Surah Al-Isra (The Night Journey ) 17 : 57

Explanatory Note

The sūrah tells them that those whom they claim to be deities, be they angels, jinn or human, are no more than forms of God’s creation. They all try to find their way to God’s pleasure, competing in this pursuit, fearing His punishment, which truly deserves to be feared:

“Those whom they invoke strive to obtain their Lord’s favour, vying with each other to be near Him. They hope for His grace and dread His punishment. Indeed your Lord’s punishment is something to beware of” (Verse 57)

Some of them claimed that Ezra was the son of God, while others attributed this position to Jesus Christ and worshipped him. Others claimed that the angels were God’s daughters and worshipped them. Still others associated other creatures with God. To all of them the Qur’ān says: even the closest to God of all those you invoke try hard to approach their Lord, the One God, and worship Him alone hoping to receive His grace and fearing His punishment. Indeed His punishment is severe and it should be feared. Thus, it behoves you well to turn to God, as do those you claim to be deities.

The passage, then, ends on the same note on which it began, illustrating the hollow nature of polytheistic beliefs and showing clearly that God is the only Lord in the universe. Human beings should turn to Him alone with their appeals and worship.