Al-Isra: (76-77) And indeed they almost tempted you away...

In this verse, there are two opinions:

The First Opinion: Qatadah said: They are the people of Mecca who intended to expel the Prophet (peace be upon him) from Mecca. If they had done so, they would not have been given respite. However, Allah prevented them from expelling him until Allah commanded him to leave. Then, their stay after the Prophet's departure from Mecca was brief until Allah sent the killing upon them on the Day of Badr. This is also the view of Mujahid.

The Second Opinion: Ibn Abbas said: When the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) migrated to Medina, the Jews envied him and disliked his proximity to them. They said: "O Abu al-Qasim, the Prophets were only sent to Sham (Syria), which is a sacred land and the dwelling place of Abraham. If you were to go to Sham, we would believe in you and follow you. We know that nothing prevents you from leaving except the fear of the Romans. If you are the Messenger of Allah, then Allah will protect you from them." So, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) camped a few miles from Medina—it is said at Dhu al-Hulayfah—waiting for his companions to gather and for people to see him determined to go to Sham, due to his eagerness for people to enter the religion of Allah. Then this verse was revealed, and he returned.

The first opinion is preferred by Al-Zajjaj, as the Surah is Meccan. If the second opinion were correct, the verse would be Medinan.

Regarding the word "the land" (الأرض):

• According to the first opinion, it refers to Mecca.
• According to the second opinion, it refers to Medina.

The term "land" (الأرض) is frequently mentioned in the revelation with the meaning of a specific place, like in the verse: ${\text{Or expel them from the land}} (Al-Ma'idah: 33), meaning from their dwelling places, and {\text{I will never leave this land}} (Yusuf: 80), meaning the land from which he intended to seek provisions.

If one asks: Allah says, {\text{And how many a town stronger than your town that expelled you}} (Muhammad: 13), meaning Mecca, and the intent is its people, indicating that they expelled him. How can this be reconciled with the statement in this verse, {\text{And indeed they almost tempted you away from the land to drive you out of it}} if the land in this verse means Mecca?

We reply: They intended to expel him, but the Prophet (peace be upon him) did not leave because of their expulsion; rather, he left by the command of Allah. Thus, the contradiction is resolved.

Then Allah Almighty said: {\text{And then they would not remain behind you, except for a little while}}. In this, there are two issues:

Nafi', Ibn Kathir, and Abu 'Amr, narrated from 'Asim, recited خلفك (khalfa-ka) with an open kha' and a silent lam. The rest recited خلافك (khilafa-ka). Al-Akhfash claimed that خلافك has the same meaning as خلفك, and Yunus narrated this from 'Isa. This is like the verse: {\text{in their seats behind the Messenger of Allah}} (At-Tawbah: 81). The poet said:

The author of Al-Kashshaf mentioned that يلبثون (yalbathūna) was read, and in Abu's recitation, it is يلبثوا (yalbathū) based on making the idh (if) operative.

If one asks: What is the rationale behind the two readings? We reply: In the preceding reading (where the verb is raised), the verb is connected to the verb (كادوا ليستفزونك), and it is in the nominative case because it is the predicate of kāda (almost), and the verb following kāda takes the place of a noun. As for Abu's reading (يلبثوا), the entire clause {\text{If they did, they would remain}} is connected to the clause {\text{And indeed they almost tempted you away}}.

Then Allah Almighty said: {\text{A Sunnah of those We have sent before you of Our messengers}}. This means that for every people who expelled their Prophet from among them, it is the established way (Sunnah) of Allah to destroy them. The word {\text{Sunnah}} is in the accusative case as an emphatic verbal noun (Masdar Mu'akkid), meaning: We established that as a Sunnah for those We sent before you.

Then He said: {\text{And you will never find for Our Sunnah any change}}. This means that what Allah Almighty has established as a custom, no one is able to alter that custom.

The complete discussion on this topic is that the specialization of every event to its specific time and specific attribute is not inherent to the thing itself; otherwise, it would have to last forever in that state, and nothing would be distinguished from what resembles it in those attributes. Rather, this specialization occurs only through the designation of a designator. That designation is that He, the Exalted, wills its occurrence at that time, then His Power relates to its occurrence at that time, then His Knowledge relates to its occurrence at that time.

Then we say: These three attributes that influence the occurrence of that specialization—if they are contingent (newly arising), their arising requires another designation, leading to an infinite regress (Tasalsul), which is impossible. If they are eternal (pre-existing), the eternal cannot change, because whatever is established as eternal is impossible to cease to exist. Since change in those influential attributes regarding that specialization is impossible, change in those determined things is also impossible. Thus, the truthfulness of His statement {\text{And you will never find for Our Sunnah any change}}$ is established by this proof.

(78) Establish the prayer from the declining of the sun until the darkness of the night, and the recitation of the dawn. Indeed, the recitation of the dawn is witnessed.

(79) And during the night, keep vigil with it as an additional prayer for you. Perhaps your Lord will raise you to a praiseworthy station.

(80) And say, "My Lord, cause me to enter a truthful entrance and cause me to exit a truthful exit, and grant me from Yourself a supporting authority."

(81) And say, "The truth has come, and falsehood has vanished. Indeed, falsehood is ever vanquished."