Classically, the opening of Surat al-Isra’ (17:4-7) has been understood to refer to two events prior to the Quran, in which Banu Isra’il became tyrannical and were defeated by powerful forces by the will of God. However, a number of modern scholars – such as Shaykh al-Sha’rawi (1911-1998) – have argued that the second event of corruption refers to Zionism and its awaited downfall. This idea has become popular among Muslim speakers today.

Sh. Salman Nasir joins Dr. Sohaib Saeed to explore the competing interpretations of this Quranic passage, and consider the implications of this debate for our understanding of Tafsir and its methods.