7:25 Al-A'raaf (The Heights)

أي: لما أهبط اللّه آدم وزوجته وذريتهما إلى الأرض، أخبرهما بحال إقامتهم فيها، وأنه جعل لهم فيها حياة يتلوها الموت، مشحونة بالامتحان والابتلاء، وأنهم لا يزالون فيها، يرسل إليهم رسله، وينزل عليهم كتبه، حتى يأتيهم الموت، فيدفنون فيها، ثم إذا استكملوا بعثهم اللّه وأخرجهم منها إلى الدار التي هي الدار حقيقة، التي هي دار المقامة.

قوله "قال فيها تحيون وفيها تموتون ومنها تخرجون" كقوله تعالى "منها خلقناكم وفيها نعيدكم ومنها نخرجكم تارة أخرى" يخبر تعالي أنه جعل الأرض دارا لبني آدم مدة الحياة الدنيا فيها محياهم وفيها مماتهم وقبورهم ومنها نشورهم ليوم القيامة الذي يجمع الله فيه الأولين والآخرين ويجازي كلا بعمله.

Sending Them All Down to Earth

It was said that,

اهْبِطُواْ

(Get down), was addressed to Adam, Hawwa', Iblis and the snake. Some scholars did not mention the snake, and Allah knows best. The enmity is primarily between Adam and Iblis, and Hawwa' follows Adam in this regard. Allah said in Surah Ta Ha,

اهْبِطَا مِنْهَا جَمِيعاً

("Get you down (from the Paradise to the earth), both of you, together...") 20:123. If the story about the snake is true, then it is a follower of Iblis. Some scholars mentioned the location on earth they were sent down, but these accounts are taken from the Israelite tales, and only Allah knows if they are true. If having known these areas was useful for the people in matters of religion or life, Allah would have mentioned them in His Book, and His Messenger would have mentioned them too. Allah's statement,

وَلَكُمْ فِى الأَرْضِ مُسْتَقَرٌّ وَمَتَـعٌ إِلَى حِينٍ

(On earth will be a dwelling place for you and an enjoyment for a time.) means, on earth you will have dwellings and known, designated, appointed terms that have been recorded by the Pen, counted by Predestination and written in the First Record.

قَالَ فِيهَا تَحْيَوْنَ وَفِيهَا تَمُوتُونَ وَمِنْهَا تُخْرَجُونَ

(He (Allah) said: "Therein you shall live, and therein you shall die, and from it you shall be brought out (resurrected).") This Ayah is similar to Allah's other statement,

مِنْهَا خَلَقْنَـكُمْ وَفِيهَا نُعِيدُكُمْ وَمِنْهَا نُخْرِجُكُمْ تَارَةً أُخْرَى

(Thereof (the earth) We created you, and into it We shall return you, and from it We shall bring you out once again.) 20:55. Allah states that He has made the earth a dwelling place for the Children of Adam, for the remainder of this earthly life. On it, they will live, die and be buried in their graves; and from it, they will be resurrected for the Day of Resurrection. On that Day, Allah will gather the first and last of creatures and reward or punish each according to his or her deeds.

Said He ‘There that is on earth you shall live and there you shall die and from there you shall be brought forth’ through the Resurrection read active takhrujūn ‘you shall come forth’ or passive tukhrajūn ‘you shall be brought forth’.

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.