Towards Understanding the Quran Selected Verses [1-10] of Holy Quran Surah Al-A'raf 7

 

Towards Understanding the Quran

Selected Verses [1-10] of Holy Quran Surah Al-A'raf 7

ASSEMBLED BY MALLAM ABBA ABANA, KUBWA, ABUJA, NIGERIA

http://variousislamicdawadocuments.blogspot.com

https://web.facebook.com/abba.abana

emails:gonidamgamiri@yahoo.com; abba.abana@gmail.com

Friday 9 Shawwal 1442 AH and 21 May 2021 CE

Reminder after Ramadaan No 7

Bismillah Walhamdulillah Was Salaatu Was Salaam 'ala Rasulillah. As-Salaam Alaikum WA-Rahmatullahi Wa-Barakatuhu.

Praise be to Allaah; we seek His help and His forgiveness. We seek refuge with Allaah from the evil of our own souls and from our bad deeds. Whomsoever Allaah guides will never be led astray, and whomsoever Allaah leaves astray, no one can guide. I bear witness that there is no god but Allaah, and I bear witness that Muhammad (ﷺ) is His slave and Messenger.

Help us Answer the Ummah! Every second, everywhere someone needs an answer. The Prophet (ﷺ) said: “A person who leads others to doing what is good will earn the same reward as those who do it.” (Muslim, 1893).

وَلَا تَهِنُواْ وَلَا تَحۡزَنُواْ وَأَنتُمُ ٱلۡأَعۡلَوۡنَ إِن كُنتُم مُّؤۡمِنِينَ (١٣٩)

“Do not lose hope, nor be sad. You will surely be victorious if you are true in Faith.” And do not mix the truth with falsehood or conceal the truth while you know [it].” [Holy Quran Chapter Al Imran Ayah 139]

 

إِن يَنصُرۡكُمُ ٱللَّهُ فَلَا غَالِبَ لَكُمۡ‌ۖ وَإِن يَخۡذُلۡكُمۡ فَمَن ذَا ٱلَّذِى يَنصُرُكُم مِّنۢ بَعۡدِهِۦ‌ۗ وَعَلَى ٱللَّهِ فَلۡيَتَوَكَّلِ ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنُونَ (١٦٠)

“If Allah should aid you, no one can overcome you; but if He should forsake you, who is there that can aid you after Him? And upon Allah let the believers rely.”

[Holy Quran Chapter Imran Ayah 160]

Preamble

This Surah Al Aaraf (The Heights) chapter seven [7] of the Holy Quran takes its name from Verses 46-47 in which mention of A'araf occurs.

We extracted from works of Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi - Tafhim al-Qur’an [The Meaning of the Qur'an], body of commentary and explication, aimed at explaining the meanings of the Qur'an, the central religious text of Islam. Tafsir can broadly be categorized by its affiliated Islamic schools and branches and the era it was published, classic or modern for clear understanding and conviction of God's will. Principally, a Tafsir deals with the issues of linguistics, jurisprudence, and theology.

In this article we will provide Holy Quran Surah Al-A'raf 7: verses 1-10 commentary of Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi.  

Hoverer, The more I try to know, to research, to learn and develop, the more I discover my pathetic level of ignorance...
And Allah’s Aid sought against all forms of ignorance! There's no better remedy to the development of Man than his readiness to embrace knowledge. We ask Allaah to ease our affairs. Aameen.

Commentary on Verses [1-10] - The Rasools [Messengers] as well as the people to whom they were sent shall be questioned on the Day of Judgement and a Scale of justice shall be established

الٓمٓصٓ (١)

(7:1) Alif-Lam-Mim-Sad.

 كِتَـٰبٌ أُنزِلَ إِلَيۡكَ فَلَا يَكُن فِى صَدۡرِكَ حَرَجٌ۬ مِّنۡهُ لِتُنذِرَ بِهِۦ وَذِكۡرَىٰ لِلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَ (٢)

(7:2) This is a Book revealed to you. ¹ Let there be no impediment in your heart about it.² (It has been revealed to you) that you may thereby warn [the unbelievers], that it may be a reminder to the believers.³

1. The word 'Book', in this context, signifies this very surah, al-A'raf.

2. The Prophet (peace be on him) is directed to preach his Message without fear and hesitation, and to disregard his opponents' response. Such opponents may well be offended by his preaching of the Message, or may, hold it to ridicule, or go about maliciously twisting it, or acting with greater hostility. All this notwithstanding, the Message of Islam must be preached.

The Arabic word haraj (which we have translated as straitness), signifies an intractable bush. (See Ibn Manzur. Lisan al 'Arab and Firuzabadi, al-qamus, q.v. 'Harajah'.) 'Straitness or constriction in the breast' refers to the reluctance of a person to go ahead in the face of opposition. The following Qur'anic verse would seem to allude to this mental state of the Prophet (peace he on him): 'We do indeed know how your heart feels distressed at what they say' (Quran al-Hijr 15: 97). What painfully concerned the Prophet (peace be on him) was to find out how he could direct a people, whose adamance and opposition to truth had reached such high proportions, to the Right Way. The same state of mind is again reflected in the Qur'anic verse: 'Perhaps you might feel inclined to part with a portion of what has been revealed to you, and your heart feels straitened lest they, say: "Why is a treasure not sent down unto him; or why does an angel not come with him?" ' (Quran Hud 11:12).

3. The main purpose of this surah is to jolt the people out of their heedlessness and to warn them of the dire consequences that will follow if they reject the call of the Prophet (peace be on him). Additionally, this surah also seeks to serve as a reminder to the believers - a purpose which is achieved, incidentally, by the warning made to the unbelievers.

ٱتَّبِعُواْ مَآ أُنزِلَ إِلَيۡكُم مِّن رَّبِّكُمۡ وَلَا تَتَّبِعُواْ مِن دُونِهِۦۤ أَوۡلِيَآءَ‌ۗ قَلِيلاً۬ مَّا تَذَكَّرُونَ (٣)

(7:3) [0 men!] Follow what has been revealed to you from your Lord and follow no masters other than Him.⁴ little are you admonished.

4. The central theme of the whole surah, and of the present discourse, is the guidance which man needs in order to live a wholesome life, the knowledge which he requires in order to understand the reality of the universe and his own being and the purpose of his existence; the principles which he needs to serve as the basis for morality and social life as well as culture and civilization. In this regard man should look to God alone and follow exclusively, the Guidance which He has communicated to mankind through His Messenger. To look to anyone other than God is dangerous for it has always spelled disaster in the past, and will always spell disaster in the future. In this verse the word Awliya' (Masters) refers to those whom one follows, regardless of whether one idolizes or curses them, and whether one acknowledges their patronship or strongly, denies it. For further explanation see Tafhim al-Qur'an,( Quran al-Shurai 42, n.6).

وَكَم مِّن قَرۡيَةٍ أَهۡلَكۡنَـٰهَا فَجَآءَهَا بَأۡسُنَا بَيَـٰتًا أَوۡ هُمۡ قَآٮِٕلُونَ (٤)

(7:4) How many a township We have destroyed! Our scourge fell upon them at night, or when they were taking midday rest.

فَمَا كَانَ دَعۡوَٮٰهُمۡ إِذۡ جَآءَهُم بَأۡسُنَآ إِلَّآ أَن قَالُوٓاْ إِنَّا كُنَّا ظَـٰلِمِينَ (٥)

(7:5) And when Our scourge fell upon them their only cry was: 'We are indeed transgressors.'⁵

5. People can learn a lesson from the tragic fate of those nations that spurned God's Guidance. And instead followed the guidance of others; and they became so degenerate that their very existence became an intolerable burden on the earth. Eventually, God's scourge seized them. And the earth was cleansed of their filthy existence.

The words uttered by, the evil-doers: 'We are indeed transgressors', emphasizes two points, First, that it is pointless for one to realize and repent of one's wrong-doing after the time for such repentance is past. Individuals and communities who allow the term granted to them to be wasted in heedlesness and frivolity, who turn a deaf car to those who invite them to the truth, have so often been overtaken in the past by God's punishment. Second, there are numerous instances of individuals as well as communities which incontrovertibly prove that when the wrong-doings of a nation exceed a certain limit, the term granted to it expires and God's punishment suddenly overtakes it. And once a nation is subjected to God's punishment, there is no escape from it. Since human history abounds in such instances, there is no reason why people should persist in the same iniquity, and repent only when the time for repentance has passed.

فَلَنَسۡـَٔلَنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ أُرۡسِلَ إِلَيۡهِمۡ وَلَنَسۡـَٔلَنَّ ٱلۡمُرۡسَلِينَ (٦)

(7:6) So We shall call to account those to whom Messengers were sent,⁶ and We shall call to account the Messengers (to see how dutifully they conveyed the Message, and how people responded to it).⁷

6. The words 'call to account' refers to the questioning people will be subjected to on the Day of Judgment. For it is the reckoning on the Day, of Judgment that really matters. Punishment dealt upon corrupt individuals and communities in this world does not constitute their true punishment. Punishment in this world is no more than what happens when a criminal, who has been strutting scot-free, is suddenly arrested. The arrest constitutes no more than depriving the criminal of the opportunity to perpetrate further crimes. The annals of history are filled with instances where corrupt nations have been punished, proving that man has not been granted absolute licence to go about doing whatever he pleases. Rather, there is a Power above all that allows man to act freely but only to a certain extent, no more. And when man exceeds those limits, that Power administers a series of warnings in order that he might heed the warnings and give up his wickedness. But when man fails totally to respond to such warnings, he is punished.

Anyone who considers the events of history, will conclude that the Lord of the universe must have certainly appointed a Day of Judgment in order to hold the wrong-doers to account for their actions and to punish them. That the Qur'an refers to the recurrent punishment of wicked nations as an argument in support of the establishment of the final judgment in the Hereafter is evidenced by the fact that the present (verse- 6 )- opens with the word so'.

7. This shows that on the Day of Judgement Prophethood will be the main basis of reckoning. On the one hand, the Prophets will be questioned about the efforts they made to convey God's Message to mankind. On the other hand, the people to whom the Prophets were sent will be questioned about their response to the message. The Qur'an is not explicit about how judgments will be made with regard to individuals and communities who did not receive God's Message. It seems that God has left judgment - to borrow a contemporary judicial expression - reserved. However, with regard to individuals and communities who did receive God's Message through the Prophets, the Qur'an states explicitly, that they will have no justification whatsoever to put forward a defense of their disbelief and denial, of their transgression and disobedience. They are doomed to be east into Hell in utter helplessness and dejection.

فَلَنَقُصَّنَّ عَلَيۡہِم بِعِلۡمٍ۬‌ۖ وَمَا كُنَّا غَآٮِٕبِينَ (٧)

(7:7) Then We shall narrate to them with knowledge the whole account. For surely, We were not away from them.

وَٱلۡوَزۡنُ يَوۡمَٮِٕذٍ ٱلۡحَقُّ‌ۚ فَمَن ثَقُلَتۡ مَوَٲزِينُهُ ۥ فَأُوْلَـٰٓٮِٕكَ هُمُ ٱلۡمُفۡلِحُونَ (٨)

(7:8) The weighing on that Day will be the true weighing:⁸ those whose scales are heavy will prosper.

8. This means that when the Balance is fixed on the Day of Judgment, 'truth' and weight will be identical. The more truth one has to one's credit, the more truth one has to one's credit, the more the weight in one's scale; and vice versa. One will be judged solely on the basis of this weight. In other words, no consideration other than truth will enter into the calculation. A life of falsehood, however long it lasted, and however full of worldly achievements, will carry no weight at all. Weighed in the Balance, the devotees of falsehood will discover that their life-long deeds do not even weigh so much as a bird’s feather. The same point has been expatiated upon in (Quran al-Kahf 18:103-5) : 'Shall We tell you of those who are greatest losers in respect of their deeds? It is those whose efforts have been wasted in this life while they kept believing that they were acquiring good by their deeds. They are those who deny the Signs of their Lord and the fact of their having to meet Him (in the Hereafter). So their works are in vain and we shall attach no weight to them on the Day of Judgement.'

وَمَنۡ خَفَّتۡ مَوَٲزِينُهُ ۥ فَأُوْلَـٰٓٮِٕكَ ٱلَّذِينَ خَسِرُوٓاْ أَنفُسَہُم بِمَا كَانُواْ بِـَٔايَـٰتِنَا يَظۡلِمُونَ (٩)

(7:9) and those whose scales are light will be the losers,⁹ for they, are the ones who have been unjust to Our signs.

9. For a full appreciation of this point it is necessary, to remember that man's deeds will be classified into positive and negative categories. The positive category will consist of knowing the truth, believing in it, acting upon it, and striving to make it prevail. It is such acts alone which will have weight in the Hereafter. Conversely, whenever someone follows and goes after lusts or blindly follows other humans or Satan’s, his acts will be reckoned as 'negative'. Such acts will not only be of no value at all, but will also have the effect of reducing the total weight of one's positive acts.

Thus, a man's success in the Hereafter requires that his good acts outweigh his evil ones to such an extent that even if his evil acts cause the effacement of some of his good acts, he should still have enough left in his credit to ensure his scale is inclined towards the positive. As for the man whose evil acts outweigh his good acts, he will be like the bankrupt businessman who, even after spending all his assets, remains under the burden of debt.

وَلَقَدۡ مَكَّنَّـٰڪُمۡ فِى ٱلۡأَرۡضِ وَجَعَلۡنَا لَكُمۡ فِيہَا مَعَـٰيِشَ‌ۗ قَلِيلاً۬ مَّا تَشۡكُرُونَ (١٠)

(7:10) We assuredly established you in the earth and arranged for your livelihood in it. Little do you give thanks.

 

End of Quran Surah Al-A'raf 7:1-10 commentaries on ‘’The Rasools [Messengers] as well as the people to whom they were sent shall be questioned on the Day of Judgement and a Scale of justice shall be established’’ This surah has 39 major sections out of which only one is selected for us to understand Quranic teachings and explanations.

 

To be continued Reminder 8 In Shaa Allah on Verses [11-18] Story of Adam and Iblees (Shaitan) and Shaitan vowed to mislead Adam and his descendants

 

Sources

Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi - Tafhim al-Qur'an [The Meaning of the Qur'an] - https://www.searchtruth.com/tafsir/tafsir.php

https://www.islamicstudies.info/tafheem.php?sura=7 [Islamic Foundation UK]

Tafsir ibn Kathir (The Ibn Kathir Interpretation) by Ibn Kathir Ash-Shafi'i (1301—1373 CE/ 774 AH). A summary of the earlier interpretation by al-Tabari.