Tafheem ul Quran

Surah 7 Al-A'raf, Ayat 190-198

فَلَمَّاۤ اٰتٰٮهُمَا صَالِحًـا جَعَلَا لَهٗ شُرَكَآءَ فِيۡمَاۤ اٰتٰٮهُمَا​ ۚ فَتَعٰلَى اللّٰهُ عَمَّا يُشۡرِكُوۡنَ‏ ﴿7:190﴾ اَيُشۡرِكُوۡنَ مَا لَا يَخۡلُقُ شَيۡـئًـا وَّهُمۡ يُخۡلَقُوۡنَ​ ​ۖ ‏  ﴿7:191﴾ وَلَا يَسۡتَطِيۡعُوۡنَ لَهُمۡ نَـصۡرًا وَّلَاۤ اَنۡفُسَهُمۡ يَنۡصُرُوۡنَ‏  ﴿7:192﴾ وَاِنۡ تَدۡعُوۡهُمۡ اِلَى الۡهُدٰى لَا يَتَّبِعُوۡكُمۡ​ ؕ سَوَآءٌ عَلَيۡكُمۡ اَدَعَوۡتُمُوۡهُمۡ اَمۡ اَنۡـتُمۡ صٰمِتُوۡنَ‏ ﴿7:193﴾ اِنَّ الَّذِيۡنَ تَدۡعُوۡنَ مِنۡ دُوۡنِ اللّٰهِ عِبَادٌ اَمۡثَالُـكُمۡ​ فَادۡعُوۡهُمۡ فَلۡيَسۡتَجِيۡبُوۡا لَـكُمۡ اِنۡ كُنۡتُمۡ صٰدِقِيۡنَ‏ ﴿7:194﴾ اَلَهُمۡ اَرۡجُلٌ يَّمۡشُوۡنَ بِهَآ اَمۡ لَهُمۡ اَيۡدٍ يَّبۡطِشُوۡنَ بِهَآ اَمۡ لَهُمۡ اَعۡيُنٌ يُّبۡصِرُوۡنَ بِهَآ اَمۡ لَهُمۡ اٰذَانٌ يَّسۡمَعُوۡنَ بِهَا​ ؕ قُلِ ادۡعُوۡا شُرَكَآءَكُمۡ ثُمَّ كِيۡدُوۡنِ فَلَا تُنۡظِرُوۡنِ‏ ﴿7:195﴾ اِنَّ وَلىِّۦَ اللّٰهُ الَّذِىۡ نَزَّلَ الۡـكِتٰبَ ​ۖ  وَهُوَ يَتَوَلَّى الصّٰلِحِيۡنَ‏ ﴿7:196﴾ وَالَّذِيۡنَ تَدۡعُوۡنَ مِنۡ دُوۡنِهٖ لَا يَسۡتَطِيۡعُوۡنَ نَـصۡرَكُمۡ وَلَاۤ اَنۡفُسَهُمۡ يَنۡصُرُوۡنَ‏ ﴿7:197﴾ وَاِنۡ تَدۡعُوۡهُمۡ اِلَى الۡهُدٰى لَا يَسۡمَعُوۡا​ ؕ وَتَرٰٮهُمۡ يَنۡظُرُوۡنَ اِلَيۡكَ وَهُمۡ لَا يُبۡصِرُوۡنَ‏ ﴿7:198﴾

(7:190) But when He vouchsafes them a healthy child, they attribute to Him partners regarding what Allah had bestowed upon them. Subliminally exalted is Allah above that which they associate with Him.146 (7:191) Do they associate (with Allah in His divinity) those who can create nothing; rather, they are themselves created? (7:192) They have no power to help others. nor can they help themselves. (7:193) And if you call them to true guidance, they will not follow you. It is all the same for you whether you call them to true guidance or keep silent. 147 (7:194) Those whom you invoke other than Allah are creatures like you. So invoke them. and see if they answer your call, if what you claim is true. (7:195) Have they feet on which they can walk? Have they hands with which they can grasp? Have they eyes with which they can see? Have they ears with which they can hear?148 Say [O Muhammad]: 'Invoke all those to whom you ascribe a share in Allah's divinity, then scheme against me and grant me no respite. (7:196) My guardian is Allah Who has revealed the Book, and it is He Who protects the righteous.149 (7:197) And those whom you invoke other than Allah, they can neither help themselves nor you. (7:198) And if you were to call them to true guidance, they will not hear; and you observe them looking at you whereas they have no power to see.'

Notes

146. The present and succeeding (verses 190-8) seek to refute polytheism. These verses are devoted to highlighting the implications of the postulate which even the polytheists affirmed - that it is God Who originally created the human species. They also acknowledge that every human being owes his existence to God. God also holds absolute power over the entire process leading to man's birth, right from the fertilization of the ovurn in the uterus to its onward development in the form of a living being, then investing it with numerous faculties and ensuring its birth as a sound, healthy baby. No one has the power to prevent God, if He so willed, from causing a wornan to give birth to an animal or to odd creature, or to a physically or mentally handicapped baby. This fact is also equally acknowledged by monotheists and polytheists. It is for this reason that in the final stage of pregnancy, people are inclined to turn to God and pray for the birth of a sound and healthy baby.

It is, however, the very, height of man's ignorance and folly that after a sound and healthy baby has been born as a result of God's will, man makes offerings at the altars of false gods, goddesses, or saints. Occasionally the names given to the child (e.g., 'abd al-Rasul, 'abd al-'Uzza, 'abd Shams, etc.) also indicate that man feels grateful to others than God and regardsthe child as a gift either of sorne Prophet, some noted Companion of the Prophet (peace be on him), or some other noted personality such as his spiritual mentor rather than a gift from God.

There has been some misunderstanding with regard to the point emphasized here. This misunderstanding has been further reinforced by traditions of doubtful authenticity. The Qur'an mentions that human being's are created from a single person, and obviously here that person means Adam (peace be on him). Now this reference to one person is soon followed by reference to his spouse, and that both prayed to God for the birth of a sound and healthy baby. And when that prayer was accepted, the couple are mentioned as having associated others with God in the granting of His favour.

The misunderstanding consists in considering this couple, who fell prey to polytheism, to be Adam and Eve. People resorted to unauthentic traditions to explain the above verse and the story which thus gained acceptance was the following. It was claimed that Eve suffered several mishaps since her offspring would die after birth. Satan seized this opportunity to mislead her into naming her baby Abd al-Harith (the slave of Satan). (See the comments of Ibn Kathir on verse 190. Cf. Ahmad b. Hanbal, Musnad, vol. 5, p. 11 - Ed.) What is most shocking is that some of these unsubstantiated traditions have been ascribed to the Prophet (peace be on him). The fact, however, is that the above account does not have even an iota of truth. Nor is it, in any way, corroborated by the Qur'an itself. The only point brought home by the Qur'an is that it is God alone, to the total exclusion of every one else, Who brought the first human couple into being. And again it is God alone Who causes the birth of each baby born out of the intercourse between a man and a woman. The Qur'an also points out that the of this truth is innate in human nature which is evident from the fact that in states of distress and crisis man turns prayerfully to God alone. Ironically, however, after God blesses those prayers with acceptance, a number of people associate others with God in His divinity. The fact is that the present verses do not refer to any particular man and woman. The allusion is in fact to every man and woman enmeshed in polytheism.

Here another point deserves attention. These verses condemn the Arabian polytheists on account of the fact that when God granted them sound children in response to their prayers they associated others with God in offering thanks. But what is the situation of many Muslims of today who strongly believe in the unity of God? Their situation seems even worse. It is not uncommon for them to ask others than God to grant children. They, make vows during pregnancy to others than God, and make offerings to others than God after child-birth. Yet they are satisfied that they have a full guarantee of Paradise since they are believers in the One True God whereas the Arabian polytheists would inevitably be consigned to Hell. It is only the doctrinal errors of the pre-Islamic Arabian polytheists which may be condemned. The doctrinal errors of Muslims are beyond all criticism and censure.

147. As to the false gods set up by the polytheists, what is the extent of their power? Not only, do they not have the power to guide others, they do not even have the power to follow others or even to answer the call of their devotees.

148. Polytheistic religions seem to have three characteristics: (1) idols and images that are held as objects of worship; (2) some persons and spirits that are considered deities represented in the form of idols and images, etc.; and (3) certain beliefs which underlie their polytheistic rites. The Qur'an denounces all these. At this place, however, the attack is directed against the objects to which the polytheists directed their worship.

149. This is in response to the threats held out by the polytheists to the Prophet (peace he on him). They used to tell the Prophet (peace be on him) that if he did not give up opposing their deities and denouncing them, he would be overwhelmed by the wrath of those deities and court utter disaster.