7:2 Al-A'raaf (The Heights)

يقول تعالى لرسوله محمد صلى الله عليه وسلم مبينا له عظمة القرآن: { كِتَابٌ أُنْزِلَ إِلَيْكَ } أي: كتاب جليل حوى كل ما يحتاج إليه العباد، وجميع المطالب الإلهية، والمقاصد الشرعية، محكما مفصلا { فَلَا يَكُنْ فِي صَدْرِكَ حَرَجٌ مِنْهُ } أي: ضيق وشك واشتباه، بل لتعلم أنه تنزيل من حكيم حميد { لا يَأْتِيهِ الْبَاطِلُ مِنْ بَيْنِ يَدَيْهِ وَلا مِنْ خَلْفِهِ تَنْزِيلٌ مِنْ حَكِيمٍ حَمِيدٍ } وأنه أصدق الكلام فلينشرح له صدرك، ولتطمئن به نفسك، ولتصدع بأوامره ونواهيه، ولا تخش لائما ومعارضا. { لِتُنْذِرَ بِهِ } الخلق، فتعظهم وتذكرهم، فتقوم الحجة على المعاندين. { و } ليكون { َذِكْرَى لِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ } كما قال تعالى: { وَذَكِّرْ فَإِنَّ الذِّكْرَى تَنْفَعُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ } يتذكرون به الصراط المستقيم، وأعماله الظاهرة والباطنة، وما يحول بين العبد، وبين سلوكه.

قال سعيد بن جبير "كتاب أنزل إليك" أي هذا كتاب أنزل إليك أي من ربك "فلا يكن في صدرك حرج منه" قال مجاهد وقتادة والسدي شك منه وقيل لا تتحرج به في إبلاغه والإنذار به "فاصبر كما صبرا أولوا العزم من الرسل" ولهذا قال "لتنذر به" أي أنزلناه إليك لتنذر به الكافرين "وذكرى للمؤمنين".

Which was revealed in Makkah

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَـنِ الرَّحِيمِ

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

كِتَـبٌ أُنزِلَ إِلَيْكَ

((This is the) Book (the Qur'an) sent down unto you (O Muhammad)), from your Lord,

فَلاَ يَكُن فِى صَدْرِكَ حَرَجٌ مِّنْهُ

(so let not your breast be narrow therefrom,) meaning, having doubt about it according to Mujahid, Qatadah and As-Suddi. It was also said that the meaning here is: `do not hesitate to convey the Qur'an and warn with it,'

فَاصْبِرْ كَمَا صَبَرَ أُوْلُواْ الْعَزْمِ مِنَ الرُّسُلِ

(Therefore be patient as did the Messengers of strong will) 46:35. Allah said here,

لِتُنذِرَ بِهِ

(that you warn thereby) meaning, `We sent down the Qur'an so that you may warn the disbelievers with it,'

وَذِكْرَى لِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ

(and a reminder unto the believers). Allah then said to the world,

اتَّبِعُواْ مَآ أُنزِلَ إِلَيْكُم مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ

(Follow what has been sent down unto you from your Lord) meaning, follow and imitate the unlettered Prophet , who brought you a Book that was revealed for you, from the Lord and master of everything.

وَلاَ تَتَّبِعُواْ مِن دُونِهِ أَوْلِيَآءَ

(and follow not any Awliya', besides Him (Allah)) meaning, do not disregard what the Messenger brought you and follow something else, for in this case, you will be deviating from Allah's judgment to the decision of someone else. Allah's statement,

قَلِيلاً مَّا تَذَكَّرُونَ

(Little do you remember!) is similar to,

وَمَآ أَكْثَرُ النَّاسِ وَلَوْ حَرَصْتَ بِمُؤْمِنِينَ

(And most of mankind will not believe even if you desire it eagerly)12:103, and;

وَإِن تُطِعْ أَكْثَرَ مَن فِى الاٌّرْضِ يُضِلُّوكَ عَن سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ

(And if you obey most of those on the earth, they will mislead you far away from Allah's path)6:116, and,

وَمَا يُؤْمِنُ أَكْثَرُهُمْ بِاللَّهِ إِلاَّ وَهُمْ مُّشْرِكُونَ

(And most of them believe not in Allah except that they attribute partners unto Him)12:106.

This is a Book that is revealed to you — addressing the Prophet s — so let there be no inhibition no constraint in your breast because of it to convey it — for fear that you might be called a liar — that you may warn thereby li-tundhira ‘that you may warn’ is semantically connected to unzila ‘is revealed’ that is to say ‘it is revealed for the purposes of warning’ and as a reminder for those who believe in it.

In the statement فَلَا يَكُن فِي صَدْرِ‌كَ حَرَ‌جٌ appearing in the first verse, the address is to the Holy Prophet . ؓ and he has been told: This Qur'an is the Book of Allah sent down to you. This should not cause any constraint on your heart. The word: حَرَج (haraj) translated here as ` constraint' means that ` you should have no anguish or apprehension in conveying the Qur'an and its injunctions lest people belie it and hurt you.' (As reported from Abu Al-` Aliyah - Mazhari)

The hint given here is that Allah who has sent down this Book on you has also made arrangements that you shall remain protected and that takes care of any anguish on your part. Some commentators have said that ` haraj' or ` constraint on the heart' refers to the constraint experienced by the Holy Prophet ؓ who, because of his affectionate concern for people, felt pain when they would not believe despite having heard the Qur'an and its injunctions. To offset this constraint, the Holy Prophet ﷺ has been told that the duty with which he has been obligated is simply to make the call and convey the message. Once this is done, it is not his responsibility to see who becomes a Muslim and who does not. Therefore, there was no reason for him to be anxious.