7:23 Al-A'raaf (The Heights)

فحينئذ، من اللّه عليهما بالتوبة وقبولها، فاعترفا بالذنب، وسألا من اللّه مغفرته فقالا: { رَبَّنَا ظَلَمْنَا أَنْفُسَنَا وَإِنْ لَمْ تَغْفِرْ لَنَا وَتَرْحَمْنَا لَنَكُونَنَّ مِنَ الْخَاسِرِينَ } أي: قد فعلنا الذنب، الذي نهيتنا عنه، وضربنا بأنفسنا باقتراف الذنب، وقد فعلنا سبب الخسار إن لم تغفر لنا، بمحو أثر الذنب وعقوبته، وترحمنا بقبول التوبة والمعافاة من أمثال هذه الخطايا. فغفر اللّه لهما ذلك { وَعَصَى آدَمُ رَبَّهُ فَغَوَى ثُمَّ اجْتَبَاهُ رَبُّهُ فَتَابَ عَلَيْهِ وَهَدَى } هذا وإبليس مستمر على طغيانه، غير مقلع عن عصيانه، فمن أشبه آدم بالاعتراف وسؤال المغفرة والندم والإقلاع - إذا صدرت منه الذنوب - اجتباه ربه وهداه. ومن أشبه إبليس - إذا صدر منه الذنب، لا يزال يزداد من المعاصي - فإنه لا يزداد من اللّه إلا بعدا.

قال الضحاك بن مزاحم في قوله "ربنا ظلمنا أنفسنا وإن لم تغفر لنا وترحمنا لنكونن من الخاسرين" هي الكلمات التي تلقاها آدم من ربه.

وَطَفِقَا يَخْصِفَانِ عَلَيْهِمَا مِن وَرَقِ الْجَنَّةِ

(And they began to cover themselves with the leaves of Paradise.) "Using fig leaves." This statement has an authentic chain of narration leading to Ibn `Abbas. Mujahid said that they began to cover themselves with the leaves of Paradise, "Making them as a dress (or garment)." Commenting on Allah's statement,

يَنزِعُ عَنْهُمَا لِبَاسَهُمَا

(Stripping them of their raiment) 7:27 Wahb bin Munabbih said, "The private parts of Adam and Hawwa' had a light covering them which prevented them from seeing the private parts of each other. When they ate from the tree, their private parts appeared to them." Ibn Jarir reported this statement with an authentic chain of narration. Abdur-Razzaq reported from Qatadah, "Adam said, `O Lord! What if I repented and sought forgiveness' Allah said, `Then, I will admit you into Paradise.' As for Shaytan, he did not ask for forgiveness, but for respite. Each one of them was given what he asked for." Ad-Dahhak bin Muzahim commented,

رَبَّنَا ظَلَمْنَآ أَنفُسَنَا وَإِن لَّمْ تَغْفِرْ لَنَا وَتَرْحَمْنَا لَنَكُونَنَّ مِنَ الْخَـسِرِينَ

("Our Lord! We have wronged ourselves. If You forgive us not, and bestow not upon us Your mercy, we shall certainly be of the losers.") "These are the words that Adam received from his Lord."

They said ‘Our Lord we have wronged ourselves by our act of disobedience and if You do not forgive us and have mercy on us we shall surely be among the lost’.

Commentary

The story of Sayyidna 'Adam (علیہ السلام) and Iblis mentioned in the present verses has appeared in the fourth section of Surah Al-Baqarah.

Detailed comments have been given in the Tafsir of that Surah. If needed, please see Ma‘ariful-Quran, English Translation, Volume I, Pages 170-187.

“Our Lord, we have wronged ourselves. If Thou dost not forgive us and have mercy upon us, we will surely be among the losers.” “O God, if we weep, weeping for You is sweet. If we lament over you, our lamenting is appropri- ate. O God, what comes from dust other than error? What is born from defect other than disloy- alty? And what comes from the generous other than loyalty? O God, we have come back with two empty hands. What would happen if You placed balm on the wounded? O God, You are the treasure of the poor, the traveling supplies of the distressed, the resource of the fleeing, the hand- holder of the helpless. You created, so You saw the faulty jewel, but You selected it and bought it with all its faults. You lifted us up and no one said, 'Lift up!' Now that You have lifted up, don't put down! Keep us in the shadow of gentleness and entrust us to none but Your bounty!” If You water, You Yourself planted. If You flatten the foundation, You Yourself raised it. I the servant am just what You fancied. Don't throw me down-You lifted me up.