Tafseer of The Night Journey · Al-Israa · 17:106
And [it is] a Qur'an which We have separated [by intervals] that you might recite it to the people over a prolonged period. And We have sent it down progressively.
Important: The Arabic source text is always authoritative. This translation is a study aid and has not been verified by scholars — do not use it as a basis for religious proof or for deriving rulings (ahkam). When in doubt, always consult the Arabic text and a qualified scholar.
وَقُرْآنًا فَرَقْنَاهُ لِتَقْرَأَهُ (and a Qurʾān that We have distinguished, so that you may recite it): The Qurʾān-reciters differed over the reading of this. The majority of the reciters of the cities read فَرَقْنَاهُ with a light rāʾ, in the meaning of: "We made it firm, distinguished it, and set it forth." From Ibn ʿAbbās it is related that he read: فَرَّقْنَاهُ with a doubled rāʾ, in the meaning of: "We sent it down piece by piece, verse after verse, account after account."
The more preferable of the two readings, in our judgment, is the first, because it is the reading over which the Qurʾān-reciters are unanimous as a decisive proof — and departure from their unanimity in the domain of religion and the Qurʾān is not permissible. If, then, that is the more preferable reading, the import of the passage is: "We sent you only as a bringer of good news and as a warner, and as a Qurʾān that We have distinguished and set forth and made firm, so that you may recite it to the people at a measured pace."
In agreement with this our interpretation spoke a number of the exegetes.
* Mention of who said that:
ʿAlī related to me, he said: ʿAbd Allāh related to us, he said: Muʿāwiya related to me, on the authority of ʿAlī, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās, concerning His word وَقُرْآنًا فَرَقْنَاهُ (and a Qurʾān that We have distinguished): "We have distinguished it."
Al-Qāsim related to us, he said: al-Husayn related to us, he said: Hajjāj related to me, on the authority of Abū Jaʿfar, on the authority of Abū al-Rabīʿ, on the authority of Abū al-ʿĀliya, on the authority of Ubayy ibn Kaʿb, that he read وَقُرْآنًا فَرَقْنَاهُ with a light rāʾ — that is: "We set it forth."
Al-Qāsim related to us, he said: al-Husayn related to us, he said: Hajjāj related to me, on the authority of Ibn Jurayj, he said: Ibn ʿAbbās said concerning وَقُرْآنًا فَرَقْنَاهُ (and a Qurʾān that We have distinguished): "We have distinguished it."
Ibn al-Muthannā related to us, he said: Badal ibn al-Muhabbar related to us, he said: ʿAbbād — that is, Ibn Rāshid — related to us, on the authority of Dāwūd, on the authority of al-Hasan, that he read وَقُرْآنًا فَرَقْنَاهُ light — "Allah distinguished the truth from the falsehood."
Those who recited the other reading understood it according to the interpretation that I have already mentioned.
Mention of who said that among those who read it so: Al-Qāsim related to us, he said: al-Husayn related to us, he said: Hajjāj related to me, on the authority of Abū Jaʿfar, on the authority of al-Rabīʿ, on the authority of Abū al-ʿĀliya, he said: "Ibn ʿAbbās read it: 'وَقُرْآنا فَرَّقْنَاهُ' with doubling — that is: sent down verse after verse."
Ibn al-Muthannā related to us, he said: Yazīd ibn Hārūn related to us, he said: Dāwūd informed us, on the authority of ʿIkrima, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās, he said: "The Qurʾān descended in its entirety upon the lowest heaven on the Night of Power (Laylat al-Qadr), then it descended after that over twenty years." And he recited: وَلا يَأْتُونَكَ بِمَثَلٍ إِلا جِئْنَاكَ بِالْحَقِّ وَأَحْسَنَ تَفْسِيرًا (and they do not come to you with any similitude but that We bring you the truth and the best interpretation) (25:33), and "وَقُرْآنا فَرَّقْناهُ لِتَقْرأَهُ عَلى النَّاسِ على مُكْثٍ وَنـزلْناهُ تَنـزيلا" (and a Qurʾān that We have sent down piece by piece, so that you may recite it to the people at a measured pace; and We sent it down a true sending down).
Al-Hasan ibn Yahyā related to us, he said: ʿAbd al-Razzāq informed us, he said: Maʿmar informed us, on the authority of Qatāda, concerning His word: "وَقُرْآنا فَرَّقْناهُ لِتَقْرأَهُ عَلى النَّاسِ" (and a Qurʾān that We have sent down piece by piece, so that you may recite it to the people): "It did not descend in one night nor in two nights, not in one month nor in two months, not in one year nor in two years — but there elapsed between its beginning and its end about twenty years."
Yūnus related to me, he said: Ibn Wahb informed us, he said: Ibn Zayd said concerning His word وَقُرْآنًا فَرَقْنَاهُ (and a Qurʾān that We have distinguished): "He divided it: He did not send it down in its entirety." And he recited: وَقَالَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا لَوْلا نُزِّلَ عَلَيْهِ الْقُرْآنُ جُمْلَةً وَاحِدَةً (And those who disbelieve say: 'Why was not the whole Qurʾān sent down upon him at once?') ... until he reached ... وَأَحْسَنَ تَفْسِيرًا — in order to refute them with what they advance.
Some of the grammarians of Kūfa say that the accusative of وَقُرآنا (a Qurʾān) stands in the meaning "and a mercy" — and they understand: وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَاكَ إِلا مُبَشِّرًا وَنَذِيرًا (and We sent you only as a bringer of good news and as a warner) and a mercy — and they say that this is permissible because the Qurʾān is a mercy. The accusative in the manner we have indicated is, however, preferable, as Allah the Exalted says: وَالْقَمَرَ قَدَّرْنَاهُ مَنَازِلَ (and the moon — We have appointed for it phases) (36:39).
His word لِتَقْرَأَهُ عَلَى النَّاسِ عَلَى مُكْثٍ (so that you may recite it to the people at a measured pace): that is to say: so that you may recite it to the people at a calm pace, pronouncing it deliberately and making it clear, and not hastening in its recitation so that you are not understood.
In agreement with what we said, the exegetes spoke.
* Mention of who said that:
Muhammad ibn Bashshār related to us, he said: ʿAbd al-Rahmān related to us, he said: Sufyān related to us, on the authority of ʿUbayd al-Muktib, he said: "I asked Mujāhid: a man recited al-Baqara and Āl ʿImrān, and another recited al-Baqara; their bowings and prostrations were equal — which of the two is preferable?" He said: "The one who recited al-Baqara." And he recited: وَقُرْآنًا فَرَقْنَاهُ لِتَقْرَأَهُ عَلَى النَّاسِ عَلَى مُكْثٍ (and a Qurʾān that We have distinguished, so that you may recite it to the people at a measured pace)."
ʿAlī related to me, he said: ʿAbd Allāh related to us, he said: Muʿāwiya related to me, on the authority of ʿAlī, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās, concerning His word لِتَقْرَأَهُ عَلَى النَّاسِ عَلَى مُكْثٍ (so that you may recite it to the people at a measured pace): "that is to say: deliberately."
Muhammad ibn ʿAmr related to me, he said: Abū ʿĀsim related to us, he said: ʿĪsā related to us; and al-Hārith related to me, he said: al-Hasan related to us, he said: Warqāʾ related to us — both on the authority of Ibn Abī Najīh, on the authority of Mujāhid, concerning His word عَلَى مُكْثٍ (at a measured pace): "at a moderated pace."
Al-Qāsim related to us, he said: al-Husayn related to us, he said: Hajjāj related to me, on the authority of Ibn Jurayj, concerning His word لِتَقْرَأَهُ عَلَى النَّاسِ عَلَى مُكْثٍ (so that you may recite it to the people at a measured pace): "at a moderated pace."
Yūnus related to me, he said: Ibn Wahb informed us, he said: Ibn Zayd said concerning His word لِتَقْرَأَهُ عَلَى النَّاسِ عَلَى مُكْثٍ (so that you may recite it to the people at a measured pace): "the interpretation is what Allah said: وَرَتِّلِ الْقُرْآنَ تَرْتِيلا (and recite the Qurʾān at a measured pace) (73:4) — that is its interpretation."
Al-Hasan related to us, he said: ʿAbd al-Razzāq informed us, he said: al-Thawrī informed us, on the authority of ʿUbayd, on the authority of Mujāhid, concerning His word لِتَقْرَأَهُ عَلَى النَّاسِ عَلَى مُكْثٍ (so that you may recite it to the people at a measured pace): "at a calm pace." In Arabic there are several utterances for mukth: mukth, makth, mikth, and mikkīthā (a shortened plural form), and mukthānan. The recitation with a closed mīm is preferable.
His word وَنـزلْنَاهُ تَنـزيلا (and We sent it down a true sending down): Allah the Exalted says: "We spread out its sending down and caused it to descend piece by piece."
As Yaʿqūb related to me, he said: Ibn ʿUlayya related to us, he said: someone related to us, on the authority of Abū Rajāʾ, he said: al-Hasan recited: "وَقُرآنا فَرَّقْناهُ لِتَقْرأَهُ عَلى النَّاسِ على مُكْثٍ وَنـزلْناهُ تَنـزيلا" and said: "Allah the Exalted caused this Qurʾān to descend piece by piece, in the knowledge of what would come and would take place among the people. It has been mentioned to us that between its beginning and its end eighteen years elapsed." He said: I asked him that one day in a loud voice, and said: "O Abū Saʿīd, 'and a Qurʾān that We have sent down piece by piece'?" Abū Rajāʾ doubled the rāʾ, whereupon al-Hasan said: "Not farraqqnāhu, but faraqnāhu" — and al-Hasan recited it light. I said: "Who tells you this, O Abū Saʿīd? The companions of Muhammad ﷺ?" He said: "Who else would tell it to me?" He said: "It was sent down upon him at Mecca before his emigration to Medina: eight years, and at Medina: ten years."
Bishr related to us, he said: Yazīd related to us, he said: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda, concerning His word وَقُرْآنًا فَرَقْنَاهُ لِتَقْرَأَهُ عَلَى النَّاسِ عَلَى مُكْثٍ وَنـزلْنَاهُ تَنـزيلا (and a Qurʾān that We have distinguished, so that you may recite it to the people at a measured pace; and We sent it down a true sending down): "It did not descend in one night nor in two nights, not in one month nor in two months, not in one year nor in two years — but there elapsed between its beginning and its end twenty years, or as much of that as Allah willed."
Bishr related to us, he said: Yazīd related to us, he said: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda, on the authority of al-Hasan, he said: he used to say: "The Qurʾān was sent down upon the Prophet of Allah ﷺ — eight years, and ten years after he had emigrated." Qatāda used to say: "Ten years at Mecca, and ten years at Medina."
