173 Page Notes

07 Surah Al-Araf (continued)

Page 173 - Related Hadith/Sunnah

7:171

7:172

7:173

7:174

7:175

7:176

7:177

7:178

Translation of the meaning by Sahih International.

Page 173 - Related Hadiths and Sunnah

Page 173 of the Quran contains Surah Al-A'raf (Chapter 7), verses 171 through 178. This page contains some of the most profound theological landmarks in Islamic text, handling the primordial covenant of all human souls, the nature of human instinct (fitrah), and the psychological breakdown of those who know the truth but abandon it for worldly desires.

1. Hadiths Related to Verse 171 (The Mountain Raised Over Israel)

"And [remember] when We raised the mountain over them as if it were a canopy and they thought that it would fall upon them..."

This verse refers to the striking moment when Mount Sinai was suspended above the Israelites as they were taking their covenant to uphold the Torah.

The Sunnah frames this event as a historical reminder of the immense gravity of divine covenants. While specific details about the physical levitation of the mountain rely directly on the Quranic text, the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) referenced the geographic location and the sacredness of the valley of Sinai when passing by similar regions, reinforcing the historical reality of these events to his companions.

2. Hadiths Related to Verses 172–174 (The Primordial Covenant & Al-Fitrah)

These verses are central to Islamic theology. They describe the Mithaq (primordial covenant), where Allah brought forth all future generations of humanity from the back of Adam and asked them, "Am I not your Lord?" to which every soul replied, "Yes, we testify." This ensures no one can claim on the Day of Judgment that they were ignorant of monotheism or simply following their parents' misguided traditions.

The Extraction of Souls from Adam

Several authentic Hadiths detail the exact mechanics and location of this monumental spiritual gathering.

Musnad Ahmad, Hadith 2455 (Authenticated by Al-Arna'ut):

Ibn Abbas reported that the Prophet (ﷺ) said: "Allah took the covenant from the back of Adam at Na'man (i.e., Arafat). He brought forth from his loins all his offspring who would be born until the Day of Resurrection, spread them out before Him like tiny ants, and spoke to them face to face, saying: 'Am I not your Lord?' They said: 'Yes, we testify...'"

The Connection to Al-Fitrah (The Natural Human Instinct)

The consequence of this primordial covenant is that every child is born with an innate, built-in recognition of God (fitrah). Verse 173 warns against blaming one's parents for polytheism; the Hadith explains that parents merely alter what is already naturally there.

Sahih al-Bukhari, Book 23, Hadith 1385:

Abu Hurairah reported that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "No child is born except upon Al-Fitrah (the natural instinct of monotheism), then his parents turn him into a Jew, a Christian, or a Magian..."

Surah Al-A'raf (7:172) refers to the Primordial Covenant (Al-Mithaq) in Islamic theology. It describes a meta-historical event where Allah gathered the souls of all humanity prior to their earthly lives and took a solemn oath from them.

Arabic Text:

وَإِذْ أَخَذَ رَبُّكَ مِن بَنِي آدَمَ مِن ظُهُورِهِمْ ذُرِّيَّتَهُمْ وَأَشْهَدَهُمْ عَلَىٰ أَنفُسِهِمْ أَلَسْتُ بِرَبِّكُمْ ۖ قَالُوا بَلَىٰ ۛ شَهِدْنَا ۛ أَن تَقُولُوا يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ إِنَّا كُنَّا عَنْ هَٰذَا غَافِلِينَ

Translation:

“And [remember] when your Lord took from the children of Adam—from their loins—their descendants and made them testify over themselves, [asking]: 'Am I not your Lord?' They said: 'Yes, we testify!' [This was done] lest you should say on the Day of Resurrection, 'Indeed, we were unaware of this.'”

Explanation of the Verse

1. The Primordial Realm (Alam al-Arwah)

According to classical Quranic commentaries (such as Tafsir Ibn Kathir and Tafsir al-Qurtubi), Allah brought forth every soul that would ever exist—from Adam to the end of time—from the backbone of Adam (or his descendants). He granted them consciousness, form, and the capacity to speak, and directly addressed them with the question: "Am I not your Lord?"

2. The Declaration (Alast)

Every soul responded in unison: "Bala" ("Yes, we testify!"). This established a direct, foundational relationship between the Creator and every individual soul before physical birth.

3. The Theological Purpose

The verse itself explicitly gives the purpose for taking this oath:

• Removes the excuse of ignorance: No human can stand before God on the Day of Judgment and claim, "I didn't know God existed."

• Removes the excuse of blind imitation: The following verse (7:173) adds that no one can say, "My ancestors were idolaters, so I was just following them."

4. Connection to Fitrah

Most Islamic scholars teach that although humans do not retain an active, conscious memory of this event in their earthly lives, the covenant was embedded into human nature as Fitrah—an innate, intuitive inclination to recognize a single Creator and seek transcendent truth. The Prophets and divine scriptures were sent to awaken this latent pre-existent knowledge.

Related Ahadith

There are several authentic (Sahih) and good (Hasan) ahadith in the collections of Sunan al-Tirmidhi, Musnad Ahmad, Sahih Muslim, and others that directly elaborate on this event:

1. The Gathering at Na'man (Arafat)

• Hadith: Ibn Abbas reported that the Prophet ﷺ said:
  "Allah took the covenant from the back of Adam at Na'man (i.e., Arafat). He brought forth from his loins all of his offspring whom He would create, scattering them before Him like small ants. Then He spoke to them face-to-face, saying: 'Am I not your Lord?' They said: 'Yes, we testify!'..."
  — Collected in Musnad Ahmad (2455) & Al-Mustadrak by Al-Hakim (Graded Sahih/Authentic).

2. The Right Hand and Left Hand Offspring

• Hadith: Abu Hurairah reported that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
  "When Allah created Adam, He wiped his back, and every soul that He was to create from his offspring until the Day of Resurrection fell from his back. He placed a stroke of light between the eyes of every person among them, then presented them to Adam..."
  — Collected in Jami' at-Tirmidhi (3076) (Graded Hasan Sahih).

3. The Natural Disposition (Fitrah)

• Hadith: Abu Hurairah reported that the Prophet ﷺ said:
  "No child is born except upon the Fitrah (natural inclination to submit to God), but his parents convert him to Judaism, Christianity, or Magianism..."
  — Collected in Sahih al-Bukhari (1385) & Sahih Muslim (2658).
  Scholars link this hadith directly to Quran 7:172, explaining that the "Fitrah" is the physical manifestation of the primordial covenant.

4. The Sacred Hadith (Hadith Qudsi)

• Hadith: Prophet Muhammad ﷺ related that Allah said:
  "I created all My servants incline towards true monotheism (Hunafa'), but the devils came to them, diverted them from their religion, made forbidden to them what I had made lawful, and commanded them to associate partners with Me."
  — Collected in Sahih Muslim (2865).

3. Hadiths Related to Verses 175–177 (The Scholar Who Slipped)

"And recite to them, [O Muhammad], the story of him to whom We gave Our signs, but he detached himself from them; so Satan pursued him, and he became of the deviators. And if We had willed, We could have elevated him thereby, but he adhered to the earth and followed his own desire. So his example is like that of a dog..." (Verses 175–176)

Classical commentators identify this individual historically as Balaam bin Ba'ura (a knowledgeable man who was bribed to pray against Moses), though the text leaves it open as a universal warning.

The Warning Against Knowledge Without Action

The Prophet (ﷺ) frequently sought refuge from the exact psychological state described here—having deep religious or spiritual knowledge but possessing a corrupt heart that "clings to the earth" (worldly wealth and status).

Sahih Muslim, Book 48, Hadith 128:

Zayd ibn Arqam reported that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to supplicate: "O Allah, I seek refuge in You from knowledge that does not benefit, from a heart that does not fear You, from a soul that is never satisfied, and from a supplication that is not answered."

The Dangers of Material Greed

Verse 176 compares the insatiable greed of this fallen scholar to a panting dog, which pants whether you leave it alone or chase it. The Sunnah uses a similar visceral analogy to describe human greed when untamed by faith:

Sahih al-Bukhari, Book 81, Hadith 6439:

Ibn Abbas heard the Prophet (ﷺ) say: "If the son of Adam had a valley full of gold, he would love to have two valleys, for nothing fills his mouth except dust [of the grave]. And Allah forgives him who repents."

4. Hadiths Related to Verse 178 (Divine Guidance and Misguidance)

"Whoever Allah guides — he is the [rightly] guided; and whoever He misguides — it is those who are the losers."

This verse addresses the concept of Qadar (divine decree) and spiritual success. The Prophet (ﷺ) used the core wording of this verse to begin almost all of his formal speeches and Friday sermons (Khutbah), establishing a foundational Sunnah known as Khutbat al-Hajah.

Sunan an-Nasa'i, Book 19, Hadith 1404:

Jabir ibn Abdullah reported: "When the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) delivered a sermon... he would say: 'Whomsoever Allah guides, none can misguide; and whomsoever He misguides, none can guide. Indeed, the truest speech is the Book of Allah, and the best guidance is the guidance of Muhammad...''