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 21 contains Āyāt / Parts 9
  • Siparah/ Volume 8 & 9

bismillah

واَسْأَلْهُمْ عَنِ الْقَرْيَةِ الَّتِي كَانَتْ حَاضِرَةَ الْبَحْرِ إِذْ يَعْدُونَ فِي السَّبْتِ إِذْ تَأْتِيهِمْ حِيتَانُهُمْ يَوْمَ سَبْتِهِمْ شُرَّعاً وَيَوْمَ لاَ يَسْبِتُونَ لاَ تَأْتِيهِمْ كَذَلِكَ نَبْلُوهُم بِمَا كَانُوا يَفْسُقُونَ

Wa(i)salhum AAani alqaryati allatee kanat hadirata albahri ith yaAAdoona fee a(l)ssabti ith tateehim heetanuhum yawma sabtihim shurraAAan wayawma layasbitoona la tateehim kathalika nabloohum bima kanoo yafsuqoon(a)

And you-SW ask them about the town that stood by the sea when they transgressed in the matter of the Sabbath, when their fish came to them openly on the Sabbath Day, and did not come to them on the day they did not observe the Sabbath. Thus We-SWT tested them for they were used to transgress.

(7:163)

وَإِذَ قَالَتْ أُمَّةٌ مِّنْهُمْ لِمَ تَعِظُونَ قَوْمًا اللّهُ مُهْلِكُهُمْ أَوْ مُعَذِّبُهُمْ عَذَابًا شَدِيدًا قَالُواْ مَعْذِرَةً إِلَى رَبِّكُمْ وَلَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَّقُونَ

Waith qalat ommatun minhum lima taAAithoona qawman Allahu muhlikuhum aw muAAaththibuhum AAathaban shadeedan qaloo maAAthiratan ila rabbikum walaAAallahum yattaqoon(a)

And recall what time a community of them said: why do you exhort a people whom Allaah-SWT is going to kill or chastise with a severe chastisement? They said: to justify us before your Rabb-SWT and that perhaps they may fear Rabb-SWT .

(7:164)

فَلَمَّا نَسُواْ مَا ذُكِّرُواْ بِهِ أَنجَيْنَا الَّذِينَ يَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ السُّوءِ وَأَخَذْنَا الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُواْ بِعَذَابٍ بَئِيسٍ بِمَا كَانُواْ يَفْسُقُونَ

Falamma nasoo ma thukkiroo bihi anjayna allatheena yanhawna AAani a(l)ssooi waakhathna allatheena thalamoo biAAathabin baeesin bima kanoo yafsuqoon(a)

Then when they forgot what they had been exhorted with. We-SWT delivered those who restrained others from evil and We-SWT seized those who did wrong with a distressing torment, for they were used to transgress.

(7:165)

فَلَمَّا عَتَوْاْ عَن مَّا نُهُواْ عَنْهُ قُلْنَا لَهُمْ كُونُواْ قِرَدَةً خَاسِئِينَ

Falamma AAataw AAan ma nuhoo AAanhu qulna lahum koonoo qiradatan khasieen(a)

So when they exceeded the limits of what they were prohibited. We-SWT said to them: be you apes despised.

(7:166)

وَإِذْ تَأَذَّنَ رَبُّكَ لَيَبْعَثَنَّ عَلَيْهِمْ إِلَى يَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ مَن يَسُومُهُمْ سُوءَ الْعَذَابِ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ لَسَرِيعُ الْعِقَابِ وَإِنَّهُ لَغَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ

Waith taaththana rabbuka layabAAathanna AAalayhim ila yawmi alqiyamati man yasoomuhum sooa alAAathabi inna rabbaka lasareeAAu alAAiqabi wainnahu laghafoorun raheem(un)

And recall when your-SW Rabb-SWT proclaimed that He-SWT would surely raise upon them, till the Day of Resurrection,someone perpetrating upon them worst oppression. Verily your-SW Rabb-SWT is Swift in retribution; and verily He-SWT is Forgiving, Merciful.

(7:167)

وَقَطَّعْنَاهُمْ فِي الأَرْضِ أُمَمًا مِّنْهُمُ الصَّالِحُونَ وَمِنْهُمْ دُونَ ذَلِكَ وَبَلَوْنَاهُمْ بِالْحَسَنَاتِ وَالسَّيِّئَاتِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَرْجِعُونَ

WaqattaAAnahum fee alardi omaman minhumu a(l)ssalihoona waminhum doonathalika wabalawnahum bi(a)lhasanati wa(al)ssayyiati laAAallahum yarjiAAoon(a)

And We-SWT cut them up into communities on the earth: some of them righteous, and some of them otherwise; and We-SWT tempted them with good and evil, that perchance they may return.

(7:168)

فَخَلَفَ مِن بَعْدِهِمْ خَلْفٌ وَرِثُواْ الْكِتَابَ يَأْخُذُونَ عَرَضَ هَـذَا الأدْنَى وَيَقُولُونَ سَيُغْفَرُ لَنَا وَإِن يَأْتِهِمْ عَرَضٌ مُّثْلُهُ يَأْخُذُوهُ أَلَمْ يُؤْخَذْ عَلَيْهِم مِّيثَاقُ الْكِتَابِ أَن لاَّ يِقُولُواْ عَلَى اللّهِ إِلاَّ الْحَقَّ وَدَرَسُواْ مَا فِيهِ وَالدَّارُ الآخِرَةُ خَيْرٌ لِّلَّذِينَ يَتَّقُونَ أَفَلاَ تَعْقِلُونَ

Fakhalafa min baAAdihim khalfun warithoo alkitaba yakhuthoona AAarada hathaaladna wayaqooloona sayughfaru lana wain yatihim AAaradun mithluhu yakhuthoohu alam yukhath AAalayhim meethaqu alkitabi an la yaqooloo AAalaAllahi illa alhaqqa wadarasoo ma feehi wa(al)ddaru alakhiratu khayrun lillatheena yattaqoona afala taAAqiloon(a)

Then succeeded them a posterity who inherited the Book, taking this inferior world's gear and saying: assuredly ii will be forgiven us. And if there comes to them another gear like it they shall take it. Has there not lain upon them the bond of the Book that they shall say of Allaah-SWT anything but truth? And they have read what is in it, and the abode of the Hereafter is better for those who fear. Do you not then understand?

(7:169)

وَالَّذِينَ يُمَسَّكُونَ بِالْكِتَابِ وَأَقَامُواْ الصَّلاَةَ إِنَّا لاَ نُضِيعُ أَجْرَ الْمُصْلِحِينَ

Wa(a)llatheena yumassikoona bi(a)lkitabi waaqamoo a(l)ssalata inna la nudeeAAu ajra almusliheen(a)

And those who stand fast by the Book and establish Salat-verily We-SWT will not waste the wages of the rectifiers.

(7:170)

وَإِذ نَتَقْنَا الْجَبَلَ فَوْقَهُمْ كَأَنَّهُ ظُلَّةٌ وَظَنُّواْ أَنَّهُ وَاقِعٌ بِهِمْ خُذُواْ مَا آتَيْنَاكُم بِقُوَّةٍ وَاذْكُرُواْ مَا فِيهِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَّقُونَ

Waith nataqna aljabala fawqahum kaannahu thullatun wathannoo annahu waqiAAun bihim khuthoo ma ataynakum biquwwatin wa(o)thkuroo ma feehi laAAallakum tattaqoon(a)

And recall when We-SWT shook the mountain over them as though it was a canopy and they imagined that it was going to fall upon them; and We-SWT said: hold firmly what We-SWT have given you and remember what is in that; perchance you may fear

(7:171)

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

The Holy Prophet-SW is being told to remind the Jews about the fate of a township by the sea, inhabited by their ancestors long time ago. They were forbidden to catch fish on Saturdays. Strangely enough, flocks of fish would surface on Saturdays, whereas catching them on other days was no easy task. It was indeed a test to see if they could resist the temptation.

 

Chances to Err are Increased as Trial

They were put to this trial because they had often refuted the Divine Commandments. It is a Law of Nature that when pious people are put to trial, their capacity to do good remains unaffected, even though apparently they may be distressed. But in care of wrongdoers their chances to err and disobey are increased. This indeed is a very hard trial. Thus the disobedient dug out ditches by the river to trap the fish on Saturdays in order to catch it during the week. Some pious men protested and tried to stop this sinful ruse, as deception and deceit does not alter the reality. There was yet a group who would discourage the men of piety from preaching on the ground that the wicked have been destined for disaster anyway.

 

Preaching is Necessary

The righteous asserted that it was only for Allaah-SWT that they spoke against the evil, with the hope that the warning might revert them to Allaah-SWT in penitence. But the transgressors turned a deaf ear and simply ignored the advice. So the pious were spared and the transgressors severely punished. Here the Quran speaks of salvation of only those w ho forbade evil, and there is no mention of the group who had deemed preaching a futile effort. Thus the one who does not speak or act against evil around, becomes an accomplice and as such, does not escape punishment. When the wicked crossed all limits, the punishment meted out was proportionate to their misdeeds. Allaah-SWT turned them into abominable apes, depriving them of human appearance.

 

Due to continuous disobedience and ingratitude of the Jews, Allaah-SWT warned mankind through His-SWT Messengers-AS that the Jews shall always be subservient to some nation or the other for as long as they exist. And it does not take long for Allaah-SWT to punish the disobedient if He-SWT wills. However, if a wrongdoer repents, he will find Him-SWT the Most Beneficent and Merciful. Yet it must not be mistaken that the Jews, having been disgraced throughout history have finally been allowed a State of their own.

 

The State of Israil

In fact Israil is nothing but the dominion of various world powers over the Jews. It serves as a base camp of the USA. Britain and Russia for their anti-Islam campaigns. Inspite of all facades, it is a matter of common knowledge that Israil is nothing more than a representative of the afore mentioned power with no status of its own. This State is also a form of affliction for them. The treatment they received from Hitler is a well known chapter of history Maulana Mufti Muhammad ShafiRUA writes in his Mu'arif al Quran that the concentration of Jews in Israil is a prelude to their destruction, because Prophet Isa-AS after his descent in Damascus will put them all to sword. As the criminals of Allah-SWT, driven by the force of circumstances, they themselves approach their altar. Allaah-SWT would not send Policemen with handcuffs to arrest them! He-AS dispersed them over land as a punishment and put them asunder in various factions.

 

Sectarianism-a Form of Punishment

There were some Jews who stood fast on virtue while the wicked were split into factions on mutual differences. Hence it is proven that to deny the truth and to form factions for temporal benefits is a Divine Punishment. By Allaah-SWT ’s Grace, Muslims are protected against this evil to a great extent and are a consolidated community in every country, many of which have Muslims Governments. However, the Jews were subjected to hardships and trials in the form of occasional weal and woe, to make them realize their mistakes and to reform themselves. But their succeeding generations plunged deeper into disobedience. They even went as far as to distort and interpolate their Book in return for worldly gains, yet ironically entertaining false hopes for salvation and forgiveness. Instead of being ashamed of their conduct they insist that they shall be pardoned. The fact is that they do not hesitate for a moment before making more amendments in their Book as and when they are offered money. The redemption in the Hereafter depends on giving up sin and repenting sincerely. To insist on sin and expect to be forgiven is nothing but self delusion.

 

Giving Wrong Verdict

The Jews had taken a pledge in Torah that they would never lie on Allaah-SWT and would speak nothing but the truth. They repeatedly read this point in their Book, that giving a wrong verdict amounts 10 fabricating lies over Allah-SWT, while eternal bliss is for the righteous: those whose hearts are totally dedicated to Allaah-SWT . Still, they miserably failed to discern this point.

 

No Compulsion in Religion

It is a plain fact that those who adhere firmly to the Divine Book and worship Him-SWT are certainly rewarded. The Bani Israil were given many opportunities to stick to virtue. It was indeed Allah-SWT's Mercy to suspend the Mount Tur over them as an admonition. They actually experienced the fear of it falling over them. They were commanded to adopt and practice the Divine Commandments revealed in their Book with devotion to help cultivate Taqwa, but to no avail.

 

Some intellectuals today mistakenly believe that the Ayah "There is no compulsion in Din means that no one should be forced to practice it. In fact it means that no one should be forced into accepting Din; a rule common to all the preceding religions. But once it is accepted, any negligence in its practice cannot be allowed. It is the responsibility of the Islamic State to make sure that people abide by Allah-SWT's Book. For this purpose the Islamic Penal Code assigns penalties for the defaulters.

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