Surah Al-A'raaf (7) — Ayah 33

(Ayah 33) {قُلْ اِنَّمَا حَرَّمَ رَبِّيَ الْفَوَاحِشَ …… :} In the above verse, it was stated that people had declared many things forbidden on their own accord; now in this verse, the actual forbidden things have been mentioned. (Razi) {’’الْفَوَاحِشَ‘‘} is the plural of {’’فَاحِشَةٌ ‘‘} and refers to an extremely vile act. By {’’الْاِثْمَ‘‘}, all major and minor sins are meant, and wine is also sometimes called {’’اِثْمٌ ‘‘}, and {’’الْبَغْيَ‘‘} means to wrong and oppress people. In short, five types of prohibitions have been mentioned here, and that too with {’’اِنَّمَا‘‘}, the word of restriction. This means that apart from these, nothing else is forbidden, although the prohibition of many other things is mentioned in the Qur'an and Hadith. Imam Razi (may Allah have mercy on him) says that in reality, crimes (offenses, faults, excesses) are of only five types: the first is a crime against lineage, the cause of which is adultery (and similar acts). By {’’ الْفَوَاحِشَ ‘‘}, this is meant. The second is a crime against intellect, which in another sense means drinking wine, and in {’’ الْاِثْمَ ‘‘} this is indicated. The third is a crime against honor, the fourth is a crime against life and property, and in {’’ الْبَغْيَ بِغَيْرِ الْحَقِّ ‘‘} the prohibition of both is indicated. The fifth is a crime against religion, and this is of two types: (1) To attack monotheism, which is indicated by «وَ اَنْ تُشْرِكُوْا بِاللّٰهِ ». (2) And to attribute something to Allah without proper knowledge and to issue religious verdicts, which is indicated by «اَنْ تَقُوْلُوْا عَلَى اللّٰهِ مَا لَا تَعْلَمُوْنَ». In short, these five things are fundamental in all crimes and offenses, and the rest are their branches and things that fall under them. On this basis, restriction with { ’’ اِنَّمَا ‘‘} is correct, and no objection arises on it. (Kabir) Remember that attributing something to Allah also includes attributing something to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), because his (the Messenger's) word is from Allah; that is why whoever deliberately lies about him, his abode is Hell. There is no doubt about the irrefutability of Imam Razi's answer, but a simple answer is that every sin is included in {’’ الْاِثْمَ ‘‘}, so there is no objection to restriction with {’’ اِنَّمَا ‘‘}.

33. 1. By openly shameful acts is meant, according to some, going to brothels and committing adultery, and by hidden acts is meant establishing a special relationship with a 'girlfriend.' According to others, the former refers to marrying those who are forbidden (mahram), which is prohibited. This includes all kinds of outward indecency, such as films, dramas, TV, VCR, obscene newspapers and magazines, gatherings of dance and music, mujra gatherings, women’s immodesty and their shameless mixing with men, open displays of indecency in mehndi and wedding ceremonies, etc. — all these are manifest indecencies.

33. 2. Sin is the name of disobeying Allah, and in a hadith, the Prophet ﷺ said: Sin is that which pricks your heart and you dislike that people become aware of it. Some say that sin is that whose effect is limited to the doer himself, and baghy is that whose effects reach others as well. Here, baghy along with bighayri al-haqq means unjust oppression and excess, for example, usurping people’s rights, seizing someone’s wealth, unjustly beating or hitting, and insulting or dishonoring someone through abuse, etc.

Say, "My Lord has only forbidden indecencies—whether open or hidden—sin, unjust aggression, associating partners with Allah for which He has sent down no authority, and saying about Allah [33] that of which you have no knowledge."

[33] In this verse, Allah Almighty has mentioned five forbidden things which are not related to food items but to actions. The mention of indecency comes first because, from the story of Sayyiduna Adam (peace be upon him), it is being narrated how Satan made Adam and Hawwa (peace be upon them) naked. Then the polytheists of Makkah are mentioned, who would even perform Tawaf naked and considered it a religious sanctity. Although the word "sin" is used for all kinds of sins, big or small, here it is probably used for such a sin whose effect remains limited to the person himself and does not harm anyone else. And by "unjust oppression" is meant those sins by which the rights of others are violated. And shirk is at the forefront of all forbidden acts. And as for attributing something to Allah, the same example is sufficient here as what the polytheists used to say, that verse ﴿وَاللّٰهُ اَمَرَنَا بِهَا﴾ [الاعراف: 28]