(Revealed before Hijrah)
According to Ibn ‘Abbas, Ibn Zubair, Hasan, Mujahid, ‘Ikrimah, ‘Ata’ and Jabir bin Zaid, this Surah belongs to the Meccan period with the exception of vv.165-172. Qatadah however, is of the opinion that v. 165 was revealed at Medina. The Surah takes its title from v. 47. Commentators have not succeeded in finding out any real connection between the word A‘raf and the subject-matter of the Surah. This is because they have assigned a wrong meaning to the word. They think that A‘raf is the name of an intervening spiritual stage between Paradise and Hell and that the Fellows of A‘raf will appear distinct from the inmates of Hell but will not as yet have entered Paradise. The Qur’an rejects this meaning of the word because it has mentioned only two groups of people—the dwellers of Paradise and the inmates of Hell. There is no mention in it of any third group or class of people. It lends no support to the interpretation of the word A‘raf as the place of persons of a middling spiritual status, nor can any internal evidence be adduced in support of this interpretation. The Qur’an depicts the Fellows of Al-A‘raf as at one time addressing the dwellers of Paradise and at another time talking to the inmates of Hell; and their spiritual knowledge has been declared to be so great that they can recognize the dwellers of Paradise by their special marks and also the inmates of Hell by the latter’s particular signs. They rebuke and upbraid the inmates of Hell and pray for the inmates of Paradise (7:47, 49, 50). Can a person, who himself is hanging, as it were, in a state of uncertainty between Paradise and Hell, be so presumptuous as to assume an air of superiority as the Fellows of Al-A‘raf have been shown to do? The fact is that the Fellows of Al-A‘raf are the Prophets of God, who will enjoy a special spiritual status on the Day of Judgment and will pray for the dwellers of Paradise and rebuke and reprimand the inmates of Hell. And because the Surah is the first among the Qur’anic Chapters in which the life stories of several Prophets have been dealt with at some length, it has rightly been given the name Al-A‘raf. Moreover, the very construction of the word supports this inference. A‘raf is the plural of ‘Urf which means a high and elevated place and means also that spiritual realization which a man acquires by the help of God-given intellect and the testimony of his inner self. So A‘raf may signify those teachings of which the truth is established by rational arguments and the testimony of human nature; and, as the teachings of Prophets possess all these qualities, they alone deserve this spiritually exalted position and so they can legitimately be called the Fellows of Al-A‘raf (Elevated Places). In short, the Surah Al-A‘raf is so called because in it illustrations have been given from the lives of those eminent men of very high spiritual position who in the past taught mankind eternal truths in accordance with the demands of human nature and human reason, and whom the men of this world resisted and sought to bring low, but whom the jealous God raised to a very exalted position.
Spiritually speaking the Surah serves as a kind of Barzakh (intervening link) between the Surahs that precede it and those that follow it, which signifies that the subject-matter of the preceding Surahs has been developed into a new theme in this Surah. In the preceding Surahs the main theme consisted of refutation of Judaism and Christianity and that of other Faiths which profess to derive their authority mainly from Philosophy and Reason. In this Surah both these themes have been jointly treated and the falsity of the positions of both these sets of creeds is demonstrated and the truth of Islam established. First of all, it is stated that because the Qur’an is the revealed Word of God, there is no possibility that it will ever meet with destruction or will fail to achieve its object. Then Muslims are warned that they should not, in a fit of despondency, come to a hasty compromise with the followers of other religions, because the opponents of a true religion have always suffered disgrace and humiliation in the end. Next, it is stated that God has created man for the attainment of a most sublime object, but most men forget this noble purpose of their lives. The paradisiacal life of Adam and his expulsion from it have been cited as an illustration of this subject, and it is added that in the very beginning after having created man God provided for him the means to attain a high spiritual status; but man gave no heed to God’s plans for him, and followed Satan. Further, it is mentioned that, unlike former Faiths which aimed at individual development, Islam seeks to bring about reformation of whole communities. Whereas former Prophets sought to make individuals enter Paradise, Islam’s aim is that whole communities and nations should attain bliss. But, as every effort at reformation has to encounter obstacles and vicissitudes before it attains its consummation, so whenever the Muslim community deviates from Islamic principles and teachings God raises for their reformation divinely-inspired Reformers from among the followers of the Holy Prophet so that man may not lose his newly-gained Paradise by deviating from the path of national progress and development. The Surah then proceeds to lay down standards and criteria for the recognition of these promised Reformers and light is also shed on the ultimate doom of their opponents. Next, it is said that all Divine plans work gradually. As in the material world, so in the realm of the spirit, all progress is subject to the law of evolution and it is by a process of progressive evolution that the spiritual development of man has taken place from the time of Adam to that of the Holy Prophet, and in his teaching greater attention has been devoted to the betterment and organization of the whole community. The believers, therefore, should always keep in mind that from small seeds grow big trees and that even great objects seem very insignificant in the beginning and remain hidden. So it behoves believers to keep their eyes open and let not the grand object of their creation remain hidden from their sight because, if once it was allowed to become hidden, it would remain hidden for ever.
With v. 60 begins a brief account of the life-history of some Prophets of antiquity whose mission it was to take man back to the blissful heavenly existence from which he was expelled. After that it is stated that good is ingrained in human nature of which it constitutes an integral part and that evil only comes later and is the result of external influences; and that, in spite of his instinctive goodness, man cannot attain perfection without the help of Divine revelation. By rejecting Divine guidance, he deprives himself of his instinctive goodness and is spiritually ruined. Again, reference is made to the mission of the Holy Prophet, and his opponents are warned not to ignore the patent fact that his intellect is sound and motives pure, that his teachings are in perfect harmony with human nature and natural law and that the testimony of the time also is in his favour. Then some misgivings and doubts of disbelievers have been removed and it is stated that they will put up a very strong opposition to the Holy Prophet, but God will protect him from all harm. Muslims, however, are admonished not only to endure patiently the opposition of disbelievers but also to pray for them. Further, the Surah observes that like the opponents of former Prophets, the opponents of the Holy Prophet will continue to demand Signs, but it lies entirely with God to show Signs. He shows them when in His infallible wisdom He thinks opportune. But does not, the disbelievers are asked, the Qur’an which fulfils the real object and purpose of Prophethood, constitute a sufficient Sign? Muslims, therefore, are exhorted to give to the miracle of the Qur’an that great measure of true appreciation which it richly deserves, because the more the Heavenly light is vouchsafed to man, the truer should be his appreciation of it.