Surah al-A`raf (The Elevated Places) 7 : 104
Translations
Pickthall
Yusuf Ali
Qur'an Dictionary
Click word/image to view Qur'an Dictionary | ||
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Word | Arabic word | |
(7:104:1) waqāla And said |
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(7:104:2) |
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(7:104:3) |
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(7:104:4) |
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(7:104:5) rasūlun a Messenger |
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(7:104:6) |
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(7:104:7) rabbi (the) Lord |
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(7:104:8) l-ʿālamīna (of) the worlds |
Explanatory Note
This opening of the story represents a particular Qur’ānic method of relating historical accounts. It is certainly the most appropriate method for this sūrah, because it fits in well with itscentral theme. It tells us the outcome right at the beginning. It then moves on to give the details, so that we may follow the events right up to their conclusion. What happened, then, between Moses and Pharaoh?
Here is the first encounter between truth and falsehood, faith and rejection. It is a scene which brings the Messenger, who calls on people to believe in the Lord of all the worlds, face to face with the tyrants who claim, and indeed practise, lordship over their people.
Moses reasserts the fact stated by every messenger that preceded him. It is the fact that God is the only Lord of the universe: just one God and one Lord, and total submission by the whole universe to Him alone. This is contrary to what is advanced by `comparative religion’ specialists and their disciples who grope in the dark as they make their claims about the development of religion, making no provision for the messages given by God to all His messengers. The faith preached by all those messengers is the same, repeated by every single one of them, stating that God is the Lord of all the worlds. This faith has not developed from a primitive pagan one which believed in numerous deities, progressing then to dualism, before eventually reaching its highest form of belief in one god. For when people deviate from divine faith and sink into a state of ignorance, or jāhiliyyah, there is no end to chaos. They then have a multitude of erring beliefs, ranging from the worship of totems, spirits, multiple gods to the worship of the sun and stars, to dualism, and to a monotheism that retains traces of paganism. No such deviant form of belief could ever be placed on the same level as the divine messages which consistently preached clear monotheism.
3. Surah Overview
A study of its contents clearly shows that the period of its revelation is about the same as that of Surah 6: al-An’am (The Grazing Livestock), i.e. the last year of the Prophet's life at Makkah, but it cannot be asserted with certainty which of these two were sent down earlier. The manner of its admonition clearly indicates that it belongs to the same period. [Ref: Mawdudi]
It is considered the longest surah revealed during the Makkan period. Some consider this surah to have been revealed after Surah 38: Sad. [Ref: Tafsir al-Maudheei, Dr. Mustafah Muslim, vol. 3, p. 2]
10. Wiki Forum
11. Tafsir Zone
Overview (Verses 104 - 106) The Truth, the Whole Truth This opening of the story represents a particular Qur’ānic method of relating historical accounts. It is certainly the most appropriate method for this sūrah, because it fits in well with its central theme. It tells us the outcome right at the beginning. It then moves on to give the details, so that we may follow the events right up to their conclusion. What happened, then, between Moses and Pharaoh? Moses said: ‘Pharaoh, I am a Messenger from the Lord of all the worlds, and may say about God nothing but the truth. I have come to you with a clear evidence from your Lord. So, let the Children of Israel go with me.” He answered: “If you have come with a sign, produce it then if you are so truthful.” (Verses 104-106) Here is the first encounter between truth and falsehood, faith and rejection. It is a scene which brings the Messenger, who calls on people to believe in the Lord of all the worlds, face to face with the tyrants who claim, and indeed practise, lordship over their people. “Moses said: ‘Pharaoh, I am a Messenger from the Lord of all the worlds, and may say about God nothing but the truth. I have come to you with a clear evidence from your Lord. So, let the Children of Israel go with me.’” (Verses 104-105) He addresses him with his plain title, “Pharaoh”. He does not call him, “My lord”, as do those who do not really know who the true Lord is. Moses combines good manners with self assurance, addressing Pharaoh with his simple title in order to point out to him his true position while asserting at the same time the greatest fact in the universe: “I am a Messenger from the Lord of all the worlds.” (Verse 104) Moses reasserts the fact stated by every messenger that preceded him. It is the fact that God is the only Lord of the universe: just one God and one Lord, and total submission by the whole universe to Him alone. This is contrary to what is advanced by `comparative religion’ specialists and their disciples who grope in the dark as they make their claims about the development of religion, making no provision for the messages given by God to all His messengers. The faith preached by all those messengers is the same, repeated by every single one of them, stating that God is the Lord of all the worlds. This faith has not developed from a primitive pagan one which believed in numerous deities, progressing then to dualism, before eventually reaching its highest form of belief in one god. For when people deviate from divine faith and sink into a state of ignorance, or jāhiliyyah, there is no end to chaos. They then have a multitude of erring beliefs, ranging from the worship of totems, spirits, multiple gods to the worship of the sun and stars, to dualism, and to a monotheism that retains traces of paganism. No such deviant form of belief could ever be placed on the same level as the divine messages which consistently preached clear monotheism. Moses (peace be upon him) confronted Pharaoh and his powerful clique with this basic truth which every Prophet before or after him proclaimed in the face of all types of deviant beliefs. He stated it clearly to his face, knowing that it meant revolution against Pharaoh, his regime and government. A primary result of God’s Lordship of the universe and all the worlds is that every regime and form of government, which exercises power over human beings without following God’s law or abiding by His commandments, is illegitimate. It also means the removal of every form of tyranny that seeks to subjugate people to its own laws. Moses confronted Pharaoh with this great fact in his own capacity as a Messenger from the Lord of the universe, committed to stating the truth about God who gave him his message: “I am a Messenger from the Lord of all the worlds, and may say about God nothing but the truth.” (Verses 104-105) A messenger who knows the true nature of God can only say the truth about Him. How can he say anything else when he knows God’s power and authority? “I have come to you with a clear evidence from your Lord.” (Verse 105) It tells you that I am truly a Messenger from the Lord of the universe. In his capacity as a Messenger, and under the authority of the Lord of the universe, Moses demanded that Pharaoh should release the Children of Israel to him. The Children of Israel are God’s own servants. It is not up to Pharaoh, then, to proclaim himself as their master. Human beings must not serve any masters other than God. Whoever is God’s own servant cannot serve anyone beside Him. Because Pharaoh subjugated the Children of Israel to his own will, Moses declares to him that God is the only Lord of the universe. Such a declaration renders Pharaoh’s action invalid. The declaration that God is the Lord of all the worlds implies that man is free from subjugation and servitude to anyone other than God. He is released from the tyranny of man-made laws, traditions and from human desires and authority. This declaration of God’s Lordship over the universe is incompatible with submission by any human being to anyone other than God. It is also diametrically opposed to the assigning of sovereignty to anyone who may implement any law other than divine law. Those who think themselves to be Muslims while submitting to man-made laws only delude themselves. They cannot be believers in divine faith for a single moment while acknowledging the sovereignty of anyone other than God or implementing any law other than His. They would be followers of their ruler, whoever that ruler may be. It is on this basis that Moses was commanded to demand that Pharaoh should release to him the Children of Israel: “Pharaoh, I am a Messenger from the Lord of all the worlds... so let the Children of Israel go with me.” (Verses 104-105) The first statement is the preamble to the logical conclusion given in the second. The two go hand in hand and cannot be separated. Pharaoh and the leaders of his government were fully aware of the import of the declaration that God is the Lord of all the worlds. They were aware that the declaration implied the termination of Pharaoh’s authority, the overthrow of his government and the end to his tyranny. They felt, however, that they had a chance to denounce Moses as a liar. Hence, Pharaoh demands a sign to prove Moses’s claim: “If you have come with a sign, produce it then if you are so truthful.” (Verse 106) |
Ibn Kathir (English)
Sayyid Qutb
Sha'rawi
Al Jalalain
Mawdudi
الطبري - جامع البيان
ابن كثير - تفسير القرآن العظيم
القرطبي - الجامع لأحكام
البغوي - معالم التنزيل
ابن أبي حاتم الرازي - تفسير القرآن
ابن عاشور - التحرير والتنوير
ابن القيم - تفسير ابن قيّم
السيوطي - الدر المنثور
الشنقيطي - أضواء البيان
ابن الجوزي - زاد المسير
الآلوسي - روح المعاني
ابن عطية - المحرر الوجيز
الرازي - مفاتيح الغيب
أبو السعود - إرشاد العقل السليم
الزمخشري - الكشاف
البقاعي - نظم الدرر
الهداية إلى بلوغ النهاية — مكي ابن أبي طالب
القاسمي - محاسن التأويل
الماوردي - النكت والعيون
السعدي - تيسير الكريم الرحمن
عبد الرحمن الثعالبي - الجواهر الحسان
السمرقندي - بحر العلوم
أبو إسحاق الثعلبي - الكشف والبيان
الشوكاني - فتح القدير
النيسابوري - التفسير البسيط
أبو حيان - البحر المحيط
البيضاوي - أنوار التنزيل
النسفي - مدارك التنزيل
ابن جُزَيّ - التسهيل لعلوم التنزيل
علي الواحدي النيسابوري - الوجيز
السيوطي - تفسير الجلالين
المختصر في التفسير — مركز تفسير
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Overview (Verses 104 - 106) The Truth, the Whole Truth This opening of the story represents a particular Qur’ānic method of relating historical accounts. It is certainly the most appropriate method for this sūrah, because it fits in well with its central theme. It tells us the outcome right at the beginning. It then moves on to give the details, so that we may follow the events right up to their conclusion. What happened, then, between Moses and Pharaoh? Moses said: ‘Pharaoh, I am a Messenger from the Lord of all the worlds, and may say about God nothing but the truth. I have come to you with a clear evidence from your Lord. So, let the Children of Israel go with me.” He answered: “If you have come with a sign, produce it then if you are so truthful.” (Verses 104-106) Here is the first encounter between truth and falsehood, faith and rejection. It is a scene which brings the Messenger, who calls on people to believe in the Lord of all the worlds, face to face with the tyrants who claim, and indeed practise, lordship over their people. “Moses said: ‘Pharaoh, I am a Messenger from the Lord of all the worlds, and may say about God nothing but the truth. I have come to you with a clear evidence from your Lord. So, let the Children of Israel go with me.’” (Verses 104-105) He addresses him with his plain title, “Pharaoh”. He does not call him, “My lord”, as do those who do not really know who the true Lord is. Moses combines good manners with self assurance, addressing Pharaoh with his simple title in order to point out to him his true position while asserting at the same time the greatest fact in the universe: “I am a Messenger from the Lord of all the worlds.” (Verse 104) Moses reasserts the fact stated by every messenger that preceded him. It is the fact that God is the only Lord of the universe: just one God and one Lord, and total submission by the whole universe to Him alone. This is contrary to what is advanced by `comparative religion’ specialists and their disciples who grope in the dark as they make their claims about the development of religion, making no provision for the messages given by God to all His messengers. The faith preached by all those messengers is the same, repeated by every single one of them, stating that God is the Lord of all the worlds. This faith has not developed from a primitive pagan one which believed in numerous deities, progressing then to dualism, before eventually reaching its highest form of belief in one god. For when people deviate from divine faith and sink into a state of ignorance, or jāhiliyyah, there is no end to chaos. They then have a multitude of erring beliefs, ranging from the worship of totems, spirits, multiple gods to the worship of the sun and stars, to dualism, and to a monotheism that retains traces of paganism. No such deviant form of belief could ever be placed on the same level as the divine messages which consistently preached clear monotheism. Moses (peace be upon him) confronted Pharaoh and his powerful clique with this basic truth which every Prophet before or after him proclaimed in the face of all types of deviant beliefs. He stated it clearly to his face, knowing that it meant revolution against Pharaoh, his regime and government. A primary result of God’s Lordship of the universe and all the worlds is that every regime and form of government, which exercises power over human beings without following God’s law or abiding by His commandments, is illegitimate. It also means the removal of every form of tyranny that seeks to subjugate people to its own laws. Moses confronted Pharaoh with this great fact in his own capacity as a Messenger from the Lord of the universe, committed to stating the truth about God who gave him his message: “I am a Messenger from the Lord of all the worlds, and may say about God nothing but the truth.” (Verses 104-105) A messenger who knows the true nature of God can only say the truth about Him. How can he say anything else when he knows God’s power and authority? “I have come to you with a clear evidence from your Lord.” (Verse 105) It tells you that I am truly a Messenger from the Lord of the universe. In his capacity as a Messenger, and under the authority of the Lord of the universe, Moses demanded that Pharaoh should release the Children of Israel to him. The Children of Israel are God’s own servants. It is not up to Pharaoh, then, to proclaim himself as their master. Human beings must not serve any masters other than God. Whoever is God’s own servant cannot serve anyone beside Him. Because Pharaoh subjugated the Children of Israel to his own will, Moses declares to him that God is the only Lord of the universe. Such a declaration renders Pharaoh’s action invalid. The declaration that God is the Lord of all the worlds implies that man is free from subjugation and servitude to anyone other than God. He is released from the tyranny of man-made laws, traditions and from human desires and authority. This declaration of God’s Lordship over the universe is incompatible with submission by any human being to anyone other than God. It is also diametrically opposed to the assigning of sovereignty to anyone who may implement any law other than divine law. Those who think themselves to be Muslims while submitting to man-made laws only delude themselves. They cannot be believers in divine faith for a single moment while acknowledging the sovereignty of anyone other than God or implementing any law other than His. They would be followers of their ruler, whoever that ruler may be. It is on this basis that Moses was commanded to demand that Pharaoh should release to him the Children of Israel: “Pharaoh, I am a Messenger from the Lord of all the worlds... so let the Children of Israel go with me.” (Verses 104-105) The first statement is the preamble to the logical conclusion given in the second. The two go hand in hand and cannot be separated. Pharaoh and the leaders of his government were fully aware of the import of the declaration that God is the Lord of all the worlds. They were aware that the declaration implied the termination of Pharaoh’s authority, the overthrow of his government and the end to his tyranny. They felt, however, that they had a chance to denounce Moses as a liar. Hence, Pharaoh demands a sign to prove Moses’s claim: “If you have come with a sign, produce it then if you are so truthful.” (Verse 106) |