Tafsir of Surah Al-A'raf - Verse 29

Disbelievers commit Sins and claim that Allah commanded Them to do so!

Mujahid said, "The idolators used to go around the House (Ka`bah) in Tawaf while naked, saying, `We perform Tawaf as our mothers gave birth to us.' The woman would cover her sexual organ with something saying, `Today, some or all of it will appear, but whatever appears from it, I do not allow it (it is not for adultery or for men to enjoy looking at!)."' Allah sent down the Ayah,

وَإِذَا فَعَلُواْ فَـحِشَةً قَالُواْ وَجَدْنَا عَلَيْهَآ ءَابَاءَنَا وَاللَّهُ أَمَرَنَا بِهَا

(And when they commit a Fahishah (sin), they say: "We found our fathers doing it, and Allah has commanded it for us.")7:28 I say, the Arabs, with the exception of the Quraysh, used to perform Tawaf naked. They claimed they would not make Tawaf while wearing the clothes that they disobeyed Allah in. As for the Quraysh, known as Al-Hums, they used to perform Tawaf in their regular clothes. Whoever among the Arabs borrowed a garment from one of Al-Hums, he would wear it while in Tawaf. And whoever wore a new garment, would discard it and none would wear it after him on completion of Tawaf. Those who did not have a new garment, or were not given one by Al-Hums, then they would perform Tawaf while naked. Even women would go around in Tawaf while naked, and one of them would cover her sexual organ with something and proclaim, "Today, a part or all of it will appear, but whatever appears from it I do not allow it." Women used to perform Tawaf while naked usually at night. This was a practice that the idolators invented on their own, following only their forefathers in this regard. They falsely claimed that what their forefathers did was in fact following the order and legislation of Allah. Allah then refuted them, Allah said,

وَإِذَا فَعَلُواْ فَـحِشَةً قَالُواْ وَجَدْنَا عَلَيْهَآ ءَابَاءَنَا وَاللَّهُ أَمَرَنَا بِهَا

(And when they commit a Fahishah, they say: "We found our fathers doing it, and Allah has commanded it for us.")

Allah does not order Fahsha', but orders Justice and Sincerity

Allah replied to this false claim,

قُلْ

(Say), O Muhammad, to those who claimed this,

إِنَّ اللَّهَ لاَ يَأْمُرُ بِالْفَحْشَآءِ

("Nay, Allah never commands Fahsha'...") meaning, the practice you indulge in is a despicable sin, and Allah does not command such a thing.

أَتَقُولُونَ عَلَى اللَّهِ مَا لاَ تَعْلَمُونَ

("Do you say about Allah what you know not") that is, do you attribute to Allah statements that you are not certain are true Allah said next,

قُلْ أَمَرَ رَبِّي بِالْقِسْطِ

(Say: "My Lord has commanded justice, (fairness and honesty)"),

وَأَقِيمُواْ وُجُوهَكُمْ عِندَ كُلِّ مَسْجِدٍ وَادْعُوهُ مُخْلِصِينَ لَهُ الدِّينَ

("And that you should face Him only, in every Masjid, and invoke Him only making your religion sincere to Him...") This Ayah means, Allah commands you to be straightforward in worshipping Him, by following the Messengers who were supported with miracles and obeying what they conveyed from Allah and the Law that they brought. He also commands sincerity in worshipping Him, for He, Exalted He is, does not accept a good deed until it satisfies these two conditions: being correct and in conformity with His Law, and being free of Shirk.

The Meaning of being brought into Being in the Beginning and brought back again

Allah's saying

كَمَا بَدَأَكُمْ تَعُودُونَ

(As He brought you in the beginning, so shall you be brought into being again) 7:29. Until;

الضَّلَـلَةُ

(error.) There is some difference over the meaning of:

كَمَا بَدَأَكُمْ تَعُودُونَ

(As He brought you in the beginning, so shall you be brought into being again.) Ibn Abi Najih said that Mujahid said that it means, "He will bring you back to life after you die." Al-Hasan Al-Basri commented, "As He made you begin in this life, He will bring you back to life on the Day of Resurrection." Qatadah commented on:

كَمَا بَدَأَكُمْ تَعُودُونَ

(As He brought you in the beginning, so shall you be brought into being again.) "He started their creation after they were nothing, and they perished later on, and He shall bring them back again." `Abdur-Rahman bin Zayd bin Aslam said, "As He created you in the beginning, He will bring you back in the end." This last explanation was preferred by Abu Ja`far Ibn Jarir and he supported it with what he reported from Ibn `Abbas, "The Messenger of Allah ﷺ stood up and gave us a speech, saying,

«يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ إِنَّكُمْ تُحْشَرُونَ إِلَى اللهِ حُفَاةً عُرَاةً غُرْلًا

كَمَا بَدَأْنَآ أَوَّلَ خَلْقٍ نُّعِيدُهُ وَعْداً عَلَيْنَآ إِنَّا كُنَّا فَـعِلِينَ

(O people! You will be gathered to Allah while barefooted, naked and uncircumcised, (As We began the first creation, We shall repeat it. (It is) a promise binding upon Us. Truly, We shall do it)).21:104 This Hadith was collected in the Two Sahihs. `Ali bin Abi Talhah reported that Ibn `Abbas commented on the Ayah,

كَمَا بَدَأَكُمْ تَعُودُونَفَرِيقًا هَدَى وَفَرِيقًا حَقَّ عَلَيْهِمُ الضَّلَـلَةُ

(As He brought you in the beginning, so shall you be brought into being again. A group He has guided, and a group deserved to be in error;) "Allah, the Exalted, began the creation of the Sons of Adam, some believers and some disbelievers, just as He said,

هُوَ الَّذِى خَلَقَكُمْ فَمِنكُمْ كَافِرٌ وَمِنكُمْ مُّؤْمِنٌ

(He it is Who created you, then some of you are disbelievers and some of you are believers) 64:2. He will then return them on the Day of Resurrection as He started them, some believers and some disbelievers. I say, what supports this meaning, is the Hadith from Ibn Mas`ud that Al-Bukhari recorded, (that the Prophet said:)

«فَوَالَّذِي لَا إِلَهَ غَيرُهُ إِنَّ أَحَدَكُمْ لَيَعْمَلُ بِعَمَلِ أَهْلِ الْجَنَّةِ حَتَّى مَا يَكُونُ بَيْنَهُ وَبَيْنَهَا إِلَّا بَاعٌ أَوْ ذِرَاعٌ، فَيَسْبِقُ عَلَيْهِ الْكِتَابُ فَيَعْمَلُ بِعَمَلِ أَهْلِ النَّارِ فَيَدْخُلُهَا، وَإِنَّ أَحَدَكُمْ لَيَعْمَلُ بِعَمَلِ أَهْلِ النَّارِ حَتَّى مَا يَكُونُ بَيْنَهُ وَبَيْنَهَا إِلَّا بَاعٌ أَوْ ذِرَاعٌ فَيَسْبِقُ عَلَيْهِ الْكِتَابُ، فَيَعْمَلُ بِعَمَلِ أَهْلِ الْجَنَّةِ فَيَدْخُلُ الْجَنَّة»

(By He, other than Whom there is no god, one of you might perform the deeds of the people of Paradise until only the length of an arm or a forearm would separate him from it. However, that which was written in the Book takes precedence, and he commits the work of the people of the Fire and thus enters it. And one of you might perform the deeds of the people of the Fire until only the length of an arm or a forearm separates between him and the Fire. However, that which was written in the Book takes precedence, and he performs the work of the people of Paradise and thus enters Paradise.) We should combine this meaning -- if it is held to be the correct meaning for the Ayah -- with Allah's statement:

فَأَقِمْ وَجْهَكَ لِلدِّينِ حَنِيفاً فِطْرَةَ اللَّهِ الَّتِى فَطَرَ النَّاسَ عَلَيْهَا

(So set you your face towards the religion, Hanifan. Allah's Fitrah with which He has created mankind) 30:30, and what is recorded in the Two Sahihs from Abu Hurayrah who said that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:

«كُلُّ مَوْلُودٍ يُولَدُ عَلَى الْفِطْرَةِ، فَأَبَوَاهُ يُهَوِّدَانِهِ وَيُنَصِّرَانِهِ وَيُمَجِّسَانِه»

(Every child is born upon the Fitrah, it is only his parents who turn him into a Jew, a Christian or a Zoroastrian.) Muslim recorded that `Iyad bin Himar said that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said,

«يَقُولُ اللهُ تَعَالـى: إِنِّي خَلَقْتُ عِبَادِي حُنَفَاءَ، فَجَاءَتْهُمُ الشَّيَاطِينُ فَاجْتَالَتْهُمْ عَنْ دِينِهِم»

(Allah said, `I created My servants Hunafa' (monotheists), but the devils came to them and deviated them from their religion.) The collective meaning here is, Allah created His creatures so that some of them later turn believers and some turn disbelievers. Allah has originally created all of His servants able to recognize Him, to single Him out in worship, and know that there is no deity worthy of worship except Him. He also took their covenant to fulfill the implications of this knowledge, which He placed in their consciousness and souls. He has decided that some of them will be miserable and some will be happy,

هُوَ الَّذِى خَلَقَكُمْ فَمِنكُمْ كَافِرٌ وَمِنكُمْ مُّؤْمِنٌ

(He it is Who created you, then some of you are disbelievers and some of you are believers) 64:2. Also, a Hadith states,

«كُلُّ النَّاسِ يَغْدُو فَبَائِعٌ نَفْسَهُ فَمُعْتِقُهَا أَوْ مُوبِقُهَا»

(All people go out in the morning and sell themselves, and some of them free themselves while some others destroy themselves.) Allah's decree will certainly come to pass in His creation. Verily, He it is

وَالَّذِى قَدَّرَ فَهَدَى

(Who has measured (everything); and then guided) 87: 3, and,

الَّذِى أَعْطَى كُلَّ شَىءٍ خَلْقَهُ ثُمَّ هَدَى

(He Who gave to each thing its form and nature, then guided it aright) 20:50. And in the Two Sahihs:

«فَأَمَّا مَنْ كَانَ مِنْكُمْ مِنْ أَهْلِ السَّعَادَةِ فَسَيُيَسَّرُ لِعَمَلِ أَهْلِ السَّعَادَةِ، وَأَمَّا مَنْ كَانَ مِنْ أَهْلِ الشَّقَاوَةِ فَسَيُيَسَّرُ لِعَمَلِ أَهْلِ الشَّقَاوَة»

(As for those among you who are among the people of happiness, they will be facilitated to perform the deeds of the people of happiness. As for those who are among the miserable, they will be facilitated to commit the deeds of the miserable). This is why Allah said here,

فَرِيقًا هَدَى وَفَرِيقًا حَقَّ عَلَيْهِمُ الضَّلَـلَةُ

(A group He has guided, and a group deserved to be in error;) Allah then explained why,

إِنَّهُمُ اتَّخَذُوا الشَّيَـطِينَ أَوْلِيَآءَ مِن دُونِ اللَّهِ

(because) surely, they took the Shayatin as supporters instead of Allah). Ibn Jarir said, "This is one of the clearest arguments proving the mistake of those who claim that Allah does not punish anyone for disobedient acts he commits of deviations he believes in until after knowledge of what is correct reaches him, then he were to obstinately avoid it anyway. If this were true, then there would be no difference between the deviations of the misguided group - their belief that they are guided - and the group that is in fact guided. Yet Allah has differentiated between the two in this noble Ayah, doing so in both name and judgement."

Said in the second verse was: قُلْ أَمَرَ‌ رَ‌بِّي بِالْقِسْطِ (Say, "My Lord has bid-den me to do justice). Here, the Holy Prophet ﷺ has been asked to tell those ignorant people, who were falsely attributing the justification of their naked Tawaf towards Allah, that Allah always commands justice. The word used here is: اَقِسط (al-qist) which essentially means justice, balance and moderation. At this place, ` al-qist' refers to a conduct which is free of excess or deficiency, that is, which neither falls short, nor exceeds the appointed limits - as is the case with all injunctions of the Shari'ah. Therefore, under this sense of qist' included there are all acts of worship and obedience as well as all general injunctions of the Shari'ah. (Ruh al-Ma'ani)

After having stated the command of justice and moderation, two injunctions of the Shari'ah relevant to their erroneous conduct have been particularly mentioned. These are: وَأَقِيمُوا وُجُوهَكُمْ عِندَ كُلِّ مَسْجِدٍ (and yourself be aright at each occasion of prostration) and: وَادْعُوهُ مُخْلِصِينَ لَهُ الدِّينَ (and pray to Him with pure faith in Him). The first command relates to what one does physically and outwardly. The other belongs to the heart, the spiritual dimension. In the first injunction, the word: مسجِد (Masjid), according to most commentators, appears in the sense of prostration (sajdah, sujud or ‘Ibadah) and it means that one should be aright at the time of every Salah or any other act of worship. It could also mean that one should make an effort and be particular to keep one's orientation straight towards the Qiblah. And being aright or keeping the orientation straight could also mean that one should sub-ordinate everything one says or does to what Allah has commanded, maintaining an orientation and stance that never varies, never dwindles and moves elsewhere. Given this meaning, this injunction will not remain particular for Salah only - instead, it would comprehend all acts of worship, dealings and transactions.

The second injunction means that one should worship Allah, purely and exclusively, without associating in that act anyone else in any capacity, even to the limit that such worship should also be free from, and untainted with, what is known as al-Shirk al-Khafiyy (concealed Shirk of associating others with the Divinity of Allah), that is, hypocrisy and riya' (show off).

By mentioning both injunctions together, the indication being given could be that one must correct, align and synchronize both dimensions of one's person, the outward and the inward, the physical and the spiritual, with the injunctions of the Shari'ah. Not enough is obvious obedience (Ita` ah) without sincerity (Ikhlas), nor can simple sincerity of the heart become sufficient without following the Shari` ah as visible outwardly too. Instead of that, it is binding on everyone that one should correct and align one's outward bearings in accordance with the Shari` ah and never forget to keep his or her inward state of being too reserved for Allah Ta` ala alone. This helps us see the error (dichotomy) of those who take Shari` ah (the outward or physical adherence to faith) and Tariqah (the inward or spiritual adherence to faith) as two different ways to approach religion. Some of them would even presume that it was sufficient to correct one's inward dimension as shown by Tariqah - even if they go about doing what is contrary to the Shari` ah! This is a gaping error.

At the end of the verse (29), it was said: كَمَا بَدَأَكُمْ تَعُودُونَ (As He originated you, so you will return). It means that it was He who created you first and it will be He who will make you rise again on the day of Qiyamah. For His perfect power, this was not difficult at all. Perhaps to indicate this element of convenience what was said here is: تَعُودُونَ (ta` udun: you will return) and not: یُعِیدُکُم ' (We shall make you rise) since making to rise again requires not much action. (Ruh al-Ma'ani)

There is an additional benefit of introducing this sentence here. It helps one in abiding by the injunctions of the Shari’ ah - because it is the realization that there is a life-to-come, and a Last Day, the Day of Qiyamah, and reward or punishment for deeds, good or bad, which makes what is difficult easy, and what is painful bearable. Experience bears out that man is a tough customer. Unless one is under such grip-ping apprehension, no word of advice can make him do what is right, nor can the restriction of any law stop him from going into crimes.

The word ‘justice’ (qist) signifies a form of behaviour which fulfills every moral criterion. It is what it should be. Worship in the form of prayer is a natural urge in every man; he wants to accept some Being as supreme and to prostrate himself before Him. In this matter justice will be done only if he worships the one true God who is his Creator, Lord and Sustainer. Man wants to have some Being at the core of his conviction. In this case, justice will consist in his making God, who is all-Powerful, the basis of his trust. Similarly, acceptance of further life after death will be justice in the absolute sense, because when a man is born, he comes into existence from non-existence. So believing in the life after death (resurrection) will amount to believing in the very reality which every man has already experienced at the time of his birth in this world. Man looks to the luminaries of former times for support, so that he may reject the preacher of Truth. The greatness of these ancient forebears has been historically established and in the eyes of all and sundry their being in the right is taken for granted. As opposed to this, the preacher of Truth before them is a new preacher who has not yet been sanctified by historical testimony. When the individual looks at the ancients, who are revered as saints because of their illustrious history, and compares them to the new missionary of Truth with no tradition behind him, he rejects him outright, believing himself to be on the right path. But this sort of misunderstanding cannot provide an excuse in the eyes of God, for, in rejecting the missionary, one is not really following God: one is merely following Satan in the name of God.