Surah Al-Isra Ayat 60 in Arabic Text
English Translation
Here you can read various translations of verse 60
And [remember, O Muhammad], when We told you, “Indeed, your Lord has encompassed the people.” And We did not make the sight which We showed you except as a trial for the people, as was the accursed tree [mentioned] in the Qur’an. And We threaten them, but it increases them not except in great transgression.
Behold! We told thee that thy Lord doth encompass mankind round about: We granted the vision which We showed thee, but as a trial for men,- as also the Cursed Tree (mentioned) in the Qur’an: We put terror (and warning) into them, but it only increases their inordinate transgression!
And recall when We said to you, (O Muhammad), that your Lord encompasses these people; and that We have made that vision that We have shown you, and the tree accursed in the Qur’an, but as a trial for people. We go about warning them, but each warning leads them to greater transgression.
And (remember) when We told you: “Verily! Your Lord has encompassed mankind (i.e. they are in His Grip).” And We made not the vision which we showed you (O Muhammad as an actual eye-witness and not as a dream on the night of Al-Isra’) but a trial for mankind, and likewise the accursed tree (Zaqqum, mentioned) in the Quran. We warn and make them afraid but it only increases them in naught save great disbelief, oppression and disobedience to Allah.
And (it was a warning) when we told thee: Lo! thy Lord encompasseth mankind, and We appointed the sight which We showed thee as an ordeal for mankind, and (likewise) the Accursed Tree in the Qur’an. We warn them, but it increaseth them in naught save gross impiety.
And as We said to you, “Surely your Lord has encompassed mankind.” And in no way did We make the vision that We showed you except as a temptation to mankind, and (likewise) (we made) the Tree cursed in the Qur’an; and We frighten them, yet in no way does it increase them except in great in ordinance (Literally: tyranny).
[Prophet], We have told you that your Lord knows all about human beings. The vision We showed you was only a test for people, as was the cursed tree [mentioned] in the Quran. We warn them, but this only increases their insolence.
اور یاد کرو جب کہ ہم نے آپ سے فرما دیا کہ آپ کے رب نے لوگوں کو گھیر لیا ہے۔ جو رویا (عینی رؤیت) ہم نے آپ کو دکھائی تھی وه لوگوں کے لئے صاف آزمائش ہی تھی اور اسی طرح وه درخت بھی جس سے قرآن میں اﻇہار نفرت کیا گیا ہے۔ ہم انہیں ڈرا رہے ہیں لیکن یہ انہیں اور بڑی سرکشی میں بڑھا رہا ہے
Quran 17 Verse 60 Explanation
For those looking for commentary to help with the understanding of Surah Al-Isra ayat 60, we’ve provided two Tafseer works below. The first is the tafseer of Abul Ala Maududi, the second is of Ibn Kathir.
Ala-Maududi
(17:60) And recall when We said to you, (O Muhammad), that your Lord encompasses these people;[70] and that We have made that vision that We have shown you,[71] and the tree accursed in the Qur’an,[72] but as a trial for people. We go about warning them, but each warning leads them to greater transgression.
70. That is, at the very beginning of your Prophethood, when the disbelievers of the Quraish had started opposition to your message, We declared that We are encircling them. They might try their best to obstruct your message, but they will inevitably fail in this and your mission will succeed regardless of opposition. Can’t they see that this declaration has come out true as a miracle, for their opposition has failed to hinder your message, and they have not been able to do any harm to you at all. This was a clear sign of the fact that the mission of the Prophet (peace be upon him) was being supported by the Almighty God. As regards to the declaration that Allah is encircling the disbelievers and helping the mission of the Prophet, it occurs in several Surahs of the first stage of Prophethood at Makkah. For instance, in (Surah Al-Burooj, ayat 17-20), Allah says: These disbelievers do not learn a lesson from the stories of the people of the Pharaoh and Thamud but are rejecting the message here as Allah is encircling them on all sides.
71. This refers to Miraj (Ascension) for here word ruya does not mean “seeing things in a dream” but seeing things actually with physical eyes. It is quite obvious that if it had been a mere dream and the Prophet (peace be upon him) had presented it as a dream to the disbelievers, there was no reason why it should have become a trial for them. Everyday people see strange dreams and relate them to the people but these dreams never become such a curious thing as to make people scoff at the dreamer and accuse him of making a false claim or of being a mad person.
72. This cursed tree, Az-zaqqum which has been mentioned in (Surah Ad-Dukhan, ayat 43-44), grows at the bottom of Hell and its dwellers shall have to eat from it. This has been called a cursed tree because it is not given to people to eat as a mercy from Allah but as a symbol of His curse so that the accursed people should eat it and get more sore, for this will, so to speak, burn in their bellies like the boiling water.
Ibn-Kathir
60. And (remember) when We told you: “Verily, your Lord has encompassed mankind.” And We made not the vision which We showed you but a trial for mankind, and (likewise) the accursed tree in the Qur’an. We warn and make them afraid but it only increases them in naught save great disbelief, oppression and disobedience to Allah.
Allah says to His Messenger , encouraging him to convey the Message and informing him that He is protecting him from the people, that He is able to deal with them and that they are in His grasp and under His domination and control.
(And (remember) when We told you: “Verily, your Lord has encompassed mankind..”) Mujahid, `Urwah bin Az-Az-Zubayr, Al-Hasan, Qatadah and others said, “This means, He protected you from them.”
(And We made not the vision which We showed you but a trial for mankind,) Al-Bukhari recorded that Ibn `Abbas said:
(And We made not the vision which We showed you but a trial for mankind,) “This is the vision which the Messenger of Allah saw with his own eyes on the night when he was taken on the Night Journey (Al-Isra’).
and (likewise) the accursed tree in the Qur a0n. refers to the Tree of Zaqqum.” This was also recorded by Ahmad, `Abdur-Razzaq and others. It was also reported by Al-`Awfi from Ibn `Abbas. It was also interpreted as referring to the Night of the Isra’ by Mujahid, Sa`id bin Jubayr, Al-Hasan, Masruq, Ibrahim, Qatadah, `Abdur-Rahman bin Zayd and several others. We have already quoted at length a comprehensive collection of Hadith about the Isra’ at the beginning of this Surah, praise be to Allah. We have also already stated that some people gave up their Islam after they had been following the truth, because their hearts and minds could not comprehend that, and they denied what their knowledge could not grasp, but Allah caused it to increase and strengthen the faith of others, and so He says:
(but a trial), meaning a test. As for the cursed tree, this is the Tree of Zaqqum. When the Messenger of Allah told them that he had seen Paradise and Hell, and seen the Tree of Zaqqum, they did not believe that, and Abu Jahl, upon whom be the curses of Allah, even said, “Bring us some dates and butter,” and he started eating them and saying, “Let us have some Zaqqum, we don’t know any other Zaqqum but this.” This was narrated by Ibn `Abbas, Masruq, Abu Malik, Al-Hasan Al-Basri and others. Everyone who interpreted the Ayah to refer to the Night of the Isra’, also interpreted it to refer to the Tree of Zaqqum.
(﴿We﴾ make them afraid) meaning, `We make the disbelievers afraid with Our warnings and punishments and torment.’
(but it only increases them in naught save great disbelief, oppression and disobedience to Allah.) means, it only pushes them further into their disbelief and misguidance, and this is because Allah has forsaken them.
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