سُبْحَانَ الَّذِي 644 بنی اسرائیل
And another name for it is Surah Al-Isra, and another name is Surah Subhan.
Relevancy:
The difference between this Surah and Surah An-Nahl is that in Surah An-Nahl, there is a rebuttal of the arguments of the polytheists along with a warning of punishment. In this Surah, the causes of punishment are mentioned. Additionally, in Surah An-Nahl, at the end, wisdom is mentioned in the method of invitation, and in this Surah, the explanation of wisdom is provided.
Claim of this surah:
The mention of four causes of punishment for warning (fear-inducing), along with ways to avoid punishment, is as follows:
The first cause is the denial of monotheism (Tawheed). To establish monotheism, four methods are provided: Rebuttal of the types of polytheism and the polytheists—thirteen rejections are mentioned. Mention of thirteen beautiful names of Allah (Asma’ al-Husna). Logical arguments and signs of revelation, meaning miracles.The declaration of Tawheed six times. As an example of the first cause, the story of Bani Israel is mentioned.The second cause is the denial of miracles and divine signs, exemplified by the stories of Thamud and the incident of Adam (peace be upon him) and Iblis. The third cause is expelling the messengers from their lands, exemplified by the migration of Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him). The fourth cause is mocking the messengers, exemplified by the incident of Musa (peace be upon him) and Pharaoh.
Summary of the surah:
This Surah is divided into four sections, each addressing one of the causes of punishment. First Section: Up to verse 58, In this section, the claim of monotheism (Tawheed) and its proofs are presented:
Mention of the miracle of Isra (Night Journey) as a proof in verse 1.
Rational proof in verse 1. Textual evidence from the Book of Musa (peace be upon him) in verse 2. Encouragement towards monotheism in verse 3 Mention of a punishment example upon Bani Israel from verses 4 to 8. The miracle of the Quran as proof of monotheism, accompanied by warning and glad tidings in verses 9 and 10. First warning against asking for evil in verse 11. Rational evidence in verse 12. Warning about the Hereafter in verses 13 and 14. Mention of the wisdom behind the sending of messengers in verse 15. Worldly warning in verse 16, with an example in verse 17. Warning about the Hereafter in verse 18.
Glad tidings in verses 19, 20, and 21. Three measures to avoid punishment are mentioned. Each part builds on encouraging faith and establishing proofs while warning of consequences. In this section, the Surah highlights three key principles to avoid punishment, along with various warnings and encouragements: Three Principles to Avoid Punishment: Avoiding shirk (polytheism) in verses 22 and 23. Showing kindness to creation from verse 23 to 30. Practicing justice and refraining from oppression, with ten aspects mentioned. Warnings and Encouragements: First warning against shirk with angels in verse 40. Second warning about rejecting the Quran. Discussion on monotheism (Tawheed) and a rebuttal of shirk in verses 43 and 44. Four Specific Warnings: Against rejecting the Quran in verse 45. Against denying monotheism in verse 46. Against rejecting the Messenger in verse 47. Against denying resurrection, from verses 49 to 52. Encouragements and Proofs: Encouragement towards monotheism in verses 53 and 54. Rational evidence in verse 55. Rebuttal of polytheists’ beliefs regarding jinn, shirk in control (tasarruf), and shirk in supplication (dua) in subsequent verses. This structure emphasizes a combination of rational proofs, warnings against major sins, and encouragements towards faith and righteous behavior.