| | Bijan Moeinian rendition of Surah The Heights, The Elevated Places(al-A`raf) --- |
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7:1 | | AL |
7:2 | | This book (Qur'an) is revealed to you (Mohammad) in order to re-enforce your belief and that there should not be any feeling of heaviness in your heart so that you may warn the disbelievers and to teach the believers |
7:3 | | Follow this Qur'an and worship the one and only one God and do not submit yourself to any worldly power; how little attention you pay to our admonitions |
7:4 | | If you only knew how many towns of the disbelievers I destroyed in account of their wrong doings. My punishment came to them at night or in the afternoon while they had a siesta |
7:5 | | The punishment came so fast upon them that they had only time to say: "How unjust we were." |
7:6 | | On the Day of Judgment, those to whom I sent My prophets will be questioned [as to whether or not they received the message and how they treated it.] My prophets, too, will be questioned [as to whether or not they delivered the message and how they were treated.] |
7:7 | | Then I will inform both [with authority what they were doing] as I was never absent from the scene |
7:8 | | The scale will justly measure the deeds. The one whose good deeds weight heavily [and outweighs his wrongdoings] will succeed |
7:9 | | The one who does not have enough to put in the scale, is the one who has betrayed his soul in his worldly life. This is because he treated My Revelations unjustly |
7:10 | | I put you on the earth, entrusted you with power and showered you with provision. What a shame that only a few are grateful |
7:11 | | I created you, then shaped you and then said to the angels, "Fall prostrate before Adam." They all obeyed and fell prostrate except Satan who disobeyed |
7:12 | | Your Lord then asked: "What prevented you from the prostration when I commanded you?" He replied: "I am better than Adam. You created me from fire, while Adam is made of mud [organic compound.] |
7:13 | | Your Lord said: "Go to the lower level as you do not have the right to brag [about your greatness] here. Get out as you are demoted." |
7:14 | | Satan said: "Would you do me a favor and let me stay till the Day of Resurrection?" |
7:15 | | The Lord replied: "Your wish is granted." |
7:16 | | Satan said: "As you have degraded me, I will [take my revenge and] appear to mankind enticing them to leave your straight path |
7:17 | | I will appear to them [in different shape & forms so that they do not recognize me] from all sides: right, left, front and behind. You will then find that most human beings do not appreciate Your favors [and easily leave the straight path in search of vanities.] |
7:18 | | The Lord replied: "Get out of here [the highest level of the paradise and the presence of the Lord.] You are expelled disgracefully. I will fill the Hell with you, and all those who follow you [when the Day of reckoning arrives.]" |
7:19 | | As for you, Adam, you and your wife may live in Paradise. Enjoy all kind of food which is available there; but never even approach such and such tree. By doing so, you will do injustice to your own soul |
7:20 | | Unfortunately Satan [as he had promised] succeeded in tempting them and they discovered the shameful part of themselves. Satan told them: "The reason for which God does not want you to approach this tree is that He does not want you to be elevated to the level of angels and or have an eternal life." |
7:21 | | Satan swore to them that he is their best advisor |
7:22 | | Thus he tempted them and laid the ground for their fall. When they (simultaneously) tasted [the fruit, leaf, or flower,... of] that tree, their shameful parts became apparent to each other and they began to cover themselves with the leaves of the Garden as such feeling is natural and not, according to the nudist, culturally imposed.] At that time their Lord called out to them, saying: "Did I not forbid you to go near this tree? Did I not warn you that Satan is your number one enemy?" |
7:23 | | Both of them [unlike Satan who did not show any regret for his disobedience] said: "Lord, we have done a great injustice to ourselves. If you do not forgive us and have mercy upon us, we will be the losers." |
7:24 | | The Lord [after having forgiven them] said: "Now go down to earth [and accomplish your duty there.] You will be divided into the enemies. Stay there for a while and you will have a [prescribed] provision [to be earned.]" |
7:25 | | The Lord added: "On earth you will live, on earth you will die and from earth you will be raised." |
7:26 | | O’ children of Adam, I have commanded you to wear cloths in order to cover the shameful parts of your body and protect yourselves. The best cloth [to surround you for your protection,] however, is the garment of piety. This commandment is revealed from the Lord so that you may [obey it and in this manner] remember the Lord |
7:27 | | O’ children of Adam, never let Satan to tempt you; the kind of temptation that led to the expulsion of your forefathers from the Paradise. His temptation led to the loss of their natural garments, revealing their shameful parts to each others. Satan and his followers are present with you but you cannot see them. I have let them to dominate those who have chosen the disbelief |
7:28 | | When the latter commit an indecency, they say: "We found our forefathers doing the same thing; therefore, what we do is the will of God!" Say to them: "God never commands indecencies." You do not know what you are talking about and [worse than that] you attribute [these nonsense] to the Lord |
7:29 | | Say to them: "My Lord advocates justice. Stand devoted to Him alone at the time of worship [and do not invoke anyone else's name at that time.] Dedicate your faith sincerely and exclusively to Him. Know that He will recreate you the same way that He created you and you will be summoned to meet Him [and stand for questioning.] |
7:30 | | God has guided some and left some (who deserved) alone to get lost. The latter are those who chose satans as their guardians and yet think that they are paving the right path |
7:31 | | O’ children of Adam, put your nice cloths on (and dress fully, properly and decently) when you attend a place where God is being worshipped. Enjoy eating and drinking but not in a wasteful manner. God does not like wasteful people |
7:32 | | Ask them [who believe in nudity and come up with their own dietary plans]: "Who [are these gods of yours who] forbid such beautiful dresses and good and pure things that the Lord has provided for His servants?" Say: "Such provisions are meant to be used by the believers and they [and not the disbelievers] will continue enjoying them exclusively in Hereafter." See how clearly My points are made to the knowledgeable people |
7:33 | | Say to them: "My Lord has prohibited only evil things (done publicly or secretly), sins and rebellion against the truth [as established by the Lord.] He has also forbidden ascribing powerless partners to Him and lying on His behalf." |
7:34 | | Know that each nation [like every individual] has a destiny and none can accelerate or postpone its death |
7:35 | | O’ children of Adam, I have sent you My prophets to recite My Revelations to you. Those who respect them and reform themselves should have no fear and will not be sorry |
7:36 | | As for those who disregard My Revelations and rebel against them, they will end up to live in Hellfire forever |
7:37 | | Tell me; who is more unjust than the one who comes with a false statement [such as God has sent His only son to shed his blood for the salvation of mankind] and pretends that it is from the Lord [and in this way confuses millions of the people of the generations to come] or disregards God's commandments out of pride [reducing himself to the level of Satan who refused God's order to bow down at Adam]? Such people will continue to receive their provisions that I have appointed for them until their times come up and My angels appear to take their soul asking them: "Where are those miserable gods of yours [your king, boss, woman, money, children, etc.] whom you worshipped, to save you now?" They will reply: "They have got lost!" By witnessing thus against themselves, they will confirm their wrongdoings |
7:38 | | God will then say: "Enter into the Hellfire like those humans and Jinns who entered before you." Each generation which will enter the Hell will curse the previous generations [for having laid the ground for their misfortune.] Once all are entered into the Hell, they will ask God to double the punishment of their ancestral who led them to such a destiny. The Lord will reply: "They will indeed be punished many folded without realizing [that their sever punishment is due to the fact that not only they have wronged themselves but also have laid ground for further evil deeds committed later by their inheritors.] |
7:39 | | The ancestral generations will say to the later generations: "You were not such victims as you pretend either; therefore, taste the punishment that you have earned for your sins |
7:40 | | Rest assured that the doors of the heaven will not open for those who [like Satan] showed pride and disobeyed My commandments. Their admission into Paradise is as impossible as the passing of the camel through the eye of the needle. This is the way that your Lord punishes the guilty ones |
7:41 | | Hell will be their bed and [fumes of] Hell will be their cover. This is the way that I reward the unjust people |
7:42 | | As to those who chose to believe and did good deeds, they are worthy of Paradise. After all, I do not ask more than one can take [to be eligible for ending up in Paradise and] to live there forever |
7:43 | | I will remove any [jealousy or] ill-feeling that they would have developed against each other [in their worldly life.] There will be rivers running under them. They will say: "Many thanks to the Lord Who guided us this way. We know that we could not have found the way on our own. Behold! The prophets of God were right in their teachings." Then a voice will say: "This is the Paradise that your good deeds have led you to." |
7:44 | | Those who live in Paradise will communicate with those who have ended up in Hell. They will ask: "Whatever God promised us came true; how about you? Did you find the promises of the Lord to be true? They will hear [only one word in return]: "Yes." Then a voice will intervene saying: "God's condemnation be upon the unjust people." |
7:45 | | The unjust people were those who drew people from the straight path and made it crooked [through distorting the Lord's revelations and fabricating lies] and denied Hereafter |
7:46 | | There will be a barrier between the inhabitants of Paradise and those who have to live in Hell. There will also be a group of people waiting in the heights (purgatory) hoping to be admitted into Paradise. They recognize each group by their faces and send their salutations to the inhabitants of the Paradise saying : "Salamon-Alaikum (meaning peace be with you in Arabic.)" |
7:47 | | When the latter' eyes will be turned towards the inhabitants of Hell, they will pray: "Lord, please do not include us among such unjust people." |
7:48 | | Those among them who recognize some [unjust rich and famous] people [of their generation], will call upon them saying: "Your worldly wealth and position (that you were so proud of) did not come to your help." |
7:49 | | They will continue: "Are not these inmates of Paradise the same people whom you [were making fun of and] swore that God would never shower them with any blessing? [Now listen to the voice saying: ] "Enter into Paradise where you will never feel any fear or sadness." |
7:50 | | The inmate of Fire will beg the inhabitants of Paradise: "Give us a little bit of the water and a small portion of what God has provided for you." They will reply: "God has forbidden them to you." |
7:51 | | In that Day, I will forget those who treated their religion as a joke and entertainment and were totally absorbed in the worldly affair, the same way that they forgot My Revelations and [the seriousness of] the Day of the meeting of their Creator." |
7:52 | | As a matter of fact, I have blessed these people with a Book (Qur'an) which is based upon the fact, and explains in detail [the way to the salvation.] This guidance is indeed the Lord's mercy upon those who have chosen to believe |
7:53 | | What are they waiting for? For the fulfillment [of what is promised in this book]? In that Day the only thing that they may say is: "Indeed what the Lord warned us through His prophets is true. Now, is there anyone to plea on our behalf? Is there anyway that we are sent back so that we make it up to the Lord by behaving differently than what we did?" They will, thus, find themselves in a great loss and will realize that what they took as their Lords, have left them alone |
7:54 | | Know that your Lord is the One Who created the heavens and the earth in six days/ period .Then He assumed the authority. I make the night to cover the day and the day to swiftly follow the night. The sun, the moon and the stars follow His Command. He is the Creator and He is in control. Full of blessing is the Lord of the worlds |
7:55 | | Talk to your Lord in humility and privately; know that God does not like those who trespass His already established limits |
7:56 | | Do not start corruption in a land which has already gone through the reform; ask what you want from your Lord with humility and hope and know that the Lord's blessing is at the outreach of the graceful people |
7:57 | | God is the One Who sends the winds as the messengers of the good news of His Mercy. They direct the thick clouds to any dead land that the Lord wants to shower and cause all kind of fruits to grow. See how your Lord brings life out of the death; may you learn a lesson from this observation |
7:58 | | The land which has a rich soil [like a person who has a graceful soul] will produce rich products (by the will of God) while the poor soil [no matter how much rain it gets] will produce nothing of substance. See how I remind the grateful people again and again [so that they reform and purify themselves.] |
7:59 | | I send Noah [like a rain to a poor land explained in vs.to his people. He said: "My people, worship and obey only the Lord as there is no other God. I hate to see you being sentenced to an awful punishment on that somber Day of Judgment." |
7:60 | | The leaders of his people [mockingly] replied: "What a shame that you are out of your mind." |
7:61 | | Noah replied: "My people, I am not out of my mind. I am a prophet of the Creator of the worlds." |
7:62 | | "I relay to you the Messages of my Lord. Believe me, I have the best intention as the Lord has taught me what you do not know |
7:63 | | "Do you find it strange that a man, from among yourselves, be chosen to warn you so that you may come to your senses, respect the Lord and deserve His Mercy?" |
7:64 | | Eventually I saved him (and those who chose to seek refuge in his arc) and drowned those who chose to ignore My Revelations; indeed the latter were literally blind |
7:65 | | As to the people of Ad (one of the most ancient nations living in south Arabia), I send their brother Hood who said to them: "My people, worship God as there is none like Him. Is it not time that you [come to your senses and] respect Him?" |
7:66 | | Their leader responded: "You have gone crazy and you are fabricating stories." |
7:67 | | Hood replied: "I am not crazy; on the contrary, I am chosen as a prophet by the Creator of the worlds." |
7:68 | | "My mission is to relay the Lord's Message. Believe me, I am a trustworthy person who has come to admonish you." |
7:69 | | "What is so strange about the Lord's warnings being relayed to you through a person chosen from among yourselves? Do not forget that, after the people of Noah, you are the ones that God gave the superiority to represent Him on earth. Be grateful to what God has showered you with so that you may succeed." |
7:70 | | They replied: "Do you mean that we should worship only God and forget about [our "cultural roots" and about what our] forefathers were used to worship? If you are truthful, then subject us to that punishment [of your Lord] that you are talking about so much." |
7:71 | | He replied: "You have thus condemned yourselves and earned the Lord's disenchantment. How can you engage in an argument about the oneness of God with me? What are these baseless names that you and your forefathers have invented [god of rain, god of the winds, god of this and god of that]? Let us wait and see the result [of your disobedient.] |
7:72 | | Then I saved him and his followers out of mercy and destroyed those who chose to disregard My Revelations as they did not have any belief |
7:73 | | As to the nation of Thamud, I appointed their brother Saaleh. He proclaimed: "My people; obey God as you do not have any Lord beside Him. As a symbol of His obedience, He is asking you to let this female camel [which may have been created in a miraculous manner such as the bird that Jesus made from the clay] to graze freely in the Lord's land [like many endangered species which are protected by the law in our modern time.] If you approach her with a bad intention, you will be subjected to a sever punishment." |
7:74 | | "Never forget that your Lord replaced the people of Ad with you, gave you dignity and helped you to build your castles on the plains and carve out great houses inside the hills. Show your gratefulness by worshipping none but God and do not spread sinful behaviors on [the Lord's] earth." |
7:75 | | Their arrogant leaders asked the believers (who were mainly the oppressed ones): "How do you know that Saaleh is the prophet of God?" They replied: "The nature of the very message that he brought was enough for us to believe in his prophet hood." |
7:76 | | Those who were suffering from [the disease of] pride said: "We disbelieve what you believe in." |
7:77 | | Then they defied the Lord's orders and killed the camel [which was presented to them as a miracle] and mockingly said: "Well Saleh subject us to the punishment that you were talking about, if you are a true prophet." |
7:78 | | Eventually they were killed by a sudden catastrophe, while resting at home |
7:79 | | The last word of Saaleh before leaving them was: "My people, I conveyed to you the message of the Lord and admonished you, but it seems that you resent those who wish you nothing but good." |
7:80 | | And Lot [also was puzzled with his people's behavior and] told to his people: "How low have you sunk to engage in kind of indecencies that none has committed before you." |
7:81 | | "What is wrong with you that you prefer men as your sexual partners instead of women [that God has created for this purpose.] What a daring people you are [in defying the Lord.] |
7:82 | | Their only response was: "Deport these [God fearing] people out of here as they are too pious [and a threat to our "... way of life."] |
7:83 | | I saved Lot and his followers, except his wife who was one of those who stayed behind [as she was "happy" with "... way of life."] |
7:84 | | Then I sent them a rain (perhaps a rain of stones & fires); what an awful rain it was. Imagine, what a terrible destiny for a guilty nation |
7:85 | | As to the people of Mydian, I appointed their brother Shu'aib as a prophet. He said: "My people, obey God as you do not have any other Lord beside Him. He has indeed provided you with an undeniable miracle. Do not sell less than what you are paid for by using the wrong scales. Do not cheat people out of their rights. Do not spread all kind of sinful act in the [Lord's] land once the corruption has been dealt with. These are the best advices to follow, if you have chosen the belief." |
7:86 | | "Do not practice the highway robbery. Do not entice people to leave the straight path that leads to God and do not justify the wrong doings. Remember you were a small tribe and God turned you into a big nation and [above all] learn a lesson from the miserable destiny of the previous corrupt people." |
7:87 | | "Those of you who have chosen to believe (as well as those of you who have chosen to disbelieve) in the message that I am chosen to convey, have to wait till God judge between us; and God is the best judge." |
7:88 | | The arrogant leaders of his people said: "Be careful Shu,aib! If you and your followers do not return to our way of life, we will kick you all out of this country." Shu'aib said: "Even if we resent your way of life?" |
7:89 | | "We will be guilty of not adopting the Lord's prescribed way of life; especially after Him having [done a favor and] revealed to us the right path. God willing, we will never return to your way of life. Know that the Lord is the Most Knowledgeable [and knows which way of life is the best for His people.] and we put our trust in God. O Lord, please judge between us with truth as your criterion; we trust that you are the best of judges." |
7:90 | | The leaders of his people (who had chosen to reject the message of God) said to the people: "If you accept the Shu'aib's way of life, we will be all ruined |
7:91 | | Consequently (in response to the Shu'aib's plea and their own wrongdoings) they were subjected to a catastrophic shock and they fell prostrate [out of fear or for repentance] and died in their own home [as they were not given any time to escape.] |
7:92 | | Those who rejected Sha'ib, were so wiped out as if they had never existed. Those who rejected Shu'aib [for the fear of being ruined,] were [completely] ruined |
7:93 | | When Shu'aib decided to leave that [doomed] place, he said: "O my people, I delivered the message of my Lord to you and I warned you [as your well-wisher about the consequences of your rebellion.] How can feel bad about what happened to the people who choose to disbelieve |
7:94 | | Whenever I sent a prophet to a nation, I tried them in hardship and sufferings so that they humble themselves |
7:95 | | Then I changed their situation so that they prosper enough [to rebel and in reply to My warnings] say: "Our fathers also went through hardship and prosperity." I subjected all [such rebellious people] to a sudden catastrophe while they were unaware |
7:96 | | Had such people chosen to believe and be righteous, I would have showered them with My blessings from the heaven and the earth. Unfortunately, they chose to disbelieve and earned their punishment |
7:97 | | How can today's citizens be sure that they will not be subject to My sudden punishment at night |
7:98 | | How can they be sure that My punishment will not be sent upon them during the day while they are engaged in their daily activities |
7:99 | | Are they not afraid of the Lord's plan? The fact of the matter is, only the losers are not afraid of the Lord's punishment |
7:100 | | Does it ever occur to those who inherit the land [from the previous generations who earned the Lord's punishment] that, if I will, I can punish them too for their sins? I seal their heart [for their carelessness] so that they do not hear [and become insensitive to the truth and earn a higher degree of punishment for the continuation of their sinful acts.] |
7:101 | | I am telling you the life stories of such people [so that you take a heed and come to your senses.] Their prophets came to them [as warmers] with undeniable miracles but they refused to accept the truth that they had already chosen to deny. This is [the Devine law and] the reason for which I seal the hearts of the disbelievers [so that they become insensitive to sins and subject themselves to a higher level of punishment.] |
7:102 | | They proved that most of them do not have the least respect for their promises (like the Jews who God took a solemn covenant from them and they broke it) and, thus, most of them prefer to live in corruption |
7:103 | | After those nations, I sent Moses with clear proofs to Pharaoh and his administrators. They, too, showed injustice by denying them. Note what happened to those corrupt people |
7:104 | | Moses said: "O Pharaoh, I am a messenger of the Creator of the worlds." |
7:105 | | "In such a capacity, I can not say nothing but the truth. I have come with undeniable miracles to you. Let the children of Israel leave with me." |
7:106 | | Pharaoh replied: "If you are truthful, then show us your miracles." |
7:107 | | Then Moses threw down his staff and suddenly it turned into a huge snake |
7:108 | | Then Moses took his hand out of his pocket and it started to radiate a white light |
7:109 | | The chief officers of the Pharaoh said: "This man is indeed the most knowledgeable magician." |
7:110 | | "His main intention is [to change your "Egyptian way of life" and] to kick you out of your land from you [as your land without free slave to produce for you worth nothing.]" Now what do you want to do about it |
7:111 | | The Pharaoh said: "Leave him and his brother alone.&hellip |
7:112 | | while you summon every great magician [to reveal his tricks and/or cancel his magic." |
7:113 | | All magicians rushed to the Pharaoh's court and said: "Will there be a reward for us [to defeat Moses?" |
7:114 | | Pharaoh said: "In addition to a monetary reward, you will get a close position to me." |
7:115 | | They asked Moses who shall throw down first. Moses said: "Go ahead." |
7:116 | | Then they all cast their devices and created frightening illusions |
7:117 | | Then I told Moses to throw down his staff. To each magic of them that the snake approached, that act was nullified |
7:118 | | Thus their tricks were revealed and the truth prevailed |
7:119 | | Defeated and humbled, those experts in magic [recognized the truth and].. |
7:120 | | fell prostrate (as a sign of respect for the demonstration of the power of God) |
7:121 | | They said: "Now we believe in the Creator of the worlds… |
7:122 | | The Lord of Moses and Aaron." |
7:123 | | Pharaoh told them: "How dare you to pronounce your belief before I give you the permission? This must be a conspiracy between you (while you were in town) in order to secure the release of his people. You will see." |
7:124 | | "I am going to order your hands and legs be cut off on opposite sides and then you will be crucified." |
7:125 | | They said: "So what? One day we will die, anyway, and be returned to our Lord." |
7:126 | | "The reason for which you want to take vengeance is because we have seen the miracles of the Lord and have believed in it. Lord, give us patience and let us die as Muslims (in Arabic meaning in the state of submission to God) |
7:127 | | The chief administrators of Pharaoh turned to him and said: "Now what? Do you let Moses and his people to rebel and mock at your gods?" The Pharaoh replied: "I will kill their males and leave their females to live [and subject them to the humiliation] so that they understand that I have the higher hand |
7:128 | | Moses said to his people: "Keep faith, be patient and pray for the Lord's help. The land belongs to God and He is the One to decide who should inherit it. Know that the righteous ones are victorious at the end |
7:129 | | His people complained: "What is this? Before you come to use we were oppressed and now that you have come to us, we are still oppressed!" Moses said: "In the near future God will destroy your enemies and establish you as His representative on earth to see whether or not you will choose to behave accordingly." |
7:130 | | Then I subjected the Pharaoh's people to several years of drought and famine (giving them thus a respite out of mercy) so that they may come to their senses |
7:131 | | Whenever something good happened to them, they would consider it as their own achievement and whenever a misfortune overtook them, they would blame Moses and his people for it. What they did not realize was that all those misfortunes were sent to them by God [to humble them.] |
7:132 | | They said to Moses: "No matter how many miracles you come up with, we will never believe in you!" |
7:133 | | I sent upon them the storm [causing many deaths], the locusts, the lice, the frogs and the rain of blood. They denied all these signs as they were guilty of arrogance |
7:134 | | Any time that they were subject to one of these misfortunes, they would come to Moses and say: "Please use your closeness to the Lord and ask Him to remove this calamity from us. If you can remove it, we will definitely believe in you this time and let the Israelites go with you." |
7:135 | | But as soon as I finish with one calamity, at its prescribed time, they would immediately break their promises |
7:136 | | Thus, I took My revenge and drowned them all in the sea. After all, they denied My sings and did not taking My warnings seriously |
7:137 | | After this I made those who had been oppressed (the Israelites) the inheritors of the east and the west part of the blessed land (Palestine.) Thus your Lord fulfilled His Promise to them as they had shown the patience. As to Pharaoh and his people, I ruined what they had accomplished and their high rises |
7:138 | | After letting the Israelites pass through the sea, they started their journey and came upon a people who were worshipping their idols. The Israelites [who were fascinated by their rituals] said: "Moses, Make a similar god for us [so that we can sing and dance and engage in a kind of fascinating rituals that these people are involved with.] Moses replied: "What an ignorant people you are." |
7:139 | | "What these people are doing will lead to their destruction and what they are doing is nothing but the vanities." |
7:140 | | Then he added: "Should I look for another god for you while it was God who showered you, more than any other nation in the world, with His blessing?" |
7:141 | | "Have you forgotten that it was God who saved you from the worst persecution of the people of Pharaoh? They were killing your males and abusing your females. What a great trial the Lord let you go through!" |
7:142 | | Then I summoned Moses for an audience of forty days [to Mt. Sinai for the revelation of Torah.] Before his departure, Moses said to his brother Aaron: "In my absence, you are in charge. Maintain righteousness and do not follow the corrupt people's path." |
7:143 | | When Moses came to My meeting and His Lord spoke to him, he requested: "Lord, indulge me with the pleasure of looking at you." His Lord said: "You [are physically limited and] cannot see me. Look at that mountain [which is made of the matter]; if it can stand My [full] presence, then your eyes [which are made of the matter] will be capable to see me too". When His Lord manifested Himself to the mountain, that turned it into fine dust, and Moses fell unconscious. When Moses got back to normal, he said: "Lord, Glory is yours. Please accept my repentance. I am the first to believe in you." |
7:144 | | I said: "Moses, I have chosen you among all the people to have [direct] conversation with Me and to deliver My Message. Take [care of] what I am giving you and be grateful." |
7:145 | | Then I made My admonitions, concerning every aspect of life, and detailed commandments, being inscribed upon the tablets. I gave them to Moses and said: "Take these wholeheartedly and tell your people to follow them according to their best sense [and not to make them subject to the strange kind of interpretations.] Pretty soon, I will show you where the wicked ones will end in." |
7:146 | | "As to those who behave arrogantly on the for no reason, I will make them insensitive to My Revelations so that they do not believe in it. If they see a path of guidance, they will resent taking it but if they see a crooked path, they will be attracted to it. This is their punishment for the denial of My Signs and their caring less." |
7:147 | | "Any good deed of those who deny My Revelations (as well as meeting Me on the Last Day), is nullified. Is it not that the guilty ones expect a fair punishment in accordance to what they have done?" |
7:148 | | While Moses was absent [receiving the most important code of behavior for the believers], his people melted down their jewelries to make the statue of a cow with a capacity to make a sound. Were they not able to see that it could not neither talk nor guide them to the right path? Yet they took it as their god; how unjust of them |
7:149 | | When they [saw Moses and] came to their senses, they realized that they have gone too far. They then prayed: "If our Lord does not show mercy and does not forgive us, we are nothing but the losers." |
7:150 | | That was when Moses returned in rage and disappointment saying: "What you have done in my absence is the most devilish. Could you not wait for me with the patience so that I come back with the Lord's Commandments?" Then he threw down the tablets and took his brother's hair and dragged him in anger. Aaron said: "Son of my mother, these people rebelled and wanted to kill me. Do not make my enemies happy by treating me like the wrongdoers." |
7:151 | | Moses then said: "Lord, please forgive me and my brother and admit us into the dominion of your mercy as you are the Most Merciful." |
7:152 | | The Lord said: "Those who chose the cow as their god, have surely earned their Lord's anger. They will encounter nothing but the misery in their worldly life. This is the way that I punish those who fabricate falsehood." |
7:153 | | "As for those who committed the sins and then came to their senses and repented, and chose to believe, will surely find your Lord the Most Forgiving and Merciful." |
7:154 | | When the Moses' anger was calmed down, he picked up the broken tablets which were source of guidance, manifesting the Lord's mercy for God respecting people |
7:155 | | Moses then chose seventy men from among his people to come to the next audience of Mine [asking for forgiveness and hoping to receive a new copy of the broken tablets.] When a sever earthquake overtook them, Moses said: "My Lord, if it was your will, you would have destroyed them along with me long time ago. Is it now your will to destroy us all in account of the stupidity of some of us? What happened was really a test for us so that you decide to mislead whoever you want [and naturally deserves] and guide whoever you will. You are our only Protector; please forgive us and have mercy on us as you are the Most Forgiving." |
7:156 | | "Lord please grant us the best in this world and in the Hereafter. We have now turned to you." The Lord replied: "As far as the punishment is concerned, it will be sent to whoever I decide. As to My Mercy, it embraces everything [after all, without the Lord's Mercy, the whole universe will be crumbled down as He is the one who keeps its together.]" I will shower My Mercy upon those who obey me, spend on charity and believe in My Revelations." |
7:157 | | [Now that you are given this background,] know that all those who follow this [as mocked at by Jews as] "gentile prophet" {which is prophesized in the old testament [Deuteronomy 15-as well as in the original Gospel [which its fragments can be found here and there such as John 14:16-& 16:13]}who invites them to do good, forbids wrongdoings, makes pure things lawful and impure things unlawful, relieves them of their [falsified legal] burdens and frees them from their shackles [of superstition and fabricated theologies.] Only those will succeed who believe in his prophet hood, support him in his mission, give him a helping hand and follow the light (Qur'an) which is revealed to him |
7:158 | | Say: "O mankind, I am a Messenger to all of you from the Lord to Whom belongs the kingdom of the heavens and the earth. There is no deity beside Him. He is the One Who gives life and ordains death. Therefore, believe in God and His Messenger, the "gentile prophet" who believes in God and His Commandments. Follow him, that you may be guided." |
7:159 | | Among the people of Moses, there were some who admonished the others and used justice in their judgments |
7:160 | | I divided the people of Moses [a big community of some two million] into twelve clans and told Moses to strike a certain rock with his staff while they were all thirsty. Suddenly twelve springs gushed forth from the stone and each clan intuitively went to its assigned spring. I covered them with the shade of the cloud and sent them manna and quails [from the sky.] I wanted them to eat pure things [and be grateful.] What they ended up doing did not hurt Me the least, they simply did injustice to their own souls." |
7:161 | | Recall [their response] when they were told: "march into the town (Palestine), bow down your head as a sign of being humble, say "hittatum" (amnesty to its dwellers), get established in that town and enjoy what God has in reserve for you there. I will forgive your sins [such as worshipping the cow] and reward the good deeds of the righteous ones among you many folded." |
7:162 | | The most unjust people among them, changed what was commanded and fabricated their own version. Consequently, I sent misery from the sky for them for being so unjust |
7:163 | | Ask them about their disobedience [JEREMIAH 21-& EZEKIEL 12-24], concerning the law that prohibited them to work on Saturdays (punishable by death (Exodus 12-16).) I tried the inhabitants of one of their sea-ports [probably close by Aquaba] by bringing schools of fish close to shore on Saturdays and none during the week days. What a [difficult] trial the wrongdoers had to go thru [to prove that they have reformed themselves.] |
7:164 | | When some of them [who were not violating the Sabbath but were "respecting" the freedom of choice of those who were breaking the law] asked [those who had assumed their God ordained responsibility to invite people to the righteousness and forbid them from wrongdoings]: "Why do you [do not mind your business and] bother to preach the people whom God is going to destroy or severely punish?" The preachers said: "In order to accomplish our God assigned duty and hoping that they may come to their senses [in the last moments] and respect the Lord." |
7:165 | | When they completely forgot the commandments that they were reminded of [by their preachers], I saved those who were forbidding the wrongdoings and severely punished the rebels [including those who did not participate in preaching as it was a part of the commandments] as they were corrupt |
7:166 | | When, even after this punishment, they persisted in breaking the law, I said to them, "Become apes; disgusted and disgraced!" |
7:167 | | Remind them that God has declared that He will rise up against them different people [the last one being the Nazis during 1940s] who will subject them to the harshest persecution over and over again till the Day of Resurrection. Your Lord is the most efficient in punishment and [at the same time] the Most Forgiving [as He has let them to establish their own state of Israel and start acting unjust] and the Most Merciful [leaving the doors open to them to repent and submit themselves to the will of God ("be a Muslim" in Arabic language.)] |
7:168 | | I divided them into separate communities, scattered all over the earth. Some of them were righteous and some wrongdoers. I tried them both in prosperity and in misery so that they might come back [to the straight path.] |
7:169 | | The generations after them inherited the Scripture, but they preferred the vanities of this low life and said: "God will forgive us (as they were considering themselves the favorites of the Lord)!" Now if they would have received another [shameful] proposal, they would not have hesitated in accepting it. Did they not make a solemn covenant that they will uphold the Scripture and say nothing but the truth about the Lord? They have studied the Scriptures and know that the Hereafter is much better for the righteous ones? Do they ever contemplate |
7:170 | | As for those who make the Scripture the center of their life and worship the Lord on regular basis, I will not let go waste the reward of such righteous people |
7:171 | | I raised the mountain above them like an umbrella and they thought that they will be crushed by it. Then I said to them: "Hold fast to this Book and remember its commandments so that you may attain righteousness |
7:172 | | Your Lord once gathered all the descendants of Adam and asked them: "Am I your Lord?" they replied: "Most certainly." This confirmation will be presented against them on the Day of the Resurrection, if they say: "We were unaware of these things." |
7:173 | | Man cannot say then: "Why do you hold us responsible for what our grandfathers started and we simply followed in their footsteps?" |
7:174 | | See how I make Mt Revelations clear so that these people choose to return to the right path |
7:175 | | Tell to people what happened to a certain person to whom My miracles were revealed but he chose to disregard them, follow the Satan and, consequently, ended up among the losers |
7:176 | | If I wanted, I could have [deprived him of his freedom of choice and have] elevated him by the means of those revelations. His choice was to stick to the world and follow his own lusts. Such person is like a dog whose tongue is always out as a sign of his continuous lust. His life story is similar to those people who chose to disregard My Revelations. Go on and relate these stories to them, perhaps they come to their senses |
7:177 | | How sad is the story of those who chose to disregard My revelations and, consequently, do injustice to their own souls |
7:178 | | The one who [has earned the privilege and] is guided by the Lord, is rightly guided. As for the one who [has earned the Lord's wrath and] is not guided by God, he will find himself among the losers |
7:179 | | There are so many Jinns (extra-terrestrials) and humans who behave as though they are created just to end up in Hell! They have conscious, but their conscious is insensitive to the facts; they have eyes, but they do not want to see; they have ears, but they do not want to hear. They are like the animal. Even worse than that: they simply do not care |
7:180 | | God has many wonderful attributes [such as being Merciful, Forgiving, Greatest, Lord, King, Just, Creator, teacher,...]; call upon Him using these names. Never mind those who make such names subject to their mockeries. They will earn what they deserve for their behavior |
7:181 | | Among those whom I have created, there are the ones who recourse to the truth as their guidance and become righteous |
7:182 | | As for those who disregard My Revelations, I will gradually lead them to ruin in such a way that they do not feel it at all |
7:183 | | Even though I am grant them time [to come to their senses], they are subject to My formidable plan |
7:184 | | Have they ever given thought to the intention of their friend (Mohammad)? He is not crazy; he is only a plain Warner |
7:185 | | Have they ever been at awe with the functioning of the heavens and the earth? Have they ever closely observed what God has created? Have they ever considered about their life pretty soon coming to an end? What else can make them to believe then |
7:186 | | The fact of the matter is, whoever God drives to the disbelief, there is no way for anyone to guide him. God will let such person to continue his rebellion |
7:187 | | They ask you when the world will end; say: "Only God knows and He will disclose it at the proper time. It will be too heavy of a burden for the universe to stand it and will happen all of a sudden." They approach you presuming that you have knowledge about this subject. Say: "Only God knows it but most people do not realize it [and recourse to all kind of fortune tellers to find it!]" |
7:188 | | Tell them: "I have no power to make my life more pleasant nor can I prevent any misfortune which will happen to me. Only God can do these things. If I knew the unseen, I would have taken advantage of it and have prevented the unfortunate events. I am only a Warner [to those who are careless] and have good news [about the Paradise] for those who believe |
7:189 | | It is God Who has created you all from one person (Adam). Then from him, God created his spouse so that he may find peace in her. When the man covered his spouse, she got a light load that she can not notice. When the load grew heavier, they both prayed: "Lord, if you give us a good child, we will be grateful." |
7:190 | | But when God answered their prayer, [instead of being grateful, as they had promised], they associated other things with the Lord ( and started to worship wealth, women, kings,..., and worse than all these, the idols. |
7:191 | | How foolish of some people associating with the Lord the partners that, not only can create nothing, but also are themselves being created by God |
7:192 | | These gods of them not only can not help them but are also incapable of helping themselves |
7:193 | | If you invite them [change their attitude and] to follow the right path, they will not follow you. It will be all the same for you whether you call them or remain silent |
7:194 | | Those to whom you offer your prayers, instead of the Lord, are merely creatures of the Lord like yourselves. If you really believe in their power, call them for help and see for yourselves whether or not they can respond |
7:195 | | Do they have legs on which they walk? [Yes or no?] Do they have hands to use? [Yes or no?] Do they have eyes to see with? [Yes or no?] Do they have ears to hear with? [Yes or no?] Say: "Sit down with your so called "Partners of God", and ask them to destroy me without any notice." |
7:196 | | My Protector is the Lord Who has revealed this book and He protects the righteous people |
7:197 | | As for those lower than God whom you have taken as your protectors, they cannot help you nor can they help themselves |
7:198 | | When you invite them to the right path, their ears does not process your call. Although it seems that they are looking at you, they do not see nothing |
7:199 | | Forgive their shortcomings, advocate what is good and avoid useless discussions with the ignorant people |
7:200 | | If Satan provokes you to become angry, seek refuge in God [to stay cool]: Know that He Hears and He Knows everything |
7:201 | | The fact of the matter is, anytime that Satan approaches the righteous people, they detect it immediately and see what is right and what is wrong |
7:202 | | As for their brothers [who fall into the Satan's trap], they are continuously being enticed to adopt the wrong path |
7:203 | | When you do not come up with a miracle per request, they say: "Why do you not ask the Lord to help you with a miracle?" Say: "My task is to follow what is revealed to me [and I am not in miracle- making business.] This Qur'an [by itself is the greatest miracle as it] contains beacons of insight from your Lord as well as guidance sent as a mercy to those who chose to believe |
7:204 | | Therefore, when Qur'an is being recited, keep quiet and listen; it may be that you also be included in the Lord's Mercy |
7:205 | | Talk to your Lord, morning and evening, with a sincerity which come from the within, with humility, with respect and in a low voice and do not be like those who simply do not care |
7:206 | | Those who are close to your Lord do not consider it below their dignity to worship Him, glorify Him and fall prostrate before Him |