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 163-171وَ سْـَٔلْهُمْAnd ask themعَنِaboutالْقَرْیَةِthe townالَّتِیْwhichكَانَتْwasحَاضِرَةَsituatedالْبَحْرِ ۘ(by) the seaاِذْwhenیَعْدُوْنَthey transgressedفِیinالسَّبْتِthe (matter of) Sabbathاِذْwhenتَاْتِیْهِمْcame to themحِیْتَانُهُمْtheir fishیَوْمَ(on the) dayسَبْتِهِمْ(of) their Sabbathشُرَّعًاvisiblyوَّ یَوْمَand (on the) dayلَاnotیَسْبِتُوْنَ ۙthey had Sabbathلَا(they did) notتَاْتِیْهِمْ ۛۚcome to themكَذٰلِكَ ۛۚThusنَبْلُوْهُمْWe test themبِمَاbecauseكَانُوْاthey wereیَفْسُقُوْنَ defiantly disobeying 7. Al-A'raf Page 172وَ اِذْAnd whenقَالَتْsaidاُمَّةٌa communityمِّنْهُمْamong themلِمَWhyتَعِظُوْنَ(do) you preachقَوْمَا ۙa peopleللّٰهُ(whom) Allahمُهْلِكُهُمْ(is going to) destroy themاَوْorمُعَذِّبُهُمْpunish themعَذَابًا(with) a punishmentشَدِیْدًا ؕsevereقَالُوْاThey saidمَعْذِرَةًTo be absolvedاِلٰیbeforeرَبِّكُمْyour Lordوَ لَعَلَّهُمْand that they mayیَتَّقُوْنَ become righteous فَلَمَّاSo whenنَسُوْاthey forgotمَاwhatذُكِّرُوْاthey had been remindedبِهٖۤwith [it]اَنْجَیْنَاWe savedالَّذِیْنَthose whoیَنْهَوْنَforbadeعَنِ[from]السُّوْٓءِthe evilوَ اَخَذْنَاand We seizedالَّذِیْنَthose whoظَلَمُوْاwrongedبِعَذَابٍۭwith a punishmentبَىِٕیْسٍۭwretchedبِمَاbecauseكَانُوْاthey wereیَفْسُقُوْنَ defiantly disobeying فَلَمَّاSo whenعَتَوْاthey exceeded all boundsعَنْaboutمَّاwhatنُهُوْاthey were forbiddenعَنْهُfrom itقُلْنَاWe saidلَهُمْto themكُوْنُوْاBeقِرَدَةًapesخٰسِىِٕیْنَ despised وَ اِذْAnd whenتَاَذَّنَdeclaredرَبُّكَyour Lordلَیَبْعَثَنَّthat He would surely sendعَلَیْهِمْupon themاِلٰیtillیَوْمِ(the) Dayالْقِیٰمَةِ(of) the Resurrectionمَنْ(those) whoیَّسُوْمُهُمْwould afflict themسُوْٓءَ(with) a grievousالْعَذَابِ ؕ[the] punishmentاِنَّIndeedرَبَّكَyour Lordلَسَرِیْعُ(is) surely swiftالْعِقَابِ ۖۚ(in) the retributionوَ اِنَّهٗbut indeed Heلَغَفُوْرٌ(is) surely Oft-Forgivingرَّحِیْمٌ Most Merciful وَ قَطَّعْنٰهُمْAnd We divided themفِیinالْاَرْضِthe earthاُمَمًا ۚ(as) nationsمِنْهُمُAmong themالصّٰلِحُوْنَ(are) the righteousوَ مِنْهُمْand among themدُوْنَ(are) other thanذٰلِكَ ؗthatوَ بَلَوْنٰهُمْAnd We tested themبِالْحَسَنٰتِwith the goodوَ السَّیِّاٰتِand the badلَعَلَّهُمْso that they mayیَرْجِعُوْنَ return فَخَلَفَThen succeededمِنْۢfromبَعْدِهِمْafter themخَلْفٌsuccessorsوَّرِثُوا(who) inheritedالْكِتٰبَthe Bookیَاْخُذُوْنَtakingعَرَضَgoodsهٰذَا(of) thisالْاَدْنٰیthe lower (life)وَ یَقُوْلُوْنَand they sayسَیُغْفَرُIt will be forgivenلَنَا ۚfor usوَ اِنْAnd ifیَّاْتِهِمْcomes to themعَرَضٌgoodsمِّثْلُهٗsimilar to itیَاْخُذُوْهُ ؕthey will take itاَلَمْWas notیُؤْخَذْtakenعَلَیْهِمْon themمِّیْثَاقُCovenantالْكِتٰبِ(of) the Bookاَنْthatلَّاnotیَقُوْلُوْاthey will sayعَلَیaboutاللّٰهِAllahاِلَّاexceptالْحَقَّthe truthوَ دَرَسُوْاwhile they studiedمَاwhatفِیْهِ ؕ(is) in itوَ الدَّارُAnd the homeالْاٰخِرَةُ(of) the Hereafterخَیْرٌ(is) betterلِّلَّذِیْنَfor those whoیَتَّقُوْنَ ؕfear AllahاَفَلَاSo will notتَعْقِلُوْنَ you use intellect وَ الَّذِیْنَAnd those whoیُمَسِّكُوْنَhold fastبِالْكِتٰبِto the Bookوَ اَقَامُواand establishالصَّلٰوةَ ؕthe prayerاِنَّاindeed Weلَا(will) notنُضِیْعُ[We] let go wasteاَجْرَ(the) rewardالْمُصْلِحِیْنَ (of) the reformers 7. Al-A'raf Page 173وَ اِذْAnd whenنَتَقْنَاWe raisedالْجَبَلَthe mountainفَوْقَهُمْabove themكَاَنَّهٗas if it wasظُلَّةٌa canopyوَّ ظَنُّوْۤاand they thoughtاَنَّهٗthat itوَاقِعٌۢ(would) fallبِهِمْ ۚupon themخُذُوْا(We said) TakeمَاۤwhatاٰتَیْنٰكُمْWe have given youبِقُوَّةٍwith strengthوَّ اذْكُرُوْاand rememberمَاwhatفِیْهِ(is) in itلَعَلَّكُمْso that you mayتَتَّقُوْنَ۠fear Allah

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Translation of Verse 163-171

163. Ask them ˹O Prophet˺ about ˹the people of˺ the town which was by the sea, who broke the Sabbath. ³³⁰ During the Sabbath, ˹abundant˺ fish would come to them clearly visible, but on other days the fish were never seen. In this way We tested them for their rebelliousness.

164. When some of ˹the righteous among˺ them questioned ˹their fellow Sabbath-keepers˺, "Why do you ˹bother to˺ warn those ˹Sabbath-breakers˺ who will either be destroyed or severely punished by Allah?" They replied, "Just to be free from your Lord's blame, and so perhaps they may abstain."

165. When they ignored the warning they were given, We rescued those who used to warn against evil and overtook the wrongdoers with a dreadful punishment for their rebelliousness.

166. But when they stubbornly persisted in violation, We said to them, "Be disgraced apes!" ³³¹

167. And ˹remember, O Prophet,˺ when your Lord declared that He would send against them others who would make them suffer terribly until the Day of Judgment. Indeed, your Lord is swift in punishment, but He is certainly All-Forgiving, Most Merciful.

168. We dispersed them through the land in groups-some were righteous, others were less so. We tested them with prosperity and adversity, so perhaps they would return ˹to the Right Path˺.

169. Then they were succeeded by other generations who inherited the Scripture. They indulged in unlawful gains, claiming, "We will be forgiven ˹after all˺." And if similar gain came their way, they would seize it. Was a covenant not taken from them in the Scripture that they would not say anything about Allah except the truth? And they were already well-versed in its teachings. But the ˹eternal˺ Home of the Hereafter is far better for those mindful ˹of Allah˺. Will you not then understand?

170. As for those who firmly abide by the Scripture and establish prayer-surely We never discount the reward of those acting righteously.

171. And ˹remember˺ when We raised the mountain over them as if it were a cloud and they thought it would fall on them. ³³² ˹We said,˺ "Hold firmly to that ˹Scripture˺ which We have given you and observe its teachings so perhaps you will become mindful ˹of Allah˺."

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Commentary

330. The people of Aylah, an ancient town by the Red Sea, were forbidden to catch fish on the Sabbath. However, on Saturdays fish were everywhere, whereas on weekdays no fish were seen. To get around the prohibition, some decided to lay their nets on Fridays and collect the fish caught in their nets on Sundays. Those opposed to this practice were divided into two groups: one group tried to convince the offenders to honour the Sabbath, but soon gave up when their advice was not taken seriously. The second group was persistent in giving advice to the Sabbath-breakers. Eventually, the Sabbath-breakers were punished whereas the other two groups were saved.

331. Literally or metaphorically. See footnote for 2:65.

332. The mountain was raised over their heads when Moses came to them with the teachings of the Torah and was met with defiance. So the mountain was raised as a miracle and a display of Allah's infinite power over them.