Tafsir of Al-Isra 17:11

Regarding His, the Exalted’s, saying: "And man invokes for evil," the Sheikh al-Islam said: This is an exposition of a state following the exposition of the state of the Guide, revealing the contrast between the two. By "man," the genus is intended, yet the state of some of its individuals—namely the disbeliever—is attributed to it. This is what the words of Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with them both, point toward. Alternatively, it narrates his state at certain times, as is necessitated by what has been narrated from al-Hasan and Mujahid.

The meaning, according to the first interpretation, is that the Quran invites man toward the good, than which there is no greater good—consisting of great reward—and warns him of the evil, than which there is no greater evil—consisting of painful punishment. Yet he—that is, some of its individuals, meaning the disbeliever—invokes upon himself what is the evil of the aforementioned punishment, either with his tongue literally, as is the habit of those who said: "O Allah, if this is the truth from You, then rain down upon us stones from the sky or bring us a painful punishment," and those who said: "Bring us what you threaten us with if you are of the truthful," and other such things narrated about them. Or, they invoke it through their evil deeds that lead to it and necessitate it metaphorically, which is the habit of all of them. Some have considered the invocation by tongue to also be a metaphor for seeking haste in mockery, as if saying: "Like his invocation for the good" (which was mentioned)—hypothetically, not in reality—for he is far removed from actually invoking it, with this containing a symbol that it is what would befit his state.

"And man has ever been hasty" (11)—that is, the individual to whom the aforementioned invocation is attributed—hastens to seek everything that crosses his mind, blinded to its harm, or exaggerating in haste, seeking the evil and the punishment when it is coming to him inevitably; thus, there is a kind of mockery of him in this. Under the assumption that the invocation refers to their deeds, the "hastiness" is interpreted as stubbornness and persistence in meriting the punishment through those deeds.

The meaning according to the second interpretation is that the Quran invites man toward that which is good, yet in some of his states—such as when he is angry—he abandons it and invokes Allah, the Exalted, for himself, his family, and his wealth for that which is evil. Man, by his nature, is hasty and impatient, not waiting until what afflicts him passes.

Al-Waqidi narrated in al-Maghazi from Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, that the Prophet (ﷺ) entered upon her with a prisoner and said to her: "Keep watch over him." She said: "I distracted myself with a woman, and he left, and I did not notice. The Prophet (ﷺ) entered and asked about him, and I said: 'By Allah, I do not know,' and I was negligent regarding him. So he went out and said: 'May Allah cut off your hand,' then he went out to pray, and he cried out in search of him until they found him. Then he entered upon me and saw me turning my hand, so he said: 'What is wrong with you?' I said: 'I am awaiting your supplication.' He raised his hands and said: 'O Allah, I am a human; I feel sorrow and I get angry as a human gets angry. So whichever believer, male or female, I have invoked You against with a supplication, make it for them a purification and a cleansing.'" Or, he invokes what is evil while thinking it is good. "And man has ever been hasty," lacking insight, not contemplating his affairs with the proper contemplation to realize what is truly good and worthy of being invoked for, and what is evil and worthy of seeking refuge from.

Some investigators chose to interpret "man" as referring to the disbeliever. Concerning the connection between the verses, it is stated that when He, the Exalted, explained what He had distinguished His Prophet (ﷺ) with regarding the Night Journey, the granting of the Torah to Moses (peace be upon him), and what He did to the disobedient rebels by unleashing trials upon them, this served as an alert that obedience to Allah, the Exalted, necessitates every good and honor, while disobedience to Him, the Exalted, necessitates every affliction and penalty. Therefore, He said: "Indeed, this Quran guides..." etc. Then He followed it with: "And We have made the night..." etc., by the commonality of the evidence of reason and hearing, or the two blessings of religion and the world.

As for the connection of His, the Exalted’s, saying: "And man invokes..." etc., it is that when He, the Exalted, described the Quran until He brought it to the ultimate degree of guidance, He brought up the mention of one who was excessive in denying this great blessing, saying: "O Allah, if this is the truth from You..." etc. Similar to this is what has been said: that after He described the Quran as He did, He censured the Quraysh for their failure to seek guidance through it and their request for stones to be rained upon them or for the painful punishment to be brought upon them if it were the truth.

In al-Kashf, it is stated that His saying: "And man invokes..." etc., is a clarification that the Quran guides them to that which is most upright, yet they refuse except that which is most blameworthy, which is a manner of connection in a general sense. Everything they have mentioned in this regard is close in meaning.

Regarding the interpretation of invocation as "invocation through deeds" and "hastiness" as "stubbornness and persistence in meriting the punishment," this is contrary to the obvious meaning, as is not hidden. Some have interpreted the second "man" as Adam (peace be upon him), as Ibn Jarir, Ibn al-Mundhir, and others narrated from Salman al-Farisi, who said: "The first thing Allah, the Exalted, created of Adam (peace be upon him) was his head; he began to see while he was being created, and his legs remained. When it was after the afternoon, he said: 'O Lord, hasten [the creation] before the night.' That is His, the Exalted’s, saying: 'And man has ever been hasty.'" A similar account is narrated from Mujahid. Al-Qurtubi narrated—and the source is upon him—that when the soul reached his eyes, he looked at the fruits of Paradise, and when it reached his stomach, he craved them, so he jumped hastily toward them and fell.

The connection of "And man has ever been hasty" according to this view is that it indicates that his haste in invocation—due to his impatience or lack of reflection—is a matter of his nature, and that it is inherited from his origin; it is a trait one recognizes from the origin, functioning as a supplementary critique and an explanatory statement. The preferred view, however, is to intend the genus, even if the wording of the verse does not shy away from intending Adam (peace be upon him), as Abu Hayyan claimed.

The ba (in bi-l-sharr) in both instances is according to its literal meaning as a connective for the verb "invokes." It is said that it is in the sense of fi (in), meaning he invokes in the state of evil and harm just as he would invoke in the state of good, so that which is invoked is not the evil or the good. It is also said that it is for causality, meaning he invokes because of that. Both of these statements are contrary to the obvious meaning and are not to be relied upon.

The verse has been used as evidence—on some interpretations—to prohibit a man from invoking against himself, his wealth, or his family. The prohibition of this has indeed come explicitly in some reports. Abu Dawud and al-Bazzar narrated from Jabir that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "Do not invoke against yourselves, do not invoke against your children, do not invoke against your wealth, so that you do not coincide with an hour from Allah, the Exalted, in which there is an answer, so He answers you." By this, that which is said—that such a supplication is not answered as a grace and generosity from Allah, the Exalted—is refuted.

It is problematized by the fact that the Prophet (ﷺ) invoked against his family, as you heard from the hadith of al-Waqidi. It is answered that this was for the sake of rebuking, even if it was at a time of anger. The Prophet (ﷺ) stipulated to his Lord, the Exalted, in such instances that it be a mercy, for it is authentically established that he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "I stipulated to my Lord, saying: 'I am but a human; I am pleased as a human is pleased, and I am angry as a human is angry. So whoever among my nation I have invoked against with a supplication that they are not worthy of, let it be for them a purification, a cleansing, and a means of drawing near.'" Al-Nawawi mentioned in answer to what is said—that the literal aspect of the hadith is that the invocation and such were due to anger—what al-Maziri said: "It is possible that he (peace and blessings be upon him) intended that his invocation, cursing, and the like were matters in which he was given a choice between two things. One of them is this which he did, and the second is his rebuking them with another matter. So anger for the sake of Allah, the Exalted, led him to one of the two things in which he was given a choice, and that is not outside the ruling of the Sharia."

The intention of his saying (peace and blessings be upon him) "that they are not worthy of" means they are not worthy of it according to Allah, the Exalted, in the hidden reality of the matter, even if they are outwardly deserving of it. Sometimes this is inferred by legal indications, and he (peace and blessings be upon him) was commanded to judge by the outward, while Allah, the Exalted, takes charge of the inner secrets. It is also said that what occurred from him (peace and blessings be upon him) regarding the invocation and the like was not intended, but rather it was of the type that the habit of the Arabs took to in connecting their speech without intent, such as "May your hand be covered in dust" (taribat yaminuka) and "May you be bereaved" (aqra halqa). But he (peace and blessings be upon him) feared that something of that might coincide with an answer, so he asked his Lord, the Exalted, and beseeched Him to make it a cleansing and a means of drawing near.

Indeed, the mention of the hadith of al-Waqidi and others like it—such as the hadith mentioned by al-Baydawi in the place where he mentioned "it does not lack something"—is worth contemplating. Furthermore, the analogy requires the inclusion of the waw in "invokes" (yad'u), as there is no jazm particle that would cause its omission, but the Great Quran has been transmitted as it was heard, and the transmitter did not alter it according to the measure of his understanding and the strength of his intellect.