Surah 7. Al-A'raf

and then, when they disdainfully persisted in doing what they had been forbidden to do, We said unto them: "Be as apes despicable!"¹³³

  - Mohammad Asad

According to Zamakhshari and Razi, the expression "We said unto them" is here synonymous with "We decreed with regard to them" - God's "saying" being in this case a metonym for a manifestation of His will. As for the substance of God's decree, "Be as apes despicable", the famous tabi'i Mujahid explain it thus: "[Only] their hearts were transformed, that is, they were not [really] transformed into apes: this is but a metaphor (mathal) coined by God with regard to them, similar to the metaphor of 'the ass carrying books' [ 62:5 ]" (Tabari, in his commentary on 2:65 ; also Manar I, 343; VI, 448; and IX, 379). A similar explanation is given by Raghib. 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.

But when after that they persisted in their forbidden ways, We said to them: "Be detested apes."

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

So when they took pride in that which they had been forbidden, We said unto them: Be ye apes despised and loathed!

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

And lo! Thy Sustainer made it known that most certainly He would rouse against them, unto Resurrection Day, people who would afflict them with cruel suffering: verily, thy Sustainer is swift in retribution - yet, verily, He is [also] much-forgiving, a dispenser of grace.

  - Mohammad Asad

Also remind them when your Rabb declared that He would raise against them others who would afflict them with severe torment till the Day of Resurrection. Swift is the retribution of your Rabb, yet He is also the Forgiving, Merciful.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

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.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

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.¹³⁴

  - Mohammad Asad

Lit., "so that they might return [to righteousness]".

We broke their unity as a nation and dispersed them into different communities all over the earth - some of them are righteous and others are the opposite - We tested them with both blessings and misfortunes so that they might turn to the Right Way.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

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.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

And they have been succeeded by [new] generations who - [in spite of] having inherited the divine writ - clutch but at the fleeting good of this lower world and say, "We shall be forgiven,"¹³⁵ the while they are ready, if another such fleeting good should come their way, to clutch at it [and sin again]. Have they not been solemnly pledged through the divine writ not to attribute unto God aught but what is true,¹³⁶ and [have they not] read again and again all that is therein? Since the life in the hereafter is the better [of the two] for all who are conscious of God - will you not, then, use your reason?

  - Mohammad Asad

I.e., for breaking God's commandments in their pursuit of worldly gain: an allusion to their persistent belief that they are "God's chosen people" and that, no matter what they do, His forgiveness and grace are assured to them by virtue of their being Abraham's descendants.

A reference to their erroneous idea that God's forgiveness could be obtained without sincere repentance. The divine writ mentioned twice in this passage is obviously the Bible.

Then they were succeeded by an evil generation. Who inherited the Book, they indulged in the vanities of this nether life, saying: "We expect to be forgiven" assuming that they are favorites of Allah and somehow He will spare them. Yet if similar vanities come their way they would again seize them. Was not a covenant taken from them in the Book that they would not speak anything about Allah except the truth? And they have studied what is in the Book. Best for the righteous is the home of the hereafter, don't you understand?

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

And a generation hath succeeded them who inherited the Scriptures. They grasp the goods of this low life (as the price of evil doing) and say: It will be forgiven us. And if there came to them (again) the offer of the like, they would accept it (and would sin again). Hath not the covenant of the Scripture been taken on their behalf that they should not speak aught concerning Allah save the truth? And they have studied that which is therein. And the abode of the Hereafter is better, for those who ward off (evil). Have ye then no sense?

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

For [We shall requite] all those who hold fast to the divine writ and are constant in prayer: verily, We shall not fail to requite those who enjoin the doing of what is right!

  - Mohammad Asad

As for those who strictly observe the Book and establish Salah; surely We never let the reward of such righteous people go waste.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

And as for those who make (men) keep the Scripture, and establish worship--lo! We squander not the wages of reformers.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

And [did We not say,] when We caused Mount Sinai to quake above the children of Israel¹³⁷ as though it were a [mere] shadow, and they thought that it would fall upon them, "Hold fast with [all your] strength unto what We have vouchsafed you, and bear in mind all that is therein, so that you might remain conscious of God"?¹³⁸

  - Mohammad Asad

Lit., "when We shook the mountain over them": possibly a reference to an earthquake which took place at the time of the revelation of the Law (the "tablets") to Moses.

This is the end, so far as this surah is concerned, of the story of the children of Israel. In accordance with the method of the Qur'an, their story is made an object-lesson for all believers in God, of whatever community or time: and, therefore, the next passage speaks of the "children of Adam", that is, of the whole human race.

Remember when We suspended the mountain over them as though it was an umbrella and they feared it was going to fall on them and We said: "Hold firmly to the Book that We have given you and be mindful of what is in it, so that you may guard yourselves against evil."

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

And when We shook the Mount above them as it were a covering, and they supposed that it was going to fall upon them (and We said): Hold fast that which We have given you, and remember that which is therein, that ye may ward off (evil).

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

AND WHENEVER thy Sustainer brings forth their offspring from the loins of the children of Adam, He [thus] calls upon them to bear witness about themselves: "Am I not your Sustainer?" - to which they answer: "Yea, indeed, we do bear witness thereto!"¹³⁹ [Of this We remind you,] lest you say on the Day of Resurrection, "Verily, we were unaware of this";

  - Mohammad Asad

In the original, this passage is in the past tense ("He brought forth", "He asked them", etc.) thus stressing the continuous recurrence of the above metaphorical "question" and "answer": a continuity which is more clearly brought out in translation by the use of the present tense. According to the Qur'an, the ability to perceive the existence of the Supreme Power is inborn in human nature (fitrah); and it is this instinctive cognition - which may or may not be subsequently blurred by self-indulgence or adverse environmental influences - that makes every sane human being "bear witness about himself" before God. As so often in the Qur'an, God's "speaking" and man's "answering" is a metonym for the creative act of God and of man's existential response to it.

O Prophet, remind mankind about incident when your Rabb brought into existence the offspring from the loins of Adam and his descendants (virtually each single individual of mankind) and made them testify about themselves. Allah asked them: "Am I not your Rabb?" They all replied: "Yes! We bear witness that You are." This We did, lest you mankind should say on the Day of Resurrection: "We were not aware of this fact that You are our Rabb and that there will be a Day of Judgement.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

And (remember) when thy Lord brought forth from the Children of Adam, from their reins, their seed, and made them testify of themselves, (saying): Am I not your Lord? They said: Yea, verily. We testify. (That was) lest ye should say at the Day of Resurrection: Lo! of this we were unaware;

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

or lest you say, "Verily, it was but our forefathers who, in times gone by, began to ascribe divinity to other beings beside God; and we were but their late offspring: wilt Thou, then, destroy us for the doings of those inventors of falsehoods?"

  - Mohammad Asad

or lest you should say: "Our forefathers started the practice of shirk and we just followed, being their descendants. Will you then destroy us on account of following the sin committed by those wrongdoers?"

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Or lest ye should say: (It is) only (that) our fathers ascribed partners to Allah of old and we were (their) seed after them. Wilt Thou destroy us on account of that which those who follow falsehood did?

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

And thus clearly do We spell out these messages; and [We do it] so that they [who have sinned] might return [unto Us].

  - Mohammad Asad

Thus do We spell out Our revelations so that you might return to the Right Way.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Thus We detail Our revelations, that haply they may return.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

And tell them what happens to him¹⁴⁰ to whom We vouchsafe Our messages and who then discards them: Satan catches up with him, and he strays, like so many others, into grievous error.¹⁴¹

  - Mohammad Asad

Lit., "convey to them the tiding of him".

Lit., "he became one of those who have strayed into grievous error". In the original, this whole verse is in the past tense; but since its obvious purport is the statement of a general truth (cf. Razi, on the authority of Qatadah,'Ikrimah and Abu Muslim) and not, as some commentators assume, a reference to a particular person, it is best rendered in the present tense. The kind of man spoken of here is one who has understood the divine message but, nevertheless, refuses to admit its truth because - as is pointed out in the next verse - he "clings to the earth", i.e., is dominated by a materialistic, "earthly" outlook on life. (Cf. the allegory of "a creature out of the earth" in 27:82 ).

Tell them the story of that person to whom We sent our revelations but he turned away from them, as a result Shaitan persuaded him until he become one of the misguided.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Recite unto them the tale of him to whom We gave Our revelations, but he sloughed them off, so Satan overtook him and he became of those who lead astray.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Now had We so willed, We could indeed have exalted him by means of those [messages]: but he always clung to the earth and followed but his own desires. Thus, his parable is that of an [excited] dog: if thou approach him threateningly, he will pant with his tongue lolling; and if thou leave him alone, he will pant with his tongue lolling.¹⁴² Such is the parable of those who are bent on giving the lie to Our messages. Tell [them], then, this story, so that they might take thought.

  - Mohammad Asad

Because his attitudes are influenced only by what his earth-bound desires represent to him as his immediate "advantages" or "disadvantages", the type of man alluded to in this passage is always - whatever the outward circumstances - a prey to a conflict between his reason and his base urges and, thus, to inner disquiet and imaginary fears, and cannot attain to that peace of mind which a believer achieves through his faith.

Had it been Our will, We would have exalted him through those revelations; but he clung to this earthly life and followed his own desires. His similitude is that of a dog: if you chase him he lolls out his tongue and if you leave him alone he still lolls out his tongue. Such are those who deny Our revelations, tell them these parables, so that they might think over their behavior to Our revelations.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

And had We willed We could have raised him by their means, but he clung to the earth and followed his own lust. Therefore his likeness is as the likeness of a dog; if thou attackest him he panteth with his tongue out, and if thou leavest him he panteth with his tongue out. Such is the likeness of the people who deny Our revelations. Narrate unto them the history (of the men of old), that haply they may take thought.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Evil is the example of people who are bent on giving the lie to Our messages: for it is against their own selves that they are sinning!

  - Mohammad Asad

Very bad is the example of those people who deny Our revelations and wrong their own souls.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Evil as an example are the folk who denied Our revelations, and were wont to wrong themselves.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

He whom God guides, he alone is truly guided; whereas those whom He lets go astray - it is they, they who are the losers!

  - Mohammad Asad

Only he whom Allah guides is rightly guided; and whom He confounds will become the losers.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

He who Allah leadeth, he indeed is led aright, while he whom Allah sendeth astray they indeed are losers.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

And most certainly have We destined for hell many of the invisible beings¹⁴³ and men who have hearts with which they fail to grasp the truth, and eyes with which they fail to see, and ears with which they fail to hear. They are like cattle - nay, they are even less conscious of the right way:¹⁴⁴ it is they, they who are the [truly] heedless!

  - Mohammad Asad

See Appendix III.

Lit., "they are farther astray" - inasmuch as animals follow only their instincts and natural needs and are not conscious of the possibility or necessity of a moral choice.

Certainly, We have destined many Jinns and human beings for hell; those are the ones who have hearts with which they do not understand, they have eyes with which they do not see, they have ears with which they do not hear. They are like animals - or even worse than them , because they are those who are heedless.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Already have We urged unto hell many of the jinn and humankind, having hearts wherewith they understand not, and having eyes wherewith they see not, and having ears wherewith they hear not. These are as the cattle nay, but they are worse! These are the neglectful.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

AND GOD'S [alone] are the attributes of perfection;¹⁴⁵ invoke Him, then, by these, and stand aloof from all who distort the meaning of His attributes:¹⁴⁶ they shall be requited for all that they were wont to do!

  - Mohammad Asad

This passage connects with the mention, at the end of the preceding verse, of "the heedless ones" who do not use their faculty of discernment in the way intended for it by God, and remain heedless of Him who comprises within Himself all the attributes of perfection and represents, therefore, the Ultimate Reality. As regards the expression al-asma' al-husna (lit., "the most perfect [or "most goodly"] names"), which occurs in the Qur'an four times - i.e., in the above verse as well as in 17:110 , 20:8 and 59:24 - it is to be borne in mind that the term ism is, primarily, a word applied to denote the substance or the intrinsic attributes of an object under consideration, while the term al-husna is the plural form of al-ahsan ("that which is best" or "most goodly"). Thus, the combination al-asma' al-husna may be appropriately rendered as "the attributes of perfection" - a term reserved in the Qur'an for God alone.

I.e., by applying them to other beings or objects or, alternatively, by trying to "define" God in anthropomorphic terms and relationships, like "father" or "son" (Razi).

Allah has the most excellent names (over ninety-nine attributes); call on Him by them ; and shun those people who use profanity in His Names, such people shall be requited for their misdeeds.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Allah's are the fairest names. Invoke Him by them. And leave the company of those who blaspheme His names. They will be requited what they do.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall