A’raf in Loghat and Tafsir

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A’raf as understood logicallyWhy this recognition?

A’raf is derived from “Arf” and means a lofty place and has actually been derived from “Arfol Fars” and “Arfaddayyak” which means the wings of the horse and the crown of a fowl. It is sometimes said that the word has been derived from the meaning of enlightenment and it means the knowing of things and their attributes. The raised places are easily recognized than the low lying ones.

It is sometimes taken as the station of the elevated persons (1)

Where A’raf and what is is its des c r i p tion? There are many explanations about it. Al Mizan mentions six of them as follows:

1. It is a place that overlooks the people in Paradise and Hell.

 2. It’s a wall which has a crown like the crown of a fowl.

3. It is a hill between Paradise and Hell.

4. It is the wall described by the Qura’n as one which stands between the believers and the hypocrites. Verse 13 of Surah Hadid says:

“So a wall with a gate will be put up between them, within it will be mercy and outside of it will be the chastisement.”

5. A’raf means the bridge and crosses over Hell.

6. A’raf means the knowledge about people.

But in my view there will be no doubts left if we study the verses deeply and they say that A’raf is a place overlooking Paradise and Hell and a group of the elevated and chosen ones of God are stationed there together with a group of despairing believers with weak faith. This will be when the pure believers have already entered Paradise and the faithless sinner have gone to Hell. But those who had good and bad deeds remained behind in A’raf waiting to know what decision the elevated persons take about them.

We have already discusse3d in details about the two groups of people that remain there. So now it is clear that the work of these elevated persons is to intercede for these others. Verse 102 of Surah Taubah says:

“They have mixed their good deeds with the evil ones” and so are in dire straits. The desire to live with those in paradise when they see their condition from those heights and when they see Hell they despair and wish that they are never sent there.

The philosophy of A’raf becomes clear at this point that it is to show the elevated status of the true believers, to plead for those that are dire strait as well as the sinners, who will finally get the intercession of these people.

 


 

1. At-Tahqiq, Majmaul Bayan and other commentaries and dictionaries.

 

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