Anwar Al-Quran

Verses 82–87

7. Al-A'raaf · The Heights

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وَمَا كَانَ جَوَابَ قَوْمِهِۦٓ إِلَّآ أَن قَالُوٓا۟ أَخْرِجُوهُم مِّن قَرْيَتِكُمْ ۖ إِنَّهُمْ أُنَاسٌۭ يَتَطَهَّرُونَ

7:82But the only answer of his people was that they said, ‘Expel them from your town! They are indeed a puritanical lot.’

فَأَنجَيْنَٰهُ وَأَهْلَهُۥٓ إِلَّا ٱمْرَأَتَهُۥ كَانَتْ مِنَ ٱلْغَٰبِرِينَ

7:83Thereupon We delivered him and his family, except his wife; she was one of those who remained behind.1

وَأَمْطَرْنَا عَلَيْهِم مَّطَرًۭا ۖ فَٱنظُرْ كَيْفَ كَانَ عَٰقِبَةُ ٱلْمُجْرِمِينَ

7:84Then We poured down upon them a rain [of stones]. So observe how was the fate of the guilty!2

وَإِلَىٰ مَدْيَنَ أَخَاهُمْ شُعَيْبًۭا ۗ قَالَ يَٰقَوْمِ ٱعْبُدُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ مَا لَكُم مِّنْ إِلَٰهٍ غَيْرُهُۥ ۖ قَدْ جَآءَتْكُم بَيِّنَةٌۭ مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ ۖ فَأَوْفُوا۟ ٱلْكَيْلَ وَٱلْمِيزَانَ وَلَا تَبْخَسُوا۟ ٱلنَّاسَ أَشْيَآءَهُمْ وَلَا تُفْسِدُوا۟ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ بَعْدَ إِصْلَٰحِهَا ۚ ذَٰلِكُمْ خَيْرٌۭ لَّكُمْ إِن كُنتُم مُّؤْمِنِينَ

7:85And to [the people of] Midian [We sent] Shu‘ayb, their brother. He said, ‘O my people, worship Allah! You have no other god besides Him. There has certainly come to you a manifest proof from your Lord. Observe fully the measure and the balance, and do not cheat the people of their goods, and do not cause corruption on the earth after its restoration. That is better for you, if you are faithful.3

وَلَا تَقْعُدُوا۟ بِكُلِّ صِرَٰطٍۢ تُوعِدُونَ وَتَصُدُّونَ عَن سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ مَنْ ءَامَنَ بِهِۦ وَتَبْغُونَهَا عِوَجًۭا ۚ وَٱذْكُرُوٓا۟ إِذْ كُنتُمْ قَلِيلًۭا فَكَثَّرَكُمْ ۖ وَٱنظُرُوا۟ كَيْفَ كَانَ عَٰقِبَةُ ٱلْمُفْسِدِينَ

7:86And do not lie in wait on every road to threaten and bar those who have faith in Him from the way of Allah, seeking to make it crooked. Remember when you were few, and He multiplied you, and observe how was the fate of the agents of corruption.

وَإِن كَانَ طَآئِفَةٌۭ مِّنكُمْ ءَامَنُوا۟ بِٱلَّذِىٓ أُرْسِلْتُ بِهِۦ وَطَآئِفَةٌۭ لَّمْ يُؤْمِنُوا۟ فَٱصْبِرُوا۟ حَتَّىٰ يَحْكُمَ ٱللَّهُ بَيْنَنَا ۚ وَهُوَ خَيْرُ ٱلْحَٰكِمِينَ

7:87If a group of you have believed in what I have been sent with, and a group have not believed, be patient until Allah judges between us, and He is the best of judges.’

Tafsir

Commentary on this passage

Verse 82

1.Each sinful community has traits of characters that cannot tolerate the good and virtuous people and put blame on their chastity and make fun in this way. In the community of Lut (a.s.) the ruination of his wife is the sign of depravity of bad character and after the breach of trust the wifehood of Prophet is not accepted. Those who are proud of their relationship should consider the meaning of the Holy Quran and worry about their faith and character.

Verse 86

2.Ibne Abbas has stated that these people prevented the visitors of Shuaib (a.s.) and made them frightened and scolded them and were talking in different way and this work of mischief mongers continues even today. They want to keep the community aloof from the truth and people in dark as to obstruct their path.

Footnotes

Explanations of words and phrases in these verses

  1. Benefit

    Though the word ‘Ahl’ has a wider application, in the light of other ayats it seems that except for his family, no other person had believed in Lut (a.s.). Thus ‘Ahl’ is used in its actual sense.

  2. 1

    ‘Gaabir’ is used for that which has passed as well as for that which remains. Here the latter meaning is applicable. That the wife of Lut (a.s.) remained behind among those who were punished.

  3. 2

    It was a special type of rain, when stones rained from the sky. If Islam has prescribed stoning for adultery etc, the same punishment was meted out to the people of Lut (a.s.) by the Almighty thousands of years ago.

  4. 3

    The People of Madyan were Arabs and they inhabited the area surrounding Shaam. They had descended from Ibrahim (a.s.) and Prophet Shuaib (a.s.) was an Arab prophet. The People of Madyan cheated in weighing and measuring and sat on the way threatening people and terrorizing them and stopped them from the right path. Shuaib (a.s.) gave them a message of mending their ways and informed them about the consequences of the mischief makers.

  5. Benefit

    It is said that Madayan was a son of Ibrahim (a.s.) and this area was finally named after him.