Al-A'raf 169: After them, a group of evil people came that inherited the Book and purchased the worthless worldly life (in return for altering verses), saying; “We will surely be forgiven.” If a similar opportunity would arise, they would take that as well. Did not Allah proclaim to you in the Book? Did not they read not to speak anything but the truth and that the Prophet among you is truthful? For those who abstain, the dwelling of the hereafter is better. Do you not contemplate?

A. Metin Saruhan · 21 February 2022 · Misinterpreted Verses

The misinterpretation

And after them (in return for falsifying the verses) came some wicked inheritors of the Book, saying, "We will be forgiven anyway," by taking this worthless worldly property. If another benefit similar to it comes to them, they will take it as well. Well, had he not taken a promise from them that they would not really say anything else about Allah in the Book, and had they not read what was in the Book? The abode of the Hereafter is better for the pious. Are you still out of your mind?

The right translation

After them, a group of evil people came that inherited the Book and purchased the worthless worldly life (in return for altering verses), saying; “We will surely be forgiven.” If a similar opportunity would arise, they would take that as well. Did not Allah proclaim to you in the Book? Did not they read not to speak anything but the truth and that the Prophet among you is truthful? For those who abstain, the dwelling of the hereafter is better. Do you not contemplate?

Explanation

This verse is wrong: (And did He not take a promise from them in the Book that they would say nothing but the truth about Allah, and did they not read what is in the Book?) The truth is: (Did not Allah tell you in the Book? Did they not read that you should not speak other than the truth, that the Messenger within you is the truth?)

Who did Allah (swt) take a promise from, so that they could go beyond their promises? Allah (swt) took a promise from human beings, in Kalu Bela, in the address Elestu bi Rabbikum, He made a covenant with human beings and wrote each human being's own desire and will as their destiny. Which creature has been able to go beyond the destiny that our Lord has written for human beings? In the wrong opening, our Lord has taken a promise from human beings and they have gone beyond that promise and our Lord is warning them. At the same time, it would be a case of our Lord not being able to give people their full character in return for the promise He has taken from them, so that they would be characterizing our Lord with incomplete attributes.

Those who write the meanings of the verses according to their own minds, without understanding their meanings, confuse the word spoken with the word said, and attribute our Lord with incomplete attributes.

What is said in the video

Verse 169 was interpreted wrongly. I am reading the wrong version. After them, taking this worthless worldly gain in return for distorting the verses, saying 'we will be forgiven anyway', some evil people who inherited the Book came. To those who say, you know, 'the punishment will not touch us in Hell for more than three days, the fire will not touch us', Allah Almighty answers like this: If you are truthful in your words, wish for death, He says.

If another gain like it came to them, they would take that too. Well, that they would truly say nothing else about Allah, in the Book, had a pledge not been taken from them? And had they not read what is in the Book, what is in the Book? The home of the hereafter is better for those who are mindful. Do you still not understand? says Allah Almighty. Now, where is the mistake here? Look here. After them, taking this worthless worldly gain in return for distorting the verses, saying 'we will be forgiven anyway', some evil people who inherited the Book came. Correct. If another gain like it came to them, they would take that too.

Had Allah not told you in the Book? Not to speak other than the truth, not to speak other than the truth, it says. Look, had they not read that the Messenger among you is true? What does it say here? That they would truly say nothing else about Allah, had a pledge not been taken from them? And had they not read what is in the Book? This part: that they would truly say nothing else about Allah, had a pledge not been taken from them? So He took a pledge, and while giving them their covenants that way, Allah could not fully write their destinies. Whereas: if another gain like it came to them, they would take that too. Had Allah not told you, told you in the Book?

Not to speak other than the truth; that the Messenger among you is true, had they not read it? How beautiful. Otherwise here, as he says, that they would truly say nothing not to those who cannot say anything else. Had a pledge not been taken from them? If He took such a pledge, and accordingly Allah Almighty gave people their destinies, then since people cannot go outside their destinies, they would not make a mistake here. But they interpreted this part wrongly. If another gain like it came to them, they would take those too. 'Had Allah not told you in the Book?' is different; 'that they would truly say nothing else about Allah. Had a pledge not been taken from them?' Different. 'Had a pledge not been taken', it says here.

What do we say? 'Had He not told you?' That is, had Allah not told you in the Book? Not to speak other than the truth, that the Messenger among you is true. Had they not read it? Well then, doesn't Allah Almighty tell us in the Holy Quran: do this, do that? Don't we read it? We do. And it is explained to those who cannot read. In this case, those who go outside it, sir, are people living their own destinies. Although everyone lives their destiny; people who turn their backs on Allah. Those who go outside the verses. Yes.