Section Al A’raf – Part 51

We last looked into the phrase “appointment with God” by realizing the Almighty One’s existence and qualities at the highest level where I can communicate with Him at that level. This appointment or meeting is to believe in God, making sure that He exists which happens through our realization of Him. The foundation of our prayer should be to acknowledge our shortcomings and then asking for forgiveness for our wrongdoings; accept Him being the Forgiver, Him being the Lord of the whole universe as He has given us unimaginable blessings, has blessed us with vast favors. We are created beings and cannot completely accomplish our responsibility within the capacity that we are given. We are continuously being treated by Him, enjoying His grace and compassion including the warnings. I should look at the universe as it has been created for me, look at my human feelings, my human capacity; how much of my capacity am I using? We thus fall into negligence and must ask for forgiveness for not using our capacity fully.

We also discussed why the verse mentions the destruction of believers for what the fools have done. To summarize briefly, we fall short into sharing the message of the prophets that benefitted us. We have the responsibility to learn and practice the message in our lives along with sharing the message with others to bring them out of meaningless existence.

The other point that we looked into was why some people attack and see God in the Quran as a severe and angry God when He is also declared as Merciful. Why does the Quran use this kind of stern and strong language where he may seem as an angry God? We saw that human beings need to be warned when they do something wrong. A stern warning is necessary to wake up someone, to make him realize where the harm is in the wrong and as a result look for the right path. It is from the wrong, making mistakes that human beings learn and come to the right path. 

Let’s continue with the following verse:

ٱلَّذِينَ يَتَّبِعُونَ ٱلرَّسُولَ ٱلنَّبِىَّ ٱلْأُمِّىَّ ٱلَّذِى يَجِدُونَهُۥ مَكْتُوبًا عِندَهُمْ فِى ٱلتَّوْرَىٰةِ وَٱلْإِنجِيلِ يَأْمُرُهُم بِٱلْمَعْرُوفِ وَيَنْهَىٰهُمْ عَنِ ٱلْمُنكَرِ وَيُحِلُّ لَهُمُ ٱلطَّيِّبَـٰتِ وَيُحَرِّمُ عَلَيْهِمُ ٱلْخَبَـٰٓئِثَ وَيَضَعُ عَنْهُمْ إِصْرَهُمْ وَٱلْأَغْلَـٰلَ ٱلَّتِى كَانَتْ عَلَيْهِمْ ۚ فَٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ بِهِۦ وَعَزَّرُوهُ وَنَصَرُوهُ وَٱتَّبَعُوا۟ ٱلنُّورَ ٱلَّذِىٓ أُنزِلَ مَعَهُۥٓ ۙ أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلْمُفْلِحُونَ

7:157 those who will follow the Messenger, the unlettered [uneducated] Prophet they find described in the Torah and in the Gospel, the Prophet who commands them to do what is obviously right and forbids what is obviously wrong and allow them the good things in life and forbid them the bad things. He releases them from their burdens and shackles that bound them before. Those who believe in him and honor him and support him and follow the enlightenment that has been sent down with him who succeed.”

There are many phrases in this verse that need to be studied. 

The word “ٱلنَّبِىَّ” is translated as Prophet. This word has been disputed among the scholars as to its meaning where some say that a “nabi” is someone who brings “naba”, i.e. news that is essential for human beings to know. This word “naba” is different from “khabr” which is the Arabic for the journalistic news that gives information about events. However, the word “naba” brings me news that addresses my human existential questions. For example, my question of what will happen to me after I die? An answer to this question would be “naba”, the news about an essential matter to me.

The other word to understand is “ٱلْأُمِّىَّ”, translated as “unlettered”, which is referred to the prophets. The word comes from the word “um” which is translated as the mother, so the one who is “ummi” is the one tied closely to the mother, like a child who is pure and uncorrupted, kept his disposition like a new born baby. The baby grows and keeps his pure being, not influenced by the outside world. 

The example of prophets in the Quran are described as “ummi”, where they are elected from among the people by God according to His will. Prophets are not corrupted in their nature, the way they are, their disposition is pure and not marred by outside influence. The prophets must be the people who have not been influenced by external culture but must have preserved their original or primordial nature. They are thus unlettered as in uneducated and not influenced by other cultures. We cannot say the same thing for us as we are all exposed to the culture we live in and are influenced by it. 

We cannot say that the prophets learnt something and accordingly taught us. Anyone who learns and then teaches others could be a wise man, a sage, a philosopher or a scholar that has gone through the education and learning process. The prophets kept their nature intact and kept asking questions and not receiving any answer from the universe. This keeping of one’s primordial nature uninfluenced by the outside world is a criterion for becoming a prophet. Only the One who creates everything and knows everything, the Lord of the universe would know who fits that criteria to be a prophet. He appoints the person who deserves this status accordingly.

Now that we understand prophets as those uninfluenced by the worldly culture, we are asked to follow them. We are not to follow those that have learnt from previous generations and are influenced by the culture of their time period. As much of a good intention they may have, they are restricted and are not equipped to provide the right answer to pure human questions. They cannot have a deep understanding of creation having outside cultural influence. There are many questions that human beings seek satisfactory answers to: Why does this universe exist? How are things coming into existence? Why do I have human questions? Why do I have the abilities within me that question my human side? The answers to the following questions can be answered by the message of the prophets.

The Creator of the universe provides the answers and asks the prophets to go and distribute the news to the people. I should be listening to the prophets as the news coming from my Lord,  brought by them and not having been polluted by them.  The word “ummi” for the prophets also means that they have no claim or share to the message that they bring to the people: “I know nothing except what my Creator teaches me.” That is how the prophets must be described and understood. We cannot be prophets as we develop our learning from experiences in this world whereas God’s prophets do not.

The first revealed verses in the Quran have a peerless, a high degree of surprise and shocks in its rhetoric. As the revelation continues, the degree of eloquence and rhetorical value surprisingly decreases instead of increasing. For example, a poet’s first few poems are not as valuable as the last one with a much higher poetic value that may deserve the Poets’ Prize. The poems improve as the poet writes more and progresses. Whereas, in the case of the Quran, the degree of rhetoric decreases in the later revealed verses as presented by God. The first few verses must be shocking to me, in its outward appearance as well as the meaning that they carry. It is hard to determine the deep meaning of the first revealed verses of the Quran. The “balagha”, rhetorical value of the first revealed verses is shocking, amazing and puts one in bewilderment as to what is being said. 

Almost everyone in Mecca knew Muhammad as not being a poet to be able to come with such verses. He was well known as the honest and trustful person that spoke nicely and sincerely to people. He did not have any literary value to write poems, was not educated with poetry to all of a sudden come with a peerless piece of “poem”. 

The verses of the Quran revealed later on focus on the main content of the message to provide answers to human questions related to social life. It is then that one realizes that the rhetoric in the first revealed verses was not for the rhetoric’s sake but to get my attention to the shocking message relevant to my life in the message that is in them. The verses are presented and packaged in such a way to catch my attention. The beautiful package when opened contains the precious meaning inside them. It is true that the literature value of the Quran is inimitable but it is the message that is important. For example, on receiving a gift that is beautifully wrapped, I unwrap the gift and throw away the wrapper to enjoy what is in the package which is what the real gift is. The package has to be beautiful but is not the purpose; what is inside the package is the purpose. When we are studying the Quran, we may spend decades to appreciate the literary value which is a specialized subject but we should not forget that the true value is in the message of the Quran.

The phrase “the people find the Prophet described in the Torah and in the Gospel.” The classical commentators mention that the previous scriptures hint at the coming of the final prophet of God, prophesying the good news of the coming of prophet Muhammad. This does have some truth where some experts have brought lots of evidence from the Torah and a few mentions in the gospel hinting on the coming of the final prophet. For example, in Jesus’ statement that he will be leaving and the sultan or king of the world would come (John 16). People wondered at this statement of Jesus as to who will come.  It is unfortunate that the canonical gospels of the New Testament miss out on many of the teachings of prophet Jesus. The available canonical gospels only narrate the biography of Jesus by quoting some of his statements. Very few are seriously looking into prophet Jesus’ actual teachings.

The verse continues with “the Prophet who commands them to do what is obviously right”. The phrase “يَأْمُرُهُم بِٱلْمَعْرُوفِ” is translated as “obviously right”. In Arabic, the word “عْرُوفِ” literally means custom, that which is known. In the present-day civilization, the custom or “maruf” of society has become corrupt. Lots of things are corrupt but presented as correct and legitimate. For example, the gender problem has become fashionable which wasn’t many years ago. Something that was seen as a psychological problem, a human abnormality is now seen as normal. The drug Marijuana, seen as a damaging and impairing drug for human consumption was prohibited, but is now being legalized openly. These fashions now become the norm of the society. 

The word “maruf” for custom is not according to the society out there but according to human nature. My human feelings know what is right and what is wrong, to do the right thing is being “maruf”. For example, stealing is wrong, which is “maruf”. However, in present-day culture, stealing happens in many unconventional ways where it is seen as customary and normal. For example, stealing from poor uneducated people, by benefiting from their ignorance. Another example is the rights of undocumented immigrants, they are taken advantage of and exploited, not having the rights to complain. The way the so-called free markets operate involve a lot of manipulation by the big market makers on the trading floor looking to move the markets in their favor. Much of the public is unaware of the sudden market moves and falls victim to the system. That is why the word “maruf” cannot be understood according to the custom in society but has to do with human nature.

The grammar used in the Quran includes the present as well as the future. Some verses are translated with “will” as it will happen in the future, the hereafter. That is correct but it also must be applicable to me now. I can experience the samples of the message in this creation in the present, and the reality will be experienced in the next creation. The next creation is according to me and for me; it is not according to my Creator. I have to experience and see the signs in the present and then conclude about the hereafter. For example, if the news comes to me that “I will give you paradise”. In order to be able to believe that it will happen in the future, I must have the evidence now. I must experience the sample here in this universe.

The verse continues with the prophet forbidding what is obviously wrong. The news that the prophet brings to me should never contradict my human nature. Is it a wise thing to present to me something that I do not comprehend, something that is out of reach within my capacity? I would complain that I am not given that capacity so why even push me towards it! Why punish me for something that I have no capacity, no ability to do! For example, a college professor goes to a primary level class and speaks at the college level. Everyone will consider this professor to be crazy whereas the students are innocent. The Quran must speak to me, must present the truth, the reality according to my capacity. The message of the Quran must make sense to me where it must be acceptable and consistent in its claim. God speaks to me as the Creator of the universe, the Lord of the universe but at my level as a primary school student, which is wisdom and justice. 

The prophet brings His news to me and this news must not be strange, must not be foreign to me, something that I am unable to confirm. I should be able to recognize the message within my human capacity as long as I don’t block it, don’t corrupt it, and don’t have any biased attitude towards it. Even if one rejects the news, they will know that they are rejecting the truth. We have to know that most people who think that they don’t believe in God, in fact are rejecting the already existing institutionalized religion in their culture. They are not liars to reality but ignorant to reality. Most of the atheists reject religion either as a reaction to the presentation of the institutionalized religion or the prejudice developed by following the mainstream media. 

The verse continues with “the prophetic message allows them the good things in life”. The prophetic message is conforming to human nature; we know that the news is something good for us. For example, the news of the hereafter is good and satisfactory to me. I have to be grateful for the news and not lie to myself as that news is what I want and I am looking for it.

The verse continues with: the prophet will release them from their burdens and shackles. What are the burdens and shackles? For example, if someone puts shackles on my feet, I cannot run away. To have shackles is where I cannot move, cannot use my given free will to move, do anything. The burdens or some translations have heavy burdens as in I am not going to be asked to do something that I am unable to do.  The news allows me to use my free will freely and enjoy living. For example, in prison, one may be forced to do something difficult and undesirable which becomes a burden and one cannot enjoy it. The prophets come with the news that goes along with my nature and is pleasing; there is no disagreement in the news that would contradict my nature. 

The verse concludes with “follow the enlightenment that has been sent down with him”. Let’s look into the usage of the  word “nur”. In the darkness of my life, the news provides light as in satisfaction and happiness. The light refers to the reality of the matter where the news of the prophets reaches me and I understand what is the purpose in its existence. The prophetic message is referred to as “Nur” and the Quran is also referred to as “Nur”, the message itself is light “Nur”. The prophet is reflecting the message of God to us. For example, the moon reflects the light of the sun. God reflects the message to the prophets who then reflects the message to us. When I follow the prophetic message, I will succeed “muflah” in this life and also in the afterlife. For example, I worked for a month and got the salary at the end of that month. That moment of receiving the salary is my “falah”.