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 142-147وَ وٰعَدْنَاAnd We appointedمُوْسٰی(for) Musaثَلٰثِیْنَthirtyلَیْلَةًnightsوَّ اَتْمَمْنٰهَاand We completed themبِعَشْرٍwith ten (more)فَتَمَّso was completedمِیْقَاتُ(the) set termرَبِّهٖۤ(of) his Lordاَرْبَعِیْنَ(of) fortyلَیْلَةً ۚnight(s)وَ قَالَAnd saidمُوْسٰیMusaلِاَخِیْهِto his brotherهٰرُوْنَHarunاخْلُفْنِیْTake my placeفِیْinقَوْمِیْmy peopleوَ اَصْلِحْand do rightوَ لَاand (do) notتَتَّبِعْfollowسَبِیْلَ(the) wayالْمُفْسِدِیْنَ (of) the corrupters وَ لَمَّاAnd whenجَآءَcameمُوْسٰیMusaلِمِیْقَاتِنَاto Our appointed placeوَ كَلَّمَهٗand spoke to himرَبُّهٗ ۙhis Lordقَالَhe saidرَبِّO my LordاَرِنِیْۤShow meاَنْظُرْ(that) I may lookاِلَیْكَ ؕat YouقَالَHe saidلَنْNeverتَرٰىنِیْyou (can) see Meوَ لٰكِنِbutانْظُرْlookاِلَیatالْجَبَلِthe mountainفَاِنِ[then] ifاسْتَقَرَّit remainsمَكَانَهٗin its placeفَسَوْفَthenتَرٰىنِیْ ۚyou (will) see MeفَلَمَّاBut whenتَجَلّٰیrevealed (His) Gloryرَبُّهٗhis Lordلِلْجَبَلِto the mountainجَعَلَهٗHe made itدَكًّاcrumbled to dustوَّ خَرَّand fell downمُوْسٰیMusaصَعِقًا ۚunconsciousفَلَمَّاۤAnd whenاَفَاقَhe recoveredقَالَhe saidسُبْحٰنَكَGlory be to YouتُبْتُI turn (in repentance)اِلَیْكَto youوَ اَنَاand I amاَوَّلُ(the) firstالْمُؤْمِنِیْنَ (of) the believers 7. Al-A'raf Page 168قَالَHe saidیٰمُوْسٰۤیO Musa!اِنِّیIndeed Iاصْطَفَیْتُكَhave chosen youعَلَیoverالنَّاسِthe peopleبِرِسٰلٰتِیْwith My Messagesوَ بِكَلَامِیْ ۖؗand with My wordsفَخُذْSo takeمَاۤwhatاٰتَیْتُكَI have given youوَ كُنْand beمِّنَamongالشّٰكِرِیْنَ the grateful وَ كَتَبْنَاAnd We ordained (laws)لَهٗfor himفِیinالْاَلْوَاحِthe tabletsمِنْofكُلِّeveryشَیْءٍthingمَّوْعِظَةًan instructionوَّ تَفْصِیْلًاand explanationلِّكُلِّfor everyشَیْءٍ ۚthingفَخُذْهَاSo take themبِقُوَّةٍwith firmnessوَّ اْمُرْand orderقَوْمَكَyour peopleیَاْخُذُوْا[to] takeبِاَحْسَنِهَا ؕ(the) best of itسَاُورِیْكُمْI will show youدَارَ(the) homeالْفٰسِقِیْنَ (of) the defiantly disobedient سَاَصْرِفُI will turn awayعَنْfromاٰیٰتِیَMy Signsالَّذِیْنَthose whoیَتَكَبَّرُوْنَare arrogantفِیinالْاَرْضِthe earthبِغَیْرِwithoutالْحَقِّ ؕ[the] rightوَ اِنْand ifیَّرَوْاthey seeكُلَّeveryاٰیَةٍsignلَّاnotیُؤْمِنُوْا(will) they believeبِهَا ۚin itوَ اِنْAnd ifیَّرَوْاthey seeسَبِیْلَ(the) wayالرُّشْدِ(of) the righteousnessلَاnotیَتَّخِذُوْهُ(will) they take itسَبِیْلًا ۚ(as) a wayوَ اِنْbut ifیَّرَوْاthey seeسَبِیْلَ(the) wayالْغَیِّ(of) [the] errorیَتَّخِذُوْهُthey will take itسَبِیْلًا ؕ(as) a wayذٰلِكَThatبِاَنَّهُمْ(is) because theyكَذَّبُوْاdeniedبِاٰیٰتِنَاOur Signsوَ كَانُوْاand they wereعَنْهَاof themغٰفِلِیْنَ heedless وَ الَّذِیْنَAnd those whoكَذَّبُوْاdeniedبِاٰیٰتِنَاOur Signsوَ لِقَآءِand (the) meetingالْاٰخِرَةِ(of) the Hereafterحَبِطَتْworthlessاَعْمَالُهُمْ ؕ(are) their deedsهَلْWillیُجْزَوْنَthey be recompensedاِلَّاexceptمَا(for) whatكَانُوْاthey used toیَعْمَلُوْنَ۠do

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Translation of Verse 142-147

(7:142) And We appointed for Moses thirty nights, to which We added ten, whereby the term of forty nights set by his Lord was fulfilled.⁹⁹ And Moses said to Aaron, his brother: 'Take my place among my people, act righteously, and do not follow the path of those who create mischief.'¹⁰⁰

(7:143) And when Moses came at Our appointment, and his Lord spoke to him, he said: 'O my Lord! Reveal Yourself to me, that I may look upon You!' He replied: 'Never can you see Me. However, behold this mount; if it remains firm in its place, only then you will be able to see Me.' And as soon as his Lord unveiled His glory to the mount, He crushed it into fine dust, and Moses fell down in a swoon. And when he recovered, he said: 'Glory be to You! To You I turn in repentance, and I am the foremost among those who believe.'

(7:144) He said: 'O Moses! I have indeed preferred you to all others by virtue of the Message I have entrusted to you and by virtue of My speaking to you. Hold fast therefore, to whatever I have granted you, and give thanks.'

(7:145) And We ordained for Moses in the Tablets all manner of admonition, and instruction concerning all things,¹⁰¹ and said to him: Hold to these, with all your strength. and bid your people to follow them in accord with their best understanding.¹⁰² I shall soon show you the habitation of the wicked. ¹⁰³

(7:146) I shall turn away from My signs those who, without any right, behaved haughtily in the earth,¹⁰⁴ even if they may, witness each and every, sign, they shall not believe therein. And even if they see the right path, they shall still not follow it; but if they see the path of error. they shall choose it for their path. This is because they rejected Our signs as false and were heedless to them.

(7:147) Vain are the deeds of those who reject Our signs as false and to the meeting of the Hereafter. ¹⁰⁵ Shall they be recompensed, except according to their deeds?'

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Commentary

99. After the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt which marks, on the one hand, the end of the constraints of slavery and on the other, the beginning of their life as an independent nation, Moses was summoned by God to Mount Sinai in order that he might receive the Law for Israel. He was initially summoned for a period of forty days so that he might single-mindedly devote himself to worshipping, fasting, meditation and reflection and thus develop the ability to receive the revelation which was to put a very heavy burden upon him.

In compliance with God's command, Moses left the Israelites at the place now known as the Wadi al-Shaykh which lies between Nabi Salih and Mount Sinai. The place where the Israelites had camped is presently called

Maydan al-Rahah. At one end of the valley is a hillock where, according to local tradition, the Prophet Salih pitched his tent after his migration from the land of Thamud. A mosque built as a monument to the Prophet Salih still adorns the landscape. Mount Harun is located at the other end of the valley where, again, according to local tradition, the Prophet Harun (Aaron) stayed after his exasperation with the Israelites because of their cow-worship. The top of the towering Mount Sinai, standing 7,359 feet high, is mostly enveloped by clouds. The cave to which Moses retired for forty days to devote himself to worship and meditation is situated at the top of the mountain, and still attracts many pilgrims. Close to the cave are a mosque and a church. Moreover, a monastery built in the Justinian period stands even today at the foot of the mountain. (See Tafhim al-Qur'an, (al-Naml 27: nn. 9-10).

100. Although Aaron was senior to Moses in age by three years, he was placed under the direction of the Prophet Moses and was required to assist him in connection with his mission, As explained elsewhere in the Qur'an, Aaron was not assigned independent prophethood; he was rather appointed a Prophet by God in response to Moses' prayer that he be appointed as his assistant. See (Ta Ha 20: 29-31 - Ed.)

101. The Bible categorically mentions that the tablets were of stone. The act of writing on these tablets is attributed in both the Qur'an and the Bible, to God. Nonetheless, it is not possible to ascertain whether the actual act of writing was as performed by God exercising His power directly, or by God in the sense of His assignment of the task to some angel or to Moses (cf. Exodus 31: 18, 32: 15-16; and Deuteronomyi, 5: 6-22).

102 The Israelites were asked to hold fast to the Law to follow it in its plain meaning, a meaning which can he grasped by an ordinary man of sound heart and good intent with the help of his common sense. This stipulation was added in order to discourage the chicanery and hair-splitting to which lawyers resort in order to accommodate the crooked aims of the people. The warning was necessary to emphasize that holding fast to the Law was not to be equated with following the chicanery of the lawyers.

103. The Israelites were told that on their way they would come across the ruins of earlier nations who had refused to turn to God and who had persisted in their evil way's. Observing those ruins would he instructive insofar as they eloquently spoke of the tragic end that meets those who indulge in such iniquity .

104. It is God's law that evil-doers do not and cannot take any lesson from the otherwise instructive events which they observe. The arrogance mentioned here refers to man's delusion that he is on a higher plane than God's creatures and servants. It is this which prompts him to disregard God's command and to adopt an attitude which suggests that he neither considers himself God's servant, nor God his Lord. Such egotism has no basis in fact; it is sheer vanity. For as long as man live on God's earth, what can justify his living as a servant of anyone other than the Lord of the universe? It is for this reason that the Qur'an declares this arrogance to be 'without any right'.

105. That the acts of such persons are vain and fruitless is evident from the fact that the acceptance of man's acts by God is subject to two conditions. First, one's acts should conform to the Law laid down by God. Second, man should be prompted by the desire to achieve success in the Hereafter rather than merely in this world. If these conditions are not fulfilled, a person's acts will be of no consequence. He who performs an act in defiance of God's guidance, is guilty of rebellion and is undeserving of God's reward. He who acts only to obtain worldly success, is neither entitled to nor should expect any reward from God in the Hereafter. If someone uses another person's land contrary to his wish, what else can he expect from him than punishment? The same holds true for he who deliberately uses someone's land, knowing well that he is not entitled to any produce after the restoration of that land to its owner. There is no justification for him to expect any share of the produce of that land.