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Tafsir Ishraq al-Ma'ani

Quran Translation & Commentary by Syed Iqbal Zaheer
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Introduction | Wiki
1. Al-Fatihah
2. Al-Baqarah
3. Al-Imran
4. Al-Nisa
5. Al-Maidah
6. Al-Anam
7. Al-Araf
8. Al-Anfal
9. Al-Taubah
10. Yunus
11. Hud
12. Yusuf
13. Al-Rad
14. Ibrahim
15. Al-Hijr
16. Al-Nahl
17. Bani Israil
18. Al-Kahf
19. Maryam
20. Ta-Ha
21. Al-Anbiya
22. Al-Hajj
23. Al-Muminun
24. An-Nur
25. Al-Furqan
26. Ash-Shuara
27. An-Naml
28. Al-Qasas
29. Al-Ankabut
30. Ar-Rum
31. Luqman
32. As-Sajdah
33. Al-Ahzab
34. Saba
35. Fatir
36. Yasin
37. As-Saffat
38. Saad
39. Az-Zumar
40. Al-Mumin
41. Ha-Meem-As-Sajdah
42. AShura
43. Az-Zukhruf
44. Ad-Dukhan
45. Al-Jathiyah
46. Al-Ahqaf
47. Muhammad
48. Al-Fath
49. Al-Hujurat
50. Al-Qaf
51. Adh-Dhariyat
52. At-Tur
53. An-Najm
54. Al-Qamar
55. Al-Rahman
56. Al-Waqiah
57. Al-Hadid
58. Al-Mujadalah
59. Al-Hashr
60. Al-Mumtahinah
61. As-Saff
62. Al-Jumuah
63. Al-Munafiqun
64. Al-Taghabun
65. At-Talaq
66. At-Tahrim
67. Al-Mulk
68. Al-Qalam
69. Al-Haqqah
70. Al-Maarij
71. Nuh
72. Al-Jinn
73. Al-Muzzammil
74. Al-Muddhththir
75. Al-Qiyamah
76. Ad-Dahr
77. Al-Mursalat
78. An-Naba
79. An-Naziat
80. Abas
81. At-Takwir
82. Al-Infitar
83. At-Tatfif
84. Al-Inshiqaq
85. Al-Buruj
86. At-Tariq
87. Al-Ala
88. Al-Ghashiyah
89. Al-Fajr
90. Al-Balad
91. Ash-Shams
92. Al-Lail
93. Ad-Duha
94. Al-Inshirah
95. At-Tin
96. Al-Alaq
97. Al-Qadr
98. Al-Bayyinah
99. Az-Zilzal
100. Al-Adiyat
101. Al-Qariah
102. At-Takathur
103. Al-Asr
104. Al-Humazah
105. Al-Fil
106. Al-Quraish
107. Al-Maun
108. Al-Kauthar
109. Al-Kafirun
110. An-Nasr
111. Al-Lahab
112. Al-Ikhlas
113. Al-Falaq
114. An-Nas
Surah 7. Al-A'raf
Verses [Section]: 1-10[1], 11-25 [2], 26-31 [3], 32-39 [4], 40-47 [5], 48-53 [6], 54-58 [7], 59-64 [8], 65-72 [9], 73-84 [10], 85-93 [11], 94-99 [12], 100-108 [13], 109-126 [14], 127-129 [15], 130-141 [16], 142-147 [17], 148-151 [18], 152-157 [19], 158-162 [20], 163-171 [21], 172-181 [22], 182-188 [23], 189-206 [24]

Quran Text of Verse 148-151
وَ اتَّخَذَAnd tookقَوْمُ(the) peopleمُوْسٰی(of) Musaمِنْۢfromبَعْدِهٖafter himمِنْfromحُلِیِّهِمْtheir ornamentsعِجْلًاa calfجَسَدًاan imageلَّهٗ[for] itخُوَارٌ ؕ(had) a lowing soundاَلَمْDid notیَرَوْاthey seeاَنَّهٗthat itلَا(could) notیُكَلِّمُهُمْspeak to themوَ لَاand notیَهْدِیْهِمْguide themسَبِیْلًا ۘ(to) a wayاِتَّخَذُوْهُThey took it (for worship)وَ كَانُوْاand they wereظٰلِمِیْنَ wrongdoers وَ لَمَّاAnd whenسُقِطَ(it was made to) fallفِیْۤintoاَیْدِیْهِمْtheir handsوَ رَاَوْاand they sawاَنَّهُمْthat theyقَدْ(had) indeedضَلُّوْا ۙgone astrayقَالُوْاthey saidلَىِٕنْIfلَّمْnotیَرْحَمْنَاhas Mercy on usرَبُّنَاOur Lordوَ یَغْفِرْand forgiveلَنَا[for] usلَنَكُوْنَنَّwe will surely beمِنَamongالْخٰسِرِیْنَ the losers 7. Al-A'raf Page 169وَ لَمَّاAnd whenرَجَعَreturnedمُوْسٰۤیMusaاِلٰیtoقَوْمِهٖhis peopleغَضْبَانَangryاَسِفًا ۙand grievedقَالَhe saidبِئْسَمَاEvil is whatخَلَفْتُمُوْنِیْyou have done in my placeمِنْۢfromبَعْدِیْ ۚafter meاَعَجِلْتُمْWere you impatientاَمْرَ(over the) matterرَبِّكُمْ ۚ(of) your Lordوَ اَلْقَیAnd he cast downالْاَلْوَاحَthe tabletsوَ اَخَذَand seizedبِرَاْسِby headاَخِیْهِhis brotherیَجُرُّهٗۤdragging himاِلَیْهِ ؕto himselfقَالَHe saidابْنَO sonاُمَّ(of) my motherاِنَّIndeedالْقَوْمَthe peopleاسْتَضْعَفُوْنِیْconsidered me weakوَ كَادُوْاand were about (to)یَقْتُلُوْنَنِیْ ۖؗkill meفَلَاSo (let) notتُشْمِتْrejoiceبِیَover meالْاَعْدَآءَthe enemiesوَ لَاand (do) notتَجْعَلْنِیْplace meمَعَwithالْقَوْمِthe peopleالظّٰلِمِیْنَ (who are) wrongdoing قَالَHe saidرَبِّO my LordاغْفِرْForgiveلِیْmeوَ لِاَخِیْand my brotherوَ اَدْخِلْنَاand admit usفِیْintoرَحْمَتِكَ ۖؗYour Mercyوَ اَنْتَfor Youاَرْحَمُ(are) the Most Mercifulالرّٰحِمِیْنَ۠(of) the merciful
Translation of Verse 148-151

(7:148) And in Musa's absence his people made from their jewelry216 a calf a mere body that had a lowing sound.217 Did they not notice that it did not speak to them218 nor could lead them to a path? Yet they took it (for worship): they were transgressors.219

(7:149) When they felt ashamed220 and realized that they had erred they cried out, ‘If our Lord does not show us mercy and forgive us, surely, we shall be of the losers.'

(7:150) When Musa returned to his people angry and sorrowful, he said, ‘You have been poor successors after me. Did you (try to) outstrip Your Lord's commandment?'221 He cast down the Tablets222 and seizing his brother by his head,223 dragged him toward himself. He protested, ‘Son of my mother.224 My people overpowered me, and were close to murdering me.225 Give not my enemies (a chance) to gloat over me, nor count me among the transgressing people.'226

(7:151) He said, ‘My Lord! Forgive me and my brother; and admit us into Your grace. Surely, you are the most Merciful of those who show mercy.'227


Commentary

216. It is reported that the Israelites borrowed jewelry from the Egyptians a night prior to their exodus from Egypt. Samiri, who molded the calf, gathered that gold and while melting it added a handful of dust that he had scooped out from the spot at which Jibril's horse had set its foot on the land. The molded calf acquired a lowing sound on account of that handful of dust (Razi).

217. See note 131 of surah al Baqarah of this work for explanation.

Sufi commentator Thanwi adds: This implies that one should not be over impressed by supernatural acts.

218. That is, the fact that it had a lowing sound should not have led the Israelites to believe in its supernatural qualities, because they could have noticed that it was not capable of speaking to them, especially when, later, they would have learned from the seventy men testifying that their Lord had spoken to Musa. But, as Ibn Kathir quotes the hadith of Ahmad and Abu Da'ud:

حُبُّكَ الشَّىْءَ يُعْمِى وَيُصِمُّ

"Your love of a thing blinds and deafens you." (But it is perhaps the words of Abu Darda’: Arna’ut). Further, the fact that it had a lowing sound, might have led them to believe that the calf was transformed into a living one.

That does not seem to be plausible, since, transformation of that sort would shake down the strongest in faith. However achieved, it was perhaps a mechanical device, learnt from the technologically fairly advanced Egyptians, placed in the hollow of the stomach, and covered with ornamental cloth, which would have done the trick (Au.).

Asad adds: "The golden calf of the Israelites was obviously a result of centuries old Egyptian influences. The Egyptians worshipped at Memphis the sacred bull, Apis, which they believed to be an incarnation of the god Ptah. A new Apis was supposed always to be born at the moment when the old one died, while the soul of the latter was believed to pass into Osiris in the Realm of the Dead, to be henceforth worshipped as Osiris Apis (the "Serapis" of the Greco Egyptian period)."

219. That is, they had no basis in reason or revelation to worship the calf, rather, were merely imitating the Egyptians whose deity it was (Rashid Rida).

220. The translation is based on Ibn Jarir's understanding.

221. Perhaps Musa meant to say, ‘Have you tried to work out the Law by yourself through other than God, instead of waiting for Revelations from Allah?’ (Au.)

222. The Prophet (saws) has said in a hadith recorded by Ibn Abi Hatim:

لَيْسَ الْخَبَرُ كَالْمُعَايَنَةِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ أَخْبَرَ مُوسَى بِمَا صَنَعَ قَوْمُهُ فِي الْعِجْلِ فَلَمْ يُلْقِ الْأَلْوَاحَ فَلَمَّا عَايَنَ مَا صَنَعُوا أَلْقَى الْأَلْوَاحَ فَانْكَسَرَتْ

"Seeing is not the same as hearing. Musa was informed by his Lord about what his people had committed (behind him), but he did not cast the Tablets. But when he saw it with his own eyes, he cast them down and they broke" (Razi, Ibn Kathir).

The report is treated as Sahih by Shu`ayb Arna’ut (Au.).

The casting of the Tablets requires some clarification. One could imagine that Musa threw them down. But such an action is unbecoming of a Messenger as great as Musa, on whom be peace. Probably, when he saw what had happened behind him, he flew into a rage in the face of a crime of that nature. He hurriedly placed down the Tablets, but not as ceremoniously as they deserved, turned to Harun (to vent his anger), and began to pull him by his hair. His action of not disposing the Tablets in a manner deserving of an article demanding the greatest of care in handling, has been, (in keeping with the slightest error committed by Prophets counted as serious) as "casting down" (Alusi, slightly reworded).

The Qur'an has other instances of the use of the word "cast" but not in the sense of throwing. It tells us that Allah (swt) ordered Musa's mother (28:7):

فَإِذَا خِفْتِ عَلَيْهِ فَأَلْقِيهِ فِي الْيَمِّ [القصص : 7]

"When you fear for him, cast him into the river" (Thanwi).

Obviously, if she had done that, the infant would have been drowned. She would have laid him in water with the greatest of care (Au.).

223. That is, he pulled him toward himself by his hair and beard as stated elsewhere in the Qur'an (20: 94) Alusi.

224. Although pre Islamic poetry has examples of this kind of usage, Ibn Jarir explains that Harun employed the term "Ibn Ummi" instead of "Ibn Abi" out of tenderness.

There are other examples in contemporary Arabic language. For instance, during an argument an Arab might say to another, "Ya ibn al Halal" (O legitimate one) to cool him down and not by way of any insinuation (Au.).

But Majid has a better explanation: "The phrase also makes it clear that Aaron and Moses were brothers both on their father's and their mother's side and not half brothers or step brothers."

225. Majid writes: "According the Jewish sources, when Hur stepped in to rebuke the Israelites for their blasphemy, ‘he was at once put to death, and Aaron was threatened with the same fate' (JE. III. p. 509)."

226. Rashid Rida points out, that there are many reasons why the Qur'an is a guardian (muhaymin, ref. 5: 47) over the older revelations. One of them is that it offers corrections to what has been introduced into them by the humans. The Tawrah puts the blame on Harun (asws) for worship of the calf. It says in Exodus: ‘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 us gods, who shall go before us; as for this Moses, the man who brought us 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 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' (32: 1 4).

227. In these words Musa sought forgiveness for whatever he had done in his anger (Shabbir).