Tafseer of The Night Journey · Al-Israa · 17:20
To each [category] We extend - to these and to those - from the gift of your Lord. And never has the gift of your Lord been restricted.
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.
Allah the Exalted says: Your Lord, O Muhammad, supports both groups — both those who seek the worldly life and those who seek the Hereafter, who strive for it as it requires and are believers — in this worldly life out of His gift: He provides for both of them out of His provision until they reach the term appointed for them and their fixed lifespan comes to an end. Then their conditions differ after death and their destinies diverge after the arrival: the group of those who sought the worldly life is sent to Hellfire, and the group of those who sought the Hereafter returns to Paradise. وَمَا كَانَ عَطَاءُ رَبِّكَ مَحْظُورًا (and the gift of your Lord was not forbidden): that is, the gift of your Lord which He bestows upon whomever He wills of His creatures in the worldly life was forbidden to no one to whom He has expanded it — none of His creatures can deprive him of it once Allah has given it to him.
In accordance with what we have said, the exegetes spoke.
* Mention of who said that:
Bishr ibn Muʿādh related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda, concerning His word كُلا نُمِدُّ هَؤُلاءِ وَهَؤُلاءِ مِنْ عَطَاءِ رَبِّكَ وَمَا كَانَ عَطَاءُ رَبِّكَ مَحْظُورًا (Both We support — these and those — out of the gift of your Lord, and the gift of your Lord was not forbidden): "that is: not diminished. Allah the Exalted has divided the worldly life between the righteous and the corrupt, and the Hereafter He has reserved exclusively, with your Lord, for the God-fearing."
Muhammad ibn ʿAbd al-Aʿlā related to us, saying: Muhammad ibn Thawr related to us, on the authority of Maʿmar, on the authority of Qatāda, concerning وَمَا كَانَ عَطَاءُ رَبِّكَ مَحْظُورًا (and the gift of your Lord was not forbidden): "that is: not diminished."
Muhammad ibn ʿAbd Allāh al-Mukharrimī related to us, saying: ʿAbd al-Rahmān ibn Mahdī related to us, saying: Sahl ibn Abī al-Salt al-Sarrāj related to us, saying: I heard al-Hasan say concerning كُلا نُمِدُّ هَؤُلاءِ وَهَؤُلاءِ مِنْ عَطَاءِ رَبِّكَ (Both We support — these and those — out of the gift of your Lord): "We give both out of the worldly life — the righteous and the corrupt."
Al-Qāsim related to us, saying: al-Husayn related to us, saying: Hajjāj related to me, on the authority of Ibn Jurayj, saying: Ibn ʿAbbās said concerning مَنْ كَانَ يُرِيدُ الْعَاجِلَةَ عَجَّلْنَا لَهُ فِيهَا مَا نَشَاءُ ... the verse ... and وَمَنْ أَرَادَ الآخِرَةَ ..., and then said: كُلا نُمِدُّ هَؤُلاءِ وَهَؤُلاءِ مِنْ عَطَاءِ رَبِّكَ (Both We support — these and those — out of the gift of your Lord). Ibn ʿAbbās said: "Whoever wants the worldly life is provided for; and whoever wants the Hereafter is provided for." Ibn Jurayj said concerning وَمَا كَانَ عَطَاءُ رَبِّكَ مَحْظُورًا (and the gift of your Lord was not forbidden): "that is: withheld."
Bishr related to us, saying: Ibn Wahb informed us, saying: Ibn Zayd said concerning His word كُلا نُمِدُّ هَؤُلاءِ وَهَؤُلاءِ (Both We support — these and those) — the people of the worldly life and the people of the Hereafter — مِنْ عَطَاءِ رَبِّكَ وَمَا كَانَ عَطَاءُ رَبِّكَ مَحْظُورًا (out of the gift of your Lord, and the gift of your Lord was not forbidden): "that is: withheld."
Yūnus related to me, saying: Ibn Wahb informed us, saying: Ibn Zayd said concerning His word كُلا نُمِدُّ هَؤُلاءِ وَهَؤُلاءِ (Both We support — these and those) — the people of the worldly life and the people of the Hereafter — مِنْ عَطَاءِ رَبِّكَ وَمَا كَانَ عَطَاءُ رَبِّكَ مَحْظُورًا — from no righteous one nor from any corrupt one. "The forbidden (al-mahzūr) is that which is withheld." And he recited: انْظُرْ كَيْفَ فَضَّلْنَا بَعْضَهُمْ عَلَى بَعْضٍ وَلَلآخِرَةُ أَكْبَرُ دَرَجَاتٍ وَأَكْبَرُ تَفْضِيلا (See how We have favored some of them over others, and the Hereafter is greater in ranks and greater in favor) (17:21).