Surah 7. Al-A'raf

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Verses [Section]: 1-10[1], 11-25 [2], 26-31 [3], 32-39 [4], 40-47 [5], 48-53 [6], 54-58 [7], 59-64 [8], 65-72 [9], 73-84 [10], 85-93 [11], 94-99 [12], 100-108 [13], 109-126 [14], 127-129 [15], 130-141 [16], 142-147 [17], 148-151 [18], 152-157 [19], 158-162 [20], 163-171 [21], 172-181 [22], 182-188 [23], 189-206 [24]

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Quran Text of Verse 32-39قُلْSayمَنْWhoحَرَّمَhas forbiddenزِیْنَةَ(the) adornmentاللّٰهِ(from) AllahالَّتِیْۤwhichاَخْرَجَHe has brought forthلِعِبَادِهٖfor His slavesوَ الطَّیِّبٰتِand the pure thingsمِنَofالرِّزْقِ ؕsustenanceقُلْSayهِیَTheyلِلَّذِیْنَ(are) for those whoاٰمَنُوْاbelieveفِیduringالْحَیٰوةِthe lifeالدُّنْیَا(of) the worldخَالِصَةًexclusively (for them)یَّوْمَ(on the) Dayالْقِیٰمَةِ ؕ(of) ResurrectionكَذٰلِكَThusنُفَصِّلُWe explainالْاٰیٰتِthe Signsلِقَوْمٍfor (the) peopleیَّعْلَمُوْنَ who know قُلْSayاِنَّمَاOnlyحَرَّمَ(had) forbiddenرَبِّیَmy Lordالْفَوَاحِشَthe shameful deedsمَاwhatظَهَرَ(is) apparentمِنْهَاof itوَ مَاand whatبَطَنَis concealedوَ الْاِثْمَand the sinوَ الْبَغْیَand the oppressionبِغَیْرِwithoutالْحَقِّ[the] rightوَ اَنْand thatتُشْرِكُوْاyou associate (others)بِاللّٰهِwith AllahمَاwhatلَمْnotیُنَزِّلْHe (has) sent downبِهٖof itسُلْطٰنًاany authorityوَّ اَنْand thatتَقُوْلُوْاyou sayعَلَیaboutاللّٰهِAllahمَاwhatلَاnotتَعْلَمُوْنَ you know وَ لِكُلِّAnd for everyاُمَّةٍnationاَجَلٌ ۚ(is a fixed) termفَاِذَاSo whenجَآءَcomesاَجَلُهُمْtheir termلَا(they can) notیَسْتَاْخِرُوْنَseek to delayسَاعَةًan hourوَّ لَاand notیَسْتَقْدِمُوْنَ seek to advance (it) یٰبَنِیْۤO Childrenاٰدَمَ(of) Adam!اِمَّاIfیَاْتِیَنَّكُمْcomes to youرُسُلٌMessengersمِّنْكُمْfrom youیَقُصُّوْنَrelatingعَلَیْكُمْto youاٰیٰتِیْ ۙMy Versesفَمَنِthen whoeverاتَّقٰیfears Allahوَ اَصْلَحَand reformsفَلَاthen noخَوْفٌfearعَلَیْهِمْon themوَ لَاand notهُمْtheyیَحْزَنُوْنَ will grieve وَ الَّذِیْنَBut those whoكَذَّبُوْاdenyبِاٰیٰتِنَاOur Versesوَ اسْتَكْبَرُوْاand (are) arrogantعَنْهَاۤtowards themاُولٰٓىِٕكَthoseاَصْحٰبُ(are the) companionsالنَّارِ ۚ(of) the Fireهُمْtheyفِیْهَاin itخٰلِدُوْنَ will abide forever فَمَنْThen whoاَظْلَمُ(is) more unjustمِمَّنِthan (one) whoافْتَرٰیinventedعَلَیagainstاللّٰهِAllahكَذِبًاa lieاَوْorكَذَّبَdeniesبِاٰیٰتِهٖ ؕHis VersesاُولٰٓىِٕكَThoseیَنَالُهُمْwill reach themنَصِیْبُهُمْtheir portionمِّنَfromالْكِتٰبِ ؕthe Bookحَتّٰۤیuntilاِذَاwhenجَآءَتْهُمْcomes to themرُسُلُنَاOur messengers (Angels)یَتَوَفَّوْنَهُمْ ۙ(to) take them in deathقَالُوْۤاthey sayاَیْنَWhere areمَاthose (whom)كُنْتُمْyou used toتَدْعُوْنَinvokeمِنْfromدُوْنِbesidesاللّٰهِ ؕAllahقَالُوْاThey sayضَلُّوْاThey strayedعَنَّاfrom usوَ شَهِدُوْاand they (will) testifyعَلٰۤیagainstاَنْفُسِهِمْthemselvesاَنَّهُمْthat theyكَانُوْاwereكٰفِرِیْنَ disbelievers 7. Al-A'raf Page 155قَالَHe (will) sayادْخُلُوْاEnterفِیْۤamongاُمَمٍ(the) nationsقَدْ(who)خَلَتْpassed awayمِنْfromقَبْلِكُمْbefore youمِّنَofالْجِنِّthe jinnوَ الْاِنْسِand the menفِیinالنَّارِ ؕthe FireكُلَّمَاEvery timeدَخَلَتْenteredاُمَّةٌa nationلَّعَنَتْit cursedاُخْتَهَا ؕits sister (nation)حَتّٰۤیuntilاِذَاwhenادَّارَكُوْاthey had overtaken one anotherفِیْهَاin itجَمِیْعًا ۙallقَالَتْ(will) sayاُخْرٰىهُمْ(the) last of themلِاُوْلٰىهُمْabout the first of themرَبَّنَاOur Lordهٰۤؤُلَآءِtheseاَضَلُّوْنَاmisled usفَاٰتِهِمْso give themعَذَابًاpunishmentضِعْفًاdoubleمِّنَofالنَّارِ ؕ۬the FireقَالَHe (will) sayلِكُلٍّFor eachضِعْفٌ(is) a doubleوَّ لٰكِنْ[and] butلَّاnotتَعْلَمُوْنَ you know وَ قَالَتْAnd (will) sayاُوْلٰىهُمْ(the) first of themلِاُخْرٰىهُمْto (the) last of themفَمَاThen notكَانَisلَكُمْfor youعَلَیْنَاupon usمِنْanyفَضْلٍsuperiorityفَذُوْقُواso tasteالْعَذَابَthe punishmentبِمَاfor whatكُنْتُمْyou used toتَكْسِبُوْنَ۠earn

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Translation of Verse 32-39

32. Say: “Who has forbidden that adornment of Allah which He has created for His slaves, and the pure things of His providing?”⁴⁹ Say: “These things are, in the life of this world, for those who believe, and on the Day of Resurrection they shall be theirs alone.⁵⁰ Thus do we explain our revelations for the people who Know.”⁵¹

33. Say: “What my Lord has indeed forbidden are: indecencies, whether open or secret,⁵² and sin⁵³ and excesses without justice,⁵⁴ and that you associate partners with Allah for which no sanction has been sent down by Him,⁵⁵ and that you say things in the name of Allah, of which you have no knowledge.”⁵⁶

34. And for every people a term is fixed; when their hour comes, they cannot put it off an hour nor can they advance it.⁵⁷

35. O Children of Adam ! when messengers from amongst you come to you narrating to you My revelations, then whoever will fear Allah and mend his ways, shall have no fear nor shall they grieve.⁵⁸

36. And those, who deny our revelations and look down on it, are the companions of the fire, to dwell therein for ever.

37. Then who is more wrong than the man who invents a lie in the name of Allah or denies His revelations? Such persons shall have their destined shares as fixed by Allah, ⁵⁹ and when our messengers (angels) will come to capture their souls, the angels will ask them: where are your gods now whom you invoked beside Allah? They will reply: “They Have been lost to us.” And they will bear witness against themselves that they were disbelievers.⁶⁰

38. He (Allah) will say: “Enter the Fire of Hell among the communities of jinns and men that have gone before you.” Every time a nation enters; she curses her sister community⁶¹ till, when they have all been made to follow one another there, the last of them will say of the first of them: “Our Lord ! These led us astray, so give them double punishment in the Hell Fire.” He will say: “For all there is double punishment,⁶² but you do not know.”

39. And the first of them will say to the last one: “You have not gained any superiority over us; so you also taste the punishment for what you have earned.”⁶³

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Commentary

49. This question is a crushing blow to the austere and ascetic concept of religion. The idea is that things like clothing which are a means of embellishing human beauty and the food which is a means of human sustenance have been created for the purpose that men may derive benefit from these blessings from Allah. Then what right has a person to declare these things as taboo for the slaves of Allah, or to place restriction on their use in the name of God and religion? This verse repudiates and cancels all such restrictions.

50. That is: Although these gifts are common for all the slave of God, however the loyal slaves of God (people of faith) are the most deserving people to derive benefit from them; and on the Day of Resurrection these gifts will be theirs alone. The infidels will be totally deprived of them.

51. That is: From these instructions which have been so clearly mentioned in the Quran only those people will derive practical benefits who are not ignorant, but who have decided to’undertake their life’s journey in the light of knowledge.

52. Explanation has been given in Note No. 277, Surah Al-Ana’m.

Here objection is raised on this attitude of the so called religious people that they have declared haram (forbidden) those good and pure things which Allah had permitted to be used and have permitted the use of the shameful things declared forbidden by Allah.

53. That is: All acts of sinning.

54. Acts of oppression and aggression which are entirely contrary to justice and truth, and for which there is no justification.

55. For explanation, please see Surah Al- Ana’m Note No.135.

56. That is: To ascribe to God a thing or a statement about which there is no information that God has really said so or has ordained so, to introduce innovations in religion, to invent religion, or to make laws and rules of Shariah to suit one’s sweet will-it is applicable to all such practices.

And for every people a term is fixed; when their hour comes, they cannot put it off an hour nor can they advance it. O Children of Adam ! when messengers from amongst you come to you narrating to you My revelations, then whoever will fear Allah and mend his ways, shall have no fear nor shall they grieve. (Al-Quran)

57. In this verse by every people is meant the followers of every prophet, as is stated in Verse No.47 of Surah Yunus:

“For every people is a messenger. So when a messenger comes to them, their disputes are settled with justice, and injustice is never done to them.”

The verse under reference means that when Allah sends a prophet to a people, He fixes a term, a period of time, for that people, those they may accept their prophet’s dawah during that period and may give up transgression. But if that people do not accept their messenger’s dawah and continue with their attitude of rejection of faith, then as soon as the fixed term for those people is over they are overtaken by the Divine punishment in this very world, and this punishment overtakes them exactly at the fixed hour neither a moment earlier nor a moment later.

58. This is a reminder of the lesson which was given to mankind in the beginning of creation.

59. That is: They will complete the number of days and the type of life which have been predetermined for them.

60. This question and answer takes place between the soul and the angels of death, and the soul of the idolaters and polytheists admits that those whom it had invoked as gods were false gods, and by denying the right God it has committed a great crime.

It is thus learnt that as soon as death closes a man ‘s eyes, the Unseen realities become manifest to him.

61. The misguided communities of the world have been following their preceding misguided communities in the matter of religion, culture, civilization and other matters. It also happens that a misguided community sometimes misguides other contemporary communities. The followers have been expressing their veneration and have been admiring the leaders who have preceded them. But on the Day of Judgement when all will be gathered together, in the Hell, they will be showering curses on their leaders and precursors, for the reason that they had set a bad example which misled them.

62. That is: Every misguided nation made provision for misguiding the other nations and the succeeding generations. Therefore, every nation has become guilty of a double crime, and is therefore, liable for a double punishment.

63. That is: If we have set a bad example for you, then what good example have you set for others that would minimise your guilt. If you have been misled by following us, so others have been misled by following you. So your guilt is sufficiently serious, and you are responsible for its consequences.