The Holy Quran with Five Volume Commentary (Vol 2) — Page 539
PT. 8 AL-A'RĀF CH. 7 وَالَّذِيْنَ كَذَّبُوا بِايْتِنَا وَاسْتَكْبَرُوا But those who reject Our. 37 أُولَيكَ عَنْهَا أو ليك أَصْحَبُ النَّارِ هُمْ فِيهَا with disdain, these shall be خُلِدُونَ Signs and turn away from them the inmates of the Fire; they shall abide therein. 937 فَمَنْ أَظْلَمُ مِمَّنِ افْتَرى عَلَى اللهِ كَذِبًا Who is, then, more unjust. 38 than he who forges a lie against اَوْ كَذَّبَ بِايَتِهِ أُوكَ يَنَالُهُمْ نَصِيبُهُمْ Allah or gives the lie to His مِّنَ الْكِتَبِ حَتَّى إِذَا جَاءَتْهُمْ رُسُلُنَا Signs? It is these who shall have their lot as ordained till when to take away their souls, they يَتَوَفَّوْنَهُمْ قَالُوا رَأَيْنَ مَا كُنْتُمْ تَدْعُونَ Our messengers shall visit them مِنْ دُونِ اللهِ قَالُوا ضَلُّوْا عَنَّا وَشَهِدُوا shall say, “Where is that which عَلَى أَنْفُسِهِمْ أَنَّهُمْ كَانُوا كَفِرِينَ you used to call upon beside Allah?' They will answer, 'We 2:40; 5:11, 87; 6:50; 7:41; 22:58. 6:22; 10:18; 11:19; 61:8. 6:23; 40:74-75. which was held out to the progeny of Adam in the time of Adam (2:39) and according to which Messengers of God appeared among different peoples in different countries at different times will continue to be fulfilled till the end of time. The words, if Messengers come to you from among yourselves, do not mean that Messengers of God may or may not come, just as the words, If there comes to you guidance from Me (2:39), do not mean that guidance might or might not come. Indeed, the word (if) is intended to mean that if you happen to live at a time when a Messenger of God appears, you should not fail to accept him. Thus the word is simply meant to leave the time unfixed; the Messenger of God may appear in one generation or 979 another but whenever he appears, he must be accepted. The words, rehearsing My Signs unto you, hint at the fact that the Messengers who were to come after the Holy Prophet were to bring no new Law but were to follow the Law of Islam; they were simply to "rehearse" or recite the verses already revealed in the Quran. 937. Commentary: This verse serves as a particular warning for Muslims that they should not make light of the Messengers who would appear among them and should not reject them. The Law has indeed been made perfect in the Quran; but that does not mean that later Messengers of God may be rejected with impunity.