سورة الإسرَاء
Surah Al-Isrâ’ 17:70
The Night-Journey · Verse 70 of 111
وَلَقَدْ كَرَّمْنَا بَنِي آدَمَ وَحَمَلْنَاهُمْ فِي الْبَرِّ وَالْبَحْرِ وَرَزَقْنَاهُمْ مِنَ الطَّيِّبَاتِ وَفَضَّلْنَاهُمْ عَلَىٰ كَثِيرٍ مِمَّنْ خَلَقْنَا تَفْضِيلًا
Abdul Mannan Omar
And most surely We have made the Children of Adam greatly honoured and have carried them over land and sea, and We have provided them with good and pure things and have distinctly exalted them far above most of Our creation.
Abdullah Yusuf Ali
We have honoured the sons of Adam; provided them with transport on land and sea; given them for sustenance things good and pure; and conferred on them special favours, above a great part of our creation.
Ahmed Ali
Indeed We have honoured the children of Adam, and carried them over land and sea, provided them with good things for their sustenance, and exalted them over many of Our creatures.
12 more translations
Ali Unal
Assuredly We have honored the children of Adam (with many distinctions): We have sustained their traveling on the land and the sea, and provided for them (their sustenance) out of pure, wholesome things, and preferred them above many of those whom We have created with particular preferment.
Daryabadi
And assuredly We have honoured the Children of Adam: and We have borne them on the land and the sea, and We have provided them with clean things, and We have preferred them over many of them whom We have created with a preferment.
Faridul Haque
Indeed We have honoured the Descendants of Adam and transported them over land and sea, and gave them good things as sustenance, and made them better than most of Our creation.
Maulana Muhammad Ali
And surely We have honoured the children of Adam, and We carry them in the land and the sea, and We provide them with good things, and We have made them to excel highly most of those whom We have created.
Maulvi Sher Ali
Indeed, WE have honoured the children of Adam, and WE carry them by land and sea, and provide them with good things and have exalted them far above many of those whom WE have created.
Muhammad Asad
NOW, INDEED, We have conferred dignity on the children of Adam, and borne them over land and sea, and provided for them sustenance out of the good things of life, and favoured them far above most of Our creation:
Muhammad Musin Khan
And indeed We have honoured the Children of Adam, and We have carried them on land and sea, and have provided them with At-Taiyibat (lawful good things), and have preferred them above many of those whom We have created with a marked preference.
Muhammad Pickthall
Verily we have honoured the Children of Adam. We carry them on the land and the sea, and have made provision of good things for them, and have preferred them above many of those whom We created with a marked preferment.
Muhammad Sarwar
We have honored the children of Adam, carried them on the land and the sea, given them pure sustenance and exalted them above most of My creatures.
Muhammed ali Shakir
And surely We have honored the children of Adam, and We carry them in the land and the sea, and We have given them of the good things, and We have made them to excel by an appropriate excellence over most of those whom We have created.
Rashad Khalifa
We have honored the children of Adam, and provided them with rides on land and in the sea. We provided for them good provisions, and we gave them greater advantages than many of our creatures.
Shabbir Ahmed
Surely, We have conferred dignity on children of Adam (as a birth right, regardless of where the child is born), and provided them with transport on land and sea and given them decent things of life. We have favored them over very many of those whom We have created.
Commentary 17:70 “We have made the children of Adam greatly honoured”, وَلَقَدْكَرَّمْنَا بَنِي آدَم indicates that the human being is born without “sin”. He is given an…
وَلَقَدْ كَرَّمْنَا بَنِي آدَمَ وَحَمَلْنَاهُمْ فِي الْبَرِّ وَالْبَحْرِ وَرَزَقْنَاهُم مِّنَ الطَّيِّبَاتِ وَفَضَّلْنَاهُمْ عَلَىٰ كَثِيرٍ مِّمَّنْ خَلَقْنَا تَفْضِيلًا
17:70 “We have made the children of Adam greatly honoured”, وَلَقَدْكَرَّمْنَا بَنِي آدَم indicates that the human being is born without “sin”. He is given an unsullied and pure nature with inborn faculty and tendency to do good. This verse refutes the Christian notion of original sin. Human beings are also endowed with the power of Tafaqquh تفُقٌه, the power of rational thinking, and with the power of Tadabbur تدبٌر, the power of reflection and meditation and the power of Tuaqqul نَعقٌل, the power to acquire knowledge. The human being can be honoured with the gift of nafs mutma’innah نفس المطمئنٌة, the self that is in peace and tranquillity.
When an earnest human soul advances on his evolutionary journey, it ultimately reaches a point where virtue and piety rule in every corner of his heart. A fire from above descends upon him, burning out his nafs-i-ammara – that is, his animate nature, and “he becomes reconciled to his Lord. He is also pleased with him” (cf. 89:27-28). This is the honour that is bestowed on the human being expressed in the words, “وَلَقَدْ كَرَّمْنَا بَنِيآدَمَ.” Allâh says, لَقَدْ خَلَقْنَا الْإِنسَانَ فِي أَحْسَنِ تَقْوِيمٍ; “We have surely created the human being in the finest make” (95:4). Through spiritually he can rise and become the mirror, in which Divine Attributes are reflected. It is the honour of nearness to the Lord, which is spoken of in this verse. Great honour was bestowed on the Holy Prophet (pbuh) during his Night Journey.
By using the words “the children of Adam (بَنِي آدَمَ)” the verse demolishes all notions of superiority based on colour, creed, or ethnic origin. This honour is universal, thus refuting the Jewish claim of being a chosen people. It is also a violation of the Just Universal Providence to prefer a particular nation, and especially to choose one group for the bestowal of His honours.
All nations have had their Prophets. We must regard spiritual founders of other religions as part of one universal dispensation. The whole of humanity is a single nation. We are all members of Allâh’s family, as the Holy Prophet (pbuh) said, “Al-Khaliqu iyâl Allâh.” The verse gives a gospel of universal salvation and peace to people of any persuasion. All avenues of progress and prosperity have been kept open for all human beings. However, the human being is also given free will to reject these blessings.