النص المفهرس

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Surah Al-A'raf : 7: 55 -56
gains were to rise a little above his infatuation with things and tech-
nology, he will realize that all our efforts to invent and construct
things and to lay the foundations of a society on top of them have flatly
failed to give us peace and comfort which was our real purpose. There
is no reason for this but that inward disorder we have been talking
about which means that we have started disobeying our Rabb, our
Creator and Master, so His creation has started disobeying us on the
inward front - that it refuses to provide real peace and comfort for us,
despite all our efforts at break-neck speed. To this the famous Maula-
na Rumi pointed out by saying that the elements of dust, air, water
and fire, though they appear inert and sans sense yet, in reality, they
too do possess a degree of intelligence which makes them work under
the command of their Master.
To sum up, it can be said that sin, heedlessness towards Allah
Ta'ala, and disobedience to Him do not only create spiritual disorder,
but they also lead to the inevitable physical disorder. When the same
Maulana Rumi says that the cloud does not come to rain when you stop
paying Zakah while from Zina (adultery) results an epidemic affecting
all directions. This is no poetic imagination. This is a reality authenti-
cally supported by the Qur'an and Hadith. But, what becomes visible in
this world is just a light sample of the ultimate punishment in the
form of diseases, epidemics, storms, hurricanes and floods.
وَلَا تُفْسِدُوا فِى الْأَرْضِ بَعْدَ إِصْلَاحِهَا : Therefore, included in the sense of the verse
(And do no mischief on the earth after it has been set in order) are
crimes and sins which cause disorder in the world physically and out-
wardly - and also included there are sin, disobedience, and heedless-
ness towards Allah Ta'ala. Therefore, immediately after in this verse,
it was said: ung up gel, (And supplicate to Him in fear and hope). It
means that it should be done in a way that, on the one hand, one has
the fear of the Du'a' remaining unanswered, while on the other hand,
one has full hope tied to His mercy. These very twin attitudes of fear
and hope are the two wings of the human soul on its journey with
truth and fortitude. On these it flies high and through these it reaches
superior ranks destined for it.
Then, as the text obviously shows, the degree of fear and hope
should be equal. Some 'Ulama have said that it is appropriate to keep

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fear dominate during life with health, so that there be no shortcoming
in being obedient. And when comes the time to die, it is better to let
hope dominate, because the strength to do what should have been
done is not there anymore and there is nothing left to do except hope
for the mercy of Allah Ta'ala. (Al-Bahr Al-Muhit)
And some researchers among scholars have said that the purpose
is to hold on to the straight path of religion and be constant in obedi-
ence to Allah Ta'ala. Then, the temperaments and tastes of human be-
ings differ. Some achieve this station of fortitude and constancy in obe-
dience by keeping fear as the dominant factor. Others achieve these by
keeping love and hope as dominating factors. So, whoever finds help to
achieve this purpose through either of these two options, should try to
achieve it through that option.
To summarize the comments made about Du'a', it can be said that
the first verse tells us about two rules of etiquette relating to Du'a': (1)
That it be with humility and submission, and (2) that it be secret and
low-voiced. These two qualities belong to the outward human physique
- because "ta darru" suggests that one should, while making Du'a', as-
sume the looks and manners of someone weak, helpless and needy and
should never allow it to be proud, arrogant or seemingly need-free.
Then, that it be secret also relates to one's speech through the mouth
and tongue.
As for the spiritual etiquette of Du'a' as given in this verse, there
are two rules to be followed. These relate to the human heart. They re-
quire that the person making the Du'a' should feel the danger in his
heart that his Du'a' may, perhaps, remain unanswered while, at the
same time, he should also hope that his Du'a' may be answered - be-
cause becoming careless about one's errors and sins is contrary to
'Iman (faith) and losing hope in the infinite mercy of Allah Ta'ala is
Kufr (disbelief). Both are impermissible extremes. The hope that a
prayer will be answered can be entertained only when one keeps in be-
tween the two states of fear and hope.
إِنَّ رَحْمَتَ اللَّهِ قَرِيبٌ مِنَ المُحُسِنِينَ : Then, at the end of the verse, it was said
(Surely, the mercy of Allah is close to the good in deeds). The hint giv-
en here is that, though there should be the two states of fear and hope
present while making a Du'a', but, out of the two states, the option of

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hope is the weightier option - because the prayer is being made to the
Lord of all the worlds the extent of Whose mercy cannot be conceived,
and in whose generosity and favour there is no shortage or reluctance.
He can answer the Du'a' of the worst of offenders, even the Du'a' of the
Satan himself. Of course, should there be a danger of Du'a' remaining
unanswered, that could only be possible on account of one's own mis-
deeds or due to the hanging curse of sins - because being good in deeds
is necessary to become close to the mercy of Allah Ta'ala.
Therefore, the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم has said that some people
travel long distances, look like faqirs and raise their hands for Du'a'
before Allah Ta'ala, but haram is their food and haram is their drink
and haram is their dress. So, how can a Du'a' made by such a person be
answered? (Muslim, Tirmidhi from Sayyidna Abi Hurairah)
According to another Hadith, the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said:
The prayer of a servant of Allah keeps finding acceptance until such
time that he does not pray for some sin or for the severence of some re-
lationship - and that he does not make haste. The noble Companion
asked about the meaning of 'making haste.' He said: It means that one
may think - here I am making a Du'a' for all this time and it has not
been answered yet - until he becomes disappointed and stops making
Du'a'. (Muslim, Tirmidhi)
صلى الله عليه وسلم According to yet another Hadith, the Holy Prophet
said: Whenever you make Du'a' before Allah Ta'ala, do it in a state
when you have no doubt about its being answered.
It means that one should keep his or her sight on the most exten-
sive mercy of Allah Ta ala and let the heart believe that the prayer be-
ing made shall be answered. This is not contrary to the danger one
may feel that his or her sins may become an impediment in the accep-
وصلى الله تعالى على نبينا وسلم :'tance of one's Du'a
Verses 57 - 58
وَهُوَ اَلَّذِىُ يُرْسِلُ الرِّيحَ بُّرَاء بَيْنَ يَدَى رَحُمَتِهِ، حَتَّى إِذَّا
اَقَلَّتُ سَحَابًا ثِقَالاً سُقُّنْهُ لِبَلَدِ تَمّتٍ فَاَنُزَلْنَا بِهِ الْمَاءَ فَاَخْرَجُنَا
بِ مِنْ كُلِّ الثَّمَرْتِ، كَذلِكَ نُخْرِجُ الْمُؤْتِى لَعَلَّكُمْ تَذَكَّرُونَ

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Surah Al-A'raf : 7 : 57 - 58
﴿٥٧﴾ وَالْبَلَدُ الَّطَّيِّبُ يَخُرُجُ نَبَاتُهُ بِإِذْنِ رَبِّهِ وَالَّذِى خَبُكَ لَ
يَخْرُجُ إِلَّ نَكِدًا، كَذْلِكَ نُصَِّرِّفُ الْأَيْتِ لِقَوْمٍ يَشْكُرُونَ ﴿٥٨)
And He is the One who sends the winds carrying good
news before His blessings, until when they lift up the
heavy clouds, We drive them to a dead land, then there
We pour down the water, then, with it We bring forth of
all the fruits. This is how We bring forth all the dead, so
that you may observe advice. [57]
As for the good land, its vegetation comes out with the
permission of its Lord. And that which is bad does not
grow except what is bad. Thus We alternate the verses
for a people who pay gratitude. [58]
Commentary
In previous verses, Allah Ta'ala has mentioned some of His major
and particular blessings. By pointing out to the creation of the heavens
and the earth, the day and night, and the sun, moon and stars and
how they serve human beings, the lesson driven home is that there is
no power other than the sacred Being of Allah Ta'ala to take care of
our needs and comforts, then, it becomes necessary that we should
pray to none but Him for everything we need and take this turning to
Him as the key of our success.
Also mentioned in the first of the present verses are some other im-
portant blessings of this nature on which depends the existence and
survival of human beings and the entire creation of the earth, for ex-
ample, the rains and the trees, and farmlands and its produce. The dif-
ference is that the previous verses mentioned blessings relating to the
upper domain while the present ones belong to the lower. (Al-Bahr Al-
Muhiț)
Something special has been identified in the second verse where it
is said that these great Divine blessings are, though common to all
parts of the earth - as rains, when they come, fall on rivers and moun-
tains and on good and bad lands alike - but, what grows from the earth
grows only from the land which has the quality to make it grow. Rocky
and sandy lands do not derive benefit from these rains.

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Surah Al-A'raf : 7 : 57 - 58
The conclusion drawn from the first verse is that the sacred Being
which enables dead land to live again should have no problems in
making human beings who once lived, then died, come to life once
again. The conclusion so drawn is very clear. Then, there is another
conclusion drawn from the second verse. It tells us that the guidance
coming from Allah Ta'ala, the revealed Books, the blessed prophets,
and the teachings and training undertaken by their deputies, the
'Ulama' and Mashaikh are like the rains, common to every human be-
ing. But, the way every land does not derive benefit from the mercy of
rains, very similarly, the benefit of this spiritual rain is derived by
those who have the ability to absorb it. As for those whose hearts are
like rocky and sandy land not having the ability to absorb it and make
growth possible, they would keep sticking to their ways of error de-
spite clear guidance and signs and scriptures.
The conclusion thus drawn comes from the last sentence of the sec-
ond verse which says: ◌َكَذَلِكَ نُصَرِّفُ الْأَيْتِ لِقَوْمٍ يَشْكُرُون (Thus We alternate the
verses for a people who pay gratitude). The sense is that the statement
made was, though for everyone, yet, in the ultimate consequence, it
proved beneficial only for those who had the capacity for it and real-
ized its worth and value. Thus, the two verses quoted here cover the
subject of human origin and return. Now, we can go to a fuller expla-
nation of these two verses. The first verse begins by saying: Le 351 5
And He is the One who sends the winds carrying) الرّبعَ بُشْرَاءَ بَيْنَ يَدَىُ رَحْمَتِهٍ
good news before His blessings). Here, the word: - (ar-riyah) is the
plural form of rih which means the wind, and 'bushran' means good
news or glad tidings, and 'rahmat' refers to the rain of mercy, that is, it
is Allah Ta'ala Himself who sends the winds to announce the good
news of the coming rain of mercy.
The sense of the verse is that it is the customary practice of Allah
Ta'ala that He sends cool winds before the actual coming of rains
which not only please people, but also, in a way, foretell that rains are
coming much before they actually do. Therefore, these winds are a
combination of two blessings. They themselves are beneficial for hu-
man beings and bracing for the creation in general. Then, they an-
nounce the rains before its coming. Human beings are a highly sensi-
tive model of creation. Rains may stop them from doing what they

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Surah Al-A'raf : 7: 57 - 58
need to do. If they could naturally find out about the coming rains
ahead of time, they would be able to manage things for themselves. In
addition to that, one's own person and belongings are not, at all times,
defended against rains. By having early indications of rains, most
would be able to take protective cover for themselves and their belong-
ings.
Then, it was said: sul cus affisuas (until when they lift up the
heavy clouds). The word: C± (sahab) means the cloud and: Just (thiqal)
is the plural of thaqil which means heavy, that is, when the winds lift
up the heavy clouds. Heavy clouds refer to clouds laden with water.
They would, as if, travel riding on the shoulders of the wind, and thus,
this water weighing thousands of tons comfortably rides high on the
wings of the wind. How wonderful is the Divine design which uses no
machines nor lets human beings slave for it. It is as simple as it can be
- when Allah Ta'ala wills, vapours from the waters start rising up-
wards, turn into clouds and what you have is a sky-filling plane carry-
ing a cargo of hundreds and thousands of gallons of water in its holds
flying on the cushion of winds towards higher altitudes!
After that, it was said: ce wo til (We drive them to a dead land).
The word: 34 (sauq) means to drive, herd or urge on towards a desired
destination, and 'balad' means a town or habitation, and 'mayyit'
means dead.
The verse, thus, means: 'When the winds lifted the heavy clouds
up, We drove the clouds to a dead town.' Dead town refers to the habi-
tation rendered desolate because of an scarcity of water. That a town
or habitation has been named here in place of a common open land is
appropriate in view of the real purpose of sending the rain because it
is designed to feed the thirsty land and enable it to produce what hu-
man beings need. The place to do so would be a habitated area, not an
inhabitated forest primarily where the growth of vegetation is less
likely to serve the initial purpose.
Upto this point, the description in the quoted verses proves the fol-
lowing: (1) That rains come through clouds, as commonly observed.
This tells us that verses in which raining from the sky has been men-
tioned, there too, the word: « uk (sama') refers to clouds. Then, not im-
probable is the likelihood that clouds originate directly from the skies -

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Surah Al-A'raf : 7: 57 - 58
as opposed to monsoons originating from the waters - and bring rains.
(2) That clouds go in a particular direction and over a particular land
area is something related directly to Divine command. It is He who
gives the command for rains to fall when He wills, where He wills and
as much as He wills. The clouds implement the Divine command.
It is something observed everywhere. There are occasions when a
town or habitation would have heavy over-head clouds, and they would
very much be in need of rains, but the clouds would not let them have
even a drop of water. Instead, it would go to a town or habitation for
which there is a quota of water as Divinely determined, and it would
be only there that it would rain. No one has the ability or the daring to
acquire water from these clouds at any other place, other than the
town or habitation earmarked to have it.
Weather scientists have determined rules about the movement of
monsoons based on which they can tell the course of a monsoon rising
from the waters of the sea and identify where and how much it would
rain. There are meteorological bureaus set up for this purpose in many
countries. But, experience shows that news released by these depart-
ments frequently turn out to be contrary to fact. When what is con-
trary is the Divine command itself, their rules become ineffective.
Winds and rain-laden clouds turn towards somewhere else, contrary to
foretold news, and weather experts cannot do much about it.
In addition to that, any other rules and regulations proposed by
meteorologists, they too are not contrary to the proposition that the
movement of clouds obeys the Divine command - because it is the cus-
tomary practice of Allah Ta'ala that, in all affairs of this world, the Di-
vine command manifests itself from behind the curtains of physical
causes. Human beings pick up these very causes and formulate some
rule or regulation based on them. Otherwise, reality lies elsewhere.
After that, it was said :ِفَانْزَلْنَا بِهِ المَاءَ فَاخْرَجُنَا بِ مِن كُلِّ الثَّمَرَات (We pour down
water, then, with it We bring forth of all the fruits).
كَذْلِكَ تُخْرِجُ الْمُونِى لَعَلَّكُمْ تَذَكَّرُونَ :And then, at the end of the verse, it was said
(This is how We bring forth all the dead [on the day of Qiyamah], so
that you may observe advice). Thus, the sense of the verse is: "The way
We have given new life to the dead land and have brought out from it

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Surah Al-A'raf : 7: 57 - 58
trees, flowers and fruits, similarly, on the day of Qiyamah, We shall
have the dead rise once again after their having been dead. And these
examples have been set forth so that you would have the opportunity
to reflect and deliberate.
According to a narration of Sayyidna Abu Hurairah as Algo), the
Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said: صُور (Sur :Horn) will be blown twice on
the day of Qiyamah. On the first Sur, the whole world will perish.
Nothing will remain alive. On the second Sur, a new world will come
into being. The dead will become alive.' The Hadith also mentions 'an
interval of forty years between the two blowings of the Sur and rains
would continue to fall throughout these forty years. During this peri-
od, the body parts of every dead human being and animal will become
assembled into them giving everyone a complete skeleton. Then, at the
time of the blowing of the second Sur, Ruh (soul) will enter these corps-
es. They will rise alive.' A major portion of this narration can be seen
in Al-Bukhari and Muslim. Some portions have been taken from Kitab
al-Ba'th of Ibn Abi Dawud.
وَاْبَلَدُ الطَّيِّبُ يَخْرُجُ نَبَاتُهُ بِإِذْنِ رَبِّهُ وَالَّذِى خَبْكَ لَا يَخُوُجُ: Stated in the second verse (58) is
fi (As for the good land, its vegetation comes out with the permis-
sion of its Lord. And that which is bad does not grow except what is
bad). The word: 3 (nakid) refers to something useless and scanty both.
The sense of the verse is that the mercy of rain, when it comes, is com-
mon to every town and land, but lands are of two kinds in terms of
their yield and outcome. First, there is good land which helps growth.
From it come flowers and fruits and many other benefits. Then, there
is the hard, barren or saline land which lacks the ability to grow
plants. First of all, not much grows on such a land, and if something
does grow there, its quantity remains insignificant, and even this
quantity is useless and bad.
At the end of the verse, it was said :َكَذَلِكَ نُصَّفُ اُلأَيْتِ لِقَوُمٍ يَشْكُرُون (Thus We
alternate the verses for a people who pay gratitude).
The hint given here is: Though the open blessing of Allah's guid-
ance and His clear 'Ayat is open and common to all human beings very
much like the general mercy of rain, but every land does not derive
benefit from the rain and, similarly, every human being does not de-
rive benefit from Divine guidance. Rather, the benefit is derived by

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only those who are grateful for what they receive and recognize its real
worth and value.
Verses 59 - 64
لَقَدْ أَرْسَلْنَا نُؤْحًا إِلى قَوْمِهِ فَقَالَ يَقَوُمِ اعْبُدُوا اللهَ مَالَكُمْ
مِنْ إِلٍ غَيْرُهُ إِنَِّ آَخَافُ عَلَيْكُمْ عَذَابَ يَوْمٍ عَظِيُمِ ﴿٥٩﴾
قَالَ الْلَأُ مِنْ قَوْمِةٍ إِنَّا لَنَزْكَ فِىٌ ضَلْلٍ مُّبِيْنٍ ﴿٦﴾ قَالَ يُقَوُمِ
لَيُسَ بِيْ ضَلْلَةٌ وَلكِنِّى رَسُولٌ قِنُ رَّبِّ الْعَلَمِيْنَ ﴿٦١) أُبَلِّغُكُمُ
رِسُلْتِ رَبِّيٌ وَأَنْصَحُ لَكُمُ وَأَعْلَمُ مِنَ اللَّهِ مَالَا تَعْلَمُونَ ﴿٦٢)
أَوَ عَجِبْهُمْ أَنْ جَاءَكُمْ ذِكْرٌ ◌ِنُ رَبِّكُمُ عَلىِ رَجُلٍ مِّنُكُمُ
◌ِيُنْذِرَكُمْ وَلِتَتَّقُوا وَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُرْجَمُوْنَ ﴿١٢﴾ فَكَذَّبُوُهُ فَانْجَيْتُهُ
وَالَّذِيْنَ مَعَهُ فِى الْفُلُكِ وَأَغْرَقُنَا الَّذِيْنَ كَذَّبُوا بِأَيْتِنَاء ◌ِنَّهُمُ
كَانُوا قَوُمًا عَمِيْنَ ﴿٦٤)
Surely We sent Nuh to his people. Then he said, "O my
people, worship Allah. For you there is no god other
than Him. I fear for you the punishment of a great
Day." [59]
The chiefs of his people said, "Indeed we see you in an
obvious error." [60] He said, "O my people, there is no
error in me, but I am a messenger from the Lord of the
worlds. [61] I convey to you the messages of my Lord
and wish you betterment, and I know from Allah what
you do not know." [62] Do you wonder that an advice
from your Lord has come to you through a man from
among you, so that he may warn you and that you may
fear Allah, and that you may be blessed with mercy?"
[63]
Then, they belied him, so, We saved him, and those
with him in the Ark, and drowned those who belied
Our signs. Certainly, they were a blind people. [64]
Commentary
Described from the beginning of Surah al-A'raf upto this point were

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Surah Al-A'raf : 7 : 59 - 64
the subjects of Tauhid, Risalah and 'Akhirah, the basic principles of Is-
lam. These were proved and affirmed in different ways, people were
pursuaded to follow them and warned against taking opposing stands.
Then, as a corollary, the guiles of Satan which make people go astray
were mentioned. Now, from the eighth Ruku' (section) to almost the
end of the Surah, there is a description of some prophets, may peace be
upon them, and of their communities. The subject dealt with here con-
sists of the commonly pursued principles of Tauhid, Risalah and
'Akhirah. They all invited their respective communities towards these
universal principles, gave them the good news of rewards for those
who believed in them, and warned them of punishments for refusing to
believe and the sad end they would have for doing so. This description
takes about fourteen sections, where hundreds of basic and subsidiary
rulings appear as a corollary. Thus, the present communities were giv -.
en an opportunity to learn a lesson from the sad end of past communi-
ties - and, for the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم, this became a source of
comfort that this was how things have been with all other prophets.
The verses appearing above take a whole Ruku' of Surah al-A'raf. It
describes the mission of Sayyidna Nuh >Jude and the state of the
community to which he was sent.
Though, in the chain of prophets, the first prophet is Sayyidna
Adam JI de, but his was not the time for confrontation against disbe-
lief and error. In the religious code given to him, most of the injunc-
tions were related to habitation of the land and management of human
needs. Disbelief and disbelievers just did not exist. The confrontation
against Kufr (disbelief) and Shirk (associating partners in the Divinity
of Allah) began with Sayyidna Nuh WJI de. He is, in terms of the mis-
sion of prophethood and a code of religious laws, the first rasul of Al-
lah. In addition to that, people who survived after the drowning of the
whole world during the great flood or deluge, were Sayyidna Nuh Je
WJI and those with him in the Ark. It was through him that the new
world was populated. Therefore, he is also referred to as the junior
Adam. This is the reason why he appears first in this story of prophets
which has a description of his nine hundred and fifty year long pro-
phetic struggle in contrast to the crooked ways of the majority in his
community, as a result of which, all except a few believers were

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drowned. Details follow.
The first verse begins with the words: ◌ِلَقَدُ أَرْسَلُنَا نُوحًا إِلى قَوْمِه (Surely We
sent Nuh to his people).
Sayyidna Nuh عليه السلام is in the eighth generation of Sayyidna
رضى اللّه According to a narration of Sayyidna Ibn 'Abbas. عليه السلام Adam
& appearing in Mustadrak of Hakim, there is an interval of ten Qarn
between Sayyidna Adam عليه السلام and Sayyidna Nuh عليه السلام . The same
has been reported by Tabarani as based on a Hadith of the Holy Proph-
et صلى الله عليه وسلم narrated by Sayyidna Abu Dharr رضى الله عنه (Tafsir Mazhari)
A Qarn generally means one hundred years. Therefore, the interval of
time between these two comes to be one thousand years according to
this narration. Ibn Jarir has reported that Sayyidna Nuh WJI -de was
born eight hundred and twenty six years after the death of Sayyidna
Adam عليه السلام, and according to a clear statement of the Qur'an, he
reached an age of nine hundred and fifty years - and according to a Ha-
dith, the age of Sayyidna Adam >JI is nine hundred and sixty
years. Thus, the time from the birth of Sayyidna Adam عليه السلام to the
death of Sayyidna Nuh JI be comes to be a total of two thousand
eight hundred and fifty six years. (Mazhari) In some narrations, the
real name of Sayyidna Nuh عليه السلام appears as Shakir while in some
others it has been given as Sakan, and 'Abd al-Ghaffar, in still others.
Whether his time is before or after Sayyidna Idris عليه السلام - Enoch -
has been debated. The majority of the Şahabah have said that Sayyid-
na Nuh عليه السلام has appeared before Sayyidna Idris عليه السلام (Al-Bahr Al-
Muķīț)
Based on a narration of Sayyidna Ibn 'Abbas رضى الله عنه reports Mus-
عليه السلام said: Nuh صلى الله عليه وسلم tadrak of Hakim that the Holy Prophet
was invested with prophethood at the age of forty years and, after the
Flood, he lived for sixty years.
The verse of the Qur'an: لَقَدُ أَرْسَلُنَا نُوحًاً إِلى قَوْمِه (Surely, We sent Nuh to
his people) proves that Sayyidna Nuh WILLe was sent as a prophet
only to his people. It was not common to the whole world. His people
lived in Iraq. They were outwardly civilized but were involved in
يُقَوُم : to his people was عليه السلام Shirk. The call given by Sayyidna Nuh
.Omy people, worship Allah) اعْبُدُوا اللَّهَ مَالَكُمُ مِّنُ إِلٍ غَيْرُهُ ﴿ إِنِّىٌّ آَخَافُ عَلَيْكُمُ عَذَابَ يَوْمٍ عَظِيم

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Surah Al-A'raf : 7: 59 - 64
For you there is no god other than Him. I fear for you the punishment
of a great Day). In the first sentence, the invitation given is to worship
Allah Ta'ala, which is the essence of the principle. In the second sen-
tence, people have been pursuaded to shun Shirk and Kufr, something
which had spread out like some epidemic among these people. In the
third sentence, the purpose is to warn people against the danger of
that great punishment which they would have to face in the event they
were to do otherwise. This 'great punishment' could mean the punish-
ment of the Hereafter, and the punishment of the Flood in the present
world too. (Tafsir Kabir)
In reply, his people said: ◌ٍإِنَّا لَتَرْكَ فِي ضَلُلٍ مُّبِين ("Indeed we see you in an
obvious error"). The word: . > (mala') is used for chiefs, headmen and
empowered elders of a community or group. The sense of what his peo-
ple said in response to his call was to tell him that he was actually try-
ing to wean them away from their ancestral faith and that all these
ideas of rising on some last day and being rewarded or punished were
nothing but superstition.
These were harsh words. But, the reply given by Sayyidna Nuh que
).JI carries an eloquent diction fit for a prophet. Here, he is leaving a
trail for all carriers of da wah, preachers and reformers, as a signpost
of education and guidance. Here, he is not responding on the same
wave length, not anger against anger, but trying to remove their
قَالَ يُقَوْمِ لَيُسَ بِىْ ضَلْلَةٌ وَلكِنِّئِ رَسُولٌ مِنْ رَّبِّ الْعْلَمِيْنَ : doubts in the simplest possible words
He said, "O my people, there is no). أُبَلِّغُكُمُ رِسُلْتِ رَبِىُ وَاَنُصَحُ لَكُمْ وَأَعْلَمُ مِنَ اللهِ مَالَا تَعْلَمُوْنَ
error in me, but I am a messenger from the Lord of the worlds. I con-
vey to you the messages of my Lord and wish your betterment, and I
know from Allah what you do not know). In other words, what Sayyid-
na Nuh WIale is telling his people was that 'their accusation that he
has gone astray was not true. However, the fact remained that he was
not bound by their ancestral customs rooted in ignorance like them.
Instead of that, he was sent as a messenger from the Lord of all the
worlds. Whatever he was telling them was under the guidance of his
Lord. His sole mission was to convey the message of Allah Ta'ala to
them which was in their interest and for their good. This was not for
any benefit of Allah Ta'ala nor did it serve any personal interest of his
own.' The expression: 'Lord of all the worlds' in this statement strikes

622
Surah Al-A'raf : 7: 59 - 64
decisively against believing in Shirk by associating others with the
pristine Divinity of Allah Ta'ala. Once the spirit of this assertion is un-
derstood, no god or goddess of any denomination can stand valid as ob-
jects of worship. After that, he said that the doubts they had about the
punishment of the Last Day were because of their lack of awareness -
and, as for him, he was blessed with certitude in this matter by Allah
Ta'ala.
After that comes the reply to the other doubt expressed by them.
This has been stated clearly in Surah Al-Mu'minun: 312.200
عليه السلام that is, the people of Sayyidna Nuh ويَّتَفَضَّلَ عَلَيْكُمُ وَلَوْ شَآءَ اللّهُ لَأَنْزَلَ مَلَفِكَةٌ
came up with another doubt about the call given by him. They thought
that he was only human, a man like them who ate, drank, slept and
woke as they did. How could they take him as their leader? Had Allah
wanted to send a message for them, he should have sent angels with it
whose distinction and greatness would have impressed them. Now,
what they saw here was no more than that there was someone from
among their own race and community who wished to establish his su-
periority over them - 23:24.
أَوَ عَجِبْتُمْ أَنْ جَاءَكُمْ ذِكْرٌ مِّنْ تَّكُمُ عَلَى رَجُلٍ مِّنُكُمُ لِيُنْذِرَكُمُ: Here, the answer given was
323 Ki, go, (Do you wonder that an advice from your Lord has come
to you through a man from among you, so that he may warn you and
that you may fear Allah, and that you may be blessed with mercy?)
[that is, his warning may lead you to stop opposing him as a result of
which you may be blessed with mercy]
The substance of the argument is that the making of a human be-
ing a messenger of Allah is not a matter of surprise. First of all, Allah
Ta'ala is the Absolute Master. Bestowing on someone the status of a
prophet or messenger is His exclusive domain. It is He who does it at
His will. No one is in a position to dare have it otherwise. In addition
to that, a little deliberation will make it clear that the purpose of send-
ing a prophet or messenger to guide human beings can only be
achieved through a human being. This is a mission angels cannot per-
form.
The reason is that the purpose of prophethood is to bring people
round to believe in and obey Allah Ta'ala and save them from harsh
consequences of their opposition to His injunctions - and this can only

623
Surah Al-A'raf : 7 : 59 - 64
be possible when a person from their own kind presents before them a
model of the desired conduct and shows before them that it is quite
possible to worship Allah and obey His injunctions even with the ful-
fillment of inherent human needs and desires. If this call was brought
forth by angels and they were to put their model before people, it is ob-
vious that people would have found it fairly convenient to say that an-
gels are free of human desires, they are never hungry or thirsty, they
never sleep, or get tired. How could they ever become like them? But,
when one of their own kind, despite having common human character-
istics and desires, walks amongst them as a perfect model of obedience
to Divine injunctions, they would be left with no excuse.
It was to point out in this direction that it was said: ; && (so
that he may warn you and that you may fear Allah). In other words, it
means that a person whose warning can make people have fear could
only be the one who is of their kind and is an epitome of human traits
like them. This is not an unusual doubt for the disbelievers of many
communities who have questioned the propriety of having a human be-
ing as prophet or messenger. This is the answer given by the Qur'an to
all such doubts. It is certainly regretable that, despite so many clarifi-
cations of the Qur'an, there are people who would dare going to the
.صلى الله عليه وسلم limit of denying the 'human-ness' of the Holy Prophet
But, the problem with the ignorant among human beings is that they
would not understand this reality and would simply refuse to accept
the superiority of anyone from their own kind. This is why they would
nurse hatred for their contemporary Awliya' (men of Allah) and
'Ulama' (highly trained and trustworthy religious scholars who prac-
tice what they teach) and look down upon them because of their con-
temporaneousness. This has always been the trademark of the ignor-
ant.
When this paternal and well-wishing approach of Sayyidna Nuh de
JI in reply to the heart-rending words said by his addressees made
no effect on these unfeeling people who turned blind to truth and kept
belying it, then, Allah Ta'ala sent down upon them the punishment of
فَكَذَّبُوُهُ فَاَنْجَيْتُهُ وَالَّذِيْنَ مَعَهُ فِى الْفُلْكِ وَأَغْرَقْنَا الَّذِيْنَ كَذَّبُوا بِأَيْتِنَا، إِنَّهُمْ كَانُوا قَرِّمًا : Flood. It was said
32,6 (Then, they belied him [ignoring his good counsel totally], so [as a
consequence], we saved him, and those with him in the Ark, and

624
Surah Al-A'raf : 7 : 59 - 64
drowned those who had belied Our signs. Certainly, they were a blind
people).
The story of Sayyidna Nuh WILL and the full account of the
drowning of his people and the deliverance of the people in the Ark ap-
pears in Surah Hud and Surah Nuh. Given at this place is its gist as
appropriate to the occasion. Sayyidna Zayd ibn Aslam Jf >, says:
When the punishment of Flood overtook the people of Sayyidna Nuh
lule, they were at the prime of their population and power. The
lands and mountains of Iraq were becoming insufficient for their rising
numbers. It should be kept in mind that it is a customary practice of
Allah Ta'ala since ever that He would keep granting respite to the dis-
obedient. He would send His punishment over them at a time when
they have reached the highest peak of their numbers, power and
wealth, and become, so to say, drunk with this state of their life. (Ibn
Kathir)
As for the number of people in the Ark of Sayyidna Nuh Mul ale, re-
ports differ. Ibn Kathir, through a narration of Ibn Abi Hatim, reports
from Sayyidna 'Abdullah ibn 'Abbas as Ul , that there were eighty
people. One of them was called Jurhum. He spoke Arabic. (Ibn Kathir)
Some narrations have given the detail that there were forty men
and forty women in the Ark. After the Flood, the place in Mosul, Iraq
where they came to stay became known as Thamanun (eighty).
To sum up, the introduction of a brief account of Sayyidna Nuh que
JI at this place aims to tell us three things: (1) That the da wah of all
past prophets and their basic articles of faith were one. (2) That Allah
Ta'ala supports his appointed messengers in strikingly wonderous
ways when they would not have the least danger to their security even
after having been surrounded by a Flood rising as high as the peaks of
mountains. (3) Then, it was made absolutely clear that belying the no-
ble prophets of Allah, may peace be upon them, amounted to inviting
Divine punishment. The warning is still valid. So, let it not be forgot-
ten that the way past communities were overtaken by punishment be-
cause of their belying of the prophets, a similar fate could overtake
their modern counterparts - on this count, they could do better by not
becoming heedless and fear-free.

625
Surah Al-A'raf : 7 : 65 - 72
Verses 65 - 72
وَإِلَى عَادٍ آَخَاهُمُ هُؤْدًا، قَالَ يُقَوُمِ اعْبُدُوا اللهَ مَالَكُمُ ◌ِنُ إِلِهِ
غَيْرُؤُ اَفَلَا تَتَّقُونَ ﴿٦٥﴾ قَالَ الْمَلَاُ الَّذِيْنَ كَفَرُوا مِنْ قَوْمِةٍ إِنَّا
لَنَزْمكَ فِيْ سَفَّاهَةٍ وَإِنَّا لَنَظُنُّكَ مِنَ الْكَذِبِيُنَ ﴿٦٦﴾ قَالَ يُقَوُحِ
لَيْسَ بِئْ سَفَاهَةٌ وَلكِنِىْ رَسُلٌ مِّنُ رَّبِّ الْعُلَمِيْنَ ﴿٦٧)
اُلِّئُكُمُ رِسِلْتِ رَبِّى وَأَنَا لَكُمْ نَاصِحٌ اَمِيْنٌ ﴿٦٨) أَوَ عَجِبْهُمْ أَنْ
جَآ ءَكُمُ ذِكْرٌ مِنْ رَّبِّكُمْ عَلَى رَجُلٍ مِّنْكُمْ لِيُنْذِرَكُمْ، وَإِذْ كُرُوَآَ
إِذُ جَعَلَكُمْ خُلَفَاءَ مِنْ بَعْدٍ قَكُمْ نُوُجٍ وَزَادَكُمْ فِىِ الْخَلُقِ
بَصْطَفَّ فَاذْكُرُؤُاَ أَلَآءَ اللَّهِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُوْنَ ﴿٦٩﴾ قَالُؤْاْ أَجِئْتَنَا
لِتَعْبُدَ اللَّهَ وَحُدَهُ وَنَذَرَمَا كَانَ يَعْبُدُ ابَّأْؤُنَا ، فَأْتِنَا بِمَا تَعِدُنَّاً
إِنْ كُنْتَ مِنَ الصُّدِقِيْنَ ﴿ ٧﴾ قَالَ قَدُ وَفَعَ مَلَيُكُمُ وِّنُ رَّبِّكُمُ
رِجُسَّ وَغَضَبٌ ، ائُّجَادِ لُؤْنَنِىُ فِىٌّ آَسْمَاءٍ سَتَيُؤْهًا آَنْهُمْ
وَاِبَّاؤُكُمْ تَّا نَّلَ اللّهُ بِهَا مِنُ سُلْطُنٍ، فَانْتَظِرُؤْا إِنِّىُ مَعَكُمْ
◌ِّنَ الْمُتَظِرِينَ ﴿٧١﴾ فَأَنْجَيْنُ وَالَّذِيْنَ مَعَهْ بِرَحْمَةٍ مِنَّا وَقَطَعُنَا
دَابِرَ الَّذِيْنَ كَذَّبُوا بِالِنَا وَمَا كَانُوْا ◌ُؤْ مِنِيْنَ ﴿٧٢﴾
And to 'Ad (We sent) their brother, Hud. He said, "O my
people, worship Allah; you have no god other than Him.
So, do you not fear Allah?" [65]
Said the chiefs of his people who disbelieved, "Indeed,
we see you in foolishness, and we certainly believe you
to be one of the liars." [66]
He said, "O my people, there is no foolishness in me,
but I am a messenger from the Lord of the worlds. [67] I
convey to you the messages of my Lord; and for you, I
am an honest adviser. [68] Do you wonder that an ad-
vice from your Lord has come to you through a man
from among you, so that he may warn you? And remem-
ber when He made you successors after the people of

626
Surah Al-A'raf : 7 : 65 - 72
Nuh and gave you increased strength in physique. So,
be mindful of the bounties of Allah, so that you may be
successful." [69]
They said, "Have you come to us in order that we
should worship Allah alone and give up what our fa-
thers used to worship? Now, bring us what you threat-
en us with, if you are one of the truthful." [70]
He said, "The punishment and the anger from your
Lord have fallen upon you. Do you quarrel with me
about names coined by you and your fathers, for which
Allah has sent down no authority? So, wait. I am one of
those waiting, with you." [71]
So, We saved him and those with him out of mercy from
Us, and We eradicated those who belied Our signs. And
they were not believers. [72]
Commentary
A Brief History of 'Ad and Thamud
'Ad is the name of a person who is in the fifth generation after
Sayyidna Nuh WJI ule and is among the progeny of his son Sam. Then,
his progeny, and his people, came to be known by the name of 'Ad. In
the Holy Qur'an, 'Ad also appears with the words: su ('Ad al-'ula:
'Ad, the First) and also: ,wall ofs gl( that is, of the city of Iram with lofty
pillars; or tall like lofty pillars - 89:7) which tells us that the people of
'Ad are also known in association with the name of Iram, and that with
'Ad I, there is some 'Ad II as well. In this investigation, commentators
and historians differ. The better known proposition is that Iram is the
name of the grandfather of 'Ad. This 'Ad is among the children of 'Aus
who was his son, and is known as 'Ad I. His second son, 2% (Jathw) had
a son. His name was Thamud. He is called 'Ad II. The outcome is that
'Ad and Thamud are both two branches of Iram. One of them is called
'Ad I and the other is known as Thamud or 'Ad II, and the word: 2;1,
(Iram) is common to both 'Ad and Thamud.
Some commentators have said that at the time when the punish-
ment overtook the people of 'Ad, a deputation of theirs was on a visit to
Makkah al-Mu'zzamah, which remained safe from this punishment. It
is known as the other 'Ad. (Bayan al-Qur'an)

627
Surah Al-A'raf : 7 : 65 - 72
Hud JI ule is the name of a prophet. He is also in the fifth genera-
tion of Sayyidna Nuh WJIle, and is among the progeny of Sam. The
geneological tree of the people of 'Ad and Sayyidna Hud W.JI de con-
verges on Sam in the fifth generation. Therefore, Sayyidna Hud
>JI is a lineal brother to 'Ad. That is why it was said: 12 Kul (their
brother Hud - 65)
The people of 'Ad had thirteen families. Their habitations were
spread out from Oman to Hadramaut and Yaman. Their lands were
fertile. Gardens were abundant. To live they constructed mansions
and palaces. They were tall and heavily built. This is what the expres-
sion : ◌ًزَادَكُمُ فِى الْخُلُقِ بَقْطَة (gave you increased strength in physique - 69)
means. Allah Ta'ala had opened the doors of His blessing upon them.
But, their crooked thinking made these very blessings a curse for
them. They became so intoxicated with their power and grandeur that
they started boasting: WE faf && (Who is superior to us in strength ?-
41:15). How strange of them that they took no notice of their Lord and
the Lord of the worlds bathed in whose blessings they all were and
went on to sink themselves into the worship of idols carved out of
rocks!
The Lineage of Sayyidna Hud >JI ul and Some Glimpses of the
Background
These were the people for whose guidance Allah Ta'ala sent Sayy-
idna Nuh JI ule as a prophet who was from their family. The famous
authority on Arab geneology, Abu al-Barakat al-Jauni has written that
the name of the son of Sayyidna Hud >JI ale is Ya'rub ibn Qahtan who
went to live in Yaman. Yamani people are his progeny. The Arabic lan-
guage originated from him and it was this correspondence with
'Ya'rub' that the language was called Arabic and its speakers, the Ar-
abs. (Al-Bahr Al-Muhit)
But, the truth of the matter is that the Arabic language was there
since the time of Sayyidna Nuh >JI -Je. In his Ark, he had a compan-
ion called Jurhum. He spoke Arabic (Al-Bahr Al-Muhit) The populating of
Makkah al-Mu'azzamah started from this very Jurhum. However, it is
possible that the origination of the Arabic language took place in Ya-
man through Ya'rub ibn Qahtan and this may be what Abu al-Barakat
has meant.

628
Surah Al-A'raf : 7 : 65 - 72
Sayyidna Hud >JIL induced the people of 'Ad to forsake idol-
worship and take to pure monotheism and shun injustice and oppres-
sion and practice moderation and justice. But, these people were
drunk with power and wealth. They did not listen to him. Consequent-
ly, the first punishment that visited them was that rains stopped com-
ing for a full three years in succession. Lands became deserts. Gardens
turned into dead wood. But, these people still kept sticking to Shirk
and idol-worship. Then, came another punishment. A severe wind
storm overtook them. It continued for eight days and seven nights.
What remained of their gardens and mansions and palaces was lev-
elled to the ground. Their men and animals went up into the air and
zoomed back hitting the floor on their heads. Thus, the people of 'Ad
were eliminated to the last man. The sense of the expression: AI ff
BRE GNl (and we eradicated those who belied Our signs) in this verse,
as determined by some commentators, is that all those people present
at that time were totally destroyed. Some other commentators have
said that it means that Allah Ta'ala cut off the lineal root of the people
of 'Ad for the future as well.
When the punishment for not listening to Sayyidna Hud le
and insisting on Kufr and Shirk came down upon his people, he and
his companions took refuge in an open area enclosed with stakes. It
was strange that the stormy winds which were making palaces col-
lapse on their columns would suddenly change pace and enter this en-
closure gently. Sayyidna Hud >JI Le and his companions kept sitting
peacefully where they were even during the descension of the punish-
ment without having to face any inconvenience. It was after the de-
struction of the people of 'Ad that they moved to Makkah al-
Mu'azzamah where they lived until death. (Al-Bahr Al-Muhit)
That the punishment for the people of 'Ad came in the form of a
wind storm has been explicity and categorically mentioned in the
Qur'an. Then, there is the statement in Surah Al-Mu'minun which fol-
ثُمَّ أَنْشَأْنَا مِنْ بَعُدِهِمْ: عليه السلام lows the nartation of the story of Sayyidna Nuh
asi us that is, then, after them, We brought forth another generation -
23:31. It seems obvious that another generation here means the people
of 'Ad. Then, after having given a view of their word and deed, it was
said: ◌ِّفَآَخَذَتُهُمُ الصَّيُحَةُ بِالْحَق (an extremely harsh and horrifying sound [As-

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Surah Al-A'raf : 7 : 65 - 72
Şaihah] took them - 23:41). Based on this statement of the Qur'an, some
commentators have said that the punishment which was set upon the
people of 'Ad was that of As-Saihah (extremely harsh and screaming
sound). But, there is no contradiction here. It is possible that they both
came to pass.
This was a brief account relating to the people of 'Ad and Sayyidna
Hud WIJ .. Its details as given in the words of the Qur'an follow.
وَإِى عَادٍ آَخَاهُمُ هُوْدًا، قَالَ يُقَوُمِ اعْبُدُوا اللَّهَ مَالَكُمُ مِّنُ :Said in the first verse (65) was (1)
3E Suf . 22 JI (And to 'Ad [We sent] their brother, Hud. He said, "O my
people, worship Allah; you have no god other than Him. So, do you not
fear Allah?").
The grave punishment sent upon the people of Sayyidna Nuh de
JI much before the people of 'Ad was still alive in the minds of the
people of his time. Therefore, Sayyidna Nuh MI ule had no need to de-
scribe the severity and gravity of punishment sent upon disobedient
people. He considered it quite sufficient to say: Do you not fear Allah?
قَالَ الْمُلَأُ الَّذِيْنَ كَفَرُوا مِنْ قَوْمِهَ إِنَّا لَتَرْسكَ فِى : In the second verse (66), it was said (2)
,Said the chiefs of his people who disbelieved) سَفَاهَةٍ وَإِنَّا لَنَظُنَّكَ مِنَ الْكَاذِبِيْنَ
"Indeed, We see you in foolishness, and we certainly believe you to be
one of the liars." This stance taken in opposition here resembles the
one taken by the people of Sayyidna Nuh >JI Je. The only difference
is that of some words. Its reply which appears in verses 67 and 68 is
.61-63 - عليه السلام nearly the same as given by Sayyidna Nuh
(3) Once again, the objection of the people of 'Ad mentioned in the
fifth verse (69) is the same as raised by the people of Sayyidna Nuh Le
>JI before them - that is, 'how can we take a human being like us as
our superior? Had it been an angel, may be we would have done that.'
In answer to this what the Qur'an has mentioned is the reply given by
Sayyidna Nuh JI ale to his people - where he had said that there was
nothing to be surprised about the fact that a human being comes to
people as the prophet or messenger of Allah to put His fear in their
hearts, because it is a human being who can convince other human be-
ings effectively.
After that they were reminded of the blessings Allah Ta'ala had be-
وَاذْ كُرُؤٌّآَإِذْ جَعَلَكُمْ خُلَفَآءَ مِنْبَعْدِ قَوُمِ نُوْجٍ وَزَادَكُمُ فِى الْخُلُقِ بَصُطَةً : stowed upon them. It was said