الإسراء
The Night Journey
Explanations are simplified from tafsirs by Ibn Kathir, Mufti Muhammad Shafi, and Maulana Wahiduddin Khan. Spot an inaccuracy? Let us know.
wa-idh qul'nā lil'malāikati us'judū liādama fasajadū illā ib'līsa qāla a-asjudu liman khalaqta ṭīnan
And [mention] when We said to the angels, "Prostrate to Adam," and they prostrated, except for Iblees. He said, "Should I prostrate to one You created from clay?"
qāla ara-aytaka hādhā alladhī karramta ʿalayya la-in akhartani ilā yawmi l-qiyāmati la-aḥtanikanna dhurriyyatahu illā qalīlan
[Iblees] said, "Do You see this one whom You have honored above me? If You delay me [i.e., my death] until the Day of Resurrection, I will surely destroy his descendants, except for a few."
qāla idh'hab faman tabiʿaka min'hum fa-inna jahannama jazāukum jazāan mawfūran
[Allāh] said, "Go, for whoever of them follows you, indeed Hell will be the recompense of [all of] you - an ample recompense.
wa-is'tafziz mani is'taṭaʿta min'hum biṣawtika wa-ajlib ʿalayhim bikhaylika warajilika washārik'hum fī l-amwāli wal-awlādi waʿid'hum wamā yaʿiduhumu l-shayṭānu illā ghurūran
And incite [to senselessness] whoever you can among them with your voice and assault them with your horses and foot soldiers and become a partner in their wealth and their children and promise them." But Satan does not promise them except delusion.
inna ʿibādī laysa laka ʿalayhim sul'ṭānun wakafā birabbika wakīlan
Indeed, over My [believing] servants there is for you no authority. And sufficient is your Lord as Disposer of affairs.
rabbukumu alladhī yuz'jī lakumu l-ful'ka fī l-baḥri litabtaghū min faḍlihi innahu kāna bikum raḥīman
It is your Lord who drives the ship for you through the sea that you may seek of His bounty. Indeed, He is ever, to you, Merciful.
wa-idhā massakumu l-ḍuru fī l-baḥri ḍalla man tadʿūna illā iyyāhu falammā najjākum ilā l-bari aʿraḍtum wakāna l-insānu kafūran
And when adversity touches you at sea, lost are [all] those you invoke except for Him. But when He delivers you to the land, you turn away [from Him]. And ever is man ungrateful.
afa-amintum an yakhsifa bikum jāniba l-bari aw yur'sila ʿalaykum ḥāṣiban thumma lā tajidū lakum wakīlan
Then do you feel secure that [instead] He will not cause a part of the land to swallow you or send against you a storm of stones? Then you would not find for yourselves an advocate.
am amintum an yuʿīdakum fīhi tāratan ukh'rā fayur'sila ʿalaykum qāṣifan mina l-rīḥi fayugh'riqakum bimā kafartum thumma lā tajidū lakum ʿalaynā bihi tabīʿan
Or do you feel secure that He will not send you back into it [i.e., the sea] another time and send upon you a hurricane of wind and drown you for what you denied? Then you would not find for yourselves against Us an avenger.
walaqad karramnā banī ādama waḥamalnāhum fī l-bari wal-baḥri warazaqnāhum mina l-ṭayibāti wafaḍḍalnāhum ʿalā kathīrin mimman khalaqnā tafḍīlan
And We have certainly honored the children of Adam and carried them on the land and sea and provided for them of the good things and preferred them over much of what We have created, with [definite] preference.
yawma nadʿū kulla unāsin bi-imāmihim faman ūtiya kitābahu biyamīnihi fa-ulāika yaqraūna kitābahum walā yuẓ'lamūna fatīlan
[Mention, O Muḥammad], the Day We will call forth every people with their record [of deeds]. Then whoever is given his record in his right hand - those will read their records, and injustice will not be done to them, [even] as much as a thread [inside the date seed].
waman kāna fī hādhihi aʿmā fahuwa fī l-ākhirati aʿmā wa-aḍallu sabīlan
And whoever is blind in this [life] will be blind in the Hereafter and more astray in way.
wa-in kādū layaftinūnaka ʿani alladhī awḥaynā ilayka litaftariya ʿalaynā ghayrahu wa-idhan la-ittakhadhūka khalīlan
And indeed, they were about to tempt you away from that which We revealed to you in order to [make] you invent about Us something else; and then they would have taken you as a friend.
walawlā an thabbatnāka laqad kidtta tarkanu ilayhim shayan qalīlan
And if We had not strengthened you, you would have almost inclined to them a little.
idhan la-adhaqnāka ḍiʿ'fa l-ḥayati waḍiʿ'fa l-mamāti thumma lā tajidu laka ʿalaynā naṣīran
Then [if you had], We would have made you taste double [punishment in] life and double [after] death. Then you would not find for yourself against Us a helper.
wa-in kādū layastafizzūnaka mina l-arḍi liyukh'rijūka min'hā wa-idhan lā yalbathūna khilāfaka illā qalīlan
And indeed, they were about to provoke [i.e., drive] you from the land [i.e., Makkah] to evict you therefrom. And then [when they do], they will not remain [there] after you, except for a little.
sunnata man qad arsalnā qablaka min rusulinā walā tajidu lisunnatinā taḥwīlan
[That is Our] established way for those We had sent before you of Our messengers; and you will not find in Our way any alteration.
aqimi l-ṣalata lidulūki l-shamsi ilā ghasaqi al-layli waqur'āna l-fajri inna qur'āna l-fajri kāna mashhūdan
Establish prayer at the decline of the sun [from its meridian] until the darkness of the night and [also] the Qur’ān [i.e., recitation] of dawn. Indeed, the recitation of dawn is ever witnessed.
wamina al-layli fatahajjad bihi nāfilatan laka ʿasā an yabʿathaka rabbuka maqāman maḥmūdan
And from [part of] the night, pray with it [i.e., recitation of the Qur’ān] as additional [worship] for you; it is expected that your Lord will resurrect you to a praised station.
waqul rabbi adkhil'nī mud'khala ṣid'qin wa-akhrij'nī mukh'raja ṣid'qin wa-ij'ʿal lī min ladunka sul'ṭānan naṣīran
And say, "My Lord, cause me to enter a sound entrance and to exit a sound exit and grant me from Yourself a supporting authority."