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Tafsir of Al-A'raf 7:46

Surah Al-A'raf 7:46

ﱫ ﱬ ﱭ ﱮ ﱯ ﱰ ﱱ ﱲ ﱳ ﱴ ﱵ ﱶ ﱷ ﱸ ﱹ ﱺ ﱻ ﱼ ﱽ ﱾ ﱿ

And between them will be a partition, and on [its] elevations are men who recognize all by their mark. And they call out to the companions of Paradise, "Peace be upon you." They have not [yet] entered it, but they long intensely.

Tafsir

Ruh al-Ma'ani

Verse range: 7:46

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"And between them is a partition" Meaning, between the two parties, similar to His saying: "And a wall with a door will be set up between them." It is a great partition intended to prevent the influence of one from reaching the other, although it does not prevent the reaching of voices, for the affairs of the Hereafter are not to be measured by the affairs of the world.

"And on the heights" That is, the heights of the partition; its upper parts. It is the wall erected between them. It is the plural of *‘urf* (height/crest), derived from the *‘urf* (crest) of a beast or a rooster. It is said that the *‘urf* is that which rises from a thing, meaning its highest position, because it is the most prominent and most identifiable part, higher than what is below it.

It is also said that it is Mount Uhud, as it is narrated from the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him: "Uhud is a mountain that loves us and we love it," and that on the Day of Resurrection, it will be situated between Paradise and Hell. Upon it will be detained people who are recognized by their marks. They are—if Allah wills—among the people of Paradise.

Others say it is the Sirat (Bridge). It has been narrated from al-Hasan ibn al-Fadl, and reported from some, that they did not interpret the "Heights" as a place, but rather that the meaning is "And upon the knowledge of the people of Paradise and the Fire are men." But the truth is that it is a place, and the "men" are a group of the monotheists whose sins kept them from Paradise while their good deeds kept them from the Fire. They are kept there until judgment is passed among the people. While they are in that state, their Lord will reveal Himself to them and say: "Rise and enter Paradise, for I have forgiven you." This was recorded by Abu al-Shaykh, al-Bayhaqi, and others from Hudhayfah. In another narration from him: Allah will gather the people, then say to the companions of the Heights: "What are you waiting for?" They will say: "We wait for Your command." It will be said: "Your good deeds have exceeded the Fire so that you should enter it, and your sins have come between you and Paradise. Enter it by My forgiveness and mercy." A group of the Companions and the Followers held this view.

It is also said they are the Prophets, peace be upon them, whom Allah seated on the heights of that wall to distinguish them from all other people of the Resurrection and to display their honor and high rank. Al-Dahhak narrated from Ibn Abbas that they are al-Abbas, Hamzah, Ali, and Ja’far (the possessor of two wings), may Allah be pleased with them; they sit on a place of the Sirat and recognize their loved ones by the whiteness of their faces and their enemies by the blackness of them.

Others say they are the "just witnesses" of the Resurrection who testify against people regarding their deeds, being from every nation; this was reported by al-Zuhri. Al-Bayhaqi, Ibn Abi Hatim, Ibn Marduyah, Abu al-Shaykh, al-Tabarani, and others recorded that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, was asked about the companions of the Heights and said: "They are people killed in the way of Allah in disobedience to their parents; their parents' disobedience prevented them from entering Paradise, and their being killed in the way of Allah prevented them from entering the Fire."

It is also said: They are people with whom one parent was pleased while the other was not. Al-Hasan al-Basri said: They are a people who had arrogance in them. Muslim ibn Yasar said: They are a people who were in debt. It is said: They are the people of the Fatra (interval between messengers). It is said: They are the children of polytheists. In a narration from Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with both, they are the children of adultery. From him also, they are the poor among the people of Paradise.

Abu Muslim said they are angels who appear in the form of men, not that they are men in reality, for angels are not described as having gender. There are many other opinions, and the strongest, as al-Qurtubi stated, is the first. Some have reconciled these views by suggesting it is possible that all those mentioned as companions of the Heights sit there, despite the disparity in their ranks, noting that some of these descriptions may overlap.

There are those who support the view that the companions of the Heights are a people whose ranks were elevated—because the subsequent statements and what branches from them are not appropriate for others.

"They recognize each [of the people of Paradise and the Fire] by their mark" By the sign which Allah has taught them, such as the whiteness of the faces for the people of Paradise and their blackness for the people of the Fire. Its root (*w-s-m*) relates to one who brands his camels when sending them to pasture marked, or from marking on the heart. It is also said *simah* (with a long vowel) and *simiya* (like *kibriya*). The poet said: "He has a mark that does not strain the sight."

Their recognition—that such-and-such is the mark of Paradise and such-and-such is the mark of the Fire—occurs through inspiration or by the teaching of the angels. This is as narrated from Abu Mijlaz, may Allah be pleased with him, before the people of Paradise enter Paradise and the people of the Fire enter the Fire; some favor this, as there is no need for signs after entering. The words of others imply that this occurs after. The 'ba' (in bi-siyamahum) indicates accompaniment.

"And they call" Meaning the men of the Heights.

"To the companions of Paradise" When they see them and recognize them.

"Peace be upon you" By way of supplication and greeting, or by way of informing them of their safety from calamities.

"They have not yet entered it" This is a state (*hal*) pertaining to the subject of "they call" or its object. His saying:

"While they are longing" This is a state pertaining to the subject of "they have not yet entered it," meaning: they call to them while they have not yet entered it, being in a state of longing for its entry and anticipating it. Some have interpreted "longing" here as certainty—this is the view of al-Hasan and Abu Ali. It is interpreted thus in His saying, narrating from Abraham, peace be upon him: "And who I long [am certain] will forgive me my sin on the Day of Recompense." In *al-Kashshaf*, it states that the sentence "they have not yet entered it" has no grammatical place as it is an interruption, as if a questioner asked about the state of the companions of the Heights, and it was said: "They have not yet entered it while they are longing." It is also permitted that it be in the place of nominative as an adjective for the "men," though the separation makes this weak.