167 Page Notes

07 Surah Al-Araf (continued)

Page 167 - Related Hadith/Sunnah

7:138

7:139

7:140

7:141

7:142

7:143

Translation of the meaning by Sahih International.

Page 167 - Related Hadiths and Sunnah

Page 167 of the Quran covers Surah Al-A'raf (The Heights), verses 138 through 143.

This page transitions from the dramatic physical rescue of the Children of Israel across the parted sea into their spiritual and psychological rehabilitation. It documents two major events: first, the immediate, shocking request by the newly liberated Hebrews to have a physical idol fashioned for them after they pass a pagan cult; second, the epic ascent of Prophet Musa (Moses) up Mount Sinai for his 40-night appointment, culminating in his profound request to look upon the divine essence of Allah, an event that shatters the mountain to dust.

The Sunnah and authentic Hadiths provide critical commentary on this page, analyzing human psychological drift toward imitation and describing the exact physical reality of the mountain's collapse.

1. The Human Trait of Cultural Imitation (Zat Anwat)

“And We took the Children of Israel across the sea, and they came upon a people devoted to some idols of theirs. They said, 'O Moses, make for us a god just as they have gods.' He said, 'Indeed, you are a people behaving ignorantly.'”

— Surah Al-A'raf (7:138)

Fresh from witnessing the destruction of Egypt, the people saw a local tribe worshipping idols and immediately craved that same tangible, visible ritual format. The Prophet Muhammad directly used this verse to warn Muslims about their inherent psychological vulnerability to copying dominant foreign cultures.

A. The Modern Parallel: The Tree of Weapons (Zat Anwat)

The Prophet Muhammad explicitly cited this exact verse when some of his newer companions made a fundamentally identical request during a military expedition.

• Hadith: Abu Waqid al-Laythi narrated: When the Messenger of Allah set out for the Battle of Hunayn, they passed by a massive tree that the pagan Arabs revered, called Zat Anwat, upon which they hung their weapons for blessings. Some of the newer companions called out, "O Messenger of Allah! Make for us a Zat Anwat just like they have a Zat Anwat!" The Prophet replied:
  "Allahu Akbar! By Him in Whose Hand is my soul, you have just said exactly what the people of Moses said to him: 'Make for us a god just as they have gods!' You will certainly follow the paths of those who came before you, step by step."
  (Jami` at-Tirmidhi, Hadith 2180; graded Sahih)

2. Musa's Desire to See Allah & The Shattered Mountain

“And when Moses arrived at Our appointed time and his Lord spoke to him, he said, 'My Lord, show [Yourself] to me that I may look at You.' [Allah] said, 'You will not see Me, but look at the mountain; if it should remain in its place, then you will see Me.' But when his Lord appeared to the mountain, He rendered it level to dust, and Moses fell unconscious...”

— Surah Al-A'raf (7:143)

Musa's request did not stem from doubt, but from an overwhelming desire to draw closer to the Creator whose voice he was hearing directly. Allah explained that human biological sight in this earthly realm is physically incapable of processing the unshielded divine light.

A. How Much of the Divine Light Was Disclosed?

The Sunnah provides a terrifyingly precise physical description of the cosmic event that leveled the mountain when Allah revealed a fraction of His majesty.

• Hadith: Anas bin Malik narrated that the Prophet Muhammad recited this verse ("But when his Lord appeared to the mountain, He rendered it level to dust") and then demonstrated with his hands:
  He placed his thumb on the tip of his little finger and said: "Allah disclosed only this much [the width of a pinky fingernail's tip] of His light to the mountain," and the mountain instantly collapsed into dust.
  (Jami` at-Tirmidhi, Hadith 3074 / Musnad Ahmad, Hadith 12211; graded Sahih)

B. Can Human Eyes See Allah in This World?

To clarify the theological boundaries set by Verse 143 ("You will not see Me"), the Prophet Muhammad affirmed that the mortal human eye cannot perceive Allah in this life, though this restriction is permanently lifted for the believers in Paradise.

• Hadith: Abu Dharr asked the Messenger of Allah, "Did you actually see your Lord during the Night Journey?" The Prophet explained the cosmic barrier:
  "He is Light; how could I see Him?"
  In another narration, he added: "His veil is Light. If He were to lift it, the splendor of His Countenance would consume everything in creation that His sight reaches."
  (Sahih Muslim, Hadith 178 / Hadith 179)