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Ayah
Word by Word
وَنَادَىٰٓ
And (will) call out
أَصۡحَٰبُ
(the) companions
ٱلۡأَعۡرَافِ
(of) the heights
رِجَالٗا
(to) men
يَعۡرِفُونَهُم
whom they recognize
بِسِيمَىٰهُمۡ
by their marks
قَالُواْ
saying
مَآ
Not
أَغۡنَىٰ
(has) availed
عَنكُمۡ
[to] you
جَمۡعُكُمۡ
your gathering
وَمَا
and what
كُنتُمۡ
you were
تَسۡتَكۡبِرُونَ
arrogant (about)
وَنَادَىٰٓ
And (will) call out
أَصۡحَٰبُ
(the) companions
ٱلۡأَعۡرَافِ
(of) the heights
رِجَالٗا
(to) men
يَعۡرِفُونَهُم
whom they recognize
بِسِيمَىٰهُمۡ
by their marks
قَالُواْ
saying
مَآ
Not
أَغۡنَىٰ
(has) availed
عَنكُمۡ
[to] you
جَمۡعُكُمۡ
your gathering
وَمَا
and what
كُنتُمۡ
you were
تَسۡتَكۡبِرُونَ
arrogant (about)
Translation
And the companions of the Elevations will call to men [within Hell] whom they recognize by their mark, saying, "Of no avail to you was your gathering1 and [the fact] that you were arrogant."
Footnotes
1 - i.e., great numbers or gathering of wealth.
Tafsir
And those of the Heights call to men, from among the inhabitants of the Hellfire, whom they know by their mark, [saying]: 'Your masses, of property, or your multitude, and your haughtiness, that is, your disdaining of belief, have not availed you, [as protection against] the Hellfire. And they also say to them, pointing to those [formerly] oppressed Muslims:
The People of Al-A`raf
Allah says;
وَبَيْنَهُمَا حِجَابٌ
And between them will be a (barrier) screen,
After Allah mentioned that the people of Paradise will address the people of the Fire, He stated that there is a barrier between Paradise and the Fire, which prevents the people of the Fire from reaching Paradise.
Ibn Jarir said, It is the wall that Allah described,
فَضُرِبَ بَيْنَهُم بِسُورٍ لَّهُ بَابٌ بَاطِنُهُ فِيهِ الرَّحْمَةُ وَظَـهِرُهُ مِن قِبَلِهِ الْعَذَابُ
So a wall will be put up between them, with a gate therein. Inside it will be mercy, and outside it will be torment. (57:13)
It is also about Al-A`raf that Allah said,
وَعَلَى الَاعْرَافِ رِجَالٌ
and on Al-A`rafwill be men.
Ibn Jarir recorded that As-Suddi said about Allah's statement,
وَبَيْنَهُمَا حِجَابٌ
(And between them will be a screen),
It is the wall, it is Al-A`raf.
Mujahid said,
Al-A`raf is a barrier between Paradise and the Fire, a wall that has a gate.
Ibn Jarir said,
Al-A`raf is plural for Urf, where every elevated piece of land is known as Urf to the Arabs.
As-Suddi said,
Al-A`raf is so named because its residents recognize (Ya`rifun) the people. Al-A`raf's residents are those whose good and bad deeds are equal, as Hudhayfah, Ibn Abbas, Ibn Mas`ud and several of the Salaf and later generations said.
Ibn Jarir recorded that Hudhayfah was asked about the people of Al-A`rafand he said,
A people whose good and bad deeds are equal. Their evil deeds prevented them from qualifying to enter Paradise, and their good deeds qualified them to avoid the Fire. Therefore, they are stopped there on the wall until Allah judges them.
يَعْرِفُونَ كُلًّ بِسِيمَاهُمْ
who would recognize all, by their marks.
وَنَادَوْاْ أَصْحَابَ الْجَنَّةِ أَن سَلَمٌ عَلَيْكُمْ لَمْ يَدْخُلُوهَا وَهُمْ يَطْمَعُونَ
And they will call out to the dwellers of Paradise, Peace be on you! and at that time they will not yet have entered it (Paradise), but they will hope to enter (it).
Ma`mar said that Al-Hasan recited this Ayah,
لَمْ يَدْخُلُوهَا وَهُمْ يَطْمَعُونَ
(and at that time they will not yet have entered it (Paradise), but they will hope to enter (it), Then he said,
By Allah! Allah did not put this hope in their hearts, except for an honor that He intends to bestow on them.
Qatadah said;
Those who hope are those among you whom Allah informed of their places.
Allah said next,
وَإِذَا صُرِفَتْ أَبْصَارُهُمْ تِلْقَاء أَصْحَابِ النَّارِ قَالُواْ رَبَّنَا لَا تَجْعَلْنَا مَعَ الْقَوْمِ الظَّالِمِينَ
And when their eyes will be turned towards the dwellers of the Fire, they will say:Our Lord! Place us not with the people who are wrongdoers.
Ad-Dahhak reported that Ibn Abbas said,
When the people of Al-A`raf look at the people of the Fire and recognize them, they will supplicate, `O Lord! Do not place us with the people who are wrongdoers.
Allah tells;
وَنَادَى أَصْحَابُ الَاعْرَافِ رِجَالاً يَعْرِفُونَهُمْ بِسِيمَاهُمْ قَالُواْ
And the men on Al-A`raf will call unto the men whom they would recognize by their marks, saying:
Allah states that the people of Al-A`raf will admonish some of the chiefs of the idolators whom they recognize by their marks in the Fire,
مَا أَغْنَى عَنكُمْ جَمْعُكُمْ
Of what benefit to you was your gathering...
meaning, your great numbers,
وَمَا كُنتُمْ تَسْتَكْبِرُونَ
...and your arrogance!
This Ayah means, your great numbers and wealth did not save you from Allah's torment. Rather, you are dwelling in His torment and punishment
أَهَـوُلاء الَّذِينَ أَقْسَمْتُمْ لَا يَنَالُهُمُ اللّهُ بِرَحْمَةٍ
Are they those, of whom you swore that Allah would never show them mercy,
Ali bin Abi Talhah reported from Ibn Abbas,
refers to the people of Al-A`rafwho will be told when Allah decrees:
ادْخُلُواْ الْجَنَّةَ لَا خَوْفٌ عَلَيْكُمْ وَلَا أَنتُمْ تَحْزَنُونَ
(Behold! It has been said to them):Enter Paradise, no fear shall be on you, nor shall you grieve.
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