SURAH AL-A RAAF (AYA 51 to 60)

الَّذِينَ اتَّخَذُوا دِينَهُمْ لَهْوًا وَلَعِبًا وَغَرَّتْهُمُ الْحَيَاةُ الدُّنْيَا ۚ فَالْيَوْمَ نَنْسَاهُمْ كَمَا نَسُوا لِقَاءَ يَوْمِهِمْ هَٰذَا وَمَا كَانُوا بِآيَاتِنَا يَجْحَدُونَ {7:51}

[Q7:51] Allazeenat takhazoo deenahu lahwanw wa la'i-banw wa gharrat humul hayaatud dunyaa; fal Yawma nnannsaahum kamaa nasoo liqaaa'a Yawmihim haazaa wa maa kaanoo bi aayaatinaa yajhadoon. 

[Q7:51] Who take their religion for an idle sport and a play and this life's world deceives them; so today We forsake them, as they neglected the meeting of this day of theirs and as they denied Our communications.
[Q7:51] (Tuhan berfirman: Orang-orang kafir itu ialah) orang-orang yang menjadikan perkara-perkara agama mereka sebagai hiburan yang melalaikan dan permainan dan orang-orang yang telah terpedaya dengan kehidupan dunia (segala kemewahannya dan kelazatannya). Oleh itu, pada hari ini (hari kiamat), Kami lupakan (tidak hiraukan) mereka sebagaimana mereka telah lupa (tidak hiraukan persiapan-persiapan untuk) menemui hari mereka ini dan juga kerana mereka selalu mengingkari ayat-ayat keterangan Kami. 

The disbelievers deliberately turned away and ignored the hereafter in spite of clear warnings given to them through the Qur’an -a guide and a mercy. ALLAH (SWT) shall ignore and neglect them on the day of judgement.

The Qur’an, a complete book (see commentary of al Baqarah 2:2, was a guide and a mercy to the believers, BUT THE DISBELIEVERS who remained unmoved by its teachings will learn the truth too late. AS THERE WILL BE NO SALVATION EXCEPT ON THEIR OWN RECORD, they will wish that they may have another chance, but their chance will be gone.

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(7:51) who have made their religion a sport and play. and whom the life of the world has beguiled. So on that Day We shall forget them in the manner they forget their meeting of this Day with Us and persist in denying Our revelations.' *35

*35. The trialogue between the People of Paradise, the People of the Fire. and the People of the Heights gives some indication of the tremendous range of human faculties in the Next World. These faculties would increase to such an extent that the People of Paradise, the People of the Fire and the People of the Heights will be able to see, hear and talk to one another. Other Qur'anic statements about the Hereafter enable us to realize that the laws operating in the Next World will be altogether different from those in the present. Notwithstanding this, men's personalities will not undergo any such change.
Those who cannot perceive any thing beyond the present limited world and who are incapable of imagining scales bigger than the ones relating to the present world, make fun of the statements in the Qur'an and Hadith about life in the Hereafter. This only betrays their poverty of understanding and imagination. The fact, however, is that the possibilities for life are not as narrow and limited as their minds.

وَلَقَدْ جِئْنَاهُمْ بِكِتَابٍ فَصَّلْنَاهُ عَلَىٰ عِلْمٍ هُدًى وَرَحْمَةً لِقَوْمٍ يُؤْمِنُونَ {7:52}

[Q7:52] Wa laqad ji'naahum bi Kitaabin fassalnaahu 'alaa 'ilmin hudanw wa rahmatal liqawminy-yu'miinoon. 
[Q7:52] And certainly We have brought them a Book which We have made clear with knowledge, a guidance and a mercy for a people who believe.

[Q7:52] Dan sesungguhnya Kami telah datangkan kepada mereka, sebuah Kitab (Al-Quran) yang Kami telah menjelaskannya satu persatu berdasarkan pengetahuan (Kami yang meliputi segala-galanya), untuk menjadi hidayat petunjuk dan rahmat, bagi orang-orang yang (mahu) beriman. 

(see commentary for verse 51)

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(7:52) Surely We have brought them a Book which We expounded with knowledge; *36 a guidance and a mercy to those who believe ' *37

*36. The Qur'an has spelled out in some detail what constitutes the fundamental reality, explained the attitude that man ought to adopt, and laid down the fundarnentals of the way of life that he ought to follow. The tails laid down in the Book in this regard are based on sound knowledge rather than on conjecture and fancy.
*37. The contents and teachings of the Book are perspicuous enough to show one the right way. Moreover, the life-style of those who believe in this Book also bears out, by the beneficial effects it produces on human life, how well it guides man. The blessings of the Qur'an become evident if man first notes the healthy changes that it brings about in his outlook, character and morals.
The above verse in fact alludes to the wonderful effect belief in the Qur'an had on the lives of the Companions of the Prophet (peace be on him). 

هَلْ يَنْظُرُونَ إِلَّا تَأْوِيلَهُ ۚ يَوْمَ يَأْتِي تَأْوِيلُهُ يَقُولُ الَّذِينَ نَسُوهُ مِنْ قَبْلُ قَدْ جَاءَتْ رُسُلُ رَبِّنَا بِالْحَقِّ فَهَلْ لَنَا مِنْ شُفَعَاءَ فَيَشْفَعُوا لَنَا أَوْ نُرَدُّ فَنَعْمَلَ غَيْرَ الَّذِي كُنَّا نَعْمَلُ ۚ قَدْ خَسِرُوا أَنْفُسَهُمْ وَضَلَّ عَنْهُمْ مَا كَانُوا يَفْتَرُونَ {7:53}

[Q7:53] hal yanzuroona illaa taa weelah; yawma yaatee taaweeluhoo yaqoolul lazeena nasoohu min qablu qad jaaa'at Rusulu Rabbinaa bilhaqq; fahal lanaa min shufa'aaa'a fa yashfa'oo lanaaa aw nuraddu fana'mala ghairal lazee kunnaa na'mal; qad khasirooo anfusahum wa dalla 'anhum maa kaanoo yaftaroon.

[Q7:53] Do they wait for aught but its final sequel? On the day when its final sequel comes about, those who neglected it before will say: Indeed the messengers of our Lord brought the truth; are there for us then any intercessors so that they should intercede on our behalf? Or could we be sent back so that we should do (deeds) other than those which we did? Indeed they have lost their souls and that which they forged has gone away from them.
[Q7:53] Tidak ada perkara yang mereka tunggu-tunggukan melainkan akibat atau kesudahan (apa yang telah dijanjikan oleh ALLAH (SwT) di dalam Al-Quran), pada hari datangnya apa yang telah dijanjikan dalam Al-Quran itu (pada hari kiamat kelak), berkatalah orang-orang yang telah melupakannya (yang tidak menghiraukannya dalam dunia) dahulu: Sesungguhnya telah datang Rasul-rasul Tuhan kami dengan membawa kebenaran, maka adakah untuk kami pemberi syafaat supaya mereka memberi syafaat bagi kami atau (bolehkah) kami dikembalikan (ke dunia) supaya kami dapat beramal, lain daripada apa yang kami telah kerjakan? Sesungguhnya mereka telah merugikan diri mereka sendiri dan telah lenyaplah dari mereka perkara-perkara yang mereka ada-adakan dahulu. 

(see commentary for verse 51)

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(7:53) Are they waiting for the fulfilment of its warning? *38 On the Day that warning is fulfilled, those that have neglected it before will say: 'The Messengers of Our Lord did indeed bring forth the truth. Are there any intercessors who will now plead on our behalf? Or, can we be restored to life that we might perform differently from that which we did?' *39 They surely ended in utter loss, and the lies they had fabricated failed them.

*38. The position of the people in question is as follows. The difference between good and evil was first explained to them, and yet they turned a deaf ear to it. Then some people established a good example by following the right path notwithstanding the dominant trend towards error. The wholesome effect of righteous conduct became evident from the lives of such people, but it made no impression on the people concerned. Their persistence in error could only mean one thing: that they would only learn the lesson the hard way when they saw the painful effects of their error. Such people are like stupid patients who neither follow the directions of the physician, nor learn any lesson from their own observations of the many patients who have been cured of their diseases by following the directions of physicians. Thesc people will realize - if they realize at all - on their death-bed that their ways were foolish and fatal.
*39. Such people will long to return to the world, pleading that they will believe in the truth which they had rejected since they have now witnessed it. They will also ensure that their attitude will be different from that which had been before. For a fuller discussion of this plea and the rejoinder to it see al-An'am 6: 27-8; Ibrahim 14: 44 and 45; al-Sajdah 32: 12-13; al-Fatir 35: 37; al-Zumar 39: 56-9; and al-Mu'min 40: 11-12. 

SECTION 7

ALLAH’s only is the Creation and the Command

Creation belongs only to ALLAH and ALLAH’s alone is the Command---The Resurrection of mankind.

إِنَّ رَبَّكُمُ اللَّهُ الَّذِي خَلَقَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ فِي سِتَّةِ أَيَّامٍ ثُمَّ اسْتَوَىٰ عَلَى الْعَرْشِ يُغْشِي اللَّيْلَ النَّهَارَ يَطْلُبُهُ حَثِيثًا وَالشَّمْسَ وَالْقَمَرَ وَالنُّجُومَ مُسَخَّرَاتٍ بِأَمْرِهِ ۗ أَلَا لَهُ الْخَلْقُ وَالْأَمْرُ ۗ تَبَارَكَ اللَّهُ رَبُّ الْعَالَمِينَ {7:54}

[Q7:54] Inna Rabbakkumul laahul lazee khalaqas sammaawaati wal arda fee sittati qiyaamin summmas tawaa 'alal 'arshi yughshil lailan nahaara yatlu buhoo haseesanw washshamsa walqamara wannujooma musakhkharaatim bi amrih; alaa lahul khalqu wal-amr; tabaarakal laahu Rabbul 'aalameen. 
[Q7:54] Surely your Lord is ALLAH (SWT), Who created the heavens and the earth in six periods of time, and He is firm in power; He throws the veil of night over the day, which it pursues incessantly; and (He created) the sun and the moon and the stars, made subservient by His command; surely His is the creation and the command; blessed is ALLAH (SWT), the Lord of the worlds.

[Q7:54] Sesungguhnya Tuhan kamu ialah ALLAH (SwT) Yang Menciptakan langit dan bumi dalam enam masa lalu Dia bersemayam di atas Arasy; Dia melindungi malam dengan siang yang mengiringinya dengan deras (silih berganti) dan (Dia pula Yang Menciptakan) matahari dan bulan serta bintang-bintang, (semuanya) tunduk kepada perintahNya. Ingatlah, kepada ALLAH (SwT) jualah tertentu urusan menciptakan (sekalian makhluk) dan urusan pemerintahan. Maha Suci ALLAH (SwT) Yang Mencipta dan Mentadbirkan sekalian alam.

Refer to the commentary of al Baqarah 2:255 for arsh or kursi; and refer to al Fatihah 1:4 for yawm (day).

From the lowest form of creation to the highest level of intellectual and spiritual existence, there are finite beings, BUT the latter control the former, and the infinite supreme-being, through His omnipotence (arsh or kursi) encompasses and controls the entire mass of finite beings, low or high.

This hold and domination of the infinite over the finite is implied in the word istawa. It does not mean "ALLAH (SWT) sitting on any throne" as some anthropomorphic schools of thought imagine. 

Ü  Istawa alal arsh means that the process of creation, its operation and administration belong to ALLAH (SWT).

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(7:54) Surely your Lord is none other than Allah, Who created the heavens and the earth in six days, *40 and then ascended His Throne; *41 Who causes the night to cover the day and then the day swiftly pursues the night; Who created the sun and the moon and the stars making them all subservient to His command. Lo! His is the creation and His is the command. *42 Blessed is Allah, *43 the Lord of the universe.

*40. The word 'day' in the above verse has been used either in the usual sense of the twenty-four hour unit of time, or in a more general sense of 'period' of time such as in the following verses of the Qur'an: Verily a Day in the sight of your Lord is like a thousand years of your reckoning (al-Hajj 22: 47).
The angels and the Spirit ascend unto Him on a Day the measure of which is fifty thousand years (al-Ma'arij 70: 4. For further explanation see Fussilat 41, nn. 12-15.)
*41. It is quite difficult to appreciate fully the exact nature of the Qur'anic statement: '(Allah) ascended the Throne.' One possibility is that after the creation of the universe God focused His effulgence at a particular point in His Kingdom which is known as the Throne, from where He showers the blessings of life and power, and governs the whole universe.
It is possible that the word 'Throne' stands for dominion and authority and that God's ascending the Throne signifies His actual taking over the reins of the universe after having created it. Whatever the exact meaning of the expression '(Allah) ascended the Throne', the main thrust of the verse is that God is not just the creator of the universe, but is also its sovereign and ruler; that after creating the universe He did not detach Himself from, nor become indifferent to, His creation. On the contrary, He effectively rules over the universe as a whole as well as every part of it. All power and sovereignty rest with Him. Everything in the universe is fully in His grip and is subservient to His will. Every atom is bound in obedience to Him. The fate of everything existent is in His Hands. Thus the Qur'an undermines the very basis of the misconception which leads man at times to polytheism, and at others to self-glorification and so to rebellion against God. This is the natural corollary of considering God divorced from the affairs of the universe. In such cases, there are two possibilities. One, that beings other than God are considered to have the power to make or mar man's destiny. Here, man is bound to turn to those beings in devotion and subservience. The second possibility is for man to consider himself as the master of his own destiny. Here, man considers himself independent of, and indifferent to, any higher being.
It is significant that the words and figures of speech employed by the Qur'an to denote the relationship between God and man are closely related to kingship, dominion, and sovereignty. This is too conspicuous a fact to be missed by any careful student of the Qur'an. It is strange, however, that it has led some superficial critics and persons of biased outlook to conclude that the Qur'an reflects the milieu in which man's outlook was dominated by monarchical concepts, and that therefore its 'author', who in their view was the Prophet Muhammad (peace be on him), presented God as a sovereign ruler, an absolute monarch.
Quite contrary to this is the fundamental truth which the Qur'an emphatically affirms - God's sovereignty over the heavens and the earth. It negates, with equal emphasis, that sovereignty belongs to anyone else. Such a doctrine demolishes the very assumption on the basis of which the above erroneous conclusion was derived. The Qur'anic concept of God's sovereignty is in sharp contrast to the idea that creatures of God may lay claim to sovereignty and kingship. In contrast to the weak, mortal kings of the world, God is eternal and all-powerfuL This undermines the very basis of the misconceived criticism that Islam has a monarchical basis since no hunian being can conform to the Islamic description of the sovereign. All sovereignty vests in the One True God. Hence, all those who claim total or partial sovereignty either for any person or group of people are merely cherishing an illusion. It is evident, therefore, that it is totally inappropriate for man, who is a part of the universe created and governed by God, to adopt any other attitude than that of acknowledging God as the only object of worship and as the only sovereign in a societal and political sense.
*42. This is an elaboration of the idea propounded in the note immediately above explaining the meaning of God's ascension to the Throne. To reiterate, God is not merely the sole creator but also the only One Who commands and governs. He has not detached Himself from His creation, leaving it to the care of others who might rule over it as they please. Nor has He granted independence to His creation or any part of it so that they might function as they, wish. On the contrary, His grip over the entire universe is very firm. He rules over it according to His sovereign will. If we find alternation taking place between day and night, it is a result of God's command. God has full power both to hold that process in abeyance, or to alter the very system which causes the alternation. The heavenly bodies - the sun, the moon, and the stars - are all absolutely powerless. They are totally subservient to God's overpowering will, and have been yoked to function according to His command. 
*43. The word barakah signifies growth and increase. The notions of elevation and greatness as well as of permanence and stability are also an essential part of the word's meaning. Besides these the word inalienably carries nuances of goodness and beneficence. To say that God is full of barakah means that His goodness knows no bounds; that endless beneficence emanates from Him; that He is the Exalted One Whose loftiness knows no end; that His beneficence and loftiness are permanent, and thus they will never vanish or suffer decline. (For further elaboration see Tafhim al-Qaradn, al-Furqan 25: nn. 1 and 19.) 

ادْعُوا رَبَّكُمْ تَضَرُّعًا وَخُفْيَةً ۚ إِنَّهُ لَا يُحِبُّ الْمُعْتَدِينَ {7:55}

[Q7:55] Ud'oo Rabbakum tadarru'anw wa khufyah; innahoo laa yuhibbul mu'tadeen.
[Q7:55] Call on your Lord humbly and secretly; surely He does not love those who exceed the limits.

[Q7:55] Berdoalah kepada Tuhan kamu dengan merendah diri dan (dengan suara) perlahan-lahan. Sesungguhnya ALLAH (SwT) tidak suka kepada orang-orang yang melampaui batas.

MAN, A HUMBLE CREATURE, CANNOT SHOW ARROGANCE AND VANITY BEFORE THE OMNIPOTENT LORD WHO KNOWS ALL. **HUMILITY and **EARNESTNESS prepare the ground for his spiritual progress. The creation of the Lord is a harmonious order.

Man should not upset the divine order by introducing evil and mischief.

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(7:55) Call upon your Lord with humility and in secret. Surely He does not love transgressors.

وَلَا تُفْسِدُوا فِي الْأَرْضِ بَعْدَ إِصْلَاحِهَا وَادْعُوهُ خَوْفًا وَطَمَعًا ۚ إِنَّ رَحْمَتَ اللَّهِ قَرِيبٌ مِنَ الْمُحْسِنِينَ {7:56}

[Q7:56] Wa laa tufsidoo fil ardi ba'da islaahihaa wad'oohu khawfanw wa tama'aa; inna rahmatal laahi qareebum minal muhsineen. 
[Q7:56] And do not make mischief in the earth after its reformation, and call on Him fearing and hoping; surely the mercy of ALLAH (SWT) is nigh to those who do good (to others).

[Q7:56] Dan janganlah kamu berbuat kerosakan di bumi sesudah ALLAH (SwT) menyediakan segala yang membawa kebaikan padanya dan berdoalah kepadaNya dengan perasaan bimbang (kalau-kalau tidak diterima) dan juga dengan perasaan terlalu mengharapkan (supaya makbul). Sesungguhnya rahmat ALLAH (SwT) itu dekat kepada orang-orang yang memperbaiki amalannya. 

(see commentary for verse 55)

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(7:56) And do not make mischief in the earth after it has been set in order, *44 and call upon Him with fear and longing. *45 Surely Allah's mercy is close to those who do good.

*44. The command not to make mischief in the earth means not to vitiate the right order of life. What basically, constitutes 'mischief-making' is to surrender oneself to one's lusts, to commit acts in subservience to other human beings and to subscribe to base morals, social orders, civilizations, principles and laws derived from sources other than God's Guidance. This is the essential mischief from which innumerable evils issue and which the Qur'an seeks to eradicate. The Qur'an also emphasizes that sound order is the original condition, and disorder and mischief occurred later as accidents resulting from man's ignorance and transgression. In other words, man's life on earth did not start with ignorance, savagery, polytheistic beliefs, rebellion against God and moral disorder whereafter reforms were gradually introduced. On the contrary, man's life began with good order and was later corrupted because of man's perversity and folly. God sent Prophets from time to time in order to eradicate the disorder that had set in and to restore the original, good order. These Prophets constantly ehorted people to refrain from disrupting the original order and creating mischief.
Thus the Qur'anic view on this question is altogether different from that of the proponents of the false doctrine of evolution, who postulate that man has gradually come out of darkness into light; that life has advanced in a unilinear fashion, towards increasinly better conditions. The Qur'an rather postulates that human life began in the full light of Divine Guidance that the original state of affairs was in accord with the Right Way prescribed by God. The blame for corruption goes to man who, failing victim to Satan's allurements, veered towards darkness and corrupted the right order of human life again and again. As for God, He continually sent Prophets in order to summon men from darkness to light, and to ask them to eschew evil and wickedness. (See Towards Understanding the Qur'an, al-Baqarah 2, n. 230, pp. 165-6 - Ed.) 
*45. This clearly shows what the expression 'mischief-making' in the verse signifies. It consists of man's turning to others than God as his guardian, patron and helper, and calling them to his aid and support. To bring about reform, therefore, consists of man's turning exclusively to God as his guardian and helper.
'Calling upon Allah with fear and longing' conveys the idea that man should fear God alone, and to Him alone he should look for the fulfilment of his wishes. While calling upon God man should realize that he is totally dependent on God's favour and that he can attain success only if God helps and guides him to it. Similarly, man should also bear in mind that once he is deprived of God's support, he is doomed to utter failure and undoing.

وَهُوَ الَّذِي يُرْسِلُ الرِّيَاحَ بُشْرًا بَيْنَ يَدَيْ رَحْمَتِهِ ۖ حَتَّىٰ إِذَا أَقَلَّتْ سَحَابًا ثِقَالًا سُقْنَاهُ لِبَلَدٍ مَيِّتٍ فَأَنْزَلْنَا بِهِ الْمَاءَ فَأَخْرَجْنَا بِهِ مِنْ كُلِّ الثَّمَرَاتِ ۚ كَذَٰلِكَ نُخْرِجُ الْمَوْتَىٰ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَذَكَّرُونَ {7:57}

[Q7:57] Wa Huwal lazee yursilur riyaaha bushram baina yadai rahmatihee hattaaa izaaa aqallat sahaaban siqaalan suqnaahu libaladim maiyitin fa annzalnaa bihil maaa'a fa akhrajnaa bihee minn kullis samaraat; kazaalika nukhrijul mawtaa la'allakum tazakkaroon. 

[Q7:57] And He it is Who sends forth the winds bearing good news before His mercy, until, when they bring up a laden cloud, We drive it to a dead land, then We send down water on it, then bring forth with it of fruits of all kinds; thus shall We bring forth the dead that you may be mindful.
[Q7:57] Dan Dialah (ALLAH (SwT)) yang menghantarkan angin sebagai pembawa berita yang menggembirakan sebelum kedatangan rahmatnya (iaitu hujan), hingga apabila angin itu membawa awan mendung, Kami halakan ia ke negeri yang mati (ke daerah yang kering kontang), lalu Kami turunkan hujan dengan awan itu, kemudian Kami keluarkan dengan air hujan itu berbagai-bagai jenis buah-buahan. Demikianlah pula Kami mengeluarkan (menghidupkan semula) orang-orang yang telah mati, supaya kamu beringat (mengambil pelajaran daripadanya).

From sending the heralding winds to raising all kinds of produce ALLAH (SWT)'s grace (as the rahman) has been described. The same process is applicable to the resurrection of our bodies and souls after we die in this world.

©  HIS MERCY, THE GUIDANCE REVEALED THROUGH THE HOLY PROPHET (ALLAHUMA SALI ALA MUHAMMAD WA ALA ALI MUHAMMAD), HAS BEEN COMPARED TO RAIN.

The fertile land is good and the barren land is evil. THE RAIN, HIS BENEFICENCE, IS THERE FOR ALL, BUT THE GOOD OBTAIN PROFIT AND THE EVIL SUFFER LOSS.

Ë THE GUIDANCE IS TRUE BUT THE RESPONSE varies according to the nature developed by every individual.

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(7:57) And it is He Who sends forth winds as glad tidings in advance of His Mercy, and when they have carried a heavy-laden cloud We drive it to a dead land, then We send down rain from it and bring forth therwith fruits of every kind. In this manner do We raise the dead that you may take heed.

وَالْبَلَدُ الطَّيِّبُ يَخْرُجُ نَبَاتُهُ بِإِذْنِ رَبِّهِ ۖ وَالَّذِي خَبُثَ لَا يَخْرُجُ إِلَّا نَكِدًا ۚ كَذَٰلِكَ نُصَرِّفُ الْآيَاتِ لِقَوْمٍ يَشْكُرُونَ {7:58}

[Q7:58] Walbaladut taiyibu yakhruju nabaatuhoo bi-izni Rabbihee wallazee khabusa laa yakhruju illaa nakidaa; kazaalika nusarriful Aayaati liqawminy yashkuroon. 

[Q7:58] And as for the good land, its vegetation springs forth (abundantly) by the permission of its Lord, and (as for) that which is inferior (its herbage) comes forth but scantily; thus do We repeat the communications for a people who give thanks.
[Q7:58] Dan negeri yang baik (tanahnya), tanaman-tanamannya tumbuh (subur) dengan izin ALLAH (SwT) dan negeri yang tidak baik (tanahnya) tidak tumbuh tanamannya melainkan dengan keadaan bantut. Demikianlah Kami menerangkan tanda-tanda (kemurahan dan kekuasaan) Kami dengan berbagai cara bagi orang-orang yang (mahu) bersyukur.  

(see commentary for verse 57)

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(7:58) As for the good land, vegetation comes forth in abundance by the command of its Lord, whereas from the bad land, only poor vegetation comes forth. *46 Thus do We expound Our signs in diverse ways for a people who are grateful.

*46. It is necessary to grasp the subtle point made here in order to appreciate the full purport of what is being said. The reference to rain and its advantages is intended to bring into focus God's power, and to affirm life after death. Moreover, it is also intended to draw attention in allegorical, albeit graphic, terms to the blessings of prophethood, and how it helps men to distinguish between good and evil, between pure and impure. The intimation of Divine Guidance through the Prophets is compared to the movement of winds, the appearance of rain-laden clouds, and the fall of life-sustaining raindrops. In the same way as rainfall causes dead earth to be revived and makes the hidden treasures of life burst forth from its womb, so the impact of the teachings of the Prophets also brings dead humanity back to life, causing the hidden goodness in men to burst forth.
This allegory also hints at another important fact. In the same way that only fertile soil profits from rainfall, so only men of a righteous nature can profit from the blessings of prophethood. As for the wicked, they are like wasteland. Rainfall can cause such a land to bring forth only thorny bushes and cacti. Similarly, when the wicked come into contact with the teaching of the Prophets, the hidden evils of their nature come into full play.
This allegory is followed by a well-sustained account with illustrations from history showing that whenever the Prophets preach their Message, men Split into two camps. The righteous receive the blessings of prophethood and flourish, bringing forth the fruit of their goodness. As for the wicked, once the criterion provided by the Prophets is applied their impurities are fully exposed. This enables human society to purge itself of impurities in the same way as the goldsmith purges precious metals of alloy.

VERSES 59 to 177

THE PREACHINGS OF SOME OF THE PROPHETS FROM NUH TO MUSA POINT OUT **THE UNITY OF THE PURPOSE OF THEIR MISSION, **THE METHOD OF PREACHING, AND **THE REACTION OF THE PEOPLE.

THE THEORY OF INCARNATION WAS COMMON AMONG THE POLYTHEISTIC PEOPLE, SO THEY THOUGHT THAT ALL MORTALS LAYING CLAIM TO PROPHETHOOD WERE IMPOSTERS.

IT IS A LESSON AND A WARNING FOR THE FOLLOWERS OF THE HOLY PROPHET (ALLAHUMA SALI ALA MUHAMMAD WA ALA ALI MUHAMMAD).

SECTION 8

The Ministry of Apostle Noah

Noah’s exhortation to his people to serve the Only God---The people belied him and were drown.

لَقَدْ أَرْسَلْنَا نُوحًا إِلَىٰ قَوْمِهِ فَقَالَ يَا قَوْمِ اعْبُدُوا اللَّهَ مَا لَكُمْ مِنْ إِلَٰهٍ غَيْرُهُ إِنِّي أَخَافُ عَلَيْكُمْ عَذَابَ يَوْمٍ عَظِيمٍ {7:59}

[Q7:59] Laqad arsalnaa noohan ilaa qawmihee faqaala yaa qawmi' budul laaha maa lakum min ilaahin ghairuhoo inneee akhaafu 'alaikum 'azaaba Yawmin 'Azeem. 
[Q7:59] Certainly We sent Nuh to his people, so he said: O my people! Serve ALLAH (SWT), you have no god other than Him; surely I fear for you the chastisement of a grievous day.

[Q7:59] Sesungguhnya Kami telah mengutuskan Nabi Nuh kepada kaumnya, lalu berkatalah ia: Wahai kaumku! Sembahlah kamu akan ALLAH (SwT), (sebenarnya) tidak ada Tuhan bagi kamu selain daripadaNya. Sesungguhnya aku bimbang, kamu akan ditimpa azab hari yang besar (hari kiamat)

WHEN NUH TRIED TO PUT FEAR OF THE TORMENT OF A DREADFUL DAY IN THE HEARTS OF THE PEOPLE THEY LAUGHED AT HIM. ALLAH (SWT)'s retribution came soon afterwards -the great flood, in which his unbelieving people were drowned, BUT he and those who believed and came into the ark were saved.

»    The Holy Prophet (ALLAHuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad) said:

"My Ahlul Bayt are like the ark of Nuh. He who sails on it will be safe, but he who holds back shall be drowned."

Ø  The great flood has been described in verses 11:37 to 48 of al Hud. Chapters 6 and 7 of Genesis in the Old Testament describe the great flood.

§  Nuh literally means one who weeps. He used to weep continuously in fear of ALLAH (SWT).

THERE WERE TEN PROPHETS BETWEEN HIM and ADAM.

Nuh lived for two thousand five hundred (2,500) years. He used to live in a small hut. He never built a permanent dwelling abode for himself.

In spite of his ceaseless preaching the people were corrupt and full of violence. The men, women and children used to throw stones at him. Whenever he was buried under the heap of stones, wounded and helpless, Jibra-il was deputed to save him and nurse him. His preaching of goodness and godliness continued in the face of violent opposition by his loathsome people.

At last the waters of the great flood came upon the earth. ALLAH (SWT) wiped out every thing on the earth, and only Nuh and his companions in the ark survived.

Nuh was standing in the sun when the angel of death came. He asked Izra-il to let him go into a nearby shade before his soul was taken away from his body. After coming under the shade he said: "The life of this world is as long as the time he took to come under the shade from the sun, even shorter."

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(7:59) Indeed We sent forth Noah to his people *47 and he said: '0 my people! Serve Allah, you have no other god than Him *48 Indeed I fear for you the chastisement of an awesome Day.'

*47. This historical narrative opens with an account of the Prophet Noah and his people. For the people of Noah were the first to drift away from the right way of life which was followed by the Prophet Adarn and his descendants. God, therefore, sent Noah to guide and reform them.
In light of the Qur'anic allusions and Biblical statements it seems certain the people of Noah inhabited the land presently known as Iraq. This view is also supported by inscriptions of pre-Biblical times discovered in the course of archaeological excavations in Babylonia. Those inscriptions contain almost the same account which is recounted in the Qur'an and the Torah. The locale of the event is the vicinity of Mosul. Kurdish and Armenian traditions also corroborate this account insofar as they mention that it was in this area that Noah's Ark anchored. Some relies ascribed to Noah are still found in Jazirat Ibn 'Urnar, situated to the north of Mosul and on the frontiers of Armenia in the vicinity of the Ararat mountain mass. The inhabitants of Nakhichevan believe to this day that their town was founded by Noah.
Traditions similar to the story of Noah are also found in classical Greek Egyptian, Indian and Chinese literature. Moreover, stories of identical import have been popular since time immemorial in Burma, Malaya, the East Indies, Australia, New Guinea and various parts of Europe and America. This shows clearly that the event took place at some point in the dim past when men lived together in one region and it was after Noah's Flood that they dispersed to different parts of the world. This is why traditions of all nations mention the Flood of the early time. This is notwithstanding the fact that the actual event has increasingly been shrouded in mystery, and the authentic elements of the event overlaid with myth and legend. 
*48. It is evident from the above verse and from other Qur'anic descriptions of the people of Noah that they were neither ignorant of, nor denied the existence of God, nor were they opposed to the idea of worshipping Him. Their real malady was polytheism. They had associated others with God in His godhead, and considered them akin to God in their claim that human beings should worship them as well. This basic error gave rise to a number of evils among them. There had arisen among them a class of people representing the false gods they themselves had contrived. Gradually this class of people virtually monopolized all religious, economic and political authority. This class also introduced a hierarchical structure of society which led to immense corruption and injustice. The moral degeneration which this system promoted sapped the roots of mankind's higher characteristics. When corruption reached a high peak, God sent Noah to improve the state of affairs. For long, Noah strove with patience and wisdom to bring about reform. All his efforts, however, were thwarted by the clergy which craftily kept people under its powerful hold. Eventually Noah prayed to God not to spare even a single unbeliever on the face of the earth, for they would go about misguiding human beings, and their progeny would likewise be wicked and ungrateful. (For a detailed discussion see Hud 11: 25-48, al-Shu'ara' 26: 105-22 and Nuh 71: 1-28.) 

قَالَ الْمَلَأُ مِنْ قَوْمِهِ إِنَّا لَنَرَاكَ فِي ضَلَالٍ مُبِينٍ {7:60}

[Q7:60] Qaalal mala-u min qaw miheee innaa lanaraaka fee dalaalim mubeen. 
[Q7:60] The chiefs of his people said: Most surely we see you in clear error.

[Q7:60] Ketua-ketua dari kaumnya berkata: Sesungguhnya kami nampakmu (wahai Nuh) berada dalam kesesatan yang nyata.  

(see commentary for verse 59)

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(7:60) The leading men of his people replied: 'We see that you are in palpable error.'