The Children of Israel
IN THE NAME OF GOD, THE MOST GRACIOUS, THE DISPENSER OF GRACE[17:2]
And [thus, too,] We vouchsafed revelation unto Moses, and made it a [source of] guidance for the children of Israel, [commanding them:] "Do not ascribe to any but Me the power to determine your fate,

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* v.2 : The conjunctive particle “And” which introduces this verse is meant to show that the mystic Night Journey – and, by implication, the subsequent Ascension as well – were experiences of the same high order of divine grace as the revelation bestowed upon Moses. The Qur’ān mentions in 4:164 that “God spoke His word unto Moses,” i.e., directly (taklīman); see also 7:143-144, and especially verse 144, in which God says to Moses, “I have raised thee above all people…by virtue of My speaking [unto thee].” A similar directness of experience is alluded to in the opening words of this sūrah, “Limitless in His glory is He who transported His servant [Muhammad] by night…so that We might show him some of Our symbols” (see note 2 above; also, Appendix IV]. Apart from this, the reference, in this and many other places in the Qur’ān, to the religious history of the Hebrews is due to the fact that the revelations granted to their prophets represent the earliest formulation of monotheism, which makes it ideologically important for its later development.
* The term wakīl denotes “one who is entrusted with the management of [another person’s] affairs,” or “is responsible for [another person’s] conduct.” When applied to God, it is sometimes used in the sense of “guardian” (e.g., in 3:173), or “defender” (e.g., in 4:109), or – in combination with the phrase ‘alā kulli shay’in (as, e.g., in 6:102 or 11:12) – in the sense of “the One who has everything in His care.” In the present instance (as well as in 39:62) the term evidently alludes to God’s exclusive power to determine the fate of any created being or thing.