172 Page Notes

07 Surah Al-Araf (continued)

Page 172 - Related Hadith/Sunnah

7:164

7:165

7:166

7:167

7:168

7:169

7:170

Translation of the meaning by Sahih International.

Page 172 - Related Hadiths and Sunnah

Page 172 of the Quran covers Surah Al-A'raf (Chapter 7), verses 164 through 170 in standard Mushaf configurations. This specific passage spans two prominent historical and theological narratives:

1. Verses 164–166: The conclusion of the story of the Sabbath-breakers (As-hab al-Sabt) among the Israelites, exploring the duty of forbidding evil and the punishment of being turned into apes.

2. Verses 167–170: Prophecies concerning the dispersal and tribulations of those who broke the covenant, contrasted with those who firmly uphold the Scripture.

1. Hadiths Related to Verses 164–166 (The Sabbath-Breakers and the Transformation)

These verses discuss a town by the sea that violated the Sabbath by trapping fish on Saturday. The population split into three groups: the violators, those who passively watched but did not participate, and those who actively preached and forbade the violation. Verse 164 records the passive group asking the preachers why they bother advising people whom Allah will destroy, to which they replied: "To be free from guilt before your Lord, and perhaps they may fear Him."

The Fate of the Mutated People and Their Progeny

When the violators ignored the warnings, Allah transformed them into despised apes (Verse 166). A famous Hadith addresses whether modern monkeys or apes are descended from this cursed group.

Sahih Muslim, Book 46, Hadith 49: Abdullah ibn Mas'ud reported: "We asked the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) whether monkeys and pigs were those who had been transformed. The Prophet replied: 'Indeed, Allah never destroyed a people or cursed a people and left for them a progeny. Monkeys and pigs existed before that.'"

This indicates that while the transgressors were physically transformed as a localized punishment, they died out without reproducing, and modern primates are entirely unrelated to them.

The Duty of Enjoining Good and Forbidding Evil

Verse 164 provides the foundational psychology behind Amr bil-Ma'ruf wan-Nahyu 'anil-Munkar (Enjoining Good and Forbidding Evil). Even if a sinner seems hopeless, a Muslim must speak out to fulfill their own duty before God ("To be free from guilt before your Lord").

This directly ties into one of the most famous foundational prophetic traditions:

Sahih Muslim, Book 1, Hadith 84: Tariq ibn Shihab reported that Abu Sa'id al-Khudri said: "I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say, 'Whosoever of you sees an evil, let him change it with his hand; and if he is not able to do so, then with his tongue; and if he is not able to do so, then with his heart — and that is the weakest of faith.'"

2. Hadiths Related to Verses 167–168 (The Dispersal of the Transgressors)

Verse 167 states: "And [remember] when your Lord declared that He would surely send against them, until the Day of Resurrection, those who would afflict them with the worst torment." Verse 168 adds that they were dispersed throughout the earth into various nations.

In classical exegesis (Tafsir), these verses are connected to historical warnings issued to the Children of Israel regarding their violation of divine covenants. While many related narrations are Isra'iliyyat (historical Judeo-Christian traditions recorded by early commentators), the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) established a general rule of thumb regarding how Muslims should handle these narratives when explaining the Quran.

Sahih al-Bukhari, Vol. 6, Book 60, Hadith 12: Narrated Abu Hurairah: "The people of the Scripture used to read the Torah in Hebrew and explain it in Arabic to the Muslims. On that, Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, 'Do not believe the people of the Scripture and do not disbelieve them, but say: We believe in Allah and what has been revealed to us.'"

3. Hadiths Related to Verses 169–170 (Inheriting the Book and Worldly Gain)

Verse 169 describes a generation who inherited the Scripture but chose the fleeting, petty gains of this worldly life ('Arad hadhal-adna), saying, "We will be forgiven," while repeatedly falling back into the same sins. Verse 170 praises those who hold fast to the Scripture (Yumassikuna bil-Kitab) and establish prayer.

The Danger of Taking Religion Casual or Relying Blindly on Forgiveness

Prophetic traditions strongly warn Muslims against repeating this exact mistake—assuming they are automatically safe from judgment while continuously compromising on divine commands for worldly luxury.

Jami` at-Tirmidhi, Chapters on Zuhd, Hadith 2197: Shaddad bin Aws narrated that the Prophet (ﷺ) said: "The clever person is the one who subjugates his soul and works for what is after death. And the incapable person is the one who follows his desires and merely wishes/expects from Allah [falsely hoping for forgiveness without action]."

The Reward for Holding Fast to the Book

Verse 170 promises: "Indeed, We will not allow to be lost the reward of the reformers." In the Sunnah, holding fast to the Quran during times of widespread religious corruption and compromise is highly elevated.

Sahih Muslim, Book 44, Hadith 55: Zayd ibn Arqam reported that the Prophet (ﷺ) delivered a sermon at Ghadir Khumm, saying: "I am leaving among you two weighty things. The first of them is the Book of Allah, in which there is guidance and light. Whosoever holds fast to it and adheres to it, he will be upon guidance, and whosoever misses it, he will go astray."

Summary of Core Themes

Page 172 functions as a stern warning against legalistic loopholes (like the Sabbath-breakers) and spiritual complacency (taking worldly bribes while assuming divine forgiveness). The Sunnah strictly reinforces these concepts by defining accountability, ordering proactive moral courage, and praising uncompromising adherence to scripture.