose upon you a deadly storm, whereupon you find none to be your protector?

17:69 ام امنتم ان يعيدكم فيه تارة اخرى فيرسل عليكم قاصفا من الريح فيغرقكم بما كفرتم ثم لا تجدوا لكم علينا به تبيعا

Transcription (English)
17:69 Am amintum an yuAAeedakum feehi taratanokhra fayursila AAalaykum qasifan mina alrreehifayughriqakum bima kafartum thumma la tajidoo lakumAAalayna bihi tabeeAAan
Edip-Layth (Quran: A Reformist Translation)
17:69 Or are you confident that He would not send you back again in it, then He would send against you a violent wind and cause you to drown for your rejection? Then you will not find a pursuer against Us.
The Monotheist Group (The Quran: A Monotheist Translation)
17:69 Or are you confident that He would not send you back again in it, then He would send against you a violent wind and cause you to drown for your rejection? Then you will not find a second chance with Us.
Muhammad Asad (The Message Of Quran)
17:69 Or can you, perchance, feel sure that He will not make you put back to sea82 once again, and then let loose upon you a raging tempest and cause you to drown in requital of your ingratitude - whereupon you would find none to uphold you against Us?

Note 82
Lit., "therein".
Rashad Khalifa (The Final Testament)
17:69 Have you guaranteed that He will not return you to the sea another time, then send upon you a storm that drowns you because of your disbelief? Once this happens, we will not give you another chance.,
Shabbir Ahmed (Quran As It Explains Itself)
17:69 Or can you feel sure that He will not return you to that plight a second time, and then let loose upon you a raging tempest and cause you to drown in requital for your ingratitude? And then, you will find none to help you against Us.19

Note 19
Life is too short and too unpredictable to postpone for tomorrow the good you can do today

17:70 ولقد كرمنا بنى ءادم وحملنهم فى البر والبحر ورزقنهم من الطيبت وفضلنهم على كثير ممن خلقنا تفضيلا

Transcription (English)
17:70 Walaqad karramna banee adamawahamalnahum fee albarri waalbahriwarazaqnahum mina alttayyibati wafaddalnahumAAala katheerin mimman khalaqna tafdeelan
Edip-Layth (Quran: A Reformist Translation)
17:70 We have honored the Children of Adam and carried them in the land and the sea, and We have provided for them of the good things, and We have preferred them over many of those We created.
The Monotheist Group (The Quran: A Monotheist Translation)
17:70 And We have honored the Children of Adam and carried them in the land and the sea, and We have provided for them of the good things, and We have preferred them over many of those We created in a marked preference.
Muhammad Asad (The Message Of Quran)
17:70 NOW, INDEED, We have conferred dignity on the children of Adam,83 and borne them over land and sea, and provided for them sustenance out of the good things of life, and favoured them far above most of Our creation:

Note 83
I.e., by bestowing upon them the faculty of conceptual thinking (cf. 2:31 and the corresponding note 23), which makes them superior in this respect to all other animate beings, and even to the angels. By stressing here this unique distinction of man, the present passage connects with, and continues the theme of, verse 61 above.
Rashad Khalifa (The Final Testament)
17:70 We have honored the children of Adam, and provided them with rides on land and in the sea. We provided for them good provisions, and we gave them greater advantages than many of our creatures.,
Shabbir Ahmed (Quran As It Explains Itself)
17:70 Surely, We have conferred dignity on children of Adam (as a birth right, regardless of where the child is born), and provided them with transport on land and sea and given them decent things of life. We have favored them over very many of those whom We have created.

17:71 يوم ندعوا كل اناس باممهم فمن اوتى كتبه بيمينه فاولئك يقرءون كتبهم ولا يظلمون فتيلا

Transcription (English)
17:71 Yawma nadAAoo kulla onasin bi-imamihimfaman ootiya kitabahu biyameenihi faola-ikayaqraoona kitabahum wala yuthlamoonafateelan
Edip-Layth (Quran: A Reformist Translation)
17:71 The day We call every people by their record. Then, whoever are given their book by their right, they will read their book, and they will not be wronged in the least.
The Monotheist Group (The Quran: A Monotheist Translation)
17:71 The Day We call every people by their beacon. Then, whoever are given their book by their right, they will read their book, and they will not be wronged in the least.
Muhammad Asad (The Message Of Quran)
17:71 [but] one Day We shall summon all human beings [and judge them] according to the conscious disposition which governed their deeds [in life]:84 whereupon they whose record shall be placed in their right hand85 -it is they who will read their record [with happiness]. Yet none shall be wronged by as much as a hair's breadth:86

Note 84
Thus Razi interprets the phrase nad'u kulla unasin bi-imamihim (lit., "We shall summon all human beings by [mentioning] their leaders" or "guides"). In his opinion, the expression imam (lit., "leader" or "guide") has in this context an abstract connotation, signifying the conscious disposition, good or bad, which governs a person's behaviour and provides the motives for his deeds. This interpretation is most convincing, and particularly so in view of the fundamental hadith quoted in my note 32 on 53:39.

Note 85
A symbolic image, often used in the Qur'an, denoting an acknowledgement of righteousness in the spiritual sense, just as the "left hand" indicates its opposite (cf. 69:19 and 25, as well as 7:84

Note 86
This last clause obviously applies to both the righteous rendering of fatil, see surah 4, note 67.)
Rashad Khalifa (The Final Testament)
17:71 The day will come when we summon every people, together with their record. As for those who are given a record of righteousness, they will read their record and will not suffer the least injustice.,
Shabbir Ahmed (Quran As It Explains Itself)
17:71 But one Day We shall summon all human beings with their records. One who is given his record in the right hand will read it in jubilation. This will be a symbol of success for them, and they will receive their rewards without the least reduction.

17:72 ومن كان فى هذه اعمى فهو فى الءاخرة اعمى واضل سبيلا

Transcription (English)
17:72 Waman kana fee hathihi aAAmafahuwa fee al-akhirati aAAma waadallu sabeelan
Edip-Layth (Quran: A Reformist Translation)
17:72 Whoever is blind in this, then he will be blind in the Hereafter and more astray from the path.
The Monotheist Group (The Quran: A Monotheist Translation)
17:72 And whoever is blind in this, then he will be blind in the Hereafter and more astray from the path.
Muhammad Asad (The Message Of Quran)
17:72 for whoever is blind [of heart] in this [world] will be blind in the life to come [as well], and still farther astray from the path [of truth].87

Note 87
Cf. 20:124. This passage shows that man's life in the hereafter is not merely conditioned by the manner of his life on earth, but is also an organic extension of the latter, manifested in a natural development and intensification of previously-existing tendencies.
Rashad Khalifa (The Final Testament)
17:72 As for those who are blind in this life, they will be blind in the Hereafter; even a lot worse.,
Shabbir Ahmed (Quran As It Explains Itself)
17:72 Whoever is blind of heart here will be blind in the Hereafter as well, and yet further astray (from grace).20

Note 20
Individuals and nations that are blind of reason live in misery in this world, and no amount of wishful thinking will take them to success

17:73 وان كادوا ليفتنونك عن الذى اوحينا اليك لتفترى علينا غيره واذا لاتخذوك خليلا

Transcription (English)
17:73 Wa-in kadoo layaftinoonaka AAani allatheeawhayna ilayka litaftariya AAalayna ghayrahuwa-ithan laittakhathooka khaleelan
Edip-Layth (Quran: A Reformist Translation)
Even Muhammed Was Tempted to Follow Other than the Quran17:73 They nearly diverted you from what We inspired to you so that you would fabricate something different against Us, and then they would have taken you as a friend!
The Monotheist Group (The Quran: A Monotheist Translation)
17:73 And they nearly diverted you from what We inspired to you so that you would fabricate something different against Us, and then they would have taken you as a friend!
Muhammad Asad (The Message Of Quran)
17:73 AND,. behold, they [who have gone astray] endeavour to tempt thee away from all [the truth] with which We have inspired thee, [O Prophet,] with a view to making thee invent something else in Our name - in which case they would surely have made thee their friend!88

Note 88
This relates to an offer of "compromise" made by the pagan Quraysh: they demanded of the Prophet that he give some sort of recognition to their tribal deities and attribute this recognition to God; in return, they promised to recognize him as a prophet and to make him their leader. Naturally, the Prophet rejected this offer.
Rashad Khalifa (The Final Testament)
God Strengthens the Messenger17:73 They almost diverted you from the revelations we have given you. They wanted you to fabricate something else, in order to consider you a friend.,
Shabbir Ahmed (Quran As It Explains Itself)
17:73 They endeavor to tempt you away from what We reveal to you, to substitute in Our Name something quite different. In that case, they would have certainly made you their friend.21

Note 21
They want the Prophet to make compromises in return for accepting him as the King of Arabia – compromises like authorizing the worship of their false deities as well and taking back human equality. 17:46

17:74 ولولا ان ثبتنك لقد كدت تركن اليهم شيا قليلا

Transcription (English)
17:74 Walawla an thabbatnaka laqadkidta tarkanu ilayhim shay-an qaleelan
Edip-Layth (Quran: A Reformist Translation)
17:74 If We had not made you stand firm, you were about to lean towards them a little bit.
The Monotheist Group (The Quran: A Monotheist Translation)
17:74 And if We had not made you stand firm, you were about to lean towards them a little bit.
Muhammad Asad (The Message Of Quran)
17:74 And 'had We not made thee firm [in faith], thou might have inclined to them a. little89

Note 89
The implication is that the Prophet's deep faith made it impossible for him to consider anything of this kind.
Rashad Khalifa (The Final Testament)
17:74 If it were not that we strengthened you, you almost leaned towards them just a little bit.,
Shabbir Ahmed (Quran As It Explains Itself)
17:74 Their pressure was so intense that, without firm conviction that brings Our support, you might have inclined toward them a little. [10:15, 11:113, 68:9]

17:75 اذا لاذقنك ضعف الحيوة وضعف الممات ثم لا تجد لك علينا نصيرا

Transcription (English)
17:75 Ithan laathaqnaka diAAfaalhayati wadiAAfa almamati thumma latajidu laka AAalayna naseeran
Edip-Layth (Quran: A Reformist Translation)
17:75 Then, We would have made you taste double the retribution in this life and double the retribution in death. Then you would not find for yourself any victor against Us.
The Monotheist Group (The Quran: A Monotheist Translation)
17:75 Then, We would have made you taste double the retribution in this life and double the retribution in death. And then you would not find for yourself any victor against Us.
Muhammad Asad (The Message Of Quran)
17:75 in which case We would indeed have made thee taste double [chastisement] in life and double [chastisement] after death,90 and thou wouldst have found none to succour thee against Us!

Note 90
I.e., "for having gone astray despite the revelation bestowed on thee by God, and for having, by thy example, led thy followers astray as well". The purport of the above passage goes, however, beyond the historical event or events to which it relates: it expresses the idea that any conscious offence against a fundamental truth is an unforgivable sin.
Rashad Khalifa (The Final Testament)
17:75 Had you done that, we would have doubled the retribution for you in this life, and after death, and you would have found no one to help you against us.,
Shabbir Ahmed (Quran As It Explains Itself)
17:75 Had you inclined toward them, We would have doubled the retribution for you in this life and after death, and you would have found no one to help you against Us (Our Law of Requital).

17:76 وان كادوا ليستفزونك من الارض ليخرجوك منها واذا لا يلبثون خلفك الا قليلا

Transcription (English)
17:76 Wa-in kadoo layastafizzoonaka minaal-ardi liyukhrijooka minha wa-ithan layalbathoona khilafaka illa qaleelan
Edip-Layth (Quran: A Reformist Translation)
17:76 They nearly enticed you to drive you out of the land. But in that case, they would have shortly been destroyed after you were gone.13

Note 13

Indeed, soon after being forced to emigrate to Yathrib, Muhammed and his followers would return to their hometown Mecca, in peace, without bloodshed.

The Monotheist Group (The Quran: A Monotheist Translation)
17:76 And they nearly intimidated you so they could drive you out of the land. But then they would have been destroyed shortly after you were gone.
Muhammad Asad (The Message Of Quran)
17:76 And [since they see that they cannot persuade thee,] they endeavour to estrange thee from the land [of thy birth]91 with a view to driving thee away from ,it-but, then, after thou wilt have left,92 they themselves will not remain [in it] for more than a little while:93

Note 91
It must be borne in mind that this is a Meccan surah, revealed at a time when the persecution, both physical and moral, which the Prophet and his followers had to suffer at the hands of the pagan Quraysh reached the peak of its intensity.

Note 92
Lit., "after thee".

Note 93
This prophecy was fulfilled a little over two years later, in the month of Ramadan, 2 H., when those same leaders of the Quraysh were killed in the battle of Badr.
Rashad Khalifa (The Final Testament)
17:76 They almost banished you from the land to get rid of you, so they could revert as soon as you left.,
Shabbir Ahmed (Quran As It Explains Itself)
17:76 Since they saw that they could not persuade you, they wished to drive you out (of Madinah as well). If they had done that, (they would have lost the stabilizing force of your presence and), they would have annihilated one another in a short while.

17:77 سنة من قد ارسلنا قبلك من رسلنا ولا تجد لسنتنا تحويلا

Transcription (English)
17:77 Sunnata man qad arsalna qablaka minrusulina wala tajidu lisunnatina tahweelan
Edip-Layth (Quran: A Reformist Translation)
17:77 This has been the way for Our messengers We sent before you. You will not find any change in Our way.
The Monotheist Group (The Quran: A Monotheist Translation)
17:77 Such was the way of those whom We had sent before you of Our messengers. And you will not find any change in Our way.
Muhammad Asad (The Message Of Quran)
17:77 [such has been Our] way with all of Our apostles whom We sent before thy time;94 and no change wilt thou find in Our ways.

Note 94
I.e., the people who drove them away were invariably punished with destruction.
Rashad Khalifa (The Final Testament)
17:77 This has been consistently the case with all the messengers that we sent before you, and you will find that our system never changes.,
Shabbir Ahmed (Quran As It Explains Itself)
17:77 Such has always been Our law with all of Our Messengers We sent before you. (Nations that drove them out suffered dire consequences.) You will never find a change in Our laws. [6:34, 6:115, 10:64, 17:77, 18:27, 33:38, 33:62, 35:43, 40:85, 48:23]

17:78 اقم الصلوة لدلوك الشمس الى غسق اليل وقرءان الفجر ان قرءان الفجر كان مشهودا

Transcription (English)
17:78 Aqimi alssalatalidulooki alshshamsi ila ghasaqi allayli waqur-anaalfajri inna qur-ana alfajri kana mashhoodan
Edip-Layth (Quran: A Reformist Translation)
17:78 You shall hold the contact prayer at the setting of the sun, until the darkness of the night; and the Quran at dawn. The Quran at dawn has been witnessed.14

Note 14

The time for evening (esha) prayer starts from the declining of the sun in the horizon and lasts until the darkness of the night. The Quran contains sufficient details about the sala prayer. See 24:58; 11:1124; 38:32.

The Monotheist Group (The Quran: A Monotheist Translation)
17:78 Hold the contact prayer till the setting of the sun; to the murkiness of the night; and the Qur'an at dawn - the Qur'an at dawn is witnessed.
Muhammad Asad (The Message Of Quran)
17:78 BE CONSTANT in [thy] prayer from the time when the sun has passed its zenith till the darkness of night, and [be ever mindful of its] recitation at dawn:95 for, behold, the recitation [of prayer] at dawn is indeed witnessed [by all that is holy].96

Note 95
As is evidenced by the practice (sunnah) of the Prophet, this verse fully circumscribes the five daily prayers laid down in Islam as obligatory for every adult man and woman: at dawn (fajr), shortly after the sun passes its zenith (zuhr), in the middle of the afternoon (`asr), immediately after sunset (maghrib), and after the night has fully set in (`isha'). Although parts of the Qur'an should be recited in every prayer, the early morning prayer is metonymically singled out as the "recitation (Qur'an) at dawn" because the Prophet, under divine inspiration, used to lengthen his recitation while praying at that time, thus stressing the special significance of this particular prayer. (See next note.)

Note 96
Most of the classical commentators take this to mean "witnessed by the angels of night as well as those of day", since dawn is the time between night and day. Razi, however, is of the opinion that the "witness" to which the Qur'an refers here is the spark of God-given illumination in man's own soul-the heightening of his inner perception at the time when the darkness and stillness of night begins to give way to the life-giving light of day, so that prayer becomes a means of attaining to deeper insight into the realm of spiritual truths and, thus, of achieving communion with all that is holy.
Rashad Khalifa (The Final Testament)
The Noon Prayer17:78 You shall observe the Contact Prayer (Salat) when the sun declines from its highest point at noon, as it moves towards sunset. You shall also observe (the recitation of) the Quran at dawn. (Reciting) the Quran at dawn is witnessed.,
Shabbir Ahmed (Quran As It Explains Itself)
17:78 You shall commit yourself to reflect on the Divine Commands before sunrise and then carry on with your program until the darkness of night prevails. The Qur’an springs forth the light for you to brighten your way. The Dawn ushered in by the Qur’an will be self-evident to all. Its likeness is the dawn that brings light after a dark night. [42:38]

17:79 ومن اليل فتهجد به نافلة لك عسى ان يبعثك ربك مقاما محمودا

Transcription (English)
17:79 Wamina allayli fatahajjad bihi nafilatanlaka AAasa an yabAAathaka rabbuka maqaman mahmoodan
Edip-Layth (Quran: A Reformist Translation)
17:79 From the night you shall reflect upon it additionally for yourself, perhaps your Lord would grant you to a high rank.
The Monotheist Group (The Quran: A Monotheist Translation)
17:79 And from the night, as an addition, you shall reflect upon it for yourself, perhaps your Lord would grant you a station that is praiseworthy.
Muhammad Asad (The Message Of Quran)
17:79 And rise from thy sleep and pray during part of the night [as well], as a free offering from thee,97 and thy Sustainer may well raise thee to a glorious station [in the life to come].

Note 97
Lit., "as a deed beyond that which is incumbent on thee" (nafilatan laka)-i.e., in addition to the five obligatory prayers. Hence, the above is not an injunction but a recommendation, although the Prophet himself invariably spent the greater part of the night in prayer.
Rashad Khalifa (The Final Testament)
Meditation17:79 During the night, you shall meditate for extra credit, that your Lord may raise you to an honorable rank.,
Shabbir Ahmed (Quran As It Explains Itself)
17:79 (As head of the state, you shall commit yourself to extra endeavor.) You shall even contemplate and work part of the night, from sunset to the darkness of night. (And your companions shall join you in this endeavor as needed 73:2-3). Soon, your Lord will raise you to a highly honored, praiseworthy station.22

Note 22
Maqaam-am-Mahmooda = Praiseworthy station that will be obvious to the friend and foe alike

17:80 وقل رب ادخلنى مدخل صدق واخرجنى مخرج صدق واجعل لى من لدنك سلطنا نصيرا

Transcription (English)
17:80 Waqul rabbi adkhilnee mudkhala sidqinwaakhrijnee mukhraja sidqin waijAAal lee minladunka sultanan naseeran
Edip-Layth (Quran: A Reformist Translation)
17:80 Say, "My Lord, admit me an entrance of truth and let me exit an exit of truth, and grant me from Yourself a victorious authority."
The Monotheist Group (The Quran: A Monotheist Translation)
17:80 And say: "My Lord, admit me an entrance of truth and let me exit an exit of truth, and grant me from Yourself a support to victory."
Muhammad Asad (The Message Of Quran)
17:80 And say [in thy prayer]: "O my Sustainer! Cause me to enter [upon whatever I may do] in a manner .true and sincere, and cause me to leave [it] in a manner true and sincere, and grant me, out of Thy grace, sustaining strength!"
Rashad Khalifa (The Final Testament)
17:80 And say, "My Lord, admit me an honorable admittance, and let me depart an honorable departure, and grant me from You a powerful support.",
Shabbir Ahmed (Quran As It Explains Itself)
17:80 Say, “My Lord! Admit me in honor and let me depart in honor at every juncture of my life, and help me with strong support.”

17:81 وقل جاء الحق وزهق البطل ان البطل كان زهوقا

Transcription (English)
17:81 Waqul jaa alhaqqu wazahaqa albatiluinna albatila kana zahooqan
Edip-Layth (Quran: A Reformist Translation)
17:81 Say, "The truth has come and falsehood has perished. Falsehood is always bound to perish!"
The Monotheist Group (The Quran: A Monotheist Translation)
17:81 And say: "The truth has come and falsehood has perished. Falsehood is always bound to perish!"
Muhammad Asad (The Message Of Quran)
17:81 And say: "The truth has now come [to light], and falsehood has withered away: for, behold, all falsehood is bound to wither away!"
Rashad Khalifa (The Final Testament)
17:81 Proclaim, "The truth has prevailed, and falsehood has vanished; falsehood will inevitably vanish.",
Shabbir Ahmed (Quran As It Explains Itself)
17:81 (Time has come for you to) say, "The truth has come to light, and falsehood has withered away. For, falsehood is bound to wither away."

17:82 وننزل من القرءان ما هو شفاء ورحمة للمؤمنين ولا يزيد الظلمين الا خسارا

Transcription (English)
17:82 Wanunazzilu mina alqur-ani mahuwa shifaon warahmatun lilmu/mineena walayazeedu alththalimeena illakhasaran
Edip-Layth (Quran: A Reformist Translation)
The Same Book, Yet Two Different Effects17:82 We send down from the Quran what is a healing and mercy to those who acknowledge. It only increases the wicked in their loss.15

Note 15

The meaning of this verse has been distorted by clerics so that they could write, package, and sell verses of the Quran as amulets, drugs, aspirin, or band-aids. The placebo effect was enough to keep the market, and Muslim masses started considering the ink and paper where the Quran written as totems. The Quran is not a drug, but a prescription for universal salvation and eternal happiness, including this world. See 10:57.

The Monotheist Group (The Quran: A Monotheist Translation)
17:82 And We send down from the Qur'an what is a healing and mercy to the believers. And it only increases the wicked in their loss.
Muhammad Asad (The Message Of Quran)
17:82 THUS, step by step, We bestow from on high through this Qur'an all that gives health [to the spirit] and is a grace unto those who believe [in Us], the while it only adds to the ruin of evildoers:98

Note 98
By "evildoers" are meant people who, out of self-conceit or an excessive "love of this world"; reject out of hand any suggestion of divine guidance-and, with it, any belief in the existence of absolute moral values -and in the end, as the sequence shows, fall prey to spiritual nihilism.
Rashad Khalifa (The Final Testament)
Healing and Mercy17:82 We send down in the Quran healing and mercy for the believers. At the same time, it only increases the wickedness of the transgressors.,
Shabbir Ahmed (Quran As It Explains Itself)
17:82 Thus, step by step, We have sent down in the Qur’an the cure of all ills of humanity. It is a nourishment of grace for those who accept it. At the same time, it is a harbinger of loss for those who displace the Book from its rightful place of authority.23

Note 23
The Qur’an is also a harbinger of loss for oppressors since it liberates the oppressed from their grasp. Zulm = To displace something from its rightful place = Oppression = Violation of human rights. Rahmah = Nourishment of grace just as the womb nourishes the embryo without returns

17:83 واذا انعمنا على الانسن اعرض ونا بجانبه واذا مسه الشر كان يوسا

Transcription (English)
17:83 Wa-itha anAAamna AAalaal-insani aAArada wanaa bijanibihiwa-itha massahu alshsharru kana yaoosan
Edip-Layth (Quran: A Reformist Translation)
17:83 When We bless the human being, he turns away and turns his side. But when adversity touches him, he is ever in despair!
The Monotheist Group (The Quran: A Monotheist Translation)
17:83 And if We bless man, he turns away and turns his side. But when adversity touches him, he is despairing!
Muhammad Asad (The Message Of Quran)
17:83 for [it often happens that] when We bestow Our blessings upon man, he turns away and arrogantly keeps aloof [from any thought of Us]; and when evil fortune touches him, he abandons all hope.99

Note 99
Cf. 11:9 and the corresponding notes.
Rashad Khalifa (The Final Testament)
17:83 When we bless the human being, he becomes preoccupied and heedless. But when adversity strikes him, he turns despondent.,
Shabbir Ahmed (Quran As It Explains Itself)
17:83 People without higher objectives easily exult and turn away when Our laws make life pleasant for them. And they quickly despair when a hardship touches them. [41:51]

17:84 قل كل يعمل على شاكلته فربكم اعلم بمن هو اهدى سبيلا

Transcription (English)
17:84 Qul kullun yaAAmalu AAala shakilatihifarabbukum aAAlamu biman huwa ahda sabeelan
Edip-Layth (Quran: A Reformist Translation)
17:84 Say, "Let each work according to his own. Your Lord is fully aware of who is best guided to the path."
The Monotheist Group (The Quran: A Monotheist Translation)
17:84 Say: "Let each work according to his own. Your Lord is fully aware of who is best guided to the path."
Muhammad Asad (The Message Of Quran)
17:84 Say: "Everyone acts in a manner peculiar to himself -and your Sustainer is fully aware as to who has chosen the best path."100

Note 100
Lit., "as to who is best guided on a path".
Rashad Khalifa (The Final Testament)
17:84 Say, "Everyone works in accordance with his belief, and your Lord knows best which ones are guided in the right path.",
Shabbir Ahmed (Quran As It Explains Itself)
17:84 Say, "Everyone acts in a manner peculiar to himself. (Human beings tend to make their own rules of conduct), but your Lord is best Aware as to who has chosen the best path.

17:85 ويسلونك عن الروح قل الروح من امر ربى وما اوتيتم من العلم الا قليلا

Transcription (English)
17:85 Wayas-aloonaka AAani alrroohiquli alrroohu min amri rabbee wama ooteetummina alAAilmi illa qaleelan
Edip-Layth (Quran: A Reformist Translation)
17:85 They ask you concerning the Spirit. Say, "The Spirit is from the command of my Lord, and the knowledge you were given was but very little."16

Note 16

Influenced by the Christian scholars who were influenced by Greek mythology, the word ruh is commonly mistranslated as "soul." In the Quranic terminology, ruh means divine information and commandments. The thing that disconnects from our body or quits functioning during sleep or death is not ruh but nafs, that is, personality and consciousness (39:42). The Quran refers to the controller that delivers the divine revelation as Jibreel or Ruh-ul Quds, meaning "Holy Revelation" or "Holy Spirit" (6:102). God endowed the human species with a program called consciousness and personality via a special revelation (15:29; 38:72; 33:9). We can reform or restore our innate program if it is infected by viruses of ignorance, indulgence in sins, or self-inflicted abuses, by re-installing the program called ruh. The ruh in revelation revives those who have lost the function of the ruh in their genetic makeup (6:122; 8:24). See 15:29.

Charlatan psychics or so-called mediums cannot bring the nafs (person) that is uploaded to God's master record, back to the world. Communication with the person of the dead is a third-rate fraud and it haunts the gullible who take the pretender serious.

Is it possible to record or transfer the unique neural connections and memories recorded in a brain throughout its life into another organic or inorganic medium, such as a computer disk? In other words, can we one day isolate the information recorded in the brain in terms of a holographic network of connections from its biological material and then transfer, preserve and duplicate it as data? Considering the speed of technological advances, this possibility might even become a probability. The atheists who scoff at God's promise of resurrection by asking, "How can rotten bones be revived?" might learn this lesson in their labs: that with the biological death everything is not lost, and humans and everything in the universe are no more than "bundles of information," and information is not dependent on a particular organic medium; its transferable and theoretically eternal. However, looking at history, it is a safe bet that instead of regretting their bigotry, and acknowledging their Lord who declared this fact millennia ago, they will continue their opposition, doubts, and arrogant attitudes. Of course, this self-deception will end one day (10:24). See 15:29.

The Monotheist Group (The Quran: A Monotheist Translation)
17:85 And they ask you concerning the Spirit. Say: "The Spirit is from the authority of my Lord; and the knowledge you were given was but very little."
Muhammad Asad (The Message Of Quran)
17:85 AND THEY will ask thee about [the nature of] divine inspiration.101 Say: "This inspiration [comes] at my Sustainer's behest; and [you cannot understand its nature, O men, since] you have been granted very little of [real] knowledge."

Note 101
For this interpretation of the term ruh, see surah 16, note 2. Some commentators are of the opinion that it refers here, specifically, to the revelation of the Qur'an; others understand by it the "soul", in particular the soul of man. This latter interpretation is, however, unconvincing inasmuch as the preceding as well as the subsequent verses relate explicitly to the Qur'an and, hence, to the phenomenon of divine revelation.
Rashad Khalifa (The Final Testament)
Divine Revelation: The Source of All Knowledge17:85 They ask you about the revelation. Say, "The revelation comes from my Lord. The knowledge given to you is minute.",
Shabbir Ahmed (Quran As It Explains Itself)
17:85 (O Messenger) they ask you about the ROOH (Revelation). Say, "The Revelation is from my Lord's World of Command of which you have been given little knowledge.”24

Note 24
'Rooh' = Divine Energy from which free will has been given to humans = ‘Wahi’ = Revelation to Messengers = ‘Spirit’ = 'Soul' = Angel of Revelation. ‘Spirit’ and ‘Soul’ are popular but non-Qur’anic terms. 'Nafs' meaning Self in the Qur’an comes closest to these two terms. The Qur’an does not mention the presence of ‘rooh’, spirit or soul in humans. We consist of a physical body, mind and NAFS ‘Self’.

17:86 ولئن شئنا لنذهبن بالذى اوحينا اليك ثم لا تجد لك به علينا وكيلا

Transcription (English)
17:86 Wala-in shi/na lanathhabannabiallathee awhayna ilayka thumma latajidu laka bihi AAalayna wakeelan
Edip-Layth (Quran: A Reformist Translation)
17:86 If We wished, We would take away what We have inspired to you. Then you would not find for yourself with it against Us a caretaker.
The Monotheist Group (The Quran: A Monotheist Translation)
17:86 And if We wished, We would take away that which We have inspired to you. Then you would not find for yourself with it against Us a caretaker.
Muhammad Asad (The Message Of Quran)
17:86 And if We so willed, We could indeed take away whatever We have revealed unto thee, and in that [state of need] thou wouldst find none to plead in thy behalf before Us.102

Note 102
Lit., "to be thy guardian against [or "before"] Us"-i.e., "to provide thee with other means of guidance": an allusion to the fact that divine guidance is the only source of ethics in the absolute sense of this word. The "taking away" of revelation denotes its alienation from the hearts and the memory of men, as well as its disappearance in written form.
Rashad Khalifa (The Final Testament)
17:86 If we will, we can take back what we revealed to you, then you will find no protector against us.,
Shabbir Ahmed (Quran As It Explains Itself)
17:86 (Revelation is the extrinsic knowledge, as distinct from intrinsic inspiration.) If We so willed, We could withdraw what We reveal to you, and you would find none to plead on your behalf before Us.

17:87 الا رحمة من ربك ان فضله كان عليك كبيرا

Transcription (English)
17:87 Illa rahmatan min rabbika innafadlahu kana AAalayka kabeeran
Edip-Layth (Quran: A Reformist Translation)
17:87 Except for a mercy from your Lord. His favor upon you has been great.
The Monotheist Group (The Quran: A Monotheist Translation)
17:87 Except for a mercy from your Lord. His grace upon you has been great.
Muhammad Asad (The Message Of Quran)
17:87 [Thou art spared] only by thy Sustainer's grace: behold, His favour towards thee is great indeed!
Rashad Khalifa (The Final Testament)
17:87 This is but mercy from your Lord. His blessings upon you have been great.,
Shabbir Ahmed (Quran As It Explains Itself)
17:87 This (Revelation) is a grace from your Lord. His bounty upon you (O Messenger) has ever been great. [6:116, 15:19, 87:6-7]

17:88 قل لئن اجتمعت الانس والجن على ان ياتوا بمثل هذا القرءان لا ياتون بمثله ولو كان بعضهم لبعض ظهيرا

Transcription (English)
17:88 Qul la-ini ijtamaAAati al-insu waaljinnuAAala an ya/too bimithli hatha alqur-ani laya/toona bimithlihi walaw kana baAAduhum libaAAdinthaheeran
Edip-Layth (Quran: A Reformist Translation)
Fanatic Skeptics Do not Appreciate the Intellectual Challenge17:88 Say, "If all the humans and the Jinn were to gather to bring a Quran like this, they could not come with it, even if they were helping one another."17

Note 17

See 29:50; 74:1.

The Monotheist Group (The Quran: A Monotheist Translation)
17:88 Say: "If all mankind and the Jinn were to gather to bring a Qur'an like this, they could not come with its like, even if they were helping one another."
Muhammad Asad (The Message Of Quran)
17:88 Say: "If all mankind and all invisible beings103 would come together with a view to producing the like of this Qur'an, they could not produce its like even though they were to exert all their strength in aiding one another!"

Note 103
See Appendix III.
Rashad Khalifa (The Final Testament)
Mathematical Composition of the Quran17:88 Say, "If all the humans and all the jinns banded together in order to produce a Quran like this, they could never produce anything like it, no matter how much assistance they lent one another.",
Shabbir Ahmed (Quran As It Explains Itself)
17:88 Say, “If all mankind, in towns and villages, get together to produce the like of this Qur’an, they will not be able to produce the like of it, no matter how much help they give one another." [2:23, 10:38, 11:13]

17:89 ولقد صرفنا للناس فى هذا القرءان من كل مثل فابى اكثر الناس الا كفورا

Transcription (English)
17:89 Walaqad sarrafna lilnnasifee hatha alqur-ani min kulli mathalin faabaaktharu alnnasi illa kufooran
Edip-Layth (Quran: A Reformist Translation)
17:89 In this Quran We have cited every example for the people; but most of the people refuse to be anything but ingrates!
The Monotheist Group (The Quran: A Monotheist Translation)
17:89 And We have dispatched to the people in this Qur'an from every example, but most of the people refuse to be anything but rejecters!
Muhammad Asad (The Message Of Quran)
17:89 For, indeed, many facets have We given in this Qur'an to every kind of lesson [designed] for [the benefit of] mankind!104 However, most men are unwilling to accept anything but blasphemy105

Note 104
According to Raghib, the noun mathal (lit., "similitude", "parable" or "example") is here more or less synonymous with wasf ("description by means of a comparison", i.e., "definition"). In its broadest sense, this term signifies "a lesson".

Note 105
Le., they are unwilling to accept any idea which runs counter to their own, blasphemous inclinations.
Rashad Khalifa (The Final Testament)
17:89 We have cited for the people in this Quran all kinds of examples, but most people insist upon disbelieving.,
Shabbir Ahmed (Quran As It Explains Itself)
17:89 We have used Tasreef to explain The Qur’an in many facets for mankind. However, most people (due to arrogance, prejudice or blind following) remain ungrateful by rejecting such clear guidance. [17:41]

17:90 وقالوا لن نؤمن لك حتى تفجر لنا من الارض ينبوعا

Transcription (English)
17:90 Waqaloo lan nu/mina laka hattatafjura lana mina al-ardi yanbooAAan
Edip-Layth (Quran: A Reformist Translation)
17:90 They said, "We will not acknowledge you until you cause a spring of water to burst from the land"
The Monotheist Group (The Quran: A Monotheist Translation)
17:90 And they said: "We will not believe unto you until you cause a spring of water to burst out of the ground"
Muhammad Asad (The Message Of Quran)
17:90 and so they say: "[O Muhammad,] we shall not believe thee till thou cause a spring to gush forth for us from the earth,106

Note 106
I.e., like Moses (cf. 2:60).
Rashad Khalifa (The Final Testament)
God's Messengers Challenged17:90 They said, "We will not believe you unless you cause a spring to gush out of the ground.,
Shabbir Ahmed (Quran As It Explains Itself)
17:90 (Instead of reflecting on it, they keep demanding physical miracles) and they say, “We will not believe in you until you cause a spring to gush forth from the earth.”

17:91 او تكون لك جنة من نخيل وعنب فتفجر الانهر خللها تفجيرا

Transcription (English)
17:91 Aw takoona laka jannatun min nakheelinwaAAinabin fatufajjira al-anhara khilalahatafjeeran
Edip-Layth (Quran: A Reformist Translation)
17:91 "Or that you have a garden of palm trees and grapes, and you cause gushing rivers to burst through it."
The Monotheist Group (The Quran: A Monotheist Translation)
17:91 "Or that you have an estate of palm trees and grapes, and you cause gushing rivers to burst through it."
Muhammad Asad (The Message Of Quran)
17:91 or thou have a garden of date-palms and vines and cause rivers to gush forth in their midst in a sudden rush,107

Note 107
This seems to be a derisory allusion to the allegory of paradise so often mentioned in the Qur'an.
Rashad Khalifa (The Final Testament)
17:91 "Or unless you own a garden of date palms and grapes, with rivers running through it.,
Shabbir Ahmed (Quran As It Explains Itself)
17:91 "Or unless you bring a garden of date palms and grape vines and cause rivers to gush forth in their midst."

17:92 او تسقط السماء كما زعمت علينا كسفا او تاتى بالله والملئكة قبيلا

Transcription (English)
17:92 Aw tusqita alssamaa kamazaAAamta AAalayna kisafan aw ta/tiya biAllahiwaalmala-ikati qabeelan
Edip-Layth (Quran: A Reformist Translation)
17:92 "Or that you make the sky fall upon us in pieces as you claimed, or that you bring God and the controllers before us."
The Monotheist Group (The Quran: A Monotheist Translation)
17:92 "Or that you make the heaven fall upon us in pieces as you claimed, or that you bring God and the angels before us."
Muhammad Asad (The Message Of Quran)
17:92 or thou cause the skies to fall down upon us in smithereens, as thou hast threatened,108 or [till] thou bring God and the angels face to face before us,

Note 108
Lit., "claimed": possibly a reference to the warning expressed in 34:9, which was revealed somewhat earlier than the present surah.
Rashad Khalifa (The Final Testament)
17:92 "Or unless you cause masses from the sky, as you claimed, to fall on us. Or unless you bring GOD and the angels before our eyes.,
Shabbir Ahmed (Quran As It Explains Itself)
17:92 "Or make the sky fall on us, as you keep warning us about retribution, or bring God and the angels face to face before us." [26:187, 6:35]

17:93 او يكون لك بيت من زخرف او ترقى فى السماء ولن نؤمن لرقيك حتى تنزل علينا كتبا نقرؤه قل سبحان ربى هل كنت الا بشرا رسولا

Transcription (English)
17:93 Aw yakoona laka baytun min zukhrufin aw tarqafee alssama-i walan nu/mina liruqiyyika hattatunazzila AAalayna kitaban naqraohu qul subhanarabbee hal kuntu illa basharan rasoolan
Edip-Layth (Quran: A Reformist Translation)
17:93 "Or that you have a luxurious mansion, or that you can ascend into the heavens. We will not acknowledge your ascension unless you bring for us a book that we can study." Say, "Glory be to my Lord. Am I anything other than a human messenger!"
The Monotheist Group (The Quran: A Monotheist Translation)
17:93 "Or that you have a luxurious home, or that you can ascend into the heavens. And we will not believe in your ascension unless you bring for us a book that we can read." Say: "Glory be to my Lord. Am I anything other than a human messenger!"
Muhammad Asad (The Message Of Quran)
17:93 or thou have a house [made] of gold, or thou ascend to heaven - but nay, we would not [even] believe in thy ascension unless thou bring down to us [from heaven] a writing which we [ourselves] could read!109 Say thou, [O Prophet:] "Limitless in His glory is my Sustainer!110 Am I, then, aught but a mortal man, an apostle?"

Note 109
A reply to this demand of the unbelievers is found in verse 7 of Al-An'am, revealed according to Suyuti -shortly after the present surah. But the allusion to, this and the preceding "conditions" is not merely historical: it illustrates a widely prevalent, psychologically contradictory attitude of mind -a strange mixture of prima-facie scepticism and primitive credulity which makes belief in a prophetic message dependent on the prophet's "performing miracles" (cf. 6:37 and 109 and 7:203). Since the only miracle granted by God to Muhammad is the Qur'an itself (see the first part of verse 59 of this surah, as well as note 71 above), he is bidden, in the next passage, to declare that these demands are irrelevant and, by implication, frivolous.

Note 110
I.e., "miracles are in the power of God alone" (cf. 6:109 and the corresponding note 94).
Rashad Khalifa (The Final Testament)
17:93 "Or unless you own a luxurious mansion, or unless you climb into the sky. Even if you do climb, we will not believe unless you bring a book that we can read." Say, "Glory be to my Lord. Am I any more than a human messenger?",6

Note 6
God's Messenger of the Covenant, Rashad Khalifa, was thus challenged, including the challenge to bring a new book, or bring down masses from thesky. Verse 3:81 defines the duties of God's Messenger of the Covenant.Overwhelming proof is detailed in Appendices2&26.
Shabbir Ahmed (Quran As It Explains Itself)
17:93 "Or unless you have a dazzling house of gold or unless you climb into the sky. But, nay, we will not believe your climbing unless you bring a written book that we can read." Tell them, “Glorified is my Lord! Am I more than a human, a Messenger?"

17:94 وما منع الناس ان يؤمنوا اذ جاءهم الهدى الا ان قالوا ابعث الله بشرا رسولا

Transcription (English)
17:94 Wama manaAAa alnnasa anyu/minoo ith jaahumu alhuda illa an qalooabaAAatha Allahu basharan rasoolan
Edip-Layth (Quran: A Reformist Translation)
17:94 Nothing stopped the people from acknowledging when the guidance came to them, except they said, "Has God sent a human messenger?"
The Monotheist Group (The Quran: A Monotheist Translation)
17:94 And what stopped the people from believing when the guidance came to them, except that they said: "Has God sent a human messenger?"
Muhammad Asad (The Message Of Quran)
17:94 Yet whenever [God's] guidance came to them [through a prophet,] nothing has ever kept people from believing [in him] save this their objection:111 "Would God have sent a [mere] mortal man as His apostle?"

Note 111
Lit., "save that they said". The verb qala (as also the noun qawl) is often used tropically in the sense of holding or asserting an opinion or a belief; in the above case it obviously implies a conceptual objection.
Rashad Khalifa (The Final Testament)
Messengership: An Essential Test17:94 What prevented the people from believing when the guidance came to them is their saying, "Did GOD send a human being as a messenger?",
Shabbir Ahmed (Quran As It Explains Itself)
17:94 Yet whenever guidance came to people, nothing kept them from believing as much as this objection, "Would God send a mortal man as His Messenger?"

17:95 قل لو كان فى الارض ملئكة يمشون مطمئنين لنزلنا عليهم من السماء ملكا رسولا

Transcription (English)
17:95 Qul law kana fee al-ardi mala-ikatunyamshoona mutma-inneena lanazzalna AAalayhim mina alssama-imalakan rasoolan
Edip-Layth (Quran: A Reformist Translation)
17:95 Say, "If the earth had controllers walking about at ease, We would have sent down to them from heaven an controller as a messenger."
The Monotheist Group (The Quran: A Monotheist Translation)
17:95 Say: "If the earth had angels walking about in security, We would have sent down to them from the heaven an angel as a messenger."
Muhammad Asad (The Message Of Quran)
17:95 Say: "If angels were walking about on earth as their natural abode, We would indeed have sent down unto them an angel out of heaven as Our apostle."
Rashad Khalifa (The Final Testament)
17:95 Say, "If the earth were inhabited by angels, we would have sent down to them from the sky an angel messenger.",
Shabbir Ahmed (Quran As It Explains Itself)
17:95 Say, "If angels walked about and dwelled on the earth, We would have sent an angel from the heaven as Messenger." [43:60]

17:96 قل كفى بالله شهيدا بينى وبينكم انه كان بعباده خبيرا بصيرا

Transcription (English)
17:96 Qul kafa biAllahishaheedan baynee wabaynakum innahu kana biAAibadihikhabeeran baseeran
Edip-Layth (Quran: A Reformist Translation)
17:96 Say, "God suffices as a witness between me and you. He is Ever-aware and Watcher over His servants."
The Monotheist Group (The Quran: A Monotheist Translation)
17:96 Say: "God suffices as a witness between me and you. He is Expert and Seer over His servants."
Muhammad Asad (The Message Of Quran)
17:96 Say: "None can bear witness between me and you as God does: verily, fully aware is He of His creatures, and He sees all [that is in their hearts]."
Rashad Khalifa (The Final Testament)
God Is My Witness17:96 Say, "GOD suffices as a witness between me and you. He is fully Cognizant of His worshipers, Seer.",
Shabbir Ahmed (Quran As It Explains Itself)
17:96 Tell them, "God suffices as witness between me and you. Surely, He is fully Aware of His servants."25

Note 25
The outcome through His laws will prove who is right

17:97 ومن يهد الله فهو المهتد ومن يضلل فلن تجد لهم اولياء من دونه ونحشرهم يوم القيمة على وجوههم عميا وبكما وصما ماوىهم جهنم كلما خبت زدنهم سعيرا

Transcription (English)
17:97 Waman yahdi Allahu fahuwa almuhtadiwaman yudlil falan tajida lahum awliyaa min doonihiwanahshuruhum yawma alqiyamati AAalawujoohihim AAumyan wabukman wasumman ma/wahumjahannamu kullama khabat zidnahum saAAeeran
Edip-Layth (Quran: A Reformist Translation)
17:97 Whomever God guides is the truly guided one. Whomever He misguides then you will not find for them any allies except for Him. We gather them on the day of Resurrection on their faces, blind, mute, and deaf; their abode will be hell. Every time it dies down, We increase for them the fire.
The Monotheist Group (The Quran: A Monotheist Translation)
17:97 Whoever God guides is the truly guided one. And whoever He misguides then you will not find for them any allies except for Him. And We gather them on the Day of Resurrection on their faces, blind, mute, and deaf; their abode will be Hell. Every time it dies down, We increase for them the fire.
Muhammad Asad (The Message Of Quran)
17:97 And he whom God guides, he alone has found the right way; whereas for those whom He lets go astray thou canst never find anyone to protect them from Him: and [so, when] We shall gather them together on the Day of Resurrection, [they will lie] prone upon their faces, blind and dumb and deaf, with hell as their goal; [and] every time [the fire] abates, We shall increase for them [its] blazing flame.112

Note 112
The phrase "for them" is meant, I believe, to stress the individual character of the suffering allegorized in the Qur'an as a "blazing flame" (sa'ir). For a further discussion of this terminology and its philosophical implications, see Appendix I.
Rashad Khalifa (The Final Testament)
17:97 Whomever GOD guides is the truly guided one. And whomever He sends astray, you will never find for them any lords and masters beside Him. We will summon them on the Day of Resurrection forcibly; blind, dumb, and deaf. Their destination is Hell; whenever it cools down, we will increase their fire.,
Shabbir Ahmed (Quran As It Explains Itself)
17:97 One who follows God’s Guidance is the rightly guided. And to go astray, He lets him go astray. You will not find any protectors for such of them besides Him. On the Day of Resurrection, We will assemble them prone on their faces, unable to see, speak and hear. (They chose to live blind, dumb and deaf.) Hell is their abode, and every time its flames abate, Our laws will increase for them its blazing flame.

17:98 ذلك جزاؤهم بانهم كفروا بايتنا وقالوا اءذا كنا عظما ورفتا اءنا لمبعوثون خلقا جديدا

Transcription (English)
17:98 Thalika jazaohum bi-annahumkafaroo bi-ayatina waqaloo a-ithakunna AAithaman warufatana-inna lamabAAoothoona khalqan jadeedan
Edip-Layth (Quran: A Reformist Translation)
17:98 Such is their recompense that they rejected Our signs, and they said, "If we are bones and fragments, will we be sent into a new creation?"
The Monotheist Group (The Quran: A Monotheist Translation)
17:98 Such is their recompense that they rejected Our revelations, and they said: "If we are bones and fragments, will we be sent into a new creation?"
Muhammad Asad (The Message Of Quran)
17:98 Such will be their requital for having rejected Our messages and having said, "After we will have become bones and dust, shall we, forsooth, be raised from the dead in a new act of creation?"113

Note 113
Implying that this denial of God's power to resurrect the dead (mentioned in exactly the same phrasing in verse 49 of this surah) is equivalent to a denial of His almightiness and, hence, of His Being-all of which is characterized by the words "blind and deaf and dumb" in the preceding verse.
Rashad Khalifa (The Final Testament)
Their Innermost Thoughts17:98 Such is their just retribution, since they rejected our revelations. They said, "After we turn into bones and fragments, do we get resurrected into a new creation?",
Shabbir Ahmed (Quran As It Explains Itself)
17:98 Such is their reward because they preemptively rejected Our messages. And for having said, "When we are bones and fragments, shall we be raised from the dead as a new creation?"

17:99 اولم يروا ان الله الذى خلق السموت والارض قادر على ان يخلق مثلهم وجعل لهم اجلا لا ريب فيه فابى الظلمون الا كفورا

Transcription (English)
17:99 Awa lam yaraw anna Allaha allatheekhalaqa alssamawati waal-ardaqadirun AAala an yakhluqa mithlahum wajaAAala lahumajalan la rayba feehi faaba alththalimoonailla kufooran
Edip-Layth (Quran: A Reformist Translation)
17:99 Did they not see that God who has created the heavens and the earth is able to create their like? He has made an appointed time for them in which there is no doubt. But the wicked refuse anything except rejection.
The Monotheist Group (The Quran: A Monotheist Translation)
17:99 Did they not see that God who has created the heavens and the earth is able to create their like? And He has made an appointed time for them in which there is no doubt. But the wicked refuse anything except rejection.
Muhammad Asad (The Message Of Quran)
17:99 Are they, then, not aware that God, who has created the heavens and the earth, has the power to create them anew in their own likeness,114 having, beyond any doubt, set a term for their resurrection?115 However, all [such] evildoers are unwilling to accept anything but blasphemy!116

Note 114
Lit., "to create the like of them" -i.e., to resurrect them individually, each of them having the same identity (or "likeness") which he or she had before death.

Note 115
Lit., "a term (ajal) for them". Since ajal denotes, primarily, "a specified term [at which something falls due]", it obviously relates here to the inescapable fact of resurrection.

Note 116
See notes 98 and 105 above.
Rashad Khalifa (The Final Testament)
17:99 Could they not see that the GOD who created the heavens and the earth is able to create the same creations? (That) He has predetermined for them an irrevocable life span? Yet, the disbelievers insist upon disbelieving.,
Shabbir Ahmed (Quran As It Explains Itself)
17:99 Do they not realize that God Who created the heavens and the earth, is Able to create them anew in their own likeness again? He has appointed an irrevocable time to end the worldly life (and of Resurrection). Only those remain submerged in the darkness of ignorance who are bent upon doing wrong to their own ‘self’ (and thus remain ungrateful for the Benevolent guidance).

17:100 قل لو انتم تملكون خزائن رحمة ربى اذا لامسكتم خشية الانفاق وكان الانسن قتورا

Transcription (English)
17:100 Qul law antum tamlikoona khaza-inarahmati rabbee ithan laamsaktum khashyata al-infaqiwakana al-insanu qatooran
Edip-Layth (Quran: A Reformist Translation)
17:100 Say, "If you were the ones possessing the vaults of my Lord's mercy, you would have held back for fear of spending. The human being became stingy!"
The Monotheist Group (The Quran: A Monotheist Translation)
17:100 Say: "If you were the ones possessing the vaults of the mercy of my Lord, you would have held back for concern of spending. And man was always stingy!"
Muhammad Asad (The Message Of Quran)
17:100 Say: "If you were to own' all the treasure-houses of my Sustainer's bounty,117 lo! you would still try to hold on [to them] tightly for fear of spending [too much]: for man has always been avaricious [whereas God is limitless in His bounty].118

Note 117
Lit., "grace" (rahmah).

Note 118
I.e., since man is, by his very nature, dependent on material possessions, he instinctively tries to hold on to them; God, on the other hand, is self-sufficient and, therefore, above all need of placing any limits on His bestowal of bounty (hence my interpolation). This implied reference to God's grace and bounty is necessitated by the emphasis, in the preceding as well as in the subsequent passages, on the fact that He has never ceased to guide man, through His prophets, towards the good life.
Rashad Khalifa (The Final Testament)
17:100 Proclaim, "If you possessed my Lord's treasures of mercy, you would have withheld them, fearing that you might exhaust them. The human being is stingy.",
Shabbir Ahmed (Quran As It Explains Itself)
17:100 Say, "If you owned the treasures of my Lord's grace, you would keep them back for fear of exhausting them. For, the human being has always been covetous."

17:101 ولقد ءاتينا موسى تسع ءايت بينت فسل بنى اسرءيل اذ جاءهم فقال له فرعون انى لاظنك يموسى مسحورا

Transcription (English)
17:101 Walaqad atayna moosatisAAa ayatin bayyinatin fais-albanee isra-eela ith jaahum faqalalahu firAAawnu innee laathunnuka ya moosamashooran
Edip-Layth (Quran: A Reformist Translation)
Nine Miracles to Moses17:101 We had given Moses nine clear signs. So ask the Children of Israel, when he came to them Pharaoh said, "I think that you, Moses, are bewitched!"
The Monotheist Group (The Quran: A Monotheist Translation)
17:101 And We had given Moses nine clear signs. So ask the Children of Israel, when he came to them, then Pharaoh said: "I think that you Moses are bewitched!"
Muhammad Asad (The Message Of Quran)
17:101 AND, INDEED, We gave unto Moses nine clear messages.119 Ask, then, the children of Israel120 [to tell thee what happened] when he came unto them, [and appealed to Pharaoh,121 ] and Pharaoh said unto him, "Verily, O Moses, I think that thou art full of sorcery!"122

Note 119
Some of the commentators assume that this is an allusion to the miracles performed by Moses, while others (relying on a Tradition quoted in the compilations of Nasa'i, Ibn Hanbal, Bayhaqi, Ibn Majah and Tabarani) see in it a reference to nine specific commandments or ethical principles, the foremost of them being a stress on God's oneness and uniqueness. In my opinion, however, the number "nine" may be no more than a metonym for "several", just as the numbers "seven" and "seventy" are often used in classical Arabic to denote "several" or "many"

Note 120
I.e., of the present time. The whole phrase has this meaning: "Ask them about what the Qur'an tells us in this respect, and they will be bound to confirm it on the basis of their own scriptures." This "confirmation" apparently relates to what is said in verse 104, explaining why the story of Moses and Pharaoh has been mentioned in the present context. (The story as such appears in greater detail in 7:103 and 20:49.)

Note 121
Cf. 7:105-"let the children of Israel go with me!"

Note 122
Or: "that thou art bewitched". However, my rendering is based on Tabari's interpretation of the passive participle mashur, which I consider preferable in view of the subsequent reference to the miraculous signs granted by God to Moses.
Rashad Khalifa (The Final Testament)
Moses and Pharaoh17:101 We supported Moses with nine profound miracles - ask the Children of Israel. When he went to them, Pharaoh said to him, "I think that you, Moses, are bewitched.",
Shabbir Ahmed (Quran As It Explains Itself)
17:101 (We have been sending Prophets for the reformation of this mentality.) We gave to Moses nine clear messages. Ask then, the Children of Israel what happened when he came to them and Pharaoh said to him, "Surely, O Moses! I think you are bewitched."26

Note 26
2:83, 7:133, 27:12, 34:13. Think of the Ten Commandments given to Prophet Moses. The Qur’an drops the forbidding of making graven images, although Muslim orthodoxy declares it Haraam.

17:102 قال لقد علمت ما انزل هؤلاء الا رب السموت والارض بصائر وانى لاظنك يفرعون مثبورا

Transcription (English)
17:102 Qala laqad AAalimta ma anzalahaola-i illa rabbu alssamawatiwaal-ardi basa-ira wa-innee laathunnukaya firAAawnu mathbooran
Edip-Layth (Quran: A Reformist Translation)
17:102 He said, "You know that no one has sent these down except for the Lord of the heavens and the earth as visible proofs. I think that you Pharaoh are doomed!"
The Monotheist Group (The Quran: A Monotheist Translation)
17:102 He said: "You know that no one has sent these down except for the Lord of the heavens and the earth as visible proofs. And I think that you Pharaoh are doomed!"
Muhammad Asad (The Message Of Quran)
17:102 Answered [Moses]: "Thou knowest well that none but the Sustainer of the heavens and the earth has bestowed these [miraculous signs] from on high, as a means of insight [for thee];123 and, verily, O Pharaoh, [since thou hast chosen to reject them;] I think that thou art utterly lost!"

Note 123
See surah 6, note 94.
Rashad Khalifa (The Final Testament)
17:102 He said, "You know full well that no one can manifest these except, obviously, the Lord of the heavens and the earth. I think that you, Pharaoh, are doomed.",
Shabbir Ahmed (Quran As It Explains Itself)
17:102 Answered Moses, "You know well that no one but the Lord of the heavens and the earth has revealed these eye-opening messages and, certainly, O Pharaoh! I think that you are utterly lost."

17:103 فاراد ان يستفزهم من الارض فاغرقنه ومن معه جميعا

Transcription (English)
17:103 Faarada an yastafizzahum mina al-ardifaaghraqnahu waman maAAahu jameeAAan
Edip-Layth (Quran: A Reformist Translation)
17:103 So he wanted to entice them out of the land. But We drowned him and all those with him.
The Monotheist Group (The Quran: A Monotheist Translation)
17:103 So he wanted to entice them out of the land. But We drowned him and all those with him.
Muhammad Asad (The Message Of Quran)
17:103 And then Pharaoh resolved to wipe them off [the face of] the earth - whereupon We caused him and all who were with him to drown [in the sea].124

Note 124
See Surah 7, note 100.
Rashad Khalifa (The Final Testament)
17:103 When he pursued them, as he chased them out of the land, we drowned him, together with those who sided with him, all of them.,
Shabbir Ahmed (Quran As It Explains Itself)
17:103 Pharaoh resolved to wipe off Moses and his followers from the face of the earth. But We drowned him and those with him, all together.

17:104 وقلنا من بعده لبنى اسرءيل اسكنوا الارض فاذا جاء وعد الءاخرة جئنا بكم لفيفا

Transcription (English)
17:104 Waqulna min baAAdihi libanee isra-eelaoskunoo al-arda fa-itha jaa waAAdu al-akhiratiji/na bikum lafeefan
Edip-Layth (Quran: A Reformist Translation)
Relating Back to the Beginning of the Chapter17:104 We said after him to the Children of Israel: "Dwell in the land, then, when the time of the second promise comes, We will bring you all together as a mixed crowd."18

Note 18

Compared to their small population, the Jewish influence is immense in its global platform, financially, politically and culturally. Disproportional to their population, Jews have exhibited astonishing examples in both good and bad, in both success and blunder, and they have enjoyed a vivid presence in world politics for millennia. This explains why the Quran mentions them so frequently both in negative (3:71; 4:46; 5:78; 5:60; 7:166) and positive terms (2:47; 3:33; 5:20).

After being subjected to genocide, atrocious, and tortures by European fascist forces, Jews were scattered around the world as immigrants. Yet, they did not disappear from the global scene or take centuries to recover, as many other nations would do. A prophecy of the Old Testament, Deuteronomy 30:4-20 was fulfilled. Not surprisingly, with the help of the major powers of the time, they were able to establish their own independent state in 1948, soon after their almost utter annihilation; a state not in Germany, but in their historical land, which has once again become the focal point of a global conflict, stirring the world by showcasing human aggression, greed, hatred, cruelty, racism, and terror. As it seems, some are determined to use any means possible to get the promised lands of their ancestors (Genesis 12:1-3 ; Deuteronomy 1:6-8 ; 30:4; Joshua 1:1-5 ), while disregarding the warnings and conditions related to the promise (Joshua 1:6-7 ; Deuteronomy 16:18-20 ; 30:15; 31:16).

The Monotheist Group (The Quran: A Monotheist Translation)
17:104 And We said after him to the Children of Israel: "Dwell on the earth, then, when the time of the second promise comes, We will bring you all together as a mixed crowd."
Muhammad Asad (The Message Of Quran)
17:104 And after that We said unto the children of Israel: "Dwell now securely on earth - but [remember that] when the promise of the Last Day shall come to pass, We will bring you forth as [parts of] a motley crowd!125

Note 125
According to Razi, the expression lafif denotes a human crowd composed of innumerable heterogeneous elements, good and bad, strong and weak, fortunate and unfortunate: in short, it characterizes mankind in all its aspects. It is obviously used here to refute, once again, the idea that the children of Israel are a "chosen people" by virtue of their Abrahamic descent and, therefore, a priori and invariably destined for God's grace. The Qur'an rejects this claim by stating that on Resurrection Day all mankind will be judged, and none will have a privileged position.
Rashad Khalifa (The Final Testament)
17:104 And we said to the Children of Israel afterwards, "Go live into this land. When the final prophecy comes to pass, we will summon you all in one group.",
Shabbir Ahmed (Quran As It Explains Itself)
17:104 After that We said to the Children of Israel, "Dwell now securely on earth but remember that when the last promise comes to pass, We shall bring you as a crowd gathered out of various communities."27

Note 27
The first two promises: 17:5, 17:7, 7:157

17:105 وبالحق انزلنه وبالحق نزل وما ارسلنك الا مبشرا ونذيرا

Transcription (English)
17:105 Wabialhaqqi anzalnahuwabialhaqqi nazala wama arsalnaka illamubashshiran wanatheeran
Edip-Layth (Quran: A Reformist Translation)
17:105 It is with truth that We have sent it down, and with truth it came down. We have not sent you except as a bearer of good news and a warner.
The Monotheist Group (The Quran: A Monotheist Translation)
17:105 And it is with the truth that We have sent it down, and with the truth it came down. And We have not sent you except as a bearer of good news and a warner.
Muhammad Asad (The Message Of Quran)
17:105 AND AS a guide towards the truth126 have We bestowed this [revelation] from on high; with this [very] truth has it come down [unto thee, O Prophet]:127 for We have sent thee but as a herald of glad tidings and a warner,

Note 126
Lit., "with truth" or "in truth".

Note 127
I.e., it has come down to man, through the Prophet, without any alteration, omission or addition.
Rashad Khalifa (The Final Testament)
The Quran Released Slowly To Facilitate Memorization17:105 Truthfully, we sent it down, and with the truth it came down. We did not send you except as a bearer of good news, as well as a warner.,
Shabbir Ahmed (Quran As It Explains Itself)
17:105 We have sent it down, and with the truth it has come down (to you O Prophet). We have sent you as a bearer of glad tidings and as a warner

17:106 وقرءانا فرقنه لتقراه على الناس على مكث ونزلنه تنزيلا

Transcription (English)
17:106 Waqur-anan faraqnahulitaqraahu AAala alnnasi AAalamukthin wanazzalnahu tanzeelan
Edip-Layth (Quran: A Reformist Translation)
17:106 A Quran/Recitation that We have separated, so that you may relate it to the people over time; and We have brought it down gradually.
The Monotheist Group (The Quran: A Monotheist Translation)
17:106 And a revelation that We have separated, so that you may read it to the people over time; and We have brought it down gradually.
Muhammad Asad (The Message Of Quran)
17:106 [bearing] a discourse which We have gradually unfolded,128 so that thou might read it out to mankind by stages, seeing that We have bestowed it from on high step by step, as [one] revelation.129

Note 128
Lit., "which We have divided into [consecutive] parts" or, according to some authorities (quoted by Razi), "set forth with clarity". The rendering adopted by me allows for both these meanings.

Note 129
The above verse alludes both to the historical fact that the process of the revelation of the Qur'an was gradual, extending over the twenty-three years of the Prophet's ministry, and to the fact that it is nevertheless one integral whole and can, therefore, be properly understood only if it is considered in its entirety - that is to say, if each of its passages is read in the light of all the other passages which it contains. (See also 20:114 and the corresponding note 101.)
Rashad Khalifa (The Final Testament)
17:106 A Quran that we have released slowly, in order for you to read it to the people over a long period, although we sent it down all at once.,
Shabbir Ahmed (Quran As It Explains Itself)
17:106 With the Qur’an which We have gradually unfolded, so that you might convey it to mankind by stages. Indeed, We have sent it down step by step, as one revelation.

17:107 قل ءامنوا به او لا تؤمنوا ان الذين اوتوا العلم من قبله اذا يتلى عليهم يخرون للاذقان سجدا

Transcription (English)
17:107 Qul aminoo bihi aw latu/minoo inna allatheena ootoo alAAilma min qablihi ithayutla AAalayhim yakhirroona lil-athqanisujjadan
Edip-Layth (Quran: A Reformist Translation)
17:107 Say, "Acknowledge it or do not acknowledge. Those who have been given the knowledge before it, when it is recited to them, they fall to their chins prostrating.
The Monotheist Group (The Quran: A Monotheist Translation)
17:107 Say: "Believe in it or do not believe in it. Those who have been given the knowledge before it, when it is recited to them, they fall to their chins prostrating."
Muhammad Asad (The Message Of Quran)
17:107 Say: "Believe in it or do not believe." Behold, those who are already130 endowed with [innate] knowledge fall down upon their faces in prostration as soon as this [divine writ] is conveyed unto them,

Note 130
Lit., "before it"-i.e., before the Qur'an as such has come within their ken.
Rashad Khalifa (The Final Testament)
17:107 Proclaim, "Believe in it, or do not believe in it." Those who possess knowledge from the previous scriptures, when it is recited to them, they fall down to their chins, prostrating.,
Shabbir Ahmed (Quran As It Explains Itself)
17:107 Say, "Believe in it or do not believe in it." Those who possess knowledge from the previous scriptures, when it is recited to them, they fall down to their chins, prostrating."28

Note 28
Zaqan = Chin, and not face

17:108 ويقولون سبحن ربنا ان كان وعد ربنا لمفعولا

Transcription (English)
17:108 Wayaqooloona subhana rabbinain kana waAAdu rabbina lamafAAoolan
Edip-Layth (Quran: A Reformist Translation)
17:108 They say, "Praise be to our Lord. Truly, the promise of our Lord was fulfilled."
The Monotheist Group (The Quran: A Monotheist Translation)
17:108 And they say: "Praise be to our Lord. Truly, the promise of our Lord was fulfilled."
Muhammad Asad (The Message Of Quran)
17:108 and say, "Limitless in His glory is our Sustainer! Verily, our Sustainer's promise has been fulfilled!"131

Note 131
This may be an allusion to the many Biblical predictions of the advent of the Prophet Muhammad, especially to Deuteronomy xviii, 15 and 18 (cf. surah 2, note 33). In its wider sense, however, the "fulfilment of God's promise" relates to His bestowal of a definitive revelation, the Qur'an, henceforth destined to guide man at all stages of his spiritual, cultural and social development.
Rashad Khalifa (The Final Testament)
17:108 They say, "Glory be to our Lord. This fulfills our Lord's prophecy.",
Shabbir Ahmed (Quran As It Explains Itself)
17:108 They say, “Glory be to our Lord. Surely, the promise of our Lord has been fulfilled."

17:109 ويخرون للاذقان يبكون ويزيدهم خشوعا

Transcription (English)
17:109 Wayakhirroona lil-athqaniyabkoona wayazeeduhum khushooAAan
Edip-Layth (Quran: A Reformist Translation)
17:109 They fall upon their chins crying, and it increases them in humility.
The Monotheist Group (The Quran: A Monotheist Translation)
17:109 And they fall upon their chins crying, and it increases them in humility.
Muhammad Asad (The Message Of Quran)
17:109 And so they fall down upon their faces, weeping, and [their consciousness of God's grace] increases their humility.
Rashad Khalifa (The Final Testament)
17:109 They fall down on their chins, prostrating and weeping, for it augments their reverence.,
Shabbir Ahmed (Quran As It Explains Itself)
17:109 And so they fall down on their chins, weeping, and increasing in humility.

17:110 قل ادعوا الله او ادعوا الرحمن ايا ما تدعوا فله الاسماء الحسنى ولا تجهر بصلاتك ولا تخافت بها وابتغ بين ذلك سبيلا

Transcription (English)
17:110 Quli odAAoo Allaha awi odAAoo alrrahmanaayyan ma tadAAoo falahu al-asmao alhusnawala tajhar bisalatika wala tukhafitbiha waibtaghi bayna thalika sabeelan
Edip-Layth (Quran: A Reformist Translation)
17:110 Say, "Call on God or call on the Gracious. Whichever it is you call on, to Him are the best names." Do not be loud/public in your contact prayer, nor quiet/private; but seek a path in between.19

Note 19

The word ism comes from the root SMY and means "attribute, quality." Regardless of the language, all beautiful attributes may be used for God (the god). Divine attributes do not necessarily define or describe God in an objective sense, but define and describe our relationship with our Creator and the mutual expectations. The word allah (the god) is a contraction of al (the) and elah (god). The Quran uses the word elah (god) in many verses for allah (the god) in the proper context. For instance, in the last chapter of the Quran, God is referred to as "lord of the people." The famous Quranic declaration la ilaha illa allah, therefore, can be translated into English as "there is no god but the god". See 7:180, 26:198; 41:44.

The Quran is correcting the tone of the recitation and manner of the sala prayer performed by Meccan polytheists. Despite this verse reminding us of a moderate tone of voice and moderate display of prayer, the followers of hadith and sunna, like their ancestors, either pray loudly (night time) or quietly (day time). Some even use prayer as political demonstration. This verse simply reminds us not to be ashamed of our prostration before God, nor use it as a means of showing off.

The Monotheist Group (The Quran: A Monotheist Translation)
17:110 Say: "Call on God or call on the Almighty; by whichever you call on, to Him are the best names." And do not be too loud in making your contact prayer, nor too quiet; but seek a path in between.
Muhammad Asad (The Message Of Quran)
17:110 Say: "Invoke God, or invoke the Most Gracious: by whichever name you invoke Him, [He is always the One-for] His are all the attributes of perfection.132 And [pray unto Him; yet] be not too loud in thy prayer nor speak it in too low a voice, but follow a way in-between;

Note 132
For an explanation of the expression al-asma' al-husna (lit., "the most perfect [or "most goodly"] names"), see surah 7, note 145. The epithet ar-rahman -rendered by me throughout as "the Most Gracious" -has an intensive significance, denoting the unconditional, all-embracing quality and exercise of grace and mercy, and is applied exclusively to God, "who has willed upon Himself the law of grace and mercy" (6:12 and 54).
Rashad Khalifa (The Final Testament)
Tone of the Contact Prayers (Salat)17:110 Say, "Call Him GOD, or call Him the Most Gracious; whichever name you use, to Him belongs the best names." You shall not utter your Contact Prayers (Salat) too loudly, nor secretly; use a moderate tone.,
Shabbir Ahmed (Quran As It Explains Itself)
17:110 Say, "Call upon God, or call upon the Beneficent: By whatever name you call upon Him, to Him belong the best names and attributes of perfection. And do not be too loud in your prayer, nor speak in a voice too low, but follow a way between. [7:180]

17:111 وقل الحمد لله الذى لم يتخذ ولدا ولم يكن له شريك فى الملك ولم يكن له ولى من الذل وكبره تكبيرا

Transcription (English)
17:111 Waquli alhamdu lillahi allatheelam yattakhith waladan walam yakun lahu shareekun feealmulki walam yakun lahu waliyyun mina alththulliwakabbirhu takbeeran
Edip-Layth (Quran: A Reformist Translation)
17:111 Say, "Praise is to God, who has not taken a son, nor does He have a partner in sovereignty, nor does He have an ally out of weakness." Glorify Him greatly.
The Monotheist Group (The Quran: A Monotheist Translation)
17:111 And say: "Praise be to God who has not taken a son, nor does He have a partner in sovereignty, nor does He have an ally out of weakness." And magnify Him greatly.
Muhammad Asad (The Message Of Quran)
17:111 and say: "All praise is due to God, who begets no offspring,133 and has no partner in His dominion, and has no weakness, and therefore no need of any aid"134 -and [thus] extol His limitless greatness.

Note 133
Lit., "who has not taken unto Himself for "begotten"] a son" - i.e., who is free of the imperfection inherent in the concept of begetting a child as an extension of one's own being. Since this statement not merely refutes the Christian doctrine of Jesus as "the son of God" but, beyond that, stresses the logical impossibility of connecting such a concept with God, the clause is best rendered in the present tense, and the noun walad in its primary sense of "offspring", which applies to a child of either sex.

Note 134
Lit., "and has no protector [to aid Him] on ,account of any [supposed] weakness [on His per)".
Rashad Khalifa (The Final Testament)
17:111 And proclaim: "Praise be to GOD, who has never begotten a son, nor does He have a partner in His kingship, nor does He need any ally out of weakness," and magnify Him constantly.,
Shabbir Ahmed (Quran As It Explains Itself)
17:111 And say, "All praise is due to God Who never begot a son, nor does He have a partner in His Kingdom, nor does He need any ally out of weakness." Therefore, extol His greatness with all magnificence.29

Note 29
Establish His Supremacy on earth with all magnificence, as it is in the entire Universe. 9:33, 74:3