Tafseer of The Night Journey · Al-Israa · 17:80
And say, "My Lord, cause me to enter a sound entrance and to exit a sound exit and grant me from Yourself a supporting authority."
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, exalted be His mention, says to His Prophet: And say, O Muhammad: My Lord, cause me to enter with a truthful entrance.
The exegetes of the Qurʾān have differed among themselves concerning the meaning of the truthful entrance which Allah commanded His Prophet ﷺ to desire, and concerning the truthful exit which He commanded him to desire. Some of them said: by the truthful entrance He means the entrance of the Prophet ﷺ into Medina at his emigration thither; and the truthful exit: his exit from Mecca, when he departed from it as an emigrant to Medina.
Mention of who said that:
Ibn Wakīʿ and Ibn Ḥumayd related to us, they said: Jarīr related to us on the authority of Qābūs ibn Abī Ḍubyān, on the authority of his father, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās: he said: the Prophet ﷺ was in Mecca, and then he was commanded to emigrate; and Allah, blessed and exalted be His name, sent down وَقُل رَّبِّ أَدْخِلْنِي مُدْخَلَ صِدْقٍ وَأَخْرِجْنِي مُخْرَجَ صِدْقٍ وَاجْعَل لِّي مِن لَّدُنكَ سُلْطَانًا نَّصِيرًا (And say: My Lord, cause me to enter with a truthful entrance and cause me to depart with a truthful exit, and grant me from Yourself a helping authority).
Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd Allāh ibn Bazīʿ related to us, he said: Bishr ibn al-Mufaḍḍal related to us on the authority of ʿAwf, on the authority of al-Ḥasan concerning the word of Allah أَدْخِلْنِي مُدْخَلَ صِدْقٍ وَأَخْرِجْنِي مُخْرَجَ صِدْقٍ: he said: the disbelievers of Mecca had conspired against the Prophet ﷺ to kill him, expel him, or bind him; and Allah willed that the people of Mecca should be fought, so He commanded him to set out to Medina. This is what Allah meant by أَدْخِلْنِي مُدْخَلَ صِدْقٍ.
Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd al-Aʿlā related to us, he said: Muḥammad ibn Thawr related to us on the authority of Maʿmar, on the authority of Qatāda concerning مُدْخَلَ صِدْقٍ: he said: Medina; concerning مُخْرَجَ صِدْقٍ: he said: Mecca.
Bishr related to us, he said: Yazīd related to us, he said: Saʿīd related to us on the authority of Qatāda concerning وَقُل رَّبِّ أَدْخِلْنِي مُدْخَلَ صِدْقٍ وَأَخْرِجْنِي مُخْرَجَ صِدْقٍ: Allah caused him to depart from Mecca as an emigrant to Medina.
Yūnus related to me, he said: Ibn Wahb informed us, he said: Ibn Zayd said concerning وَقُل رَّبِّ أَدْخِلْنِي مُدْخَلَ صِدْقٍ وَأَخْرِجْنِي مُخْرَجَ صِدْقٍ: he said: Medina, when he emigrated thither; and a truthful exit: Mecca, when he departed from it — a truthful exit; this he said when he departed as an emigrant.
Others said: no, the meaning is: and say: Lord, cause me to die a truthful death, and after death on the Day of Resurrection cause me to depart from my grave with a truthful exit.
Mention of who said that:
Muḥammad ibn Saʿd related to me, he said: my father related to me, he said: my uncle related to me, he said: my father related to me on the authority of his father, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās concerning وَقُل رَّبِّ أَدْخِلْنِي مُدْخَلَ صِدْقٍ ... the verse: he said: by the entrance he means death, and by the exit the life after death.
Others said: no, the meaning is: cause me to enter into Your affair with which You have sent me as a prophet, with a truthful entrance; and cause me to depart from it with a truthful exit.
Mention of who said that:
Muḥammad ibn ʿAmr related to me, he said: Abū ʿĀṣim related to us, he said: ʿĪsā related to us; and al-Ḥārith related to me, he said: al-Ḥasan related to us, he said: Waqrāʾ related to us — both on the authority of Ibn Abī Najīḥ, on the authority of Mujāhid concerning أَدْخِلْنِي مُدْخَلَ صِدْقٍ: he said: into the affair with which You have sent me; concerning وَأَخْرِجْنِي مُخْرَجَ صِدْقٍ: he said: likewise.
Al-Qāsim related to us, he said: al-Ḥusayn related to us, he said: Ḥajjāj related to me on the authority of Ibn Jurayj, on the authority of Mujāhid — to the same effect.
Others said: the meaning is: cause me to enter with a truthful entrance — Paradise (janna); and cause me to depart with a truthful exit — from Mecca to Medina.
Mention of who said that:
Al-Ḥasan ibn Yaḥyā related to us, he said: ʿAbd al-Razzāq informed us, he said: Maʿmar informed us on the authority of Qatāda: he said: al-Ḥasan said: أَدْخِلْنِي مُدْخَلَ صِدْقٍ — Paradise; and مُخْرَجَ صِدْقٍ — from Mecca to Medina.
Others said: the meaning is: cause me to enter into Islam with a truthful entrance.
Mention of who said that:
Sahl ibn Mūsā al-Rāzī related to us, he said: Ibn Numayr related to us on the authority of Ismāʿīl ibn Abī Khālid, on the authority of Abī Ṣāliḥ concerning رَبِّ أَدْخِلْنِي مُدْخَلَ صِدْقٍ: he said: cause me to enter into Islam with a truthful entrance; وَأَخْرِجْنِي from it مُخْرَجَ صِدْقٍ.
Others said: the meaning is: cause me to enter Mecca in safety, and cause me to depart from it in safety.
Mention of who said that:
It was related to me from al-Ḥusayn: he said: I heard Abū Muʿādh say: ʿUbayd ibn Sulaymān related to us, he said: I heard al-Ḍaḥḥāk say concerning رَبِّ أَدْخِلْنِي مُدْخَلَ صِدْقٍ وَأَخْرِجْنِي مُخْرَجَ صِدْقٍ: he means Mecca — he entered it in safety and departed from it in safety.
The closest of these opinions to what is correct in the interpretation of this, in our view, is the word of him who said: the meaning is: cause me to enter Medina with a truthful entrance, and cause me to leave Mecca with a truthful exit.
We say that for the following reason: this verse follows directly upon God's mention of what the polytheists (mushrikīn) intended in seeking to expel him from Mecca; and We have already shown elsewhere that thereby the people of Mecca are meant. Since this verse follows upon Allah's report of what the polytheists intended — namely, to expel the Prophet ﷺ from Mecca — it is clear, now that Allah has caused him to depart from it, that His word وَقُل رَّبِّ أَدْخِلْنِي مُدْخَلَ صِدْقٍ وَأَخْرِجْنِي مُخْرَجَ صِدْقٍ is a command from Him to desire that He cause him to depart, with a truthful exit, from the city from which the polytheists wished to expel him, and that He cause him to enter, with a truthful entrance, the city to which Allah transferred him.
His word وَاجْعَل لِّي مِن لَّدُنكَ سُلْطَانًا نَّصِيرًا (and grant me from Yourself a helping authority).
The exegetes of the Qurʾān have differed among themselves concerning the interpretation of this. Some said: the meaning is: grant me a helping royal authority that aids me against whoever fights me and opposes me, and a power by which I establish Your religion and ward off from it whoever wishes it ill.
Mention of who said that:
Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd Allāh ibn Bazīʿ related to us, he said: Bishr ibn al-Mufaḍḍal related to us on the authority of ʿAwf, on the authority of al-Ḥasan concerning the word of Allah, Mighty and Majestic وَاجْعَل لِّي مِن لَّدُنكَ سُلْطَانًا نَّصِيرًا: He promised him that He would take away the kingdom of Persia and the power of Persia and give it to him, and the power of Byzantium and the kingdom of Byzantium and give it to him.
Bishr related to us, he said: Yazīd related to us, he said: Saʿīd related to us on the authority of Qatāda concerning وَاجْعَل لِّي مِن لَّدُنكَ سُلْطَانًا نَّصِيرًا: the Prophet of Allah knew that he was not able to bear this affair without authority; therefore he asked for a helping authority for the Book of Allah, Mighty and Majestic, for the prescribed punishments (ḥudūd) of Allah, for the obligations (farāʾiḍ) of Allah, and for the establishment of the religion of Allah. And indeed, authority is a mercy from Allah which He has placed in the midst of His servants; without that authority they would fall upon one another and the strong would devour the weak.
Others said: no, by this is understood a clear proof.
Mention of who said that:
Muḥammad ibn ʿAmr related to me, he said: Abū ʿĀṣim related to us, he said: ʿĪsā related to us; and al-Ḥārith related to me, he said: al-Ḥasan related to us, he said: Waqrāʾ related to us — both on the authority of Ibn Abī Najīḥ, on the authority of Mujāhid concerning the word of Allah, Mighty and Majestic سُلْطَانًا نَّصِيرًا: he said: a clear proof.
Al-Qāsim related to us, he said: al-Ḥusayn related to us, he said: Ḥajjāj related to me on the authority of Ibn Jurayj, on the authority of Mujāhid — to the same effect.
The most correct opinion concerning this, in our view, is the word of him who said: this is a command from Allah, exalted be His mention, to His Prophet to desire that He grant him a helping authority over whoever has assailed him and plotted against him, and who sought to prevent him from establishing the obligations of Allah in himself and among His servants.
We say that it is the most correct because this verse follows upon God's report of what the polytheists intended — to expel him from Mecca. Allah, Mighty and Majestic, let him know that had they done so, the punishment would have swiftly struck them. Then He commanded him to desire that He cause him to depart from their midst with a truthful exit over them, and cause him to enter another city with a truthful entrance over them and over its inhabitants upon his entering it; and that He grant him a helping authority over the inhabitants of the city that drove him out, and over all who resemble them. And if that is granted to him, then without doubt a clear proof has been given to him.
As for His word نَّصِيرًا (helping): Ibn Zayd held an opinion concerning this similar to what we have said.
Yūnus related to me, he said: Ibn Wahb informed us, he said: Ibn Zayd said concerning وَاجْعَل لِّي مِن لَّدُنكَ سُلْطَانًا نَّصِيرًا: he said: that aids me. And Allah said to Moses: سَنَشُدُّ عَضُدَكَ بِأَخِيكَ وَنَجْعَلُ لَكُمَا سُلْطَانًا فَلَا يَصِلُونَ إِلَيْكُمَا بِآيَاتِنَا — this is in inverted order; it actually means: an authority by Our signs, so that they cannot reach the two of you.
