Alhassanain(p) Network for Heritage and Islamic Thought

Section 22: The Progeny of Adam Will Bear Witness Against Itself

Surah al-‘Araf - Verse 172

وإِذْ أَخَذَ رَبُّكَ مِن بَنِي ءَادَمَ مِن ظُهُورِهِمْ ذُرِّيَّتَهُمْ وَأَشْهَدَهُمْ عَلَى أَنْفُسِهِمْ أَلَسْتُ بِرَبِّكُمْ قَالُوا بَلى شَهِدْنَآ أَن تَقُولُوا يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ إِنَّا كُنَّا عَنْ هَذَا غَافِلِينَ

172. “And (remember) when your Lord took from the children of Adam, from their backs, their descendants and made them bear witness over themselves, (and said): ‘Am I not your Lord?’ They said: ‘Yes! We do bear witness.’ (This We did) lest you should say on the Day of Resurrection: ‘Verily we were unaware of this’.”

The Qur’ānic term /ŏurriyah/ means small children, but it is often used for all the children of a person.

The circumstance of Allah’s taking covenant from the children of Adam has not been stated in this verse.

As some Islamic traditions indicate, after the creation of Adam, all his progenies came out from his back in the form of some intelligent particles and were addressed by the Lord.

They confessed to the Lordship of Allah. Then, all of them returned back to the loin and soil of Adam, in order to come into this world gradually and naturally. This world is called the world of ‘Tharr’ and that covenant is called the ‘covenant of ‘Alast’ or ‘the world of pre-existence’.

The purpose of the world of ‘Tharr’, maybe, is the same world of talents, and the covenant of innate disposition and creation.

That is, at the time of departure of Adam’s children from the loins of fathers into the wombs of mothers in the shape of sperm, which are not more than some minutes, Allah sets the talent and nature of monotheism and seeking truth in their constitution and this divine secret, as an innate sense, is settled in the institution and natural disposition of everybody.

The help of Allah reflects in their intellect in the form of a self-cognizance fact. Allah has asked them through the tongue of creation, and they have answered through the same tongue, too.

We should know that Allah has established monotheism in the innate disposition and constitution of humankind.

The verse says:

“And (remember) when your Lord took from the children of Adam, from their backs, their descendants and made them bear witness over themselves, (and said): ‘Am I not your Lord?’ They said: ‘Yes! We do bear witness.’ (This We did) lest you should say on the Day of Resurrection: ‘Verily we were unaware of this’.”

Thus, human beings can observe the sense of theism in the depth of their own selves, since they have confessed it in the world of pre-existence.

Surah al-‘Araf - Verses 173-174

أَوْ تَقُولُوا إِنَّمَآ أَشْرَكَ ءَابَآؤُنَا مِن قَبْلُ وَكُنَّا ذُرِّيَّةً مِن بَعْدِهِمْ أَفَتُهْلِكُنَا بِمَا فَعَلَ الْمُبْطِلُونَ

وَكَذَلِكَ نُفَصِّلُ الاَيَاتِ وَلَعَلَّهُمْ يَرْجِعُونَ

173. “Or lest you should say: ‘Verily our fathers were idolaters from before and we were descendants after them (following them). Will You then destroy us for what the vain-doers did?’”

174. “And thus do We explain the Signs, and that they may return.”

In this verse, the Qur’ān has pointed to another aim of this covenant. It implies that Allah has taken this covenant for the sake that they do not say that their fathers were idol-worshippers before them and when they were some children.

So, they could do nothing but following them. Therefore, they said, they should not be punished for the sins committed by some vain-doers. Here is what the verse says:

“Or lest you should say: ‘Verily our fathers were idolaters from before and we were descendants after them (following them). Will You then destroy us for what the vain-doers did?’”

Admonition

A great part of the Qur’ān, which consists of many verses in different suras of it, is about the incidents happened among the early nations; such as: the events of Adam and the children of Adam, those of the people of Noah, Hūd, Sālih, Abraham, Lot, Yusuf (Joseph), Jacob, Jethro, Moses, Pharaoh and the like of them.

The aim of stating them has not been simply for referring to the history or telling some stories. They have been stated for the admonition of the servants of Allah and advising them through some exhortations in order that they become aware that how graceful and merciful Allah has been with the believers and the pious, so that He has saved them from destructions and calamities, while the people of idolatry, blasphemy, injustice and corruption have faced with many difficulties and destructions.

Thus, regarding this meaning, in the second verse of the holy verses mentioned in the above, the Qur’ān says:

“And thus do We explain the Signs, and that they may return.”

The verse means that as Allah stated these verses for you, they are stated and explained for other nations, too, in order that all people reason the Truth by them and return from falsehood towards the Truth.

Surah al-‘Araf - Verse 175

وَاتْلُ عَلَيْهِمْ نَبَأَ الَّذِي ءَاتَيْنَاهُ ءَايَاتِنَا فَانْسَلَخَ مِنْهَا فَاَتْبَعَهُ الشَّيْطَانُ فَكَانَ مِنَ الْغَاوِينَ

175. “And recite unto them the tale of him to whom We gave Our signs, but he withdrew (himself) from them, and Satan pursued him, and he became one of the perverse.”

The verse refers to the story of a man from the Children of Israel. At first, that man was among the believers and those who practically carried out the divine verses and sciences, but later, as a result of Satan’s temptation, he went astray. In the concerning religious sources, the name of this person has been recorded ‘Bal‘am Bā‘ūrā’.

As it has been narrated from Ali-ibn-Mūs-ar-Ridā, the eighth Imam (as), that Bal‘am knew ‘the Greatest Name of Allah’, by which his supplication used to be answered. But finally he went to the court of Pharaoh and turned to be an infidel, while, before that, he was one of the studious preachers of the religion of Moses (as).

The Qur’ān does not directly point out his name in the text, but it mentions his action. Imam Bāqir (as) says that his circumstance adapts to any one who prefers the low desire to the truth.1

Such people are found in any time and the subject is not allocated to Bal‘am only. The story of Bal‘am has been cited in the Turah, too.

Therefore, an aware leader should usually warn people of unexpected dangers. The verse says:

“And recite unto them the tale of him to whom We gave Our signs…”

Whatever high a person promotes he should not become proud, since there is a probability of falling. Usually, the final result of the end of the work is important, not the beginning of it. The higher a situation is, the more dangerous it can be. The verse continues saying:

“…but he withdrew (himself) from them…”

Yes, the one who takes detached from Allah, will become the prey of Satan. The verse ends as follows:

“…and Satan pursued him, and he became one of the perverse.”

Surah al-‘Araf - Verse 176

وَلَوْ شِئْنَا لَرَفَعْنَاهُ بِهَا وَلَكِنَّهُ اَخْلَدَ إِلَى الاَرْضِ وَاتَّبَعَ هَوَاهُ فَمَثَلُهُ كَمَثَلِ الْكَلْبِ إِن تَحْمِلْ عَلَيْهِ يَلْهَثْ أَوْ تَتْرُكْهُ يَلْهَثْ ذَلِكَ مَثَلُ الْقَوْمِ الَّذِينَ كَذَّبُوا بِاَيَاتِنَا فَاقْصُصِ الْقَصَصَ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ

176. “And had We willed, We would certainly have exalted him thereby, but he clung to the earth and followed his lust. So his parable is like the parable of a dog; if you attack it, it lulls out its tongue, or if you leave it, it lulls out its tongue. Such is the parable of the people who belied Our Signs. Therefore, relate (unto them) the stories, that they may ponder.”

The previous subject has been completed in this expressive verse. It implies that if Allah had wished, He could have forcedly kept him alongside the path of right with an exalted rank, by the way of those holy verses and practical sciences. The verse says:

“And had We willed, We would certainly have exalted him thereby…”

But it is certain that forcedly keeping persons alongside the path of truth does not agree with Allah’s way of treatment, which is the custom of choice and free will, and it is not the sign of personality and greatness of a person. So, immediately next to it, the Qur’ān, implying that Allah left him to himself, adds:

“…but he clung to the earth and followed his lust.”

Then, the Qur’ān resembles this person to a dog which, like some thirsty animals, often draws its tongue out of its mouth. The verse says:

“…So his parable is like the parable of a dog; if you attack it, it lulls out its tongue…”

As a result of attaching the intense lust and clanging to the pleasures of the material world, such a person may get a state of unlimited and endless thirst that he always goes after mammonism. This state, in him, is like the state of a rabid dog that, because of its sickness, it has a false thirst and it never drinks to satiety.

Then, the Qur’ān implies that this parable is not allocated to this particular person, but it is for all those who reject the verses of Allah. The verse says:

“…Such is the parable of the people who belied Our Signs…”

This story should be told for them, maybe they think about it and then they take a correct way for themselves. The verse continues saying:

“…Therefore, relate (unto them) the stories, that they may ponder.”

Bal‘am Ba‘ura, a Mammonish Scholar, Gone Astray!

A great deal of Islamic narrations and statements, as was pointed out before, indicate that the person referred to in this verse had been a man by the name of Bal‘am-Bā‘ūrā who lived at the time of Moses (as).

He was counted as one of the well known scholars of the Children of Israel, so that Moses used of him as an effective and strong preacher. He became so exalted in this way that his prayers before Allah were answered.

But, as a result of accepting the promises of Pharaoh and inclining to him, he went astray, thus far that he joined the camp of the opponents of Moses (as), and therefore, he lost all his spiritual ranks.

Surah al-‘Araf - Verses 177-178

سَآءَ مَثَلاً الْقَوْمُ الَّذِينَ كَذَّبُوا بِاَيَاتِنَا وَأَنْفُسَهُمْ كَانُوا يَظْلِمُونَ

مَن يَهْدِ اللّهُ فَهُوَ الْمُهْتَدِي وَمَن يُضْلِلْ فَأُوْلَئِكَ هُمُ الْخَاسِرُونَ

177. “How evil is the parable of the people who belied Our Signs, but they were doing injustice to themselves.”

178. “Whomever Allah guides, he is rightly guided, and whomever He leads astray, these are the losers.”

Through these two holy verses, in fact, the Qur’ān has concluded a general and common result from the story of Bal‘am and other mammonish scholars. The verse says:

“How evil is the parable of the people who belied Our Signs…”

They did not do any injustice to Allah, but they used to do injustice to themselves. The verse says:

“…but they were doing injustice to themselves.”

What injustice is greater than this that they gave their spiritual capitals and scientific informations, which could cause the honour of them and their societies, to the possessors of wealth and power, selling them for a little price.

But, beware that delivering from these kinds of faults and satanic ways is not possible except with the Divine assistance. Therefore, the one whom Allah guides and makes His aid the companion of his way, is the real guided one. The verse says:

“Whomever Allah guides, he is rightly guided…”

And those whom Allah, as a result of their own evil deeds, leads astray, or gives them victory and success for their satanic temptations, are the real losers. The verse continues saying:

“…and whomever He leads astray, these are the losers.”

Surah al-‘Araf - Verse 179

وَلَقَدْ ذَرَأْنَا لِجَهَنَّمَ كَثِيراً مِنَ الْجِنِّ وَالإِنْسِ لَهُمْ قُلُوبٌ لاَيَفْقَهُونَ بِهَا وَلَهُمْ أَعْيُنٌ لاَيُبْصِرُونَ بِهَا وَلَهُمْ ءَاذَانٌ لاَيَسْمَعُونَ بِهَآ اُوْلَئِكَ كَالاَنْعَامِ بَلْ هُمْ أَضَلُّ اُوْلَئِكَ هُمُ الْغَافِلُونَ

179. “Indeed We have created for Hell many jinn and humans; they have hearts with which they do not understand, and they have eyes with which they do not see, and they have ears with which they do not hear. They are as cattle, rather they are more astray. These are the heedless ones.”

The Signs of Hellish People

Through this verse and the next couple of verses, where the qualities of each group are hinted out, People have been divided into two groups. These two groups are: the hellish people, and the inhabitants of Paradise.

At first, with oath and emphasis, the Qur’ān states about the inhabitants of Hell as follows:

“Indeed We have created for Hell many jinn and humans...”

Allah has created all human beings pure and sinless, but, by means of their own evil deeds, some groups of them make themselves candidates for Hell. The end of these people is dark and inauspicious. There are some other people who make themselves candidate for Paradise. The end of such people is happiness and felicity.

After that, the verse summarizes the qualities of the hellish group in three phrases. The first quality is that:

“…they have hearts with which they do not understand…”

Their second quality is that they have clear eyes for seeing the truth but they do not observe the feature of the facts and pass by them like some blind persons. The verse says:

“…and they have eyes with which they do not see…”

Their third quality is that they have safe and sound ears, but they do not hearken to the truth and right words, and, like the deaf, they deprive themselves from hearing the divine truth. The verse says:

“…and they have ears with which they do not hear…”

In fact, they are like cattle, because the privilege of man to animals lies in vigilant thought, clear-insightedness, and the hearing ears that, unfortunately, these hellish people have lost all of them. The verse says:

“…they are as cattle…”

They are, of course, worse than cattle and more astray. The verse continues saying:

“…rather they are more astray…”

Cattle have not the talents and possibilities that human beings have. Men, with the intellect, clear-insightedness, and the hearing ears that they have, can gain all kinds of progress and development.

But, as a result of sensuality and tending toward mean things, they may leave these faculties and talents in vain. Such people are some neglectful persons, and therefore, they wander in the deviated path of life. The verse finally says:

“…These are the heedless ones.”

They are nigh to the fountain of water of life, but they are crying of thirst. The gates of felicity are open to them, but they do not even look at them.

Surah al-‘Araf - Verse 180

وَلِلّهِ الاَسْمَآءُ الْحُسْنَى فَادْعُوهُ بِهَا وَذَرُوا الَّذِينَ يُلْحِدُونَ فِي أَسْمَآئِهِ سَيُجْزَوْنَ مَا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ

180. “And to Allah belong the most beautiful names, so call on Him by them, and leave those who blaspheme His names. Soon they shall be requited for what they were doing.”

The Qur’ānic phrase /’asmā’ul husnā/ has been mentioned three times in the whole Qur’ān, which are: the verse under discussion, Surah Al-’Isrā’,No. 17 ,verse 11 . and Surah Tāhā,No. 20 ,verse 8 .

All the names of Allah are beautiful, and He possesses all the Virtues and Names. Yet, in Islamic literature, emphasis has been laid on 99 Names. It has been narrated that whoever calls on Allah by these names, his prayer will be answered, if it be the will of Allah (s.w.t.).

In this holy verse, the Qur’ān points to the situation of the inhabitants of Heaven and explains their qualities.

In order that people come out of the row of the hellish persons, at first it invites them to pay a careful attention to the Beautiful Names of Allah, when it says:

“And to Allah belong the most beautiful names, so call on Him by them…”

The purpose of ‘the beautiful names’ is the attributes of Allah which are wholly good and wholly ‘beautiful’.

The objective meaning of ‘calling on Allah’ by the Beautiful Names is not only to utter those names simply by the tongue, and to say, for example, O’ knower of the Unseen, O’ Almighty, and O’ the Most Merciful of all merciful, but, in fact, the purpose is that we try to settle these qualities in our selves as much as possible.

In other words, we should have His attributes and make our manner similar to that of Allah with our limited attempt.

Upon the commentary of this verse, there has been cited a tradition from Imam Sādiq (as) who has said:

“By Allah, we are the beautiful names.”

This statement points to the fact that there is a strong ray from those divine attributes reflected in their beings, and that the cognition of them helps to the cognition of His Pure Essence.

Then the Qur’ān warns people to avoid perverting the Names of Allah and to leave those who blaspheme them. It says:

“…and leave those who blaspheme His names. Soon they shall be requited for what they were doing.”

The objective meaning of ‘blaspheming His Names’, here, is that we do not pervert their pronunciations and their concepts. We also should not qualify Him with the attributes which are not suitable to Him, like the action of the Christians who believe in Trinity, or that we adapt His attributes to His creatures.

Surah al-‘Araf - Verse 181

وَمِمَّنْ خَلَقْنَآ اُمَّةٌ يَهْدُونَ بِالْحَقِّ وَبِهِ يَعْدِلُونَ

181. “And of those (whom) We have created are a people who guide (others) by the Truth and establish justice therewith.”

The objective meaning of the Arabic word /’ummah/ (community), mentioned in this holy verse, is the people of Muhammad (S), who are the best community among all communities. It is also cited in the Islamic traditions, recorded by the Sunnis, that the objective meaning of the word is the adherents of Ali-ibn-Abitālib (as).

Some Islamic traditions indicate that Muslim believers will be divided into seventy three groups that only one group of them are the blessed.2

Therefore, the pivot of guidance and government should be but the Truth, even though the number of the advocators of the Truth and guidance may be small. The verse says:

“And of those (whom) We have created are a people who guide (others) by the Truth...”

And we must also know that those persons are worthy that, besides accepting guidance, try to establish a system of Truth. Mere cognition of the Truth is not enough, but practice and distribution is important, too. The above holy verse concludes as follows:

“…and establish justice therewith.”

Notes

1. Nūr-uth-Thaqalayn, the commentary.

2. Nūr-uth-Thaqalayn, the commentary; and Tafsir-ul-Burhān

Section 23: The Resurrection

Surah al-‘Araf - Verses 182-183

وَالَّذِينَ كَذَّبُوا بِاَيَاتِنَا سَنَسْتَدْرِجُهُم مِنْ حَيْثُ لاَيَعْلَمُونَ

وَاُمْلِي لَهُمْ إِنَّ كَيْدِي مَتِينٌ

182. “And those who belie Our Signs, soon, step by step, We will draw them on from where they do not know.”

183. “And I will grant them respite. Verily My devising is strong.”

In these couple of holy verses, one of the punishments of Allah (s.w.t) about many of the arrogant sinners has been stated which will be done upon them in the form of a ‘gradual punishment’.

The derivation of the Arabic term /’istidrāj/ (consign to a gradual punishment) has been used in the Qur’ān in two verses. One of them is the verse under discussion, and the other is in Surah Al-Qalam,No. 68 ,verse 44 , both of which are about the deniers of the Divine verses. Through the first verse, concerning the punishment of these beliers, whose lives will be interlaced, Allah says:

“And those who belie Our Signs, soon, step by step, We will draw them on from where they do not know.”

The same meaning is emphasized in the second verse. It implies that it is not such that Allah punishes these people at once and with precipitation. But He respites them sufficiently for admonishment and awareness.

And, when they do not attend it, He will entangle them with some difficulties, because only those haste that are powerless and fear that they miss opportunities. The verse says:

“And I will grant them respite…”

But, Allah’s plots and punishments are so strong and exact that none is able to flee from them. The verse says:

“…Verily My devising is indeed strong.”

This verse warns all sinners that they should take the postponement of Divine punishment as a reason neither for their own sanctity and uprightness, nor for the weakness and inability of Allah.

They should not consider that the bounties and favours they enjoy are the signs of their nearness to Allah. It may happen that these bounties and victories that they receive become the preparation of the gradual punishment of Allah.

The Lord grants them abundant favours and, by respiting them, He promotes them, but finally, He leaves them to fall down so intensively that there remains no trace from them and their whole entity and their history will be completely interlaced.

It is narrated from Imam Sādiq (as) who, upon the commentary of this verse, said:

“The purpose of this verse is a sinful person whom Allah gives a bounty and he counts it for his goodness, while it causes him to be neglectful of seeking forgiveness for the sin he has committed.”1

Surah al-‘Araf - Verse 184

اَوَلَمْ يَتَفَكَّرُوا مَا بِصَاحِبِهِم مِن جِنَّةٍ إِنْ هُوَ إِلاَّ نَذِيرٌ مُبِينٌ

184. “Have they not reflected that there is no madness in their companion (the Prophet of Islam)? He is naught but a plain warner.”

Occasion of Revelation

The Islamic commentators have mentioned the following meanings upon the occasion of revelation of this verse in their commentary books:

When the Prophet (S) was living in Mecca, one night he went upon Safā Mountain and invited people to monotheism. He called to all people, and to the whole tribes of Quraysh in particular, and told them to beware the punishment of Allah.

He continued speaking until late at night. The local idol-worshppers of Mecca said that their companion had become mad since he was shouting the whole night until morning. At that moment the above-mentioned verse was revealed and gave them a knockdown answer.2

In this verse, at first, Allah answers the vain statement of the idol-worshippers by which they said the Prophet (S) was mad. The Qur’ān says whether they did not contemplate to know that their companion (the Prophet) had no sign of madness. Here is the answer of Allah:

“Have they not reflected that there is no madness in their companion (the Prophet of Islam)?…”

He (Muhammad) (S) had been living among them for more than forty years. They were acquainted with his thought, intellect, and management. Then, how did they suddenly accused him like that? Then, following to that, the Qur’ān says that he (S) is only a plain warner that advises his society to beware the dangers they are faced with. The verse says:

"He is naught but a plain warner.”

Surah al-‘Araf - Verse 185

أَوَ لَمْ يَنظُرُوا فِي مَلَكُوتِ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالاَرْضِ وَمَا خَلَقَ اللّهُ مِن شَيْءٍ وَأَنْ عَسَى أَن يَكُونَ قَدِ اقْتَرَبَ أَجَلُهُمْ فَبِاَيِّ حَدِيثٍ بَعْدَهُ يُؤْمِنُونَ

185. “Have they not considered the dominion of the heavens and the earth, and whatever Allah has created, and that maybe their term has already drawn near? Then in what other words after this will they believe?”

In order to complete the previous statement, this verse invites them to study the world of existence, including the heavens and the earth. The verse says:

“Have they not considered the dominion of the heavens and the earth, and whatever Allah has created…”

This contemplation is for that they know that this vast world of existence, with its amazing systematic order, has not been created in vain. There has surely been a certain goal in it, and the invitation of the Prophet (S), in fact, has been in pursuance of the same goal of creation, i.e., the development and training of humankind.

Then, for the sake that they be awakened from the sleep of negligence, the Qur’ān implies whether they have not ponder on this matter that the end of their lives might be near.

So, if they do not believe today, and do not accept the invitation of this Messenger to the revealed Qur’ān with those numerous clear signs, which words will there be after this that they believe in? The verse says:

“…and that maybe their term has already drawn near? Then in what other words after this will they believe?”

Surah al-‘Araf - Verse 186

مَن يُضْلِلِ اللّهُ فَلا هَادِيَ لَهُ وَيَذَرُهُمْ فِي طُغْيَانِهِمْ يَعْمَهُونَ

186. “Whomever Allah leads astray there is no guide for him, and He will leave them in their contumacy wandering blindly.”

At last, the statement upon the sinners is concluded in this verse as such that those whom Allah leads astray they will have no guide and Allah leaves such people bewildered in their transgression. This is the result of their continuous indecent deeds. The verse says:

“Whomever Allah leads astray there is no guide for him, and He will leave them in their contumacy wandering blindly.”

Such kind of meanings has been stated particularly upon the group of sinners who zealously and arrogantly show obstinacy against the rights and facts. They treat such, as if a curtain has fallen over their eyes, ears, and hearts. These dark curtains are the result of their own deeds, and this is the meaning of the phrase ‘Allah leads astray’.

يَسْئَلُونَكَ عَنِ السَّاعَةِ اَيَّانَ مُرْسَاهَا قُلْ إِنَّمَا عِلْمُهَا عِندَ رَبِّي لا يُجَلِّيهَا لِوَقْتِهَآ إِلاَّ هُوَ ثَقُلَتْ فِي السَّماوَاتِ وَالاَرْضِ لاَ تَأْتِيكُمْ إِلاَّ بَغْتَةً يَسْئَلُونَكَ كَاَنَّكَ حَفِيٌّ عَنْهَا قُلْ إِنَّمَا عِلْمُهَا عِنْدَ اللّهِ وَلَكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ النَّاسِ لاَيَعْلَمُونَ

Surah al-‘Araf - Verse 187

187. “They ask you about the Hour (of Resurrection) when it will set in. Say: ‘Its knowledge is only with my Lord. None but He can manifest it at its time. Heavy is it in the heavens and the earth. It will not overtake you but suddenly’. They ask you, as if you were well-informed of it. Say: ‘The knowledge of it is only with Allah, but most people do not know’.”

The infidels of Quraysh sent a number of persons to the scholars of the Jews in order to learn some difficult questions so that when they would ask them from the Prophet (S) he could not give any answer to them and they might condemn him. One of these questions was that they asked about the exact time of the occurrence of Resurrection.

The Qur’ānic term /’ayyān/, mentioned in this verse, has been used for asking the time. The Arabic word /assā‘ah/ refers to the beginning of Resurrection, while the word /al-qiyāmah/ means the time of reckoning in Hereafter when the rewards and retributions will be given.3

The Arabic term /mursā/ means ‘that which is fixed with regard to time or place’. Thus the Qur’ānic phrase /jibāl-un-rāsiyāt/ means: ‘fixed and firm mountains’.

The word /haffiyy/, used in the verse, means a constant researcher. This epithet, concerning to the Prophet (S), means as if he (S) had completely researched the time of the occurrence of Resurrection Day and had asked it from Allah and knew it well.

The idea of the heaviness of the Hereafter in ‘the heavens and the earth’, maybe, refers to the destruction of celestial globes, darkening of the sun, revolution of the earth, etc.

However, the lack of knowledge about the features and details of Hereafter does not harm the principal of the belief in Resurrection. No one is aware of the time and the place of his death, but this situation can not be taken as a reason for denying the principal of death. The verse says:

“They ask you about the Hour (of Resurrection) when it will set in. Say: ‘Its knowledge is only with my Lord. None but He can manifest it at its time. Heavy is it in the heavens and the earth. It will not overtake you but suddenly’. They ask you, as if you were well-informed of it. Say: ‘The knowledge of it is only with Allah, but most people do not know’.”

Once the Holy Prophet (S) was asked about the reappearance and coming out of Hadrat Ghā’im (as). He answered:

“His example is like the time (of Resurrection).”

This statement means that the time of his reappearance resembles the time of Resurrection. Then, he (S) recited this verse:

“…None but He can manifest it at its time. Heavy is it in the heavens and the earth. It will not overtake you but suddenly’…”4

Surah al-‘Araf - Verse 188

قُل لآ اَمْلِكُ لِنَفْسِي نَفْعاً وَلا ضَرّاً إِلاَّ مَا شَآءَ اللّهُ وَلَوْ كُنتُ اَعْلَمُ الْغَيْبَ لاَسْتَكْثَرْتُ مِنَ الْخَيْرِ وَمَا مَسَّنِيَ السُّوءُ إِنْ اَنَا ْ إِلاَّ نَذِيرٌ وَبَشِيرٌ لِقَوْمٍ يُؤْمِنُونَ

188. “Say: ‘I own for my self neither any benefit nor harm except what Allah may please; and had I known the Unseen, I would have acquired much good, and no evil would have touched me. I am not but a warner and a giver of glad tidings for a people who believe’.”

Occasion of Revelation

It happened that one day some people of Mecca came to the Prophet (S) and said that if he had communication with the Lord, would He inform him of the future expensiveness and cheapness of goods so that thereby he could supply whatever was beneficial and ward off whatever was harmful; or would He aware him of drought or of different regions with abundant water so that he could move from dry provinces into blissful lands? At this time, the verse was revealed and answered them.

Only Allah Knows the Unseen

In the previous verse, it was said that no one knows the time of Resurrection but Allah (s.w.t.). Through this verse, now, the lack of knowledge of Unseen among persons, in general, is referred to.5

By the first sentence of the verse, Allah commands His Messenger, Muhammad (S), thus:

“Say: ‘I own for my self neither any benefit nor harm except what Allah may please...”

All powers existed in the world come from the source of Allah, the Exalted, and no person has originally any power from his own self. It is He Who has granted these abilities to human beings.

After stating this matter, the Qur’ān points to another important question which was under the demand of a group of people. Allah commands His Messenger (S) to say that he was not cognizant of the Unseen and its secrets. In this regard, the verse continues saying:

“…and had I known the Unseen, I would have acquired much good, and no evil would have touched me…”

Then, the real position of the Prophet (S) and his Messengership has been pointed out through a short and explicit sentence, as follows:

“…I am not but a warner and a giver of glad tidings for a people who believe’.”

Notes

1. Tafsir-us-Sāfi, p. 256

2. Tafsir-us-Sāfi, p. 257

3. Tafsir-i-Marāqi.

4. Narrated by Imam Ridā (as), cited in Nūr-uth-Thaqalayn.

5. The commentators of the Qur’ān has cited a great deal of matters about both this verse and ‘ the knowledge of Unseen ’ in their commentary books.