Transliteration:( Ulaaa'ikal lazeena yad'oona yabtaghoona ilaa Rabbihimul waseelata ayyuhum aqrabu wa yarjoona rahmatahoo wa yakhaafoona 'azaabah; inna 'azaaba rabbika kaana mahzooraa )
"Those chosen bondsmen whom these infidels worship, (123), they themselves seek access (124), towards their Lord that who is near to Him in them, they hope for His mercy and fear (125). His torment. No doubt the torment of your Lord is a thing to be feared."
This refers to those pious servants of Allah, such as the Prophets, saints, angels, or other revered figures, whom the disbelievers had begun to worship or call upon for help.
The infidels had made these blessed beings into objects of worship, wrongly thinking that they could intercede without Allah’s permission.
In reality, those very personalities whom they worship are themselves seeking nearness to Allah Almighty.
They compete in righteous deeds, seeking who among them is nearest to Allah in rank and status.
This shows the futility of worshipping creation when even the most noble of them turn towards Allah alone.
These chosen servants are filled with hope for Allah’s mercy and fear of His punishment.
The verse concludes with a warning:
"Indeed, the punishment of your Lord is a thing to be feared."
This highlights that true servitude is marked by a balance of hope and fear, not arrogance or false confidence in intermediaries.
The tafsir of Surah Al-Isra verse 57 by Ibn Kathir is unavailable here.
Please refer to Surah Isra ayat 56 which provides the complete commentary from verse 56 through 57.
(17:57) Those whom they call upon are themselves seeking the means of access to their Lord, each trying to be nearer to Him. They crave for His Mercy and dread His chastisement.[65] Surely your Lord’s punishment is to be feared.
65. The words of the text are a clear proof that the deities and the helpers referred to in this verse were not idols of stone but were either angels or dead saints. It is clearly implied in this that no prophet, no saint and no angel, whom the people invoke for help, has the power to hear prayers and help anyone. They themselves hope for mercy from Allah and dread His punishment and vie with one another in seeking means for nearness to Him.
[754]- Among the righteous of Allāh's creation, such as angels, prophets, deceased scholars, etc.
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