Al-A'raf 7:197
The Heights · Juz 9 · Page 176
وَٱلَّذِينَ تَدۡعُونَ مِن دُونِهِۦ لَا يَسۡتَطِيعُونَ نَصۡرَكُمۡ وَلَآ أَنفُسَهُمۡ يَنصُرُونَ ١٩٧
And those you call upon besides Him are unable to help you, nor can they help themselves."
Tafsir · in English
Ma'arif al-Qur'an
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Commentary on 7:196–198
The verse 196 has said:
إِنَّ وَلِيِّيَ اللَّهُ الَّذِي نَزَّلَ الْكِتَابَ ۖ وَهُوَ يَتَوَلَّى الصَّالِحِينَ ﴿196﴾
"Surely my protector is Allah who has revealed the Book and who does protect the righteous."
The Arabic word ولی rendered here as 'protector' also means helper. The word ~ISJI (The Book) here refers to the Holy Qur'an, and the word صَلِحِین (the righteous), according to Sayyidna Ibn ` Abbas J.II L, , here refers to all those who do not take any one equal to Allah, including the prophets and other faithful Muslims:
The Holy Prophet ﷺ has been asked to declare that he was not fearful of their opposition in the least since Allah, who had revealed the Qur'an to Him was his protector and helper. It may be noted that out of all the divine attributes of Allah, this verse spoke specially of His revelation to the Holy Prophet ﷺ . It is because the only reason of their hostility to the Holy Prophet was his invitation to the message of the Holy Qur'an. He was therefore, sure to have been helped and protected by Allah. The next sentence provides us with a general rule that Allah does not only help and protect His messengers, who have special favours of Allah, but also helps and protects all the Muslims who are righteous.
The last sentence وَ ھوَ یَتَوَلَّی اَلصَّلحِین "He helps and protects the righteous" has given us a general principle that in addition to helping the prophets who hold the highest status among all the people, Allah helps and protects all the Muslims who act righteously. Therefore, the opposition or hostility of any one does not harm a true Muslim in the real sense of the word. Most often he is made to triumph over his enemies in this very world. If, for some good reason, he does not overcome and is apparently defeated, this, too, does not go to damage his real objective. His failure in this world is, in fact, his success in true sense, because the main objective of his life is to seek Allah's pleasure and to obey Him in each and every activity of his life. His failure, being from Allah draws him nearer to his objective of seeking Allah's pleasure.
Page 176
7:196
إِنَّ وَلِـِّۧيَ ٱللَّهُ ٱلَّذِي نَزَّلَ ٱلۡكِتَٰبَۖ وَهُوَ يَتَوَلَّى ٱلصَّٰلِحِينَ ١٩٦
Indeed, my protector is Allāh, who has sent down the Book; and He is an ally to the righteous.
7:197
وَٱلَّذِينَ تَدۡعُونَ مِن دُونِهِۦ لَا يَسۡتَطِيعُونَ نَصۡرَكُمۡ وَلَآ أَنفُسَهُمۡ يَنصُرُونَ ١٩٧
And those you call upon besides Him are unable to help you, nor can they help themselves."
7:198
وَإِن تَدۡعُوهُمۡ إِلَى ٱلۡهُدَىٰ لَا يَسۡمَعُواْۖ وَتَرَىٰهُمۡ يَنظُرُونَ إِلَيۡكَ وَهُمۡ لَا يُبۡصِرُونَ ١٩٨
And if you invite them to guidance, they do not hear; and you see them looking at you while they do not see.
7:199
خُذِ ٱلۡعَفۡوَ وَأۡمُرۡ بِٱلۡعُرۡفِ وَأَعۡرِضۡ عَنِ ٱلۡجَٰهِلِينَ ١٩٩
Take what is given freely,1 enjoin what is good, and turn away from the ignorant.
1 translator’s note
- From the dispositions of men or from their wealth. In other words, be easy in dealing with them and avoid causing them difficulty. ↩
7:200
وَإِمَّا يَنزَغَنَّكَ مِنَ ٱلشَّيۡطَٰنِ نَزۡغٞ فَٱسۡتَعِذۡ بِٱللَّهِۚ إِنَّهُۥ سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌ ٢٠٠
And if an evil suggestion comes to you from Satan, then seek refuge in Allāh. Indeed, He is Hearing and Knowing.
7:201
إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ ٱتَّقَوۡاْ إِذَا مَسَّهُمۡ طَٰٓئِفٞ مِّنَ ٱلشَّيۡطَٰنِ تَذَكَّرُواْ فَإِذَا هُم مُّبۡصِرُونَ ٢٠١
Indeed, those who fear Allāh - when an impulse touches them from Satan, they remember [Him] and at once they have insight.
7:202
وَإِخۡوَٰنُهُمۡ يَمُدُّونَهُمۡ فِي ٱلۡغَيِّ ثُمَّ لَا يُقۡصِرُونَ ٢٠٢
But their brothers1 - they [i.e., the devils] increase them in error; then they do not stop short.
1 translator’s note
- Those among mankind who listen to the devils and obey their orders. ↩
7:203
وَإِذَا لَمۡ تَأۡتِهِم بِـَٔايَةٖ قَالُواْ لَوۡلَا ٱجۡتَبَيۡتَهَاۚ قُلۡ إِنَّمَآ أَتَّبِعُ مَا يُوحَىٰٓ إِلَيَّ مِن رَّبِّيۚ هَٰذَا بَصَآئِرُ مِن رَّبِّكُمۡ وَهُدٗى وَرَحۡمَةٞ لِّقَوۡمٖ يُؤۡمِنُونَ ٢٠٣
And when you, [O Muḥammad], do not bring them a sign [i.e., miracle], they say, "Why have you not contrived it?" Say, "I only follow what is revealed to me from my Lord. This [Qur’ān] is enlightenment from your Lord and guidance and mercy for a people who believe."
7:204
وَإِذَا قُرِئَ ٱلۡقُرۡءَانُ فَٱسۡتَمِعُواْ لَهُۥ وَأَنصِتُواْ لَعَلَّكُمۡ تُرۡحَمُونَ ٢٠٤
So when the Qur’ān is recited, then listen to it and pay attention that you may receive mercy.
7:205
وَٱذۡكُر رَّبَّكَ فِي نَفۡسِكَ تَضَرُّعٗا وَخِيفَةٗ وَدُونَ ٱلۡجَهۡرِ مِنَ ٱلۡقَوۡلِ بِٱلۡغُدُوِّ وَٱلۡأٓصَالِ وَلَا تَكُن مِّنَ ٱلۡغَٰفِلِينَ ٢٠٥
And remember your Lord within yourself in humility and in fear without being apparent in speech - in the mornings and the evenings. And do not be among the heedless.
7:206
إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ عِندَ رَبِّكَ لَا يَسۡتَكۡبِرُونَ عَنۡ عِبَادَتِهِۦ وَيُسَبِّحُونَهُۥ وَلَهُۥ يَسۡجُدُونَۤ۩ ٢٠٦
Indeed, those who are near your Lord [i.e., the angels] are not prevented by arrogance from His worship, and they exalt Him, and to Him they prostrate.