Al-Israa 17:77
The Night Journey · ayah 77 of 111
Sunnata man qad arsalna qablaka minrusulina wala tajidu lisunnatina tahweela
Saheeh International translation
Other English translations
Abdel Haleem (Oxford)+
"Such was Our way with the messengers We sent before you, and you will find no change in Our ways."
Pickthall (classic)+
"(Such was Our) method in the case of those whom We sent before thee (to mankind), and thou wilt not find for Our method aught of power to change."
Yusuf Ali (classic)+
"(This was Our) way with the messengers We sent before thee: thou wilt find no change in Our ways."
Tafsīr · classical commentary
Ibn Kathir
Abridged English, public domain
+
Ibn Kathir
Abridged English, public domain
The Reason why these Ayat were revealed
This was revealed concerning the disbelievers among the Quraysh, when they wanted to expel the Messenger of Allah ﷺ from among themselves. So Allah issued a warning to them in this Ayah, telling them that if they expelled him, they would not stay in Makkah for very long after that. And this is what happened after he migrated from them when their persecution became so intense. Only a year and a half after that, Allah brought him and them together on the battlefield of Badr, without any pre-arranged appointment, and He caused him to prevail over them and defeat them, so he killed their leaders and took their families as captives. Hence Allah said:
سُنَّةَ مَن قَدْ أَرْسَلْنَا
(A Sunnah with which We sent) meaning this is what We usually do to those who reject Our Messengers and persecute them by driving the Messenger out from among themselves - the punishment comes to them. If it were not for the fact that the Prophet was the Messenger of Mercy, vengeance would have come upon them such as had never been seen before in this world. So Allah says:
وَمَا كَانَ اللَّهُ لِيُعَذِّبَهُمْ وَأَنتَ فِيهِمْ
(And Allah would not punish them while you are among them.) 8:33
أَقِمِ الصَّلَوةَ لِدُلُوكِ الشَّمْسِ إِلَى غَسَقِ الَّيْلِ وَقُرْءَانَ الْفَجْرِ إِنَّ قُرْءَانَ الْفَجْرِ كَانَ مَشْهُودًا
Tafsir Saʿdi
English translation, public domain
+
Tafsir Saʿdi
English translation, public domain