Tafsir of Al-Isra 17:80

This means: cause me to enter in a pleasing, good manner, in which nothing disliked is seen. The attribution [to "truth"] is for the sake of hyperbole.

"[And cause me to exit a truthful exit]" is like the first. There is disagreement regarding the specific meaning intended by this. Al-Zubayr ibn Bakkar reported from Zayd ibn Aslam that the meaning is the entry into Medina and the exit from Mecca; this is supported, as it is said, by the words of the Almighty: "And indeed, they were about to provoke you to drive you out from the land."

This is reinforced by what was reported by Ahmad, al-Tabarani, al-Tirmidhi (who classified it as hasan), and al-Hakim (who classified it as sahih), along with a group, on the authority of Ibn Abbas, who said: "The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was in Mecca, then he was ordered to migrate, so Allah the Almighty revealed to him, 'And say, my Lord...' The verse. He began with the entry because it is the most important."

Ibn Jarir and Ibn Abi Hatim reported from Ibn Abbas that the entry is into the grave and the exit is from it—this is supported by its mention after [the prayer for] resurrection.

Others have said: The entry is into Mecca by conquering it, and his (peace and blessings be upon him) exit from it while safe from the polytheists. Others said: It is his exit from Medina and entry into Mecca by conquest. Muhammad ibn al-Munkadir said: His entry into the cave and his exit from it. It is also said: Entry into Paradise and exit from Mecca. It is said: Entry into prayer and exit from it. It is said: Entry into commanded acts and exit from prohibited ones. It is said: Entry into the burdens of prophethood he was charged with (peace and blessings be upon him) and the fulfillment of the Law, and his exit from it, having supported what he was tasked with without negligence. It is said: Entry into the seas of Tawhid (Oneness) and transcendence, and the exit from preoccupation with the evidence to the knowledge of the "Indicated" (madlul), and from reflection upon the traces to total immersion in the knowledge of the One, the Subduer.

The most apparent view is that what is intended is his entry (peace and blessings be upon him) into everything he enters and engages with, whether a place or an affair, and his exit from it. Thus, it is general to all points of origin and destination. Abu Hayyan considered this the most likely. It is stated in al-Kashf that this is the view consistent with the literal meaning of the wording and conforming to the requirements of the structural order, for what precedes it and what follows it are not restricted to one thing over another. The Almighty’s saying, "And grant me from Yourself a supporting authority," suffices as a truthful witness to his desire for this.

Qatadah, Abu Haywah, Humayd, and Ibrahim ibn Abi Ablah read it as madkhal and makhraj with a fatha on the mim in both. The author of al-Lawamih said: These are both verbal nouns (masdaran) from dakhala and kharaja, but they come from the meaning of the preceding adkhilni and akhrijni, not their specific verb forms—similar to the verse: "And [Allah] caused you to grow from the earth a [progressive] growth." It is also possible that they are nouns of place, and their accusative case is due to them being adverbs of place (zarfiyyah).

Other scholars of verification said: They are verbal nouns in the accusative case based on the assumption of two triliteral verbs, as the verbal noun of the augmented forms has a damma on the mim (as in the mutawatir recitation). That is: "Cause me to enter, so I enter a truthful entrance, and cause me to exit, so I exit a truthful exit."

This means: a proof that aids me against those who oppose me. This is what Mujahid meant by saying: "a clear proof." In another report from him, it is: "a Book containing the limits and rulings." From al-Hasan, it is said: "dominance over the disbelievers via the sword, and over the hypocrites by establishing the legal limits." Close to this is what is said: the meaning is power and might by which Islam is supported against others.

Some claimed it is the conquest of Mecca. It is also said: al-Sultan means one of the kings; it is as if the intent is a supplication that there be in every era a king who supports the religion of Allah the Almighty. It is said that this is the apparent meaning of what was reported by al-Bayhaqi in al-Dala'il and al-Hakim (who authenticated it) from Qatadah: "Allah the Almighty brought him out of Mecca with a truthful exit, and brought him into Medina with a truthful entrance. The Prophet of Allah knew he had no strength for this matter except with an authority (sultan), so he asked for a supporting authority for the Book of Allah, its limits, and its obligations. For authority is an honor from Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, which He placed among His servants; were it not for that, some would raid others, and the strong would consume the weak." There is scrutiny in this view.

Regarding the word nasiran (supporting): in all these views, it is an intensive form (mubalaghah) of the active participle (fa'il). It is also permitted that, in some views, it has the meaning of the passive participle (maf'ul). The truth is that what is meant by sultan is everything that brings about victory over the enemies of Allah the Almighty and the manifestation of His religion, may He be glorified. Its description as "supporting" (nasiran) is for the sake of emphasis.