7. Al-A'raaf

The Heights · Meccan · 206 ayahs

سُورَةُ الأَعۡرَافِ

Reading Al-Mukhtasar in Interpreting the Noble Qur'an by Tafsir Center for Quranic Studies

Ayahs 131–140 of 206

فَإِذَا جَآءَتْهُمُ ٱلْحَسَنَةُ قَالُوا۟ لَنَا هَٰذِهِۦ ۖ وَإِن تُصِبْهُمْ سَيِّئَةٌۭ يَطَّيَّرُوا۟ بِمُوسَىٰ وَمَن مَّعَهُۥٓ ۗ أَلَآ إِنَّمَا طَٰٓئِرُهُمْ عِندَ ٱللَّهِ وَلَٰكِنَّ أَكْثَرَهُمْ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ

But when good came to them, they said, "This is ours [by right]." And if a bad [condition] struck them, they saw an evil omen in Moses and those with him. Unquestionably, their fortune is with Allah, but most of them do not know.

Whenever the people of Pharaoh experienced wealth, healthy yields, and a thriving economy, they said: 'We have been given this because we deserve it.' But if a misfortune came upon them, such as a drought or famine, diseases, and other hardships, they would blame their bad fortune on Moses and the Children of Israel who were with him. However, the misfortunes happened to them by the decree and permission of Allah, and neither they nor Moses (peace be upon him) had any part in the affair, apart from Moses's supplications against them. But most of them do not know, saying what happens is due to other things, rather than Allah’s decree.

Al-A'raaf 7:131Listen in Qur'an →

132

وَقَالُوا۟ مَهْمَا تَأْتِنَا بِهِۦ مِنْ ءَايَةٍۢ لِّتَسْحَرَنَا بِهَا فَمَا نَحْنُ لَكَ بِمُؤْمِنِينَ

And they said, "No matter what sign you bring us with which to bewitch us, we will not be believers in you."

The people of Pharaoh said to Moses (peace be upon them), out of their stubbornness against the truth: 'Whatever sign or evidence you bring to us and whatever proof of the falsehood of own beliefs you show us, we will not believe you. '

Al-A'raaf 7:132Listen in Qur'an →

133

فَأَرْسَلْنَا عَلَيْهِمُ ٱلطُّوفَانَ وَٱلْجَرَادَ وَٱلْقُمَّلَ وَٱلضَّفَادِعَ وَٱلدَّمَ ءَايَٰتٍۢ مُّفَصَّلَٰتٍۢ فَٱسْتَكْبَرُوا۟ وَكَانُوا۟ قَوْمًۭا مُّجْرِمِينَ

So We sent upon them the flood and locusts and lice and frogs and blood as distinct signs, but they were arrogant and were a criminal people.

As a punishment for their rejection and stubbornness, I sent floods of water that destroyed their crops and fruits; locusts and weevils that ate their crops and harvests;frogs which filled their dishes and containers, ruining their food, and disturbing their sleep; and turning the water in their wells and rivers into blood. All these were sent as clear and distinct signs, one after another. Despite all of these torments, they were too proud to have faith in Allah or to believe in what Moses (peace be upon him) brought. They were a people who committed wrongs, who would not give up falsehood, and would not be guided to the truth.

Al-A'raaf 7:133Listen in Qur'an →

134

وَلَمَّا وَقَعَ عَلَيْهِمُ ٱلرِّجْزُ قَالُوا۟ يَٰمُوسَى ٱدْعُ لَنَا رَبَّكَ بِمَا عَهِدَ عِندَكَ ۖ لَئِن كَشَفْتَ عَنَّا ٱلرِّجْزَ لَنُؤْمِنَنَّ لَكَ وَلَنُرْسِلَنَّ مَعَكَ بَنِىٓ إِسْرَٰٓءِيلَ

And when the punishment descended upon them, they said, "O Moses, invoke for us your Lord by what He has promised you. If you [can] remove the punishment from us, we will surely believe you, and we will send with you the Children of Israel."

When these torments came upon them, they asked Moses (peace be upon him): 'O Moses, call upon your Lord, because of what He has given you of prophethood and Allah’s promise to you that He will remove the torment for our turning to Him, to remove from us the torment, for then we will certainly believe in you, and will send the Children of Israel with you, releasing them from captivity.'

Al-A'raaf 7:134Listen in Qur'an →

135

فَلَمَّا كَشَفْنَا عَنْهُمُ ٱلرِّجْزَ إِلَىٰٓ أَجَلٍ هُم بَٰلِغُوهُ إِذَا هُمْ يَنكُثُونَ

But when We removed the punishment from them until a term which they were to reach, then at once they broke their word.

But when Allah removed the torment from them for a set time – before they were destroyed through drowning – they went back on their word and did not believe him or send the Israelites with him, remaining firm on their disbelief, and not allowing the Israelites to go with Moses (peace be upon him).

Al-A'raaf 7:135Listen in Qur'an →

136

فَٱنتَقَمْنَا مِنْهُمْ فَأَغْرَقْنَٰهُمْ فِى ٱلْيَمِّ بِأَنَّهُمْ كَذَّبُوا۟ بِـَٔايَٰتِنَا وَكَانُوا۟ عَنْهَا غَٰفِلِينَ

So We took retribution from them, and We drowned them in the sea because they denied Our signs and were heedless of them.

So when the appointed time came for their destruction, I unleashed My punishment on them and drowned them in the sea because of their rejection of the signs of Allah and because they turned away from the truth about which there was no doubt.

Al-A'raaf 7:136Listen in Qur'an →

137

وَأَوْرَثْنَا ٱلْقَوْمَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَانُوا۟ يُسْتَضْعَفُونَ مَشَٰرِقَ ٱلْأَرْضِ وَمَغَٰرِبَهَا ٱلَّتِى بَٰرَكْنَا فِيهَا ۖ وَتَمَّتْ كَلِمَتُ رَبِّكَ ٱلْحُسْنَىٰ عَلَىٰ بَنِىٓ إِسْرَٰٓءِيلَ بِمَا صَبَرُوا۟ ۖ وَدَمَّرْنَا مَا كَانَ يَصْنَعُ فِرْعَوْنُ وَقَوْمُهُۥ وَمَا كَانُوا۟ يَعْرِشُونَ

And We caused the people who had been oppressed to inherit the eastern regions of the land and the western ones, which We had blessed. And the good word of your Lord was fulfilled for the Children of Israel because of what they had patiently endured. And We destroyed [all] that Pharaoh and his people were producing and what they had been building.

I made the Children of Israel, who had been humiliated by Pharaoh and his people, inherit the eastern areas of the land and the western areas of it (the lands of the Levant). Allah blessed this land, making it produce the best crops and fruits. So the good word of your Lord was fulfilled O Messenger where Allah says, ‘I wished to favour those who were weak in the earth, and to make them leaders and inheritors’ (Sūrat al-Qaṣaṣ: 5). So God established them in the land because of their patience in the face of the harm they had suffered from Pharaoh and his people, and God destroyed the agriculture and buildings of Pharaoh, and the palaces they had constructed.

Al-A'raaf 7:137Listen in Qur'an →

138

وَجَٰوَزْنَا بِبَنِىٓ إِسْرَٰٓءِيلَ ٱلْبَحْرَ فَأَتَوْا۟ عَلَىٰ قَوْمٍۢ يَعْكُفُونَ عَلَىٰٓ أَصْنَامٍۢ لَّهُمْ ۚ قَالُوا۟ يَٰمُوسَى ٱجْعَل لَّنَآ إِلَٰهًۭا كَمَا لَهُمْ ءَالِهَةٌۭ ۚ قَالَ إِنَّكُمْ قَوْمٌۭ تَجْهَلُونَ

And We took the Children of Israel across the sea; then they came upon a people intent in devotion to [some] idols of theirs. They said, "O Moses, make for us a god just as they have gods." He said, "Indeed, you are a people behaving ignorantly.

And I made the Children of Israel cross the sea when Moses hit it with his stick and it parted. They passed a people who were worshipping idols, which they worshipped instead of Allah. The Children of Israel said to Moses (peace be upon him): 'O Moses, make us an idol to worship as these people have idols to worship.' Moses said: 'You are a people who are ignorant of the rights that are due to Allah alone concerning the belief in His Oneness and what is due to Him of reverence, and what is inappropriate to ascribe to Him of polytheism and the like.'

Al-A'raaf 7:138Listen in Qur'an →

139

إِنَّ هَٰٓؤُلَآءِ مُتَبَّرٌۭ مَّا هُمْ فِيهِ وَبَٰطِلٌۭ مَّا كَانُوا۟ يَعْمَلُونَ

Indeed, those [worshippers] - destroyed is that in which they are [engaged], and worthless is whatever they were doing."

'These people who are worshipping idols are ruined, and all of their works and devotion is false and worthless because they are worshipping other than Allah.'

Al-A'raaf 7:139Listen in Qur'an →

140

قَالَ أَغَيْرَ ٱللَّهِ أَبْغِيكُمْ إِلَٰهًۭا وَهُوَ فَضَّلَكُمْ عَلَى ٱلْعَٰلَمِينَ

He said, "Is it other than Allah I should desire for you as a god while He has preferred you over the worlds?"

Moses said: 'How can I seek for you a god other than the one true God for you to worship, when you have already seen His great signs, and when He has preferred you over all the nations of your time, granting you the destruction of your enemy, and making you leaders in the land and establishing you in it?'

Al-A'raaf 7:140Listen in Qur'an →

Commentary: Al-Mukhtasar in Interpreting the Noble Qur'an by Tafsir Center for Quranic Studies. Qur'an text and translation via AlQuran Cloud.