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سُورَةُ الأَعۡرَافِ · 7:168
MeccanRevelation order ٣٩Juzʾ ٩Page ١٧٢

وَقَطَّعْنَٰهُمْ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ أُمَمًۭا ۖ مِّنْهُمُ ٱلصَّٰلِحُونَ وَمِنْهُمْ دُونَ ذَٰلِكَ ۖ وَبَلَوْنَٰهُم بِٱلْحَسَنَٰتِ وَٱلسَّيِّـَٔاتِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَرْجِعُونَ

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Saheeh International · EN

And We divided them throughout the earth into nations. Of them some were righteous, and of them some were otherwise. And We tested them with good [times] and bad that perhaps they would return [to obedience].

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Introduction

This is āyah 168 of Sūrat Al-A'raaf (The Heights), the 39th sūrah in the traditional order of revelation. It was revealed in the Meccan period and sits within Juzʾ 9. Meccan verses tend to address faith, the oneness of God, and the hereafter.

This introduction is a starting point — the community and Bilal will enrich it over time.

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Revelation & occasion

Asbāb al-Nuzūl
Period
Meccan
Order revealed
39 of 114
Surah
Al-A'raaf (7)
Occasion of revelation · Al-Wahidi

And We cut them up into communities in the earth. Among them are the wholesome and among them other than that. And We tried them with the beautiful things and the ugly things. In terms of realization in accordance with the tasting of the Folk of Findings this is an allusion to the travelers in the community, the exiles of the Tariqah. They are constantly wandering around the world, from this region to that region, from this cave to that cave, to conceal their present moment from the people and struggle for their religion against the blights of others. MuṣṬafā alluded to this meaning: " There will come a time when those who are religious will not stay safe unless they become averse to people. You will see them like travelers fleeing from people, sometimes in the mountains, sometimes in the desert. " Rushing, running, wailing in the world, in mountain monasteries, in desert caves, Totally effaced in the ocean of thought, of themselves they recite for all, " No home, no possessions. " Bearing witness to this are the stories of the Companions of the Cave and that of the Prophet and Abū Bakr in the cave. God says, " The second of two, when the two were in the cave " [9:40]. Another meaning has also been given for their traveling and exile, namely that they were yearning. In most of their days and the generality of their states the yearners are without settled- ness and ease-perhaps they will reach someplace to see the mark of the friend or ask someone about the friend. In this meaning they have sung, Surely our traces designate us- after us, look at our traces. The Pir of the Tariqah said, " O God, the homeland of Your exiles is exile, so when will this busi- ness end? How can he who is being tested by You be worthy of relief? How can he whose home- land is exile ever reach home? O God, the yearner is slain by friendship, and the shroud of those slain by friendship is vision of You. " And We tried them with the beautiful things and the ugly things. " We tested them with plea- sure and disappointment. They are neither deceived by pleasure, nor do they turn away from Us because of disappointment. " They have in front of themselves an occupation that is more impor- tant than their own pleasure and disappointment. With people they are on loan, with themselves strangers. They are at ease from attachment, their hearts joined with the Patron, their secret cores having reached awareness of Him. They keep on saying with the tongue of poverty and the at- tribute of brokenness, " O Lord, we have come to the Threshold as servants. If You like, exalt us, and if You like, lay us low. "

Commentary

Tafsir

4 works

Hafiz Ibn Kathir

And We have broken them (the Jews) up into various separate groups on the earth: some of them are righteous and some are away from that. And We tried them with good (blessings) and evil (calamities) in order that they might turn (to Allah)(168)Then after them succeeded an (evil) generation, which inherited the Book, but they chose (for themselves) the goods of this low life saying: "(Everything) will be forgiven to us." And if (again) the offer of the like (evil pleasures of this world) came their way, they would (again) seize them (would commit those sins). Was not the covenant of the Book taken from them that they would not say about Allah anything but the truth? And they have studied what is in it (the Book). And the home in the Hereafter is better for those who have Taqwa. Do not you then understand (169)And as to those who hold fast to the Book (act on its teachings) and perform the…
Provenance

Chains of transmission

Oral — isnād

  1. ~610–632 CERevelation & memorisation

    Received by the Prophet ﷺ and preserved by the ḥuffāẓ (memorisers) among the Companions.

  2. 1st century AHMutawātir transmissionawaiting curation

    Carried by mass-transmission through the generations of qurrāʾ.

  3. TodayLiving chainsawaiting curation

    Continuous ijāzah chains link reciters today back to the Prophet ﷺ.

Verified isnād chains for this āyah will be added by curators.

Written — the manuscript record

  1. ~650 CEʿUthmānic codicesawaiting curation

    The standardised muṣḥaf sent to the great cities (e.g. the Topkapı and Samarqand codices).

  2. 8th–10th c.Early Ḥijāzī & Kūfic foliosawaiting curation

    Surviving leaves in Birmingham, Sanaa, Paris (BnF) and beyond.

  3. Modern printModern printawaiting curation

    The 1924 Cairo edition → today: the standard printed muṣḥaf used worldwide.

A curated chain of manuscript images for this exact āyah — roughly one per century — is coming. Help us source and verify them.

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Provenance

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