Al-A'raf 7:147–206

Those who rejected the signs of Allah proving the truth of the messengers, and denied that they would meet with Allah on the Day of Judgement, their good actions will come to nothing, because they were not based on faith; and they will be repaid for their disbelief in Allah and for associating partners with Allah – the repayment for which is living eternally in the fire of Hell.

After Moses had gone to meet with his Lord, his people took to worshipping a statue of a calf made from their ornaments, not possessing any soul, but which made a sound. Did they not know that this calf could not speak to them or guide them to any good way, material or spiritual, and that it could not bring anything of benefit to them or remove anything harmful from them? But they took to worshipping it and wronged themselves by doing so.

When they regretted their actions and did not know how to make-up for their wrongdoing, realising that they had gone astray from the straight path by worshipping the calf besides to Allah, they said: 'If our Lord does not have mercy on us, by enabling us to do as He instructed, and if He does not forgive us for having worshipped the calf, then we would certainly be among the losers in the life of this world and in the Afterlife.'

Moses returned to his people from his meeting with His Lord full of anger and sadness upon finding them worshipping the calf. He said: 'What an evil condition you have fallen into after me O people, which leads only to ruin and misery! Were you tired of waiting for the appointed time of your Lord assigned for me – the forty nights – so you started to worship the calf!' Moses threw the Tablets down because of his extreme anger and sadness, and took his brother Aaron by the head and beard and dragged him, because he had been with them and had not been able to stop them from worshipping the calf. Aaron said to his brother Moses: 'O son of my mother, indeed the people considered me to be weak, not respecting me, and they had almost killed me; so do not punish me in a way that would make my enemies rejoice, and do not to include me out of your anger among the people who had done wrong by worshipping other than Allah.'

Moses said supplicating to his Lord: 'O Lord, forgive me and me brother Aaron, and enter us into Your Mercy, surrounding us with it, for You are to us the most Merciful of those who have mercy.'

Without doubt, those who worshipped the calf will receive their Lord’s anger, and will have humiliation in this life, for displeasing their Lord and not acting according to His Command. That is how Allah rewards those who invent lies about Allah.

Those who do wrong by associating others with Allah and committing sins, and then repent out of sincere faith, repenting from polytheism to having faith in Him alone, and repenting from disobedience to doing good actions, giving up all kinds of sins whilst seeking His forgiveness-Allah will be forgiving and merciful to them, erasing and overlooking what they have done.

When the anger of Moses (peace be upon him) had subsided and he calmed down, he picked up the Tablets, which he had thrown down in anger. These Tablets contained guidance and an explanation of the truth; a mercy for those who stand in fear of their Lord, and are mindful of His consequences.

Moses chose seventy of the best men among his people to ask for forgiveness for what the foolish among them had done in worshipping the calf. Allah appointed a time and place for them, though when they reached there they became bold and asked Moses to let them see Allah with their eyes. So an earthquake seized them, and they were struck down and killed by the strength of it. So Moses begged his Lord, saying: 'O Lord, if You had willed to destroy them and myself before they had come to You, You could have done so. Would You destroy us because of what the foolish amongst us have done. What my people have done in worshipping the calf, was only a trial and test by which You led astray whom You willed, and guided whom you willed. You are our Protector, so forgive us our sins, and have mercy on us, for You are the best of those who forgive and overlook.'

' And make us among those You have favoured with Your blessings and well-being, enabling us to do good works. And make us from among Your righteous servants for whom You have prepared Paradise. Indeed we turn to You in repentance, admitting our mistakes.' Allah said: 'I give My punishment to whom I will; those who do the actions leading to misery, and My Mercy surrounds all things in this world. There is no created being or object that My Mercy has not reached, immersed in My Grace and Kindness. I will decree My Mercy in the Afterlife for those who are mindful of Me, following what I instruct and staying away from what I have prohibited, giving charity from their wealth as they have been ordered, and who have faith in My signs.'

The ones just described are those who follow Muhammad (peace be upon him), the illiterate prophet who cannot read or write, and who is only inspired by His Lord. The name and description of the Prophet and what is revealed to him is to be found in the Torah, revealed to Moses (peace be upon him), and the Gospel, revealed to Jesus (peace be upon him). Muhammad instructed people to that which is good and right, and forbade those things that sound minds, those with a sound nature, know to be bad: allowing them the good food and drink and relationships which are not harmful, and making unlawful those things which are bad. He also removed the difficult commandments revealed as obligations to previous communities, such as having to kill the one who killed someone else accidentaly. Those who believed in him from among the Israelites and others, respecting and honouring him and helping him against the disbelievers who were his enemies, following the Qur’ān which was revealed to him, they are the successful ones who will attain what they desire and attain safety from what they fear.

Allah tells the Prophet (peace be upon him) to inform people that he is the messenger of Allah to them all, both Arabs and non-Arabs. Allah alone controls the heavens and the earth. There is nothing worthy of worship other than Him, glory be to Him. He brings the dead to life, and causes what is alive to die. People should have faith in Allah and in Muhammad (peace be upon him), the Prophet, His Messenger, who cannot read or write, and who came only with what His Lord revealed to him, in order to guide them to what is good for them in this world and in the Afterlife.

There is a group from the people of Moses amongst the Israelites who stand for the truth, and guide people to it, and who are just in their rulings between people through it.

Allah divided the Israelites into twelve tribes. Then, when his people were asking him to call upon Allah to give them water, He inspired Moses to hit the stone with his stick. Moses hit it and twelve springs gushed out of it, which was the same number as the number of tribes. Each of the tribes knew which one was their own drinking place, which none of the other tribes shared with them. Allah shaded them with clouds which followed them where they moved and stopped with them. He also sent them manna, which was similar like gum with a sweet taste, and quails, or a bird similar to quails, and told them to eat of the good things He had provided for them. They did not wrong Allah through their disobedience and ingratitude for the blessings they were given, not appreciating them as they should have been, but they wronged themselves, bringing themselves to ruin through going against the commands of Allah and not acknowledging His blessings to them.

Remember, O Messenger, when Allah told the Israelites to enter Jerusalem, and to eat from any of the fruits of the town, whenever they wished, and to ask Allah to remove their disobedience from them. He told them to enter the gate in humility, and that He would forgive them for their mistakes and would increase those who do good in the good things of this world and of the Afterlife.

But the wrongdoers among them changed the words they were told to say, and said ‘A grain in a rite’, instead of asking for forgiveness, as they had been instructed to; and they changed what they had been told to do by entering whilst dragging themselves on their rears, rather than entering in humility to Allah, lowering their heads. So Allah sent them a punishment from the heaven because of their disobedience.

Ask the Jews about how Allah punished some of the Israelites. Remind them of the story of the town which was near to the sea where they used to overstep the limits of Allah: fishing on the Sabbath after they had been forbidden from doing so. Allah tested them by making the fish come to them so that they could see them clearly on the surface of the sea on Saturday, and then making them disappear from view during the rest of the week. Allah gave them this trial because of their disobedience and wrongdoing. So eventually they decided to fish by setting up their nets thereby using a trick, so that the fish would fall into them on Saturday and they could take them and eat them on Sunday.

Mention, O Messenger, when a group among them forbade them from doing what was wrong, cautioning them against it. Another group remarked: 'Why are you advising those whom Allah is going to destroy in this world because of their disobedience, or punish with a firm punishment on the Day of Judgement?' Those advising replied: 'This advising of ours is to be free from blame before Allah, through doing what He commanded us to do of instructing what is right and forbidding what is wrong, so that He would not take us to account for not doing so; and, perhaps, those we advise might benefit from the advice, and give up their disobedience.'

When the wrongdoers turned away from what those who advised them had reminded them of, and they would not give up their disobedience, Allah saved the group which had forbidden disobedience from the punishment, and afflicted those who transgressed the limits by fishing on the Saturday with a firm punishment, because they were not obedient to Allah and persisted in their rebellion.

When they overstepped the limits, rebelling against Allah out of pride and stubbornness, and they would not be advised, Allah told them: 'O you disobedient ones! Be you monkeys, humiliated!' So they became what He willed, because when He wills something He only says to it ‘Be!’ and it is.

Mention, O Messenger, when Allah declared in clear terms that He would put over the Jews those who would humiliate and humble them in this life until the Day of Judgement. Your Lord is quick with the punishment for those who go against Him, sometimes punishing them in the worldly life. Yet He is Forgiving to whoever repents to Him from among His servants, and is Merciful to them.

And I broke and separated them up in the earth, dividing them into communities, after they had been united. Among them were those who were righteous and who upheld the rights of Allah and the rights of His creatures; among them were those who were moderate; and among them were those who were excessive in their disobedience. Allah tested them with ease and difficulty, so that they might return from what they were doing.

Then an evil people followed after these people, receiving the Torah from those who came before them. They read it but did not act according to what was in it, taking the miserable goods of this life as a bribe to distort the scripture of Allah; and they gave judgements which were not according to what was revealed in the scripture, convincing themselves that Allah would forgive them their sins. If some petty worldly gain should come their way, they would take it every time. Did Allah not make promises and contracts with these people that they would not say anything about Allah except the truth, without distorting or changing anything? Their failure to act according to what was in the scripture was not due to ignorance, but was in full knowledge, because they had studied what was in the scripture and knew it, which meant that their disobedience was greater. Yet the home of the Afterlife and its eternal bliss is far better than any passing gain that they may have been given as a bribe. It is for those who are Mindful, following what He instructs and staying away from what He has prohibited. Do those who take these insignificant goods not understand that what Allah has prepared for those who are mindful in the Afterlife is far better and more lasting?

Those who hold tightly to the scripture and act according to it, establishing the prayer as it should be established and in its set times, Allah will reward their actions – Allah does not allow the reward of those who act well to be lost.

Mention, O Muhammad, when Allah raised the mountain above the Israelites when they refused to accept what was in the Torah. Then the mountain became like a cloud, casting a shadow over them, and they were sure it would fall upon them. They were told to firmly and seriously hold onto what Allah had revealed to them, and to remember the rulings that He had made law for them, and not to forget this, so that they might be Mindful.

Mention, O Muhammad, when your Lord took from the loins of the children of Adam their descendants and had them acknowledge, bearing witness to His lordship, making it part of their innate nature to acknowledge that He created them and that He is their Lord. He said to them, ‘Am I not your Lord?’ and they replied, ‘Yes, we bear witness’. Allah said: 'I asked you this question so that you would not deny the proofs of Allah on the Day of Judgement, saying that you did not have any knowledge of it.

'Lest you might say that your ancestors were the ones who broke the promise, taking others as partners with Allah, and that you were just following them. In this way, you would say: 'O our Lord! Will You destroy us for what our ancestors did, making our actions worthless because of taking others as partners with You?! Indeed we carry no sin because we were just following our ancestors and had no knowledge.'

So just as I made clear the signs and evidences for the previous nations, I make clear the lessons for these people (Quraish) so that they might repent from worshiping others as partners with Allah to believing in Him alone and worshipping Him alone, as they had agreed aforetime before they broke their promise.

Recite to the Israelites the news of the man from among them who Allah gave His signs to, so that he knew and understood the truth which they directed him to. But he did not act according to them, leaving them and removing himself away from them, so that Satan became his close companion, and he became one of those who go astray and are ruined, after he had been one of those who were rightly-guided and on the path to being saved.

If Allah had desired, He would have made this person benefit through these signs, enabling him to act according to them, so that he would be raised up in this world and in the next. But he chose what led to his failure, being attracted to the desires of the worldly life, and preferring them to the Afterlife. His example in his extreme greed for this world is like the example of a dog, which pants with its tongue constantly, whether it is resting or whether it is chased away. This example is the example of the people who are astray because of rejecting Allah’s signs. So relate the stories to them O Messenger so that they may think and reject their denial of the truth and their misguidance.

Is there anything worse than a people who reject Allah’s signs and proofs, not believing them, wronging themselves through doing so and only gaining their own ruin.

Whoever Allah allows to be guided to the right path is truly guided, because they chose the path of their Lord; and whoever Allah does not lead to His path, sending them away from it because of their deviation and bad actions, those are the true losers, who lose themselves and their families on the Day of Judgment – is that not complete loss?

And I made for the Hellfire, many people from Humankind and the Jinn, because of My Knowledge that they would do the actions of the people of Hell. They have hearts by which they do not understand what will benefit them and what will harm them; eyes which they do not use to see the signs of Allah within themselves and upon the horizons, so that they can learn from them; and they have ears which they do not use to listen to the verses of Allah, so that they might reflect over them. Such people resemble cattle in their lack of sense – rather, they are even more astray. They are oblivious to faith in Allah and the Last day.

To Allah, glory be to Him, belongs the most beautiful names which show His majesty and perfection. So use them to call on Allah when you ask for whatever you wish for. Also leave those who turn away from the truth of these names by assigning them to false dieties, or denying them, or distorting their meanings. Allah will repay those who do this with a painful punishment.

Among those Allah created are a nation which is guided by the truth, calling others to it so that they are also guided, and through the truth they are just in their judgement. They are the leaders of guidance whom Allah blessed with faith and good works.

Those who deny My signs, not having faith in them and rejecting them, I will continue to provide for them in the worldly life, not to honour them, but to lead them on gradually until they go further astray. Then they will be overtaken by the punishment when they do not expect it.

I delay the punishment of such people until they think they will not receive a punishment, so they keep increasing in their rejection and disbelief, thus their punishment also increases. My Planning is Strong-I outwardly display to them Kindness, but I intend for them to be forsaken.

Do those who reject the signs of Allah and His Messenger not think about things? If they used their minds it would be clear to them that Muhammad (peace be upon him) is not crazy. He is a messenger from Allah, Who sent him to give a clear warning about the punishment of Allah.

Do these people learn nothing from seeing Allah’s control of the heavens and the earth, and all the animals and plants and other things that Allah created in them, and their own life spans, the end of which may be near, so that they might repent to Allah before the time has gone? If they do not have faith in the Qur’ān and the promises it contains, what other book will they believe in?

Whoever Allah does not guide to the truth, sending them away from the right path, then there is no guide to direct them back to guidance. Allah leaves them in their misguidance and disbelief, wandering blindly, not being guided to anything that will ultimately benefit.

Those who reject the truth and proud ask you about the Hour, asking when its appointed time is. Say to them O Muhammad: 'I do not have knowledge of it, nor anyone else; but Allah alone has knowledge of it. Only Allah will reveal its decreed time. Its appearance is hidden from all of those in the heavens and earth, and it will only come upon them unexpectedly.' They ask you O Muhammad about the Hour as if you are eager to know it, not realising that you did not ask about it because of your knowledge of your Lord. Say to them O Muhammad: 'The knowledge of the Hour is with Allah alone, but most people do not know this.'

Say to them O Muhammad: 'I do not have the ability to bring good to myself, or to remove any harm from myself, except by Allah’s will. The dominion of these things belongs to Allah alone, and I only know what Allah taught me. I do not know the unseen, because if I did, I would have used what I know to serve my own interests, and to protect myself from misfortune, due to knowing about things before they happened. I am only a messenger from Allah, warning of a painful punishment, and bringing good news of Allah’s generous reward for a people who have faith, believing that I am a messenger from Him, and in what was revealed to me.'

It is He who created you from one soul, Prophet Adam (peace be upon him), and created from Adam (peace be upon him) his wife, Eve, creating her from his rib, so he would be close friends with her, and find peace with her. When he had relations with her she became pregnant with a light load, not noticed because it is at the beginning of the pregnancy. A woman continues with the pregnancy going about things without finding it heavy, until she becomes heavy with it when it has grown in her belly, the two of them call upon their Lord, saying: 'O our Lord, if You grant us a healthy child, we will be thankful for Your blessings.'

But when Allah responds to their prayer, and gives them a healthy child as they asked, they ascribe partners to Allah in what He gave to them when Allah is far above having any partner, and is alone in His divinity.

Do they consider these idols and other things to be partners with Allah being worthy of worship, when they know that these idols create nothing. Rather, they were created themselves, so how can they consider them to be partners with Allah in divinity?

These things that are worshipped instead of Allah cannot help those who worship them, and cannot even help themselves, so worshipping them is clearly foolish and ignorant.

And If you call these idols which you take as gods to guidance, they will not respond to what you call them to, nor can they follow you. It is the same whether you call them, or keep silent, because they are just objects, and are not conscious: they do not hear, and they cannot speak.

Those you call upon instead of Allah were created by Allah, and belong to Him, so they are the same as you in that way, although you are better in that you are living, and are able to speak and walk, and hear and see, while your idols are not so. Call on them and let them respond to you if you are telling the truth in what you say about them.

Do these idols which they take as gods have feet to walk with, or hands to act with and strike? Or do they have eyes to see with, or ears to hear with? If they are incapable of doing these things, how can you worship them, hoping for benefit from them, or to protect yourself from harm? Say O Messenger: 'Call upon your partners all together, and plot whatever you will against me, and give me no respite.'

Truly, my protector is Allah, Who keeps me safe, so that I need no one besides Him. I fear nothing from your idols, because Allah sent down the Book as a guidance to people; and it is He Who protects those who do good among His creation, keeping them safe and helping them.

Those you call upon O idolators from amongst these idols, are not able to help you, and are not able to help themselves. For they are utterly incapable, unable to do anything. So how can you call upon them instead of calling upon Allah?

If you call your idols which you worship instead of Allah to the right path and steadfastness, they will not hear you calling them. You see them facing you with painted eyes, objects that cannot see! For they used to make statues in the form of people and animals, with hands, feet and eyes, but they were just objects, inanimate and unable to move.

Accept from people O Messenger what they are able to do, the actions and conduct that is easy for them, and do not require them to do things that are too difficult for them, because that will drive them away. Instruct them to speak in a beautiful way and to do good actions, and turn away from those who are foolish and do not face them in their ignorance, returning like for like. Whoever harms you, do not harm them; and whoever denies you something, do not deny them.

And If you feel that Satan is bringing you an evil suggestion or stopping you from doing good, then ask Allah for protection and seek refuge with Him. He hears whatever you say, and is aware of you when you seek protection, and He will protect you from him.

Those who are mindful of Allah, following what He instructs and staying away from what He has prohibited, when an evil suggestion comes to them from Satan to do something wrong, they remember the might of Allah and His punishment for the wrongdoers and His reward for those who do good. They turn away from their disobedience, turning to Allah asking for forgiveness, so that they do the right thing, seeing clearly what they were doing wrong, and hold back from doing it.

The brothers of the satans, who commit immorality and disbelieve, are drawn by the satans into greater error, committing sin after sin. They do not stop in their efforts: neither the satans with their misguidance nor those who are immoral and who follow them, committing evil.

And If you O Messenger come with a sign, they reject it and turn away from it; and if you do not come to them with a sign, they ask why he did not produce one. Say to them O Messenger: 'It is not up to me to just come with a sign. Rather, I only follow what was revealed to me from Allah: the Qur’ān which I recite to you, an evidence and proof from Allah your Creator, the arranger of your lives, a guidance and mercy for the believers among His creation. As for those who do not have faith, then they are lost and wretched.'

When the Qur’ān is recited, listen to it being recited: do not talk, and do not busy yourself with something else, so that Allah may have mercy on you.

And remember Allah your Lord, humbly, with lowliness before Him, and with fear and awe. Call upon him in a moderate manner, not too loudly, at the beginning and end of the day, because of the special qualities of these times, and do not be among those who neglect the remembrance of Allah the Exalted.

The angels who are with your Lord are never too proud to worship Him, Glory be to Him. Rather, they devote themselves to worship with dedication, never tiring, glorifying Him day and night, and prostrating to Him.