Tafsir of Al-A'raf 7:26

(O Children of Adam): This is an address to all of humanity. It has been used as evidence that grandchildren are included in the [legal] bequest to "children," and the subtlety of using this title in this context is apparent.

(We have sent down to you clothing): That is, We have created for you these [garments] through causes sent down from the heaven, such as the rain through which cotton is grown, which is then made into clothing. This was stated by al-Hasan. According to Abu Muslim, the meaning is: "We have given you that and bestowed it upon you." Everything God, the Exalted, grants to His servant, He has "sent down" to him, without there being a physical height or depth; rather, it follows the usage of exaltation, just as you say, "I raised my need to so-and-so," and "my story to the prince," even though there is no movement from a low place to a high one. It has also been said that the meaning is: "We have ordained for you and apportioned it." God’s decrees and apportionments are described as descending from the heaven because they are written in the Preserved Tablet (al-Lawh al-Mahfuz). In any case, the statement is not without metaphor. It is possible that the "sending down" refers to the predicate, which is the most apparent, or it may refer to the clothing, or the attribution itself.

His saying, the Glorified, (that conceals): meaning that covers. This is a support for some of the interpretations. Al-Jubba’i held that the statement is literal, claiming that this [clothing] descended with Adam and Eve from Paradise when they were commanded to descend to the earth. We have not come across a report for this with a sound chain of narration. Yes, Ibn ‘Asakir narrated with a weak chain from Anas, who said: The Messenger of God (peace be upon him) said: "Adam and Eve (peace be upon them) were sent down, both of them naked, wearing the leaves of Paradise. Adam suffered from the heat, so he sat down crying, saying to her: 'O Eve, the heat has harmed me.' Gabriel (peace be upon him) came to him with cotton, ordered her to spin it, taught her and taught Adam, and commanded them to weave." It is also mentioned in another report that he (peace be upon him) was sent down with seeds, and Iblis placed his hand upon them, so whatever his hand touched lost its benefit.

In another report, Ibn al-Mundhir narrates from Ibn Jurayj that he (peace be upon him) was sent down with eight pairs: camels, cattle, sheep, goats, and a blacksmith’s anvil, tongs, and hammer, as well as a grapevine and sweet basil. Everything in these reports, despite what they contain, does not prove the claimed point, even if some parts are suitable to serve as the beginning of that which (conceals your shame): that is, the shame which Iblis, upon whom be the curse, intended to reveal from your parents until they were compelled to patch leaves [together]. You are free from such necessity. Several have narrated that the Arabs used to circumambulate the House [the Ka‘bah] naked, saying: "We will not circumambulate in clothes in which we disobeyed God, the Exalted." Then this verse was revealed. It is also said that they circumambulated that way as an optimistic omen of being "stripped" of sins and offenses. Perhaps the mention of the story of Adam (peace be upon him) at that time is to warn that the exposure of the private parts was the first evil that befell humanity through Satan, and that he beguiled them in that just as he did with their parents.

In al-Kashshaf, it is stated that this verse was introduced as a digression following the mention of the beginning of the shame and the patching of leaves over it, in order to display the favor in the clothing that was created, and because of the humiliation and disgrace in being naked and exposing the private parts, and to signal that covering oneself is a great door among the doors of piety.

(And plumage/ornament): meaning an adornment. This is taken from the plumage (rish) of birds because it is an adornment for them. Conjoining it to the previous [term] is a conjunction of attributes; thus, the clothing is described by two things: concealing the shame and serving as an adornment. It is also possible that it is the conjunction of one thing to another, meaning "We sent down two types of clothing: a clothing for concealment and a clothing for adornment." In this case, it is of the type where the noun is omitted—i.e., libasan rishan (a clothing that is rish), meaning "possessing rish." Interpreting rish as adornment is narrated from Ibn Zayd. Some investigators mention that it is a term shared between the noun and the verbal noun. From Ibn ‘Abbas, Mujahid, and al-Saddi, it is said that it means wealth; from this comes the saying, "a man has become tarayasha," meaning he has become wealthy. Al-Akhfash said it means fertility and livelihood. Al-Tabarsi said: It is everything one needs. ‘Uthman (may God be pleased with him) read it as wa rishan (as a noun), which is either a verbal noun like libas (clothing), or the plural of rish (plumage), like sha‘b and shi‘ab.

(And the clothing of piety): meaning righteous deeds, as narrated from Ibn ‘Abbas; or the fear of God, the Exalted, as narrated from ‘Urwah ibn al-Zubayr; or modesty, as narrated from al-Hasan; or faith, as narrated from Qatadah and al-Saddi; or that which covers the private parts, which is the first clothing, as narrated from Ibn Zayd; or the clothing of war—the coat of mail, the helmet, and the gear used to defend against the enemy, as selected by Zayd ibn ‘Ali ibn al-Husayn (may God be pleased with them) and preferred by Abu Muslim; or the garments of devotion and humility, like woolen and coarse clothing, as preferred by al-Jubba’i. Thus, the expression is either a stylistic imitation, a metaphor, or literal. Its nominative case is as an ibtida’ (subject), and its predicate is the sentence: (that is better). The link is the demonstrative pronoun, for it serves as a link like a pronoun. It is permitted that the predicate be "better," and "that" is an adjective for "clothing"—a view held by al-Zajjaj, Ibn al-Anbari, and others. This was objected to on the grounds that indefinite nouns are more definite than nouns with the definite article (al-) or those added to it, and the descriptor must match the described in the rank of definiteness or be less than it; it is not permitted to be more definite. Therefore, it was said that "that" is a substitute or an explanatory term, not an adjective. It was answered that this is not universally agreed upon, for the definiteness of the demonstrative pronoun, being due to physical pointing that is external to the linguistic construct, is—according to some—lower than that of the one with al-. Others say they are in the same rank. From Abu ‘Ali—though it is a strange view—it is said that "that" has no place in syntax and is a separator like a pronoun. It was also read as wa libasa (in the accusative) as a conjunction to libasan. Some investigators say: In that case, the clothing sent down would be three, or "clothing of piety" is interpreted as the clothing of war, or the "sending down" is made a stylistic imitation. It is stated regarding the famous reading that if "that" refers to the concealing clothing, then "clothing of piety" is literal, and the addition is for the sake of minimal association. If it refers to "clothing of piety," then it is a metaphorical, imaginative borrowing, or of the type "the silver of the water." In any case, the reference using the distant demonstrative is for exaltation, by treating the rank-based distance as if it were physical distance. So, contemplate this and do not be heedless.

(That): meaning the sending down of all the aforementioned clothing, or the latter, (is among the signs of God): which indicate His immense favor and general mercy, (that they might remember): and thus recognize His blessing, or take heed and abstain from vile deeds.