Surah al-A`raf (The Elevated Places) 7 : 132

Overview (Verses 132 - 135)

The Promises of Unbelievers

But Pharaoh’s people were too arrogant, always persisting with their evil ways and paying no heed to God’s signs or to any test to which they were put. They said to Moses: “Whatever sign you may bring before us in order to cast a spell on us, we shall not believe in you.” (Verse 132) It is an attitude of arrogance that will heed no reminder and will not respond to any proof. It is the attitude of a person who does not want to look or evaluate, because he declares his insistence on rejecting the message, even before proof is shown to him. Thus, he feels able to dismiss the proof altogether. This is an attitude which is frequently demonstrated by unbelievers after they have been overwhelmed by the truth and its clear proofs, while they recognize that their interests, wealth, authority and power belong elsewhere and are better served by denying the truth altogether.

At this juncture, the supreme power of God intervenes: “So We plagued them with floods, and locusts, and lice, and frogs, and blood: clear signs all.” (Verse 133) All these clear signs were meant as a test and a warning. Their import was very clear, and all of them gave the same message, with each subsequent one endorsing what had gone beforehand. These clear signs were shown to them separately, but the sūrah mentions them altogether here. Each time one of these plagues afflicted them, they rushed to Moses imploring him to pray to his Lord to save them. Every time they promised to let the Children of Israel go with him, if he would only relieve their affliction. They recognized that they themselves had no means of lifting their hardship: “Whenever a plague struck them, they would cry: ‘Moses, pray to your Lord for us on the strength of the covenant He has made with you. If you lift the plague from us, we will truly believe in you, and we will let the Children of Israel go with you.’” (Verse 134) Every time they broke their promise and resorted to their same ways and practices before the plague had smitten them. But the plague was lifted only in accordance with God’s will so as to let them alone for a while until their appointed term had come: “When We had lifted the plague from them for a term they were sure to reach, they broke their promise.” (Verse 135)

As we have already said, the sūrah groups all these signs together, as if they came all at once, and as if they broke their promises once only. The fact remains that all these trials were essentially one, and their ultimate result was the same as well. This is a method of presentation often employed in the Qur’ān in relating different events and their consequences to indicate that they are the same. It is in the nature of a sealed heart that it will always look at various experiences as one, benefiting nothing from them and learning no lesson.

Now, how did these miraculous signs take place? We have only the Qur’ānic statement, and we have not found in authentic ĥadīths any further details. We maintain our method that we have followed in this work, going only as far as the Qur’ānic or authentic ĥadīths go. This ensures that we steer away from any superstition or unfounded report. Many of these have found their way into some older commentaries on the Qur’ān. Indeed, the commentary written by Imām al- Ţabarī and the one written by Ibn Kathīr, valuable indeed as they are, have not escaped such pitfalls.

Al-Ţabarī includes in his work on history and in his commentary on the Qur’ān several reports attributed to earlier scholars, explaining these signs. We will mention only one of these, given on the authority of Sa`īd ibn Jubayr, a famous scholar from the generation that followed the Prophet’s companions:

When Moses asked Pharaoh to release to him the Children of Israel, Pharaoh refused. God plagued Pharaoh’s people with flooding rain. When they feared that it might have been a penalty, they said to Moses: “Pray to your Lord to cause this rain to cease, and we will send the Children of Israel with you.” He prayed to his Lord, and the rain stopped, but they, nevertheless, refused to believe in him. And did not let the Children of Israel go with him.

God gave them that year plentiful harvests which gave them fruits and crops as they had never known before. They said: “We now have all that we ever wished for.” God then plagued them with the locusts which started ruining their meadows. When they saw what the locusts were doing to their meadows, they realized that they would also ruin all their harvest. Therefore, they appealed to Moses to pray to his Lord to lift the plague of locusts and promised that they would believe in him and let the Children of Israel go with him. He prayed to his Lord and the locusts went away. Nevertheless, Pharaoh’s people refused to believe in him or to release the Children of Israel.

Thus, they had their harvest safe, and stored all their crops at their homes and storehouses. When they completed their work, they were very pleased with themselves. God then sent on them lice. A person would take out ten full sacks of his grains to the mill, but he would not get even one sack of flour. Once again, they rushed to Moses, imploring him to pray to his Lord to lift this plague. They again promised to believe in him and to release the Children of Israel. Once more, he prayed to his Lord and He lifted their hardship, but they nevertheless rejected his message and refused to release the Children of Israel.

Moses was sitting with Pharaoh when he heard the sound of a frog. He said to Pharaoh: “You and your people will soon suffer from this.” Pharaoh said: “What harm could this one do?” They hardly reached the evening when the frogs were all over them. A man would be up to his neck in frogs. If he opened his mouth to speak, frogs would jump into it. They again appealed to Moses to pray to his Lord to make the frogs go away. They again promised solemnly to believe in him and to release the Children of Israel. When that plague was lifted, they reverted to their hardened attitude.

Now, God plagued them with blood. Every time they collected water from any river or any well, and indeed all the water they had in their containers, it turned into blood. They complained to Pharaoh and said that they had nothing to drink. He suggested that Moses had cast a spell on them. They said: “How could he have done that, when we find every drop of water that has been in our containers has turned into blood?” Again, they rushed to Moses and implored him to pray to his Lord, making the same solemn promises. He prayed as they had requested, and God answered his prayer and lifted the plague of blood off them. Nevertheless, they continued to refuse to believe in Moses and would not release the Children of Israel.

God knows best which of these stories corresponded to fact, and in what form each one of these signs was given. Any differences that might have occurred would not affect the message of these verses. God sent these signs by His own will, at a time He had determined, in order to test a particular people according to His law which punishes the rejecters so that they may turn to Him.

Overview (Verses 132 - 135)

The Promises of Unbelievers

But Pharaoh’s people were too arrogant, always persisting with their evil ways and paying no heed to God’s signs or to any test to which they were put. They said to Moses: “Whatever sign you may bring before us in order to cast a spell on us, we shall not believe in you.” (Verse 132) It is an attitude of arrogance that will heed no reminder and will not respond to any proof. It is the attitude of a person who does not want to look or evaluate, because he declares his insistence on rejecting the message, even before proof is shown to him. Thus, he feels able to dismiss the proof altogether. This is an attitude which is frequently demonstrated by unbelievers after they have been overwhelmed by the truth and its clear proofs, while they recognize that their interests, wealth, authority and power belong elsewhere and are better served by denying the truth altogether.

At this juncture, the supreme power of God intervenes: “So We plagued them with floods, and locusts, and lice, and frogs, and blood: clear signs all.” (Verse 133) All these clear signs were meant as a test and a warning. Their import was very clear, and all of them gave the same message, with each subsequent one endorsing what had gone beforehand. These clear signs were shown to them separately, but the sūrah mentions them altogether here. Each time one of these plagues afflicted them, they rushed to Moses imploring him to pray to his Lord to save them. Every time they promised to let the Children of Israel go with him, if he would only relieve their affliction. They recognized that they themselves had no means of lifting their hardship: “Whenever a plague struck them, they would cry: ‘Moses, pray to your Lord for us on the strength of the covenant He has made with you. If you lift the plague from us, we will truly believe in you, and we will let the Children of Israel go with you.’” (Verse 134) Every time they broke their promise and resorted to their same ways and practices before the plague had smitten them. But the plague was lifted only in accordance with God’s will so as to let them alone for a while until their appointed term had come: “When We had lifted the plague from them for a term they were sure to reach, they broke their promise.” (Verse 135)

As we have already said, the sūrah groups all these signs together, as if they came all at once, and as if they broke their promises once only. The fact remains that all these trials were essentially one, and their ultimate result was the same as well. This is a method of presentation often employed in the Qur’ān in relating different events and their consequences to indicate that they are the same. It is in the nature of a sealed heart that it will always look at various experiences as one, benefiting nothing from them and learning no lesson.

Now, how did these miraculous signs take place? We have only the Qur’ānic statement, and we have not found in authentic ĥadīths any further details. We maintain our method that we have followed in this work, going only as far as the Qur’ānic or authentic ĥadīths go. This ensures that we steer away from any superstition or unfounded report. Many of these have found their way into some older commentaries on the Qur’ān. Indeed, the commentary written by Imām al- Ţabarī and the one written by Ibn Kathīr, valuable indeed as they are, have not escaped such pitfalls.

Al-Ţabarī includes in his work on history and in his commentary on the Qur’ān several reports attributed to earlier scholars, explaining these signs. We will mention only one of these, given on the authority of Sa`īd ibn Jubayr, a famous scholar from the generation that followed the Prophet’s companions:

When Moses asked Pharaoh to release to him the Children of Israel, Pharaoh refused. God plagued Pharaoh’s people with flooding rain. When they feared that it might have been a penalty, they said to Moses: “Pray to your Lord to cause this rain to cease, and we will send the Children of Israel with you.” He prayed to his Lord, and the rain stopped, but they, nevertheless, refused to believe in him. And did not let the Children of Israel go with him.

God gave them that year plentiful harvests which gave them fruits and crops as they had never known before. They said: “We now have all that we ever wished for.” God then plagued them with the locusts which started ruining their meadows. When they saw what the locusts were doing to their meadows, they realized that they would also ruin all their harvest. Therefore, they appealed to Moses to pray to his Lord to lift the plague of locusts and promised that they would believe in him and let the Children of Israel go with him. He prayed to his Lord and the locusts went away. Nevertheless, Pharaoh’s people refused to believe in him or to release the Children of Israel.

Thus, they had their harvest safe, and stored all their crops at their homes and storehouses. When they completed their work, they were very pleased with themselves. God then sent on them lice. A person would take out ten full sacks of his grains to the mill, but he would not get even one sack of flour. Once again, they rushed to Moses, imploring him to pray to his Lord to lift this plague. They again promised to believe in him and to release the Children of Israel. Once more, he prayed to his Lord and He lifted their hardship, but they nevertheless rejected his message and refused to release the Children of Israel.

Moses was sitting with Pharaoh when he heard the sound of a frog. He said to Pharaoh: “You and your people will soon suffer from this.” Pharaoh said: “What harm could this one do?” They hardly reached the evening when the frogs were all over them. A man would be up to his neck in frogs. If he opened his mouth to speak, frogs would jump into it. They again appealed to Moses to pray to his Lord to make the frogs go away. They again promised solemnly to believe in him and to release the Children of Israel. When that plague was lifted, they reverted to their hardened attitude.

Now, God plagued them with blood. Every time they collected water from any river or any well, and indeed all the water they had in their containers, it turned into blood. They complained to Pharaoh and said that they had nothing to drink. He suggested that Moses had cast a spell on them. They said: “How could he have done that, when we find every drop of water that has been in our containers has turned into blood?” Again, they rushed to Moses and implored him to pray to his Lord, making the same solemn promises. He prayed as they had requested, and God answered his prayer and lifted the plague of blood off them. Nevertheless, they continued to refuse to believe in Moses and would not release the Children of Israel.

God knows best which of these stories corresponded to fact, and in what form each one of these signs was given. Any differences that might have occurred would not affect the message of these verses. God sent these signs by His own will, at a time He had determined, in order to test a particular people according to His law which punishes the rejecters so that they may turn to Him.