Al-A'raf 7:101
The Heights · Juz 9 · Page 163
تِلۡكَ ٱلۡقُرَىٰ نَقُصُّ عَلَيۡكَ مِنۡ أَنۢبَآئِهَاۚ وَلَقَدۡ جَآءَتۡهُمۡ رُسُلُهُم بِٱلۡبَيِّنَٰتِ فَمَا كَانُواْ لِيُؤۡمِنُواْ بِمَا كَذَّبُواْ مِن قَبۡلُۚ كَذَٰلِكَ يَطۡبَعُ ٱللَّهُ عَلَىٰ قُلُوبِ ٱلۡكَٰفِرِينَ ١٠١
Those cities - We relate to you, [O Muḥammad], some of their news. And certainly did their messengers come to them with clear proofs, but they were not to believe in that which they had denied before.1 Thus does Allāh seal over the hearts of the disbelievers.
1 translator’s note
- i.e., they persistently denied every warning given them. ↩
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Ma'arif al-Qur'an
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Commentary on 7:101
The verse 101 has contained the phrase تِلْكَ الْقُرَىٰ نَقُصُّ عَلَيْكَ مِنْ أَنبَائِهَا "these are stories of the towns that We narrate to you." The word: نَبَا 'naba' in Arabic is used to denote some great news. With the word: مِن 'min' the verse has indicated that the events described in these verses are only some of a large number of events bearing the same lesson. The verse has further said, "And surely, their messengers came to them with clear signs, but they were not to believe in what they had belied earlier." It brings out their obstinate attitude towards the prophets who came to them with clear signs or miracles which are a definite means to decide between right and wrong but they obstinately rejected the truth, only because they had once belied them.
We know from this verse that miracles were given to all the prophets. The miracles of some prophets have been mentioned while the miracles of most of the prophets have not been referred to in the Holy Qur'an. This does not allow one to infer that the prophets not mentioned in the Qur'an were not given any miracles. As for the statement of the people of the prophet Hud (علیہ السلام) ، appearing in Surah Hud مَا جِئْتَنَا بِبَيِّنَةٍ "you did not bring any clear sign", this verse has clearly indicated that their statement was simply out of their obstinacy or, maybe they thought his miracles were of less significance.
Another point to be noted is that the present verse is speaking of the peculiarity of the disbelieving people who rigidly and obstinately followed the path of ignorance, only to prove that what they had once said was true, with no regard to all the clear signs and proofs of the truth. Most of the Muslims, even some 'Ulama' (the religious scholars) are seen to have the same habit of supporting their wrong statements in the face of clear proofs of the truth. This condition is a usual cause of incurring Allah's wrath. ('Masail al Suluk' )
Thereafter, the verse said كَذَٰلِكَ يَطْبَعُ اللَّهُ عَلَىٰ قُلُوبِ الْكَافِرِينَ "This is how Allah stamps upon the hearts of the disbelievers" that is, Allah seals the hearts of those who disbelieve and reject the truth, making them unable to accept good as good.
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7:96
وَلَوۡ أَنَّ أَهۡلَ ٱلۡقُرَىٰٓ ءَامَنُواْ وَٱتَّقَوۡاْ لَفَتَحۡنَا عَلَيۡهِم بَرَكَٰتٖ مِّنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضِ وَلَٰكِن كَذَّبُواْ فَأَخَذۡنَٰهُم بِمَا كَانُواْ يَكۡسِبُونَ ٩٦
And if only the people of the cities had believed and feared Allāh, We would have opened [i.e., bestowed] upon them blessings from the heaven and the earth; but they denied [the messengers], so We seized them for what they were earning.1
1 translator’s note
- Of blame for their sin. ↩
7:97
أَفَأَمِنَ أَهۡلُ ٱلۡقُرَىٰٓ أَن يَأۡتِيَهُم بَأۡسُنَا بَيَٰتٗا وَهُمۡ نَآئِمُونَ ٩٧
Then, did the people of the cities feel secure from Our punishment coming to them at night while they were asleep?
7:98
أَوَأَمِنَ أَهۡلُ ٱلۡقُرَىٰٓ أَن يَأۡتِيَهُم بَأۡسُنَا ضُحٗى وَهُمۡ يَلۡعَبُونَ ٩٨
Or did the people of the cities feel secure from Our punishment coming to them in the morning while they were at play?1
1 translator’s note
- i.e., occupied with such activities that have no benefit. ↩
7:99
أَفَأَمِنُواْ مَكۡرَ ٱللَّهِۚ فَلَا يَأۡمَنُ مَكۡرَ ٱللَّهِ إِلَّا ٱلۡقَوۡمُ ٱلۡخَٰسِرُونَ ٩٩
Then, did they feel secure from the plan of Allāh? But no one feels secure from the plan of Allāh except the losing people.
7:100
أَوَلَمۡ يَهۡدِ لِلَّذِينَ يَرِثُونَ ٱلۡأَرۡضَ مِنۢ بَعۡدِ أَهۡلِهَآ أَن لَّوۡ نَشَآءُ أَصَبۡنَٰهُم بِذُنُوبِهِمۡۚ وَنَطۡبَعُ عَلَىٰ قُلُوبِهِمۡ فَهُمۡ لَا يَسۡمَعُونَ ١٠٠
Has it not become clear to those who inherited the earth after its [previous] people that if We willed, We could afflict them for their sins? But We seal over their hearts so they do not hear.1
1 translator’s note
- They do not benefit from what they hear. ↩
7:101
تِلۡكَ ٱلۡقُرَىٰ نَقُصُّ عَلَيۡكَ مِنۡ أَنۢبَآئِهَاۚ وَلَقَدۡ جَآءَتۡهُمۡ رُسُلُهُم بِٱلۡبَيِّنَٰتِ فَمَا كَانُواْ لِيُؤۡمِنُواْ بِمَا كَذَّبُواْ مِن قَبۡلُۚ كَذَٰلِكَ يَطۡبَعُ ٱللَّهُ عَلَىٰ قُلُوبِ ٱلۡكَٰفِرِينَ ١٠١
Those cities - We relate to you, [O Muḥammad], some of their news. And certainly did their messengers come to them with clear proofs, but they were not to believe in that which they had denied before.1 Thus does Allāh seal over the hearts of the disbelievers.
1 translator’s note
- i.e., they persistently denied every warning given them. ↩
7:102
وَمَا وَجَدۡنَا لِأَكۡثَرِهِم مِّنۡ عَهۡدٖۖ وَإِن وَجَدۡنَآ أَكۡثَرَهُمۡ لَفَٰسِقِينَ ١٠٢
And We did not find for most of them any covenant;1 but indeed, We found most of them defiantly disobedient.
1 translator’s note
- i.e., they were found to be unfaithful and negligent of Allāh's covenant. ↩
7:103
ثُمَّ بَعَثۡنَا مِنۢ بَعۡدِهِم مُّوسَىٰ بِـَٔايَٰتِنَآ إِلَىٰ فِرۡعَوۡنَ وَمَلَإِيْهِۦ فَظَلَمُواْ بِهَاۖ فَٱنظُرۡ كَيۡفَ كَانَ عَٰقِبَةُ ٱلۡمُفۡسِدِينَ ١٠٣
Then We sent after them Moses with Our signs to Pharaoh and his establishment, but they were unjust toward them.1 So see how was the end of the corrupters.
1 translator’s note
- i.e., they rejected and opposed the signs. ↩
7:104
وَقَالَ مُوسَىٰ يَٰفِرۡعَوۡنُ إِنِّي رَسُولٞ مِّن رَّبِّ ٱلۡعَٰلَمِينَ ١٠٤
And Moses said, "O Pharaoh, I am a messenger from the Lord of the worlds