7:53 Al-A'raaf (The Heights)

ولهذا قال: { هَلْ يَنْظُرُونَ إِلَّا تَأْوِيلَهُ } أي: وقوع ما أخبر به كما قال يوسف عليه السلام حين وقعت رؤياه: { هَذَا تَأْوِيلُ رُؤْيَايَ مِنْ قَبْلُ } { يَوْمَ يَأْتِي تَأْوِيلُهُ يَقُولُ الَّذِينَ نَسُوهُ مِنْ قَبْلُ } متندمين متأسفين على ما مضى منهم، متشفعين في مغفرة ذنوبهم. مقرين بما أخبرت به الرسل: { قَدْ جَاءَتْ رُسُلُ رَبِّنَا بِالْحَقِّ فَهَلْ لَنَا مِنْ شُفَعَاءَ فَيَشْفَعُوا لَنَا أَوْ نُرَدُّ } إلى الدنيا { فَنَعْمَلَ غَيْرَ الَّذِي كُنَّا نَعْمَلُ } وقد فات الوقت عن الرجوع إلى الدنيا. { فَمَا تَنْفَعُهُمْ شَفَاعَةُ الشَّافِعِينَ } وسؤالهم الرجوع إلى الدنيا، ليعملوا غير عملهم كذب منهم، مقصودهم به، دفع ما حل بهم، قال تعالى: { وَلَوْ رُدُّوا لَعَادُوا لِمَا نُهُوا عَنْهُ وَإِنَّهُمْ لَكَاذِبُونَ } { قَدْ خَسِرُوا أَنْفُسَهُمْ } حين فوتوها الأرباح، وسلكوا بها سبيل الهلاك، وليس ذلك كخسران الأموال والأثاث أو الأولاد، إنما هذا خسران لا جبران لمصابه، { وَضَلَّ عَنْهُمْ مَا كَانُوا يَفْتَرُونَ } في الدنيا مما تمنيهم أنفسهم به، ويعدهم به الشيطان، قدموا على ما لم يكن لهم في حساب، وتبين لهم باطلهم وضلالهم، وصدق ما جاءتهم به الرسل

قال "هل ينظرون إلا تأويله" أي ما وعدوا به من العذاب والنكال والجنة والنار قاله مجاهد وغير واحد وقال مالك: ثوابه وقال الربيع لا يزال يجيء من تأويله أمر حتى يتم يوم الحساب حتى يدخل أهل الجنة الجنة وأهل النار النار فيتم تأويله يومئذ وقوله "يوم يأتي تأويله" أي يوم القيامة قاله ابن عباس "يقول الذين نسوه من قبل" أي تركوا العمل به وتناسوه في الدار الدنيا "قد جاءت رسل ربنا بالحق فهل لنا من شفعاء فيشفعوا لنا" أي في خلاصنا مما صرنا إليه مما نحن فيه "أو نرد" إلى الدار الدنيا "فنعمل غير الذي كنا نعمل" كقوله "ولو ترى إذ وقفوا على النار فقالوا يا ليتنا نرد ولا نكذب بآيات ربنا ونكون من المؤمنين بل بدا لهم ما كانوا يخفون من قبل ولو ردوا لعادوا لما نهوا عنه وإنهم لكاذبون" كما قال ههنا "قد خسروا أنفسهم وضل عنهم ما كانوا يفترون" أي خسروا أنفسهم بدخولهم النار وخلودهم فيها "وضل عنهم ما كانوا يفترون" أي ذهب عنهم ما كانوا يعبدونهم من دون الله فلا يشفعون فيهم ولا ينصرونهم ولا ينقذونهم مما هم فيه.

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.

Are they waiting — they are not waiting — for anything but its fulfilment the consequences of what is in it? On the day when its fulfilment comes which will be on the Day of Resurrection those who were forgetful of it before those who neglected to believe in it shall say ‘Indeed our Lord’s messengers came with the truth. Have we then any intercessors that they may intercede for us or shall we be returned to the world that we may act otherwise than we used to act?’ and instead affirm God’s Oneness and refrain from associating others with Him. It will then be said to them ‘No!’ God exalted be He says Verily they have lost their souls for they have ended up in perdition and that which they used to invent in alleging that God has a partner has failed has abandoned them.

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)