Tafsir of Al-A'raf 7:137

Al-A'raf (The Heights): Verse 137

{And We caused the people who were being oppressed to inherit the east and the west of the land which We had blessed...}

It is known that Moses (peace be upon him) had previously told the Children of Israel: {Perhaps your Lord will destroy your enemy and make you successors in the land} (Al-A'raf: 129).

Here, after Allah mentioned the drowning of the people (Pharaoh's folk) as punishment, He clarified the good deeds He bestowed upon the believers: He made them inherit their lands and dwellings, saying: {And We caused the people who were being oppressed to inherit the east and the west of the land which We had blessed}.

The oppression referred to was that they used to kill their sons, keep their women alive, take the jizyah (tribute) from them, and employ them in arduous labor.

There is a difference of opinion regarding the meaning of {the east and the west of the land}:

1. Opinion 1: It refers specifically to the east and west of the lands of Sham (Greater Syria) and Egypt, because these were under the control of Pharaoh, may Allah curse him. Furthermore, the phrase {which We had blessed} refers to blessings through fertility and abundance of provisions, which is most fitting for the land of Sham.
2. Opinion 2: It refers to the entirety of the earth. This is supported by the fact that David and Solomon, who were among the Children of Israel, ruled the entire earth, indicating that "the land" here is a generic noun.

{And the fair word of your Lord was fulfilled for the Children of Israel...}

It is said that the meaning of {And We caused the people to inherit} is connected to the verse: {And We intended to confer favor upon those who were oppressed in the land and make them leaders and make them inheritors} (Al-Qasas: 5) until {what they were fearing} (Al-Qasas: 6).

• {The fair word} (al-ḥusnā) is the feminine form of "most beautiful," describing the kalimah (word/promise).
• The meaning of {was fulfilled for the Children of Israel} is that the promise passed over them and remained established, derived from the saying: Tamma 'alayka al-amr (The matter has passed over you/been completed for you).
• Alternatively, the fulfillment of the fair word means the realization of the prior promise: the destruction of their enemy and their establishment as successors in the land. The realization is the completion of the promise because a promise remains like a suspended matter until the promised thing is attained, at which point the promise is fulfilled and perfected.

{...because they were patient}

This means that this fulfillment was achieved because of their patience. This is sufficient encouragement for patience, demonstrating that whoever meets affliction with impatience is left to himself by Allah, while whoever meets it with patience and expectation of victory, Allah guarantees relief for him.

'Asim recited it as {And the fair words of your Lord were fulfilled} (kalimāt), similar to {and some of the greatest of His signs} (An-Najm: 18).

{And We destroyed all that Pharaoh and his people were making and what they used to build.}

• Al-Layth said: Damār (destruction) means complete annihilation. It is said: Dammara al-qawm (The people were destroyed) meaning they perished.
• Ibn Abbas interpreted {what Pharaoh and his people were making} as the structures they were manufacturing.
• Al-Zajjaj interpreted {and what they used to build/erect} (ya'rushūn) as building. It is said: ʿarasha yaʿrushu wa yaʿrishu (he builds). Some say this refers to the gardens, as in {gardens with trellises} (Al-An'am: 141). Others say it refers to the lofty structures they raised toward the sky, like the tower of Haman and Pharaoh.
• It has been recited with a kasra (ya'rishūn) and a damma (ya'rūshūn). Al-Yazidi mentioned that the kasra reading is more eloquent.
• The author of Al-Kashshāf mentioned hearing that some people read it as {they used to plant} (yaghrisūn), which he believes is a corruption.

This concludes what Allah mentioned regarding the story of Pharaoh and his people and their rejection of Allah's signs.

{And We caused the Children of Israel to pass through the sea. Then they came upon a people devoted to [worshiping] idols. They said, "O Moses, make for us a deity just as they have deities." He said, "Indeed, you are a people ignorant. Indeed, those people are doomed to destruction for what they are doing, and false is what they were practicing."}