Surah Al-Isra (The Night Journey ) 17 : 58

Overview (Verses 58 - 60)
 
The passage discussed in Chapter 3 concluded with a statement making clear that God alone is the One who determines the destiny of all His creatures. He bestows His grace on them or punishes them as He pleases. The deities they worship beside Him have no power to remove harm from them or to shift it to others. They are powerless.
 
The present passage speaks about the ultimate destiny of all mankind, as it is determined by God’s justice. All cities and communities will suffer death before the Day of Judgement, although some may suffer a doom of some sort should they incur something that deserves God’s punishment. Thus, every living creature will have come to its life’s end, either by natural death or by destruction.
 
Within the context of the destruction suffered by some communities, the sūrah mentions the miracles accomplished at the hands of earlier messengers ahead of such destruction. This was the case prior to the message of the Prophet Muĥammad (peace be upon him). Such miracles and supernatural events were excluded with the advent of this final message. The law that applied to earlier communities meant that they suffered inevitable doom and destruction when they denied the truth after having received such miracles. But complete destruction was, by God’s grace, not to be visited on the Muslim community. Therefore, the Prophet Muĥammad was not given any material miracle. Such miracles were given to strike the fear of God into the hearts of earlier communities.
 
God also held people’s hands away from the Prophet, meaning that they could not kill him. He showed him some of His true signs on his night journey, which was a form of test for people. It was not meant as a supernatural event as those shown to earlier communities. All people are warned against being made to eat of the cursed tree, which the Prophet saw with his own eyes, coming out of the heart of hell, but such warnings only hardened them in their transgression. This demonstrates that had they been shown any miracles, these would only have further hardened their deviant stance.
 
At this point in the sūrah reference is made to the story of Adam and Satan, and God’s permission to the latter to try to seduce human beings away from the right path, except for the God-fearing among them. Thus the sūrah explains the true reasons which lead people away from the truth into unbelief. They are unwilling to reflect on the signs pointing to the truth. Our emotions are touched here however as the sūrah mentions God’s blessings bestowed on people, while they continue to deny God and His grace except when they find themselves in desperate situations. When they are in heavy seas, they appeal to God to save them. When they are safe on land, they turn away. Yet God is able to smite them on land and sea alike. Indeed God has honoured human beings and favoured them with grace that He does not bestow on other creatures, but people neither reflect nor show gratitude.
 
The passage concludes with a scene from the Day of Judgement, when people will have the reward for their deeds. None will be saved unless his actions in this life ensure his safety.
 
Clear Warnings, Increased Transgression
 
There is no community but We shall destroy or severely punish before the Day of Resurrection. That is laid down in Our decree. (Verse 58)
 
God has determined that the Day of Judgement will take place when the face of the earth is devoid of all life. Every living thing will have died before that promised day falls due. God has also determined that some communities will be made to suffer punishment for the sins they commit. This is part of God’s knowledge which admits no uncertainty. God knows the future in the same way as He knows the present. Indeed what has taken place in the past and what will take place in the future are equally known to God.
 
Miraculous events took place in the past in order to endorse the messages preached by God’s messengers, and to warn people against rejecting them. Such rejection ensured that the whole community was punished. Yet only those whose hearts and minds were receptive to the message of the truth declared their belief. Those with hardened hearts denied God’s messages and the miraculous events that took place during their time. Hence the final message was not accompanied by any such preternatural event: “Nothing hinders Us from sending miraculous signs except that the people of former times treated them as false. To the Thamūd We gave the she-camel as a sign to open their eyes, but they did wrong in respect of her. We never send signs for any purpose other than to give warning.” (Verse 59)
 
Islam has one miracle to prove its truth. That is the Qur’ān. It is a book that maps a whole system of life, addressing both the mind and heart and meeting all the needs of human nature. It remains open to all generations to read and to believe in. It is valid for all time. A physical miracle is given to one generation, and its effects are limited to those who witness it. Yet the majority of those who witnessed such physical miracles did not believe in them. The example given here is that of the Thamūd who were given the miracle they sought. It came in the shape of a she- camel. Yet they transgressed and slaughtered the she-camel. Hence, God’s warning came to pass and they were destroyed as a result of their denials that continued even after this clear, miraculous sign had been given them. All such signs were given by way of warning. They heralded the inevitable punishment, a punishment that was bound to be inflicted should rejection of the message continue.
 
Past history being such, it was necessary that the final message should not be accompanied by any physical miracle. This message is not meant for one generation; it is addressed to all future generations. It is a message that addresses the human mind with all its receptive faculties. It respects man’s intellect and power of understanding.
 
The preternatural events that took place at the time of the Prophet, or happened to him, such as that of his night journey, were not meant as proof of his message. These were given as a test for his people.
 
We said to you that your Lord encompasses all mankind. We have made the vision which We have shown you, as also the tree cursed in this Qur’ān, only a trial for people. We seek to put fear in their hearts, but it only increases their gross transgression. (Verse 60)
 
Some of those who believed in the message preached by the Prophet Muĥammad (peace be upon him) reverted to unbelief after he told them about his night journey. Others, however, became firmer than ever in their belief. Hence, it is true that what God showed His Messenger on that night was meant as ‘a trial for men’, so that they would reaffirm their faith. The Prophet is reminded that God encompasses all mankind. This was given to him as a promise from God, assuring him of ultimate victory. In the meantime, God would protect him against any evil scheme they might devise against him. He would come to no harm at their hands.
 
The Prophet told his people of God’s promise and what he had seen in his true vision. This included the tree of zaqqūm which grows in hell. It is a tree which God cites as a warning to unbelievers. However, they continued to deny the message and whatever the Prophet said. Abū Jahl, the arch-enemy of Islam even ridiculed the tree, playing on the sense given by its name. He asked for dates and butter and mixed them together and ate them. He said to those around: “Come and eat. This is the only zaqqūm we know.”
 
Of what use could any miraculous event be with such people, had it constituted proof of the Prophet’s message, as was the case with some messengers before him? The whole event of his night journey and the warning about the tree of hell only caused them to become more insolent and to transgress even further.
 
God had not pre-determined to destroy them. Hence, He did not give them a physical miracle. It was His will to destroy those who continued to reject the truth of His message after they had been given miraculous evidence confirming it. The Arabs of the Quraysh were given more time. They were not subjected to the same fate that befell the peoples of Noah, Hūd, Şāliĥ, Lot and Shu`ayb. Some of those who rejected the message of the Qur’ān at first subsequently changed their mind, believed in Islam and were among its true servants. Others who died as unbelievers were the fathers of good believers. The Qur’ān — the miracle of Islam — continued to be a book open to future generations just like it was open to the generation of the Prophet’s Companions. People who did not see the Prophet or his companions came to believe in it when they read it or heard it being read. It remains open to all future generations, a guide for many who are not yet born. Some future believers in the Qur’ān may be even stronger in faith and better servants of Islam than many in past generations.