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

(7:40) Surely the gates of Heaven shall not be opened for those who reject Our signs as false and turn away ' from them in arrogance; nor shall they enter Paradise until a camel passes through the eye of a needle. Thus do We reward the guilty ones.

(7:41) Hell shall be their bed, and also above them their covering. Thus do We reward the wrong-doers.

(7:42) And those who believe and do good - We do not impose upon any of them a burden beyond his capacity. They are the people of Paradise. And there they shall abide.

(7:43) We shall strip away all rancour from their hearts,³² and rivers shall flow beneath them, and they shall say: 'All praise be to Allah Who has guided us on to this. Had it not been for Allah Who granted us guidance, we would not be on the Right Path. Surely the Messengers of our Lord did indeed come down with truth.' Then a voice will cry out to them: 'This is the Paradise which you are made to inherit as a reward for your deeds.' ³³

(7:44) And the people of Paradise shall cry to the people of Hell: 'Surely we have found our Lord's promise to us to be true. have you also found true what your Lord has promised you?' 'Yes', they shall answer; and a herald shall cry out among them: 'Allah's curse be upon the wrong-doers';

(7:45) upon those who hinder men from the path of Allah and seek to make it crooked; and disbelieve in the Hereafter.'

(7:46) And between the two there will be a barrier, and on the Heights will be men who will recognize each person by his mark and will cry, out to the people of Paradise: 'Peace be to you.'These will be the ones who had not yet joined them in Paradise, though they long to do so.³⁴

(7:47) And when the eyes of the people of the Heights will be turned towards the people of Hell they will say: 'Our Lord! Do not cast us among the wrongdoing people.'

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Commentary

32. If there develops any rancour or ill-will among good people during the course of their worldly lives, such rancour and will be removed in the Hereafter. Their hearts will be purged of all hostile feelings and they will enter Paradise as cordial friends. They will not feel envious towards those who had formerly been opposed or hostile to them that they share with them the bounties of Paradise. Significantly, 'Ali once recited this very verse and remarked: 'I wish that I and 'Uthman and Talhah and al-Zubayr will be among those about whom God has said: "And We shall take away all rancour from their hearts" ' (verse 43). (See Qurtubi's comments on verse 43 - Ed.)

Reflection on the verse leads one to conclude that out of His mercy, God will first purge the righteous of their blemishes. This will be done before admitting them to Paradise. Thus they will enter Paradise in a state of untainted purity.

33. This refers to something of a fine and delicate character that will take place in Paradise. Instead of boasting about their virtuous deeds which led them to Paradise, the righteous will thank and praise God profusely and acknowledge His grace and mercy without which they could never have entered Paradise. On the other hand, God will not impress His bounty upon the righteous; He will rather emphasize that Paradise is granted to them by way of compensation for their righteous conduct, that it is the fruit of their hard labour; that it is not like the crumbs of charity but a fair recompense for their striving. The subtlety involved here is further brought into relief by the fact that the above response will not be made by God. It will rather be just announced to them.

What is said above about the Hereafter may be discerned in the attitude of the righteous in the world itself. The wicked and arrogant ones take great pride in their worldly attainments and ascribe them to their own efforts. They firmly, believe that what they have achieved is the fruit of their labour. Swaved by such notions, they continue to act even more haughtily. Conversely the righteous look upon all the bounties which they receive as favours from God. Accordingly, they thank and praise Him out of gratitude. The more they are lavished with worldly favours, the more humble and generous they become. Moreover, they do not suffer from the illusion that their righteousness will certainly earn them their salvation. On the contrary, they consistently repent over their lapses and earnestly turn to God in the hope that He will pardon them out of His grace and mercy. They are always fearful of God's reckoning lest their evil deeds are found to outweigh their good deeds. According to a tradition the Prophet (peace he on him) said: 'Know well that none will he able to enter Paradise by dint of his good deeds.' When asked if that would apply to him as well, the Prophet (peace he on him) replied: 'Yes, in my case as well; unless God covers me with His mercy and favour.' (Bukhari, Kitab al-Riqaq, 'Bab al-Qasd wa a Mudawamah ala al-Amal' - Ed.)

34. The people of A'raf (Heights) will be the people who are neither righteous enough to enter Paradise nor wicked enough to he cast into Hell. They will, therefore, dwell at a place situated between the two.