سُوْرَةُ الْاَعْرَافِ
Surah Al-A'raaf (7) — Ayah 157
ٱلَّذِينَ يَتَّبِعُونَ ٱلرَّسُولَ ٱلنَّبِىَّ ٱلْأُمِّىَّ ٱلَّذِى يَجِدُونَهُۥ مَكْتُوبًا عِندَهُمْ فِى ٱلتَّوْرَىٰةِ وَٱلْإِنجِيلِ يَأْمُرُهُم بِٱلْمَعْرُوفِ وَيَنْهَىٰهُمْ عَنِ ٱلْمُنكَرِ وَيُحِلُّ لَهُمُ ٱلطَّيِّبَـٰتِ وَيُحَرِّمُ عَلَيْهِمُ ٱلْخَبَـٰٓئِثَ وَيَضَعُ عَنْهُمْ إِصْرَهُمْ وَٱلْأَغْلَـٰلَ ٱلَّتِى كَانَتْ عَلَيْهِمْ ۚ فَٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ بِهِۦ وَعَزَّرُوهُ وَنَصَرُوهُ وَٱتَّبَعُوا۟ ٱلنُّورَ ٱلَّذِىٓ أُنزِلَ مَعَهُۥٓ ۙ أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلْمُفْلِحُونَ ﴿157﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
Those who follow the Messenger, the Prophet who can neither read nor write (i.e. Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم) whom they find written with them in the Taurât (Torah) (Deut, xviii 15) and the Injeel (Gospel) (John xiv, 16), - he commands them for Al-Ma‘rûf (i.e. Islâmic Monotheism and all that Islâm has ordained); and forbids them from Al-Munkar (i.e. disbelief, polytheism of all kinds, and all that Islâm has forbidden); he allows them as lawful At-Tayyibât (i.e. all good and lawful as regards things, deeds, beliefs, persons, foods), and prohibits them as unlawful Al-Khabâ’ith (i.e. all evil and unlawful as regards things, deeds, beliefs, persons and foods), he releases them from their heavy burdens (of Allâh’s Covenant with the children of Israel), and from the fetters (bindings) that were upon them. So those who believe in him (Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم), honour him, help him, and follow the light (the Qur’ân) which has been sent down with him, it is they who will be successful.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
ٱلَّذِينَ
alladhīna
Those who
يَتَّبِعُونَ
yattabiʿūna
follow
ٱلرَّسُولَ
l-rasūla
the Messenger
ٱلنَّبِىَّ
l-nabiya
the Prophet
ٱلْأُمِّىَّ
l-umiya
the unlettered
ٱلَّذِى
alladhī
whom
يَجِدُونَهُۥ
yajidūnahu
they find him
مَكْتُوبًا
maktūban
written
عِندَهُمْ
ʿindahum
with them
فِى
fī
in
ٱلتَّوْرَىٰةِ
l-tawrāti
the Taurat
وَٱلْإِنجِيلِ
wal-injīli
and the Injeel
يَأْمُرُهُم
yamuruhum
He commands them
بِٱلْمَعْرُوفِ
bil-maʿrūfi
to the right
وَيَنْهَىٰهُمْ
wayanhāhum
and forbids them
عَنِ
ʿani
from
ٱلْمُنكَرِ
l-munkari
the wrong
وَيُحِلُّ
wayuḥillu
and he makes lawful
لَهُمُ
lahumu
for them
ٱلطَّيِّبَـٰتِ
l-ṭayibāti
the pure things
وَيُحَرِّمُ
wayuḥarrimu
and makes unlawful
عَلَيْهِمُ
ʿalayhimu
for them
ٱلْخَبَـٰٓئِثَ
l-khabāitha
the impure things
وَيَضَعُ
wayaḍaʿu
and he relieves
عَنْهُمْ
ʿanhum
from them
إِصْرَهُمْ
iṣ'rahum
their burden
وَٱلْأَغْلَـٰلَ
wal-aghlāla
and the fetters
ٱلَّتِى
allatī
which
كَانَتْ
kānat
were
عَلَيْهِمْ ۚ
ʿalayhim
upon them
فَٱلَّذِينَ
fa-alladhīna
So those who
ءَامَنُوا۟
āmanū
believe
بِهِۦ
bihi
in him
وَعَزَّرُوهُ
waʿazzarūhu
and honor him
وَنَصَرُوهُ
wanaṣarūhu
and help him
وَٱتَّبَعُوا۟
wa-ittabaʿū
and follow
ٱلنُّورَ
l-nūra
the light
ٱلَّذِىٓ
alladhī
which
أُنزِلَ
unzila
has been sent down
مَعَهُۥٓ ۙ
maʿahu
with him
أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ
ulāika
Those (are)
هُمُ
humu
[they]
ٱلْمُفْلِحُونَ
l-muf'liḥūna
the successful ones
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran — Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran (Facilitation of the Quran) is a comprehensive Quran commentary by Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. Known for his eloquent and accessible writing style, Kilani authored this tafsir with a focus on clarity — making Quranic meanings understandable to the common reader. The tafsir provides detailed historical context for verses related to battles and expeditions, and firmly refutes modernist ideologies using strong scriptural evidence. It is widely regarded as an invaluable resource for understanding the Quran and countering deviant interpretations. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
157. Those who follow the Messenger, the unlettered Prophet, whom they find mentioned in the Torah and the Gospel with them. He commands them to do good and forbids them from evil [155], makes lawful for them the pure things and prohibits for them the impure things [156], relieves them of their burdens and the shackles that were upon them [157]. So those who believe in him, honor him, support him, and follow the light that has been sent down with him [158]—it is they who will succeed.
[154]
The Glad Tidings About You in the Bible:
In this verse, the address is general for the People of the Book and all other people of the Prophetic era, because even today the means of attaining Allah’s mercy are the same as those that were explained to Sayyiduna Musa (peace be upon him) in response to his supplication. That is, those who believe in Allah’s verses, fear disobeying Allah, and pay zakat, and in addition, there is the condition that they must also obey and follow this present unlettered Prophet, whose glad tidings are still found in the Torah and the Gospel, and the People of the Book read, understand, and know them well. For example:
1. Deuteronomy, chapter 18, verses 15 to 19
2. Matthew, chapter 21, verses 33 to 46
3. John, chapter 1, verses 19 to 21
4. John, chapter 14, verses 15 to 17, and also verses 25 to 30
5. John, chapter 14, verses 25 and 26
6. John, chapter 16, verses 7 to 15
And the word “ummi” is probably attributed to “umm” (i.e., mother), meaning just as a child is born from its mother’s womb and is not anyone’s student, likewise, the Prophet ﷺ never sat as a student before any creature throughout his life. Despite this, the entire world acknowledges the religious sciences and knowledge of which you became the teacher, and no one among the educated and intellectuals has the power to present even a fraction of it. Thus, the title “unlettered Prophet” is a source of great pride for you, and the wisdom in your being unlettered has been explained by the Quran at several places.
[155]
The Importance of Enjoining Good and Forbidding Evil:
The duty of enjoining good and forbidding evil is so important that it has been made obligatory in all divine laws. Many nations were punished simply because they abandoned this duty. Thus, one criterion for the truthfulness of a prophet is whether he commands his followers to fulfill this duty or not. When Heraclius, the emperor of Rome, summoned Abu Sufyan and asked him several questions, one of them was: “What does this Prophet command?” Abu Sufyan replied that he commands such-and-such good deeds and forbids such-and-such evil deeds. Heraclius said that all prophets have done the same. [بخاري، باب كيف كان بدء الوحي]
[156]
The Prophet’s ﷺ Permitting and Prohibiting Certain Things:
Those pure and lawful things which Yaqub (peace be upon him) had made unlawful for himself, and then the Jewish scholars declared them permanently unlawful, or those things which were made unlawful for them due to their disobedience, all of these were made lawful in the Shariah of Muhammad ﷺ. For example, the meat of camels, the fat of cows and goats, etc. And some unlawful things were made lawful by the Jews, which were again declared unlawful in your Shariah, such as usury and considering the wealth of non-Jews lawful and permissible to acquire by any means, right or wrong. Although the apparent address of this sentence seems to be towards the People of the Book, its ruling is general, which includes Muslims as well. Thus, by virtue of this authority granted by Allah, you declared the meat of all predatory animals, birds of prey, and domestic donkeys unlawful. In addition, among the impure things are also included those edible items which are dirty, stale, foul-smelling, or rotten.
[157]
The Severity of Rulings Upon the Children of Israel:
This includes those restrictions and constraints which were legislated for them, such as they were only given the law of retribution (qisas) in case of murder, and were not given the concession or permission of blood money (diyat), or if any part of their body was splashed with urine, they would cut off that part with scissors [نسائي، كتاب الطهارة باب البول الي السترة يستربها]
whereas in our Shariah, such a part becomes pure simply by washing, and there were also such restrictions which their scholars imposed on their own, such as if a woman among them became menstruating, they would not eat the food cooked by her, nor eat with her, nor even let her stay in their house, and would arrange separate accommodation for such women [مسلم، كتاب الحيض۔ باب جواز غسل الحائض راس زوجها]
whereas in our Shariah, except for intercourse, there is no restriction. Then there were also those restrictions which their jurists imposed due to legal hair-splitting, their ascetics due to excessive piety, and their ignorant masses due to superstitions. The task of this unlettered Prophet is to deliver people from the burden of all such shackles.
[158]
By “Light” is Meant the Book and Sunnah or Divine Revelation:
After mentioning the above-mentioned qualities of this unlettered Prophet and his favors upon the people, Allah commands all people that you must believe in such a Prophet, leave no stone unturned in honoring and respecting him, and fully support him in his cause, and follow the light which We have sent down with him. By “light” is meant the Book of Allah, and also the method of acting upon it, i.e., the Sunnah of the Prophet. If you do the above-mentioned things, only then can you be successful.
[154]
The Glad Tidings About You in the Bible:
In this verse, the address is general for the People of the Book and all other people of the Prophetic era, because even today the means of attaining Allah’s mercy are the same as those that were explained to Sayyiduna Musa (peace be upon him) in response to his supplication. That is, those who believe in Allah’s verses, fear disobeying Allah, and pay zakat, and in addition, there is the condition that they must also obey and follow this present unlettered Prophet, whose glad tidings are still found in the Torah and the Gospel, and the People of the Book read, understand, and know them well. For example:
1. Deuteronomy, chapter 18, verses 15 to 19
2. Matthew, chapter 21, verses 33 to 46
3. John, chapter 1, verses 19 to 21
4. John, chapter 14, verses 15 to 17, and also verses 25 to 30
5. John, chapter 14, verses 25 and 26
6. John, chapter 16, verses 7 to 15
And the word “ummi” is probably attributed to “umm” (i.e., mother), meaning just as a child is born from its mother’s womb and is not anyone’s student, likewise, the Prophet ﷺ never sat as a student before any creature throughout his life. Despite this, the entire world acknowledges the religious sciences and knowledge of which you became the teacher, and no one among the educated and intellectuals has the power to present even a fraction of it. Thus, the title “unlettered Prophet” is a source of great pride for you, and the wisdom in your being unlettered has been explained by the Quran at several places.
[155]
The Importance of Enjoining Good and Forbidding Evil:
The duty of enjoining good and forbidding evil is so important that it has been made obligatory in all divine laws. Many nations were punished simply because they abandoned this duty. Thus, one criterion for the truthfulness of a prophet is whether he commands his followers to fulfill this duty or not. When Heraclius, the emperor of Rome, summoned Abu Sufyan and asked him several questions, one of them was: “What does this Prophet command?” Abu Sufyan replied that he commands such-and-such good deeds and forbids such-and-such evil deeds. Heraclius said that all prophets have done the same. [بخاري، باب كيف كان بدء الوحي]
[156]
The Prophet’s ﷺ Permitting and Prohibiting Certain Things:
Those pure and lawful things which Yaqub (peace be upon him) had made unlawful for himself, and then the Jewish scholars declared them permanently unlawful, or those things which were made unlawful for them due to their disobedience, all of these were made lawful in the Shariah of Muhammad ﷺ. For example, the meat of camels, the fat of cows and goats, etc. And some unlawful things were made lawful by the Jews, which were again declared unlawful in your Shariah, such as usury and considering the wealth of non-Jews lawful and permissible to acquire by any means, right or wrong. Although the apparent address of this sentence seems to be towards the People of the Book, its ruling is general, which includes Muslims as well. Thus, by virtue of this authority granted by Allah, you declared the meat of all predatory animals, birds of prey, and domestic donkeys unlawful. In addition, among the impure things are also included those edible items which are dirty, stale, foul-smelling, or rotten.
[157]
The Severity of Rulings Upon the Children of Israel:
This includes those restrictions and constraints which were legislated for them, such as they were only given the law of retribution (qisas) in case of murder, and were not given the concession or permission of blood money (diyat), or if any part of their body was splashed with urine, they would cut off that part with scissors [نسائي، كتاب الطهارة باب البول الي السترة يستربها]
whereas in our Shariah, such a part becomes pure simply by washing, and there were also such restrictions which their scholars imposed on their own, such as if a woman among them became menstruating, they would not eat the food cooked by her, nor eat with her, nor even let her stay in their house, and would arrange separate accommodation for such women [مسلم، كتاب الحيض۔ باب جواز غسل الحائض راس زوجها]
whereas in our Shariah, except for intercourse, there is no restriction. Then there were also those restrictions which their jurists imposed due to legal hair-splitting, their ascetics due to excessive piety, and their ignorant masses due to superstitions. The task of this unlettered Prophet is to deliver people from the burden of all such shackles.
[158]
By “Light” is Meant the Book and Sunnah or Divine Revelation:
After mentioning the above-mentioned qualities of this unlettered Prophet and his favors upon the people, Allah commands all people that you must believe in such a Prophet, leave no stone unturned in honoring and respecting him, and fully support him in his cause, and follow the light which We have sent down with him. By “light” is meant the Book of Allah, and also the method of acting upon it, i.e., the Sunnah of the Prophet. If you do the above-mentioned things, only then can you be successful.
