7. Sura al-Araf
The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:
واَسْأَلْهُمْ
عَنِ الْقَرْيَةِ
الَّتِي كَانَتْ
حَاضِرَةَ
الْبَحْرِ...
7: 163. Ask them concerning the town standing close by the sea.
...إِذْ يَعْدُونَ فِي السَّبْتِ ...
Behold! they transgressed in the matter of the Sabbath.
Fishing, like every other activity, was prohibited to Israel on the Sabbath day. As this practice was usually observed, the fish used to come up with a sense of security to their water channels or pools openly on the Sabbath day, but not on other days when fishing was open.
This was a great temptation to the law-breakers, which they could not resist. Some of their men of piety protested, but it had no effect. When their transgressions, which we may suppose, extended to other commandments, passed beyond bounds, the punishment came. (R).
... إِذْ تَأْتِيهِمْ حِيتَانُهُمْ يَوْمَ سَبْتِهِمْ شُرَّعاً...
For on the day of their Sabbath their fish did come to them, openly holding up their heads,
...وَيَوْمَ لاَ يَسْبِتُونَ لاَ تَأْتِيهِمْ ...
but on the day they had no Sabbath, they came not:
...كَذَلِكَ نَبْلُوهُم بِمَا كَانُوا يَفْسُقُونَ ﴿١٦٣﴾
thus did We make a trial of them,
for they were given to transgression.
وَإِذَ
قَالَتْ أُمَّةٌ
مِّنْهُمْ لِمَ
تَعِظُونَ
قَوْمًا اللّهُ
مُهْلِكُهُمْ
أَوْ مُعَذِّبُهُمْ
عَذَابًا شَدِيدًا...
7: 164. When some of them said:
"Why do ye preach to a people whom Allah will destroy or visit with a terrible punishment?"
C1138. There are always people who wonder, no doubt sincerely, what good it is to preach to the wicked. The answer is given to them here:
- every man who sees evil must speak out against it; it is his duty and responsibility to Allah;
- there is always a chance that the warning may have effect and save a precious soul.
This passage has a special meaning for the times when our Holy Prophet was preaching in Makkah, apparently without results. But it applies to all times.
...قَالُواْ مَعْذِرَةً إِلَى رَبِّكُمْ وَلَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَّقُونَ ﴿١٦٤﴾
Said the preachers: "To discharge our duty to your Lord and perchance they may fear Him."
فَلَمَّا
نَسُواْ مَا
ذُكِّرُواْ
بِهِ أَنجَيْنَا
الَّذِينَ
يَنْهَوْنَ
عَنِ السُّوءِ...
7: 165. When they disregarded the warnings that had been given them, We rescued those who forbade evil;
...وَأَخَذْنَا الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُواْ بِعَذَابٍ بَئِيسٍ بِمَا كَانُواْ يَفْسُقُونَ ﴿١٦٥﴾
but We visited the wrongdoers with a grievous punishment, because they were given to transgression.
فَلَمَّا
عَتَوْاْ عَن
مَّا نُهُواْ
عَنْهُ قُلْنَا
لَهُمْ ...
7: 166. When in their insolence they transgressed (all) prohibition, We said to them:
... كُونُواْ قِرَدَةً خَاسِئِينَ ﴿١٦٦﴾
"Be ye apes, despised and rejected."
وَإِذْ
تَأَذَّنَ
رَبُّكَ لَيَبْعَثَنَّ
عَلَيْهِمْ
إِلَى يَوْمِ
الْقِيَامَةِ
مَن يَسُومُهُمْ
سُوءَ الْعَذَابِ...
7: 167. Behold! thy Lord did declare that He would send against them, to the Day of Judgment, those who would afflict them with grievous penalty.
C1140. See Deut, 11:28:
"A curse if ye will not obey the commandments of the Lord your God but turn aside out of the way which I command you this day":
also Deut, 28:49;
"The Lord shall bring a nation against thee from afar, from the end of the earth, as swift as the eagle flieth: a nation whose tongue thou shalt not understand";
and many other passages.
...إِنَّ رَبَّكَ لَسَرِيعُ الْعِقَابِ وَإِنَّهُ لَغَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ ﴿١٦٧﴾
Thy Lord is quick in retribution,
but he is also Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.
وَقَطَّعْنَاهُمْ
فِي الأَرْضِ
أُمَمًا...
7: 168. We broke them up into sections on this earth.
C1141. The dispersal of the Jews is a great fact in the world's history. Nor has their persecution ended yet, nor is it likely to end as far as we can foresee.
...مِّنْهُمُ الصَّالِحُونَ وَمِنْهُمْ دُونَ ذَلِكَ...
There are among them some that are the righteous, and some that are the opposite.
...وَبَلَوْنَاهُمْ بِالْحَسَنَاتِ وَالسَّيِّئَاتِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَرْجِعُونَ ﴿١٦٨﴾
We have tried them with both prosperity and adversity: in order that they might turn (to us).
Other versions:
7: 163 [al-Araf, Mecca 39]
Yusuf Ali Ask them concerning the town standing close by the sea. Behold! they transgressed in the matter of the Sabbath. For on the day of their Sabbath their fish did come to them openly holding up their heads but on the day they had no Sabbath they came not: thus did We make a trial of them for they were given to transgression.
Pickthall Ask them (O Muhammad) of the township that was by the sea, how they did break the sabbath, how their big fish came unto them visibly upon their sabbath day and on a day when they did not keep sabbath came they not unto them. Thus did We try them for that they were evil-livers.
Transliteration Was'alhum 'anil qaryatil lati ka_nat ha_dirtal bahr(i), iz ya'du_na fis sabti iz ta'tihim hita_nuhumyauma sabtihim syurra'aw wa yauma la_ yasbitu_n(a), la_ ta'tihim, kaza_lika nablu_hum bima_ ka_nu_ yafsuqu_n(a).
7: 164
Yusuf Ali When some of them said: "why do ye preach to a people whom Allah will destroy or visit with a terrible punishment?" Said the preachers: "to discharge our duty to your Lord and perchance they may fear him."
Pickthall And when a community among them said: Why preach ye to a folk whom Allah is about to destroy and punish with an awful doom, they said: In order to be free from guilt before your Lord, and that haply they may ward off (evil).
Transliteration Wa iz qa_lat ummatum minhum lima ta'izu_na qaumanilla_hu muhlikuhum au mu'azzibuhum 'aza_ban syadida_(n), qa_lu_ ma'ziratan ila_ rabbikum wa la'allahum yattaqu_n(a).
[[ Ali’s notes - 1137 Cf. ii. 65 and n. 79. Fishing, like every other activity, was prohibited to Israel on the Sabbath day. As this practice was usually observed, the fish used to come up with a sense of security to their water channels or pools openly on the Sabbath day, but not on other days when fishing was open. This was a great temptation to the law-breakers, which they could not resist. Some of their men of piety protested, but it had no effect. When their transgressions, which we may suppose, extended to other commandments, passed beyond bounds, the punishment came. (7.163)
There are always people who wonder, no doubt sincerely, what good it is to preach to the wicked. The answer is given to them here: (1) every man who sees evil must speak out against it; it is his duty and responsibility to Allah; (2) there is always a chance that the warning may have effect and save a precious soul. This passage has a special meaning for the times when our Holy Prophet was preaching in Makkah, apparently without results. But it applies to all times. (7.164) ]]
[[ Asad’s note 129 - ………it may be assumed that the story of the Sabbath-breakers (alluded to in several places in the Quran) is a general illustration of the tendency, so often manifested by the children of Israel, to offend against their religious laws in pursuit of their passions or for the sake of worldly gain…………….]]
7: 165
Yusuf Ali When they disregarded the warnings that had been given them We rescued those who forbade evil; but We visited the wrong-doers with a grievous punishment because they were given to transgression.
Pickthall And when they forgot that whereof they had been reminded, We rescued those who forbade wrong, and visited those who did wrong with dreadful punishment because they were evil livers.
Transliteration Falamma_ nasu_ ma_ zukkiru_ bihi anjainal lazina yanhauna 'anis su_'i wa akhaznal lazina zalamu_ bi 'aza_bim ba'isim bima_ ka_nu_ yafsuqu_n(a).
7: 166
Yusuf Ali When in their insolence they transgressed (all) prohibition We said to them: "Be ye apes despised and rejected."
Pickthall So when they took pride in that which they had been forbidden, We said unto them: Be ye apes despised and loathed!
Transliteration Falamma_ 'atau 'amma_ nuhu_ 'anhu qulna_ lahum ku_nu_ qiradatan kha_si'in(a).
[[ Ali’s notes –
1139 Cf. ii. 65, n. 79. (7.166) ]]
[[ Asad’s note 133 - ….this is but a metaphor (mathal) coined by God with regard to them, similar to the metaphor of ‘the ass carrying books’ [62:5]”…………..It should be borne in mind that the expression “like an ape” is often used in classical Arabic to describe a person who is unable to restrain his gross appetites or passions.]
7: 167 [al-Araf, Mecca 39]
Yusuf Ali Behold! thy Lord did declare that He would send against them to the Day of Judgment those who would afflict them with grievous penalty. Thy Lord is quick in retribution but he is also Oft-Forgiving Most Merciful.
Pickthall And (remember) when thy Lord proclaimed that He would raise against them till the Day of Resurrection those who would lay on them a cruel torment. Lo! verily thy Lord is swift in prosecution and lo! verify He is Forgiving, Merciful.
Transliteration Wa iz ta'azzana rabbuka layab'asanna 'alaihim ila_ yaumil qiya_mati may yasu_muhum su_'al 'aza_b(i), inna rabbaka lasari'ul 'iqa_b(i), wa innahu_ lagafu_rur rahim(un).
[[Ruby’s note 7:167 – Here “they” is referred, I think, to those who disregarded God’s warnings and transgressed mentioned in the above verses 65 and 66.]]
7: 168
Asad And We dispersed them as [separate] communities all over the earth; some of them were righteous, and some of them less than that: and the latter We tried with blessings as well as with afflictions, so that they might mend their ways.
Yusuf Ali We broke them up into sections on this earth. There are among them some that are the righteous and some that are the opposite. We have tried them with both prosperity and adversity: in order that they might turn (to us).
Pickthall And We have sundered them in the earth as (separate) nations. Some of them are righteous, and some far from that. And We have tried them with good things and evil things that haply they might return.
Transliteration Wa qatta'na_hum fil ardi umama_(n), minhumus sa_lihu_na wa minhum du_na za_lik(a), wa balauna_hum bil hasana_ti was sayyi'a_ti la'allahum yarji'u_n(a).
[[ Ali’s notes -
1140 See Deut, xi. 28: "A curse if ye will not obey the commandments of the Lord your God but turn aside out of the way which I command you this day": also Deut, xxviii. 49; "The Lord shall bring a nation against you from afar, from the end of the earth, as swift as the eagle flies: a nation whose tongue you shall not understand"; and many other passages. (7.167)
1141 The dispersal of the Jews is a great fact in the world's history. Nor has their persecution ended yet, nor is it likely to end as far as we can foresee. (7.168)
1142 Merely inheriting a Book, or doing lip service to it, does not make a nation righteous. If they succumb to the temptations of the world, their hypocrisy becomes all the more glaring. "High finance" is one of these temptations. Cf. also ii. 80: "the Fire shall not touch us except for a few numbered days": and ii. 88, about their blasphemous self-sufficiency. (7.169)
1143 Cf- Exod. xix. 5-8; xxiv 3; xxxiv. 27; and many other passages. (7.169)
1144 Cf. ii. 63 and n. (7.171)
1145 Therein = in the Book or Revelation, in "what We have given you." (7.171) ]]