Al-A'raf 7:24
The Heights · Juz 8 · Page 153
قَالَ ٱهۡبِطُواْ بَعۡضُكُمۡ لِبَعۡضٍ عَدُوّٞۖ وَلَكُمۡ فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ مُسۡتَقَرّٞ وَمَتَٰعٌ إِلَىٰ حِينٖ ٢٤
[Allāh] said, "Descend, being to one another enemies. And for you on the earth is a place of settlement and enjoyment [i.e., provision] for a time."
Tafsir · in English
Tazkirul Quran
Brief · Short modern reflections on each passage.
Change
Commentary on 7:22–25
Both Adam and Satan have been sent to the earth as each other’s enemies. Now the battle which goes on between them will continue till Doomsday. Satan constantly strives to bring human beings on to his path and to deprive man of God’s grace, just as he himself had been deprived of it. But man should place himself in opposition to him; he should sabotage the plans of Satan. He should ignore his call and rush to obey the call of God. The fight between Adam and Satan makes itself manifest in the formation of human beings into two groups. Some succumb to the inducements of Satan and fall in line with him, while others who respond to God’s call incur the risk of all the companions of Satan contriving to vilify and defeat them. It has been seen in every age that true devotees of truth, who are always small in number, remain victims of the direst enmity of those who deny the truth. The reason for this is Satan’s inimical actions. He turns people against the true believers, in different ways filling their hearts with a burning hatred for them. Thus certain people become Satan’s tools and start harassing these devotees of truth. The real sin of Satan was his refusal to acknowledge the favour bestowed upon Adam by God. It is Satan’s effort to create in every man a temperament similar to his own. He instigates the younger ones not to give due regard to their elders. In the course of social or business transactions, when one party is honour-bound to give the other his dues, Satan persuades the former not to honour his pledge. When a servant of God brings the message of truth, Satan introduces different types of doubts into the hearts of the people and induces them not to accept it. If there is a dispute between two parties and if one of them is ready to pay an amount commensurate with his circumstances, Satan insidiously persuades the other party not to accept this offer, but rather to make such huge demands as the other party cannot meet, so that the fight continues unabated. In this way, due to the misguidance of Satan, enmity between people prevails everywhere. Two opposing groups form among human beings and Satan sees to it that the confrontation between them will be unending.
Page 153
7:23
قَالَا رَبَّنَا ظَلَمۡنَآ أَنفُسَنَا وَإِن لَّمۡ تَغۡفِرۡ لَنَا وَتَرۡحَمۡنَا لَنَكُونَنَّ مِنَ ٱلۡخَٰسِرِينَ ٢٣
They said, "Our Lord, we have wronged ourselves, and if You do not forgive us and have mercy upon us, we will surely be among the losers."
7:24
قَالَ ٱهۡبِطُواْ بَعۡضُكُمۡ لِبَعۡضٍ عَدُوّٞۖ وَلَكُمۡ فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ مُسۡتَقَرّٞ وَمَتَٰعٌ إِلَىٰ حِينٖ ٢٤
[Allāh] said, "Descend, being to one another enemies. And for you on the earth is a place of settlement and enjoyment [i.e., provision] for a time."
7:25
قَالَ فِيهَا تَحۡيَوۡنَ وَفِيهَا تَمُوتُونَ وَمِنۡهَا تُخۡرَجُونَ ٢٥
He said, "Therein you will live, and therein you will die, and from it you will be brought forth."
7:26
يَٰبَنِيٓ ءَادَمَ قَدۡ أَنزَلۡنَا عَلَيۡكُمۡ لِبَاسٗا يُوَٰرِي سَوۡءَٰتِكُمۡ وَرِيشٗاۖ وَلِبَاسُ ٱلتَّقۡوَىٰ ذَٰلِكَ خَيۡرٞۚ ذَٰلِكَ مِنۡ ءَايَٰتِ ٱللَّهِ لَعَلَّهُمۡ يَذَّكَّرُونَ ٢٦
O children of Adam, We have bestowed upon you clothing to conceal your private parts and as adornment. But the clothing of righteousness - that is best. That is from the signs of Allāh that perhaps they will remember.
7:27
يَٰبَنِيٓ ءَادَمَ لَا يَفۡتِنَنَّكُمُ ٱلشَّيۡطَٰنُ كَمَآ أَخۡرَجَ أَبَوَيۡكُم مِّنَ ٱلۡجَنَّةِ يَنزِعُ عَنۡهُمَا لِبَاسَهُمَا لِيُرِيَهُمَا سَوۡءَٰتِهِمَآۚ إِنَّهُۥ يَرَىٰكُمۡ هُوَ وَقَبِيلُهُۥ مِنۡ حَيۡثُ لَا تَرَوۡنَهُمۡۗ إِنَّا جَعَلۡنَا ٱلشَّيَٰطِينَ أَوۡلِيَآءَ لِلَّذِينَ لَا يُؤۡمِنُونَ ٢٧
O children of Adam, let not Satan tempt you as he removed your parents from Paradise, stripping them of their clothing1 to show them their private parts. Indeed, he sees you, he and his tribe, from where you do not see them. Indeed, We have made the devils allies to those who do not believe.
1 translator’s note
- The garments of Paradise. ↩
7:28
وَإِذَا فَعَلُواْ فَٰحِشَةٗ قَالُواْ وَجَدۡنَا عَلَيۡهَآ ءَابَآءَنَا وَٱللَّهُ أَمَرَنَا بِهَاۗ قُلۡ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يَأۡمُرُ بِٱلۡفَحۡشَآءِۖ أَتَقُولُونَ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ مَا لَا تَعۡلَمُونَ ٢٨
And when they commit an immorality, they say, "We found our fathers doing it, and Allāh has ordered us to do it." Say, "Indeed, Allāh does not order immorality. Do you say about Allāh that which you do not know?"
7:29
قُلۡ أَمَرَ رَبِّي بِٱلۡقِسۡطِۖ وَأَقِيمُواْ وُجُوهَكُمۡ عِندَ كُلِّ مَسۡجِدٖ وَٱدۡعُوهُ مُخۡلِصِينَ لَهُ ٱلدِّينَۚ كَمَا بَدَأَكُمۡ تَعُودُونَ ٢٩
Say, [O Muḥammad], "My Lord has ordered justice and that you direct yourselves [to the Qiblah] at every place [or time] of prostration, and invoke Him, sincere to Him in religion." Just as He originated you, you will return [to life] -
7:30
فَرِيقًا هَدَىٰ وَفَرِيقًا حَقَّ عَلَيۡهِمُ ٱلضَّلَٰلَةُۚ إِنَّهُمُ ٱتَّخَذُواْ ٱلشَّيَٰطِينَ أَوۡلِيَآءَ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ وَيَحۡسَبُونَ أَنَّهُم مُّهۡتَدُونَ ٣٠
A group [of you] He guided, and a group deserved [to be in] error. Indeed, they [i.e., the latter] had taken the devils as allies instead of Allāh while they thought that they were guided.