7. Sura al-Araf

The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:

فَمَنْ أَظْلَمُ مِمَّنِ افْتَرَى عَلَى اللّهِ كَذِبًا أَوْ كَذَّبَ بِآيَاتِهِ...

7: 37. Who is more unjust than one who invents a lie against Allah or rejects his signs?

...أُوْلَـئِكَ يَنَالُهُمْ نَصِيبُهُم مِّنَ الْكِتَابِ...

For such, their portion appointed must reach them from the Book (of decrees);

C1018. It must not be supposed that the rebels against Allah would at once be cut off in this life for their sins. They will get the portion allotted to them, including the good things of life and the chance of repentance and reformation, during their probationary period on this earth.

During that period they will have a full run. After that period expires, they will be called to account. They will themselves see that the false things, in which they put their trust, were false, and they will confess their sin, but it will be too late.

...حَتَّى إِذَا جَاءتْهُمْ رُسُلُنَا يَتَوَفَّوْنَهُمْ قَالُواْ أَيْنَ مَا كُنتُمْ تَدْعُونَ مِن دُونِ اللّهِ...

until, when Our messengers (of death) arrive and take their souls, they say:

"Where are the things that ye used to invoke besides Allah?"

...قَالُواْ ضَلُّواْ عَنَّا وَشَهِدُواْ عَلَى أَنفُسِهِمْ أَنَّهُمْ كَانُواْ كَافِرِينَ ﴿٣٧﴾

They will reply, "They have left us in the lurch,"

and they will bear witness against themselves, that they had rejected Allah.

قَالَ ادْخُلُواْ فِي أُمَمٍ قَدْ خَلَتْ مِن قَبْلِكُم مِّن الْجِنِّ وَالإِنسِ فِي النَّارِ...

7: 38. He will say:

"Enter ye in the company of the peoples who passed away before you, men and Jinns, into the fire.

...كُلَّمَا دَخَلَتْ أُمَّةٌ لَّعَنَتْ أُخْتَهَا...

Every time a new people enters, it curses its sister-people (that went before),

...حَتَّى إِذَا ادَّارَكُواْ فِيهَا جَمِيعًا قَالَتْ أُخْرَاهُمْ لأُولاَهُمْ...

until they follow each other, all into the fire.

Saith the last about the first:

...رَبَّنَا هَـؤُلاء أَضَلُّونَا فَآتِهِمْ عَذَابًا ضِعْفًا مِّنَ النَّارِ...

"Our Lord! it is these that misled us: so give them a double penalty in the fire."

C1019. The earlier generations committed a double crime:

- their own sins,

- the bad example they set for those that followed.

We are responsible not only for our own misdeeds, but for those which our example and our teaching to our juniors may induce them to commit. But it does not lie in the mouth of the juniors to ask for a double punishment for seniors: the motive is not justice, but pure spite, which is itself a sin.

Further, the later generations have to answer for two things:

- their own sins, and

- their failure to learn from the past, from the experiences of those who preceded them. They should have an advantage in this respect, being "in the foremost files of Time," but they did not learn.

Thus there was nothing to choose between the earlier and later generations in the matter of guilt. But how few people understand this!

In 6:160, we were told that good was rewarded tenfold, but evil was punished according to its guilt, in perfect justice. This verse is in no way inconsistent with it. Two crimes must have a double penalty. (R).

...قَالَ لِكُلٍّ ضِعْفٌ وَلَـكِن لاَّ تَعْلَمُونَ ﴿٣٨﴾

He will say: "Doubled for all":

but this Ye do not understand.

وَقَالَتْ أُولاَهُمْ لأُخْرَاهُمْ فَمَا كَانَ لَكُمْ عَلَيْنَا مِن فَضْلٍ...

7: 39. Then the first will say to the last:

"See then! no advantage have ye over us;

...فَذُوقُواْ الْعَذَابَ بِمَا كُنتُمْ تَكْسِبُونَ ﴿٣٩﴾

so taste ye of the penalty for all that ye did!"

C1020. Wrong-doers have really no sense of honour towards each other. "Honour among thieves" is an exceptional, not an ordinary, experience.

In real life, guilt and crime are apt to indulge in mean spite and bitter recriminations against accomplices.

Other versions:

7: 37

Yusuf Ali Who is more unjust than one who invents a lie against Allah or rejects his signs? For such their portion appointed must reach them from the Book (of decrees); until when Our messengers (of death) arrive and take their souls they say: "where are the things that ye used to invoke besides Allah?" They will reply "they have left us in the lurch" and they will bear witness against themselves that they had rejected Allah.

Pickthall Who doeth greater wrong than he who inventeth a lie concerning Allah or denieth Our tokens. (For such) their appointed portion of the Book (of destiny) reacheth them till, when Our messengers come to gather them, they say: Where (now) is that to which ye cried beside Allah? They say: They have departed from us. And they testify against themselves that they were disbelievers.

Transliteration Faman azlamu mimmaniftara_'alalla_hi kaziban au kazzaba bi a_ya_tih(i), ula_'ika yana_luhum nasibuhum minal kita_b(i), hatta_ iza_ ja_'athum rusuluna_ yatawaffaunahum, qa_lu_ aina ma_ kuntum tad'u_na min du_nilla_h(i), qa_lu_ dallu_'anna_ wa syahidu_ 'ala_ anfusihim annahum ka_nu_ ka_firin(a).

7: 38

Asad ………the last of them will speak [thus] of the first of them [note 28]: “O our Sustainer! It is they who have led us astray: give, them, therefore, double suffering through fire!” He will reply: “Everyone of you deserves double suffering – but you know it not.”

Yusuf Ali He will say: "enter ye in the company of the peoples who passed away before you men and Jinns into the fire. Every time a new people enters it curses its sister-people (that went before) until they follow each other all into the fire. Saith the last about the first: "Our Lord! it is these that misled us: so give them a double penalty in the fire." He will say: "doubled for all": but this Ye do not understand.

Pickthall He saith: Enter into the Fire among nations of the jinn and humankind who passed away before you. Every time a nation entereth, it curseth its sister (nation) till, when they have all been made to follow one another thither, the last of them saith unto the first of them: Our Lord! These led us astray, so give them double torment of the Fire. He saith: For each one there is double (torment), but ye know not.

Transliteration Qa_ladkhulu_ fi umamin qad khalat min qablikum minal jinni wal insi fin na_r(i), kullama_ dakhalat ummatul la'anat ukhtaha_, hatta_ izadda_raku_ fiha_ jami'_(n), qa_lat ukhra_hum li u_la_hum rabbana_ ha_'ula_'i adallu_na_ fa a_tihim 'aza_ban di'fam minan na_r(i), qa_la likullin di'fuw wa la_kil la_ ta'lamu_n(a).

[[Ruby’s note – This verse simply and clearly establish that those who lead towards evil and those who follow are equally responsible for their own respective wrong-doings. Then it implies that one cannot make another responsible for not following his/her own conscience or the capability to discern right from wrong [“fitra”] that God has endowed each human with. If one was true to his/her conscience he/she would not follow a wrong-doing leader. One does right due to one’s own choices and God provides or withdraws guidance on the basis of that. If one fails to receive God’s guidance one follows the wrong-doing leaders and/or predecessors. Therefore it is one’s own will and action that dictate one’s ultimate consequences. ]]

[[ Asad’s note 28 – The term ‘first’ refer here either to a sequence in time …or in status (“leaders” and “followers”);………..

Note 29 - ………on Resurrection Day they shall bear the full weight of their own burdens, as well as some of the burdens of those ignorant ones whom they have led astray”.]]

[[ Ali’s note - 1019 The earlier generations committed a double crime: (1) their own sins, (2) the bad example they set for those that followed. We are responsible not only for our own misdeeds, but for those which our example and our teaching to our juniors may induce them to commit. But it does not lie in the mouth of the juniors to ask for a double punishment for seniors: the motive is not justice, but pure spite, which is itself a sin. Further, the later generations have to answer for two things: (1) their own sins, and (2) their failure to learn from the past, from the experiences of those who preceded them. -They should have an advantage in this respect, being "in the foremost files of Time," but they did not learn. Thus there was nothing to choose between the earlier and later generations in the matter of guilt. But how few people understand this! In vi. 160, we were told that good was rewarded tenfold, but evil was punished according to its guilt, in perfect justice. This verse is in no way inconsistent with it. Two crimes must have a double penalty. (7.38)

1020 Wrong-doers have really no sense of honour towards each other. "Honour among thieves" is an exceptional, not an ordinary, experience. In real life, guilt and crime are apt to indulge in mean spite and bitter recriminations against accomplices. (7.39)]]

7: 39

Yusuf Ali Then the first will say to the last: "see then! no advantage have ye over us; so taste ye of the penalty for all that ye did!"

Pickthall And the first of them saith unto the last of them : Ye were no whit better than us, so taste the doom for what ye used to earn.

Transliteration Wa qa_lat u_la_hum li ukhra_hum fama_ ka_na lakum 'alaina_ min fadlin fazu_qul 'aza_ba bima_ kuntum taksibu_n(a).