Al-Isra 57: The ones whom they call upon seek to find the ways that are closest to their Lord. They hope for Allah’s mercy and fear Allah’s punishment. Verily, the punishment of your Lord is one to abstain from.

A. Metin Saruhan · 1 November 2016 · Al-Isra

Translation

The ones whom they call upon seek to find the ways that are closest to their Lord. They hope for Allah’s mercy and fear Allah’s punishment. Verily, the punishment of your Lord is one to abstain from.

Tafsir

With this verse, Allah (swt) is referring to those who associate partners with Allah, those who say that Allah is three, that Jesus is the son of Allah, that Maryam is his wife. He means those who say that Uzair is the son of Allah, that angels are the daughters of Allah, and those who slander them.

Each of these distinguished Prophets and human beings, as well as the angels, whom they worship, seek a means to be closer to Allah. They hope for Allah's mercy. And they fear His punishment. Because these great Prophets and human beings, and the angels, who were created on a mission, know Allah better than most people, they fear Allah more. Indeed, the torment of Allah is a torment to be feared. It is a torment that is never-ending and never-ending, eternal and everlasting. In the face of this torment, people will say, "O destruction, where are you?" but there will be no destruction, nor will they receive any answer. Is such a torment not to be feared?

Allah (swt) has brought to mankind all sorts of parables. He introduces Himself by giving examples in a way that every mind can understand. He shows His various mercies and compassions to people. He also tells people about the torments they will suffer. By appealing to the minds, it leaves all responsibility to the people.

What is said in the video

Surah Al-Isra, verse 57 — we have come to it. With this verse Allah Almighty — those who associate partners with Allah, "Allah is three," "Jesus is the son of Allah." Let's read the verse first, though. Surah Al-Isra, verse 57. These beings whom they implore seek, as to which of them will be nearest to their Lord, a means of approach. They hope for His mercy and fear His punishment. For the punishment of your Lord is one to beware of, it says. Yes, the punishment of your Lord truly is one to beware of. However much suffering and torture you endure in this world, in the end it finishes with death.

With death. Even if they torture you for days, flay your skin, burn you alive in fire, eventually, after a while, your pain will subside and you will die. But when, in the hereafter, you are subjected to a deathless punishment — Allah Almighty in the verse: "There they neither live nor die," He says. What is living? Living is spending one's life in pleasure, enjoying what one's heart desires. Well then, can those writhing in punishment, those burning in fire, those branded all over their bodies, be said to have a life? There they will cry out, "Destruction, where are you?" "Destruction, where are you?" But they will remain in the agony of an eternal, endless world where there is no more death.

May Allah protect us from such a punishment. So these beings whom they implore seek, as to which of them will be nearest to their Lord, a means of approach. They hope for His mercy and fear His punishment. For the punishment of your Lord is one to beware of. With this verse Allah Almighty refers to those who associate partners with Allah, who say: Allah is three, Jesus is the son of Allah, Mary is His wife, Ezra is the son of Allah, the angels are Allah's daughters, and those who (?) these. These distinguished prophets and people whom they worship, as well as the angels, each seek a means to be near to Allah.

They hope for Allah's mercy and fear His punishment. Because these exalted prophets and people, as well as the angels created for a duty, know Allah better than most people, they fear Allah greatly. For truly Allah's punishment is one to be wary of. Such a punishment that never ends or runs out, deathless and everlasting. Facing this punishment, people will say, "O destruction, where are you?" But there will be neither destruction nor will they get an answer. Is such a punishment not to be feared, we ask. Yes.

Now, now, in our sentence in the first paragraph there could be a misunderstanding. I'm repeating that part. Whom these worship, that is, these non-Muslims — we won't say idolaters, but non-Muslims — these distinguished prophets and people whom they worship; who are these distinguished prophets? Don't non-Muslims worship Jesus as the son of Allah? Don't they worship Ezra (peace be upon him), these distinguished people? This is what is meant. Whom these worship, that is, these distinguished prophets whom the non-Muslims worship, that is, those who worship them after Allah, (?), and the people, as well as each of the angels — each of them seeks a means to be near to Allah. The angels act as Allah has programmed.

They hope for Allah's mercy. And they fear His punishment. Because these exalted prophets and people, as well as the angels created for a duty, know Allah better than most people, they fear Allah greatly. For truly Allah's punishment is one to be wary of. Such a punishment that never ends or runs out, deathless and everlasting. Facing this punishment, people will say, "Hey destruction, where are you?" But there will be neither destruction nor will they get an answer. Why? Allah Almighty has shut His mercy off from them. His mercy. And there they are left alone, with no one. So these people will of course remain without an answer there.

Such a punishment, we say — is it not to be feared? Allah Almighty has brought people every kind of comparison. Giving examples every mind can understand, He makes Himself known. He shows people His various kinds of mercy and compassion. Alongside this, He tells people of the punishments they will meet. Addressing their reason, He leaves all responsibility to people. Now, if all responsibility lies with people, then Allah Almighty has no say in the deeds that I have performed. The decision is mine. The decision is mine. By the decisions I make, I will earn reward and sin. Because I use my will.

The partial will (irade-i cüziye) is with me. This partial will means that by the decisions you make you earn reward and sin, and that Allah Almighty in no way interferes in the decisions you will make. Because the decisions we would make, in the first barzakh, when we made our covenant with our Lord, we had our wishes and intentions written by our Lord as destiny. So no one can ascribe attributes to Allah Almighty. Nor to His Messenger. Yes.