Al-A'raf (The Heights): Verse 37

Know that the Almighty's saying: "And who is more unjust than one who invents a lie about Allah or denies His verses?" refers back to the statement: “And those who denied Our verses and were arrogant toward them.”

"And who is more unjust" means: Who is greater in injustice than one who says about Allah what He has not said, or denies what He has said.

1. The First Category (Inventing a lie about Allah): This includes asserting the existence of what does not exist.
   • This covers those who affirm a partner for Allah, whether that partner is represented by idols, stars, or the doctrine of those who posit Yazdan and Ahriman (dualism).
   • It also includes those who attribute daughters and sons to Allah.
   • And it includes those who attribute false rulings to Allah.

2. The Second Category (Denying His verses): This includes asserting the non-existence of what does exist.
   • This covers those who deny that the Qur'an is a book revealed from Allah.
   • And it covers those who deny the prophethood of Muhammad (peace be upon him).

There are two differing opinions regarding the meaning of this "portion" (nasīb):

Opinion 1: It refers to Punishment. The meaning is that the specific punishment designated for them in the Book will reach them. Scholars differed on the nature of this specific punishment:

• Some said it is the blackening of the face and the bluing of the eyes, based on the verse: {And on the Day of Resurrection, you will see those who lied about Allah—their faces will be blackened} (Az-Zumar: 60).
• Al-Zajjaj said it refers to what is mentioned in verses like: {Then I warn you of a Fire that blazes} (Al-Layl: 14), {I will admit him to a severe torment} (Al-Jinn: 17), and {when the shackles are around their necks and the chains} (Ghafir: 71). These things are their portion from the Book, commensurate with their sins of disbelief.

Opinion 2: It refers to something other than punishment. Scholars differed on what this other thing is:

• It was said that this applies to the People of the Book (Jews and Christians) living under Muslim protection (Dhimma). The "portion" means that Muslims must not transgress against them, must treat them justly, and defend them. This is the meaning of their "portion from the Book."
• Ibn Abbas, Mujahid, and Sa'id ibn Jubayr said: "Those, their portion of the Book shall reach them" means what has preceded for them in Allah's decree and will regarding wretchedness or happiness. If Allah decreed sealing them with wretchedness, they remain in their disbelief; if He decreed sealing them with happiness, He transfers them to faith and monotheism.
• Ar-Rabi' and Ibn Zayd said: It means what was written for them of sustenance (rizq), deeds, and lifespan (a'mar). When these expire and they finish them, {Our messengers come to them to take their souls}.

Analysis of the Difference: This difference arose because the Almighty said: {Those, their portion of the Book shall reach them}, and the word nasīb (portion) is ambiguous, allowing for all the mentioned interpretations.

Some verified scholars hold that applying it to lifespan and sustenance is more appropriate because:

1. Allah clarifies that even though they reach a great level of disbelief, this does not prevent them from receiving what was written for them of sustenance and lifespan—as a favor from Allah—so that they might reform and repent.
2. The subsequent phrase, {until when Our messengers come to them to take their souls}, indicates that the coming of the messengers for the purpose of taking the soul is the culmination/goal for the attainment of that portion. Therefore, the attainment of that portion must precede the attainment of death. What precedes death is nothing other than lifespan and sustenance.

This phrase involves several issues:

Issue 1: Pronunciation of Hattā Al-Khalil and Sibawayh stated that it is not permissible to use Imālah (tilting the vowel sound towards 'i') for the words hattā, alā, and ammā. These are letters whose final alif is fixed with a fatḥah because they are terminal particles used to distinguish them from the final alif in nouns that carry Imālah, such as ḥublā (pregnant) or hudā (guidance). However, {حَتَّىٰ} (hattā) is written with a yā’ because it has four letters, making it resemble words like sukrān (drunk). Some grammarians argue that Imālah is impermissible for hattā because it is an uninflected particle, and Imālah is a form of inflection.

Issue 2: Meaning of {يَتَوَفَّوْنَهُمْ} (to take their souls) There are two views:

1. It means the seizing of the souls (death). The word tawaffī inherently carries this meaning. Ibn Abbas said: "The death of the disbeliever is his resurrection." The angels demand these things (the partners) from them at the moment of death as a form of reprimand, rebuke, and threat. These messengers are the Angel of Death and his assistants.
2. It does not occur in the Hereafter. This is the view of Al-Hasan and one view of Al-Zajjaj. The meaning of {until when Our messengers come to them} is the angels of punishment. {to take their souls} means they complete their allotted time when they are gathered toward the Fire, meaning they fully complete their count so that none can escape.

Issue 3: Meaning of {أَيْنَ شُرَكَاؤُكُمُ} (Where are your partners?) This means: Where are the partners whom you used to invoke and worship besides Allah? The letter mā in aynama is written connected to ayna in the Mus'haf. The author of Al-Kashshāf noted that it should have been written separately because mā here is a relative pronoun meaning: "Where are the deities whom you invoke?"

Then Allah recounts their response: {قَالُوا ضَلُّوا عَنَّا} (They have gone astray from us). This means they became nullified and vanished. They testify against themselves that they were disbelievers upon witnessing death.

Know that, under all interpretations, the purpose of the verse is to admonish the disbelievers against disbelief, because the terrifying nature of these events encourages the rational person to be meticulous in reflection, deduction, and extreme caution against mere imitation (taqlīd).

Al-A'raf (The Heights): Verse 38

{قَالَ ادْخُلُوا فِي أُمَمٍ قَدْ خَلَتْ مِن قَبْلِكُم مِّنَ الْجِنِّ وَالْإِنسِ فِي النَّارِ} (He will say,) "Enter among the communities that have passed on before you—of jinn and humankind—into the Fire."

{كُلَّمَا دَخَلَتْ أُمَّةٌ لَّعَنَتْ أُخْتَهَا} "Whenever a community enters, it curses its sister community." This refers to the leaders cursing the followers, or the later generations cursing the earlier ones, or the jinn cursing the humans, or vice versa.

{حَتَّىٰ إِذَا ادَّارَكُوا فِيهَا جَمِيعًا} "Until, when they have all gathered therein." Iddārakū means they have joined one another and assembled completely within the Fire.

{قَالَتْ أُخْرَاهُمْ لِأُولَاهُمْ رَبَّنَا هَٰؤُلَاءِ أَضَلُّونَا فَآتِهِمْ عَذَابًا ضِعْفًا مِّنَ النَّارِ} "Their latter ones will say to their former ones: 'Our Lord, these misled us, so give them double the punishment from the Fire.'" The latter ones (the followers) blame the former ones (the leaders/originators of misguidance).

{قَالَ لِكُلٍّ ضِعْفٌ وَلَٰكِن لَّا تَعْلَمُونَ} He [Allah] will say: "Each of you has a double portion, but you do not know." This means that both the misleader and the misled receive a punishment doubled compared to what a single individual would receive if they were alone, or perhaps that each receives a punishment commensurate with their respective roles (the leader's burden is greater, but the follower also bears the burden of their own choice to follow). The precise nature of this doubling is hidden from human knowledge.

{وَقَالَتْ أُولَاهُمْ لِأُخْرَاهُمْ فَمَا كَانَ لَكُمْ عَلَيْنَا مِن فَضْلٍ فَذُوقُوا الْعَذَابَ بِمَا كُنتُمْ تَكْسِبُونَ} "And their former ones will say to their latter ones: 'Then you had no advantage over us. So taste the punishment for what you used to earn.'" The leaders deny the followers' claim, asserting that the followers willingly chose their path and earned their own fate through their actions.