Surah Al-Isra, Ayah 41

وَلَقَدْ صَرَّفْنَا فِى هَـذَا الْقُرْءَانِ

(And surely, We have explained in this Qur'an) meaning, `We have explained Our warni- ngs so that they may remember the proof, evidence and exhorta- tions contained there- in, and be prevented from Shirk, wrong- doing and scandal.'

وَمَا يَزِيدُهُمْ

(but it increases them in naught) the wrong- doers among them

إِلاَّ نُفُورًا

(save aversion.) aversion towards the truth; they go further away from it.

After having described details of the injunctions appearing above, it was said in the last verse: كُلُّ ذَٰلِكَ كَانَ سَيِّئُهُ عِندَ رَ‌بِّكَ مَكْرُ‌وهًا (That which is evil, of all these, is detestable in the sight of your Lord - 38).

As for what has been forbidden in the said injunctions, their repugnance is obvious. But, within these there are some commandments where rights of parents and relatives have been enjoined or fulfillment of promises has been made mandatory. Here too, the purpose is to avoid doing the opposite of it, like hurting parents, breaking off from relatives and going back on solemn promises. Since all these things are haram or reprehensible, therefore, it has been called 'makruh' in a general sense of 'detestable' which includes the haram and makruh both. (Bayan al-Qur an)

Note

The injunctions described in the fifteen verses cited above are, in a way, the explanation of the effort acceptable in the sight of Allah mentioned in: وَسَعَىٰ لَهَا سَعْيَهَا (and makes effort for it as due - 19). There it was said that not every effort is acceptable with Allah. Instead, the effort made in accordance with the Sunnah and teaching of the Holy Prophet ﷺ is the only one acceptable with Him. Main divisions of such acceptable effort have been mentioned in these injunctions which take up the rights of Allah first and then the rights of the servants of Allah.

A gist of Torah in fifteen verses

Sayyidna ` Abdullah ibn ` Abbas ؓ said that the commandments of the entire Torah have been reduced to fifteen verses of Surah Bani Isra'il. (Mazhari)

The injunctions given in the above verses come under the heading of ‘wisdom’ (hikmah). The meaning of ‘wisdom’ here stands for the firm reality, the sound truths of life. It is on the foundations of these realities that the healthy life is built. A human society devoid of them can expect little else but annihilation both in the present and in the next life. The narration of the above-mentioned advice begins with the Oneness of God, or tawhid (verse 22) and finishes with the oneness of God (verse 39). This indicates that, for the foundation of all good deeds, man should believe in the one God. He should fear and love Him alone. The secret of a good life is concealed in the right relationship with God. If the relationship with God is not proper, no other thing can set right the affairs of human life. God is the beginning and the end of human life.