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Surah Al-Isra (The Night Journey ) 17 : 50

۞ قُلْ كُونُوا۟ حِجَارَةً أَوْ حَدِيدًا

Translations

 
 Muhsin Khan
 Pickthall
 Yusuf Ali
Quran Project
Say, "Be you stones or iron

Qur'an Dictionary

Click word/image to view Qur'an Dictionary
Word Arabic word
(17:50:1)
qul
Say
(17:50:2)
kūnū
Be
(17:50:3)
ḥijāratan
stones
(17:50:4)
(17:50:5)
ḥadīdan
iron

1. Lessons/Guidance/Reflections/Gems

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Explanatory Note

The reply comes in the form of an instruction to the Prophet to say to them: “Be you stones or iron, or some other form of creation which, to your minds, appears even harder [to bring to life].” (Verses 50-51) The bones and dust may still have some traces or memory of life, but iron and stones seem even further away from life. Hence they are told to be stones or iron or any other form that cannot ever be associated with life. Even if they are made of material that is least imagined to have life, God will bring them alive. They naturally cannot make themselves stones or iron or some other form of creation. This is given only by way of a challenge and reproach. Stones and iron have no feelings and cannot be inspired or influenced. This sounds as an implicit reference to their hardened nature.

 

2. Linguistic Analysis

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Frequency of Root words in this Ayat used in this Surah *


3. Surah Overview

4. Miscellaneous Information

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5. Connected/Related Ayat

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6. Frequency of the word

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7. Period of Revelation

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The very first verse indicates that this Surah was revealed on the occasion of the ascension (Mi’raj). According to the narrations (hadith) on the life of the Prophet, this event happened one year before migration (Hijrah). Thus this Surah was revealed in the last stage of Prophethood in Makkah.

8. Reasons for Revelation

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The Prophet had been propagating Monotheism (Tawhid) for twelve years now. In spite of all the opposition, Islam had spread to every corner of Arabia and there was hardly a clan which had not been influenced by the invitation. In Makkah itself, the true Believers had formed themselves into a small community.  A large number of the people from the Aws and Khazraj tribes (two influential clans of Madinah) had also now accepted Islam. Thus the time had come for the Muslims to emigrate from Makkah to Madinah, at behest of the Aws and Khazraj to establish an Islamic state.

9. Relevant Hadith

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10. Wiki Forum

Comments in this section are statements made by general users – these are not necessarily explanations of the Ayah – rather a place to share personal thoughts and stories…

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12. External Links

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