January 31st, 2016 1 Surah Al Aa raaf is one of the Makkan surah but unlike other makkan surahs it is longer like Surah Al Ana am which is also one of the Makkan Surah and focuses on Aqeedah from a historical perspective. The Main Theme: Surah Al Ana am mentions the debate with the mushrikeen and their blind following and the mention of Aqeedah itself; Main theme of Surah Aa raaf tells Aqeedah through the examples of the history of the disbelieving nations. The name of the Surah is related to the main theme of it because the word has two meanings a high place and the other meaning is like a bridge between the Jannah and the hell fire. So the Surah is called Aa raaf because of the mention of the people of Aa raaf The people of the Aa raaf will not enter Jannah or hellfire after the accountability because their good and bad deeds will be equal and they will be at a raised place between the Jannah and the hellfire but in the end Allah SWT will make them enter the Jannah out of His Mercy SubhanAllah. Ana am the maghrib prayer. Out of the two long makkan Surahs Al Aa raaf is longer than Al and once Nabi SAW recited whole of Surah Aa raaf in Also in the Surah we see the result of the argument/dispute by ( ) the disbelievers The Surah also called because of the meeting of Musa AS with Allah SWT. The Surah is also called because of the covenant mentioned which Allah SWT took from the human beings when they were in the form of mere atoms. The last verse has a sajdah tilawah. Page 1
Surah Al Aa raaf consists of five parts: Part I Ayahs 01-09 Part II Ayahs 10-58 Part III Ayahs 59-136 Part IV Ayahs 137-171 Part V Ayahs 172-206 Address to Prophet Muhammad SAW and warning to the Ummah Story of Adam AS the first successor on the earth Stories of the prophets Banu Israel and their misguidance Covenant of Allah SWT to the human race February 1st, 2016 2 Part I Ayahs 01-09 Address to Prophet Muhammad SAW and warning to the Ummah Alif, Lam, Meem, Sad Huroof-e-Muqattaat the SubhanAllah. disjointed letters; only Allah SWT knows the meaning [This is] a Book revealed to you, [O Muhammad] - so let there not be in your breast distress therefrom - that you may warn thereby and as a reminder to the believers. Allah SWT revealed this Qur an upon Prophet Muhammad SAW and it s an honor for him SAW; at the beginning of the Surah Allah SWT is giving commands to Prophet SAW that don t have any doubts about the Qur an or never have any constriction in the chest; any embarrassment while dealing and conveying with the Qur an teaching us the way to benefit from the Qur an have complete conviction and belief about everything in it. Any feeling has direct impact on its preaching most of the constriction is at the time of preaching and warning people about the Qur an. This Qur an is a reminder for the believers and a warning for the disbelievers. Page 2
Follow, [O mankind], what has been revealed to you from your Lord and do not follow other than Him any allies. Little do you remember. After talking about the Qur an Allah SWT is addressing all the believers that whatever our Nurturer has sent we should follow it and should not follow any shayateen or anyone else other than Allah SWT; but few are reminded with this reminder but follow other than Allah SWT. And how many cities have We destroyed, and Our punishment came to them at night or while they were sleeping at noon. After reminding and warning about the Qur an Allah SWT is telling Prophet Muhammad SAW that how many towns were destroyed becausee of their people and their disobedient so punishment was sent to them while they were sleeping either during the night or the day two times of rest. And their declaration when Our punishment came to them was only that they said, "Indeed, we were wrongdoers!" After the punishment was sent to them they did not admit anything except their faults and wrong doings realizing that the punishment was sent because of their own deeds. Then We will surely question those to whom [a message] was sent, and We will surely question the messengers. After the punishment in the duniya they will also be brought on the Day of Judgment and Allah SWT will bring the messengers also who were sent to them and they both will be asked on that Day. Page 3
Then We will surely relate [their deeds] to them with knowledge, and We were not [at all] absent. On that Day Allah SWT will narrate everything to His creation they did in the duniya exactly the way And the weighing [of deeds] that Day will be the truth. So those whose scales are heavy - it is they who will be the successful. Everything will be truth on that Day and the scale is also a truth on which everything will be weighed and those people with heavy scales will be the successful ones. And those whose scales are light - they are the ones who will lose themselves for what injustice they were doing toward Our verses. Those people who will have light scales or the weight of their deeds will be light so they will be the losers and that was solely because of their denial of the verses and signs of Allah SWT and doing injustice to Allah SWT and themselves as well. In the beginning people will be divided into two groups; the successful ones and the losers depending upon the weights of their deeds on the Scale. Part II Ayahs 10-58 Story of Adam AS the the earth first successor on Part II about the story of Adam AS is further sub-divided into sections: Section 1 Ayahs 10-25 Story of Adam AS and the shaytaan Page 4
And We have certainly established you upon the earth and made for you therein ways of livelihood. Little are you grateful. Introduction to the story Allah SWT made the land subjected for us to establish us and provided us all the provisions required for our survival but most of us are not grateful the ayah is telling us to be grateful for all the blessings provided by Allah SWT. Allah SWT created the earth before the creation of the man and us for the earth. He SWT created And We have certainly created you, [O Mankind], and given you [human] form. Then We said to the angels, "Prostrate to Adam"; so they prostrated, except for Iblees. He was not of those who prostrated. Allah SWT favored all of us by creating us in this given form all of us look different yet resemble to Adam AS. Allah SWT initiated the creation of human with Adam AS and then fashioned and proportioned him and then told the angels to prostrate to Adam AS. Although Iblees was among the angels he was not an angel but Allah SWT has only mentioned the angels as they were in majority. All prostrated to Adam AS except Iblees because he was very jealous of this creation. [Allah] said, "What prevented you from prostrating when I commanded you?" [Satan] said, "I am better than him. You created me from fire and created him from clay." Allah SWT asking Iblees why he did not fulfill the command of prostration so the focus should be upon the command itself more what has been commanded. Iblees presumed that the fire with which he was created was better than the clay used his reasoning and logic instead of submitting to the command of Allah Page 5
SWT so he became proud about his existence and refused to obey the command of his Creator. Iblees judged because he had sickness of the heart of arrogance and jealousy. [Allah] said, "Descend from Paradise, for it is not for you to be arrogant therein. So get out; indeed, you are of the debased. Iblees was living in the Paradise along with the angels because of his worship and piety he had acquired a high status among other jinns. Allah SWT knew his sickness but He SWT never punishes unless it is shown on the actions. Until it was in Ibees heart He SWT did not punish him. Because of his arrogance he was asked to leave the Paradise because no one is allowed to have arrogance inside the Paradise. So here we understand the hadith that anyone having an atom weight of arrogance will not enter the paradise. So it makes clear that arrogance makes us resemble the Shaytaan. So Allah SWT ordered Iblees to get out of the Paradise in a humiliating manner whereas previously he was honored to live among the angels because of his worship but this sicknesss of the heart deprived him from this honor and his desire to seek greatness resulted him in earning humiliation and disgrace. [Satan] said, "Reprieve me until the Day they are resurrected." Instead of being regretful and ashamed of his arrogance Iblees desired respite till the day of judgment to misguide the human from the right path. [Allah] said, "Indeed, you are of those reprieved." Allah SWT gave him the respite and everything from Allah s actions is complete and with perfect wisdom so we cannot say why Allah SWT gave him the respite to mislead the human. Page 6