154 Page Notes

07 Surah Al-Araf (continued)

Page 154 - Related Hadith/Sunnah

7:31

7:32

7:33

7:34

7:35

7:36

7:37

Translation of the meaning by Sahih International.

Page 154 - Related Hadiths and Sunnah

Page 154 of the Quran covers Surah Al-A'raf (The Heights), verses 31 through 37. 

This section of the Quran transitions from daily physical guidelines (clothing and food) to the dangers of spiritual deviance, culminating in a striking description of accountability at the moment of death.

1. Adornment for Prayer and the Limits of Consumption

“O children of Adam, take your adornment at every masjid, and eat and drink, but be not excessive. Indeed, He likes not those who commit excess.” — Surah Al-A'raf (7:31)

A. The Sunnah of Presentation Before Allah

The phrase "take your adornment at every masjid" means ensuring physical cleanliness and neatness during prayer. The Prophet Muhammad explicitly tied presentation to the concept of God's love for beauty.

• Hadith: Abdullah bin Mas'ud narrated that the Messenger of Allah said:
  "No one will enter Paradise who has an atom's weight of arrogance in his heart." A man said, "A man likes his clothes to look good and his shoes to look good." The Prophet replied, "Indeed, Allah is Beautiful and He loves beauty." (Sahih Muslim, Hadith 91)

• Practical Sunnah: To fulfill this verse, the Prophet established the practice of brushing the teeth with the miswak before every prayer, putting on clean clothes (preferably white for men), and applying fragrance (Teeb) before heading to congregational worship.

B. The Prophetic Blueprint for Eating

To regulate the divine command "eat and drink, but be not excessive," the Prophet offered a precise physical framework to protect against gluttony and physical waste.

• Hadith: Miqdam bin Ma'dikarib narrated that the Prophet said:
  "A human being fills no vessel worse than his stomach. It is sufficient for a son of Adam to eat a few mouthfuls to keep his spine straight. But if he must fill it, then one-third for his food, one-third for his drink, and one-third for his breath." (Jami` at-Tirmidhi, Hadith 2380 / Sunan Ibn Majah, Hadith 3349; graded Sahih)

2. Rejection of Extreme Asceticism

“Say, 'Who has forbidden the adornment of Allah which He has produced for His servants and the good [lawful] things of provision?'...” — Surah Al-A'raf (7:32)

This verse was revealed to dismantle the idea that strict spiritual devotion requires artificial self-deprivation (such as refusing good clothing, avoiding wholesome foods, or cutting off human relationships).

• Hadith: A group of three men came to the houses of the wives of the Prophet to inquire about his worship. Feeling their own deeds were minor in comparison, one vowed to pray all night forever, the second vowed to fast every single day, and the third vowed never to marry. The Messenger of Allah came to them and said:
  "Are you the people who said such and such? By Allah, I am the most God-fearing and conscious of Him among you, yet I fast and I break my fast, I pray and I sleep, and I marry women. Whoever turns away from my Sunnah is not of me." (Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 5063 / Sahih Muslim, Hadith 1401)

3. The Danger of Speculating About Divine Law

“Say, 'My Lord has only forbidden immoralities... and that you say about Allah that which you do not know.'” — Surah Al-A'raf (7:33)

Islamic scholars note that this verse lists sins in an ascending order of danger, placing "speaking about Allah without knowledge" at the absolute peak—even above major outward sins.

• Hadith: To guard against inventing religious rules or misrepresenting divine intent, the Prophet issued a strict warning regarding religious speech:
  "Convey from me even an ayah (verse), and relate traditions from the Children of Israel without restriction. But whoever tells a lie against me intentionally, let him occupy his seat in the Hellfire." (Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 3461) Context: Because Prophetic speech constitutes secondary revelation, lying about the Sunnah is the exact definition of “saying about Allah that which you do not know.”

4. The Extraction of the Soul at Death

“...Until, when Our messengers [i.e., angels] come to them to take them in death, they will say, 'Where are those you used to invoke besides Allah?'...” — Surah Al-A'raf (7:37)

This verse highlights the terrifying psychological and physical reality when the Angels of Death arrive for a person who lived outside of divine alignment.

• Hadith: In a long, comprehensive narration by Al-Bara' bin 'Azib, the Prophet described the arrival of these "messengers" mentioned in Verse 37. While a believer's soul is comforted, the soul of a corrupt person faces a violent departure:
  "Angels with harsh, dark faces descend to him holding sackcloth... The Angel of Death sits at his head and says, 'O evil soul, come out to the wrath of Allah and His anger!' The soul then disperses throughout his body, and the angel rips it out violently, just as a multi-pronged roasting spit is dragged through wet wool, tearing the veins and nerves." (Musnad Ahmad, Hadith 18534 / Sunan Abi Dawud, Hadith 4753; graded Sahih)