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7. Al-A'raaf

The Heights · Meccan · 206 ayahs

سُورَةُ الأَعۡرَافِ

Reading Tafsir al-Tustari by Sahl al-Tustari

Ayahs 171–180 of 206

171

۞ وَإِذْ نَتَقْنَا ٱلْجَبَلَ فَوْقَهُمْ كَأَنَّهُۥ ظُلَّةٌۭ وَظَنُّوٓا۟ أَنَّهُۥ وَاقِعٌۢ بِهِمْ خُذُوا۟ مَآ ءَاتَيْنَٰكُم بِقُوَّةٍۢ وَٱذْكُرُوا۟ مَا فِيهِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَّقُونَ

And [mention] when We raised the mountain above them as if it was a dark cloud and they were certain that it would fall upon them, [and Allah said], "Take what We have given you with determination and remember what is in it that you might fear Allah."

When we wrenched (nataqnā) the mountain [and held it above them]�That is, �We rent it (fataqnā) and shook [it] violently, just as al-ʿAjjāj said: [rajaz metre]They nurtured our great dreams,And tore apart (fataqnā) our nightmares. His words, Exalted is He:

Al-A'raaf 7:171Listen in Qur'an →
172

وَإِذْ أَخَذَ رَبُّكَ مِنۢ بَنِىٓ ءَادَمَ مِن ظُهُورِهِمْ ذُرِّيَّتَهُمْ وَأَشْهَدَهُمْ عَلَىٰٓ أَنفُسِهِمْ أَلَسْتُ بِرَبِّكُمْ ۖ قَالُوا۟ بَلَىٰ ۛ شَهِدْنَآ ۛ أَن تَقُولُوا۟ يَوْمَ ٱلْقِيَٰمَةِ إِنَّا كُنَّا عَنْ هَٰذَا غَٰفِلِينَ

And [mention] when your Lord took from the children of Adam - from their loins - their descendants and made them testify of themselves, [saying to them], "Am I not your Lord?" They said, "Yes, we have testified." [This] - lest you should say on the day of Resurrection, "Indeed, we were of this unaware."

And remember when your Lord took from the Children of Adam, from their loins, their seeds, and made them testify about themselves�He [Sahl] said:God, Exalted is He, took the prophets  from the loins of Adam, and then He extracted from the back of each prophet his progeny in a molecular form [lit. in the shape of specks] possessingintellects (ʿuqūl). Then he took from the prophets their pledge (mīthāq), as is stated in His words, We took from the prophets their pledge: as (We did) from you and from Noah [33:7]. The Covenant that they were bound to was that they would convey from God, Exalted is He, His commandments and prohibitions. Then He called them all to affirm His lordship, with His words, Exalted is He: �Am I not your Lord?� Then He manifested His omnipotence [to them], so They said: �Yes, we testify� [7:172]. Thus did God gather what He wanted (murād) from His creatures, and the beginning and end that was in store for them in their saying �Yes�, since this was in the manner of a trial (ibtilāʾ). Indeed, God, Exalted is He, said: And His Throne was upon the water, that He might try you [11:7]. He also made the prophets testify for themselves as a proof (ḥujjatan), as God, Exalted is He, has said, and made them testify concerning themselves. Then He returned them to the loins of Adam , and subsequently He sent the prophets to remind them of His Pact and Covenant. Furthermore, within His knowledge on the day when they affirmed what they affirmed, were those who would deny it and those who would verify it, and the last hour will not arrive until every person who made the Covenant has appeared.He was asked, �What are the signs of happiness (saʿāda) and wretchedness (shaqāwa)?� He said:Truly, among the signs of wretchedness is the denial of His omnipotence, and truly among the signs of happiness is the expansiveness of your heart in faith, your being provided with riches in your heart, protection in obedience, and success in renouncing [the world] (zuhd). Whoever is inspired with propriety (adab) in that which is between him and God, Exalted is He, will be purified of heart, and bestowed with happiness.

Al-A'raaf 7:172Listen in Qur'an →
173

أَوْ تَقُولُوٓا۟ إِنَّمَآ أَشْرَكَ ءَابَآؤُنَا مِن قَبْلُ وَكُنَّا ذُرِّيَّةًۭ مِّنۢ بَعْدِهِمْ ۖ أَفَتُهْلِكُنَا بِمَا فَعَلَ ٱلْمُبْطِلُونَ

Or [lest] you say, "It was only that our fathers associated [others in worship] with Allah before, and we were but descendants after them. Then would You destroy us for what the falsifiers have done?"

Explained together with ayah 172

Al-A'raaf 7:173Listen in Qur'an →
174

وَكَذَٰلِكَ نُفَصِّلُ ٱلْءَايَٰتِ وَلَعَلَّهُمْ يَرْجِعُونَ

And thus do We [explain in] detail the verses, and perhaps they will return.

Explained together with ayah 172

Al-A'raaf 7:174Listen in Qur'an →
175

وَٱتْلُ عَلَيْهِمْ نَبَأَ ٱلَّذِىٓ ءَاتَيْنَٰهُ ءَايَٰتِنَا فَٱنسَلَخَ مِنْهَا فَأَتْبَعَهُ ٱلشَّيْطَٰنُ فَكَانَ مِنَ ٱلْغَاوِينَ

And recite to them, [O Muhammad], the news of him to whom we gave [knowledge of] Our signs, but he detached himself from them; so Satan pursued him, and he became of the deviators.

Explained together with ayah 172

Al-A'raaf 7:175Listen in Qur'an →
176

وَلَوْ شِئْنَا لَرَفَعْنَٰهُ بِهَا وَلَٰكِنَّهُۥٓ أَخْلَدَ إِلَى ٱلْأَرْضِ وَٱتَّبَعَ هَوَىٰهُ ۚ فَمَثَلُهُۥ كَمَثَلِ ٱلْكَلْبِ إِن تَحْمِلْ عَلَيْهِ يَلْهَثْ أَوْ تَتْرُكْهُ يَلْهَث ۚ ذَّٰلِكَ مَثَلُ ٱلْقَوْمِ ٱلَّذِينَ كَذَّبُوا۟ بِـَٔايَٰتِنَا ۚ فَٱقْصُصِ ٱلْقَصَصَ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ

And if We had willed, we could have elevated him thereby, but he adhered [instead] to the earth and followed his own desire. So his example is like that of the dog: if you chase him, he pants, or if you leave him, he [still] pants. That is the example of the people who denied Our signs. So relate the stories that perhaps they will give thought.

Had We willed, We would have raised him up [with Our signs]�This refers to Balʿam b. Bāʿūrāʾ. But he was disposed to the earth and followed his [lower] desires. He turned away [from God�s signs] due to his following his [base] desire (hawā). God, Exalted is He, distributed desire among the bodily members such that each bodily member has a portionof it. If one of the bodily members inclines towards that desire, its harm will return to the heart. Know that the self has a secret which did not manifest itself except with Pharaoh when he said: �I am your Lord most High� [79:24].Then [Sahl] was asked, �How can we be preserved from [base] desire (hawā)?� He replied:Whoever keeps himself in propriety (adab) will be preserved from it, for whoever subdues his lower self through propriety serves God, Mighty and Majestic is He, with true sincerity (ikhlāṣ).He also said:The self (nafs) has seven heavenly veils and seven earthly veils. The more the servant buries his [lower] self in the earth the higher will his heart soar heavenwards. Furthermore, if he [completely] buries his lower self beneath the earth his heart will reach the Throne. He also said about Kahmas that he used to pray a thousand rakʿas (cycles of prayer) during the course of the day and night. He would make the closing greetings of peace (salāms) between each pair of rakʿas then say to his lower self, �Get up O refuge of evil, I am not satisfied with you.�His words, Exalted is He:

Al-A'raaf 7:176Listen in Qur'an →
177

سَآءَ مَثَلًا ٱلْقَوْمُ ٱلَّذِينَ كَذَّبُوا۟ بِـَٔايَٰتِنَا وَأَنفُسَهُمْ كَانُوا۟ يَظْلِمُونَ

How evil an example [is that of] the people who denied Our signs and used to wrong themselves.

Explained together with ayah 176

Al-A'raaf 7:177Listen in Qur'an →
178

مَن يَهْدِ ٱللَّهُ فَهُوَ ٱلْمُهْتَدِى ۖ وَمَن يُضْلِلْ فَأُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلْخَٰسِرُونَ

Whoever Allah guides - he is the [rightly] guided; and whoever He sends astray - it is those who are the losers.

Explained together with ayah 176

Al-A'raaf 7:178Listen in Qur'an →
179

وَلَقَدْ ذَرَأْنَا لِجَهَنَّمَ كَثِيرًۭا مِّنَ ٱلْجِنِّ وَٱلْإِنسِ ۖ لَهُمْ قُلُوبٌۭ لَّا يَفْقَهُونَ بِهَا وَلَهُمْ أَعْيُنٌۭ لَّا يُبْصِرُونَ بِهَا وَلَهُمْ ءَاذَانٌۭ لَّا يَسْمَعُونَ بِهَآ ۚ أُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ كَٱلْأَنْعَٰمِ بَلْ هُمْ أَضَلُّ ۚ أُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلْغَٰفِلُونَ

And We have certainly created for Hell many of the jinn and mankind. They have hearts with which they do not understand, they have eyes with which they do not see, and they have ears with which they do not hear. Those are like livestock; rather, they are more astray. It is they who are the heedless.

Explained together with ayah 176

Al-A'raaf 7:179Listen in Qur'an →
180

وَلِلَّهِ ٱلْأَسْمَآءُ ٱلْحُسْنَىٰ فَٱدْعُوهُ بِهَا ۖ وَذَرُوا۟ ٱلَّذِينَ يُلْحِدُونَ فِىٓ أَسْمَٰٓئِهِۦ ۚ سَيُجْزَوْنَ مَا كَانُوا۟ يَعْمَلُونَ

And to Allah belong the best names, so invoke Him by them. And leave [the company of] those who practice deviation concerning His names. They will be recompensed for what they have been doing.

And to God belong the Most Beautiful Names, so invoke Him by them.He [Sahl]said:Truly behind the names and attributes are attributes which no comprehension can penetrate, for God is a blazing fire and is inaccessible. Yet we have no option but to plunge in [and try to reach Him]. And leave those who blaspheme His names [7:180], that is, those who are blasphemouswith His names and deny [the truth].�His words:

Al-A'raaf 7:180Listen in Qur'an →

Commentary: Tafsir al-Tustari by Sahl al-Tustari. Qur'an text and translation via AlQuran Cloud.