Al-A'raf: (167) And [mention] when your Lord proclaimed...
When the Almighty explained some of the benefits of the Jews' actions and the ugliness of their deeds here, He mentioned in this verse that He decreed humiliation and abasement upon them until the Day of Resurrection.
Linguistics of "تأذن" (Ta'dhana):
- Sibawayh said: Adhana means "to inform" (a'lama).
- Adhana also means "to call out loudly for proclamation," as in His saying: {Then a herald proclaimed among them} (Al-A'raf: 44).
- The phrase {تأذن} (ta'dhana) means adhana (he proclaimed/informed).
- The form tafa'ala here does not mean He manifested something that was not inherent in Him; rather, it means "to do." Thus, {تأذن} means adhana, similar to His saying: {Exalted is He above what they associate with Him} (Yunus: 18), which means He is exalted and high, not that He manifested loftiness from Himself when it was not already present in Him.
Regarding His saying {ليبَعَثَنَّ عليهم} (He will surely send against them), there are two points of discussion:
First Discussion: The Lam (ل) in {ليبَعَثَنَّ}
The *lām* in **{ليبَعَثَنَّ}** is the *lām* of the oath (*jawāb al-qasam*), because **{وإذ تأذن ربك}** (And [mention] when your Lord proclaimed) functions like an oath, confirming that report decisively.
Second Discussion: The Pronoun in {عليهم} (Against Them)
The pronoun in **{عليهم}** implies a return to the preceding verse: {But when they were insolent regarding that which they had been forbidden, We said to them, "Be apes, despised"} (Al-A'raf: 166). However, it is known that those who were transformed (into apes) did not remain under religious obligation (*taklīf*).
Scholars differed on the intended meaning:
- Some said it refers to their descendants and those among them who remained.
- Others said it refers to the rest of the Jews. They argued that the people of that village included both righteous and transgressors; the transgressors were transformed, and the humiliation was affixed to the rest.
- The majority held that this verse concerns the Jews who lived during the time of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and were called to his law. This view is considered closer because the purpose of the verse is to warn the Jews of the Prophet's time and deter them from remaining in Judaism, as they would be deterred upon learning that humiliation would remain upon them until the Day of Resurrection.
Third Discussion: The Scope of the Judgment
There is no doubt that the intended group is the Jews who persisted in disbelief and Judaism. As for those who believed in Muhammad (PBUH), they are excluded from this ruling.
Regarding {إلى يوم القيامة} (Until the Day of Resurrection)
This explicitly states that this punishment is extended until the Day of Resurrection. This implies that the punishment occurs in this world. Scholars differed on what this punishment is:
* Some said it is the imposition of the *jizyah* (poll tax).
* It was said to be contempt, disgrace, and humiliation, based on His saying: {Humiliation has been put over them wherever they are found} (Al 'Imran: 112).
* It was said to be killing and fighting.
* It was said to be expulsion and banishment from their homeland. This view applied the verse to the people of Khaybar, Banu Qurayza, and Banu Nadir.
The essence of the verse is that for the Jews, there will be no statehood or glory, and humiliation and abasement will cling to them. When God informed about this event during Muhammad's time, and we witnessed that it was indeed so, this constituted truthful news about the unseen, making it a miracle.
If the narration that the followers of men are the Jews is authentic, it means they were Jews before following that man (a false messiah/leader), and then they adopted his divinity, but they were mentioned by their original name. Otherwise, at the time they follow the Dajjal, they would have exited the state of humiliation and subjugation, which contradicts this verse.
Some scholars used His saying: {Humiliation has been put over them wherever they are found except by a rope from Allah} (Al 'Imran: 112) as evidence for the necessity of humiliation for the Jews. However, its indication is not strong because the exception mentioned in that verse prevents a definitive ruling that humiliation is imposed on them in all circumstances. But the verse we are interpreting has no such qualification or exception, making its indication of this meaning very strong.
Scholars also differed on who inflicts this humiliation upon these Jews:
- Some said the Messenger (PBUH) and his Ummah.
- It is suggested that oppressive rulers among them are included, even if they were not commanded to carry this out, provided they humiliate them. This view interpreted {ليبعثن} (He will surely send) similarly to His saying: {We have sent the devils against the disbelievers} (Maryam: 83). If "sending" can mean leaving them to their own devices and ceasing prevention, then "sending" (in the context of punishment) can also mean that. This scholar suggested that this applies from Nebuchadnezzar until this day.
Finally, the Almighty concluded the verse by saying: {إن ربك لسريع العقاب} (Indeed, your Lord is swift in penalty), meaning a warning of His punishment in the Hereafter, alongside the humiliation in this world. And {وإنه لغفور رحيم} (And indeed, He is Forgiving and Merciful) for those who repent from disbelief and Judaism and enter into faith in God and Muhammad (PBUH).
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