The Fates of the Bani Israel and Bani Ishmael
The Night Journey (17:15-17)
مَّنِ ٱهْتَدَىٰ فَإِنَّمَا يَهْتَدِى لِنَفْسِهِۦ ۖ وَمَن ضَلَّ فَإِنَّمَا يَضِلُّ عَلَيْهَا ۚ وَلَا تَزِرُ وَازِرَةٌۭ وِزْرَ أُخْرَىٰ ۗ وَمَا كُنَّا مُعَذِّبِينَ حَتَّىٰ نَبْعَثَ رَسُولًۭا ١٥
Whoever chooses to be guided, it is only for their own good. And whoever chooses to stray, it is only to their own loss. No soul burdened with sin will bear the burden of another. And We would never punish ˹a people˺ until We have sent a messenger ˹to warn them˺.
— Dr. Mustafa Khattab, The Clear Quran
Whosoever goeth right, it is only for (the good of) his own soul that he goeth right, and whosoever erreth, erreth only to its hurt. No laden soul can bear another's load, We never punish until we have sent a messenger.
— M. Pickthall
وَإِذَآ أَرَدْنَآ أَن نُّهْلِكَ قَرْيَةً أَمَرْنَا مُتْرَفِيهَا فَفَسَقُوا۟ فِيهَا فَحَقَّ عَلَيْهَا ٱلْقَوْلُ فَدَمَّرْنَـٰهَا تَدْمِيرًۭا ١٦
Whenever We intend to destroy a society, We command its elite ˹to obey Allah˺ but they act rebelliously in it. So the decree ˹of punishment˺ is justified, and We destroy it utterly.
— Dr. Mustafa Khattab, The Clear Quran
And when We would destroy a township We send commandment to its folk who live at ease, and afterward they commit abomination therein, and so the Word (of doom) hath effect for it, and we annihilate it with complete annihilation.
— M. Pickthall
وَكَمْ أَهْلَكْنَا مِنَ ٱلْقُرُونِ مِنۢ بَعْدِ نُوحٍۢ ۗ وَكَفَىٰ بِرَبِّكَ بِذُنُوبِ عِبَادِهِۦ خَبِيرًۢا بَصِيرًۭا ١٧
˹Imagine˺ how many peoples We have destroyed after Noah! And sufficient is your Lord as All-Aware and All-Seeing of the sins of His servants.
— Dr. Mustafa Khattab, The Clear Quran
How many generations have We destroyed since Noah! And Allah sufficeth as Knower and Beholder of the sins of His slaves.
— M. Pickthall
Surah al-Isra (also known as Surah Bani Israel) begins declaring the Perfection of Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى who took His servant from AlMasjid AlHaraam to AlMasjid AlAqsa to show him Our Signs. Indeed, He is All-Seeing, All-Hearing.
The next ayat states that Moses (Musa عليه السلام) was given the Book, as Guidance for the Bani Israel to never take anyone other than Me as a Disposer of Affairs ( اَلَّا تَتَّخِذُوۡا مِنۡ دُوۡنِىۡ وَكِيۡلًا ؕ) (Q17:2).
The Bani Israel are the seed from those saved along with Noah (Q17:3).
The surah then mentions the prophecy of the two great corruptions of the Bani Israel, and the consequent two punishments of the Bani Israel, resulting in the destruction of their Masjid, and leading to their exile from the Promised Land (Q17:4-8).
Then, after a few ayaat, we read that the Night and the Day are two signs... (Q17:12).
Q17:15 (quoted above) states that We never punish until We have raised a Messenger.
Prophet Jesus (Isa عليه السلام) was the Messenger of Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى to the Bani Israel, before their second punishment, after whom, their Masjid was totally annihilated.
Prophet Muhammad ﷺ was the Messenger of Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى , raised in Makkah, where the al-Masjid al-Haraam is located.
Prophet Abraham (Ibrahim عليه السلام) had earlier purified Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى 's House (The Kaaba), and Prophet Muhammad ﷺ purified it a second time, when he conquered Makkah.
Surah al-Isra also states:
The Night Journey (17:58)
وَإِن مِّن قَرْيَةٍ إِلَّا نَحْنُ مُهْلِكُوهَا قَبْلَ يَوْمِ ٱلْقِيَـٰمَةِ أَوْ مُعَذِّبُوهَا عَذَابًۭا شَدِيدًۭا ۚ كَانَ ذَٰلِكَ فِى ٱلْكِتَـٰبِ مَسْطُورًۭا ٥٨
There is not a ˹wicked˺ society that We will not destroy or punish with a severe torment before the Day of Judgment. That is written in the Record.
— Dr. Mustafa Khattab, The Clear Quran
There is not a township but We shall destroy it ere the Day of Resurrection, or punish it with dire punishment. That is set forth in the Book (of Our decrees).
— M. Pickthall
اور کوئی بستی ایسی نہیں جس کو ہم قیامت سے پہلے ہلاک نہ کریں یا سخت عذاب نہ دیں یہ بات کتاب میں لکھی ہوئی ہے
— Maulana Wahiduddin Khan
In Jerusalem, and in Makkah, in both of them, a Messenger was raised.
Muhammad ﷺ has also foretold the destruction of the Kaaba during end-times:
أَخْبَرَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ، عَنْ زِيَادِ بْنِ سَعْدٍ، عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ، عَنْ سَعِيدِ بْنِ الْمُسَيَّبِ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " يُخَرِّبُ الْكَعْبَةَ ذُو السُّوَيْقَتَيْنِ مِنَ الْحَبَشَةِ " .
It was narrated that Abu Hurairah said: "The Messenger of Allah said: 'The Kabah will be destroyed by Dhul-Suwaiqatan (one with thin legs) from Ethiopia.'"
Sunan an-Nasa'i 2904
Surah al-Isra is not only informing us of the fate of the Bani Israel, it is also informing, and warning, of future events regarding the Bani Ishmael and the Masjid and the Kaaba in Makkah.
Just like there was no Masjid in Jerusalem when Prophet Muhammad ﷺ was taken on the Night Journey, so will there be no Kaaba, in the end of times, when all Believers who are declared successful, are taken from this Earth to the Gardens of Eternity, to dwell therein forever.
The Night Journey (17:80)
وَقُل رَّبِّ أَدْخِلْنِى مُدْخَلَ صِدْقٍۢ وَأَخْرِجْنِى مُخْرَجَ صِدْقٍۢ وَٱجْعَل لِّى مِن لَّدُنكَ سُلْطَـٰنًۭا نَّصِيرًۭا ٨٠
And say, “My Lord! Grant me an honourable entrance and an honourable exit[1] and give me a supporting authority from Yourself.”
— Dr. Mustafa Khattab, The Clear Quran
[1] This verse was revealed when the Prophet (ﷺ) received the order to emigrate from Mecca to Medina. So here he (ﷺ) is praying to leave Mecca honourably and enter Medina honourably. It can also apply to any worldly activity that a person starts and finishes.
اور کہو کہ اے میرے رب، مجھ کو داخل کر سچا داخل کرنا اور مجھ کو نکال سچا نکالنا اور مجھ کو اپنے پاس سے مددگار قوت عطا کر
— Maulana Wahiduddin Khan
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