Tafsir of Al-A'raf 7:60

{The eminent ones (al-malaʾ)}: The nobles and the masters. It is also said: The men, without the women among them.

{In error (fī ḍalāl)}: In a departure from the path of correctness and truth. The meaning of "seeing" (in the verse) is the seeing of the heart.

If you ask: Why did he say, {There is no error in me (laysa bī ḍalālah)} and not ḍalāl (as they had said)? I reply: Ḍalālah is more specific than ḍalāl. Thus, it is more eloquent in negating error from himself, as if he said: "There is not a single bit of error in me," just as if you were asked, "Do you have any dates?" and you replied, "I do not have a single date."

If you ask: How does his statement, {But I am a messenger (wa-lākinnī rasūl)}, function as a rectification (istidrāk) for the negation of error? I reply: His being a messenger from God, conveying His messages and acting as a sincere advisor, carries the meaning of his being upon the straight path. Therefore, it is correct for it to be a rectification for the negation of error.

It is recited: (uballighukum) with the light (non-geminated) lam.

If you ask: What is the position of his statement, {I convey to you (uballighukum)}? I reply: There are two aspects:

1. It is a new sentence, explaining his status as a messenger of the Lord of the Worlds.
2. It is an adjective (ṣifah) for "messenger."

If you ask: How is it permissible for it to be an adjective when the word "messenger" is in the form of the third person? I reply: It is permissible because "messenger" functions as a predicate for a first-person pronoun, and its meaning is that of the first person, as in the poet's saying: "I am the one whom my mother named Haydara."

{The messages of my Lord (risālāt rabbī)}: That which was revealed to me over extended periods, or regarding various meanings of commands, prohibitions, exhortations, warnings, glad tidings, and admonitions. It is also possible that he means His messages to him and to the prophets before him, such as the scrolls of his ancestor Idris—which are thirty scrolls—and the scrolls of Seth—which are fifty scrolls.

{And I advise you (wa-anṣaḥu lakum)}: It is said naṣaḥtuhu (I advised him) and naṣaḥtu lahu (I advised for him). The addition of the lam (in lakum) provides emphasis and indicates the purity of the advice, showing that it is offered purely for the sake of the one being advised, intended for his benefit alone. Sometimes, advice is given where the advisor also benefits, so he intends both benefits. There is no advice purer than the advice of God Almighty and His messengers, peace be upon them.

{And I know from God what you do not know (wa-aʿlamu min Allāhi mā lā taʿlamūn)}: That is, regarding the attributes of God and His states. He means His overwhelming power, the severity of His grip upon His enemies, and that His punishment cannot be averted from the criminal people. It is also said: They had not heard of a people upon whom punishment had descended before them, so they felt secure, not knowing what Noah knew through God’s revelation to him. Or, he meant: "I know from the side of God things you have no knowledge of, which He has revealed to me."

{Do you wonder that a reminder has come to you from your Lord through a man from among you, that he may warn you, and that you may fear God, and that you might receive mercy?}