Al-Isra: (2-3) And We gave Moses the Book...

In this verse, there are several points of discussion:

Issue 1: Shift in Address (Iltafat)

Know that the discourse in the preceding verse involved a shift between the third-person perspective (Ghaybah) and the second-person perspective (Khitab).

• The phrase {Subḥāna alladhī asrā} (Glory to Him Who made His Servant travel by night) uses the third person (God's name).
• The phrase {bāraknā ḥawlahu linuriyahu min āyātinā} (blessed the surroundings of him, that We might show him some of Our signs) contains three terms indicating presence/direct address regarding the blessing.
• The phrase {Innahu huwa as-Samī‘u al-Basīr} (Indeed, He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing) reverts to the third person.
• The phrase {Wa ātaynā Mūsā al-Kitāb} (And We gave Moses the Book) and what follows indicates direct address.

This shifting between the third person and the second person is known as the rhetorical device of Iltafat (shift in perspective).

Issue 2: The Gift to Moses and the Command

In the first verse, God mentioned honoring Muhammad (PBUH) through the Night Journey. In this verse, He mentions honoring Moses (AS) before him by giving him the Book, saying: {Wa ātaynā Mūsā al-Kitāb} (And We gave Moses the Book), meaning the Torah. {wa ja‘alnāhu hudan} (and We made it a guidance), meaning it guides them out of the darkness of ignorance and disbelief into the light of true knowledge and religion. Then follows: {allā tattakhidhū min dūni walīyā} (that you should not take any protector besides Me). This phrase involves several discussions:

Abu ‘Amr recited {allā tattakhidhū} with a Yā’ (He/They should not take), treating it as news about the Children of Israel. The rest of the reciters use a Tā’ (You should not take), addressing them directly, meaning: We said to them, "Do not take..."

Abu ‘Alī al-Fārisī suggested three interpretations for {allā tattakhidhū}:

1. That an (that) is a particle making the following verb accusative (nāṣib). The meaning would be: "And We made it a guidance so that you should not take [a protector]."
2. That an means ay (i.e., the explanatory an), and the discourse shifts from the third person to the second person in the common recitation, just as it shifted in the verse: {wanṭalaqa al-mala’u minhum an imshū} (And the chiefs among them set out, saying, "Go on..."). Similarly, the discourse shifts from the third person to prohibition here.
3. That an is superfluous (zā’idah), and tattakhidhū is taken as a statement attributed to an implied saying. The meaning would be: "And We made it a guidance for the Children of Israel, so We said, 'Do not take any protector besides Me.'"

{Walīyā} means a Lord to whom you entrust your affairs.

The essence of the discussion in the verse is that God mentioned honoring Muhammad (PBUH) with the Night Journey, immediately followed by honoring Moses (AS) with the revelation of the Torah. He then described the Torah as guidance, clarifying that its guidance lies in its prohibition against taking anyone other than God as a protector—which is the essence of Tawḥīd (Monotheism).

Considering these steps, the ultimate conclusion is that there is no ascent higher, no rank more noble, and no virtue greater than becoming completely immersed in the ocean of Monotheism, relying in all matters solely upon God. If one speaks, it is in the remembrance of God; if one contemplates, it is upon the proofs of God's transcendence; and if one seeks, one seeks from God. Thus, everything is for God and through God.

Then He said: {dhurriyyatan man ḥamalnā ma‘a Nūḥ} (descendants of those whom We carried with Noah). There are two possible interpretations for the accusative case (naṣb) of {dhurriyyatan}:

It is in the accusative case as a vocative (a call), meaning: "O descendants of those whom We carried with Noah!" This is the view of Mujāhid. Al-Wāḥidī states this is valid based on the reading using the Tā’ (You should not take), as if it were said to them: "Do not take any protector besides Me, O descendants of those whom We carried with Noah in the Ark." Qatādah said that all people are descendants of Noah, as three of his sons—Shem, Ham, and Japheth—were with him on the Ark. Thus, the address "O descendants of those whom We carried with Noah" serves the same purpose as saying, {yudhhibkum ayyuhā an-nās} (that He may remove from you, O people...).

The accusative case for {dhurriyyatan} is because ittikhādh (taking/making) is a verb that takes two objects, like {wattakhadha Allāhu Ibrāhīma khalīlan} (And God took Abraham as a close friend). The implied structure would be: "Do not take the descendants of those whom We carried with Noah as a protector besides Me."

Following this, God praised Noah, saying: {Innahu kāna ‘abdan shakūrā} (Indeed, he was a grateful servant). This means he was extremely thankful. It is narrated that when he ate, he would say: "Praise be to God who fed me, though He could have kept me hungry." When he drank: "Praise be to God who gave me drink, though He could have kept me thirsty." When he clothed himself: "Praise be to God who clothed me, though He could have left me naked." When he put on shoes: "Praise be to God who shod me, though He could have left me barefoot." When he relieved himself: "Praise be to God who removed harm from me in well-being, though He could have retained it." It is also narrated that when he wished to break his fast, he would present his food to those who believed in him, and if he found someone in need, he would give it preference to them.

Inquiry: What is the relevance of {Innahu kāna ‘abdan shakūrā} to what precedes it?

Answer: The implied meaning is as if God said: "Do not take anyone besides Me as a protector, and do not associate partners with Me, because Noah (AS) was a grateful servant. A servant is only grateful if he is a monotheist, seeing that all blessings come only from God's grace. You are the descendants of his people, so emulate Noah (AS), just as your forefathers emulated him. And God knows best."

{And We decreed to the Children of Israel in the Scripture: "You will certainly cause corruption on the earth twice, and you will certainly attain a great arrogance." So when the time for the first of the two [predictions] came, We sent against you some of Our mighty servants, and they went through the houses [searching for you]. And it was a promised decree fulfilled. Then We gave you a return against them, and aided you with wealth and children, and made you greater in number.}