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 40-47اِنَّIndeedالَّذِیْنَthose whoكَذَّبُوْاdeniedبِاٰیٰتِنَاOur Versesوَ اسْتَكْبَرُوْاand (were) arrogantعَنْهَاtowards themلَا(will) notتُفَتَّحُbe openedلَهُمْfor themاَبْوَابُ(the) doorsالسَّمَآءِ(of) the heavenوَ لَاand notیَدْخُلُوْنَthey will enterالْجَنَّةَParadiseحَتّٰیuntilیَلِجَpassesالْجَمَلُthe camelفِیْthroughسَمِّ(the) eyeالْخِیَاطِ ؕ(of) the needleوَ كَذٰلِكَAnd thusنَجْزِیWe recompenseالْمُجْرِمِیْنَ the criminals لَهُمْFor themمِّنْofجَهَنَّمَ(the) Hellمِهَادٌ(is) a bedوَّ مِنْand fromفَوْقِهِمْover themغَوَاشٍ ؕcoveringsوَ كَذٰلِكَAnd thusنَجْزِیWe recompenseالظّٰلِمِیْنَ the wrongdoers وَ الَّذِیْنَBut those whoاٰمَنُوْاbelieveوَ عَمِلُواand doالصّٰلِحٰتِ[the] righteous deedsلَاnotنُكَلِّفُWe burdenنَفْسًاany soulاِلَّاexceptوُسْعَهَاۤ ؗ(to) its capacityاُولٰٓىِٕكَThoseاَصْحٰبُ(are the) companionsالْجَنَّةِ ۚ(of) Paradiseهُمْtheyفِیْهَاin itخٰلِدُوْنَ (will) abide forever وَ نَزَعْنَاAnd We will removeمَاwhateverفِیْ(is) inصُدُوْرِهِمْtheir breastsمِّنْofغِلٍّmaliceتَجْرِیْFlowsمِنْfromتَحْتِهِمُunderneath themالْاَنْهٰرُ ۚthe riversوَ قَالُواAnd they will sayالْحَمْدُAll the praiseلِلّٰهِ(is) for Allahالَّذِیْthe One Whoهَدٰىنَاguided usلِهٰذَا ۫to thisوَ مَاand notكُنَّاwe wereلِنَهْتَدِیَto receive guidanceلَوْ لَاۤif notاَنْ[that]هَدٰىنَا(had) guided usاللّٰهُ ۚAllahلَقَدْCertainlyجَآءَتْcameرُسُلُMessengersرَبِّنَا(of) our Lordبِالْحَقِّ ؕwith the truthوَ نُوْدُوْۤاAnd they will be addressedاَنْ[that]تِلْكُمُThisالْجَنَّةُ(is) Paradiseاُوْرِثْتُمُوْهَاyou have been made to inherit itبِمَاfor whatكُنْتُمْyou used toتَعْمَلُوْنَ do 7. Al-A'raf Page 156وَ نَادٰۤیAnd will call outاَصْحٰبُ(the) companionsالْجَنَّةِ(of) Paradiseاَصْحٰبَ(to the) companionsالنَّارِ(of) the FireاَنْthatقَدْIndeedوَجَدْنَاwe foundمَاwhatوَعَدَنَا(had) promised usرَبُّنَاour LordحَقًّاtrueفَهَلْSo haveوَجَدْتُّمْyou foundمَّاwhatوَعَدَ(was) promisedرَبُّكُمْ(by) your Lordحَقًّا ؕ(to be) trueقَالُوْاThey will sayنَعَمْ ۚYesفَاَذَّنَThen will announceمُؤَذِّنٌۢan announcerبَیْنَهُمْamong themاَنْ[that]لَّعْنَةُ(The) curseاللّٰهِ(of) Allahعَلَی(is) onالظّٰلِمِیْنَۙthe wrongdoers الَّذِیْنَThose whoیَصُدُّوْنَhinderعَنْfromسَبِیْلِ(the) wayاللّٰهِ(of) Allahوَ یَبْغُوْنَهَاand seek in itعِوَجًا ۚcrookednessوَ هُمْwhile they (are)بِالْاٰخِرَةِconcerning the Hereafterكٰفِرُوْنَۘdisbelievers وَ بَیْنَهُمَاAnd between themحِجَابٌ ۚ(will be) a partitionوَ عَلَیand onالْاَعْرَافِthe heightsرِجَالٌ(will be) menیَّعْرِفُوْنَrecognizingكُلًّۢاallبِسِیْمٰىهُمْ ۚby their marksوَ نَادَوْاAnd they will call outاَصْحٰبَ(to the) companionsالْجَنَّةِ(of) ParadiseاَنْthatسَلٰمٌPeaceعَلَیْكُمْ ۫(be) upon youلَمْNotیَدْخُلُوْهَاthey have entered itوَ هُمْbut theyیَطْمَعُوْنَ hope وَ اِذَاAnd whenصُرِفَتْare turnedاَبْصَارُهُمْtheir eyesتِلْقَآءَtowardsاَصْحٰبِ(the) companionsالنَّارِ ۙ(of) the Fireقَالُوْاthey (will) sayرَبَّنَاOur Lord!لَا(Do) notتَجْعَلْنَاplace usمَعَwithالْقَوْمِthe peopleالظّٰلِمِیْنَ۠the wrongdoers

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Translation of Verse 40-47

40. Verily for those who belied our revelations and looked down upon them, the gates of Heaven will not be opened,⁶⁴ nor shall they enter the Paradise until a camel shall pass through the eye of a needle.⁶⁵ Thus do we punish the guilty.

41. Hell shall be their bed, and also their covering from above. And thus do we repay the wrong-doers.

42. And those who believed and performed righteous acts–we do not burden any soul beyond its scope⁶⁶–they are the denizens of paradise, where they will dwell forever.

43. And We will remove whatever rancour there will be in their hearts.⁶⁷ –Rivers will be flowing beneath them, and they shall say: “praise be to Allah, who has guided us to this.” ⁶⁸ Had He not given us guidance, we never could have been rightly guided. Verily, the messenger of our Lord did bring the Truth.” And a voice will cry out to them: “This is the Paradise, which you have inherited in repayment of your deeds.

44. The dwellers of the paradise will cry out to the dwellers of the Hell: “ What our Lord promised we have found to be true. Have you, too, found the promise of your Lord to be true?” They will reply: “yes”, Then a herald will cry out among them : “ The curse of Allah is on the wrong-doers.”⁶⁹

45. “Who debarred (men) from the path of Allah and wanted it crooked,⁷⁰ and who were disbelievers in the Hereafter”.

46. There shall be a barrier⁷¹ between the two, and on the A ‘araf (heights) there will be men who shall recognise everyone by his marks.⁷² They will call out to the dwellers of the Paradise: “Peace be upon you.”⁷³ – They have not yet entered it, though they hope to. ⁷⁴

47. And when their eyes shall be turned towards the dwellers of the Hell they shall say: “Our Lord! Place us not with the wrongdoing people.”

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Commentary

64. They are not destined to attain superiority or high rank; they are destined to go down. All paths of their betterment are blocked. They will neither be able to enter the heavenly world, nor will they be considered acceptable.

65. That is: As the passing of a camel through the eye of a needle is not possible, similarly the entry of these infidels and vain persons in the Paradise is not possible.

A similar statement is found in the Bible also:

“And Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Truly, I say to you, it will be hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” (Mat 19: 23,24)

In this statement Paradise has been mentioned as the kingdom of God.

66. Its explanation bas been given in Note No. 482, Surah Baqarah.

67. That is: The rancour that might have remained in the hearts of the people of faith will be removed, and the stains of bitterness will be wiped out. Allah will cleanse and purify their hearts before admitting them to the paradise. Therefore, they will find themselves in the paradise among sincere friends.

68. The people of faith will not feel vainglorious after entering the paradise that they went to paradise because they deserved it. They will consider it a favour and grace of their Lord and will thank Him that under His guidance and through His bounty they had been enabled to reach this goal of success.

69. The dialogue between the dwellers of the paradise and of the Hell, inspite of such a long distance between the two, shows that in the Hereafter the senses of hearing and vision will be much stronger than what they are in this world, and that the media of communication will also not be limited. This knowledge should not [[[[[[ at all astonish anybody in the modern scientific age, because modern man can send his voice and his image thousands of miles away through the modern telephone and television, and can hold conversation with men orbiting in space.

70. For explanation, please see Note No. 125, Surah Aal-i-Imran.

71. There will be a barrier between the Paradise and the Hell, which will work as a dividing line between the two. On one side of the barrier will be the world of the paradise and on the other, the world of the Hell.

72. From the heights of this barrier, which has been called A’raf, some people will be shown the paradise and the Hell. They will recognise some persons among the dwellers of the Paradise and the Hell whom they knew in the world. Despite the huge crowds in both the places it will be possible to recognise old acquaintances, because every dweller of both these places will have a special sign which will clearly indicate his identity.

73. When the people of A’raf will recognise those in the paradise whom they had known in the world, they will greet them with salaam. It will be their congratulations for their success.

74. That is: The people of A’raf would not have entered the paradise, but would be hoping to do so. From this statement of Allah, it appears that He will admit them to paradise after letting them observe the condition of the dwellers in paradise and Hell.

Who will be these people on the Heights? This has not been explained by Quran. But from the context it appears that these will be the people whose record of deeds had not been so outstanding that they could enjoy priority in the matter of entering paradise.

Therefore, they would be admitted to Paradise after observing the condition of the dwellers of paradise and Hell.