Surah Al-Isra' [ The Night Journey ], 17..Prologue

Surah Al-Isra', recitation by Shaykh Yasser al-Dosari,

.....Israelites during prophet Moses' time....

THIS SURAH IS KNOWN by the two titles: the Israelites and al-Isra', the Night Journey. Its opening verse refers to Prophet Muhammad's remarkable night journey from Makkah to Jerusalem in 621 AC. The following verses then immediately turn back in history to relate some important episodes from the Israelites' first sojourn in Palestine. The Torah had firmly and conclusively established the religious and political identity of the Israelites. However, although they had initially emerged as a model community, promoting order, cohesion, and fairness, their behavior soon changed and began to resemble more that of the Pharaohs, their arch oppressors. In the end they created  chaos  and havoc.

The Qur'sn explains how administrative incompetence and moral corruption within the leadership of a community can be eradicated simply by removing the base and inept authority perpetrating them. Reform may also be achieve through an outside force, where foreigners intervene to take control, restore order, and punish those responsible for the situation:

And We decreed for the Children of Israel in the Scripture: Ye verily will work corruption in the earth twice, and ye will become great tyrants. (4) So when the time for the first of the two came, We roused against you slaves of Ours of great might who ravaged (your) country, and it was a threat performed. (5) 

Once nations lose control over their own affairs, they become open to outside control and domination, forfeiting their rights to independence of thought and freedom of action. Morever, corruption and oppression are incompatible with a system based on divine revelation, and , for this reason, the punishment for its negligence is usually very severe as otherwise the community can easily fall prey to foreign control and suffer indignity and humiliation. Once the lessons are learnt and the community's true and original spirit is awakened, its sense of dignity and self esteem is restored. This was the experience of the Israelites, for God says: "Then we gave you once again your turn against them, and We aided you with wealth and children and made you more in soldiery "(6). The cycle of progress continues as victory merely ushers in a new phase of trials and appraisal procedures. "If ye do good, ye do good for your own souls, and if ye do evil, it is for them (in like manner). So, when the time for the second (of the judgments) came (We roused against you others of Our slaves) to ravage you, and to enter the Temple even as they entered it the first time, and to lay waste all that they conquered with an utter wasting " (7). 

Shaykh Muhammad al-Ghazali

[ 1917 - 1996 ]

[...this short opening reminded me of Umar Mukhtar of Libya in the 1920's, right after the total collapse of the Ottoman Empire, when the Europeans were dividing Muslim lands like mad dogs and hyenas tearing in an injured gazelle. With just faith and almost bare hands he and his small band of freedom fighters gave the Italians a hard time , before the outright slaughter and plunder.

My mind also goes back to Afghanistan in the heydays of the British Empire and in this recent century, their ability to even embarass the mighty Russians. Now we have once again the 'crusaders' under the banner of NATO  back in Afghanistan. Faith and not might , isyaallah , will finally prevail when lackeys and clowns like Hamid Karzai and associates will finally realize 'sleeping with the enemy' is not on. The Afghans faithfuls may take a hundred years to drive out the crusaders; ten years,fifty years,a hundred years of jihad;.. but faith will finally prevail over might, insyaallah....It has been this way from time immemorial]

nik howk




Reflection and commentary by Tuan Guru Dr Ismail Lutfi al-Patani,
Ayat, 1-3 :-
1/6          http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Leh6sYxWbmk
2/6          http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hGrZMsb0VFc
3/6          http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bQW-24nHxig
4/6          http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nc-3ng-TE4M
5/6          http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TNh6E2QtJo4
6/6          http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rHKeIPgRJVI