Quran Universe
17:39

ذَٰلِكَ مِمَّآ أَوۡحَىٰٓ إِلَيۡكَ رَبُّكَ مِنَ ٱلۡحِكۡمَةِۗ وَلَا تَجۡعَلۡ مَعَ ٱللَّهِ إِلَٰهًا ءَاخَرَ فَتُلۡقَىٰ فِي جَهَنَّمَ مَلُومٗا مَّدۡحُورًا

Thalika mimma awha ilayka rabbuka mina alhikmati wala tajAAal maAAa Allahi ilahan akhara fatulqa fee jahannama malooman madhooran

That is from what your Lord has revealed to you, [O Muhammad], of wisdom. And, [O mankind], do not make [as equal] with Allah another deity, lest you be thrown into Hell, blamed and banished.

Word by word
  1. ذَٰلِكَThat
  2. مِمَّآ(is) from what
  3. أَوۡحَىٰٓ(was) revealed
  4. إِلَيۡكَto you
  5. رَبُّكَ(from) your Lord
  6. مِنَof
  7. ٱلۡحِكۡمَةِۗthe wisdom
  8. وَلَاAnd (do) not
  9. تَجۡعَلۡmake
  10. مَعَwith
  11. ٱللَّهِAllah
  12. إِلَٰهًاgod
  13. ءَاخَرَother
  14. فَتُلۡقَىٰlest you should be thrown
  15. فِيin
  16. جَهَنَّمَHell
  17. مَلُومٗاblameworthy
  18. مَّدۡحُورًاabandoned
Al-Isra · 17:39Makkah

This is wisdom from your Lord. Begin and end with tawhid.

The list closes where it opened

A frame
17:22no god beside Allah
the commandsmanners and morals
17:39no god beside Allah
all of it
wisdomrevealed
Where good manners come from
just being nice
wisdom from Allahrooted in tawhid

Ibn Kathir explains that everything commanded is good manners and everything forbidden is an evil quality, revealed to the Prophet ﷺ so he could teach the people. The warning against shirk returns at the end, blamed by one's own self, by Allah and by people. It is addressed to the community through the Prophet ﷺ.

You can be kind, honest and generous for many reasons. Reputation. Habit. Upbringing. The verse ties all of it back to one root. When you do good for Allah, it holds even on the days no one is watching.

Being a good person has nothing to do with what I believe about God.

Good manners are wisdom from Allah, and they stand firmest on believing in Him alone.

Try this

Before one kind act today, quietly make the intention that it is for Allah.

Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir

This is (part) of Al-Hikmah (wisdom) which your Lord has revealed to you. And set not up with Allah any other god lest you should be thrown into Hell, blameworthy and rejected (from Allah's mercy)(39)

Everything previously mentioned is Revelation and Wisdom

Allah says: 'What We have commanded you to do is part of good manners, and what We have forbidden you are evil qualities. We have revealed this to you, O Muhammad, so that you may command the people likewise.'

وَلَا تَجْعَلْ مَعَ اللَّهِ إِلَٰهًا آخَرَ فَتُلْقَىٰ فِي جَهَنَّمَ مَلُومًا

(And set not up with Allah any other god lest you should be thrown into Hell, blameworthy) meaning, your own self will blame you, as will Allah and His creation.

مَّدْحُورًا

(rejected) means far removed from everything good. Ibn 'Abbas and Qatadah said: "(It means) cast out." This is an address to the Ummah via the Messenger ﷺ, for he is infallible.