Al-Qur'an Surah Al-Isra Verse 7

Mufti Taqi Usmani

(saying) ‘If you do good, you will do it for your own benefit, and if you do evil, it will be against yourselves’. Later, when came the time appointed for the second, (We sent others,) so that they spoil your faces, and so that they enter into the Mosque as the former ones entered it the first time, and utterly destroy whatever they prevail upon.

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

If you act rightly, it is for your own good, but if you do wrong, it is to your own loss. “And when the second warning would come to pass, your enemies would ˹be left to˺ totally disgrace you and enter the Temple ˹of Jerusalem˺ as they entered it the first time, and utterly destroy whatever would fall into their hands.

Ruwwad Translation Center

If you do good, it is for your own good, but if you do evil, it is to your own loss. Then when the second warning came to pass, your enemies would disgrace and suppress you, and enter the Temple [of Jerusalem] as they entered it the first time, and utterly destroy whatever fell into their power.

A. J. Arberry

'If you do good, it is your own souls you do good to, and if you do evil it is to them likewise.' Then, when the promise of the second came to pass, We sent against you Our servants to discountenance you, and to enter the Temple, as they entered it the first time, and to destroy utterly that which they ascended to.

Abdul Haleem

whether you do good or evil it is to your own souls––and when the second warning was fulfilled [We sent them] to shame your faces and enter the place of worship as they did the first time, and utterly destroy whatever fell into their power.

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

If ye will do well ye will do well for yourselves, and if ye will do evil it will be against the same. Then when the promise of the second came, We raised up a people that they may disgrace your faces and may enter the Mosque even as they entered it the first time, and that they may destroy with utter destruction whatsoever may fall under their power.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

If ye did well, ye did well for yourselves; if ye did evil, (ye did it) against yourselves. So when the second of the warnings came to pass, (We permitted your enemies) to disfigure your faces, and to enter your Temple as they had entered it before, and to visit with destruction all that fell into their power.

Abul Ala Maududi

Whenever you did good, it was to your own advantage; and whenever you committed evil, it was to your own disadvantage. So, when the time of the fulfilment of the second promise arrived, (We raised other enemies that would) disfigure your faces and enter the Temple (of Jerusalem) as they had entered the first time, and destroy whatever they could lay their hands on.

Ahmed Ali

"If you do good, you will do so for your own good; if you do ill, you will do it for your own loss." So, when the time of the second prediction comes, (We shall rouse another people) to shame you, and enter the Temple as they had done the first time, and to destroy what they conquered utterly.

Ahmed Raza Khan

If you do good deeds, you will for your own good – and if you commit evil, it is for yourself; therefore when the second of those promises came – so the enemy maim your faces, and enter the mosque as they had entered it the first time, and destroy until they ruin all they could capture.

Ali Quli Qarai

[saying,] ‘If you do good, you will do good to your [own] souls, and if you do evil, it will be [evil] for them.’ So when the occasion for the other [prophecy] comes, they will make your faces wretched, and enter the Temple just as they entered it the first time, and destroy utterly whatever they come upon.

Ali Ünal

If you do good (aware that God is seeing you), you do good to your own selves; and if you do evil, it is likewise to your own selves. And so, when the time (for the fulfillment) of the second decree comes, (We rouse new enemies against you) to disgrace you utterly and to enter the Temple as the others entered it before, and to destroy entirely all that they conquer.

Amatul Rahman Omar

(We said,) `If you did good, you did it for your ownselves, and if you did evil it was only to the same end.´ So when (the time for carrying out) the latter warning came (We raised certain other people - Romans under Titus in 70 A.D., against you to destroy your glory), so that they might do evil to (you and) your leading men and invade and enter the Mosque (at Jerusalem) in the same way as others (of your enemies) had invaded and entered it the first time, and so that they might destroy utterly all that they had conquered.

English Literal

If you did good, you did good for yourselves, and if you did bad/evil/harm so for it (your selves), so if the last`s/end`s/other`s promise came, they will cause God evil/harm (to) your faces/fronts, they will enter the Mosque like they entered it (on) the first/beginning time , and they will destroy/ruin/break (E) what they (the worshippers/slaves) rose over (with) destruction/ruin/breakage.

Faridul Haque

If you do good deeds, you will for your own good - and if you commit evil, it is for yourself; therefore when the second of those promises came - so the enemy maim your faces, and enter the mosque as they had entered it the first time, and destroy until they ruin all they could capture.

Hamid S. Aziz

If you do well, you do well to your own souls; and if you do evil, you do it against your own souls. And when the second warning came, We permitted your enemies to disfigure your faces and to enter your Temple as they had entered it the first time, and to destroy all that fell into their hands."

Hilali & Khan

(And We said): "If you do good, you do good for your ownselves, and if you do evil (you do it) against yourselves." Then, when the second promise came to pass, (We permitted your enemies) to make your faces sorrowful and to enter the mosque (of Jerusalem) as they had entered it before, and to destroy with utter destruction all that fell in their hands.

Maulana Mohammad Ali

Then We gave you back the turn against them, and aided you with wealth and children and made you a numerous band.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

If you do good, you will do good for your own souls, and if you do evil, it shall be for them. So when the second promise came (We raised another people) that they may bring you to grief and that they may enter the mosque as they entered it the first time, and that they might destroy whatever they gained ascendancy over with utter destruction.

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

(Saying): If ye do good, ye do good for your own souls, and if ye do evil, it is for them (in like manner). So, when the time for the second (of the judgments) came (We roused against you others of Our slaves) to ravage you, and to enter the Temple even as they entered it the first time, and to lay waste all that they conquered with an utter wasting.

Muhammad Sarwar

(We told you), "If you do good, it will be for your own benefit, but if you do bad, it will be against your souls. When the prophecy of your second transgression will come to pass, sadness will cover your faces. They (your enemies) will enter the mosque as they did the first time to bring about utter destruction.

Qaribullah & Darwish

(We said): 'If you do good, it shall be for your own souls; but if you do evil it is likewise' And when the second promise came (We sent them against you), to sadden your faces and to enter the Mosque as they entered it the first time, they utterly destroyed whatever they came across.

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

(And We said): "If you do good, you do good for your own selves, and if you do evil (you do it) against yourselves." Then, when the second promise came to pass, (We permitted your enemies) to disgrace your faces and to enter the Masjid as they had entered it before, and to destroy with utter destruction all that fell in their hands.

Wahiduddin Khan

[We said], "If you persevere in doing good, you will be doing good to yourselves; but if you do evil, it will go against you." When the time of the second warning came, [We roused against you others] to disgrace you utterly and to enter the place of worship as they had entered it before, utterly destroying all that they laid their hands on.

Talal Itani

If you work righteousness, you work righteousness for yourselves; and if you commit evil, you do so against yourselves. Then, when the second promise comes true, they will make your faces filled with sorrow, and enter the Temple as they entered it the first time, and utterly destroy all that falls into their power.

Tafsir jalalayn

And We said; `If you are virtuous, through [acts of] obedience, you are being virtuous to your own souls, since the reward thereof is for them [your souls]; and if you do evil, by way of [working] corruption, it is for them', your evildoing. So when the time, the occasion, for the other [prophecy] comes, We will raise them forth, that they might ravage you, make you grieve through [their] slaying and taking captive [of you], a grief that will be manifest on your faces, and that they might enter the Temple, the Holy House [of Jerusalem], and destroy it, just as they entered it, and destroyed it, the first time, and that they might destroy, lay waste, all that they conquered, [all that] they gained ascendancy over, utterly, with an utter wasting. They indeed wrought corruption a second time when they slew [the prophet] John. Thus Nebuchadnezzar was roused against them, and so he slew thousands of them and took their children captive and destroyed the Holy House [of Jerusalem].

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

إِنْ أَحْسَنتُمْ أَحْسَنتُمْ لاَِنفُسِكُمْ وَإِنْ أَسَأْتُمْ فَلَهَا

(And We said);"If you do good, you do good for your own selves, and if you do evil (you do it) against yourselves."

As Allah says elsewhere;

مَّنْ عَمِلَ صَـلِحاً فَلِنَفْسِهِ وَمَنْ أَسَأءَ فَعَلَيْهَا

Whosoever does a righteous good deed, it is for (the benefit of) himself; and whosoever does evil, it is against himself. (45;15)
The Second Episode of Mischief

Then Allah says;

فَإِذَا جَاء وَعْدُ الاخِرَةِ

Then, when the second promise came to pass,

meaning, the second episode of mischief, when your enemies came again,

لِيَسُووُواْ وُجُوهَكُمْ

(We permitted your enemies) to disgrace your faces,

meaning, to humiliate you and subdue you,

وَلِيَدْخُلُواْ الْمَسْجِدَ

and to enter the Masjid,

meaning, Bayt Al-Maqdis (Jerusalem).

كَمَا دَخَلُوهُ أَوَّلَ مَرَّةٍ

as they had entered it before,

when they entered the very innermost parts of your homes.

وَلِيُتَبِّرُواْ

and to destroy,

wrecking and inflicting ruin upon it.

مَا عَلَوْاْ

all that fell in their hands.

everything they could get their hands on.

تَتْبِيرًا