Surah Al A'raf Notes (1-8)

Surah A'raf 

•  It has the characteristics of the Makkan Surahs
•  It consists of 206 verses
• Revealed towards the end of Maccan period.
•  The people of A'raf are those people whose good deeds are equal to their bad deeds
•  They will be held on the bridge for a while and then after the lapse of some time
•  Allah will forgive them and enter them to jannah.

(1)Alif-Lam-Mim-Sad. [These letters are one of the miracles of the Quran and none but Allah (Alone) knows their meanings].

(2)(This is the) Book (the Quran) sent down unto you (O Muhammad SAW), so let not your breast be narrow therefrom, that you warn thereby, and a reminder unto the believers.

(so let not your breast be narrow therefrom,) meaning, `do not hesitate to convey the Qur'an and warn with it,'

(3)[Say (O Muhammad SAW) to these idolaters (pagan Arabs) of your folk:] Follow what has been sent down unto you from your Lord (the Quran and Prophet Muhammad's Sunnah), and follow not any Auliya' (protectors and helpers, etc. who order you to associate partners in worship with Allah), besides Him (Allah). Little do you remember!

Allah commanded Muhammad (SAW) to invite the pagan Arabs to tauheed, but they preferred to follow their forefathers and rejected the invitation.

(...and follow not any Awliya', besides Him (Allah)...) meaning, do not disregard what the Messenger brought you and follow something else, for in this case, you will be deviating from Allah's judgment to the decision of someone else.

Nations that were destroyed

(4)And a great number of towns (their population) We destroyed (for their crimes). Our torment came upon them (suddenly) by night or while they were sleeping for their afternoon rest.

(...And a great number of towns We destroyed...) for defying Our Messengers and rejecting them. This behavior led them to earn disgrace in this life, which led them to disgrace in the Hereafter.

(...Our torment came upon them by night or while they were taking their midday nap... ) means, Allah's command, torment and vengeance came over them at night or while taking a nap in the middle of the day. Both of these times are periods of rest and leisure or heedlessness and amusement.

(5)No cry did they utter when Our Torment came upon them but this: "Verily, we were Zalimun (polytheists and wrong-doers, etc.)".

(No cry did they utter when Our torment came upon them but this: "Verily, we were wrongdoers.'') This means, when the torment came to them, their cry was that they admitted their sins and that they deserved to be punished.

 Many people were destroyed while sleeping

- The people of Hud were destroyed during a mid-day nap.

- People of Saleh, Shuaib and Lut etc were all destroyed because of their sins.

- Where in the Quran does Allah make takfir on the homosexuals?

- As some people claim that a gay is a Muslim.

- They wish to establish gay mosques. 

(6)Then surely, We shall question those (people) to whom it (the Book) was sent and verily, We shall question the Messengers.

Allah will ask the people did any warner come to you? So Allah will question the people of all the prophets and they will deny that a warner came.

(7)Then surely, We shall narrate unto them (their whole story) with knowledge, and indeed We were not absent.

(...Then surely, We shall narrate unto them (their whole story) with knowledge...) "The Book will be brought forth on the Day of Resurrection and it will speak, disclosing what they used to do.''

(...and indeed We have not been absent...) meaning, On the Day of Resurrection, Allah will inform His servants about what they said and did, whether substantial or minor. Certainly, He witnesses to everything, nothing escapes His observation, and He is never unaware of anything. Rather, He has perfect knowledge of what the eyes are deluded by and what the hearts conceal,

The Meaning of weighing the Deeds

(8)And the weighing on that day (Day of Resurrection) will be the true (weighing). So as for those whose scale (of good deeds) will be heavy, they will be the successful (by entering Paradise).

The scales that Allah refers to here are; those in which deeds will be weighed on Qiyamah

 Allah mentions the word 'weighing' which means that Allah will not oppress anyone

- Haqq also means that Allah will not oppress anyone

- Allah is not oppressive to His slaves.

(And We shall set up the Balances of justice on the Day of Resurrection, then none will be dealt with unjustly in anything. And if there be the weight of a mustard seed, We will bring it. And Sufficient are We to take account.) 21:47