Surah 7. Al-A'raf

---

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]

---

Quran Text of Verse 130-141وَ لَقَدْAnd certainlyاَخَذْنَاۤWe seizedاٰلَ(the) peopleفِرْعَوْنَ(of) Firaunبِالسِّنِیْنَwith years (of famine)وَ نَقْصٍand a deficitمِّنَofالثَّمَرٰتِ[the] fruitsلَعَلَّهُمْso that they mayیَذَّكَّرُوْنَ receive admonition 7. Al-A'raf Page 166فَاِذَاBut whenجَآءَتْهُمُcame to themالْحَسَنَةُthe goodقَالُوْاthey saidلَنَاFor usهٰذِهٖ ۚ(is) thisوَ اِنْAnd ifتُصِبْهُمْafflicts themسَیِّئَةٌbadیَّطَّیَّرُوْاthey ascribe evil omensبِمُوْسٰیto Musaوَ مَنْand whoمَّعَهٗ ؕ(were) with himاَلَاۤBeholdاِنَّمَاOnlyطٰٓىِٕرُهُمْtheir evil omensعِنْدَ(are) withاللّٰهِAllahوَ لٰكِنَّbutاَكْثَرَهُمْmost of themلَا(do) notیَعْلَمُوْنَ know وَ قَالُوْاAnd they saidمَهْمَاWhateverتَاْتِنَاyou bring usبِهٖtherewithمِنْofاٰیَةٍ(the) signلِّتَسْحَرَنَاso that you bewitch usبِهَا ۙwith itفَمَاthen notنَحْنُweلَكَ(will be) in youبِمُؤْمِنِیْنَ believers فَاَرْسَلْنَاSo We sentعَلَیْهِمُon themالطُّوْفَانَthe floodوَ الْجَرَادَand the locustsوَ الْقُمَّلَand the liceوَ الضَّفَادِعَand the frogsوَ الدَّمَand the bloodاٰیٰتٍ(as) signsمُّفَصَّلٰتٍ ۫manifestفَاسْتَكْبَرُوْاbut they showed arroganceوَ كَانُوْاand they wereقَوْمًاa peopleمُّجْرِمِیْنَ criminal وَ لَمَّاAnd whenوَقَعَfellعَلَیْهِمُon themالرِّجْزُthe punishmentقَالُوْاthey saidیٰمُوْسَیO Musa!ادْعُInvokeلَنَاfor usرَبَّكَyour Lordبِمَاby whatعَهِدَHe has promisedعِنْدَكَ ۚto youلَىِٕنْIfكَشَفْتَyou removeعَنَّاfrom usالرِّجْزَthe punishmentلَنُؤْمِنَنَّsurely we will believeلَكَ[for] youوَ لَنُرْسِلَنَّand surely we will sendمَعَكَwith youبَنِیْۤ(the) Childrenاِسْرَآءِیْلَۚ(of) Israel فَلَمَّاBut whenكَشَفْنَاWe removedعَنْهُمُfrom themالرِّجْزَthe punishmentاِلٰۤیtillاَجَلٍa (fixed) termهُمْ(which) theyبٰلِغُوْهُwere to reach [it]اِذَاthenهُمْtheyیَنْكُثُوْنَ broke (the word) فَانْتَقَمْنَاSo We took retributionمِنْهُمْfrom themفَاَغْرَقْنٰهُمْand We drowned themفِیinالْیَمِّthe seaبِاَنَّهُمْbecause theyكَذَّبُوْاdeniedبِاٰیٰتِنَاOur Signsوَ كَانُوْاand they wereعَنْهَاto themغٰفِلِیْنَ heedless وَ اَوْرَثْنَاAnd We made inheritorsالْقَوْمَthe peopleالَّذِیْنَthose whoكَانُوْاwereیُسْتَضْعَفُوْنَconsidered weakمَشَارِقَ(the) eastern (parts)الْاَرْضِ(of) the landوَ مَغَارِبَهَاand the western (parts) of itالَّتِیْwhichبٰرَكْنَاWe blessedفِیْهَا ؕ[in it]وَ تَمَّتْAnd was fulfilledكَلِمَتُ(the) wordرَبِّكَ(of) your Lordالْحُسْنٰیthe bestعَلٰیforبَنِیْۤ(the) Childrenاِسْرَآءِیْلَ ۙ۬(of) Israelبِمَاbecauseصَبَرُوْا ؕthey were patientوَ دَمَّرْنَاAnd We destroyedمَاwhatكَانَused toیَصْنَعُmakeفِرْعَوْنُFiraunوَ قَوْمُهٗand his peopleوَ مَاand whatكَانُوْاthey used toیَعْرِشُوْنَ erect 7. Al-A'raf Page 167وَ جٰوَزْنَاAnd We led acrossبِبَنِیْۤ(the) Childrenاِسْرَآءِیْلَ(of) Israelالْبَحْرَthe seaفَاَتَوْاThen they cameعَلٰیuponقَوْمٍa peopleیَّعْكُفُوْنَdevotedعَلٰۤیtoاَصْنَامٍidolsلَّهُمْ ۚof theirsقَالُوْاThey saidیٰمُوْسَیO MusaاجْعَلْMakeلَّنَاۤfor usاِلٰهًاa godكَمَاlike whatلَهُمْthey haveاٰلِهَةٌ ؕgodsقَالَHe saidاِنَّكُمْIndeed, youقَوْمٌ(are) a peopleتَجْهَلُوْنَ ignorant اِنَّIndeedهٰۤؤُلَآءِtheseمُتَبَّرٌdestroyedمَّا(is) whatهُمْtheyفِیْهِ(are) in itوَ بٰطِلٌand vainمَّا(is) whatكَانُوْاthey used toیَعْمَلُوْنَ do قَالَHe saidاَغَیْرَShould other thanاللّٰهِAllahاَبْغِیْكُمْI seek for youاِلٰهًاa godوَّ هُوَwhile Heفَضَّلَكُمْhas preferred youعَلَیoverالْعٰلَمِیْنَ the worlds وَ اِذْAnd whenاَنْجَیْنٰكُمْWe saved youمِّنْfromاٰلِ(the) peopleفِرْعَوْنَ(of) Firaunیَسُوْمُوْنَكُمْwho were afflicting youسُوْٓءَ(with) worstالْعَذَابِ ۚ(of) tormentیُقَتِّلُوْنَthey were killingاَبْنَآءَكُمْyour sonsوَ یَسْتَحْیُوْنَand letting liveنِسَآءَكُمْ ؕyour womenوَ فِیْAnd inذٰلِكُمْthatبَلَآءٌ(was) a trialمِّنْfromرَّبِّكُمْyour Lordعَظِیْمٌ۠great

---

Translation of Verse 130-141

(7:130) We afflicted the people of Pharaoh with hard times and with poor harvest that they may heed.

(7:131) But whenever prosperity came their way, they said: 'This is our due.' And whatever hardship befell them, they attributed it to the misfortune of Moses and those who followed him. Surely, their misfortune had been decreed by Allah - but most of them do not know that.

(7:132) And they said to Moses: 'Whatever sign you might produce before us in order to enchant us, we are not going to believe you.'⁹⁴

(7:133) Then We afflicted them with a great flood ⁹⁵ and locusts, and the lice⁹⁶ , and the frogs, and the blood. All these were distinct signs and yet they remained haughty. They were a wicked people.

(7:134) Each time a scourge struck them they, said: '0 Moses! Pray for us to your Lord on the strength of the prophethood He has bestowed upon you. Surely, if you remove this scourge from us, we will truly believe in you, and will let the Children of Israel go with you.'

(7:135) But when We removed the scourge from them until a term - a term which they were bound to reach - they at once broke their promise.

(7:136) So We inflicted Our retribution on them, and caused them to drown in the sea because they gave the lie to Our signs and were heedless of them.

(7:137) And We made those who had been persecuted inherit the eastern and western lands which We had blessed.⁹⁷ Thus your Lord's gracious promise was fulfilled to the Children of Israel, for they had endured with patience; and We destroyed all that Pharaoh and his people had wrought, and all that they had built.

(7:138) And We led the Children of Israel across the sea; and then they came upon a people who were devoted to the worship of their idols. They said: '0 Moses, make for us a god even as they have gods.'⁹⁸ Moses said: 'You are indeed an ignorant people.'

(7:139) The way these people follow is bound to lead to destruction; and all their works are vain.

(7:140) Moses said: 'Should I seek any god for you other than Allah although it is He who has exalted you above all?'

(7:141) And call to mind when We delivered you from Pharaoh's people who perpetrated on you a terrible torment, putting your males to death and sparing your females. Surely in it there was an awesome trial for you from your Lord.

---

Commentary

94. Pharaoh's courtiers obstinately persisted in branding Moses' signs as sorcery although they knew well that sorcery had nothing in common with the miraculous signs granted to Moses. Even a fool would not he ready to believe that the country-wide famine and the consistent decrease in agricultural output could have been caused by magic. It is for this reason that the Qur'an says:

But when Our signs, which should have opened their eyes, came to them they said: 'This is clear sorcery! And they rejected those signs out of iniquity and arrogance even though they were inwardly convinced of it' (al-Naml 27: 13-14).

95. This probably refers to the torrential rain accompanied by hailstorm. While we do not totally exclude the possibility of other kinds of storms, we are inclined to the view, that it probably signifies hailstorm since the Bible specifically mentions that. (See Exodus 9: 23-4 - Ed.)

96. The word used in the text - qummal - denotes lice, fleas, small locusts, mosquitoes, and weevil. This rather general term has been used in the Qur'an probably to suggest that while men were afflicted with lice and fleas, weevil destroyed the barns. (Cf. Exodus 7-12. See also Tafhim al-ur'an, (al-Zukhruf 43, n. 43.)

97. The Israelites were made the inheritors of Palestine. This has been interpreted by some commentators of the Qur'an to mean that the Israelites were made the rulers of Egypt as well. This view, however, is neither supported by, the Qur'an nor by any other historical and archaeological evidence. We have, therefore, serious reservations about the correctness of this opinion. (See Tafhim a]-Qur'an, (al-Kahf 18, n. 57), and (al-Shuara' 26, n. 45)

98. The point at which the Israelites probably crossed the Red Sea lies somewhere between the present Suez and Ismailia. After that they headed towards the south of the Sinai peninsula along the coastal route. The western and northern regions of the Sinai peninsula were then included in the Egyptian empire. In the southern part of the peninsula, in the area lying between the present towns of Tur and Abu Zanimah, there were copper and turquoise mines. Since these were of immense value to the Egyptians, a number of garrisons had been set up to ensure their security'. One such garrison was located at a place known as Mafqah, which also housed a big temple. The ruins of this temple can still be found in the south-western part of the peninsula. In its vicinity there was an ancient temple, dedicated to the moon-god of the Semites. Passing by these places the people of Israel, who had been subservient to the Egyptians for a long time and were thus considerably Egyptianized in their outlook, felt the desire to indulge in idol-worship.

The extent to which the Israelites had become degenerated as a result of their slavery may be gauged by Joshua's last address to the Israelites delivered seventy years after their exodus from Epypt:

Now therefore fear the Lord, and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness; put away the gods which your fathers served beyond the River, and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. And if you are unwilling to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell; but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord (Joshua 24: 14-15).

This shows that even though the Israelites had been taught and trained by Moses for forty Years and by Joshua for twenty-eight years, they had still been unable to purge their minds of those influences which had warped their outlook and mentality during their period of bondage under Pharaoh. These Muslims had begun to look upon idol-worship as natural. Even after their exodus, the sight of a temple would incline them to indulge in the idolatrous practices which they had observed among their former masters.