Verses 52–57
7. Al-A'raaf · The Heights
Makkan206 verses
وَلَقَدْ جِئْنَٰهُم بِكِتَٰبٍۢ فَصَّلْنَٰهُ عَلَىٰ عِلْمٍ هُدًۭى وَرَحْمَةًۭ لِّقَوْمٍۢ يُؤْمِنُونَ
7:52Certainly We have brought them a Book, which We have elaborated with knowledge, as a guidance and mercy for a people who have faith.
هَلْ يَنظُرُونَ إِلَّا تَأْوِيلَهُۥ ۚ يَوْمَ يَأْتِى تَأْوِيلُهُۥ يَقُولُ ٱلَّذِينَ نَسُوهُ مِن قَبْلُ قَدْ جَآءَتْ رُسُلُ رَبِّنَا بِٱلْحَقِّ فَهَل لَّنَا مِن شُفَعَآءَ فَيَشْفَعُوا۟ لَنَآ أَوْ نُرَدُّ فَنَعْمَلَ غَيْرَ ٱلَّذِى كُنَّا نَعْمَلُ ۚ قَدْ خَسِرُوٓا۟ أَنفُسَهُمْ وَضَلَّ عَنْهُم مَّا كَانُوا۟ يَفْتَرُونَ
7:53Do they not consider [the consequences of] its fulfillment? The day when its fulfillment comes, those who had forgotten it before will say, ‘Our Lord’s apostles had certainly brought the truth. If only we had some intercessors to intercede for us, or we would be returned, so that we may do differently from what we did!’ They have certainly ruined their souls, and what they used to fabricate has forsaken them.1
إِنَّ رَبَّكُمُ ٱللَّهُ ٱلَّذِى خَلَقَ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضَ فِى سِتَّةِ أَيَّامٍۢ ثُمَّ ٱسْتَوَىٰ عَلَى ٱلْعَرْشِ يُغْشِى ٱلَّيْلَ ٱلنَّهَارَ يَطْلُبُهُۥ حَثِيثًۭا وَٱلشَّمْسَ وَٱلْقَمَرَ وَٱلنُّجُومَ مُسَخَّرَٰتٍۭ بِأَمْرِهِۦٓ ۗ أَلَا لَهُ ٱلْخَلْقُ وَٱلْأَمْرُ ۗ تَبَارَكَ ٱللَّهُ رَبُّ ٱلْعَٰلَمِينَ
7:54Indeed your Lord is Allah, who created the heavens and the earth in six days, and then settled on the Throne. He draws the night’s cover over the day, which pursues it swiftly, and [He created] the sun, the moon, and the stars, [all of them] disposed by His command. Look! All creation and command belong to Him. Blessed is Allah, the Lord of all the worlds.23
ٱدْعُوا۟ رَبَّكُمْ تَضَرُّعًۭا وَخُفْيَةً ۚ إِنَّهُۥ لَا يُحِبُّ ٱلْمُعْتَدِينَ
7:55Supplicate your Lord, beseechingly and secretly. Indeed, He does not like the transgressors.4
وَلَا تُفْسِدُوا۟ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ بَعْدَ إِصْلَٰحِهَا وَٱدْعُوهُ خَوْفًۭا وَطَمَعًا ۚ إِنَّ رَحْمَتَ ٱللَّهِ قَرِيبٌۭ مِّنَ ٱلْمُحْسِنِينَ
7:56And do not cause corruption on the earth after its restoration, and supplicate Him with fear and hope: indeed Allah’s mercy is close to the virtuous.
وَهُوَ ٱلَّذِى يُرْسِلُ ٱلرِّيَٰحَ بُشْرًۢا بَيْنَ يَدَىْ رَحْمَتِهِۦ ۖ حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَآ أَقَلَّتْ سَحَابًۭا ثِقَالًۭا سُقْنَٰهُ لِبَلَدٍۢ مَّيِّتٍۢ فَأَنزَلْنَا بِهِ ٱلْمَآءَ فَأَخْرَجْنَا بِهِۦ مِن كُلِّ ٱلثَّمَرَٰتِ ۚ كَذَٰلِكَ نُخْرِجُ ٱلْمَوْتَىٰ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَذَكَّرُونَ
7:57It is He who sends forth the winds as harbingers of His mercy. When they bear [rain-] laden clouds, We drive them toward a dead land and send down water on it, and with it We bring forth all kinds of crops. Thus shall We raise the dead; maybe you will take admonition.
Tafsir
Commentary on this passage
Verse 54
1.There are severe differences of opinion among the commentators regarding the interpretation of six days; according to some they denote six days of divine power and some writers say that they denote six difficult stages of creation and according to some it denotes six aspects of creation of which the last aspect is the earth. No complete explanation about this matter is found in Quran or traditions. Therefore we should not worry about this and be content on a brief faith.
Verse 56
2.Excess in supplication does not mean that one should supplicate more. It is a good thing. Excess means to implore but not to accord respect to it. It is only to show off to others. Or if he beseeches slowly it is for selfishness, so that no one can join in the reward. In invocation humility and sincerity with the spirit of fulfilling the desires of the believers is necessary.
Verse 57
3.Allah has made the earth so comfortable one cannot even calculate its comforts. Eating, drinking, clothing, rest and comforts are the result of the capabilities of this earth. Some natural scientists have even written that 3000 items are prepared from petrol. But alas! The cruel man has wasted these comforts and made everything useless by formenting troubles and used everything in the way of mischief.
4.If we study the wind and clouds and see how they make the barren land fertile we will understand how the Almighty can make the dead alive.
Footnotes
Explanations of words and phrases in these verses
- 1
Tawil literally means ‘return’. And that is why Qiyamat is referred to as ‘Tawil’. Tawil of Quran is not the meaning of the words. It refers to the interpretation towards which these words ‘return’, and for whose expression these words have been revealed.
- 2
Arsh is mentioned in twenty one ayats, and Istewar is mentioned in seven places. It denotes complete control over the Universe. That is, the whole universe is under His throne, and He is the owner of the Arsh (throne).
- 3
Khalq is the creator and Amr is the destiny or will. It means that He creates and also provides the course of its destiny.
- 4
According to some traditions the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) refrained people from supplicating in a loud voice and said that their Lord was not deaf and neither was He far away.
Benefit
As regards Sittate Ayyam (six days) some commentators are of the opinion that ‘days’ refers to periods and the six periods are as follows :
(1) This period was a collection of gas and due to its rotation it disintegrated forming the heavenly bodies.
(2) These bodies cooled down and became stable.
(3) A solar system was created and the earth separated from the sun.
(4) The earth cooled and become inhabitable.
(5) Vegetation grew on the earth.
(6) Human beings and animals appeared on the earth