The Heights (Al-A‘raf)
Verses 54-56 GROUP_262 7.54-56
54
إِنَّ رَبَّكُمُ اللّهُ الَّذِي خَلَقَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالأَرْضَ فِي سِتَّةِ أَيَّامٍ ثُمَّ اسْتَوَى عَلَى الْعَرْشِ يُغْشِي اللَّيْلَ النَّهَارَ يَطْلُبُهُ حَثِيثًا وَالشَّمْسَ وَالْقَمَرَ وَالنُّجُومَ مُسَخَّرَاتٍ بِأَمْرِهِ أَلاَ لَهُ الْخَلْقُ وَالأَمْرُ تَبَارَكَ اللّهُ رَبُّ الْعَالَمِينَ
Your Lord is God, who created the heavens and the earth in six Days [periods] and then settled Himself firmly on the throne. He throws the veil of night over the day, each seeking the other in rapid succession. It was He who created the sun, the moon and the stars, and made them subservient to His will. His is the creation, His the command. Blessed be God, Lord of the universe!
55
ادْعُواْ رَبَّكُمْ تَضَرُّعًا وَخُفْيَةً إِنَّهُ لاَ يُحِبُّ الْمُعْتَدِينَ
Call on your Lord with humility and in secret—He does not love the transgressors:
56
وَلاَ تُفْسِدُواْ فِي الأَرْضِ بَعْدَ إِصْلاَحِهَا وَادْعُوهُ خَوْفًا وَطَمَعًا إِنَّ رَحْمَتَ اللّهِ قَرِيبٌ مِّنَ الْمُحْسِنِينَ
do not spread corruption on the earth after it has been set in order—pray to Him with fear and hope, God’s mercy is close to those who do good.
No class discussions published for this verse group yet.
Commentary
(a) God is the Creator of the earth, the sky and all things. This creation could have been haphazard, i.e. all things could have been created, then left in confusion. But He did not do so. He linked all things in an absolutely perfect, well-organised and wisely regulated system, and activated them in such a way that everything kept working exactly in the manner in which it ought to, if it had to serve the collective interest. Man is also a small part of this world. Then, what should be his role in this well- formed environment? His role should be the same as that of all other things. He should devote himself to the Creator’s plan, in the way that the whole Universe has surrendered itself to this plan in all obedience. All things of the universe take part in the plan of God with the utmost degree of efficiency (ihsan). So, man should also devote himself to this to the same degree. Here nothing exceeds the prescribed limits. So, it is necessary also for man not to exceed the limits of justice and Truth prescribed by God. Furthermore, man has the additional attributes of the power of speech and consciousness. So, even at the level of speech and consciousness, the expression of his surrender to his Lord is also necessary. The recognition and realisation of God should be so deeply embedded in man that they come to be expressed again and again. He should call out to God as a subject calls out to his Creator and Lord. He should be so conscious of God’s godhead that nothing except God should remain at the centre of his hopes or fears. He should fear only God and link his hopes to Him alone. To associate one’s fears and hopes with God is the ultimate stage of obedience to God. (a) The greatest achievement of man is that he should be able to attain God’s mercy. But the grace of God falls to the lot of those who associate themselves with God to such an extent that all their emotions without exception are directed towards Him. They should call out only to Him and behave with humility towards Him alone. They should entertain hopes of receiving things from Him, and fear Him alone lest things be taken away. People who do so seek closeness to God and God awards them a place close to Him.