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Draft:Verse 80 of Sura al-Isra

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Verse 80 of Sura al-Isra
Verse's Information
Suraal-Isra' (Qur'an 17)
Verse80
Juz'15
Content Information
Cause of
Revelation		Entering Mecca (in the Conquest of Mecca) or entering Medina (in the Migration to Medina)
Place of
Revelation		Mecca
TopicRequest for truthfulness in all affairs and authority against polytheists


Qur'an 17:80 is a Quranic supplication that commands the Prophet (s) to petition God for truthfulness and integrity in all endeavors, as well as for a supportive proof (hujja) against the polytheists. According to 'Allama Tabataba'i, the true embodiment of this verse is an individual whose speech, conduct, and beliefs are perfectly aligned in truth, seeking only God. It does not apply to someone who invokes God verbally while their heart is distracted by other matters. Consequently, he asserts that this verse signifies the elevated station of the truthful ones (Siddiqin). Some exegetes interpret the latter portion of this verse (sultanan nasiran, meaning "helpful authority") as a reference to the Qur'an and Imam 'Ali (a), both of whom served as vital forces of support for the Prophet against the polytheists.

Historical reports suggest that this verse was revealed either upon the Prophet's triumphant entry into Mecca (during the Conquest of Mecca) or upon his arrival in Medina (during the Migration to Medina). Within the Ziyarah text dedicated to certain Infallibles and Imamzadas, this verse is recited to seek permission to enter (Idhn al-dukhul); consequently, it is frequently inscribed above the entrances of various shrines. Furthermore, the recitation of this verse is recommended in specific supplications for protection (Hirz) transmitted from the Infallibles.

Three Factors of Victory

Calligraphy panel of Thuluth Jali script of Verse 80 of Sura al-Isra', by Muthanna al-'Ubaydi, an Iraqi calligrapher

This verse stands as a prominent Quranic supplication wherein the Prophet (s) is instructed to pray for truthfulness and integrity across all circumstances, and to entreat God for a decisive proof against the polytheists.[1] Scholars note that the verse delineates three essential factors for victory: a truthful entry into any affair, a truthful exit from it, and the assurance of divine assistance.[2] While the verse directly addresses the Prophet, it establishes a universal ethical obligation for all Muslims.[3]

Station of the Truthful

Muhammad Husayn Tabataba'i, author of al-Mizan, posits that the verse commands the Prophet to seek refuge in God in all religious matters, ensuring that every endeavor is initiated and concluded with pure, truthful intentions.[4] According to this interpretation, the concepts of entering and exiting are not restricted to specific physical locations; rather, they serve as a general metaphor encompassing all actions and decisions.[5] Conversely, some Sunni exegetes have interpreted the terms for entering (adkhilni) and exiting (akhrijni) more literally, associating them with the Prophet's entry into Medina and his subsequent departure for the Conquest of Mecca, or metaphorically as entering the grave and emerging from it for the Resurrection.[6] Tabataba'i further argues that the ultimate manifestation of this verse is an individual whose speech, actions, and beliefs are in absolute harmony, exclusively seeking God. It does not reflect someone who offers verbal supplications while harboring worldly attachments in their heart. Thus, he concludes that the verse denotes the exalted spiritual station of the truthful ones (Siddiqin).[7]

Qur'an and Imam Ali (a) as Helpers of the Prophet

Muhammad Sadiqi Tihrani, author of the exegesis al-Furqan fi tafsir al-Qur'an, identifies the "helpful authority" (sultanan nasiran) granted to the Prophet as the Holy Qur'an, alongside Imam 'Ali (a) as a secondary embodiment of this divine support.[8] He also posits that during the End Times, Imam al-Mahdi (a) will serve as this protective and helpful authority for the Prophet's legacy.[9] Similarly, Ibn 'Abbas applied the concluding phrase of the verse (wa j'al li min ladunka sultanan nasiran: "and render me from Yourself a helpful authority") directly to Imam 'Ali (a), recognizing him as the divine instrument through whom God aided the Prophet against his adversaries.[10]

Mystical Interpretation of the Verse

Muhyi l-Din Ibn al-'Arabi offers a mystical interpretation, defining mudkhala sidqin (worthy entrance) as a spiritual state that achieves absolute unity with the Divine. In this station, the mystic's gaze is fixed solely upon God, and the soul is entirely free from rebellion. Correspondingly, he interprets mukhraja sidqin (worthy departure) as achieving immunity from carnal desires and remaining safeguarded from misguidance after having received divine enlightenment. Furthermore, Ibn al-'Arabi associates sultanan nasiran (helpful authority) with the concept of subsistence after annihilation (Baqa' ba'd al-Fana'). Mystically, this signifies an unwavering steadfastness on the divine path, wherein God never abandons the seeker and continuously fortifies His religion within them.[11]

Cause of Revelation

According to 'Ali b. Ibrahim al-Qummi, author of Tafsir al-Qummi, this verse was revealed during the Conquest of Mecca, with God commanding the Prophet to recite it upon his victorious entry into the city.[12] Conversely, Sunni sources offer alternative accounts regarding the verse's revelation. A prominent tradition suggests it was revealed when God commanded the Prophet to undertake the migration from Mecca to Medina.[13] Rejecting these mutually exclusive accounts, 'Abd al-Karim Bahjatpur, author of the commentary Hamgam ba wahy, posits a harmonizing view: it is highly probable that the Prophet recited this versatile supplication upon entering both Mecca and Medina.[14]

Connection with Subsequent and Previous Verses

Verse 80 of Sura al-Isra' on the wall of the Shrine of Lady Ma'suma (a)

Verses Qur'an 17:73-77 outline various conspiracies orchestrated by the polytheists against the Prophet. As a countermeasure, verses Qur'an 17:78-81 highlight the most effective spiritual weapons for combating polytheism: the establishment of prayer and a steadfast focus on the remembrance of God.[15] Additionally, Muhammad Sadiqi Tihrani connects the "helpful authority" (sultanan nasiran) in this verse to the Praiseworthy Station (Maqam Mahmud) mentioned in the immediately preceding verse, viewing the former as a manifestation of the latter.[16] According to Tihrani's analysis, the Prophet's Praiseworthy Station translates to wielding this "helpful authority" in the temporal world, while in the Hereafter, it manifests as the supreme station of intercession.[17]

In Hadiths and Shi'a Culture

This verse is deeply integrated into Shi'a devotional practices and is featured in several supplications for protection (Hirz) narrated from the Infallibles.[18] A hadith attributed to Imam al-Sadiq (a) recommends reciting this verse whenever one enters a place that induces fear or apprehension.[19]

Furthermore, in various Ziyarah texts of the Infallibles, the recitation of this verse is prescribed as a formal component of seeking permission to enter (Idhn al-dukhul) a holy shrine.[20] To reflect this profound spiritual significance, the verse is often beautifully inscribed above the entranceways of shrines dedicated to the Infallibles and Imamzadas.

Notes

  1. ↑ Makārim Shīrāzī, Mafātīḥ-i nuvīn, 1390 Sh, p. 92.
  2. ↑ Riḍāyī Iṣfahānī, Tafsīr-i Qurʾān-i Mihr, 1387 Sh, vol. 12, p. 141.
  3. ↑ Riḍāyī Iṣfahānī, Tafsīr-i Qurʾān-i Mihr, 1387 Sh, vol. 12, p. 141.
  4. ↑ Ṭabāṭabāʾī, al-Mīzān, 1417 AH, vol. 13, p. 176.
  5. ↑ Qurashī, Tafsīr-i aḥsan al-ḥadīth, 1378 Sh, vol. 6, p. 128.
  6. ↑ Ṭabrsī, Majmaʿ al-bayān, 1372 Sh, vol. 6, p. 671.
  7. ↑ Ṭabāṭabāʾī, al-Mīzān, 1417 AH, vol. 13, p. 176.
  8. ↑ Ṣādiqī Tihrānī, al-Furqān, 1365 Sh, vol. 17, p. 305.
  9. ↑ Ṣādiqī Tihrānī, al-Furqān, 1365 Sh, vol. 17, p. 305.
  10. ↑ Ḥaskānī, Shawāhid al-tanzīl, 1411 AH, vol. 1, p. 452.
  11. ↑ Ibn al-ʿArabī, Tafsīr Ibn ʿArabī, 1422 AH, vol. 1, p. 408.
  12. ↑ Qummī, Tafsīr al-Qummī, 1363 Sh, vol. 2, p. 26.
  13. ↑ Wāḥidī, al-Wajīz, 1415 AH, vol. 2, p. 644.
  14. ↑ Bahjat-pūr, Hamgām bā waḥy, 1394 Sh, vol. 4, p. 557.
  15. ↑ Makārim Shīrāzī, Tafsīr-i namūna, 1374 Sh, vol. 12, p. 221.
  16. ↑ Ṣādiqī Tihrānī, al-Furqān, 1365 Sh, vol. 17, p. 303.
  17. ↑ Ṣādiqī Tihrānī, al-Furqān, 1365 Sh, vol. 17, p. 303.
  18. ↑ For example, see: Sayyid Ibn Ṭāwūs, Muhaj al-daʿawāt, 1411 AH, p. 30; Kafʿamī, Miṣbāḥ al-Kafʿamī, 1405 AH, p. 240.
  19. ↑ Barqī, al-Maḥāsin, 1371 Sh, vol. 2, p. 367.
  20. ↑ For example, see: Ibn Mashhadī, al-Mazār al-kabīr, 1419 AH, Ziyarah of the Prophet (s), p. 56; Majlisī, Zād al-maʿād, 1423 AH, p. 534.

References

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  • Ibn Mashhadī, Muḥammad b. Jaʿfar, al-Mazār al-kabīr, Qom, Daftar-i Intishārāt-i Islāmī, 1419/1998-99.
  • Barqī, Aḥmad b. Muḥammad, al-Maḥāsin, Qom, Dār al-Kutub al-Islāmiyya, 1371/1992-93.
  • Bahjat-pūr, ʿAbd al-Karīm, Hamgām bā waḥy, Qom, Muʾassasa-yi al-Tamhīd, 1394/2015.
  • Ḥaskānī, ʿUbayd Allāh b. ʿAbd Allāh, Shawāhid al-tanzīl, Tehran, Majmaʿ Iḥyāʾ al-Thaqāfa al-Islāmiyya, 1411/1990-91.
  • Riḍāyī Iṣfahānī, Muḥammad ʿAlī, Tafsīr-i Qurʾān-i Mihr, Qom, Pazhūhishhā-yi Tafsīr wa ʿUlūm-i Qurʾān, 1387/2008.
  • Sayyid Ibn Ṭāwūs, ʿAlī b. Mūsā, Muhaj al-daʿawāt wa manhaj al-ʿibādāt, Qom, Dār al-Dhakhāʾir, 1411/1990-91.
  • Ṣādiqī Tihrānī, Muḥammad, al-Furqān fī tafsīr al-Qurʾān bi-l-Qurʾān wa l-sunna, Qom, Farhang-i Islāmī, 1365/1986.
  • Ṭabāṭabāʾī, Muḥammad Ḥusayn, al-Mīzān fī tafsīr al-Qurʾān, Qom, Muʾassasa-yi Intishārāt-i Islāmī, 1417/1996.
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  • Qurashī, ʿAlī Akbar, Tafsīr-i aḥsan al-ḥadīth, Tehran, Bunyād-i Biʿthat, 1378/1999.
  • Qummī, ʿAlī b. Ibrāhīm, Tafsīr al-Qummī, Qom, Dār al-Kitāb, 1363/1984.
  • Kafʿamī, Ibrāhīm b. ʿAlī, Miṣbāḥ al-Kafʿamī, Qom, Dār al-Raḍī, 1405/1984-85.
  • Majlisī, Muḥammad Bāqir, Zād al-maʿād, Beirut, Muʾassasat al-Aʿlamī lil-Maṭbūʿāt, 1423/2002.
  • Makārim Shīrāzī, Nāṣir, Tafsīr-i namūna, Tehran, Dār al-Kutub al-Islāmiyya, 1374/1995.
  • Makārim Shīrāzī, Nāṣir, Mafātīḥ-i nuvīn, Qom, Madrasa-yi Imām ʿAlī b. Abī Ṭālib (a), 1390/2011.
  • Wāḥidī, ʿAlī b. Aḥmad, al-Wajīz fī tafsīr al-Qurʾān al-ʿazīz, Beirut, Dār al-Qalam, 1415/1994.
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