Al-A'raf 175: Tell them (the Jews) about the history of the person, to whom We had given from Our verses but who abandoned them and thus followed Shaytan and who finally became a transgressor.
Contents
Explanation
Translation
Tell them (the Jews) about the history of the person, to whom We had given from Our verses but who abandoned them and thus followed Shaytan and who finally became a transgressor.
Tafsir
By addressing Hazrat Muhammad (PBUH), Allah (swt) is addressing all human beings and those who will come until the Day of Judgment. Because Rasulu Kibriya Hatemen Nabi Hazrat Muhammad (PBUH) is (vema erselnake illa rahmetin lil alemin). He is also alive. In this respect, as it is stated in the verse, when he says "recite Our Verses to the people", he is informing the people who will come until the Day of Judgment.
There are such people who engage in the knowledge of Allah, and Allah raises their rank in return for their work and service to their religion, even though Allah knows what will happen to them (AlaysAllahu bi ahkamil hakimin). Then, when they turn away from Allah, they fall prey to egoistic feelings, pride and arrogance and become the masks of Satan. They become prideful and arrogant and rebel against Allah because they enjoy the nafs that Satan gives them. This arrogance will deprive them of Allah's mercy in the Hereafter.
The person whose example we will give is the person who experienced these events. However, even though this verse shows the people of that time as an example, since such people will exist until the Day of Judgment, Allah's verses are valid until the Day of Judgment. Allah (swt) shows through these events that people should not fall into such mistakes.
Since Allah (swt) is exalted from all deficient attributes, although He knows what people will do and what their destiny is, He teaches people in this unseen realm, as if they do not know anything, by educating them, by guiding them, by bringing all kinds of examples and parables, He teaches people with all kinds of events and provides light and evidence in front of them so that people do not say to Allah (swt), "I would have known you if you had told me this or that, or if you had given me such and such mercy or calamity, I would have known you". He makes people witnesses to themselves. People are also tested against each other.
Bel'am ibn Baura, who lived in his time in a fortress on the road to Damascus, in a town in Canaan where Jabababire was located. He was a well-read man, a man of knowledge, a person who judged according to the Torah and who was devoted to the knowledge of Allah, a person of knowledge and a person who was on the path of self-improvement. His people asked him to curse Hazrat Musa Alayhissalâm. They gave worldly gifts to this person Bel'am ibn Baura. This person was jealous of the Prophethood of Hazrat Musa (as), being deceived by these worldly gifts and trusting in his own knowledge and power, so he cursed against Hazrat Musa (as). Just as Iblis was jealous of Hadrat Adam and rebelled against the command of Allah, Belam ibn Baura followed the same path and followed the footsteps of Satan. That is why he apostatized and eventually became one of the transgressors.
According to another narration, this person is Umayya ibn al-Salt. He is from the Arab tribe. He was a learned and knowledgeable person. In his time he wrote beautiful poems in praise of Allah. He predicted that he would become a Prophet. Finally, when the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) became a Prophet, he hated it and renounced religion.
According to another narration, he was a priest named Abu Amir. He used to do good deeds in the Jahiliyyah period. With the advent of Islam, he went to Damascus and ordered the hypocrites to build the Masjid Dirar. He then went to Kayseri and asked for help against the Prophet.
Allah (swt) gives the example of such people and shows them as an example for the people who will come until the Day of Resurrection, by informing them that their departure from Islam or their turning away from the Verses of Allah (swt) has increased their rebellion. He declares that those who follow this path will suffer the same fate.
What is said in the video
Verse 175. Yes: to them, to the Jews — the one to whom Our verses We had given, but who slipped away from them, and for that reason Satan pursued him, and in the end he became one of those gone astray; recite his story, it says.
Allah Almighty, addressing the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) — by addressing the Prophet, He addresses all people, all who will come until the Day of Judgment; it is His address to them. Because the Great Messenger, the Seal of the Prophets, Muhammad (peace be upon him) is "ve mâ erselnâke illâ rahmeten li'l-âlemîn". He is also alive. So, as stated in the verse, His saying: you, recite Our verses to people — this is His informing the people who will come until the Day of Judgment. There were such people who would occupy themselves with the knowledge of Allah, and although Allah Almighty knows what will become of a person, for what a person strives for and the services he does with his religion, Allah raises their ranks in return.
Then, when they turn their faces away from Allah, carried away by the desires of the nafs, drawn into pride and arrogance, they fall into being Satan's laughingstock. Because the desires of the nafs that Iblis gives a person please him, they are seized by pride and arrogance and rebel against Allah. With this arrogance they are deprived of Allah's mercy in the hereafter. The person we will give as an example is a person who lived through these things. But although this verse presents a person of that time as an example, since such people will exist until the Day of Judgment, the verses of Allah Almighty are valid until the Day of Judgment.
Through these events Allah Almighty shows people how not to fall into such errors. Since Allah Almighty is free of every deficient attribute, although He knows what people will do and what their destiny is, in this world, which is an unseen world, as if people knew nothing at all, He educates them, shows them the way, brings every kind of example and comparison, so that people do not say to Allah Almighty: if You had told me this in such a way, or had given me such mercy or such affliction, I would have known You; with every kind of event He teaches people and puts a light and a proof before them.
He makes people witnesses against themselves. At the same time, people are also a test for one another. At that time, in the land of Canaan, where the Jababira were, in a village — this is on the road to Damascus — the one living in a fortress was Bal'am ibn Ba'ura.
Yes. This man was very learned, one who judged by the Torah and who devoted himself to the knowledge of Allah. He was a man of spiritual knowledge whose nafs was (?). His people asked him to curse Moses (peace be upon him). To this man, to Bal'am ibn Ba'ura, they gave worldly gifts. This man, deceived by these worldly gifts, trusting in his own knowledge and power, and because he envied the prophethood of Moses, cursed Moses (peace be upon him). Just as Iblis himself, envying Adam (peace be upon him), rebelled against Allah's command, Bal'am ibn Murad, following the same path, followed in Satan's footsteps.
So he left the religion and in the end became one of those gone astray.
According to another narration, the man meant here is Umayya ibn Salt. This man was of the Arab people. He was knowledgeable and well informed. A well-informed person. In his time he wrote very beautiful poems in praise of Allah. He used to expect that he himself would be the prophet. When in the end the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) became the prophet, he resented it and left the religion. According to another narration, the man meant here is one named Abu Amir, a monk. In the age of ignorance he used to do good deeds. With the coming of Islam he went to Damascus and, by ordering the hypocrites, had the Masjid al-Dirar built.
Later he went to the Caesar and, against the Prophet, uh, (?) help. So Allah Almighty, giving such people as examples — their leaving Islam or their increasing their straying by turning away from Allah's verses — making this known, as a lesson and an example for the people to come until the Day of Judgment, presents them. And those who follow this path, it is declared, will meet the same end. Yes.