Sura 7 Al-A’raf – The Heights or the Wall with Elevations Mecca
In this chapter idolatry is rebuked when certain non-biblical, though allegedly inspired prophets, were rejected by the people to whom they are sent, namely Hud, Salih and Shu’aib. Incidents in the life of Moses are shown as the prophet struggled against a recalcitrant idolatrous people. Muhammad at this time was experiencing a similar struggle in being rejected and scoffed at by the Qurraish. It was at this time that Muhammad began to contemplate his flight from Mecca. Other issues in this chapter include the ‘beautiful names of Allah’ and the ‘hour’ of judgment. The title is derived from the reference in verses 46 and 47 to the partition wall (heights) between heaven and hell, which is called al-A’raf.
“When they do aught that is shameful, they say: We found our fathers doing so; and Allah commanded us thus: Say: Nay, Allah never commands what is shameful: do ye say of Allah what ye know not? ” (v 28).
“Children of Adam! Wear your beautiful apparel at every time and place of prayer” (v 31).
The Quarraish used to go around the Ka’ba naked and they defended this action on the grounds of custom. Now such action is forbidden
The punishment of those who charge Muhammad with imposture
“O y
e Children of Adam! Whenever there come to you messengers from amongst you, rehearsing My signs unto you, those who are righteous and mend (their lives), on them shall be no fear nor shall they grieve. But those who reject Our signs and treat them with arrogance, they are companions of the fire, to dwell therein. Who is more unjust than one who invents a lie against Allah or rejects His signs? For such, their portion appointed must reach them from the Book: until, when our messengers arrive and take their souls, they say: Where are the things that ye used to invoke besides Allah? They will reply, They have left us in the lurch, And they will bear witness against themselves, that they had rejected Allah” (v 35-37).
Once again suspicion is placed on the revelations of Muhammad.
The veil of Al-A’raf
“Between them shall be a veil, and on the heights will be men who would know every one by his marks: they will call out to the companions of the garden, peace on you: they will not have entered, but they will have an assurance (thereof). When their eyes shall be turned towards the companions of the fire, they will say: Our Lord! send us not to the company of the wrong-doers.” (v 46, 47).
The idea sounds very similar to Jesus’ parable of the great gulf separating paradise from the place of torment in Luke 21:26.
Hud rejected by the tribe of ’Ad and their fate
“To the ‘Ad people, (We sent) Hud, one of their brethren: He said: O my people! worship Allah! ye have no other god but Him will ye not fear” (Allah)? The leaders of the unbelievers among his people said: Ah! we see thou art an imbecile! and We think thou art a liar! He said: O my people! I am no imbecile, but (I am) a messenger from the Lord and Cherisher of the worlds! I but fulfil towards you the duties of my Lord’s mission: I am to you a sincere and trustworthy adviser. Do ye wonder that there hath come to you a message from your Lord through a man of your own people, to warn you? call in remembrance that He made you inheritors after the people of Noah, and gave you a stature tall among the nations. Call in remembrance the benefits from Allah: that so ye may prosper. They said: Comest thou to us, that we may worship Allah alone, and give up the cult of our fathers? bring us what thou threatenest us with; if so be that thou tellest the truth! He said: punishment and wrath have already come upon you from your Lord: dispute ye with me over names which ye have devised – ye and your fathers, – without authority from Allah? then wait: I am amongst you, also waiting. We saved him and those who adhered to him. By Our mercy, and We cut off the roots of those who rejected Our signs and did not believe (v 65-72).
According to the Quran the prophet Hud came to the ‘Ad tribe, which was said to be a powerful ancient tribe which lay to the north of Mecca. They were zealously pursuing idolatry, worshiping four deities. The story of Hud is told in Suras 7, 11, 26, 46, 49 and his name is found in the first three of these. The title of Sura 11 bears his name and verses 50-60 of that sura are concerned with him.
His genealogy is tied to the tribe of ’Ad and he is also said to be identified with ’Abir i.e. Heber – the ancestor of the Hebrews, but this is uncertain. Like every ‘warner’ he is represented as being in the same position as Muhammad in Mecca having only a few followers. The legend describes how the whole tribe of ‘Ad was destroyed with the exception of Hud and his followers.
Salih rejected by the Thamudites and their fate
“To the Thamud people (We sent) Salih, one of their own brethren: He said: O my people! worship Allah: ye have no other god but Him. Now hath come unto you a clear (sign) from your Lord! This she-camel of Allah is a sign unto you: So leave her to graze in Allah’s earth, and let her come to no harm, or ye shall be seized with a grievous punishment. And remember how He made you inheritors after the ‘Ad people and gave you habitations in the land: ye build for yourselves palaces and castles in (open) plains, and care out homes in the mountains; so bring to remembrance the benefits (ye have received) from Allah, and refrain from evil and mischief on the earth. The leaders of the arrogant party among his people said to those who were reckoned powerless – those among them who believed: know ye indeed that Salih is a messenger from his Lord? They said: We do indeed believe in the revelation which hath been sent through him. The arrogant party said: For our part, we reject what ye believe in. Then they ham-strung the she-camel, and insolently defied the order of their Lord, saying: O Salih! bring about thy threats, if thou art a messenger (of Allah)! So the earthquake took them unawares, and they lay prostrate in their homes in the morning! So Salih left them, saying: O my people! I did indeed convey to you the message for which I was sent by my Lord: I gave you good counsel, but ye love not good counsellors!” (v 73-79).
Salih was said to be a prophet who went to the Arab people of Thamud. He is depicted in the same warning style as Muhammad, demanding that the tribe should turn to him and pray to Allah alone (Sura 7:73, 11:6).Various verses scattered over the Quran when pieced together show that Salih’s idea of judgement and his claim to revelation were rejected, and only irritated the unbelievers. Allah sends the tribe a special sign in the form of a she camel. Salih begs them to share their water with it and leave it unharmed but they cause it to become lame and one member of their tribe kills it calling upon Salih to inflict the punishment he had threatened. The punishment then is duly inflicted. The Quran teaches that the tribe of Thamud were the successors of the ‘Ad yet both the story of Hud and Salih are in direct contradiction to the teaching of the Quran that no prophet had been sent to the Arabs before him:
‘ Yet (art thou sent) as mercy from thy Lord, to give warning to a people to whom no warner had come before thee (Al-Qasas 28:46).’
‘that thou mayest admonish a people to whom no warner has come before thee (As-Sajdah 32:3).’
‘But We had not given them Books which they could study, nor sent messengers to them before thee as warners.’ (Saba’ 34:44).
The stories of Hud and Salih are found fairly frequently in the earliest Meccan suras but almost disappear in the Medinan suras.
Shu’aib rejected by the Madainites and their fate
“To the Madyan 
people We sent Shu’aib, one of their own brethren: he said: O my people! worship Allah; Ye have no other god but Him. Now hath come unto you a clear (sign) from your Lord! Give just measure and weight, nor withhold from the people the things that are their due; and do no mischief on the earth after it has been set in order: that will be best for you, if ye have faith. The leaders, the arrogant party among his people, said: O Shu’aib! we shall certainly drive thee out of our city and those who believe with thee; or else ye shall have to return to our ways and religion. He said: What! even though we do detest (them)?” (v 85, 88)
According to Sura 26:176-189 Shu’aib was sent to the people of Al-Aikah and the people of Madyan are considered to be his brothers. The same basic recitation occurs in the story of Shu’aib as in the other Arab prophets. Shu’aib preaches monotheism, encourages honesty in weights and measures, and warns the tribe to whom he was sent of judgement. He and his followers were threatened with expulsion from their city and if it was not for his family he would have been stoned. The tribe were destroyed by an earthquake. These stories actually then reflect Muhammad’s personal struggles in Mecca. He was preaching monotheism and was the target of idolaters mockery, if they did not walk in the ways of Allah they too would have to face the judgement. Some suggest Shu’aib is to be identified with Jethro, the father- in- law of Moses who lived in Midian.
The death of the male children of the Israelites in Egypt
“Said the chiefs of Pharaohs people: Wilt thou leave Moses and his people, to spread mischief in the land, and to abandon thee and thy gods? He said: Their male children will we slay; (only) their females will we save alive; and we have over them (power) i rresistible.” (v 127).
Exodus 1:7-22 says that the male children were ordered to be put to death before the birth of Moses and Moses’ life itself was under threat.
Moses – his mission to Pharaoh, the contest with the magicians, the ten plagues, the destruction of the Egyptians in the Red Sea and God’s appearance on the Mount. (v. 103-147)
Aaron and the golden calf
“Th e people of Moses made, in his absence, out of their ornaments, the image of calf, (for worship): it seemed to low: did they not see that it could neither speak to them, nor show them the way? They took it for worship and they did wrong. When they repented, and saw that they had erred, they said: If our Lord have not mercy upon us and forgive us, we shall indeed be of those who perish. When Moses came back to his people, angry and grieved, he said: Evil it is that ye have done in my place in my absence: did ye make haste to bring on the judgement of your Lord? He put down the tablets, seized his brother by (the hair of) his head, and dragged him to him. Aaron said: Son of my mother! the people did indeed reckon me as naught, and went near to slaying me! Make not the enemies rejoice over my misfortune, nor count thou me amongst the people of sin. Moses prayed: O my Lord! forgive me and my brother! admit us to Thy mercy! for Thou art the Most Merciful of those who show mercy! Those who took the calf (for worship) will indeed be overwhelmed with wrath from their Lord, and with shame in this life: thus do We recompense those who invent (falsehoods)” (v 148-152).
The worship of the golden calf is described in Exodus 32:1-24. There is no mention that the calf lowed although it is one of the traditions of the Talmud, nor is there mention that Moses seized Aaron by the hair. These are additions by Muhammad.
Muhammad the illiterate Prophet
“Those who follow the messenger, the unlettered Prophet, whom they find mentioned in their own (scriptures), in the law and the Gospel. Say: O men! I am sent unto you all, as the messenger of Allah, to whom belongeth the dominion of the heavens and the earth: there is no god but He: it is He that giveth both life and death. So believe in Allah and His messenger, the unlettered Prophet, who believeth in Allah and His words: follow him that (so) ye may be guided.” (v 157, 158).
Muhammad is called an-Nabiyu’l-ummi – ‘the illiterate prophet’ Commentators however, are not agreed to its meaning and and the following derivatives have been reached. a) Umm = mother i.e. Just as he came forth from his mothers womb. b) Ummah = people i.e. A gentile who was ignorant. c) Ummu ‘l-qura = the mother of villages (Mecca)
Muhammad appears to have wished to be thought ignorant and illiterate in order to raise the elegance of the Quran into a miracle. He certainly was ignorant of many details concerning the preceding prophets and Biblical characters. The following hadith suggests that Muhammad was capable of writing a statement of faith. Narrated Ibn ‘Abbas: When Allah’s Apostle was on his death-bed and in the house there were some people among whom was ‘Umar bin Al-Khattab, the Prophet said, Come, let me write for you a statement after which you will not go astray. ‘Umar said, The Prophet is seriously ill and you have the Quran; so the Book of Allah is enough for us. The people present in the house differed and quarrelled. Some said Go near so that the Prophet may write for you a statement after which you will not go astray, while the others said as Umar said. When they caused a hue and cry before the Prophet, Allah’s Apostle said, Go away! Narrated ‘Ubaidullah: Ibn ‘Abbas used to say, It was very unfortunate that Allah’s Apostle was prevented from writing that statement for them because of their disagreement and noise (Bukhari Volume 7, Book 70, Number 573).
Water from the Rock in the Wilderness
“We divided them into twelve tribes or nations. We directed Moses by inspiration, when his people asked him for water: Strike the rock with thy staff: out of it there gushed forth twelve springs: Each group knew its own place for water. We gave th em the sha de of clouds, and sent down to them manna and quails, (saying): Eat of the good things We have provided for you: (but they rebelled); to Us they did no harm, but they harmed their own souls” (v 160)
The correct account is found in Exodus 17:1-7. There is no mention that twelve fountains gushed out. Muhammad may have confused this with the twelve springs at Elim in Exodus 15:27.
The Sabbath breakers changed into apes
“As
k them concerning the town standing close by the sea. Behold! they transgressed in the matter of the Sabbath. For on the day of their Sabbath their fish d id come to them, openly holding up their heads, but on the day they had no Sabbath, they came not: thus did We make a trial of them, for they were given to transgression. When some of them said: Why do ye preach to a people whom Allah will destroy or visit with a terrible punishment?said the preachers: To discharge our duty to your Lord, and perchance they may fear Him. When they disregarded the warnings that had been given them, We rescued those who forbade evil; but We visited the wrong-doers with a grievous punishment because they were given to transgression. When in their insolence they transgressed prohibitions, We said to them: Be ye apes, despised and rejected. Behold! thy Lord did declare that He would send against them, to the Day of Judgement, those who would afflict them with grievous penalty. Thy Lord is quick in retribution, but He is also Oft-forgiving, Most Merciful” (v 163-167).
Reference is made to this supposed incident in Surah 2:265 and 5:60. No trace of this story is found in the Talmud.The legend concerns some Jews who lived in the days of David at Elath, on the Red Sea. On the night of the Sabbath, it is said, that the fish came in great numbers to the shore to tempt them. Some of the inhabitants broke the command to keep the Sabbath, so David cursed them, and God changed them into apes.
Mount Sinai shaken over the Israelites
“When We shook the Mount over them, as if it had been a canopy, and they thought it was going to fall on them (We said): Hold firmly to what We have given you, and bring to remembrance what is therein; perchance ye may fear Allah.” (v 171).
Sinai is never mentioned in the Quran as the place where the Law was given. Rather the Quran legend shows the Israelites refused to receive the laws of Moses so God tore up the mountain by the roots and shook it over their heads to terrify them into compliance. It is a Jewish fable adopted by Muhammad.
Allah’s beautiful names
“The most beautiful names belong to Allah:
so call on him by them; but shun such men as use profanity in his names: for what they do, they will soon be requited” (v 180).
The 
number of these names or attributes are ninety-nine and are found either in the Quran or the traditions. They are repeated by pious Muslims with the aid of a rosary and often divided into two sections; the first Isma-ul-Jalaliyah: the terrible attributes and the second, Isma-ul-Jamaliyah: the glorious attributes, the former are more emphasised.
The list includes expected names like: Er-Rahman – The Merciful; Er-Rahim – The Compassionate; El-Malik – The King; El-Aziz – The Mighty One;El- Khalik – The Creator but also the unexpected are found. Dr. Zwemer wrote, “What must have been Muhammad’s idea of the character of God when he named Him El-Mutakabbir – The Proud; El-Jabbar – The All-Compelling; El-Mumit – The Slayer; El-Muakhir – The Deferrer; Er-Ra’oof – The Indulgent and Edh-Dhur – The Harmful. Nor can the mind reconcile such attributes with those of goodness and compassion without doing violence to the text of the Quran itself. Some Muslim theologians, therefore teach that all the good attributes are exercised towards believers and the terrible ones towards unbelievers.” Dr. Zwemer continues “When God is called Holy in the Quran (Surah 59), the term does not signify moral purity or perfection ………. Beidhhawi’s comment on the word is: ‘Holy means the complete absence of anything that would make Him less than He is.’ Likewise Beidhawi comments on the name Es-Salam – The Peace, or the Peace-maker and says: It is “he who is free from all loss and harm.’”
The merit awarded to the repetition of these names is shown in the following hadith: Bukhari Volume 3, Book 50, Number 894: Narrated Abu Huraira: Allah’s Apostle said, Allah has ninety-nine names, i.e. one-hundred minus one, and whoever knows them will go to Paradise.
The foolishness of idolatry
“Do they indeed ascribe to Him as partners things that can create nothing, but are themselves created? No aid can they give them, nor can they aid themselves! If ye call them to guidance, they will not obey: For you it is the same whether ye call them or ye hold your peace!” (v 191-193)
“But those ye call upon besides Him, are unable to help you, and indeed to help themselves. (v 197 and on to v. 202).
The arguments against idolatry are like those in Psalm 105:3-8 and Isaiah 44:8-21.
The Quran to be heard in silence
“When the Quran is read, listen to it with attention, and hold your peace: that ye may receive mercy. And do thou Bring thy Lord to remembrance in thy soul, with humility and in reverence, without loudness in words, in the mornings and evenings; and be not thou of those who are unheedful” (v. 204, 205).
* * * * * * * * * *
Sura 8. Al-Anfal (The Spoils of War) Medina
Most of the chapter is taken up with an account of the alleged miraculous character of the battle of Badr. After a successful attack on a mercantile caravan at Nakhla a goodly amount of plunder entered Medina. Muhammad heard that a rich caravan was on its way from Syria so he decided to ambush it at Badr. The Qurraishi, Abu Sufiyan, who was leading the caravan, had now become cautious and heard about the plan so he sent to Mecca for help. He diverted his caravan to the coast and believing that he was no longer under threat sent and cancelled his initial request. The army, however, had now been mustered and was three times larger that that of Muhammad’s so they saw it as an opportunity to defeat the Prophet. Muhammad went to Badr were he expected to meet Abu Sufiyan’s caravan but instead found the Qurraish army. The resulting battle was a resounding victory for the Muslims, although the numbers involved were small it was of great significance. The title is taken from the question in the first verse :”They ask thee concerning spoils of war”. Bukhari affirms that this sura is connected with the Battle of Badr: Narrated Said bin Jubair: I asked Ibn ‘Abbas regarding Surat-al-Anfal. He said, It was revealed in connection with the Battle of Badr (Bukhari Volume 6, Book 60, Number 168) Islam is now declared to have received the seal of God to its truth, and all who oppose it in the future will merit shame and destruction, both in this world and the next.
Spoils belong to God and the Prophet
“
They ask thee concerning spoils of war. Say: spoils are at the disposal of Allah and the Messenger: So fear Allah, and keep straight the relations between yourselves: Obey Allah and His messenger, if ye do believe.” (v 1).
Following the battle of Badr a dispute about the spoils of war occurred between the young men who had fought in battle and those who were older who had remained behind to guard the camp. The young men believed they deserved the whole booty while the rest believed they deserved a portion. This verse was then revealed. The law regarding ‘the spoils of war’ is that fo ur-fifths of all weapons, horses, prisoners of war, and all other moveable possessions are to be divided among the troops who have been present at the battle whether they actually took part or not; the remaining fifth belongs to Allah (see verse 41).
There is also the accusation made by the hypocrites (Muaniqun) that Muhammad had taken from the booty, as his right, a beautiful red garment. After much complaint this verse is revealed to justify his right to the prized item. (Jami’u’t-Tirmidhi, vol. 2, p.391)
Miraculous assistance promised at Badr
“Remember ye implored the assistance of your Lord, and He answered you:
I will assist you with a thousand of the angels, ranks on ranks.” (v 9).
Muslims refreshed before the battle
“Remember He covered you with a sort of drowsiness, to give you calm as from Himself, and he caused rain to descend on you from heaven, to clean you therewith, to remove from you the stain of Satan, to strengthen your hearts, and to plant your feet firmly therewith” (v 11).
The inspired angels stir up the believers to violent warfare
“Remember thy Lord inspired the angels: I am with you: give firmness to the believers:
I will instil terror into the hearts of the unbelievers: smite ye above their necks and smite all their finger-tips off them.” (v 12).
The punishment of cowards in battle
“O ye who believe! when ye meet the unbelievers in hostile array, never turn your backs to them. If any do turn his back to them on such a day unless it be in a stratagem of war, or to retreat to a troop he draws on himself the wrath of Allah, and his abode is hell, an evil refuge.” (v 15-16)
The victory at Badr a miracle
“It is not ye who slew them; it was Allah: when thou threwest (a handful of dust), it was not thy act, but Allah’s: in order that He might test the believers by a gracious trial from Himself: for Allah is He Who heareth and knoweth” (v 17).
The Qurraish were said to have been slain by angels. It is said that Muhammad, by the direction of Gabriel, took a handful of gravel, and threw it towards the enemy, saying, ‘May their faces be confounded’ on this they turned their backs and fled. Here it is said that it was God who threw it by his angel.
Allah, the greatest plotter
Remember how the unbelievers plotted against thee, to keep thee in bonds, or slay thee, or get thee out (of thy home).
They plot and plan, and Allah too plans; but the best of planners is Allah. (v 30)
This early Medinan sura recalls the action of the Quarraish that caused Muhammad to leave Mecca. In a short period of two months nearly all the believers had emigrated from Mecca. Muhammad remained behind and when a deputation came to see him he feared it was actually a plot against him so he abandoned his house, joined Abu Bakr and left the city as night drew on.
The guardians of the Kaaba threatened
“But what plea have they that Allah should not punish them, when they keep out (men) from the sacred Mosque and they are not its guardians? No men can be its guardians except the righteous; but most of them do not understand. Their prayer at the House (of Allah) is nothing but whistling and clapping of hands: Taste ye the penalty because ye blasphemed.” (v 34, 35)
The Quraish are reckoned unworthy guardians of the Kaaba, men and women circled it naked while whistling, and clapping their hands.
The division of spoil
“And know that out of all the booty that ye may acquire (in war), a fifth share is assigned to Allah, and to the Messenger, and to near relatives, orphans, the needy, and the wayfarer, if ye do believe in Allah and in the revelation We sent down to Our servant on the day of testing, the day of the meeting of the two forces. For Allah hath power over all things” (v 41).
Having laid down his absolute right to the booty in one verse he somewhat modifies it here. This verse was revealed shortly after the battle of Badr. It was the custom of ancient Arabs that Arab chiefs received a portion of the ‘spoils of war’ in order to cover any costs incurred, so this was not a new innovation. Many Muslim scholars say that the fifth allotted to Allah should be distributed equally amongst the five categories shown in this verse, namely, the apostle, relatives, orphans, the needy, and the traveller. The prophet’s portion according to the Shafi’i school should be given to the general good of the Muslim community. This is the law of Islam on the subject to the present day.
S atan deserted the Qurraish at Badr
“Remember Satan made their (sinful) acts seem alluring to them, and said: No one among men can overcome you this day, while I am near to you: But when the two forces came in sight of each other, he turned on his heels, and said: Lo! I am clear of you; lo! I see what ye see not; Lo! I fear Allah: for Allah is strict in punishment.” (v 48).
Satan deserted the field of battle when he saw the angels which remained unknown to the believers.
Superiority of the faithful in war
“O Prophet! rouse the believers to the fight. If there are twenty amongst you, patient and persevering, they will vanquish two hundred: if a hundred, they will vanquish a thousand of the unbelievers: for these are a people without understanding. For the present, Allah hath lightened your (task), for He knoweth that there is a weak spot in you: But, if there are a hundred of you, patient and persevering, they will vanquish two hundred, and if a thousand, they will vanquish two thousand, with the leave of Allah: for Allah is with those who patiently persevere” (v 65, 66).
Following the death of a faithful believer an earlier promise that one Muslim would stand against ten unbelievers was abrogated, and this second given so that one hundred should overcome two hundred (see Bukhari Volume 6, Book 60, Number 175).
T
he Qurraish prisoners of Badr
“It is not fitting for a prophet that he should have prisoners of war until he hath thoroughly subdued the land” (v 67)
The above verse was said to be revealed as the Muslims considered what they should do with their prisoners; they therefore either ransomed them or set them free unconditionally. However, ‘Uqbah Ibn Abu Mu’ayt and An-Nadr ibn al-Harith were executed, the former for composing satirical verses against Muhammad and the latter for claiming that his rhymes about Persian customs were equal to the Quran.
Muslims reproved for taking ransom at Badr
“Had it not been for a previous ordainment from Allah, a severe penalty would have reached you for the (ransom) that ye took. But (now) enjoy what ye took in war, lawful and good: but fear Allah: for Allah is Oft-forgiving, Most Merciful” (v 68-69).
The Muslims are said to have spared the lives of the captives of Badr because they desired the ransom money; they would have suffered severe punishment if it had not been permitted by a previous revelation.
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