Surah Al-A'raf

Abu al-Shaykh and Ibn Hibban narrated from Qatadah that he said: "It is Meccan, except for the verse: 'And ask them about the town' (7:163)." Others said that the only Medinan [verses] are: "And when your Lord took..." (7:172). Many others narrated from Ibn Abbas and Ibn al-Zubayr that it is Meccan and they did not exclude anything. It consists of two hundred and five verses according to the Basrans and Syrians, and two hundred and six according to the Medinans and Kufans. [The discrepancy is due to] "Alif-Lam-Mim-Sad" and "As He began you, you will return" (7:29), which are Kufan, "And being sincere to Him in religion" (7:29) which is Basran and Syrian, and "A double punishment in the Fire" (7:38) and "And the best [end] for the Children of Israel" (7:137) which are Medinan.

All of it is Muhkam (clear/definitive), though it has been said: except for two places. The first is: "And I will grant them respite" (7:183), for it was abrogated by the Verse of the Sword. The second is: "Take what is lenient" (7:199), for it was also abrogated by [the Verse of the Sword] according to Ibn Zayd. It was also claimed that "And turn away from the ignorant" (7:199) is likewise [abrogated]. There is scrutiny regarding what has been mentioned, and the discussion on it will follow, God Almighty willing.

As for its connection to the preceding Surah, according to what Jalal al-Suyuti—may mercy be upon him—stated: Since Surah al-An'am was for the explanation of creation, containing: "It is He who created you from clay" (6:2), and the Almighty said in explaining the generations: "How many generations have We destroyed before them?" (6:6), and alluded to the mention of messengers and the enumeration of many of them—and since what was mentioned was in summary—this Surah was brought after it, encompassing its explanation and detail. In it, the story of Adam was expanded, and the stories of the messengers, their nations, and the manner of their destruction were detailed in the most complete detail.

This serves as a detail for His saying, the Almighty: "And it is He who has made you successors upon the earth" (6:165). For this reason, the Surah opens with the creation of Adam, whom He made a successor on earth. The Almighty said regarding the story of 'Ad: "He made you successors after the people of Noah" (7:69), and in the story of Thamud: "He made you successors after 'Ad" (7:74).

Furthermore, He—the Almighty—said in the preceding [Surah]: "He has decreed upon Himself mercy" (6:12), which is a concise statement. He expanded upon it here with His saying, the Almighty: "And My mercy encompasses all things, so I will decree it [especially] for those who fear Me..." (7:156).

As for the connection between the beginning of this Surah and the end of the previous one: It was preceded by: "And this is My path, which is straight, so follow it" (6:153), and "This is a Book We have revealed [which is] blessed, so follow it" (6:155). This matter [of following the Book] is opened at the beginning of this [Surah].

Moreover, because the previous [Surah] mentioned: "Then He will inform them of what they used to do" (6:108), and "Then to your Lord is your return; then He will inform you concerning that over which you used to differ" (6:164), the Majestic said at the beginning of this [Surah]: "Then We will surely question those to whom [a message] was sent..." (7:6), which is in explanation of the aforementioned "informing."

Furthermore, when the Almighty said: "Whoever comes [on the Day of Judgement] with a good deed..." (6:160), and that [the reality of deeds] only becomes apparent at the balance, He opened this [Surah] with the mention of the balance, saying—He who is the most truthful of speakers: "And the weighing that day will be the truth" (7:8). Then [He followed with]: "So those whose scales are heavy" (7:8), meaning those whose good deeds outweigh their bad deeds; then "And those whose scales are light" (7:9), who are the opposite. Then the Almighty mentioned the People of the Heights (Al-A'raf), who are—according to one opinion—those whose good and bad deeds are equal.

Al-A‘rāf: (1) Alif-Lām-Mīm-Ṣād

The discussion regarding the like of this [the detached letters] and an explanation of what it contains has already preceded, so there is no need for repetition. Except that it has been said here: that the meaning is "The Fashioner" (al-Muṣawwir), and this was narrated from al-Suddī. Al-Bayhaqī and others recorded from Ibn ‘Abbās that the meaning is, "I am Allah; I know and I distinguish [or separate/decide]," and al-Zajjāj chose this view. It was also narrated from Ibn Jubayr, and in another narration from the "Ink" [Ibn ‘Abbās], that it and its counterparts are an oath by which Allah Almighty swore, and that it is one of the Names of the Glorified. From al-Ḍaḥḥāk it is that its meaning is, "I am Allah, the Truthful." From Muḥammad ibn Ka‘b al-Quraẓī it is that the Alif and Lām are from Allah, the Mīm is from the Most Gracious (al-Raḥmān), and the Ṣād is from the Eternal Refuge (al-Ṣamad). It has also been said that what is intended by it is "Have We not expanded for you your breast?" (Alam nashraḥ laka ṣadrak).

Some have mentioned that there is no surah opened with "Alif-Lām-Mīm" except that it encompasses three matters: the beginning of creation, the end which is the Return, and the middle which is the livelihood. This is indicated by their encompassing the three points of articulation: the throat, the tongue, and the lips. In this surah, "Ṣād" is added to that because of what it contains regarding the recounting of stories. This is as you see, and Allah Almighty knows best what He intends.