7. Sura al-Araf

The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:

وَإِذْ أَخَذَ رَبُّكَ مِن بَنِي آدَمَ مِن ظُهُورِهِمْ ذُرِّيَّتَهُمْ...

7: 172. When thy Lord drew forth from the children of Adam, from their loins, their descendants,

C1146. This passage has led to differences of opinion in interpretation.

According to the dominant opinion of commentators each individual in the posterity of Adam had a separate existence from the time of Adam, and a Covenant was taken from all of them, which is binding accordingly on each individual.

The words in the text refer to the descendants of the Children of Adam, i.e., to all humanity, born or unborn, without any limit of time. Adam's seed carries on the existence of Adam and succeeds to his spiritual heritage.

Humanity has been given by Allah certain powers and faculties, whose possession creates on our side special spiritual obligations which we must faithfully discharge: see 5:1. and n. 682. These obligations may from a legal point of view be considered as arising from implied Covenants.

In the preceding verse (7:171) a reference was made to the implied Covenant of the Jewish nation.

Now we consider the implied Covenant of the whole of humanity, for the Holy Prophet's mission was world-wide. (R).

...وَأَشْهَدَهُمْ عَلَى أَنفُسِهِمْ أَلَسْتُ بِرَبِّكُمْ...

and made them testify concerning themselves, (saying): "Am I not your Lord (who cherishes and sustains you)?"

...قَالُواْ بَلَى شَهِدْنَا... ...

They said: "Yea! we do testify!"

C1147. The Covenant is completed in this way. We acknowledge that Allah is our Creator, Cherisher, and Sustainer: therefore we acknowledge our duty to Him: when we so testify concerning ourselves, the obligation is as it were assumed by us; for it follows from our very nature when it is pure and uncorrupted.

...أَن تَقُولُواْ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ إِنَّا كُنَّا عَنْ هَذَا غَافِلِينَ ﴿١٧٢﴾

(This), lest ye should say on the Day of Judgment:

"Of this we were never mindful."

Asad’s Version:

7: 172 And whenever your Sustainer brings forth their offspring from the loins of the children of Adam, He calls upon them to bear witness about themselves: “Am I not your Sustainer?” – to which they answer: “Yes, indeed, we do bear witness thereto!”

[of this We remind you] lest you say on the Day of Ressurection, “ Verily, we were

unaware of this”