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The objective meaning of the term 'veil' mentioned in the verse, perhaps, is the same wall which has been referred to in Sura Al-Hadid, No. 57, verse 13. It says : "... Then separation would be brought about between them, with a wall having a door in it : (as for) the inside of it, there shall be mercy in it, and (as for) the outside of it, before it there shall be punishment." (Tafsir-i-Al-Mizan). The Arabic term /'a'raf/ is the plural form of the word /'urf/ in the sense of 'a high land'. The name of this Sura is taken from this part of the Qur'an as Al-'A'raf. It is only in this occurrence of the Qur'an where 'A'raf and the people of 'A'raf are referred to. Who Are the People of 'A'raf ?In the Islamic narrations and the statements of the commentators, there are some various attitudes about them. Some of them believe that these people are some saints of Allah who will stand on a high place between Heaven and Hell, and who recognize all people. They will greet to the inhabitants of Heaven and congratulate them their good end, but they are worried about the fate of the inhabitants of Hell. Some others introduce these people as some weak persons who have both some sins and worshippings, and they are waiting for the grace of Allah. They are like those about whom Sura Al-Taubah, No. 9 verse 106 says : " And others are made to await Allah's command, whether He chastises them or whether He turns to them (mercifully), and Allah is Knowing, Wise." That is, some other sinners are those whose affairs depend on Divine Will. He will either punish them by His justice, or He will forgive their sins with His grace. And, Allah knows the interests of people and is cognizant to the wisdom of creation, too. Yet, perhaps, it can be said that the main pivot is Allah's saints, and the oppressives are in the margin. The good doers enter Paradise and the evil doers go into Hell. The weak people, those who are in the middle, are kept in 'A'raf, waiting for their fate. But, the saints of Allah, who are standing on 'A'raf, will come to help them and will intercede them. This statement is the consequence of the attitudes found amongst commentators and in Islamic narrations. * * * * (47) وَ إِذا صُرِفَتْ أَبْصارُهُمْ تِلْقاءَ أَصْحابِ النَّارِ قالُوا رَبَّنا لا تَجْعَلْنا مَعَ الْقَوْمِ الظَّالِمِينَ 47. " And when their eyes shall be turned toward the inhabitants of the Fire, they shall say: ' Our Lord ! Place us not with the unjust people." Commentary :The people of 'A'raf will look at the inhabitants of Heaven and recognize them and greet them, but they will not look at the inhabitants of Hell while their eyes shall be turned down. " And when their eyes shall be turned toward the inhabitants of the Fire, ..." In their supplications, the people of 'A'raf do not ask Allah not to set them as the inhabitants of Fire, but they ask Him not to place them with the unjust people. "... they shall say: ' Our Lord ! Place us not with the unjust people." As if, being companion with an unjust person is worse than being in fire. ('Alusi) O' Lord ! If you do not let us enter Paradise, yet do not muster us amongst the unjust people. * * * * Section 6The Disappointment of the Wicked in HellThe fate of the wicked and their disappointment in Hell. (48) وَ نادى
أَصْحابُ الْأَعْرافِ رِجالاً يَعْرِفُونَهُمْ بِسِيماهُمْ قالُوا ما أَغْنى
عَنْكُمْ جَمْعُكُمْ وَ ما كُنْتُمْ تَسْتَكْبِرُونَ 48.
" And the occupant of 'A'raf (the heights) shall call to men whom they
will recognize by their marks, saying: ' Of no avail were to you your amassing
and what you used to act proudly '." Commentary : The verse begins saying: " And the occupant of 'A'raf (the heights) shall call to men whom they will recognize by their marks, saying: ' Of no avail were to you your amassing and what you used to act proudly '." Upon the commentary of this verse, Imam Sadiq (a.s.) says : "The people of 'A'raf means divine prophets and their successors. They will call to some persons of the inhabitants of Hell, and to the chiefs of the disbelievers, and blaming them seriously, they say : 'Of no avail were to you your amassing (wealth) and what you used to act proudly'." * * * * " Are these they whom you swore that Allah will not bestow any mercy on them ? ..." This statement of the Qur'an refers to the dwellers of Heaven whom the chiefs of disbelievers blamed and despised in the world. They used to belittle them because of their poverty and showed arrogance upon them with their worldly wealth. The disbelievers swore that Allah would not let them enter into Paradise. "... (whom Allah now says) Enter you into Paradise; no fear shall be upon you, nor shall you grieve." By Allah's leave, the people of 'A'raf will state this meaning to the oppressive ones that they enter into Heaven while they are neither frightened nor are they grievous. Asbah-ibn-Nabatah has narrated from Imam Amir-ul-Mu'mineen Ali (a.s.) who said : 'On the Day of Judgement, we will stand between Heaven and Hell. Then whoever has helped us (in the world) we will recognize him by his feature and will send him into Heaven; and whoever has been hostile to us, we will recognize him, too, and will send him into Hell." (1) * * * * (1) Tafsir-ul-Burhan, vol. 2 & Tafsir-us-Safi (50) وَ نادى أَصْحابُ النَّارِ أَصْحابَ الْجَنَّةِ أَنْ
أَفِيضُوا عَلَيْنا مِنَ الْماءِ أَوْ مِمَّا رَزَقَكُمُ اللَّهُ قالُوا إِنَّ
اللَّهَ حَرَّمَهُما عَلَى الْكافِرِينَ 50. " And the inhabitants of the (Hell) Fire shall call to the inhabitants of Paradise saying: ' Cast on us of water or (and) of what Allah has provided you with.' They shall say : ' Verily Allah has forbidden them both to the disbelievers'." 51. " (Those) who have taken their religion for pastime and a play and the life of the world has deluded them; so today We forsake them as they forgot the encounter of this their day, and that they denied Our Signs." Commentary : This verse of the Qur'an says that the inhabitants of the (Hell) Fire shall call to the inhabitants of Heaven, saying : "...' Cast on us of water or (and) of what Allah has provided you with.' ..." This statement is an evidence for the sense that Heaven is located above Hell, (because the meaning of the Arabic word /'ifadah/ is pouring water from above). Then the phrase means that they ask the dwellers of Heaven to pour over them from the water or the kinds of food and fruit Allah has provided them with. "... They shall say : Verily Allah has forbidden them both to the disbelievers'." This is the answer of the inhabitants of Heaven. They say that Allah has forbidden the drinks and foods of Heaven to the infidels. These infidels are those who toyed with the religion of Allah, which He had enjoined to follow, and made unlawful or made lawful whatever they desired. * * * * " (Those) who have taken their religion for pastime and a play and the life of the world has deluded them; so today We forsake them ..." Such people will be dealt with like the person who is forgotten while he is in fire. Neither their request is accepted nor their shedding tear causes any mercy to be shown. The same as they forgot this day and did not take it important. "... as they forgot the encounter of this their day, and that they denied Our Signs." * * * * (52) وَ لَقَدْ جِئْناهُمْ بِكِتابٍ فَصَّلْناهُ عَلى عِلْمٍ هُدىً وَ رَحْمَةً لِقَوْمٍ يُؤْمِنُونَ 52. " And verily We have brought them a Book which We have explained with knowledge ِ a guidance and a mercy for a people who believe." Commentary : Allah has completed the argument, but being drowned in the amusing world and forgetting the Hereafter, and denying the revelations of Allah, is the consequence of man's shortcoming himself. " And verily We have brought them a Book ..." There are many torches to lead people towards the right path, but some groups go astray because they do not utilize them. The Divine revelation is based upon reality and knowledge. And, the greatest grace and mercy of Allah is that He has guided Man. "... which We have explained with knowledge ..." However, religion is a guidance for the believers, not for the obstinate persons who seek only pretext. "... a guidance and a mercy for a people who believe." * * * * (53) هَلْ يَنْظُرُونَ إِلاَّ تَأْوِيلَهُ يَوْمَ يَأْتِي تَأْوِيلُهُ يَقُولُ الَّذِينَ نَسُوهُ مِنْ قَبْلُ قَدْ جاءَتْ رُسُلُ رَبِّنا بِالْحَقِّ فَهَلْ لَنا مِنْ شُفَعاءَ فَيَشْفَعُوا لَنا أَوْ نُرَدُّ فَنَعْمَلَ غَيْرَ الَّذِي كُنَّا نَعْمَلُ قَدْ خَسِرُوا أَنْفُسَهُمْ وَ ضَلَّ عَنْهُمْ ما كانُوا يَفْتَرُونَ 53. " Do they wait (for anything) but its interpretation ? On the day its interpretation comes, those who forgot it before (in the world) will say: ' Indeed the messengers of our Lord brought the truth. Are there for us then any intercessors that they intercede for us ? Or could we be sent back to do other than that we were doing ? ' Indeed they have lost their souls and that which they were forging has gone away from them." Commentary : The Qur'anic term /ta'wil/ (interpretation) is in the sense of 'referring to the past or future'. In the Qur'an, it has been applied with the meaning of the truth, and the beginning or the end of an action.' In the current Sura, verse No. 43, the word of the inhabitants of Heaven was that they said : " Indeed our Lord's messengers came with the truth." Here, in this holy verse, the word of the inhabitants of Hell is the same. " Do they wait (for anything) but its interpretation ? On the day its interpretation comes, those who forgot it before (in the world) will say: ' Indeed the messengers of our Lord brought the truth. ..." In Hereafter, disbelievers will gain no vail of their hopes, moanings, and protests. Therefore, they must take the divine threats seriously in the present world. In the meantime, this fact should be known that neglecting the school of Islam and the Qur'an is a great loss. Disbelievers think that their deeds are correct. On the Resurrection Day, when they recognize their own error, they wish to return back to the world. But this wish is of no avail. They say: "... Are there for us then any intercessors that they intercede for us ? Or could we be sent back to do other than that we were doing ? ' Indeed they have lost their souls and that which they were forging has gone away from them." On the Day of Judgement, there will be no sign of worldly parades, influence of false deities, idols, properties, and powers. Also, there will not be found intercessions for everybody, either. * * * * Section 7Allah's only is the Creation and the CommandCreation belongs only to Allah and Allah's alone is the command - The Resurrection of mankind. (54) إِنَّ رَبَّكُمُ اللَّهُ الَّذِي خَلَقَ السَّماواتِ وَ الْأَرْضَ فِي سِتَّةِ أَيَّامٍ ثُمَّ اسْتَوى عَلَى الْعَرْشِ يُغْشِي اللَّيْلَ النَّهارَ يَطْلُبُهُ حَثِيثاً وَ الشَّمْسَ وَ الْقَمَرَ وَ النُّجُومَ مُسَخَّراتٍ بِأَمْرِهِ أَلا لَهُ الْخَلْقُ وَ الْأَمْرُ تَبارَكَ اللَّهُ رَبُّ الْعالَمِينَ 54. " Verily your Lord is Allah, Who created the heavens and the earth in six Days; then He mounted the Throne (of authority). He covers the day with the night which pursues it urgently and (He created) the sun and the moon and the stars submissive to His command. Be it known ! (that) His are the creation and the command. Blessed is Allah, the Lord of the worlds." Commentary : " Verily your Lord is Allah, Who created the heavens and the earth in six Days; ..." The reason why Allah says that He has created the heavens and the earth in six days is that creating something after something else in order mostly indicates that its creator is knowing and wise, and directs that thing upon the requirement of a wisdom. Or, its reason is for the sake that He teaches deliberation and accuracy in affairs to His servants. "... then He mounted the Throne (of authority). ..." This phrase metaphorically points to the absolute encompassment of Allah, and His domination, upon the management of the affairs of the heavens and the earth after their creation. However, after the creation of heavens and the earth He held the reins of leading them. This statement means that not only creation belongs to Him, but also running and leading the world of existence are with Him. This meaning is an answer to those who think the world needs the Lord only in creation, and not in permanence and continuation of the existence. "... He covers the day with the night which persues it urgently, ..." When the verse says that the night urgently pursues the day, it means the night comes after the day and follows it; like that something pursues another thing with the purpose of demanding it. "... and (He created) the sun and the moon and the stars submissive to His command. ..." This phrase means that the Lord is He Who has created the sun and the moon and the stars while all of them are rotating according to His device. As if, the sun, the moon and the stars are commissioned to this rotation. "... Be it known ! (that) His are the creation and the command. ..." It is the Lord who has created all things and runs them according to His Will; i.e. both creation, and its device and management are under His control. "... Blessed is Allah, the Lord of the worlds." The Lord eternally remains in His infinite Glory of Lordship, and He is the Creator and Possessor of the worlds, as well as a source of blessing for them. Next to mentioning the statement of the creation of the heavens and the earth, the night and the day, the sun, the moon and the stars, and the device of the world of existence, this phrase, in fact, is a kind of praising the Holy rank of Allah which has been stated as an instruction to His servants. * * * * (55) ادْعُوا رَبَّكُمْ تَضَرُّعاً وَ خُفْيَةً إِنَّهُ لا يُحِبُّ الْمُعْتَدِينَ 55. " Call on your Lord humbly and secretly; verily He does not like the transgressors." Commentary : The conditions of supplication :Through clear reasons, the previous verse proved this fact that it is only Allah (s.w.t.) Who is deserved of being worshipped. Next to that, in this verse, the Qur'an instructs that supplication and calling to Him, which is the soul and essence of worship, should be performed before Allah. At first, it says : " Call on your Lord humbly and secretly; ..." This instruction in the verse, which says to call on the Lord 'secretly' is for that this action may be performed far from any dissimulation so that it becomes nearer to sincerity. It must be done with concentration of contemplation, and attention. And, at the end of the verse, it says :"... verily He does not like the transgressors." This phrase has a vast meaning which includes any transgression, irrespective of shouting aloud when supplicating, or acting hypocritically, or inclining to other than Allah in supplication. * * * * (56) وَ لا تُفْسِدُوا فِي الْأَرْضِ بَعْدَ إِصْلاحِها وَ ادْعُوهُ خَوْفاً وَ طَمَعاً إِنَّ رَحْمَتَ اللَّهِ قَرِيبٌ مِنَ الْمُحْسِنِينَ 56. " And do not make mischief in the earth after its improvement and call on Him in fear and hope; surely the mercy of Allah is nigh to the good-doers." Commentary : The previous verse referred to the relation of the servants of Allah with their Lord, and here, the relation of people is pointed out. Between the previous verse and this verse, there has come the phrase : " And do not make mischief in the earth ..." in order to point out that oral supplication should be accompanied with practical effort for the social improvement. Then, offering a bare supplication by tongue and making mischief in practice, is not effective. This verse and the former one have pointed to the conditions of the perfection of supplication before Allah (s.w.t.), as well as its rites and the necessary circumstances of its acceptance. Some of them are as follows : A supplication is better to be accompanied with humiliation. A supplication should be done hiddenly and aloof from any hypocrisy and dissimulation. It must be performed with both fear and hope, and without violating the boundaries of truth. There must not be any form of making mischief in it. " And do not make mischief in the earth ..." Explanations : 1. An improved society may be exposed to danger : "... after its improvement ..." 2. Those revolutionists who want to reform are not free from applying gnosis, supplication, and close communion. "... and call on Him in fear and hope; ..." 3. If there be not a moderate fear and hope in supplication, it will tend towards mischief. 4. A believer should always he between the states of fear and hope. This moderation is called 'goodness' by Allah. Goodness is a preparation and cause of receiving the mercy of Allah. Therefore, without having goodness, the expectation of a person for receiving the mercy of Allah is undue. The verse says: "... surely the mercy of Allah is nigh to the good-doers." * * * * (57) وَ هُوَ الَّذِي يُرْسِلُ الرِّياحَ بُشْراً بَيْنَ يَدَيْ رَحْمَتِهِ حَتَّى إِذا أَقَلَّتْ سَحاباً ثِقالاً سُقْناهُ لِبَلَدٍ مَيِّتٍ فَأَنْزَلْنا بِهِ الْماءَ فَأَخْرَجْنا بِهِ مِنْ كُلِّ الثَّمَراتِ كَذلِكَ نُخْرِجُ الْمَوْتى لَعَلَّكُمْ تَذَكَّرُونَ 57. " And it is He Who sends the winds as good tidings heralding His mercy, till when they carry the heavy-laden clouds, We drive them to a dead land, and therewith We send down water, and with it We bring forth fruits of every kind. Thus shall We bring forth the dead so that you might remember." Commentary : In former verses, the words were upon theology. In this verse, Resurrection is referred to. In the discussions of concerning each of 'origin' and 'end', they have been reasoned through natural affairs and the order of creation. Nature, of course, with all the elaboration and order that it has, is under the authority and Will of Allah, and it must not cause man to become heedless of the origin of existence. We must be careful not to lose ourselves when we are dealing with scientific formulas and material laws. The movement of winds, the descent of different rains, and the growth of plants are certainly performed with the device of Allah (s.w.t.). " And it is He Who sends the winds as good tidings heralding His mercy, till when they carry the heavy-laden clouds, We drive them to a dead land, and therewith We send down water, and with it We bring forth fruits of every kind. ..." The deniers of Resurrection have no proof. They only counsider it far away. The examples of life are found in nature. Gathering the atoms of a pear, an apple, and a pomegranate, which are scattered in the soil, are like the gathering of the atoms of the dead. These examples are sufficient to remove that consideration of theirs. The verse says : "... Thus shall We bring forth the dead so that you might remember." Death does not happen in the sense of perfect non-existence, but it is a change of state. The same as the dead land (in the winter) does not mean the lack of land. * * * * (58) وَ الْبَلَدُ الطَّيِّبُ يَخْرُجُ نَباتُهُ بِإِذْنِ رَبِّهِ وَ الَّذِي خَبُثَ لا يَخْرُجُ إِلاَّ نَكِداً كَذلِكَ نُصَرِّفُ الْآياتِ لِقَوْمٍ يَشْكُرُونَ 58. " And the good land ِ its vegetation comes forth (in abundance) by the leave of its Lord while that which is bad springs up nothing but (something useless) scantily. Thus do We repeat the Signs for a people who give thanks." Commentary : The verses of the Qur'anare like the rains of mercy. When they arerecited unto the receptive persons, they bring acknowledgement, love, faith and effort afterward. But they do not increase anything in the unbelievers save obstinacy and enmity. The Qur'an says : " And we send down (stage by stage) of the Qur'an that which is a healing and a mercy to those who believe, but it adds not to the unjust but perdition." (1) Yet, it should be said that, the family nobility, is one of the factors of heritage and personality. " And the good land ِ its vegetation comes forth (in abundance) ..." For this reason, only the descent of the rain of mercy is not enough, but the fitness and eligibility of the place, and also the leave of Allah, are necessary. "... by the leave of its Lord, ..." The Qur'an is the source of guidance and statement for all, but only the pious ones, and those who are thankful, can enjoy its contents. "... while that which is bad springs up nothing but (something useless) scantily. Thus do We repeat the Signs for a people who give thanks." * * * * (1) Sura Al-'Isra', No. 17, Verse 82 Section 8The Ministry of NoahNoah's exhortation to his people to serve Allah alone - The people belied him and were drowned. (59) لَقَدْ
أَرْسَلْنا نُوحاً إِلى قَوْمِهِ فَقالَ يا قَوْمِ اعْبُدُوا اللَّهَ ما لَكُمْ
مِنْ إِلهٍ غَيْرُهُ إِنِّي أَخافُ عَلَيْكُمْ عَذابَ يَوْمٍ عَظِيمٍ 59. " Indeed We sent Noah to his people, so he said : ' O my people ! Serve Allah. You have no god other than Him. Verily I fear for you the chastisement of a grievous day." 60. " The chiefs of his people said : ' Verily we do see you in manifest error." Commentary : The example of 'that which is bad springs up nothing', which was referred to in the previous verse, was the people of Noah, to whom whatever he (a.s.) advised he got nothing. The story of the people of Noah has been mentioned in the Qur'an in Suras : Al-'Ahqaf, As-Saffat, Al-'Isra', al-Ahzab, Yunus, Al-Mu'minun, Al-Ghamar, and Noah. However, the beginning thing that prophets invite to, is the invitation to Unity and theology. This is in common for the believers in all Divine religions. " Indeed We sent Noah to his people, so he said : ' O my people ! Serve Allah you have no god other than Him. ..." Prophets are the true sympathizers of human beings. The verse continues the statement of Noah, saying : "...Verily I fear for you the chastisement of a grievous day." Anyhow, this fact should be pointed out that the invitation of Noah was worldly, since all the people of the world in that time were the people of Noah. Then when he cursed, all the disbelievers throughout the world were involved in his curse, and they were drowned entirely. The Qur'an narrates the supplication of Noah, thus : " And Noah said : My Lord ! leave not upon the earth any dweller from among the unbelievers'." (1) * * * * The opponents of prophets have always been some groups of notable ones among the chiefs of the rich whose dazzling glare has filled the eyes of people. " The chiefs of his people said. ..." To know prophets as the misguided ones is worse than to disbelieve in them. When the nature of some people is transformed, they consider a true guide as a misguided one. Now, in twenty first century, the world of atheism imagine themselves as the ones of a sound and serene mind, while they introduce the adherents of divine religions and prophets as some reactionists and simple-minded people. He who pursues the theical system and tries to rootout the system of paganism, should expect to face with any slunder, accusation, and affront. "... ' Verily we see you in manifest error '." * * * * (1) Sura Noah, No. 71, Verse 26 (61) قالَ يا قَوْمِ لَيْسَ بِي ضَلالَةٌ وَ لكِنِّي رَسُولٌ مِنْ
رَبِّ الْعالَمِينَ 61. " He said: ' O' my people ! There is no error in me, but I am a Messenger from the Lord of the worlds.'" 62. " I deliver to you the Messages of my Lord, and I advise you sincerely, and I know from Allah what you do not know." Commentary : In response to the affront and harshness of the opponents, Noah, with a calm, firm, and tender tone, said that not only he was not misguided, but also there was no sign of misguidance in him. He added that he was a messenger of Allah, the Lord of the worlds. The verse says : " He said: ' O' my people ! There is no error in me, but I am a Messenger from the Lord of the worlds.'" This phrase is a hint to the fact that all the different gods they believed in were in vain. The Lord of the whole people and the things of the world is Allah, the only One God, Who is the Creator of all of them. * * * * Noah (a.s.) continued saying that his aim was to perform the mission of his Lord perfectly and to convey His revealed Messages to them. The holy verse says : " I deliver you the Messages of my Lord, ... " He told the opponents that he would do his best for them in the path of benevolence. "... and I advise you sincerely, ..." Then, finally Noah added that : "... and I know from Allah what you do not know." This phrase may be a threat against their oppositions, indicating that he knew some painful punishments for the evil doers that they were not aware of yet. And also it points to the grace and mercy of Allah that if they paved the way of obedience he would know some blessings and rewards from him that they did not know, as well as the greatness and vastness of them. * * * * (63) أَ وَ عَجِبْتُمْ أَنْ جاءَكُمْ ذِكْرٌ مِنْ رَبِّكُمْ عَلى رَجُلٍ مِنْكُمْ لِيُنْذِرَكُمْ وَ لِتَتَّقُوا وَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُرْحَمُونَ 63. " What ! do you wonder that an admonition has come to you from your Lord through a man from among you, that he might warn you so that you might keep from evil and so that (His) mercy may be shown to you ? " Commentary : (4)
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