7-182 And those who reject Our messages — We lead them (to destruction) step by step from whence they know not.a
وَالَّذينَ كَذَّبوا بِآياتِنا سَنَستَدرِجُهُم مِن حَيثُ لا يَعلَمونَ (۱۸۲)
7-182a: سَنَستَدرِجُهُم – دَرَجَة is like مَنۡزِلَة but in terms of climbing above and it means a high rank as in: وَلِلرِّجالِ عَلَيهِنَّ دَرَجَةٌ (And the men are a degree above them) (2:228) and هُم دَرَجاتٌ عِندَ اللَّهِ (There are grades with Allah) (3:163). دَرۡج is to fold a book or cloth and what is folded is also called دَرۡج and so metaphorically death is also called دَرۡج . Derived from it is استدراج which means their folding up like a book is folded. In other words, it is a mention of their state of being oblivious. The meaning of استدراج can also be that they will be caught stealthily by degrees, as if they are slowly coming closer to their destruction (R).
Destruction by degrees: This verse deals with what will happen finally with the Holy Prophet’s opponents. After a thorough discussion of prophethood and the need for prophets, it is necessary to mention the fate of the nation that wants to destroy the truth. It is stated about them that they will slowly be taken to their destruction without their knowledge because they are so consumed with the opposition of the truth that they do not sense the destruction approaching them. This is a Makkan surah and the outcome of their enmity to truth was played out later in Madinah in exactly the manner described without their perceiving the impending doom. They brought about their doom with their own hands, and it overtook them gradually so that they did not see it coming.
7-183 And I grant them respite. Surely My scheme is effective.a
وَأُملي لَهُم ۚ إِنَّ كَيدي مَتينٌ (۱۸۳)
7-183a: مَتينٌ – مَتۡن is elevated hard ground that resembles the two sides of a person’s back. For this reason, مَتُنَ means to be or to become strong, firm, solid and مَتينٌ (solid, sound, tough) is derived from it (R).
The meaning is that Allah is not like a small hearted person who catches a person at the slightest hint of opposition. Instead, he grants respite because, unlike humans, Allah has no worries that if a culprit is given slack, he may run away and not be caught again. Allah’s scheme is very sound, but humans based on their own experience often consider that if they were not caught once, there is perhaps no one to catch them.
7-184 Do they not reflect (that) there is no madness in their companion? He is only a plain warner.
أَوَلَم يَتَفَكَّروا ۗ ما بِصاحِبِهِم مِن جِنَّةٍ ۚ إِن هُوَ إِلّا نَذيرٌ مُبينٌ (۱۸۴)
7-184a: جِنَّة – جَنّ means to cover. جِنّة means a party of jinn, as in: مِنَ الجِنَّةِ وَالنّاسِ (from among the men and jinn) (114:6); وَجَعَلوا بَينَهُ وَبَينَ الجِنَّةِ نَسَبًا (And they assert a relationship between Him and the jinn) (37:158). جِنَّة also means madness because it asserts itself between a person’s intelligence and his self (R).
Messengers are not mad: Messengers warn people about the consequences of evil and this is not an act of lunacy. If the disbelievers had reflected on the Quran, they would have realized that the messenger desires to elevate them to a higher status and this is not the work of a mad person. It is a matter of great wonder that the people who were called mad actually wanted to elevate the people to a higher spiritual level and to warn them of the consequences of evil. The disregard for their message is even more surprising when one considers the experience of the whole world which is that the consequence of evil is evil.
7-185 Do they not consider the kingdom of the heavens and the earth and what things Allah has created, and that it may be that their doom has drawn nigh? In what announcement after this will they then believe?
أَوَلَم يَنظُروا في مَلَكوتِ السَّماواتِ وَالأَرضِ وَما خَلَقَ اللَّهُ مِن شَيءٍ وَأَن عَسىٰ أَن يَكونَ قَدِ اقتَرَبَ أَجَلُهُم ۖ فَبِأَيِّ حَديثٍ بَعدَهُ يُؤمِنونَ (۱۸۵)
7-186 Whomsoever Allah leaves in error, there is no guide for him. And He leaves them alone in their inordinacy, blindly wandering on.
مَن يُضلِلِ اللَّهُ فَلا هادِيَ لَهُ ۚ وَيَذَرُهُم في طُغيانِهِم يَعمَهونَ (۱۸۶)
7-187 They ask thee about the Hour, when will it come to pass? Say: The knowledge thereof is with my Lord only. None but He will manifest it at its time. It is momentous in the heavens and the earth. It will not come to you but of a sudden. They ask thee as if thou wert solicitous about it. Say: Its knowledge is with Allah only, but most people know not.a
يَسأَلونَكَ عَنِ السّاعَةِ أَيّانَ مُرساها ۖ قُل إِنَّما عِلمُها عِندَ رَبّي ۖ لا يُجَلّيها لِوَقتِها إِلّا هُوَ ۚ ثَقُلَت فِي السَّماواتِ وَالأَرضِ ۚ لا تَأتيكُم إِلّا بَغتَةً ۗ يَسأَلونَكَ كَأَنَّكَ حَفِيٌّ عَنها ۖ قُل إِنَّما عِلمُها عِندَ اللَّهِ وَلٰكِنَّ أَكثَرَ النّاسِ لا يَعلَمونَ (۱۸۷)
7-187a: مُرۡسٰی – The meaning of رَسَا is that a thing became firm or strong or entrenched, and the meaning of اَرۡسٰی is made it strong or established it, as in قُدورٍ راسِياتٍ (fixed cooking pots); رَواسِيَ شامِخاتٍ (lofty mountains) (77:27) where رَواسِيَ is plural and the meaning is mountains, so called because of their solidity, as in وَالجِبالَ أَرساها (And the mountains, He made them firm) (79:32). مُرۡسٰی can be a verbal noun, a noun of place and time or an object. The meaning here is the time of its occurrence. Another use from the Quran is بِسمِ اللَّهِ مَجراها وَمُرساها is (in the name of Allah be its sailing and its anchoring).
یجلی – It is derived from جَلۡو which means to manifest a thing openly and تجلیة has the same meaning.
ثَقُلَت – ثَقُلَ or baggage or load is spoken of solid substances but can also be used as a metaphor as in: فَهُم مِن مَغرَمٍ مُثقَلونَ (so that they are burdened with debt) (68:46) and ثقل القول (a statement that is distasteful to hear). From the same perspective, the Hour is called ثَقُلَت or momentous.
حفی – The meaning of اِحفا is to ask a question in a besieging manner or to endeavor assiduously to inquire about a matter.
What is the meaning of الساعة here: It is shown in 6:31a that there are three ساعة (Hours) or doomsdays – minor (صغریٰ ), middle (وسطیٰ ) and great ( کبریٰ ). The middle doomsday is the time of the destruction of a nation. It is obvious that the reference in the verses at the start of this section is clearly about the punishment of enemies of truth. When they were informed about the punishment gradually advancing towards them and that they were given respite for a short time, they enquired when would the time of their failure and destruction take place. This predicted destruction was surprising for them because they were at the height of their power. The reply given is that it is not necessary to tell when that time would come because it has already been communicated to them that it will come slowly and gradually. It is pointed out, however, that the promised punishment is not going to be easy for them and they are naïve to repeatedly ask it to be expedited. The arduous nature of the punishment will be very displeasing to them and it is described elsewhere as خافِضَةٌ رافِعَةٌ (Abasing (some) exalting (others)), that is it will abase some, the disbelievers, and exalt others, that is the believers.
7-188 Say: I control not benefit or harm for myself except as Allah please. And had I known the unseen, I should have much of good, and no evil would touch me. I am but a warner and the giver of good news to a people who believe.a
قُل لا أَملِكُ لِنَفسي نَفعًا وَلا ضَرًّا إِلّا ما شاءَ اللَّهُ ۚ وَلَو كُنتُ أَعلَمُ الغَيبَ لَاستَكثَرتُ مِنَ الخَيرِ وَما مَسَّنِيَ السّوءُ ۚ إِن أَنا إِلّا نَذيرٌ وَبَشيرٌ لِقَومٍ يُؤمِنونَ (۱۸۸)
7-188a: After warning the opponents of the grave consequences of their opposition and giving good news to the believers, it is pointed out that the Prophet has no knowledge of the future, and he reveals only to the extent what Allah has manifested to him. The Holy Prophet never laid claims to power over and above that of a mortal and this shows the simplicity with which he expounded the principles of religion. He explained everything but told the people that they should accept truth for the sake of truth and not for any hope of getting luxuries.
The real reason of success: The real reason for the success of Islamic principles lies in their simplicity which has existed since the beginning. There are no grandiose claims like those made by the People of the Gospel that I am this or that, but the Holy Prophet accomplished such a lot that compared to him, what Jesus accomplished pales into insignificance.
Bayan-ul-Quran 