سورة الأعراف   


Surah Name: Al-A'raf Meaning:The Heights

  • Revealed at Makkah
  • The foundation of Islam is on the transparent belief in the Unity of Allah-SWT . The relationship between man and Allah-SWT is such that the former must present his needs only before Him-SWT display his utter humility and insignificance. The theme of the preceding Surah is further expanded here, with emphasis on the importance of the Prophethood because no one can, on his own, comprehend Allah-SWT's Magnificence. He-SWT is beyond human senses. Allah-SWT's Cognition is a feeling induced into the human heart, and this honour is conferred upon the subtle hearts of His-SWT Prophets-AS through Revelations. They distribute these blessings amongst their followers, through a process known as Tazkiyah. In other words, the heart that receives this light is purified and capacitated to comprehend the Divine Book and the Wisdom. Thus the cognition of the Prophet-AS‘s paves the way to the Cognition of Allah-SWT ’. This Surah discusses the importance of Prophethood, supporting it with both logical and chronicle evidence, in the light of history of the preceding nations and their Prophets"-AS their conduct and the end results thereof. Towards the end is the discussion on the Unity of Allah-SWT ’. Also listed are some of His-SWT ’ Commands to facilitate His-SWT Cognition through obedience

  • Total Number of Rukū / Sections 24
  • Total Number of Āyāt / Parts 206
  • Sūrah / Chapter number 7
  • Rukū / Section 18 contains Āyāt / Parts 4
  • Siparah/ Volume 8 & 9

bismillah

وَاتَّخَذَ قَوْمُ مُوسَى مِن بَعْدِهِ مِنْ حُلِيِّهِمْ عِجْلاً جَسَدًا لَّهُ خُوَارٌ أَلَمْ يَرَوْاْ أَنَّهُ لاَ يُكَلِّمُهُمْ وَلاَ يَهْدِيهِمْ سَبِيلاً اتَّخَذُوهُ وَكَانُواْ ظَالِمِينَ

Wa(i)ttakhatha qawmu moosa min baAAdihi min huliyyihim AAijlan jasadan lahu khuwarun alam yaraw annahu la yukallimuhum walyahdeehim sabeelan ittakhathoohu wakanoo thalimeen(a)

And the People of Musa-AS, after him, took to them of their trinkets a calf; a body with a low voice. Did they not see that it neither spoke to them nor could it guide them to a way? They took it for their god, and they became evildoers.

(7:148)


وَلَمَّا سُقِطَ فَي أَيْدِيهِمْ وَرَأَوْاْ أَنَّهُمْ قَدْ ضَلُّواْ قَالُواْ لَئِن لَّمْ يَرْحَمْنَا رَبُّنَا وَيَغْفِرْ لَنَا لَنَكُونَنَّ مِنَ الْخَاسِرِينَ

Walamma suqita fee aydeehim waraaw annahum qad dalloo qaloo lain lam yarhamna rabbuna wayaghfir lana lanakoonanna mina alkhasireen(a)

And when they repented and saw that they had strayed, they said: if our Rabb-SWT does not have Mercy on us and does not forgive us, we shall surely be of the losers.

(7:149)


وَلَمَّا رَجَعَ مُوسَى إِلَى قَوْمِهِ غَضْبَانَ أَسِفًا قَالَ بِئْسَمَا خَلَفْتُمُونِي مِن بَعْدِيَ أَعَجِلْتُمْ أَمْرَ رَبِّكُمْ وَأَلْقَى الألْوَاحَ وَأَخَذَ بِرَأْسِ أَخِيهِ يَجُرُّهُ إِلَيْهِ قَالَ ابْنَ أُمَّ إِنَّ الْقَوْمَ اسْتَضْعَفُونِي وَكَادُواْ يَقْتُلُونَنِي فَلاَ تُشْمِتْ بِيَ الأعْدَاء وَلاَ تَجْعَلْنِي مَعَ الْقَوْمِ الظَّالِمِينَ

Walamma rajaAAa moosa ila qawmihi ghadbana asifan qala bisamakhalaftumoonee min baAAdee aAAajiltum amra rabbikum waalqalalwaha waakhatha birasi akheehi yajurruhu ilayhi qala ibna omma inna alqawma istadAAafoonee wakadoo yaqtuloonanee fala tushmit biya alaAAdaa walatajAAalnee maAAa alqawmi a(l)ththalimeen(a)

When Musa-AS returned to his-AS people indignant and sorrowing, he-AS said: ill is that which you have acted as my successor, in my absence! Did you outstrip your Rabb-SWT ’s Commandments? And he-AS cast the Tablets and seized the head of his-AS brother, dragging him-AS to himself. Harun-AS said: son of my mother: the people held me weak, and almost slew me, so do not cause the enemies rejoice over me and do not place me with the wrongdoing people.

(7:150)


قَالَ رَبِّ اغْفِرْ لِي وَلأَخِي وَأَدْخِلْنَا فِي رَحْمَتِكَ وَأَنتَ أَرْحَمُ الرَّاحِمِينَ

Qala rabbi ighfir lee waliakhee waadkhilna fee rahmatika waanta arhamu a(l)rrahimeen(a)

Musa-AS said: O Rabb-SWT : forgive me and my brother, and cause us twain to enter into Your-SWT Mercy, and You-SWT are the Most Merciful of the merciful.

(7:151)


In The Name of Allah-SWT the Most Gracious, The Most Merciful
SECRETS OF REVELATION:

When the People of Prophet Musa-AS preferred to rely on their own wisdom as compared to the teachings of their Prophet-AS, it led them into a peculiar waywardness. Samri, a well known person, collected gold and silver in donations from every one, melted them together and added a handful of dust he had picked up from the footprints of Archangel Jibrail-AS ‘s mount. He moulded the melted metals into the shape of a calf which displayed some symptoms of life by mooing like a cow; an effect of that life-giving dust. If the dust from under the hooves of a mount can be life giving, imagine the effects of the Tawwajuh given by the Aulia. The ignorant were ovens helmed by the calf that could produce a sound. They did not even think that the most common features of human beings, that is, to listen, to understand and to answer were missing in the calf. So how could Divinity be attributed to it? Still a majority began to worship it, though they later realized their mistake and confessed that they had committed a grave sin. They begged Allaah-SWT for Mercy and Forgiveness. The event of their atonement has been recounted in detail in Surah al Baqarah. It is a blessing attainable in the company of Allah-SWT's Prophets-AS and devoted servants, that one realizes his mistakes and is given the chance to repent.

 

Prophetic Teachings out weighall Logic


Prophet Musa-AS returned from Mount Tur enraged and sorrowful. He ruefully addressed his people that they had committed a blunder by not waiting for the Divine Commandments, when they had known that he had been summoned for them. In other words, they had relied more on their logic rather than waiting for the instructions of the Prophet-AS who only conveys what he receives from the Almighty Whereas intellect and reasoning are tools to tackle only the mundane affairs, what concerns the Hereafter is beyond the scope of logic indeed.

 

He cast aside the Tablets and seized Prophet Harun-AS his brother, by his locks in great fury, who requested him not to make him a laughing stock in the presence of their enemies; for he had tried his  level best to stop them from worshipping the calf .But they did not pay any heed to him. Rather threatened his-AS life. So he must not be taken as an accomplice of the evildoers. Prophet Musa-AS raised his hands asking for Allah-SWT's Forgiveness for himself and for his brother. Thus the etiquettes of supplication are that while praying for anyone, one must also pray for himself with humility and awe of Allah-SWT's Greatness.

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