English Translation and Commentary of the Holy Quran (2010)
by Maulana Muhammad Ali
Chapter 7: Al-Araf — The Elevated Places (Revealed at Makkah: 24 sections, 206 verses)
Section 20 (Verses 7:158–7:162): Divine Favours on Israelites
Translation:
قُلۡ یٰۤاَیُّہَا النَّاسُ اِنِّیۡ رَسُوۡلُ اللّٰہِ اِلَیۡکُمۡ جَمِیۡعَۨا الَّذِیۡ لَہٗ مُلۡکُ السَّمٰوٰتِ وَ الۡاَرۡضِ ۚ لَاۤ اِلٰہَ اِلَّا ہُوَ یُحۡیٖ وَ یُمِیۡتُ ۪ فَاٰمِنُوۡا بِاللّٰہِ وَ رَسُوۡلِہِ النَّبِیِّ الۡاُمِّیِّ الَّذِیۡ یُؤۡمِنُ بِاللّٰہِ وَ کَلِمٰتِہٖ وَ اتَّبِعُوۡہُ لَعَلَّکُمۡ تَہۡتَدُوۡنَ ﴿۱۵۸﴾
7:158 Say: O mankind, surely I am the Messenger of Allah to you all, of Him Whose is the kingdom of the heavens and the earth.1 There is no god but He; He gives life and causes death. So believe in Allah and His Messenger, the Ummī Prophet who believes in Allah and His words, and follow him so that you may be guided aright.
وَ مِنۡ قَوۡمِ مُوۡسٰۤی اُمَّۃٌ یَّہۡدُوۡنَ بِالۡحَقِّ وَ بِہٖ یَعۡدِلُوۡنَ ﴿۱۵۹﴾
7:159 And of Moses’ people is a party who guide with truth and with it they do justice.2
وَ قَطَّعۡنٰہُمُ اثۡنَتَیۡ عَشۡرَۃَ اَسۡبَاطًا اُمَمًا ؕ وَ اَوۡحَیۡنَاۤ اِلٰی مُوۡسٰۤی اِذِ اسۡتَسۡقٰىہُ قَوۡمُہٗۤ اَنِ اضۡرِبۡ بِّعَصَاکَ الۡحَجَرَ ۚ فَانۡۢبَجَسَتۡ مِنۡہُ اثۡنَتَا عَشۡرَۃَ عَیۡنًا ؕ قَدۡ عَلِمَ کُلُّ اُنَاسٍ مَّشۡرَبَہُمۡ ؕ وَ ظَلَّلۡنَا عَلَیۡہِمُ الۡغَمَامَ وَ اَنۡزَلۡنَا عَلَیۡہِمُ الۡمَنَّ وَ السَّلۡوٰی ؕ کُلُوۡا مِنۡ طَیِّبٰتِ مَا رَزَقۡنٰکُمۡ ؕ وَ مَا ظَلَمُوۡنَا وَ لٰکِنۡ کَانُوۡۤا اَنۡفُسَہُمۡ یَظۡلِمُوۡنَ ﴿۱۶۰﴾
7:160 And We divided them into twelve tribes, as nations. And We revealed to Moses when his people asked him for water: March on to the rock with your staff; so out flowed from it twelve springs. Each tribe knew its drinking-place. And We made the clouds to give shade over them and We sent to them manna and quails. Eat of the good things We have given you. And they did not do Us any harm, but they wronged their own souls.
وَ اِذۡ قِیۡلَ لَہُمُ اسۡکُنُوۡا ہٰذِہِ الۡقَرۡیَۃَ وَ کُلُوۡا مِنۡہَا حَیۡثُ شِئۡتُمۡ وَ قُوۡلُوۡا حِطَّۃٌ وَّ ادۡخُلُوا الۡبَابَ سُجَّدًا نَّغۡفِرۡ لَکُمۡ خَطِیۡٓـٰٔتِکُمۡ ؕ سَنَزِیۡدُ الۡمُحۡسِنِیۡنَ ﴿۱۶۱﴾
7:161 And when it was said to them: Dwell in this town and eat from it wherever you wish, and make petition for forgiveness, and enter the gate submissively, We shall forgive you your wrongs. We shall give more to the doers of good.
فَبَدَّلَ الَّذِیۡنَ ظَلَمُوۡا مِنۡہُمۡ قَوۡلًا غَیۡرَ الَّذِیۡ قِیۡلَ لَہُمۡ فَاَرۡسَلۡنَا عَلَیۡہِمۡ رِجۡزًا مِّنَ السَّمَآءِ بِمَا کَانُوۡا یَظۡلِمُوۡنَ ﴿۱۶۲﴾٪
7:162 But those who were unjust among them changed it for a word other than that which they were told, so We sent upon them a pestilence from heaven for their wrongdoing.3
Commentary:
- As against the various prophets spoken of in this chapter, every one of whom was sent to his people, the Prophet Muhammad is here spoken of as having been sent to all people, to the whole of mankind. Thus the appearance of the Prophet Muhammad was a turning point in the history of humanity. The day of the national prophet was over and a new era had dawned in which the whole of humanity was ultimately to be united under one spiritual head. The idea of nationality had to give place to the broader idea of one humanity, and the basis of it was laid by the Quran. ↩︎
- Thus the Quran recognizes that there were good people among the Jews. See also v. 168. ↩︎
- For the statements made in v. 160–162, see 2:57–60 and footnotes. ↩︎