7. Sura al-Araf
The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:
وَنَزَعْنَا
مَا
فِي
صُدُورِهِم
مِّنْ
غِلٍّ
تَجْرِي
مِن
تَحْتِهِمُ
الأَنْهَارُ...
7: 43. And We shall remove from their hearts any lurking sense of injury; beneath them will be rivers flowing;
C1021. A man who may have suffered or been disappointed may have a lurking sense of injury it the back of his mind, which may spoil his enjoyment on account of past memory intruding in the midst of felicity. In such cases memory itself is pain. Even sorrow is intensified by memory: as Tennyson says,
"A sorrow's crown of sorrows is remembering happier things."
But that is in this our imperfect life. In the perfect felicity of the righteous, all such feelings will be blotted out. No "heartaches" then and no memories of them! The clouds of the past will have dissolved in glorious light, and no past happiness will be comparable with the perfect happiness which will have then been attained. Nor will any sense of envy or shortcoming be possible in that perfect bliss.
...وَقَالُواْ الْحَمْدُ لِلّهِ الَّذِي هَدَانَا لِهَـذَا وَمَا كُنَّا لِنَهْتَدِيَ لَوْلا أَنْ هَدَانَا اللّهُ...
and they shall say:
"Praise be to Allah, Who hath guided us to this (felicity): never could we have found guidance, had it not been for the guidance of Allah:
...لَقَدْ جَاءتْ رُسُلُ رَبِّنَا بِالْحَقِّ ...
indeed it was the truth that the Messengers of our Lord brought unto us."
...وَنُودُواْ أَن تِلْكُمُ الْجَنَّةُ أُورِثْتُمُوهَا بِمَا كُنتُمْ تَعْمَلُونَ ﴿٤٣﴾
And they shall hear the cry:
"Behold! the garden before you! Ye have been made its inheritors, for your deeds (of righteousness)."
C1022. Jesus said: "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth": Matt. 5:5.
Here we are told: blessed are the righteous, for they shall inherit the kingdom of heaven. The stress here is on actual practical deeds of righteousness: whether they find their rewards on earth or not is immaterial: their attention is directed to an infinitely greater reward, the kingdom of heaven.
In the Sermon on the Mount this is promised to the "poor in spirit": Matt. 5:3.
وَنَادَى
أَصْحَابُ
الْجَنَّةِ
أَصْحَابَ
النَّارِ
أَن
قَدْ
وَجَدْنَا
مَا
وَعَدَنَا
رَبُّنَا
حَقًّا...
7: 44. The companions of the garden will call out to the companions of the fire:
"We have indeed found the promises of our Lord to us true:
...فَهَلْ وَجَدتُّم مَّا وَعَدَ رَبُّكُمْ حَقًّا...
have you also found your Lord's promises true?"
...قَالُواْ نَعَمْ ...
They shall say, "Yes;"
...فَأَذَّنَ مُؤَذِّنٌ بَيْنَهُمْ ...
but a crier shall proclaim between them:
C1023. The Companions of the Fire can only answer a single word, "Yes," such is their state of misery. Even so, their voice is drowned in the voice of the Crier, who explains their state: they are in a state of curse, that is, deprivation of the grace and mercy of Allah. Such deprivation is the highest misery that souls can suffer.
... أَن لَّعْنَةُ اللّهِ عَلَى الظَّالِمِينَ ﴿٤٤﴾
"The curse of Allah is on the wrongdoers;
الَّذِينَ
يَصُدُّونَ
عَن
سَبِيلِ
اللّهِ
وَيَبْغُونَهَا
عِوَجًا
وَهُم
بِالآخِرَةِ
كَافِرُونَ
﴿٤٥﴾
7: 45. "Those who would hinder (men) from the path of Allah and would seek in it something crooked: they were those who Denied the Hereafter."
C1024. The unrighteous reflect their own crooked minds when the path of Allah is before them. Instead of going straight, they try to find something in it that suits their own crooked ideas. Frankly they have no faith in the final Goal, the Hereafter.
وَبَيْنَهُمَا
حِجَابٌ...
7: 46. Between them shall be a veil,
...وَعَلَى الأَعْرَافِ رِجَالٌ يَعْرِفُونَ كُلاًّ بِسِيمَاهُمْ...
and on the heights will be men who would know everyone by his marks:
C1025. This is a difficult passage, and Commentators have interpreted it in different ways. Three distinct schools of thought may be discerned in the interpretation.
1. One school thinks that the men on the Heights are angels, or such men of exalted spiritual dignity (e.g., the great prophets), as will be able to know the souls at sight as regards their real worth:
the Heights will be their exalted stations, from which they will welcome the righteous with a salutation of peace, even before the righteous have entered heaven; the salutation of peace being itself an assurance of salvation to those whom they salute.
2. Another school of thought thinks that the men on the Heights are such souls as are not decidedly on the side of merit or decidedly on the side of sin, but evenly balanced on a partition between heaven and hell.
Their case is yet to be decided, but their salutation to the righteous is a wistful salutation, because they hope for Allah's Mercy.
3. The third line of interpretation, with which I agree, is close to the first, with this exception, that the partition and the Heights are figurative. The higher souls will rejoice at the approaching salvation of the righteous.
...وَنَادَوْاْ أَصْحَابَ الْجَنَّةِ أَن سَلاَمٌ عَلَيْكُمْ...
they will call out to the companions of the garden, "Peace on you"
...لَمْ يَدْخُلُوهَا وَهُمْ يَطْمَعُونَ ﴿٤٦﴾
they will not have entered, but they will have an assurance (thereof).
وَإِذَا
صُرِفَتْ
أَبْصَارُهُمْ
تِلْقَاء
أَصْحَابِ
النَّارِ...
7: 47. When their eyes shall be turned towards the companions of the fire,
C1026. Their eyes: according to interpretation 2 of the last note, "their" would refer to the people whose fate has not yet been decided, and the speech would be theirs;
according to interpretations 1 and 3 in that note, "their" would refer to the Companions of the Garden, who would realise the terrible nature of hell, and express their horror of it. I prefer the latter.
Then the mention of the "men on the Heights" and their speech in verse 48 comes in naturally as a different kind of speech from a different kind of men.
...قَالُواْ رَبَّنَا لاَ تَجْعَلْنَا مَعَ الْقَوْمِ الظَّالِمِينَ ﴿٤٧﴾
they will say: "Our Lord! send us not to the company of the wrongdoers."
وَنَادَى
أَصْحَابُ
الأَعْرَافِ
رِجَالاً
يَعْرِفُونَهُمْ
بِسِيمَاهُمْ...
7: 48. The men on the heights will call to certain men whom they will know from their marks,
...قَالُواْ مَا أَغْنَى عَنكُمْ جَمْعُكُمْ وَمَا كُنتُمْ تَسْتَكْبِرُونَ ﴿٤٨﴾
saying: "Of what profit to you were you hoards and your arrogant ways?
C1027. This speech is in three parts:
1. the last lines of this verse are addressed to the Companions of the Fire, reminding them (as a bench of judges might speak to a prisoner) of the futility of their wealth and riches and arrogance in their earthly life:
2. the second part, in the first half of verse 49, recalls to their minds how false was their contempt of the good but lowly men who are now to be the inheritors of heaven: and
3. the latter part of verse 49, "enter ye the Garden" is addressed to the Blessed, to give them a welcome to their state of felicity.
أَهَـؤُلاء
الَّذِينَ
أَقْسَمْتُمْ
لاَ
يَنَالُهُمُ
اللّهُ
بِرَحْمَةٍ...
7: 49. "Behold! are these not the men whom you swore that Allah with His mercy would never bless?
...ادْخُلُواْ الْجَنَّةَ لاَ خَوْفٌ عَلَيْكُمْ وَلاَ أَنتُمْ تَحْزَنُونَ ﴿٤٩﴾
Enter ye the garden:
no fear shall be on you, nor shall ye grieve."
وَنَادَى
أَصْحَابُ
النَّارِ
أَصْحَابَ
الْجَنَّةِ
أَنْ
أَفِيضُواْ
عَلَيْنَا
مِنَ
الْمَاء
أَوْ
مِمَّا
رَزَقَكُمُ
اللّهُ...
7: 50. The companions of the fire will call to the companions of the garden;
"Pour down to us water or anything that Allah doth provide for your sustenance."
...قَالُواْ إِنَّ اللّهَ حَرَّمَهُمَا عَلَى الْكَافِرِينَ ﴿٥٠﴾
They will say:
"Both these things hath Allah forbidden to those who rejected Him.
C1028. The Companions of the Fire will thirst for water and not get it, and for sustenance which will not be theirs, while the Companions of the Garden will have the crystal waters of the springs and rivers and they will enjoy the bliss of Allah's Countenance, which will be their supreme nourishment and the fruit of their life of probation and seeking. These things will not be transferable.
Cf. also 37:41-47, 62-67. (R).
Others version:
7: 43
Yusuf Ali And We shall remove from their hearts any lurking sense of injury; beneath them will be rivers flowing; and they shall say: "Praise be to Allah Who hath guided us to this (felicity): never could we have found guidance had it not been for the guidance of Allah: indeed it was the truth that the apostles of our Lord brought unto us." And they Shall hear the cry: "Behold! the garden before you! Ye have been made its inheritors for your deeds (of righteousness)."
Pickthall And We remove whatever rancor may be in their hearts. Rivers flow beneath them. And they say: The praise to Allah, Who hath guided us to this. We could not truly have been led aright if Allah had not guided us. Verily the messengers of our Lord did bring the Truth. And it is cried unto them: This is the Garden. Ye inherit it for what ye used to do.
Transliteration Wa naza'na_ ma_ fi sudu_rihim min gillin tajri min tahtihimul anha_r(u), wa qa_lul hamdu lilla_hil lazi hada_na_ liha_za_, wa ma_ kunna_ linahtadiya lau la_ an hada_nalla_h(u), laqad ja_'at rusulu rabbina_ bil haqq(i), wa nu_du_ an tilkumul jannatu u_ristumu_ha_ bima_ kuntum ta'malu_n(a).
7: 44
Yusuf Ali The companions of the garden will call out to the companions of the fire: "We have indeed found the promises of our Lord to us true: have you also found your Lord's promises true?" They shall say "yes"; but a crier shall proclaim between them: "the curse of Allah is on the wrong- doers;
Pickthall And the dwellers of the Garden cry unto the dwellers of the Fire: We have found that which our Lord promised us (to be) the Truth. Have ye (too) found that which your Lord promised the Truth? They say: Yea, verily. And a crier in between them crieth: The curse of Allah is on evil doers.
Transliteration Wa na_da_ asha_bul jannati asha_ban na_ri an qad wajadna_ ma_ wa'adana_ rabbuna_ haqqan fahal wajattum ma_ wa'ada rabbukum haqqa_(n), qa_lu_ na'am, fa azzana mu'azzinum bainahum alla'natulla_hi'alaz za_limin(a).
7: 46
Asad And between the two there will be a barrier [note 36]
Yusuf Ali Between them shall be a veil and on the heights will be men who would know everyone by his marks: they will call out to the companions of the garden "peace on you" they will not have entered but they will have an assurance (thereof.)
Pickthall Between them is a veil. And on the Heights are men who know them all by their marks. And they call unto the dwellers of the Garden: Peace be unto you! They enter it not although they hope (to enter).
Transliteration Wa bainahuma_ hija_b(un), wa'alal a'ra_fi rija_luy ya'rifu_na kullam bi sima_hum, wa na_dau asha_bal jannati an sala_mun 'alaikum, lam yadkhulu_ha_ wa hum yal'abu_n(a).
[[ Asad’s note 36- The word “hijab” denotes anything that intervenes as an obstacle between things or conceals one thing from another; it is used in both an abstract and a concrete sense.
37 – The term “al-a’raf” occurs in the Quran only twice namely, in the above verse and in verse 48. It is the plural of ‘urf’, which primarily denotes “acknowledgement” or “discernment” …….. ]]
7: 47
Yusuf Ali When their eyes shall be turned towards the companions of the fire they will say: "Our Lord! send us not to the company of the wrong- doers."
Pickthall And when their eyes are turned toward the dwellers of the Fire, they say: Our Lord! Place us not with the wrongdoing folk.
Transliteration Wa iza_ surifat absa_ruhum tilqa_'a asha_bin na_r(i), qa_lu_ rabbana_ la_ taj'alna_ ma'al qaumiz za_limin(a).
[[ Alis notes - 1025 This is a difficult passage, and Commentators have interpreted it in different ways. Three distinct schools of thought may be discerned in the interpretation. (1) One school thinks that the men on the Heights are angels, or such men of exalted spiritual dignity (e.g., the great prophets), as will be able to know the souls at sight as regards their real worth: the Heights will be their exalted stations, from which they will welcome the righteous with a salutation of peace, even before the righteous have entered heaven; the salutation of peace being itself an assurance of salvation to those whom they salute. (2) Another school of thought thinks that the men on the Heights are such souls as are not decidedly on the side of merit or decidedly on the side of sin, but evenly balanced on a partition between heaven and hell. Their case is yet to be decided, but their salutation to the righteous is a wistful salutation, because they hope for Allah's Mercy. (7.46)
1026 Their eyes: according to interpretation (2) of the last note, "their" would refer to the people whose fate has not yet been decided, and the speech would be theirs; according to interpretations (1) and (3) in that note, "their" would refer to the Companions of the Garden, who would realise the terrible nature of hell, and express their horror of it. I prefer the latter. Then the mention of the "men on the Heights" and their speech in verse 48 comes in naturally as a different kind of speech from a different kind of men. (7.47) ]]
7: 50
Yusuf Ali The companions of the fire will call to the companions of the garden; "pour down to us water or anything that Allah doth provide for your sustenance." They will say: "Both these things hath Allah forbidden to those who rejected Him.
Pickthall And the dwellers of the Fire cry out unto the dwellers of the Garden; Pour on us some water or some of that where with Allah hath provided you. They say: Lo! Allah hath forbidden both to disbelievers (in His guidance),
Transliteration Wa na_da_ asha_bun na_ri asha_bal jannati an afidu_ 'alaina_ minal ma_'i au mimma_ razaqakumulla_h(u), qa_lu_ innalla_ha harramahuma_ 'alal ka_firin(a).