Surah Al-Isra 17:1
سُورَةُ الإِسۡرَاءِ · Meccan · Verse 1 of 111
بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ سُبْحَٰنَ ٱلَّذِىٓ أَسْرَىٰ بِعَبْدِهِۦ لَيْلًۭا مِّنَ ٱلْمَسْجِدِ ٱلْحَرَامِ إِلَى ٱلْمَسْجِدِ ٱلْأَقْصَا ٱلَّذِى بَٰرَكْنَا حَوْلَهُۥ لِنُرِيَهُۥ مِنْ ءَايَٰتِنَآ ۚ إِنَّهُۥ هُوَ ٱلسَّمِيعُ ٱلْبَصِيرُ
Translation
Glory to Him who made His servant travel by night from the sacred place of worship to the furthest place of worship, whose surroundings We have blessed, to show him some of Our signs: He alone is the All Hearing, the All Seeing.
English translation: M.A.S. Abdel Haleem.
Meaning and reflection
Wording
Surah Al-Isra' begins by inviting us into a posture of profound wonder and awe with the word سُبْحَٰنَ (Subhan). This is not merely a declaration of Allah's glory and perfection; when it appears without a preceding negative statement, as Ibn Ashur notes, it functions as an exclamation, signaling an extraordinary, miraculous event that inspires praise and removes any thought of imperfection or inability from Allah. It immediately sets the stage for something truly remarkable.
The Honored Traveler
The verse then describes the one undertaking this miraculous journey: ٱلَّذِىٓ أَسْرَىٰ بِعَبْدِهِۦ لَيْلًۭا (who took His servant by night). The verb أَسْرَىٰ (asra) inherently means "to travel by night." So, why does the verse add لَيْلًۭا (laylan - by night)"? Scholars like al-Zamakhshari and al-Razi explain that the indefinite form, ليلاً (laylan), suggests "a portion of the night," emphasizing the incredible speed at which such a vast distance was covered in just a small part of one night. This highlights the miraculous nature of the journey.
Even more profoundly, the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, is referred to as بِعَبْدِهِ (bi'abdihi), "His servant." Al-Razi shares a beautiful insight that when the Prophet asked Allah how He would honor him, Allah replied, "by attributing you to Myself through servitude." This title, "servant," is a profound honor in the Quran, placing him in the highest station of humility and devotion, even as he undertakes this unparalleled celestial journey. Ibn Ashur notes that the preposition "bi" (ب) in "bi'abdihi" (with His servant) subtly conveys Allah's active companionship and immense care throughout the journey, a divine presence guiding and safeguarding His beloved servant.
Sacred Destinations
The journey spans from ٱلْمَسْجِدِ ٱلْحَرَامِ (al-Masjid al-Haram - the Sacred Mosque) in Mecca to ٱلْمَسْجِدِ ٱلْأَقْصَا (al-Masjid al-Aqsa - the Farthest Mosque) in Jerusalem. The word الأقصى (al-Aqsa), meaning "the farthest," emphasizes the incredible distance covered miraculously within a single night. This description, Ibn Ashur points out, solidified the name "Masjid al-Aqsa" for this revered site.
The verse continues, ٱلَّذِى بَٰرَكْنَا حَوْلَهُۥ (which We blessed around it). Here, we encounter a beautiful rhetorical shift, known as *iltifat*, from the third person ("He who took His servant") to the first person plural of majesty ("We blessed"). Al-Jadwal and Ibn Ashur explain this shift serves to magnify the blessings themselves and underscore Allah's direct involvement. The blessing is described as being "around it" (حَوْلَهُۥ - hawlahu), implying the blessings are so vast and abundant that they encompass the entire region, extending far beyond the physical mosque, and thus by implication, blessing the mosque itself even more profoundly. This signifies the spiritual and worldly abundance Allah bestowed upon that sacred land.
The Ultimate Purpose
The purpose of this journey is articulated as لِنُرِيَهُۥ مِنْ ءَايَٰتِنَآ (so that We may show him of Our signs). The particle مِن (min) signifies "some of" or "a portion of" Allah's signs. This indicates the vastness of Allah's wonders, of which the Prophet was shown a selected, magnificent portion. Ibn Ashur emphasizes that witnessing these signs firsthand strengthens certainty (yaqeen), a profound spiritual insight into the wisdom of this extraordinary divine gift.
The All-Knowing Witness
The verse concludes with another *iltifat*: إِنَّهُۥ هُوَ ٱلسَّمِيعُ ٱلْبَصِيرُ (Indeed, He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing). Shifting back to the third person, this statement powerfully re-affirms Allah's absolute knowledge. While the primary meaning, affirmed by al-Razi, al-Zamakhshari, and al-Jadwal, refers to Allah being the Hearer of all statements and the Seer of all actions, including those of His Prophet. Ibn Ashur also highlights a rhetorical layer: this can be a confirmation, especially for those who doubted, that "He (meaning the Prophet) is truly the one who heard and saw," dismissing claims of delusion or falsehood. This emphasizes Allah's comprehensive awareness of the entire event, validating the truthfulness of the journey and the Prophet's testimony.
Sources: al-Razi (Mafatih al-Ghayb), al-Zamakhshari (al-Kashshaf), al-Jadwal fi I'rab al-Quran (Mahmud Safi), Ibn Ashur (al-Tahrir wa al-Tanwir), al-Jalalayn
Topics that discuss this verse
Surah Al-Isra 17:1 is discussed in 15 study guides on Maani. Each guide gathers the key verses, Arabic words and lessons of one Quranic topic.
- Blessing (Barakah) (key verse)
- Glorification (Tasbih) (key verse)
- Praise (Madh) (key verse)
- Illiteracy (Ummiyyah)
- Homes (Buyut)
- Remembrance (Dhikr)
- The Mosque (Masjid)
- Man (Insan)
- The Torah (Tawrah)
- The Night (Layl)
- Makkah
- Prophethood (Nubuwwah)
- Prophet Muhammad
- Worship (Ibadah)
- Foreign Relations (Alaqat Dawliyyah)
Reflect on this verse
Open Surah Al-Isra 17:1 in Maani to reflect on it through the Five Lenses: its wording, its context, what it means for you, its connections across the Quran and its lessons, grounded in classical tafsir.