النص المفهرس

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Surah Al-A'raf : 7 : 11 - 18
when nothing will be alive except the One Being of the Eternally-
Alive and the Self-Sustaining Hayy and Qaiyyum and that would be
كُلُّ مَنْ عَلَيْهَا فَإِن وَيَبْقَى وَجْهُ رَبِّكَ ذُو الْجَلَالِ وَالأِكُرَامِ : the time when the great promise of
(All that is on it will perish and to remain there shall be the Face of
your Lord, full of majesty, bounty and honour - 55:26-27) will stand im-
mensely manifested. On that basis, Iblis was not to live to see that
time. Therefore, his one prayer for respite till the Yowm al-Bath was
not granted, instead of which, the time of the respite was changed to
Yowma yunfakhu fi as-sur, till the day blown is the Horn, and granted
at that. The effect would be that death shall be the order of the day for
the whole creation. Iblis will have his death as well. When all others
are resurrected, he too shall stand resurrected.
These details remove the possible doubt that could arise from the
verse: ◌ِكُلُّ مَنُ عَلَيُهَا فَان (All that is on it will perish -55:26) referred immedi-
ately above specially in relation with this prayer. The apparent contra-
diction between the two thus stands resolved.
The substance of this investigation is that Yowm al-Ba'th and
Yowm al-Waqt al-Ma'lum are two separate days. Iblis had asked for
respite till the Yowm al-Ba'th. This was not granted wholly. Instead of
that, a change was made and respite was given till the Yowm al-Waqt
al-Ma'lum. Hadrat Maulana Ashraf 'Ali Thanavi, in Bayan al-Qur'an,
has preferred the view that these two are really two separate days. In
fact, from the time of the blowing of the first Horn upto the entry into
Paradise or Hell, it will be a long day with different things happening
at different times in it. Based on these different happenings, that day
could be attributed to every event which takes place therein. For in-
stance, it could be called the day of the blowing of the Horn (2) and
the day of perishing (@), as well as, the day of Resurrection (.) and
the day of Recompense (("). This helps resolves all doubts and difficul-
. قَلِلْهِ الْحَمُهُ ,ties
Can the Prayer of a Disbeliever be Acceptable?
The question comes from the verse:ِوَمَا دُعَلُ الْكُفِرِينَ إلاَّ فِيُ ضَلُل (And the
prayer of disbelievers is but in vain - 13:14), it is usually taken that the
prayer made by a disbeliever is not answered. But, from this event
concerning Iblis and the statement in the verse, this difficulty becomes
obvious. The answer is that, in this mortal world, even the prayer of a

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Surah Al-A'raf : 7 : 11 - 18
disbeliever can be answered - so much so, that even the prayer of the
foremost disbeliever, Iblis, was answered. But, in the Hereafter, the
prayer of a disbeliever will not be answered. The verse quoted above
relates to the Hereafter ('Akhirah). It has nothing to do with this mor-
tal world.
The Event of 'Adam and Iblis : The Rationale of Different Words
This story appears in the Holy Qur'an at several places. The words
used in relevant questions and answers differ everywhere, though the
event is the same. The reason is that the subject remains the same
when the main event is described. That the words remain exactly the
same everywhere is not necessary. A narration could be based on
meaning too. If the unity of subject and sense exists, variations in
words do not deserve consideration.
What made Iblis speak the way he did before Allah?
1
The place where Iblis dared to speak was in the Most. August con-
ceivable Presence of the Master of all Honour where the awe and ma-
jesty of the occasion would not allow even angels and prophets and
messengers to breathe. How did he do that? 'Ulama say that this was a
sombre and highly cutting manifestation of the Divine wrath that, be-
cause of the rejection of Iblis, his view was so obstructed (hijab) that he
became blind to the grandeur and awe of Allah Ta'ala and irreverence
came down to settle on him all over. (Abridged from Bayan al-Qur'an)
The Assault of Shaytan is Multi-Dimensional, not simply Four-
Sided
In the present verse (17), Iblis is said to have identified four sides
from which he planned to mislead the children of 'Adam, that is, the
front, the rear and the right and the left. But, the purpose here is not
to set up any limits. Instead, the sense is that this will be from all
sides and directions. Therefore, the probability of his leading people
astray from above and beneath the feet does not contradict it. Similar-
ly, the saying of the Hadith that - Shaytan can enter the human body
and move through the arteries and veins of blood and take command
of the whole body - is also not contradictory to this.
In the cited verses (13 & 18), the Shaytan has been commanded to
leave the heavens twice. First, when it was said:َفَاخْرُجُ إِنَّكَ مِنَ الصُّغِرِين (So,
go. You are of the low.) and then, when it was said: e ;? ku 2JG (Get

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Surah Al-A'raf : 7 : 19 - 25
out of here, condemned ... ). Here, the first saying is perhaps a proposal
while the other is its implementation. (Abridged from Bayan al-Qur'an)
Verses 19 - 25
وَيَاَدَمُ اسْكُنُ أَنْتَ وَزَوُجُكَ الْجَنَّةَ فَكُلَا مِنْ حَيْثُ شِتْهُمَا وَلَا
تَقُرَبَا هَذِهِ الشَّجَرَةَ فَتَكُوْنَا مِنَ الْظُلِمِيْنَ ﴿١٩﴾ فَوَسُوَسَ
لَهُمَا الشَّيْطُنُ لِيُبْدِىَ لَهُمَا مَاؤَرِىَ عَنْهُمَا مِنْ سَوْاتِهِمَا
وَقَالَ مَا نَهُكُمَا رَبُّكُمَا عَنُّ هَذِهِ الشَّجَرَةِ إِلَّ آَنُّ تَكُؤُنَا
مَلَكَيْنِ أَوْ تَكُوُنَا مِنَ الْخُلِدِيْنَ ﴿ ٢﴾ وَ قَاسَمَهُمَا إِنِّى لَكُمَا
◌ِمنَ النَّصِحِينَ ﴿٢١﴾ فَدَ لَّهُمَا بِغُرُوْرِ، فَلَمَّا ذَاقَا الشَّجَرَةَ
بَدَتْ لَهُمَا سَواتُهُمَا وَطَفِقًا يَخْصِفُنِ عَلَيْهِمَا مِنُ قَرَقِ
الْجَنَّةُِ وَنَادُهُمَا رَبُّهُمَّا أَلَمْ أَنْهَكُمَا عَنُ تِلْكُمَا الشَّجَرَةِ وَآَقُلُ
لَّكُمَآ إِنَّ الَّيْطِنَ لَكُمَا عَدُوٌّ مُّبِيْنٌ ﴿٢٢﴾ قَالَ رَبَّنَا ظَلَمْنَّاً
أَنْفُسَنَا سَهُ وَإِنْ لَّمْ تَغْفِرْ لَنَا وَتَرْحَمْنَا لَتَكُوُنَنَّ مِنَ الْخُسِرِ ينَ
﴿٢٣﴾ قَالَ اهُبِطُوا بَعْضُكُمُ لِبَعْضٍ عَدُوٌ وَلَكُمُ فِى الْأَرْضِ
مُسْتَقَةٌ وَ مَتَاعُ إلى حِيْنٍ ﴿٢٤﴾ قَالَ فِيْهَا تَحُيَوُنَ وَ فِيْهَا
تُؤْتُونَ وَمِنْهَا تُخْرَجُونَ ﴿٢٥﴾
And O 'Adam, dwell, you and your wife, in Paradise,
and eat from wherever you like, but do not go near this
tree, otherwise you shall join the transgressors." [19]
Then Satan whispered to them, so that he may uncover
to them what was covered of their shame; and said,
"Your Lord has not prohibited this tree for you, but to
avoid your becoming angels or your becoming eternal."
[20] And he swore on oaths, "I am one of your well-
wishers." [21] So he cast them down by deception. So,
when they tasted (the fruit of) the tree, their shame be-
came apparent to them, and they began to patch to-
gether upon themselves some leaves of Paradise, and

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Surah Al-A'raf : 7: 26 - 27
their Lord called them, "Did I not forbid you from that
tree, and did I not tell you that the Satan is an open en-
emy for you?" [22]
They said, "Our Lord, we have wronged ourselves, and
if You do not forgive us and do not bless us with mercy,
we shall, indeed, be among the losers." [23]
He said, "Go down, some of you enemies of some; and
for you on the earth there will be a dwelling place and
enjoyment for a time." [24] (Further) He said, "There
you shall live and there you shall die and from there
you shall be taken out." [25]
Commentary
The story of Sayyidna 'Adam >JIde and Iblis mentioned in the
present verses has appeared in the fourth section of Surah Al-Baqarah.
Detailed comments have been given in the Tafsir of that Surah. If
needed, please see Ma'ariful-Quran, English Translation, Volume I,
Pages 170-187.
Verses 26 - 27
يُبَنِّ أُدَمَ قَدْ أَنْزَلْنَا عَلَيْكُمْ لِبَاسًا ◌ُوَارِى سَوْاتِكُمْ وَرِيُشَّاء
وَلِبَاسُ التَّقُوُىِ" ذُلِكَ خَيْرَّ ذَلِكَ مِنُ أَيْتِ اللَّهِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَذَّكَّرُوُنَّ
(٢٦ ) يُبَنِىٌّ ادَمَ لَا يَفْتِنَنَّكُمُ الشَّيْطِنُ كَمَّا أَخْرَجَ ابَوَيُّكُمُ مِّنَ
الْجُنّةِ يَنْزِعُ عَنُّهُمَا لِبَاسَهُمَا لِيْرِيَهُمَا سَوْاتِهِمَاء ◌ِنَّهُ يَرْسِكُمْ
هُوَ وَقَبِيُلُهُ مِنْ حَيْثُ لَا تَرَوْنَهُمْ إِنَّا جَعَلُنَا الشَّيْطِيْنَ أَوْلِيَاءَ
لِلَّذِينَ لَا مُؤُ مِنُونَ ﴿٢٧﴾
O children of 'Adam, We have sent down to you clothing
that covers your shame and dress that adorns. And the
dress of Taqwa! that is the best. That is one of the signs
of Allah, so that they may be receptive to advice. [26]
O children of 'Adam, "Do not let Satan put you in trou-
ble the way he had your parents expelled from Para-
dise, having their dress removed from them, so that he
could show them their shame. Indeed, he sees you - he
and his company - from where you do not see them.

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Surah Al-A'raf : 7: 26 - 27
Surely, We have made the satans friends for those who
do not believe. [27]
Commentary
Mentioned in almost a section preceding the verses cited above was
the event relating to Sayyidna 'Adam and Satan, the accursed. The
first outcome of the satanic instigation was that the heavenly apparel
of 'Adam and Hawwa JI +le came off leaving them coverless as a re-
sult of which they began hiding their coverable body with leaves.
In the first of the present verses (26), Allah Ta'ala has addressed all
children of 'Adam and told them that the dress they wear is a great
blessing the worth and value of which must be recognized by them.
The address here is not to Muslims alone. It is to all children of Adam.
This is a sharp pointer to the fact that the act of covering the coverable
parts of the body and the wearing of dress is both a human need and a
natural desire. Everyone abides by it without any distinction of relig-
ion or community. Then, giving its details, three kinds of clothings
were mentioned.
First of all, it was said : ◌ُلِبَاسًا يُوَارِى سَى أَتِكُم (clothing that covers your
shame). Here, the word: ble (yuwari) is a derivation from: off
(muwarat) which means to cover, hide or conceal. And the word: stes
(sau'at) is the plural form of: ups (sau'ah). This is applied to body parts
the uncovering of which is taken, by nature, as bad and shameful by
all human beings. The sense of the statement is that Allah has sent
down for people dress with which they could cover their body parts the
exposing of which is a matter of shame.
After that, it was said: Úgy; (wa risha). The dress one uses for adorn-
ment and decency is called: (Rish). The meaning is that just to cover
up the cover-worthy body parts, even a simple set of clothing is
enough. But, Allah has provided for you much more than simply cloth-
ing, He blessed you with dresses which make you look handsome, or
decent, neat and civilized.
At this place, the word used by the Holy Qur'an is: wifi (anzalna: We
have sent down). It means to bestow or bless with. It is not necessary
that it be sent down from the heavens ready to wear. This is like an-
other expression: R& d; (57:25). It means: 'We sent down the iron,'

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Surah Al-A'raf : 7 : 26 - 27
which is dug out of the earth as everyone can see. However, at both
these places, by saying: Gsi (anzalna : We have sent down), it was indi-
cated that the way no human planning or artifice operates as active
agent in what 'descends from the heavens,' so it is with the essential
mother element of dress, cotton or wool etc., where human ingenuity
has no role to play. That is simply a gift from the great creative power
of Allah Ta'ala. But, human artifice does work in efforts to make out of
these materials dresses to individual taste, temperament, and the
need to stay safe against heat or chill. Even the way to that artifice is
shown by Allah Ta'ala. Therefore, eyes that see reality see all this as
nothing but Divine gift sent from the heavens.
Two Uses of Dress
Identified here are two uses of dress: (1) To cover the cover-worthy
parts of the body (satr), and (2) protection from hot and cold weather,
and decor of the body. The first use has been placed first which indi-
cates that the real purpose of human dress is to be able to cover the
cover-worthy parts of the body (satr al-'awrah). This also happens to be
its line of demarcation from animals. The dress given to animals has
been naturally made a part of their body. The purpose it serves is ei-
ther to protect from hot and cold weather, or beautify them. No elabo-
rate arrangements have been made to cover up their satr. Neverthe-
less, formations of particular body parts in their bodies have been so
placed that they do not remain totally exposed. Some would have a
screen of a tail and many others would have other obstructers of view.
After having related the event concerning 'Adam and Hawwa'
('Adam and Eve) and how the Satan had instigated them, this mention
of dress indicates that for human beings to be naked, or the exposure
of their shame before others is a sign of abject disgrace and indecency
at its worst. Moreover, it is an antecedent to all sorts of evils and dis-
orders.
The Modern Obsession for Nudity: The Tempter of 'Adam and
Eve still Stalks
So, the first attack of Satan came from this opening against human
beings when their dress dropped off from where it belonged. Even to-
day, when Satan wishes to confuse and waylay human beings through
his accomplices, it always picks up a chic front like being trendy, hip,

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Surah Al-A'raf : 7 : 26 - 27
hot or cool and ends up pulling people out from homes into streets and
alleys naked or just about. It would seem that what Satan has classi-
fied as modern advancement does not happen unless women are de-
prived of their sense of shame and modesty and made to parade
around in the near-nude.
After 'Iman, the First Duty is to Cover your Body Properly
When Shaytan, sensing this weakness in human beings, made the
first assault on their body cover, the Shari'ah of Islam acted smartly
as it is responsible for the inculcation, protection and flowering of eve-
ry good in its people that it took the issue so seriously that it enjoined
the covering of human body as the first duty after 'Im an or faith. The
Salah, the Sawm, and duties like those come after that.
صلى اللّه says that the Holy Prophet رضى الله عنه Sayyidna Faruq al-Azam
duy qde said: When someone wears a new dress, he should recite the fol-
lowing Du'a while wearing it:
اَلْتَمْدُلِلَّهِ الَّذِيُ كَسَانِىٌ مَا أُوَارِئُ بِهِ عَوُرَتِيُ وَأَتَجَمَّلُ بِهِ فِىُ حَيَاتِىُ
Praise be to Allah who gave me clothes with which I am to
cover the cover-worthy parts of my body and look handsome
with it in my life.
The Great Reward of Giving the Old Dress as Sadaqah after
Wearing the New One
He also said: If a person who wears a new dress and gives away the
old one as Sadaqah (charity) to anyone poor and needy, he comes un-
der the protection and patronage of Allah Ta'ala in all states of his life
and death. (Ibn Kathir from the Musnad of Ahmad)
In this Hadith too, one is reminded of the two considerations in
wearing a dress which is why Allah Ta'ala has created the human
dress.
Covering of Body is Natural and the Theory of Evolution is
False
The event of Sayyidna 'Adam and the statement of the Qur'an
make it clear that covering the body and using a dress is a natural de-
sire and an inborn necessity of human beings which has been with
them since the very beginning. Those who profess that the first man

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Surah Al-A'raf : 7 : 26 - 27
went around naked and it was only after having passed through stages
of evolution that he invented the dress, they are patently false.
The Ultimate Dress
After having identified the dress of two kinds, that which covers
the body properly and that which gives comfort and beauty, a third
kind of dress was mentioned by saying: "ُوَلِبَاسُ التَّقُوى ذلِكَ خَي (And the dress
of Taqwa [fear of Allah]! that is the best). In some readings (Qira'at) of
the Qur'an, the word: W (libas: dress) has been rendered with a fathah
on the letter : سين (sin) as :لِبَاسَ التَّقُوى Thus, read with : أَنْزَلنا (anzalna), it will
mean: We have sent down a third dress of Taqwa. But, in accordance
with the well-known reading of it, it means that everyone knows the
two dresses mentioned, however, there is a third kind of dress, that of
Taqwa - and that is the best of all dresses. The dress of Taqwa, as ex-
(رضى الله عنهم أجمعين plained by Sayyidna Ibn 'Abbas and 'Urwah ibn Zubayr
means right conduct, good deed and fear of Allah. (Ruh al-Ma'ani)
The sense is that the way the visible physical dress of human be-
ings serves the purpose of covering the cover-worthy parts of the body,
protecting from hot and cold weather and giving beauty and embellish-
ment - very similarly, there is a spiritual dress, that of right and be-
coming conduct, good deed and fear of Allah. This libas or dress of Taq-
wa conceals human weaknesses and moral shortcomings. It delivers
one from immediate hardships and ultimate losses. Therefore, it is the
best of dresses one can wear.
Present here is the hint that an evil-doing person who has no fear
of Allah and does not care for acting right, must be disgraced ultimate-
ly, no matter how he covers up - as reported by Ibn Jarir from Sayyid-
na 'Uthman al-Ghani رضى الله عنه that the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said:
وصلى الله عليه وسلم By Allah in whose hands rests the life of Muhammad
whatever a person does in secret, Allah Ta'ala wraps his deed like a
sheet around him and announces it - the good of it, if the deed is good,
and the evil of it, if the deed is evil. Wraping like a sheet on the body
means that it is visible to everyone. No matter how secretly one may
do something, Allah Ta'ala makes its effects become evident on the
face and the body. Then, to authenticate his statement, the Holy
وَرِيْشًا، وَلِبَاسْ التَّقُوى، ذَلِكَ خَيْرُ ذْلِكَ مِنْ أَيْتِ اللّهِ: recited this verse صلى الله عليه وسلم Prophet
( ... and dress that adorns. And the dress of Taqwa, that is the best.

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Surah Al-A'raf : 7 : 26 - 27
That is one of the signs of Allah).
The Real Purpose of Physical Dress Too is to Achieve Taqwa
The expression, 'Dress of Taqwa,' indicates that the purpose of
physical dress which fulfills the function of covering the body properly,
and helps beautify it as well, is really a way of achieving the ability to
fear Allah, or Taqwa as in the Qur'an. This ability should manifest it-
self in the way one dresses. The parts of the body which must be cov-
ered should be fully covered. It should be ensured that one's modesty
stays concealed. Neither should it be allowed to remain naked, nor
should the dress on the body be so tight-fitting through which body
parts look like being naked. Then, this dress should not have the flair
of pride and arrogance, instead, it should reflect modesty and humili-
ty. Then, it should not be extravagant either. The cloth material used
should be tailored to need. And neither should the dress for women be
masculine, nor the dress for men be feminine, which is odious and re-
pugnant in the sight of Allah. Also, there should be no imitation in
wearing a dress like others which is a sign of deviation from the estab-
lished norms of one's community.
Along with it, there is the crucial need to correct one's morals and
deeds which is the real purpose of dress. At the end of the verse comes
the invitation to understand : ◌َذُلِكَ مِنْ أَيْتِ اللَّهِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَذَّكَّرُون (TH
signs of Allah, so that they may be receptive to advice).
In the second verse (27), the address reverts to all children of Adam
and the admonition given is that they should keep guarding against
the deception of Shaytan in everything they do under whatever cir-
cumstance they are - lest, Shaytan puts them on another trial as he
did with their parents, 'Adam and Eve. He made them leave Paradise,
caused them to shed their dress and render their essential cover to be
uncovered. He was their eternal enemy. His enmity was something,
they were never to lose sight of.
At the end of the verse, it was said:
◌ِنَّهُ يَرَبِكُمْ هُوَ وَقَبِيْلُهُ مِنْ حَيْثُ لَاتَرَوْنَهُمْ إِنَّا جَعَلْنَا الشَّيْطِيْنَ أَوْلِيَاءَ لِلَّذِّيْنَ
لَا يُؤْ مِنُونَ
Indeed, he sees you - he and his company - from where you do
not see them. Surely, We have made the satans friends for

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Surah Al-A'raf : 7 : 28 - 31
those who do not believe - (27).
Here, the word: jes (qabil) means company or group. A joined family
group is called: Qabilah or tribe. Common groups are known as qabil.
The sense of the verse is: For you the Satan is a kind of enemy that he
and his accomplices do see you but you do not see them. Therefore, the
chances that you would fall a victim to their deception are fairly
strong.
But, in other verses, it has also been clarified that people who keep
turning to Allah Ta'ala and maintain their guard against the deception
of Shaytan, for them, the wily web of Shaytan is much too weak.
Then, what has been said at the end of this verse - that 'We have
made the satans friends and guardians of those who do not believe' -
also indicates that those who believe should not find staying away
from their web of deception at all difficult.
Some righteous elders have said that the defence against the ene-
my who sees us but we cannot see him is simple. Let us come under
the protection of Allah Ta'ala. He sees these satans, watches how they
move and act - but they cannot see Him.
And the statement, that human beings cannot see Shaytan, is in
terms of general conditions and habit. If a human being were to see
them contra-habitually, that would not be considered contrary to it -
as is the case of Jinns coming to the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم who
asked questions and embraced Islam, which appears in authentic nar-
rations of Hadith. (Ruh al-Ma'ani)
Verses 28 - 31
وَإِذَا فَعَلُؤْا فَاحِشَةً قَالُوا وَجَدُنَا عَلَيْهَا أَبَّاءَنَا وَاللّهُ أَمَرَنَا
بِهَا قُلُ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يَأْمُرُ بِالْفَحُشَآءِ، اَتَقُؤْلُوْنَ عَلَى اللَّهِ مَا
لَا تَعْلَمُونَ ﴿٢٨) قُلْ آَمَرَ رَبِّى بِالْقِسْطِدٌ وَأَقِيمُوا وُجُهَكُمُ
عِنْدَ كُلِّ مَسْجٍِ وَ ادْعُوُهُ مُخُلِصِيْنَ لَهُ الدِّيْنَ، كَمَابَدَآَ كُمْ
تَعُؤُدُونَ ﴿٢٩﴾ فَرِيْقًا هَدَى وَ فَرِيْقًا حَقَّ عَلَيْهِمُ الضَّلْلَهُ إِنَّهُمْ
اتَّخَذُوا الشَّيْطِيْنَ أَوْلِيَاءَ مِنْ دُوُنِ اللَّهِ وَيَحُسَبُونَ أَنَّهُمُ

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Surah Al-A'raf : 7 : 28 - 31
مُّهُتَدُونَ ﴿٣٠) يُبَنَِ ادَمَ خُلُّوا زِيْنَتَكُمْ عِنْدَ كُلِّ مَسْجِدٍ
وَ كُلُوا وَاشْرَبُوْا وَلَا تُسْرِفُؤَاء إِنَّهُ لَا يُحِبُّ الْمُتْرِفِيْنَ ﴿٣١)
And when they do something shameful, they say, "We
have found our fathers doing it, and Allah has bidden
us to do so." Say, "Allah never bids anything shameful.
Do you say about Allah what you do not know?" [28]
Say, "My Lord has bidden me to do justice." And your-
selves be aright at each occasion of prostration, and
pray to Him with pure faith in Him. As He originated
you, so you will return. [29] Some He led to guidance,
and others had misguidance as their destiny. Indeed,
they have taken the satans as their friends, instead of
Allah, and they think that they are on the right path.
[30]
O children of 'Adam, take along what looks good on you
to every mosque. And eat and drink and do not be ex-
travagant. Surely, He does not like the extravagant. [31]
Commentary
Before Islam, one of the many shameful and absurd customs Shay-
tan had made the people of 'Arab Jahiliyyah follow was that no one,
other than the Quraysh, could make the Tawaf of Ka'bah in one's own
clothes. Instead of that, the requirement was to borrow a dress from a
Qurayshi, otherwise, make the Tawaf naked.
As obvious, the Quraysh could not provide clothes to the whole peo-
ple of Arabia, therefore, the consequence was that these people would
make Tawaf mostly naked, men and women, both, with women usually
doing their Tawaf in the darkness of the night. Then, they would ex-
plain the satanic expediency of this act by saying: 'The clothes wearing
which we have committed sins are clothes in which making the Tawaf
of the Ka'bah is contrary to etiquette (so devoid of commonsense they
were that it did not occur to them that making their Tawaf naked was
far more contrary to etiquette, and still more so, contrary to human
dignity itself) and the only exception to this rule was the tribe of Qu-
raysh which, because they were the servants of the sacred Haram, was
not bound to follow this law of nudity.'

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Surah Al-A'raf : 7 : 28 - 31
The first verse among those cited above has been revealed to iden-
tify and eliminate this absurd custom. It was said in the verse that on
occasions when they did something shameful and people told them not
to do so, their answer to them would be that their forefathers and eld-
ers have been doing so all along, and now for them, to forsake their
practice was a matter of shame. Then, they also said that this was
what Allah had told them to do. (Ibn Kathir)
In this verse, 'al-fansha',' according to most commentators means
this very naked Tawaf. In fact, fuhsh, fahsha' and fahishah refer to eve-
ry evil act the evil of which reaches the farthest limits and is all too
loud and clear in terms of commonsense and sound taste (Mazhari).
Then, that its good and bad becomes quite rational too, is something
which stands established universally. (Ruh al-Ma'ani)
Then, come the two arguments they advanced in support of the
continuance of this absurd custom. One of these was the need to follow
ancestral customs, that is, maintaining these was good in itself. The
answer to this proposition was fairly clear as the blind following of an-
cestral customs was not something reasonable. Even a person of aver-
age commonsense can understand that a method cannot be justified on
the basis that one's forefathers used to do so. If the methods used by
forefathers were to be taken to be sufficient to justify the legitimacy of
an action, then, the fact is that forefathers of different peoples of the
world used to act differently, even contradictorily. This argument will,
then, render all erroneous methods of the whole world to be correct
and permissible. In short, this argument advanced by these ignorant
people did not deserve attention. Therefore, the Qur'an has not consid-
ered it necessary to answer this question here. Though, in some Ha-
dith narrations, it has been answered by saying that an act of ignor-
ance which may have been committed by one's forefathers could hardly
be worth following by any stretch of imagination.
The second argument in favour of their naked Tawaf advanced by
these people was that Allah had ordered them to do so. This was a fla-
grant lie. They were attributing to Allah what He had never com-
manded. Addressing the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم, the answer given
was: قُلُ إِنَّ اللّهَ لاَ يَأْمُرُ بِالْفَحْشَاء (Allah never bids anything shameful) - because
commanding people to do something like that is against His wisdom

562
Surah Al-A'raf : 7 : 28 - 31
and counter to His state of being the Purest of the pure. Then, taken to
task was their false and untrue attribution to Allah. They were
warned with the words: ◌َاتَقُولُونَ عَلَى اللَّهِ مَالَا تَعْلَمُون (Do you say about Allah
what you do not know?). It means that they were attributing a falsity
to Allah without having an evidence in support; and it is obvious that
attributing something to someone without proper investigation and
authority is an act of rank effrontery and patent injustice. Then if
done in the case of Allah Jalla Sha'nuhu, reporting anything so
will be a crime and injustice the magnitude of which cannot be mla-
gined. At this point, let it be understood clearly that the respected
Mujtahid Imams, when they deduce, formulate and describe injunc-
tions which appear in the verses of the Qur'an through Ijtihad, that ef-
fort does not fall under the purview of this verse. The reason is that
their deduction is a process which operates under the justification of
the very words and meanings of the Qur'an.
Said in the second verse was: ◌ِقُلُ أَمَرَ رَبِّى بِالْقِسْط (Say, "My Lord has bid-
den me to do justice). Here, the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم has been
asked to tell those ignorant people, who were falsely attributing the
justification of their naked Tawaf towards Allah, that Allah always
commands justice. The word used here is: Lini (al-qist) which essen-
tially means justice, balance and moderation. At this place, 'al-qist' re-
fers to a conduct which is free of excess or deficiency, that is, which
neither falls short, nor exceeds the appointed limits - as is the case
with all injunctions of the Shari'ah. Therefore, under this sense of 'al-
qist' included there are all acts of worship and obedience as well as all
general injunctions of the Shari'ah. (Ruh al-Ma'ani)
After having stated the command of justice and moderation, two
injunctions of the Shari'ah relevant to their erroneous conduct have
been particularly mentioned. These are : ◌ٍآقِيمُوا وُجُوهَكُمُ عِنْدَ كُلِّ مَسْجِد (and your-
self be aright at each occasion of prostration) and : ◌َوَادْعُرُهُ مُخْلِصِيْنَ لَهُ الدِّين (and
pray to Him with pure faith in Him). The first command relates to
what one does physically and outwardly. The other belongs to the
heart, the spiritual dimension. In the first injunction, the word: 3,3 ..
(masjid), according to most commentators, appears in the sense of
prostration (sajdah, sujud or 'Ibadah) and it means that one should be
aright at the time of every Salah or any other act of worship. It could
also mean that one should make an effort and be particular to keep

563
Surah Al-A'raf : 7 : 28 - 31
one's orientation straight towards the Qiblah. And being aright or
keeping the orientation straight could also mean that one should sub-
ordinate everything one says or does to what Allah has commanded,
maintaining an orientation and stance that never varies, never dwin-
dles and moves elsewhere. Given this meaning, this injunction will not
remain particular for Salah only - instead, it would comprehend all
acts of worship, dealings and transactions.
The second injunction means that one should worship Allah, pure-
ly and exclusively, without associating in that act anyone else in any
capacity, even to the bimit that such worship should also be free from,
and untainted with, what is known as al-Shirk al-Khafiyy (concealed
Shirk of associating others with the Divinity of Allah), that is, hypocri-
cy and riya' (show off).
By mentioning both injunctions together, the indication being giv-
en could be that one must correct, align and synchronize both dimen-
sions of one's person, the outward and the inward, the physical and
the spiritual, with the injunctions of the Shari'ah. Not enough is obvi-
ous obedience (Ita'ah) without sincerity (Ikhlas), nor can simple sincer-
ity of the heart become sufficient without following the Shari'ah as vis-
ible outwardly too. Instead of that, it is binding on everyone that one
should correct and align one's outward bearings in accordance with the
Shari'ah and never forget to keep his or her inward state of being too
reserved for Allah Ta'ala alone. This helps us see the error (dichotomy)
of those who take Shari'ah (the outward or physical adherence to faith)
and Tariqah (the inward or spiritual adherence to faith) as two differ-
ent ways to approach religion. Some of them would even presume that
it was sufficient to correct one's inward dimension as shown by Tari-
qah - even if they go about doing what is contrary to the Shari'ah! This
is a gaping error.
At the end of the verse (29), it was said: 333332 12 " (As He originat-
ed you, so you will return). It means that it was He who created you
first and it will be He who will make you rise again on the day of Qiya-
mah. For His perfect power, this was not difficult at all. Perhaps to in-
dicate this element of convenience what was said here is: 3332% (ta'udun:
you will return) and not: '& '(We shall make you rise) since making to
rise again requires not much action. (Ruh al-Ma'ani)

564
Surah Al-A'raf : 7 : 28 - 31
There is an additional benefit of introducing this sentence here. It
helps one in abiding by the injunctions of the Shari'ah - because it is
the realization that there is a life-to-come, and a Last Day, the Day of
Qiyamah, and reward or punishment for deeds, good or bad, which
makes what is difficult easy, and what is painful bearable. Experience
bears out that man is a tough customer. Unless one is under such grip-
ping apprehension, no word of advice can make him do what is right,
nor can the restriction of any law stop him from going into crimes.
In the third verse (30), it was said that there are people Allah has
guided right while there are others who have provided the proof of
their erroneous conduct, because they have, bypassing Allah, made sa-
tans their comrades, and they presume that they are on the right
path.
The sense is that the guidance of Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala was
open to all, but they turned away from it and started following satans,
then, on top of it, they were led to think that their sickness was
health, and their error, guidance.
This verse tells us that not knowing the injunctions of the Shari'ah
is no valid excuse. If someone takes to a way of error thinking it to be
correct with full sincerity, he willl not be considered excusable in the
sight of Allah. - because Allah has given everyone reason and common-
sense to use it and distinguish the true from the false. Then, man was
not left to rely on his reason alone. He sent prophets and books. They
made the right and wrong and the true and false all too clear.
Now someone may doubt that a person who is acting in good faith,
though in error, should not have any blame coming to him. He should
be excused because he is not aware of his error. The answer is that Al-
lah Ta'ala has blessed human beings with reason and sense with the
added benefit of the teachings of the noble prophets, may peace be
upon them all. At least, through these, he should be able to compare
his method and way with that suggested by them. There has to be
some doubt or pinch or question in his mind. Now, his fault is that he
did not pay any attention to what they taught and kept sticking to the
way of error he had taken to.
However, a person who has striven his best in the quest of truth,

565
Surah Al-A'raf : 7 : 28 - 31
yet failed to find the right path and true teaching, may be found excus-
able in the sight of Allah - as Imam al-Ghazali has said in his book, Al-
Tafriqah Bayn al-Islam wa Al-zandaqah. Jei Jul, .
In the fourth verse (31), it was said: 'O children of 'Adam, take along
what looks good on you to every mosque. And eat and drink and do not
be extravagant. Surely, He does not like the extravagant'. In the way
the 'Arabs of Jahiliyyah used to take the making of the Tawaf of the
Ka'bah naked as the correct method of worship and an act of reverence
for the House of Allah, they also had a custom that they would skip
eating and drinking during the days of Hajj. They would eat no more
than what would keep them alive. They particularly abstained from
butter oil, milk and other pure eatables. (Ibn Jarir)
The present verse was revealed against this absurd practice. It en-
joined that they should abstain from it because making Tawaf naked
was an act of immodesty and bad manners. Similarly, doing the re-
verse of it, that is, abstaining from good food given by Allah Ta'ala
without any valid excuse had hardly anything to do with religion. In
fact, forbidding on themselves what Allah had made lawful for them
was effrontery and excess in an act of worship, something disliked by
Allah. Therefore, eat and drink as you wish during the days of Hajj,
but do not be extravagant. Totally abstaining from Halal foods is also
included under extravagance. Then, becoming heedless to the real ob-
jectives of Hajj and the Dhikr of Allah and remaining busy with noth-
ing but eating and drinking is also included under extravagance.
Though this verse has been revealed to eradicate a particular cus-
tom of nudity in the 'Arab Jahiliyyah which they demonstrated at the
time of Țawaf in the name of reverence for the Ka'bah, but the Imams
of Tafsir and the Jurists of Muslim Ummah unanimously agree that
the revelation of an injunction in relation to a particular event does
not mean that that injunction is restricted to the same event. Instead,
what is considered here is the generality of words. The injunction,
then, applies on everything that falls under the generality of these
words.
Covering the Body Properly is Obligatory : There is No Şalah
Without it
Therefore, the majority of Sahabah and Tabi'in, and the Mujtahid

566
Surah,Al-A‘raf : 7: 28 - 31
Imams, have deduced many injunctions from this verse. The most im-
portant of them is about Salah. As making Țawaf naked has been pro-
hibited in this verse, the ruling applies identically to Salah as well
which becomes Haram (forbidden) and false and futile - because the
Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم has said in a Hadith : ◌ٌالطّوَافُ بِالْبَيْتِ صَلوة (The Taw-
af of the House [of Allah] is Salah). In addition to that, since the major-
ity of commentators agree that the word, 'masjid' in this verse itself
means Sajdah (sujud, prostration), the prohibition of nudity in the
state of Sajdah becomes explicitly inclusive in this verse. Now, if this
is prohibited in Sajdah, then, it will obviously stand prohibited in all
other movements of Salah such as Ruku', Qiyam and Qu'ud. Then, the
statement of the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم itself has made it more evi-
dent.
It also appears in Hadith that the Salah of any adult woman is not
permissible without proper head and body cover (khimar, rida, chadar,
dupatta or large scarf) (Tirmidhi).
That covering the body properly is obligatory in conditions other
than Salah as well stands proved from other verses of the Qur'an and
the narrations of Hadith - one such verse has already appeared a little
earlier : ◌ُ◌َبَنِىٌ أَدَمَ قَدْ أَنْزَلْنَا عَلَيْكُمْ لِبَاسًا يُوَارِى سَراتِكُم 'We have sent down to you cloth-
ing that covers your shame - 26.'
To sum up, it can be said that covering the body properly is the
first human and Islamic obligation on everyone which is mandatory
under all conditions - and, in Salah and Țawaf, it is obligatory in the
first degree.
A Good Dress For Salah
The verse brings out another rule of conduct. By calling dress:
'Zinah,' (adornment), the hint given is that the preferred practice in Sa-
lah is that one should not limit himself to only covering his body func-
tionally, but choose to wear what adorns, looks becoming - of course,
within one's means. It was the habit of Sayyidna Hasan as ! go, that
he would wear his best dress at the time of Salah saying: Allah Ta'ala
loves beauty, therefore, I dress myself beautifully to please my Lord
for He has said: ◌ٍخُذُوا زِينَتَكُمُ عِنْدَ كُلِّ مَسْجِد (take along what looks good on you
to every mosque).

567
Surah Al-A'raf : 7 : 28 - 31
So, we can see that this verse proves two things, that covering the
body properly is obligatory in Salah, and that it is recommended and
merit-worthy to wear a neat, clean and good dress, within means.
Salah and Dress : Some Rulings
The third problem at this place is about Satr, that is, the parts of
the body to be concealed, concealing which is, under all conditions, and
specially in Salah and Țawaf, an obligation (Fard) - so, what are its lim-
its? The Qur'an has given a command briefly - its details have been en-
trusted with the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم.He explained it in details.
He told us that the Satr of men is from the navel to the knees, and the
Satr of women is the whole body except the face and both palms and
feet, which are exempt.
All these details appear in Hadith narrations. For men, if the body
below the navel, or if the knees are open, then, such a dress is a sin in
itself, and Salah too does not get to be performed in it as due and prop-
er. Similarly, if the head, neck or arms or shin or calf of a woman are
open, then, her being dressed like that is impermissible in itself, and
Salah too does not get to performed as due and proper. Says the Ha-
dith: 'A home in which there is a woman with her head uncovered, an-
gels of good would not come there.'
That the face of a woman, her palms and feet which have been ex-
empted from Satr (the parts of body covering and concealing which is
obligatory) means that, should these be open during the Salah, it will
cause no defect in Salah. It never means that a woman would be mov-
ing freely even before non-Mahram men (marriage with whom is per-
missible) with her face open without a valid excuse as admitted by the
Shari'ah of Islam.
As for this injunction, it is related to the obligation of covering the
body properly (Satr) which is sine qua non for Salah - that is, it stands
as if not performed at all. And since what is required in Salah is not
the functional covering of the body alone, instead, the advice given is
to wear a dress which looks good on one (Zinah), therefore, for men to
make Salah bare-headed, or doing it with shoulders or elbows open, is
Makruh (reprehensible or disliked) - whether the shirt itself be half-
sleeved, or has been rolled up, the Salah remains Makruh after all.
Similarly, Şalah remains Makruh in a dress one would not prefer to

568
Surah Al-A'raf : 7 : 28 - 31
wear before friends, or in public, as something unbecoming - for exam-
ple, wearing an undershirt alone - without a shirt, even if it has full
sleeves; or, skipping the wearing of a cap and making do with some
cloth piece or a tiny handkerchief knotted or tucked round the head.
When no regular person would like to appear before friends or others
in that head-bare state, how would that become desirable as a mode of
appearance before Allah, the Master of all the worlds? That Salah is
Makruh when offered with bare head, shoulders and elbows has been
inferred from the word: 12; (zinah: what looks good) of this Qur'anic
verse, and also from the clarifications of the Holy Prophet
To recapitulate, it can be said that the injunction in this verse was
primarily revealed to eradicate the custom of nudity in pagan Arabia
(the age of Jahiliyyah), but the generality of its words yielded other in-
junctions and rulings as well. Similar is the case with the second sen-
tence in the verse: 1,2 y, Hart's (Eat and drink and do not be extrav-
agant). Though, this too was revealed to erase the custom of Arab
Jahiliyyah that they would take eating good food during the days of
Hajj as sin, but, here too, the generality of words helps prove many in-
junctions and rulings.
Eating and Drinking as Needed is Obligatory
To begin with, eating and drinking is obligatory on everyone from
the point of view of the Shari'ah as well. If anyone abandons eating
and drinking despite having the ability to do so, to the limit that he
dies, or becomes too weak even to fulfill what is obligatory on him,
then, this person shall be sinning and committing a crime in the sight
of Allah.
Legality Operates until Proved Otherwise
One ruling deduced from this verse, as specified by Al-Jassas in his
Ahkam al-Qur'an, is: Basically, all edibles are permissible and Halal
(lawful) unless the unlawfulness or prohibition of something particular
stands proved through an evidence of the Shari'ah. In its absence,
everything will be considered permissible and lawful. This was
suggested by the fact that the object of: pal, po (Eat and drink) was
not mentioned in the verse, that is, it did not specify what to eat or
drink. The masters of Arabic diction have clearly established that not
mentioning the object on such occasions is an indicator towards its

569
Surah Al-A'raf : 7 : 28 - 31
generality, that is, one can eat and drink everything, except things
which have been declared to be Haram (unlawful, impermissible,
prohibited, forbidden). (Ahkam Al-Qur'an by Al-Jassaș)
Extravagance in Eating and Drinking is Not Permissible
The last sentence of the verse: (324, (do not be extravagant)
proves that eating and drinking is, no doubt, permissible - in fact, it is
an order - but, along with it, being extravagant while doing so is pro-
hibited. 'Israf means to cross the limit. Then, the crossing of limits
takes many forms. One of them is to cross the limits of Halal and land
into the area of Haram, that is, one starts eating and drinking things
which are prohibited. That this is Haram is all too obvious.
Another aspect is that one starts taking what Allah has made Ha-
lal and abstains from it as being Haram without any valid legal excuse
as admitted by the Shari'ah of Islam. It should be understood that the
way it is a crime and sin to use what is Haram, similarly, taking the
Halal as Haram is also a rebellion against Divine Law and a very
grave sin. (Ibn Kathir, Mazhari & Ruņ al-Ma'anī)
On the same analogy, eating and drinking beyond the limits of
hunger and need is also what Israf or extravagance is. It is for this
reason that Muslim Jurists (fuqaha') have written that eating more
than needed to remove hunger is not permissible (Ahkam al-Qur'an and
others). Then, it also falls under the ruling governing Israf or extrava-
gance that one eats much less than needed, despite having the ability
and choice, which makes him weak and unable to fulfill what is en-
joined upon him. It was to forbid both these kinds of extravagance that
the Qur'an has said:
إِنَّ الْبَذِّرِيْنَ كَانُوا إِخْوَانَ الشَّيْطِيْنِ
The extravagant are brothers of the satans - 17:27.
Then, in Surah Al-Furqan, it was said:
وَالَّذِيْنَ إِذَا أَنْفَقُوا لَمْ يُسِْرِفُوا وَلَمْ يَقْتُرُوْا وَكَانَ بَيْنَ ذَلِكَ قَوَامًا
(True servants of Allah are) those who, when they spend,
would not over-spend and under-spend and the moderate be-
havior is between that. - 25:67.