Tafsir of Al-Isra 17:16

{And when We intend} When the time for the destruction of a people draws near, and there remains but a little of their respite, We command them {and they commit iniquity therein}—that is, We command them to commit iniquity, and they do so.

The "command" here is metaphorical. The literal meaning of "commanding them to commit iniquity" would be to say to them, "Commit iniquity," which is impossible. Thus, it must be metaphorical. The aspect of the metaphor is that He poured blessings upon them, yet they used them as a pretext for disobedience and following desires. It is as if they were commanded to do so because the bestowing of blessings was the cause of it. He only granted them these blessings so they might be grateful, perform good deeds, and be enabled to act with kindness and righteousness—just as He created them healthy and strong, empowered them for both good and evil, and asked them to prefer obedience over disobedience, yet they preferred iniquity. When they committed iniquity, the decree—the word of punishment—became binding upon them, and He destroyed them.

If you ask: Why do you not claim that the meaning is "We commanded them to obey, but they committed iniquity"? I reply: Because omitting that for which there is no evidence is impermissible; how then could one omit that for which there is evidence to the contrary? The object of the command is omitted because "they committed iniquity" points to it. This is a common idiom; one says, "I commanded him, so he stood," or "I commanded him, so he read." Nothing is understood from this except that the object of the command was standing or reading. If you were to estimate something else, you would be demanding knowledge of the unseen from your listener.

This does not conflict with the saying, "I commanded him, but he disobeyed me," or "He did not comply with my command." That is a contradiction and negation of the command; what contradicts a command cannot be the object of that command. It is impossible for such a thing to be intended as the object of the command, nor is it implied. The speaker of such words does not intend an object for his command; it is as if he says, "A command came from me, but no obedience came from him," just as one who says, "So-and-so gives and withholds, commands and forbids," without intending a specific object.

If you ask: Does the established knowledge that God does not command indecency, but only commands righteousness and good, not serve as evidence that the intended meaning is "We commanded them to do good, but they committed iniquity"? I reply: That is not correct, because the phrase {and they committed iniquity} refutes it. It would be as if you expressed one thing while claiming to imply its opposite. Therefore, interpreting the command metaphorically is the correct approach.

It is similar to the verb "willed" (sha'a) in that its object is frequently omitted due to what follows it. You say, "If He willed, He would be kind to you," and "If He willed, He would be unkind to you," meaning "If He willed kindness" or "If He willed unkindness." If you were to imply the opposite of what is expressed—claiming that the state of the one to whom the will is attributed indicates whether he is a person of kindness or unkindness, and thus abandoning the explicit wording to imply what the state of the subject suggests—you would not be on the right path.

Some have interpreted {We commanded} (amarna) as "We increased" (kaththarna), treating "I commanded him, so he commanded" (amartuhu fa-amara) as being from the same category as "I increased him, so he increased" (kaththartuhu fa-kaththara). In the Hadith: "The best wealth is a branded palm tree and a prolific mare (ma'mura)," meaning one that produces many offspring. It is also narrated that a polytheist said to the Messenger of God (peace be upon him), "I see this affair of yours as insignificant," and he replied, "It will surely increase (saya'muru)," meaning it will grow and become great.

{And how many generations have We destroyed after Noah! And sufficient is your Lord, concerning the sins of His servants, as All-Acquainted and All-Seeing.}