7. Surah Al-A'raaf

الأعرافThe Heights · 206 ayahsتفہیم القرآن انگلش

Read Surah Al-A'raaf in the Quran reader
Ayahs 7:143–145

وَ لَمَّا جَآءَ مُوْسٰى لِمِیْقَاتِنَا وَ كَلَّمَهٗ رَبُّهٗ١ۙ قَالَ رَبِّ اَرِنِیْۤ اَنْظُرْ اِلَیْكَ١ؕ قَالَ لَنْ تَرٰىنِیْ وَ لٰكِنِ انْظُرْ اِلَى الْجَبَلِ فَاِنِ اسْتَقَرَّ مَكَانَهٗ فَسَوْفَ تَرٰىنِیْ١ۚ فَلَمَّا تَجَلّٰى رَبُّهٗ لِلْجَبَلِ جَعَلَهٗ دَكًّا وَّ خَرَّ مُوْسٰى صَعِقًا١ۚ فَلَمَّاۤ اَفَاقَ قَالَ سُبْحٰنَكَ تُبْتُ اِلَیْكَ وَ اَنَا اَوَّلُ الْمُؤْمِنِیْنَ Open ayah 7:143 in the Quran reader

And when Moses came at Our appointment, and his Lord spoke to him, he said: 'O my Lord! Reveal Yourself to me, that I may look upon You!' He replied: 'Never can you see Me. However, behold this mount; if it remains firm in its place, only then you will be able to see Me.' And as soon as his Lord unveiled His glory to the mount, He crushed it into fine dust, and Moses fell down in a swoon. And when he recovered, he said: 'Glory be to You! To You I turn in repentance, and I am the foremost among those who believe.'

قَالَ یٰمُوْسٰۤى اِنِّی اصْطَفَیْتُكَ عَلَى النَّاسِ بِرِسٰلٰتِیْ وَ بِكَلَامِیْ١ۖ٘ فَخُذْ مَاۤ اٰتَیْتُكَ وَ كُنْ مِّنَ الشّٰكِرِیْنَ Open ayah 7:144 in the Quran reader

He said: 'O Moses! I have indeed preferred you to all others by virtue of the Message I have entrusted to you and by virtue of My speaking to you. Hold fast therefore, to whatever I have granted you, and give thanks.'

وَ كَتَبْنَا لَهٗ فِی الْاَلْوَاحِ مِنْ كُلِّ شَیْءٍ مَّوْعِظَةً وَّ تَفْصِیْلًا لِّكُلِّ شَیْءٍ١ۚ فَخُذْهَا بِقُوَّةٍ وَّ اْمُرْ قَوْمَكَ یَاْخُذُوْا بِاَحْسَنِهَا١ؕ سَاُورِیْكُمْ دَارَ الْفٰسِقِیْنَ Open ayah 7:145 in the Quran reader

And We ordained for Moses in the Tablets all manner of admonition, and instruction concerning all things, 101 and said to him: Hold to these, with all your strength. and bid your people to follow them in accord with their best understanding. 102 I shall soon show you the habitation of the wicked. 103

101. The Bible categorically mentions that the tablets were of stone. The act of writing on these tablets is attributed in both the Qur'an and the Bible, to God. Nonetheless, it is not possible to ascertain whether the actual act of writing was as performed by God exercising His power directly, or by God in the sense of His assignment of the task to some angel or to Moses (cf. Exodus 31: 18, 32: 15-16; and Deuteronomyi, 5: 6-22). 102 The Israelites were asked to hold fast to the Law to follow it in its plain meaning, a meaning which can he grasped by an ordinary man of sound heart and good intent with the help of his common sense. This stipulation was added in order to discourage the chicanery and hair-splitting to which lawyers resort in order to accommodate the crooked aims of the people. The warning was necessary to emphasize that holding fast to the Law was not to be equated with following the chicanery of the lawyers. 103. The Israelites were told that on their way they would come across the ruins of earlier nations who had refused to turn to God and who had persisted in their evil way's. Observing those ruins would he instructive insofar as they eloquently spoke of the tragic end that meets those who indulge in such iniquity .
Ayah 7:146

سَاَصْرِفُ عَنْ اٰیٰتِیَ الَّذِیْنَ یَتَكَبَّرُوْنَ فِی الْاَرْضِ بِغَیْرِ الْحَقِّ١ؕ وَ اِنْ یَّرَوْا كُلَّ اٰیَةٍ لَّا یُؤْمِنُوْا بِهَا١ۚ وَ اِنْ یَّرَوْا سَبِیْلَ الرُّشْدِ لَا یَتَّخِذُوْهُ سَبِیْلًا١ۚ وَ اِنْ یَّرَوْا سَبِیْلَ الْغَیِّ یَتَّخِذُوْهُ سَبِیْلًا١ؕ ذٰلِكَ بِاَنَّهُمْ كَذَّبُوْا بِاٰیٰتِنَا وَ كَانُوْا عَنْهَا غٰفِلِیْنَ Open ayah 7:146 in the Quran reader

I shall turn away from My signs those who, without any right, behaved haughtily in the earth, 104 even if they may, witness each and every, sign, they shall not believe therein. And even if they see the right path, they shall still not follow it; but if they see the path of error. they shall choose it for their path. This is because they rejected Our signs as false and were heedless to them.

104. It is God's law that evil-doers do not and cannot take any lesson from the otherwise instructive events which they observe. The arrogance mentioned here refers to man's delusion that he is on a higher plane than God's creatures and servants. It is this which prompts him to disregard God's command and to adopt an attitude which suggests that he neither considers himself God's servant, nor God his Lord. Such egotism has no basis in fact; it is sheer vanity. For as long as man live on God's earth, what can justify his living as a servant of anyone other than the Lord of the universe? It is for this reason that the Qur'an declares this arrogance to be 'without any right'.
Ayah 7:147

وَ الَّذِیْنَ كَذَّبُوْا بِاٰیٰتِنَا وَ لِقَآءِ الْاٰخِرَةِ حَبِطَتْ اَعْمَالُهُمْ١ؕ هَلْ یُجْزَوْنَ اِلَّا مَا كَانُوْا یَعْمَلُوْنَ۠ Open ayah 7:147 in the Quran reader

Vain are the deeds of those who reject Our signs as false and to the meeting of the Hereafter. 105Shall they be recompensed, except according to their deeds?'

105. That the acts of such persons are vain and fruitless is evident from the fact that the acceptance of man's acts by God is subject to two conditions. First, one's acts should conform to the Law laid down by God. Second, man should be prompted by the desire to achieve success in the Hereafter rather than merely in this world. If these conditions are not fulfilled, a person's acts will be of no consequence. He who performs an act in defiance of God's guidance, is guilty of rebellion and is undeserving of God's reward. He who acts only to obtain worldly success, is neither entitled to nor should expect any reward from God in the Hereafter. If someone uses another person's land contrary to his wish, what else can he expect from him than punishment? The same holds true for he who deliberately uses someone's land, knowing well that he is not entitled to any produce after the restoration of that land to its owner. There is no justification for him to expect any share of the produce of that land.
Ayah 7:148

وَ اتَّخَذَ قَوْمُ مُوْسٰى مِنْۢ بَعْدِهٖ مِنْ حُلِیِّهِمْ عِجْلًا جَسَدًا لَّهٗ خُوَارٌ١ؕ اَلَمْ یَرَوْا اَنَّهٗ لَا یُكَلِّمُهُمْ وَ لَا یَهْدِیْهِمْ سَبِیْلًا١ۘ اِتَّخَذُوْهُ وَ كَانُوْا ظٰلِمِیْنَ Open ayah 7:148 in the Quran reader

And in the absence of Moses 106 his people made the image of a calf from their ornaments, which lowed. Did they not observe that it could neither speak nor give them any guidance? And still they made it an object of worship. They were indeed wrong-doing. 107

106. Here reference is made to the forty days which Moses spent on Mount Sinai in compliance with God's command when his people remained in the plain at the foot of the mountain called Maydan al-Rahah. 107. Their cow-worship was another manifestation of the Israelites' slavish attachment to the Egyptian traditions at the time of the Exodus. It is well-known that cow-worship was widespread in Egypt and it was during their stay there that the Israelites developed this strange infatuation. The Qur'an also refers to their inclination to cow-worship: 'Their hearts were overflowing with love for the calf because of their unbelief' (al-Baqarah 2: 93). What is more surprising about their turn to idolatry is that it took place just three months after their escape from Egypt. During that time they had witnessed the parting of the sea, the drowning of Pharaoh, and their own deliverance from what otherwise seemed inescapable slavery, to the Egyptians. They knew well that all those events had taken place owing to the unmistakable and direct interference of the all-powerful God. Yet they had the audacity to demand that their Prophet should make for them a false god that they might worship. Not only that, soon after Moses left them for Mount Sinai, they themselves contrived a false god. Disgusted with such conduct on the part of the Israelites, some Prophets have likened their people to a nymphomaniac who loves all save her husband and who is unfaithful to him even on their nuptial night.
Ayahs 7:149–150

وَ لَمَّا سُقِطَ فِیْۤ اَیْدِیْهِمْ وَ رَاَوْا اَنَّهُمْ قَدْ ضَلُّوْا١ۙ قَالُوْا لَئِنْ لَّمْ یَرْحَمْنَا رَبُّنَا وَ یَغْفِرْ لَنَا لَنَكُوْنَنَّ مِنَ الْخٰسِرِیْنَ Open ayah 7:149 in the Quran reader

And when they were afflicted with remorse and realized that they had fallen into error, they said: 'If our Lord does not have mercy on us and does not pardon us, we shall be among the losers.'

وَ لَمَّا رَجَعَ مُوْسٰۤى اِلٰى قَوْمِهٖ غَضْبَانَ اَسِفًا١ۙ قَالَ بِئْسَمَا خَلَفْتُمُوْنِیْ مِنْۢ بَعْدِیْ١ۚ اَعَجِلْتُمْ اَمْرَ رَبِّكُمْ١ۚ وَ اَلْقَى الْاَلْوَاحَ وَ اَخَذَ بِرَاْسِ اَخِیْهِ یَجُرُّهٗۤ اِلَیْهِ١ؕ قَالَ ابْنَ اُمَّ اِنَّ الْقَوْمَ اسْتَضْعَفُوْنِیْ وَ كَادُوْا یَقْتُلُوْنَنِیْ١ۖ٘ فَلَا تُشْمِتْ بِیَ الْاَعْدَآءَ وَ لَا تَجْعَلْنِیْ مَعَ الْقَوْمِ الظّٰلِمِیْنَ Open ayah 7:150 in the Quran reader

And when Moses returned to his people, full of wrath and sorrow, he said: 'Vile is the course you have followed in my absence. Could you not patiently wait for the decree of your Lord?' And he threw down the Tablets [of the Law] and took hold of his brother's head, dragging him to himself. Aaron said: 'My mother's son, the people overpowered me and almost killed me. So let not my enemies gloat over me, and do not number me among the wrong-doing folk.' 108

108. The above Qur'anic verse absolves Aaron of the charge levelled against him by the Jews. According to the Biblical version of the story of calf-worship, however, it was Aaron who had made the golden calf for the people of Israel. To quote: When the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mountain, the people gathered themselves together to Aaron, and said to him, 'Up, make up gods who shall go before us; as for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.' And Aaron said to them, 'Take off the rings of gold which are in the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters, and bring them to me.' So all the people took off the rings of gold which were in their ears, and brought them to Aaron. And he received the gold at their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool, and made a molten calf; and they said, 'These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.' When Aaron saw this, he built an altar before it; and Aaron made proclamation and said, 'Tomorrow shall be a feast to the Lord.' And they rose up early on the morrow, and offered burnt offerings and brought peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play (Exodus 32: 1--6). The Qur'an, however, refutes the above account at many places and points out that it was Samiri the rebel of God rather than Aaron the Prophet who committed that heinous sin. (For details see Ta Ha 20: 90 ff.) Strange though it may appear, the Israelites maligned the characters of those very people whom they believed to be the Messengers of God. The accusations they hurled at them included such heinous sins as polytheism, sorcery, fornication, deceit and treachery. Needless to say, indulgence in any of these sins is disgraceful for even an ordinary believer and decent human being, let alone Prophets. In the light of the history of Israeli morals, however, it is quite understandable why they maligned their own Prophets. In times of religious and moral degeneration when both the clergy and laity were steeped in sin and immorality, they tried to seek justification for their misdeeds. In order to sedate their own consciences they ascribed the very sins of which they were guilty to their Prophets and then their own inability to refrain from sins on the grounds that not even the Prophets could refrain. The same characteristic is evident in Hinduism. When the Hindus reached the lowest point in their moral degeneration, they produced a literature which presents a very perverted image of Hindu ideals. This literature portrayed their gods, hermits and monks as crass sinners. In doing so, they suggested that since such noble people could not refrain from indulging in grave sins, ordinary mortals are inevitably bound to commit them. Moreover, a person's indulgence in immoral acts should not make him remorseful for the same acts were committed earlier by their monks and hermits.
Ayahs 7:151–155

قَالَ رَبِّ اغْفِرْ لِیْ وَ لِاَخِیْ وَ اَدْخِلْنَا فِیْ رَحْمَتِكَ١ۖ٘ وَ اَنْتَ اَرْحَمُ الرّٰحِمِیْنَ۠ Open ayah 7:151 in the Quran reader

Thereupon Moses said: 'O Lord! Grant forgiveness upon me and my brother and admit us to Your Mercy, for You are most merciful of the merciful.'

اِنَّ الَّذِیْنَ اتَّخَذُوا الْعِجْلَ سَیَنَالُهُمْ غَضَبٌ مِّنْ رَّبِّهِمْ وَ ذِلَّةٌ فِی الْحَیٰوةِ الدُّنْیَا١ؕ وَ كَذٰلِكَ نَجْزِی الْمُفْتَرِیْنَ Open ayah 7:152 in the Quran reader

In reply they were told: 'Verily those who worshipped the calf will certainly incur indignation from their Lord, and will be abased in the life of this world. Thus do We reward those who fabricate lies.

وَ الَّذِیْنَ عَمِلُوا السَّیِّاٰتِ ثُمَّ تَابُوْا مِنْۢ بَعْدِهَا وَ اٰمَنُوْۤا١٘ اِنَّ رَبَّكَ مِنْۢ بَعْدِهَا لَغَفُوْرٌ رَّحِیْمٌ Open ayah 7:153 in the Quran reader

As for those who do evil, and later repent and have faith, such shall find their Lord All-Forgiving, All-Compassionate after (they repent and believe)

وَ لَمَّا سَكَتَ عَنْ مُّوْسَى الْغَضَبُ اَخَذَ الْاَلْوَاحَ١ۖۚ وَ فِیْ نُسْخَتِهَا هُدًى وَّ رَحْمَةٌ لِّلَّذِیْنَ هُمْ لِرَبِّهِمْ یَرْهَبُوْنَ Open ayah 7:154 in the Quran reader

And when the anger of Moses was stilled, he took up the Tablets again, the text of which comprised guidance and mercy to those who fear their Lord.

وَ اخْتَارَ مُوْسٰى قَوْمَهٗ سَبْعِیْنَ رَجُلًا لِّمِیْقَاتِنَا١ۚ فَلَمَّاۤ اَخَذَتْهُمُ الرَّجْفَةُ قَالَ رَبِّ لَوْ شِئْتَ اَهْلَكْتَهُمْ مِّنْ قَبْلُ وَ اِیَّایَ١ؕ اَتُهْلِكُنَا بِمَا فَعَلَ السُّفَهَآءُ مِنَّا١ۚ اِنْ هِیَ اِلَّا فِتْنَتُكَ١ؕ تُضِلُّ بِهَا مَنْ تَشَآءُ وَ تَهْدِیْ مَنْ تَشَآءُ١ؕ اَنْتَ وَلِیُّنَا فَاغْفِرْ لَنَا وَ ارْحَمْنَا وَ اَنْتَ خَیْرُ الْغٰفِرِیْنَ Open ayah 7:155 in the Quran reader

And out of his people Moses singled out seventy men for Our appointment. 109Then, when violent shaking seized them, he addressed his Lord: 'Had You willed, O my Lord, You could have destroyed them and me long ago. Will You destroy us for what the fools amongst us did? That was nothing but a trial from You whereby You mislead whom You will and guide whom You will. 110You alone are our guardian. Forgive us, then, and have mercy upon us. You are the best of those who forgive.

109. Moses was summoned for the second time to Mount Sinai along with seventy chiefs of the nation in order that they might seek pardon for their calf-worship and renew their covenant with God. Reference to this event is not found in the Bible and Talmud. They simply mention that Moses was summoned to receive new tablets as replacements for the ones he had thrown down and broken. (Cf. Exodus 34.) 110. When a people are put to the test it is an occasion of crucial importance for it helps to distinguish the righteous from the wicked. Like a winnow, it separates out of the mass the useful from the useless. Hence in his wisdom God subjects people to tests. Those who successfully pass through them, owe their success to the support and guidance they receive from God. As for those who are unsuccessful, their failure is the result of their not receiving that support and guidance. This does not detract from the fact that men neither arbitrarily receive or are denied God's support and guidance. Both extending and withholding support and guidance follow a rule which is based on wisdom and justice. The fact, however, remains that man can succeed in the test to which he is put only if God supports and guides him.
Ayah 7:156

وَ اكْتُبْ لَنَا فِیْ هٰذِهِ الدُّنْیَا حَسَنَةً وَّ فِی الْاٰخِرَةِ اِنَّا هُدْنَاۤ اِلَیْكَ١ؕ قَالَ عَذَابِیْۤ اُصِیْبُ بِهٖ مَنْ اَشَآءُ١ۚ وَ رَحْمَتِیْ وَ سِعَتْ كُلَّ شَیْءٍ١ؕ فَسَاَكْتُبُهَا لِلَّذِیْنَ یَتَّقُوْنَ وَ یُؤْتُوْنَ الزَّكٰوةَ وَ الَّذِیْنَ هُمْ بِاٰیٰتِنَا یُؤْمِنُوْنَۚ Open ayah 7:156 in the Quran reader

And ordain for us what is good in this world and in the World to Come for to You have we turned.'He replied: 'I afflict whomsoever I wish with My chastisement. As for My mercy, it encompasses everything. 111 will show mercy to those who abstain from evil, pay Zakat and have faith in Our signs.'

111. It is false to assume that the general rule underlying God's governance of His realm is that of wrath which is occasionally tempered with mercy and benevolence. On the contrary, the general rule is that of mercy and benevolence and wrath is the exception which is aroused when man's transgression and rebellion exceed all reasonable limits.
Ayah 7:157

اَلَّذِیْنَ یَتَّبِعُوْنَ الرَّسُوْلَ النَّبِیَّ الْاُمِّیَّ الَّذِیْ یَجِدُوْنَهٗ مَكْتُوْبًا عِنْدَهُمْ فِی التَّوْرٰىةِ وَ الْاِنْجِیْلِ١٘ یَاْمُرُهُمْ بِالْمَعْرُوْفِ وَ یَنْهٰىهُمْ عَنِ الْمُنْكَرِ وَ یُحِلُّ لَهُمُ الطَّیِّبٰتِ وَ یُحَرِّمُ عَلَیْهِمُ الْخَبٰٓئِثَ وَ یَضَعُ عَنْهُمْ اِصْرَهُمْ وَ الْاَغْلٰلَ الَّتِیْ كَانَتْ عَلَیْهِمْ١ؕ فَالَّذِیْنَ اٰمَنُوْا بِهٖ وَ عَزَّرُوْهُ وَ نَصَرُوْهُ وَ اتَّبَعُوا النُّوْرَ الَّذِیْۤ اُنْزِلَ مَعَهٗۤ١ۙ اُولٰٓئِكَ هُمُ الْمُفْلِحُوْنَ۠ Open ayah 7:157 in the Quran reader

[To-day this mercy is for] those who follow the ummi Prophet, 112whom they find mentioned in the Torah and the Gospel with them. 113 He enjoins upon them what is good and forbids them what is evil. He makes the clean things lawful to them and prohibits all corrupt things, 114 and removes from them their burdens and the shackles that were upon them. 115 So those who believe in him and assist him, and succour him and follow the Light which has been sent down with him, it is they who shall prosper.

112. The preceding verse concludes God's response to Moses' prayer. This was the appropriate moment to invite the Israelites to follow the Message preached by the Prophet Muhammad (peace be on him). The upshot of what is being said here is that people can even now attain God's mercy exactly as they could in the past. These conditions require that people should now follow the Prophet Muhammad (peace be on him), since refusal to follow a Prophet after his advent amounts to gross disobedience to God. Those who do not commit themselves to follow the Prophet (peace be on him) cannot attain the essence of piety, no matter how hard they try to make a pretence of it by observing the minor details of religious rituals generally associated with piety. Likewise, the Israelites had been told that paying Zakah was essential to win God's mercy. However, payment of Zakah is meaningless unless one supports the struggle to establish the hegemony of truth which was being carried on under the leadership of the Prophet (peace be on him). For unless one spends money to exalt the word of God, the very foundation of Zakah are lacking, even if a person spends huge amounts in the way of charity. They were also reminded that they had been told in the past that God's mercy was exclusively for those who believed in His Revelation. Now those who rejected the Revelation received by Muhammad (peace be on him) could never be considered believers in Revelation no matter how zealously they claim to believe in the Torah. Reference to the Prophet (peace be on him) in this verse as umimi is significant as the Israelites branded all other nations as Gentiles (ummis). Steeped in racial prejudice, they did not consider members of other nations as their equals, let alone accept any person not belonging to them as a Prophet. The Qur'an also states the Jewish belief that they would not be taken to ask for whatever they might do to non-Jews. (See Al'Imran 3: 75.) Employing the same term which they themselves had used, the Qur'an tells them that their destiny was linked with the ummi Prophet. By obeying him they would become deserving of God's mercy. As for disobedience to the Prophet (peace be on him). it would continue to arouse God's wrath which had been afflicted upon them for centuries. 113. Pointed and repeated reference to the coming of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be on him) is made in the Bible. (See Deuteronomy 8: 15-19; Matthew 21: 33-46; John 1: 19-25; 14: 15-17, 25-30; 15: 25-6; 6: 7-15.) 114. The Prophet declares the pure things which they had forbidden as lawful, and the impure things which they had legitimized as unlawful. 115. The Israelites had fettered their lives by undue restrictions which had been placed on them by the legal hair-splitting of their jurists, the pietistic exaggerations of their spiritual leaders, the introduction of superstitions and self-contrived laws and regulations by, their masses. The Prophet, by relieving them of every unnecessary burden and releasing them from every unjustified restriction, in fact liberated their shackled lives.
Ayahs 7:158–159

قُلْ یٰۤاَیُّهَا النَّاسُ اِنِّیْ رَسُوْلُ اللّٰهِ اِلَیْكُمْ جَمِیْعَا اِ۟لَّذِیْ لَهٗ مُلْكُ السَّمٰوٰتِ وَ الْاَرْضِ١ۚ لَاۤ اِلٰهَ اِلَّا هُوَ یُحْیٖ وَ یُمِیْتُ١۪ فَاٰمِنُوْا بِاللّٰهِ وَ رَسُوْلِهِ النَّبِیِّ الْاُمِّیِّ الَّذِیْ یُؤْمِنُ بِاللّٰهِ وَ كَلِمٰتِهٖ وَ اتَّبِعُوْهُ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَهْتَدُوْنَ Open ayah 7:158 in the Quran reader

[Say, O Muhammad]: 'O men! I am Allah's Messenger to you all - of Him to Whom belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth. There is no god but He. He grants life and deals death. Have faith then, in Allah and in His Messenger, the ummi Prophet who believes in Allah and His words; and follow him so that you may be guided aright.'

وَ مِنْ قَوْمِ مُوْسٰۤى اُمَّةٌ یَّهْدُوْنَ بِالْحَقِّ وَ بِهٖ یَعْدِلُوْنَ Open ayah 7:159 in the Quran reader

Among the people of Moses' 116 there was a party who guided others in the way of the truth and established justice in its light. 117

116. This marks the resumption of the main theme of the discourse which had been interrupted by the parenthesis (see verses 157-8) calling people to affirm the prophethood of Muhammad (peace be on him). >117. The translators generally render the verse as the following: Of the people of Moses there is a section who guide and do justice in the light of truth. (Translation by Abdullah Yusuf Ali.) They do so because, in their view, the present verse describes the moral and intellectual state of the Israelites at the time when the Qur'an was revealed. However, the context seems to indicate that the above account refers to the state of the Israelites at the time of the Prophet Moses. Thus, the purpose of the verse is to emphasize that even in the days of their calf-worship when God rebuked them, all members of Israel were not corrupt; that a sizeable section of them was righteous.
Ayah 7:160

وَ قَطَّعْنٰهُمُ اثْنَتَیْ عَشْرَةَ اَسْبَاطًا اُمَمًا١ؕ وَ اَوْحَیْنَاۤ اِلٰى مُوْسٰۤى اِذِ اسْتَسْقٰىهُ قَوْمُهٗۤ اَنِ اضْرِبْ بِّعَصَاكَ الْحَجَرَ١ۚ فَانْۢبَجَسَتْ مِنْهُ اثْنَتَا عَشْرَةَ عَیْنًا١ؕ قَدْ عَلِمَ كُلُّ اُنَاسٍ مَّشْرَبَهُمْ١ؕ وَ ظَلَّلْنَا عَلَیْهِمُ الْغَمَامَ وَ اَنْزَلْنَا عَلَیْهِمُ الْمَنَّ وَ السَّلْوٰى١ؕ كُلُوْا مِنْ طَیِّبٰتِ مَا رَزَقْنٰكُمْ١ؕ وَ مَا ظَلَمُوْنَا وَ لٰكِنْ كَانُوْۤا اَنْفُسَهُمْ یَظْلِمُوْنَ Open ayah 7:160 in the Quran reader

And We divided them into twelve tribes, forming them into communities. 118 When his people asked Moses for water We directed him: 'Smite the rock with your rod.' Then twelve springs gushed forth from the rock and every people knew their drinking-places. And We caused thick clouds to provide them shade, and We sent down upon them manna and quails, 119 saying: 'Eat of the clean things that We have provided you.' They wronged not Us, but it was themselves that they wronged.

118. This refers to the organization of the people of Israel which has been mentioned in the Qur'an in al-Ma'idah 5:12 and also described, at length, in the Bible in Numbers. According to these sources, in compliance with God's command the Prophet Moses first conducted the census of the Israelites in the wilderness of Sinai. He registered their twelve tribes, ten of whom were descendants of the Prophet Jacob, and the remaining two descendants of the Prophet Joseph, as separate and distinct tribes. He appointed a chief for each tribe and assigned to him the duty to maintain moral, religious, social and military discipline within each tribe and to enforce the Law. The Levites, who were descendants of the Prophets Moses and Aaron, however, were organized as a distinct group entrusted with the task of providing religious guidance to all tribes. 119. This organization was one of the numerous favours which God had bestowed upon the Israelites. Mention is made of three other favours bestowed upon them. First, an extraordinary arrangement for their water supply was made in the otherwise arid Sinai peninsula. Second, the sky was covered with clouds such that they were protected from the scorching heat of the sun. Third, a unique meal, consisting of manna and quails was sent down on them. Had this Divine arrangement, catering as it did for the millions of wandering Israelites' basic necessities of life, not been made, they would certainly have perished. On visiting that land even today it is difficult to visualize how such an arrangement providing shelter, food and water for millions of people was made. The population of this peninsula standseven today at a paltry, 55,000 people. (it may be noted that this statement was made in the fifties of the present century. However, the present population of the Sinai is 200,000 - Ed.) If a five or six hundred thousand strong army, were to camp there today, it would be quite a task for those at the helm to provide the necessary supplies for the army. Little wonder, then, that many scholars who belive neither in the Scripture nor in miracles, rule out the historical accuracy of the event. For them, the people of Israel camped in an area lying south of Palestine and north of Arabia. In view of the physical and economic geography of the Sinai peninsula, they consider it totally incredible that such a large population could have stayed there for years. What has made these scholars even more sceptical about the event is the fact that the Israelites were not then in a position to procure supplies from either the Egyptians or the 'Amaliqah' who inhabited respectively the eastern and northern parts of the peninsula, since both groups were hostile to them. It is against this background that one may appreciate the immense importance of the favours God conferred on the Israelites. Likewise, it also gives one some idea of the blatant ingratitude of the people of Israel since they consistently defied and betrayed God even though they had witnessed a great many divine signs. (See Towards Understanding the Qur'an, vol. 1, al-Baqarah 2: nn. 72-3 and 76, pp. 76-7 - Ed.)
Ayah 7:161

وَ اِذْ قِیْلَ لَهُمُ اسْكُنُوْا هٰذِهِ الْقَرْیَةَ وَ كُلُوْا مِنْهَا حَیْثُ شِئْتُمْ وَ قُوْلُوْا حِطَّةٌ وَّ ادْخُلُوا الْبَابَ سُجَّدًا نَّغْفِرْ لَكُمْ خَطِیْٓئٰتِكُمْ١ؕ سَنَزِیْدُ الْمُحْسِنِیْنَ Open ayah 7:161 in the Quran reader

And recall 120 when it was said to them: 'Dwell in this town and eat plentifully of whatever you please, and say: "Repentance", and enter the gate prostrate. We shall forgive you your sins and shall bestow further favours on those who do good.'

120. This alludes to their constant defiance and rebellion in face of God' favours which eventually brought about their destruction.
Ayah 7:162

فَبَدَّلَ الَّذِیْنَ ظَلَمُوْا مِنْهُمْ قَوْلًا غَیْرَ الَّذِیْ قِیْلَ لَهُمْ فَاَرْسَلْنَا عَلَیْهِمْ رِجْزًا مِّنَ السَّمَآءِ بِمَا كَانُوْا یَظْلِمُوْنَ۠ Open ayah 7:162 in the Quran reader

Then the wrong-doers among them substituted another word in place of the one told them. So We sent upon them a scourge from the heaven as a punishment for their Wrong-doing.

121. For details see Towards Understanding the Qur'an, vol. 1, al-Baqarah 2: nn. 74-5, pp. 76-7.
Ayah 7:163

وَ سْئَلْهُمْ عَنِ الْقَرْیَةِ الَّتِیْ كَانَتْ حَاضِرَةَ الْبَحْرِ١ۘ اِذْ یَعْدُوْنَ فِی السَّبْتِ اِذْ تَاْتِیْهِمْ حِیْتَانُهُمْ یَوْمَ سَبْتِهِمْ شُرَّعًا وَّ یَوْمَ لَا یَسْبِتُوْنَ١ۙ لَا تَاْتِیْهِمْ١ۛۚ كَذٰلِكَ١ۛۚ نَبْلُوْهُمْ بِمَا كَانُوْا یَفْسُقُوْنَ Open ayah 7:163 in the Quran reader

And ask the people of Moses concerning the town situated along the sea 122 how its people profaned the Sabbath when fish came to them breaking the water's surface on Sabbath days, 123 and would not come to them on other than Sabbath-days. Thus did We try them because of their disobedience. 124

122. Most scholars identify this place with Eilat, Eilath or Eloth. (Cf. Encyclopaedia Britannica, XV edition, 'Macropaedia', vol. 3, art. 'Elat' -Ed.) The seaport called Elat which has been built by the present state of Israel (which is close to the Jordanian seaport, Aqaba), stands on the same site. It lies at the end of that long inlet of the Red Sea situated between the eastern part of the Sinai peninsula and the western part of Arabia. It was a major trading centre in the time of Israelite ascendancy. The Prophet Solomon took this city as the chief port for his fleet in the Red Sea. The event referred to in the above verse is not reported in Jewish Scriptures. Nor do historical accounts shed any light on it. Nonetheless, it appears from the way it has been mentioned in the above verse and in al-Baqarah that the Jews of the early days of Islam were quite familiar with the event. (See Towards Understanding the Qur'an, vol. 1, al-Baqarah 2: 65 and n. 83, pp. 81-2 - Ed.) This view is further corroborated by the fact that even the Madinan Jews who spared no opportunity to criticize the Prophet (peace be on him) did not raise any objection against this (Qur'anic account. 123. 'Sabbath', which means Saturday, was declared for the Israelites as the holi day of the week. God declared the Sabbath as a sign of the perpetual covenant between God and Israel. (Exodus 31: 12-16.) The Israelites were required to strictly keep the Sabbath which meant that they may not engage in any worldly activity; they may not cook, nor make their slaves or cattle serve them. Those who violated these rules were to be put to death. The Israelites, however, publicly violated these rules. In the days of the Prophet Jeremiah (between 628 and 586 B.C.), the Israelites carried their merchandise through the gates of Jerusalem on the Sabbath day itself. Jeremiah, therefore, warned them that if they persisted in their flagrant violation of the Law, Jerusalem would be set on fire. (Jererniah 17: 21-7.) The same complaint is voiced in the Book of the Prophet Ezekiel (595-536 B.C.) who referred to their violation of the Sabbath rules as their major sin. (Ezekiel 20: 12-24.) In view of these Scriptural references it seems plausible that the event mentioned in the above Qur'anic verse is related to the same period. 124. Men are tested by God in a variety of ways. When a person or group of people begin to turn away from God and incline themselves towards disobedience, God provides abundant opportunities for them to disobey. This is done in order that the full potential for disobedience, which had remained hidden because of lack of such an opportunity, might come to the surface.
Ayahs 7:164–165

وَ اِذْ قَالَتْ اُمَّةٌ مِّنْهُمْ لِمَ تَعِظُوْنَ قَوْمَا١ۙ اِ۟للّٰهُ مُهْلِكُهُمْ اَوْ مُعَذِّبُهُمْ عَذَابًا شَدِیْدًا١ؕ قَالُوْا مَعْذِرَةً اِلٰى رَبِّكُمْ وَ لَعَلَّهُمْ یَتَّقُوْنَ Open ayah 7:164 in the Quran reader

And recall when a party of them said: 'Why do you admonish a people whom Allah is about to destroy or punish severely?' They said: 'We admonish them in order to be able to offer an excuse before Your Lord, and in the hope that they will guard against disobedience.'

فَلَمَّا نَسُوْا مَا ذُكِّرُوْا بِهٖۤ اَنْجَیْنَا الَّذِیْنَ یَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ السُّوْٓءِ وَ اَخَذْنَا الَّذِیْنَ ظَلَمُوْا بِعَذَابٍۭ بَئِیْسٍۭ بِمَا كَانُوْا یَفْسُقُوْنَ Open ayah 7:165 in the Quran reader

Then, when they forgot what they had been exhorted, We delivered those who forbade evil and afflicted the wrong-doers with a grievous chastisement 125 because of their evildoing.

125. This shows that the people in that town were of three categories. One, those who flagrantly violated God's commands. Two, those who were silent spectators to such violations and discouraged those who admonished the criminals, pleading that their efforts were fruitless. Three, those who, moved by their religious commitment, actively enjoined good and forbade evil so that the evil-doers might make amends. In so doing, they were prompted by, a sense of duty, to bring back the evil-doers to the right path, and if the latter did not respond to their call, they would at least be able to establish before their Lord that for their part they had fulfilled their duty to admonish the evil-doers. So, when the town was struck by God's punishment, only the people belonging to the last category were spared for they had displayed God-consciousness and performed the duties incumbent upon them. As for the people of the other two categories, they were reckoned as transgressors and were punished in proportion to their crimes. Some commentators on the Qur'an are of the opinion that whereas the Qur'an specifically, describes the fate of the people belonging to the first and third categories, it is silent about the treatment meted out to the people of the second category. It cannot be said, therefore, with certainty, whether they were spared or punished. It is reported that Ibn 'Abba's initially believed that God's punishment included the second category as well. It is believed that later his disciple Ikramah convinced him that only the people of the second category would be delivered in the same manner as the people of the third category. A closer study of the Qur'anic account, however, shows that Ibn 'Abba's earlier viewpoint is sound. It is evident that the people of the town would inevitably have been grouped into two categories on the eve of God's punishment: those who were spared and those who were not. Since the Qur'an states that the people of the third category, had been spared, it may be legitimately assumed that the people belonging to both the first and the second categories were punished. This view is also corroborated by the preceding verse: Also recall when a party of them said: 'Why do you admonish a people whom Allah is about to destroy or punish severely? They said: 'We admonish them in order to he able to offer an excuse before your Lord, and in the hope that they will guard against disobedience.' (Verse 164.) Thus it clearly emerges from the above discussion that all the people of the place where evil deeds are publicly committed stand guilty, One cannot be absolved merely on the basis that one had not committed any evil. One may be acquitted only, in the event that one made every possible effort to bring about reform and actively worked in the cause of the truth. This constitutes the divine law pertaining to collective evil as is evident from the teachings of the Qur'an and Hadith. The Qur'an says: And guard against the mischief that will not only bring punishment to the wrong-doers among you. Know well that Allah is severe in punishment (Al-Anfal 8: 15). Explaining the above verse the Prophet (peace be on him) remarked: 'God does not punish the generality of a people for the evil committed by a particular section of that people until they observe others committing evil and do not denounce it even though they are in a position to do so. And when they do that, God punishes all, the evil-doers and the people in general.' (Ahmad b. Hanbal. Musnad, vol. 4, p. 192 - Ed.) Moreover. the verse in question seems to suggest that God's punishment afflicted the town concerned in two stages. The first stage is referred to as 'grevious chastisement', for in the next stage they were turned into apes. We may, therefore, hold that people belonging to both the first and the second categories were subjected to punishment. But the punishment of transforming the persistent evil-doers into apes was confined only to the people of the second category. (God knows best. If I am right that is from God. If I err, that is from me alone. God is All-Forgiving, All-Merciful.)
Ayah 7:166

فَلَمَّا عَتَوْا عَنْ مَّا نُهُوْا عَنْهُ قُلْنَا لَهُمْ كُوْنُوْا قِرَدَةً خٰسِئِیْنَ Open ayah 7:166 in the Quran reader

And when they persisted in pursuing that which had been forbidden We said: 'Become despised apes.' 126

126. For details see Towards Understanding the Q ur'an, vol. 1, alBaqarah 2: n. 83, pp. 81-2,
Ayah 7:167

وَ اِذْ تَاَذَّنَ رَبُّكَ لَیَبْعَثَنَّ عَلَیْهِمْ اِلٰى یَوْمِ الْقِیٰمَةِ مَنْ یَّسُوْمُهُمْ سُوْٓءَ الْعَذَابِ١ؕ اِنَّ رَبَّكَ لَسَرِیْعُ الْعِقَابِ١ۖۚ وَ اِنَّهٗ لَغَفُوْرٌ رَّحِیْمٌ Open ayah 7:167 in the Quran reader

And recall when Your Lord proclaimed 127 that 'He would continually set in authority over them, till the Day of Judgement, those who would ruthless oppress thern.' 128 Surely, your Lord is swift in chastising; and yet He is All-Forgiving, All-Merciful.

127. The Qur'anic expression 'ta'adhdhana' means almost the same 'he warned; he proclaimed'. 128. Since the 8th century B.C. the Israelites were warned consistently. This is borne out by the contents of the Books of the Prophets Isaiah, Jeremiah, and their successors. Jesus too administered the same warning which is borne out by many of his orations in the New Testament, This was also later confirmed by the Qur'an. History bears out the veracity of the statement made both in the Qur'an and the earlier scriptures. For throughout history, since the time the Jews were warned, they have continually been subjected to abject persecution in one part of the world or another.
Ayahs 7:168–169

وَ قَطَّعْنٰهُمْ فِی الْاَرْضِ اُمَمًا١ۚ مِنْهُمُ الصّٰلِحُوْنَ وَ مِنْهُمْ دُوْنَ ذٰلِكَ١٘ وَ بَلَوْنٰهُمْ بِالْحَسَنٰتِ وَ السَّیِّاٰتِ لَعَلَّهُمْ یَرْجِعُوْنَ Open ayah 7:168 in the Quran reader

And We dispersed them through the earth in communities - some were righteous, others were not -and We tested them with prosperity and adversity that they may turn back (to righteousness).

فَخَلَفَ مِنْۢ بَعْدِهِمْ خَلْفٌ وَّرِثُوا الْكِتٰبَ یَاْخُذُوْنَ عَرَضَ هٰذَا الْاَدْنٰى وَ یَقُوْلُوْنَ سَیُغْفَرُ لَنَا١ۚ وَ اِنْ یَّاْتِهِمْ عَرَضٌ مِّثْلُهٗ یَاْخُذُوْهُ١ؕ اَلَمْ یُؤْخَذْ عَلَیْهِمْ مِّیْثَاقُ الْكِتٰبِ اَنْ لَّا یَقُوْلُوْا عَلَى اللّٰهِ اِلَّا الْحَقَّ وَ دَرَسُوْا مَا فِیْهِ١ؕ وَ الدَّارُ الْاٰخِرَةُ خَیْرٌ لِّلَّذِیْنَ یَتَّقُوْنَ١ؕ اَفَلَا تَعْقِلُوْنَ Open ayah 7:169 in the Quran reader

Then others succeeded them who inherited the scriptures, and yet kept themselves occupied in acquiring the goods of this world and kept saying: 'We shall be forgiven.' And when there comes to them an opportunity for acquiring more of those goods, they seize it. 129 Was not the covenant of the Book taken from them that they would not ascribe to Allah anything but the truth? And they have read what is in the Book 130 and know that the abode of the Hereafter is better for the God-fearing. 131 Do you not understand?

129. The Jews knowingly commit sins in the belief that being God's chosen people they will necessarily be pardoned and spared God's punishment. As a result of this misconception, they neither repent nor refrain from committing sins. How unfortunate the Jews are! They received the Scriptures which could have made them leaders of all mankind. But they were so petty-minded that they aspired to nothing higher than paltry worldly benefits. Thus even though they had the potential of becoming the upholders of justice and righteousness across the world they ended up merely as worshippers of this world. 130. The people of Israel know well that the Torah does not unconditionally assure them salvation. They have never been promised by God or any of His Prophets that they will attain deliverance no matter what they do. Therefore they have absolutely no right to ascribe to God something which He never told them. What makes their crime even worse is that their claim to unconditional salvation constitutes a sacrilege of their covenant with God whereby they pledged never to attribute any false statement to God. 131. The above verse has two renderings. It may be either translated as above or it may be rendered thus: 'For the righteous, only the home in the Hereafter is the best.' Going by the first rendering, the verse means that salvation is not the exclusive privilege of a particular person or a family. It is absolutely out of the question that one will attain deliverance even if one commits sins, simply on account of being a Jew. A little reflection will help one realize that only the righteous and God-fearing will be rewarded in the Hereafter. In the light of the second rendering, only the unrighteous prefer worldly, gains to reward in the Hereafter. As for the righteous, they are conscious of the importance of the Hereafter and hence forego worldly benefits for the sake of reward in the Next World.
Ayahs 7:170–171

وَ الَّذِیْنَ یُمَسِّكُوْنَ بِالْكِتٰبِ وَ اَقَامُوا الصَّلٰوةَ١ؕ اِنَّا لَا نُضِیْعُ اَجْرَ الْمُصْلِحِیْنَ Open ayah 7:170 in the Quran reader

Those who hold fast to the Book and establish Prayer - We shall not allow the reward of such righteous men to go to waste.

وَ اِذْ نَتَقْنَا الْجَبَلَ فَوْقَهُمْ كَاَنَّهٗ ظُلَّةٌ وَّ ظَنُّوْۤا اَنَّهٗ وَاقِعٌۢ بِهِمْ١ۚ خُذُوْا مَاۤ اٰتَیْنٰكُمْ بِقُوَّةٍ وَّ اذْكُرُوْا مَا فِیْهِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَّقُوْنَ۠ Open ayah 7:171 in the Quran reader

And recall when We shook the mountain over them as though it were a canopy, and they thought that it was going to fall over them; and We said: 'Hold firmly to that which We have given you, and remember what is in it, that you may guard against evil. 132

132. The allusion here is to the event which took place when Moses proclaimed God's Divine Law at the foot of Mount Sinai. Then Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet God; and they took their stand at the foot of the mountain. And Mount Sinai was wrapped in smoke, because the Lord descended upon it in fire; and the smoke of it went up like the smoke of a kiln, and the whole mountain quaked greatly. (Exodus 19: 17-18.) This awesome atmosphere was created by God at the time when He made the people of Israel enter into a covenant with Him in order to impress upon them the gravity of the event and the supreme importance of the covenant. It should not be mistakenly assumed, however, that the people of Israel, who were reluctant to make the covenant, were forced to enter into it. In fact they were all believers and had gone to the Mount merely to make the covenant. The extraordinary conditions which God created were such as to make the Israelites realize that making a covenant with God was not an ordinary matter. They were rather made to feel that they were entering into a covenant with none other than Almighty God and that violating it could spell their disaster. This concludes the discourse especially addressed to the Israelites. From here on the discourse is directed to all mankind, and particularly to the people whom the Prophet (peace be on him) addressed directly.
Ayah 7:172

وَ اِذْ اَخَذَ رَبُّكَ مِنْۢ بَنِیْۤ اٰدَمَ مِنْ ظُهُوْرِهِمْ ذُرِّیَّتَهُمْ وَ اَشْهَدَهُمْ عَلٰۤى اَنْفُسِهِمْ اَلَسْتُ بِرَبِّكُمْ١ؕ قَالُوْا بَلٰى١ۛۚ شَهِدْنَا١ۛۚ اَنْ تَقُوْلُوْا یَوْمَ الْقِیٰمَةِ اِنَّا كُنَّا عَنْ هٰذَا غٰفِلِیْنَۙ Open ayah 7:172 in the Quran reader

And recall (0 Prophet) 133 when your Lord brought forth descendants from the loins of the sons of Adam, and made them witnesses against their ownselves. asking them: 'Am I not your Lord?' They said: 'Yes, we do testify.' 134We did so lest you claim on the Day of Resurrection: 'We were unaware of this.'

133. The preceding discourse concluded with the note that God made the Israelites enter into a covenant with their Lord. In the following passages all men are told that a covenant with God is not the exclusive privilege of Israel. In fact all human beings are bound in a covenant with God and a Day will come when they will be made to answer how well they were able to observe that covenant. 134. This event, according to several traditions, took place at the time of the creation of Adam. Apart from the prostration of the angels before Adam and the proclamation that man would be God's vicegerent on earth, all the future progeny of Adam were gathered, and were endowed with both existence and consciousness in order to bear witness to God's lordship. The best interpretation of this event is found in a statement by, 'Ubayy b. Ka'b, who has probably given the substance of what he had heard from the Prophet (peace be on him): God gathered all human beings, divided them into different groups, granted them human form and the faculty of speech, made them enter into a covenant, and then making them witnesses against themselves He asked them: 'Am I not your Lord?' They replied: 'Assuredly you are Our Lord.' Then God told them: 'I call upon the sky and the earth and your own progenitor, Adam, to be witness against you lest you should say on the Day of Judgement that you were ignorant of this. Know well that no one other than Me deserves to he worshipped and no one other than Me is your Lord. So do not ascribe any partner to Me. I shall send to you My Messengers who will remind you of this covenant which you made with Me. I shall send down to you My Books.' In reply all said: 'We witness that You are Our Lord and our Deity. We have no lord or deity other than You.' (Ahmad b. Hanbal, Musnad, vol. 5, p. 135 - Ed.) This event has also been interpreted by some commentators in a purely allegorical sense. They are of the opinion that the purpose of the Qur'an is merely to emphasize that the acceptance of God's lordship is innate in human nature. However, this was narrated in such a way as to suggest that the event did actually take place. We do not subscribe to this allegorical interpretation of the primordial covenant of man with God. For both the Qur'an and Hadith recount it not only as an actual happening, but also affirm that the covenant would be adduced as an argument against man on the Day of Judgement. There remains, therefore, no ground whatsoever to interpret the event in terms of mere allegory. In our own view the event did take place. God caused all human beings whom He intended to create until the Last Day to come into existence. He endowed upon them life, consciousness and the faculty of speech, and brought home to them that there is no god or lord besides Him, and that Islam alone is the right way to serve Him. If someone considers calling all human beings together in one assembly impossible, that shows, more than anything else the woeful paucity of his imagination. For if someone accepts that God has the power to create countless human beings in succession, there is no reason to suppose that He did not have the power to create them all at some given moment prior to the creation of the universe, or that He will be unable to resurrect them all at some given moment in the future. Again, it stands to reason that at a time when God wanted to designate man as His vicegerent on earth after endowing him with reason and understanding, He took from him an oath of allegiance. All this is so reasonable that the actual occurrence of the covenant should not cause any wonder. On the contrary, one should wonder if the event did not take place.