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Al-A'raf

Al-Araf [1][2] (Arabic: ٱلأعراف, al-ʾAʿrāf; meaning: The Heights) is the 7th chapter (sūrah) of the Qur'an, with 206 verses (āyāt). Regarding the timing and contextual background of the revelation (Asbāb al-nuzūl), it is a "Meccan surah", which means it was revealed before the Hijra.

This chapter takes its name from verses 46–47,[3] in which the word A'araf[4] appears.

According to Abul A'la Maududi, the time of its disclosure is about the same as that of Al-An'am, i. e., the last year of the Islamic prophet Muhammad's residence at Makkah: the manner of its admonition clearly indicates that it belongs to the same period and both have the same historical background; however, it cannot be declared with assurance which of these two was uncovered before the other. The audience should keep in mind the introduction to Al-An'am.[5]

Summary

Pharaoh watches a serpent devour a demon in the presence of Musa; from a manuscript of Qisas al-Anbiya, c. 1540.

Subject matter

Although heading of the subject matter of this surah can be summarized as "Invitation to the Divine Message", some further elaboration is required to comprehend the underlying themes and their interconnection.

Contents

The chapter refers to Adam and Eve, Noah, Lot, Hud, Saleh, Shuaib, Moses and Aaron.[8] The significant issues, Divine laws and points of guidance in this surah are as follows [9]

  1. A greeting is given to the People of the Book (Jews and Christians) to become Muslims.
  3. An admonition is given to the unbelievers about the results of their disavowal through referring to the case of punishments which were caused upon previous nations for their off-base mentality towards their Rasools.
  5. The Jews are cautioned about the results of their deceptive lead towards the prophets.
  7. Precept to proliferate the message of Islam with astuteness.
  9. The fact that the Rasools just as the individuals to whom they are sent will be addressed on the Day of Judgment.
  11. Precept to the Believers that they should wear respectable and appropriate dress and eat pure and good food.
  13. Conversation between the inhabitants of Paradise, the prisoners of hell and the individuals of A'raf (a spot between the Paradise and hellfire).
  15. Luxuriousness and difficulty are the reminders from Allah.
  17. Muhammad is the Rasool for the entirety of humankind.
  19. The fact that the coming of Muhammad was depicted in Torah and the Gospel (Bible).
  21. Jews have created fabricated a wrong belief about Allah's creation.
  23. Humankind's declaration about Allah at the hour of Adam's creation.
  25. Allah made all of humankind from a single soul.
  27. Allah's command to show forgiveness, speak for justice and stay away from the ignorant.
  29. Allah's order about tuning in to the recitation of The Qur'an with complete quietness.

Theme

The chief subject of this Surah is an invitation to the Divine Message sent down to Muhammad. The Messenger had been admonishing the individuals of Makkah for 13 years. Yet there was no substantial impact on them, since they had deliberately ignored his message. And had become so adversarial that Allah was going to order Muhammad to disregard them and go to others. That is the reason they are being reproved to acknowledge the message and an admonition is given about the results of their off-base demeanor. Since Muhammad was going to get Allah's edict to relocate from Makkah, the finishing up part of this Surah addresses the People of the Book with whom he was going to come into contact at Al-Madinah. In the ayaat directed to the Jews, the outcomes of their deceptive mentality towards the prophets are likewise brought up clearly. As they proclaimed to put belief in Musa (Moses) yet their practices were against his lessons. They were defying him as well as were in certainty worshipping falsehood.

Towards the ending of the Surah, guidelines are given to Muhammad and his adherents to show tolerance and exercise patience in answer to the incitements of their rivals. Since the devotees were feeling the squeeze and stress, are encouraged to be cautious and not make any stride that may hurt their cause.[5]

Exegesis

80-84 Lot in Islam

Verses 7:80–84 deal with the story Lot[10] who was sent to a city, that, according to the quranic narrative, was of the transgressors. Angels descend to protect Lot and his daughters, and the city is destroyed by a stone rain. Lot's wife perishes as well. Lot was sent to a group of people who had committed unprecedented levels of immorality. The men amongst them approached other men with desire instead of women; and thus they were transgressing the bounds of God. Upon hearing the accusation that Prophet Lot had leveled on them, his people gave no answer but this: they said, "Drive them out of your city: these are indeed men who want to be clean and pure!" (the second part of the statement was probably a form of sarcasm). In the end, Allah saved Prophet Lot and his family except his wife who was amongst the evildoers and Allah punished the people by sending a rain of stones down on them.

103-156 Moses

The narrative focuses on the history of Moses

142 Golden Calf

The incident of the Golden Calf as narrated in Q7:142 paints a positive light on Aaron. The Quran says that Aaron was entrusted the leadership of Israel while Moses was up on Mount Sinai (Arabic: طُـور سِـيـنـاء, tur sina’) for a period of forty days .[11] Q19:50 adds that Aaron tried his best to stop the worship of the Golden Calf. Further parts of the story are to be found in Quran 7:150. The story ends in an earlier chapter, Quran 5:25.

157 The coming of Muhammad

Verse 7:157 reveals that prophecies about the coming of Muhammad were present in the Jewish law and Gospel.

۩ 206 Prostration

This final verse, verse 206, requires a sajdah, or prostration.

۝[12] Moreover the angels who are with my LORD do not proudly disdain his service, but they celebrate his praise and worship him.[13][14]

Gallery

See also

References

  1. ^ George Sale translation
  2. ^ "Tafsir Ibn Kathir (English): Surah Al A'raf". Quran 4 U. Retrieved 8 December 2019.
  3. ^ "Surah Al-A'raf - 46".
  4. ^ Corpus.qoran.com.
  5. ^ a b Abul A'la Maududi - Tafhim-ul-Quran
  6. ^ Wherry, Elwood Morris (1896). A Complete Index to Sale's Text, Preliminary Discourse, and Notes. London: Kegan Paul, Trench, Trubner, and Co. Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  7. ^ Mohammed, A Comprehensive Commentary on the Quran: Comprising Sale’s Translation and preliminary Discourse, with Additional Notes and Emendations (London: Kegan Paul, Trench, Trubner, and Co., 1896). 4 vols.
  8. ^ The Meaning of Surah Al-Araf (The Heights Border Between Hell & Paradise)
  9. ^ Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik (translator), Al-Qur'an, the Guidance for Mankind - English with Arabic Text (Hardcover) ISBN 0-911119-80-9
  10. ^ The Holy Qur'an: Text, Translation and Commentary, Abdullah Yusuf Ali, Commentary on Surah Araf. Lut is the Lot of the English Bible. His story is biblical, but freed from some shameful features which are a blot on the biblical narrative, (e.g., see Gen. xix. 30-36). He was a nephew of Abraham, and was sent as a Prophet and warner to the people of Sodom and Gomorrah, cities utterly destroyed for their unspeakable sins. They cannot be exactly located, but it may be supposed that they were somewhere in the plain cast of the Dead Sea. The story of their destruction is told in the 19th chapter of Genesis. Two angels in the shape of handsome young men came to Lot in the evening and became his guests by night. The inhabitants of Sodom in their lust for unnatural crime invaded Lot's house but were repulsed. In the morning, the angels warned Lot to escape with his family. "Then the Lord rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the Lord out of heaven; and He overthrew those cities, and all the plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which grew upon the ground. But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt." (Gen. xix. 24-26). Note that Lot's people are the people to whom he is sent on a mission. He was not one of their own brethren, as was Salih or Shu'aib. But he looked upon his people as his brethren (I. 13), as a man of God always does.
  11. ^ Quran 7:103–156
  12. ^ Arabic script in Unicode symbol for a Quran verse, U+06DD, page 3, Proposal for additional Unicode characters
  13. ^ Q7:206 George Sale translation
  14. ^ Sahih International: Indeed, those who are near your Lord are not prevented by arrogance from His worship, and they exalt Him, and to Him they prostrate. Note the inclusion of the Islamic Symbol, ۩ in the Arabic script.

External links