7-32 Say: Who has forbidden the adornment of Allah, which He has brought forth for His servants, and the good provisions? Say: These are for the believers in the life of this world, purely (theirs) on the Resurrection day. Thus do We make the messages clear for a people who know.a
قُلۡ مَنۡ حَرَّمَ زِينَةَ ٱللَّهِ ٱلَّتِىٓ أَخۡرَجَ لِعِبَادِهِۦ وَٱلطَّيِّبَـٰتِ مِنَ ٱلرِّزۡقِۚ قُلۡ هِىَ لِلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ فِى ٱلۡحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنۡيَا خَالِصَةً۬ يَوۡمَ ٱلۡقِيَـٰمَةِۗ كَذَٲلِكَ نُفَصِّلُ ٱلۡأَيَـٰتِ لِقَوۡمٍ۬ يَعۡلَمُونَ (٣٢)
7-32a: Good things of life not forbidden: Allah has not prohibited the good things of life whether spiritual or physical. Thus, good food is not prohibited. If the blessings of the world are available to a believer, he should take advantage of them. Although the Holy Prophet led a very austere life, eating simple food, wearing simple dress, living in a simple house but if a good dish was served to him, he would not refuse it, if a good dress was given to him, he would not throw it away. Unfortunately, extreme behavior has crept into the Islamic society. One section of society has become so absorbed in pursuit of the pleasures of this life that they cannot look beyond that and there is also a section of society that considers wearing clean clothes, keeping a clean body or eating good food as prohibited. In the Hereafter, the blessings are specially for the believers, and the disbelievers on that day will not partake of the heavenly blessings. Another interpretation is that by خَالِصَةً۬ is meant that in this world blessings are mixed with sorrow and worries but the blessings of paradise will be free of such considerations. The relation of this verse with the real topic is that Divine revelation does not prohibit good things but in fact guides one to good things.
7-33 Say: My Lord forbids only indecencies, such of them as are apparent and such as are concealed, and sin and unjust rebellion, and that you associate with Allah that for which He has sent down no authority, and that you say of Allah what you know not.a
قُلۡ إِنَّمَا حَرَّمَ رَبِّىَ ٱلۡفَوَٲحِشَ مَا ظَهَرَ مِنۡہَا وَمَا بَطَنَ وَٱلۡإِثۡمَ وَٱلۡبَغۡىَ بِغَيۡرِ ٱلۡحَقِّ وَأَن تُشۡرِكُواْ بِٱللَّهِ مَا لَمۡ يُنَزِّلۡ بِهِۦ سُلۡطَـٰنً۬ا وَأَن تَقُولُواْ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ مَا لَا تَعۡلَمُونَ (٣٣)
7-33a: This verse states that Divine revelation only prohibits those things that are either by themselves bad or whose consequences are bad. The first thing that is mentioned is indecent acts whether committed openly or in secret. These include adultery and all activities leading up to it, whether openly or secretly, whether they are seen by others or not. Sin is mentioned next, and a person’s conscience is a good judge of whether something is bad or the act is in contravention of a Divine mandate. The third thing that is mentioned is بغی which is being unjust to others. The effect of اثم or sin does not necessarily impact others. بغی on the other hand is being unjust to others.
7-34 And every nation has a term; so when its term comes, they cannot remain behind the least while, nor can they precede (it).a
وَلِكُلِّ أُمَّةٍ أَجَلٌ۬ۖ فَإِذَا جَآءَ أَجَلُهُمۡ لَا يَسۡتَأۡخِرُونَ سَاعَةً۬ۖ وَلَا يَسۡتَقۡدِمُونَ (٣٤)
7-34a: لَا يَسۡتَأۡخِرُونَ – It means that they will not have the choice to stay behind (R).
لَا يَسۡتَقۡدِمُونَ – It means that they will not have the choice to go ahead (R).
The purport is that the chastisement will not come until the prescribed time and when it does come, there will be no way to postpone it.
7-35 O children of Adam, if messengers come to you from among you relating to you My messages, then whosoever guards against evil and acts aright — they shall have no fear, nor shall they grieve.a
يَـٰبَنِىٓ ءَادَمَ إِمَّا يَأۡتِيَنَّكُمۡ رُسُلٌ۬ مِّنكُمۡ يَقُصُّونَ عَلَيۡكُمۡ ءَايَـٰتِىۙ فَمَنِ ٱتَّقَىٰ وَأَصۡلَحَ فَلَا خَوۡفٌ عَلَيۡہِمۡ وَلَا هُمۡ يَحۡزَنُونَ (٣٥)
7-35a: The general rule of sending messengers and the finality of prophethood: In this verse and some previous verses, there are certain things that are addressed to the entire humanity, examples of which are: يَـٰبَنِىٓ ءَادَمَ قَدۡ أَنزَلۡنَا عَلَيۡكُمۡ لِبَاسً۬ا (7:26) يَـٰبَنِىٓ ءَادَمَ لَا يَفۡتِنَنَّڪُمُ ٱلشَّيۡطَـٰنُ (7:27) يَـٰبَنِىٓ ءَادَمَ خُذُواْ زِينَتَكُم (7:31) and as stated here: يَـٰبَنِىٓ ءَادَمَ إِمَّا يَأۡتِيَنَّكُمۡ رُسُلٌ۬ (7:35) meaning respectively: O children of Adam, We have indeed sent down to you clothing; O children of Adam, let not the devil seduce you; O children of Adam attend to your adornment; O children of Adam, if messengers come to you. In each case, the instruction is directed to the entire humanity. In the present verse, the entire humanity is directed that if Allah sends His messenger, then he should be accepted because by accepting the messenger, the people are reformed while a rejection of messenger is a loss for the people. Some deniers of the finality of prophethood have concluded from this verse that messengers should keep coming even after the Holy Prophet. The conclusion from this verse that messengers should keep coming after the Holy Prophet was first innovated by Bahaullah and subsequently copied by the followers of Mian Mahmud Ahmad of Qadian although neither Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Qadian himself or his followers during his lifetime presented this verse. A conclusion of this magnitude from a conditional statement is gross ignorance. The meaning of the verse is simply that it is beneficial for people to accept a messenger when he comes. So, the prophet referred to is the Holy Prophet. This is an announcement to humanity about the blessed Being of the Holy Prophet that if they accept him, it will be beneficial for them but if they reject him, they will be the losers. If it is argued that why then is the plural form رُسُلٌ is used, the answer is that the address is to all the children of Adam and the mention is of the general rule of sending messengers to nations. Without a doubt, prophets were sent to the children of Adam before the Holy Prophet and the Holy Prophet was sent in the end to unite all the nations of the world in a system of brotherhood. The testimony that no more prophets will come after the Holy Prophet is met elsewhere in the Quran where it is stated: ٱلۡيَوۡمَ أَكۡمَلۡتُ لَكُمۡ دِينَكُمۡ (This day have I perfected for you your religion) (3:5). Messengers came to teach people their religion but when Allah perfected the religion and conveyed it to the people, then there was no longer any need for sending messengers. When the perfection of shariah has created an impediment to the coming of any more shariah, the perfection of prophethood too prohibits the coming of any more prophets. What is needed has already been provided. The light of prophethood is shining like the mid-day sun and that is the reason that the world does not stand in need of any prophet. For those people who try to justify the coming of another prophet but not of a new shariah, the words يَقُصُّونَ عَلَيۡكُمۡ ءَايَـٰتِى (relating to you my messages) rebut their argument because the words convey that the messenger will also bring a message from Allah. This message is what is called shariah. If it is argued that the reciting of messages only applies to past messengers, while the coming of messengers applies to the future. The next verse mentions denial of messages only, not denial of messengers. So, if a messenger were to come now without a message, to deny him is of no consequence. No denial of such a messenger is condemned in the next verse. See the next note.
7-36 And those who reject Our messages and turn away from them haughtily — these are the companions of the Fire; they shall abide in it.a
وَٱلَّذِينَ كَذَّبُواْ بِـَٔايَـٰتِنَا وَٱسۡتَكۡبَرُواْ عَنۡہَآ أُوْلَـٰٓٮِٕكَ أَصۡحَـٰبُ ٱلنَّارِۖ هُمۡ فِيہَا خَـٰلِدُونَ (٣٦)
7-36a: It is necessary for a messenger to bring a message: This verse provides clear testimony that by the coming of messengers is meant such messengers who bring with them a message from Allah. Accordingly, as stated earlier: إِمَّا يَأۡتِيَنَّكُم مِّنِّى هُدً۬ى (there will come to you a guidance from Me) (2:38) and two groups are mentioned in connection with this, one فَمَن تَبِعَ هُدَاىَ those who follow this guidance, and the other وَٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ وَكَذَّبُواْ بِـَٔايَـٰتِنَآ those who reject this guidance and this message. Similarly, there are two groups mentioned here, one who reform themselves and the other those who reject the message of Allah. So, the meaning of the two verses is similar and the requital for the two groups is also alike. In both cases, the punishment is for rejecting the messages. The events of the world also bear testimony that the chain of prophets has terminated. For the last thirteen hundred years, no person has appeared who is in the same mold as the people of the past who used to come and developed a large scale following.
7-37 Who is then more unjust than he who forges a lie against Allah or rejects His messages? These — their portion of the Book shall reach them; until when Our messengers come to them causing them to die, they say: Where is that which you used to call upon besides Allah? They would say: They are gone away from us. And they shall bear witness against themselves that they were disbelievers.a
فَمَنۡ أَظۡلَمُ مِمَّنِ ٱفۡتَرَىٰ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ كَذِبًا أَوۡ كَذَّبَ بِـَٔايَـٰتِهِۦۤۚ أُوْلَـٰٓٮِٕكَ يَنَالُهُمۡ نَصِيبُہُم مِّنَ ٱلۡكِتَـٰبِۖ حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَا جَآءَتۡہُمۡ رُسُلُنَا يَتَوَفَّوۡنَہُمۡ قَالُوٓاْ أَيۡنَ مَا كُنتُمۡ تَدۡعُونَ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِۖ قَالُواْ ضَلُّواْ عَنَّا وَشَہِدُواْ عَلَىٰٓ أَنفُسِہِمۡ أَنَّہُمۡ كَانُواْ كَـٰفِرِينَ (٣٧)
7-37a: نَصِيبُہُم مِّنَ ٱلۡكِتَـٰبِ – كِتَـٰبِ may be used here in the sense of what is written, that is part of the Book that pertains to the consequence of rejection but ٱلۡكِتَـٰبِ may mean this Quran, that is that they will face the consequences specified in the Quran for the rejectors.
شَہِدُواْ عَلَىٰٓ أَنفُسِہِمۡ – The meaning of they shall bear witness against themselves is that they will accept their guilt and confess to their sins, or that their condition will manifest that they were disbelievers and that they suppressed the powers kept within humans for their progress.
7-38 He will say: Enter into the Fire among the nations that have passed away before you from among the jinn and men. Every time a nation enters, it curses its sister; until when they all follow one another into it, the last of them will say with regard to the first of them: Our Lord, these led us astray, so give them a double chastisement of the Fire. He will say: Each one has double but you know not.a
قَالَ ٱدۡخُلُواْ فِىٓ أُمَمٍ۬ قَدۡ خَلَتۡ مِن قَبۡلِڪُم مِّنَ ٱلۡجِنِّ وَٱلۡإِنسِ فِى ٱلنَّارِۖ كُلَّمَا دَخَلَتۡ أُمَّةٌ۬ لَّعَنَتۡ أُخۡتَہَاۖ حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَا ٱدَّارَڪُواْ فِيہَا جَمِيعً۬ا قَالَتۡ أُخۡرَٮٰهُمۡ لِأُولَٮٰهُمۡ رَبَّنَا هَـٰٓؤُلَآءِ أَضَلُّونَا فَـَٔاتِہِمۡ عَذَابً۬ا ضِعۡفً۬ا مِّنَ ٱلنَّارِۖ قَالَ لِكُلٍّ۬ ضِعۡفٌ۬ وَلَـٰكِن لَّا تَعۡلَمُونَ (٣٨)
7-38a: أُخۡتَہَا – The words اخ and اخت is spoken for all kinds of partnerships whether by birth, adoption, business, deals or friendship. Those who are partners in unbelief are one another’s brothers and those who are partners in Islam are also brothers of one another. Given the context, the أُخۡتَہَا mentioned in the verse are their friends (R), or it may mean that the masses will curse their leaders and the leaders will curse the masses.
أُخۡرَٮٰهُمۡ – The ones after the أُولَٮٰهُمۡ (the first of them) and the purport is first by virtue of status, that is the subordinates and those of high rank or the weak and strong.
لِكُلٍّ۬ ضِعۡفٌ۬ – (Each one has double). The meaning is that if the leaders are deserving of a greater punishment because they misled the masses, the masses too are deserving of a double punishment because they blindly followed their leaders. The second explanation of double punishment is the dual nature of punishment, manifest and hidden. Some aspects of punishment may be manifest that others can see, and other aspects may be hidden from others. Imam Raghib has adopted the latter meaning.
7-39 And the first of them will say to the last of them: You have no preference over us, so taste the chastisement for what you earned.
وَقالَت أولاهُم لِأُخراهُم فَما كانَ لَكُم عَلَينا مِن فَضلٍ فَذوقُوا العَذابَ بِما كُنتُم تَكسِبونَ (۳۹)
Bayan-ul-Quran 