The Holy Quran with Five Volume Commentary (Vol 3) — Page 585
CH. 17 BANI ISRĀ'ĪL b PT. 15 وَإِذْ قُلْنَا لَكَ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ أَحَاطَ بِالنَّاسِ And remember the time. 61 وَمَا جَعَلْنَا الرُّؤْيَا التِي اَرَيْنَكَ إِلَّا فِتْنَةً thy Lord has encompassed the لِلنَّاسِ وَالشَّجَرَةَ الْمَلْعُوْنَةَ فِي الْقُرْآنِ when We said to thee: 'Surely, , people. "And We made not the vision which We showed thee b وَنُخَوِّفُهُمْ فَمَا يَزِيدُهُمْ إِلَّا طُغْيَانًا but as a trial for men, as also the tree cursed in the Quran. And We warn them, but it only increases them in transgression. 1990 great "17:2. wrongdoers never go unpunished if they do not repent, special mention has been made of the tribe of Thamūd because the Thamud were an Arab tribe and their history was a matter of common knowledge with pagan Arabs as well as with the Jews of Arabia. 1990. Important Words: b people). say احاط العدو به (has encompassed the is derived from bb. They i. e. the enemy surrounded him. means, such a one was destroyed or his destruction drew near. means, he had a comprehensive or complete knowledge thereof, or he attained the utmost knowledge thereof. The Quranic expression ✓✓ Lale a bl b means, verily thy Lord hath men in His grasp or power or hath destroyed them (Lane & Aqrab). كَبِيرًان هو من or origin of a man. They say "✰✰ ubi. e. he is of good stock or origin (Lane & Aqrab). Commentary: The reference in the words, When We said to thee, is to the Vision mentioned under v. 2 of this Surah. In that Vision the Holy Prophet saw himself leading all other Prophets in Prayers. The Vision implied that at some future time, the followers of those Prophets would join the fold of Islam. This is what is meant by the words, Thy Lord has encompassed the people. This general spread of Islam would follow in the wake of the worldwide disasters of which mention has been made in v. 59. The object of these disasters was to open the way for the propagation of Islam, to induce all men to rally round its banner and to demonstrate the futility شجرة the cursed tree) الشجرة الملعونة is i. e. the affair was شجر الامر بينهم the noun infinitive from They say or became confused or complicated so as to be a subject of disagreement or difference between them. means, he tied it. means, a tree; the stock 1793 of the present materialistic Western civilization to stand in its way. Some of these disasters have already taken place and others are waiting to shake the present order of things to its foundation.