7:52 Al-A'raaf (The Heights)

بل قد { جِئْنَاهُمْ بِكِتَابٍ فَصَّلْنَاهُ } أي: بينا فيه جميع المطالب التي يحتاج إليها الخلق { عَلَى عِلْمٍ } من اللّه بأحوال العباد في كل زمان ومكان، وما يصلح لهم وما لا يصلح، ليس تفصيله تفصيل غير عالم بالأمور، فتجهله بعض الأحوال، فيحكم حكما غير مناسب، بل تفصيل من أحاط علمه بكل شيء، ووسعت رحمته كل شيء. { هُدًى وَرَحْمَةً لِقَوْمٍ يُؤْمِنُونَ } أي: تحصل للمؤمنين بهذا الكتاب الهداية من الضلال، وبيان الحق والباطل، والغيّ والرشد، ويحصل أيضا لهم به الرحمة، وهي: الخير والسعادة في الدنيا والآخرة، فينتفى عنهم بذلك الضلال والشقاء. وهؤلاء الذين حق عليهم العذاب، لم يؤمنوا بهذا الكتاب العظيم، ولا انقادوا لأوامره ونواهيه، فلم يبق فيهم حيلة إلا استحقاقهم أن يحل بهم ما أخبر به القرآن.

يقول تعالى مخبرا عن إعذاره إلى المشركين بإرسال الرسل إليهم بالكتاب الذي جاء به الرسول وأنه كتاب مفصل مبين كقوله "كتاب أحكمت آياته ثم فصلت" الآية وقوله "فصلناه على علم" للعالمين أي "على علم" منا بما فصلناه به كقوله "أنزله بعلمه" قال ابن جرير وهذه الآية مردودة علي قوله "كتاب أنزل إليك فلا يكن في صدرك حرج منه" الآية. "ولقد جئناهم بكتاب" الآية. وهذا الذي قاله فيه نظر فإنه قد طال الفصل ولا دليل عليه وإنما الأمر أنه لما أخبر بما صاروا إليه من الخسارة في الآخرة ذكر أنه قد أزاح عللهم في الدنيا بإرسال الرسل وإنزال الكتب كقوله "وما كنا معذبين حتى نبعث رسولا".

The Idolators have no Excuse

Allah states that He has left no excuse for the idolators, for He has sent to them the Book that the Messenger came with, and which is explained in detail,

كِتَابٌ أُحْكِمَتْ ءايَـتُهُ ثُمَّ فُصِّلَتْ

((This is) a Book, the Ayat whereof are perfected (in every sphere of knowledge), and then explained in detail ) 11:1 Allah said next,

فَصَّلْنَـهُ عَلَى عِلْمٍ

(We have explained in detail with knowledge) meaning, `We have perfect knowledge of what We explained in it'. Allah said in another Ayah,

أَنزَلَهُ بِعِلْمِهِ

(He has sent it down with His Knowledge,) 4:166 The meaning here is that after Allah mentioned the loss the idolators end up with in the Hereafter, He stated that He has indeed sent Prophets and revealed Books in this life, thus leaving no excuse for them. Allah also said;

وَمَا كُنَّا مُعَذِّبِينَ حَتَّى نَبْعَثَ رَسُولاً

(And We never punish until We have sent a Messenger (to give warning).) 17:15 This is why Allah said here,

هَلْ يَنظُرُونَ إِلاَّ تَأْوِيلَهُ

(Await they just for the final fulfillment of the event) in reference to what they were promised of torment, punishment, the Fire; or Paradise, according to Mujahid and several others.

يَوْمَ يَأْتِى تَأْوِيلُهُ

(On the Day the event is finally fulfilled,) on the Day of Resurrection, according to Ibn `Abbas,

يَقُولُ الَّذِينَ نَسُوهُ مِن قَبْلُ

(those who neglected it before will say) those who ignored it in this life and neglected abiding by its implications will say,

قَدْ جَآءَتْ رُسُلُ رَبِّنَا بِالْحَقِّ فَهَل لَّنَا مِن شُفَعَآءَ فَيَشْفَعُواْ لَنَآ

("Verily, the Messengers of our Lord did come with the truth, now are there any intercessors for us that they might intercede on our behalf") so that we are saved from what we ended up in.

أَوْ نُرَدُّ

("Or could we be sent back"), to the first life,

فَنَعْمَلَ غَيْرَ الَّذِى كُنَّا نَعْمَلُ

("So that we might do (good) deeds other than those (evil) deeds which we used to do"). This part of the Ayah is similar to Allah's statement,

وَلَوْ تَرَى إِذْ وُقِفُواْ عَلَى النَّارِ فَقَالُواْ يلَيْتَنَا نُرَدُّ وَلاَ نُكَذِّبَ بِـَايَـتِ رَبِّنَا وَنَكُونَ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ - بَلْ بَدَا لَهُمْ مَّا كَانُواْ يُخْفُونَ مِن قَبْلُ وَلَوْ رُدُّواْ لَعَـدُواْ لِمَا نُهُواْ عَنْهُ وَإِنَّهُمْ لَكَـذِبُونَ

(If you could but see when they will be held over the (Hell) Fire! They will say: "Would that we were but sent back! Then we would not deny the Ayat of our Lord, and we would be of the believers!" Nay, it has become manifest to them what they had been concealing before. But if they were returned (to the world), they would certainly revert to that which they were forbidden. And indeed they are liars) 6:27-28 Allah said here,

قَدْ خَسِرُواْ أَنفُسَهُمْ وَضَلَّ عَنْهُمْ مَّا كَانُواْ يَفْتَرُونَ

(Verily, they have lost themselves and that which they used to fabricate has gone away from them.) meaning, they destroyed themselves by entering the Fire for eternity,

وَضَلَّ عَنْهُمْ مَّا كَانُواْ يَفْتَرُونَ

(And that which they used to fabricate has gone away from them.) What they used to worship instead of Allah abandoned them and will not intercede on their behalf, aid them or save them from their fate.

And indeed We have brought them that is the people of Mecca a Book the Qur’ān which We have detailed which We have made clear through tidings and the Promise of reward and the Threat of punishment with knowledge ‘alā ‘ilmin is a circumstantial qualifier in other words ‘knowing what has been detailed in it’ a guidance hudan is also a circumstantial qualifier referring to the hā’ the suffixed pronoun of fassālnā-hu ‘which We have detailed’ and a mercy for a people who believe in it.

Said in the sixth verse (49) is: أَهَـٰؤُلَاءِ الَّذِينَ أَقْسَمْتُمْ لَا يَنَالُهُمُ اللَّـهُ بِرَ‌حْمَةٍ ۚ ادْخُلُوا الْجَنَّةَ لَا خَوْفٌ عَلَيْكُمْ وَلَا أَنتُمْ تَحْزَنُونَ ﴿49﴾ (Is it these for whom you swore that Allah would not reach them with mercy?" - "Enter the Paradise; there is no fear on you, nor shall you grieve).

Explaining this, Sayyidna ` Abdullah ibn ` Abbas ؓ says: When the questions and answers between the people of A` raf and the people of Paradise and Hell both will be over, that will be the time when the Lord of all the worlds will address the people of Hell and tell them about the people of A` raf that they swore that the people of A` raf will not be forgiven their sins and mercy will not be shown to them. Then, there comes an immediate declaration of His mercy when the people of A` raf will be told: Go and enter the Paradise. You should have no fear of what had happened in the past nor should you have any anxiety about the future. (Ibn Kathir)