Surah Araf ayat 171 Tafsir Quran 7:171

﴿۞ وَإِذْ نَتَقْنَا الْجَبَلَ فَوْقَهُمْ كَأَنَّهُ ظُلَّةٌ وَظَنُّوا أَنَّهُ وَاقِعٌ بِهِمْ خُذُوا مَا آتَيْنَاكُم بِقُوَّةٍ وَاذْكُرُوا مَا فِيهِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَّقُونَ﴾
[ الأعراف: 171]

7:171 And [mention] when We raised the mountain above them as if it was a dark cloud and they were certain that it would fall upon them, [and Allah said], "Take what We have given you with determination and remember what is in it that you might fear Allah."

And mention when We wrenched the mountain above them We lifted it up unearthing it from its root as if it were a canopy and they thought they were certain that it was about to fall upon them because of God’s threat to them that it would fall upon them if they refused to accept the rulings contained in the Torah they had initially refused to accept them because of their being burdensome but then accepted them and We said to them ‘Take firmly seriously and earnestly what We have given you and remember what is in it by acting in accordance with it that you might be God-fearing’.

And you Ahl AL-Kitab had better recall to the mind that once when your fathers camped at the foot of the Mount and heaven thundered and the awe - inspiring echoes thundered in their ears as We entered with them into a covenant, and We stabilized the Mount above them when it shook with such fits of awe for the profound reverence dutiful to Allah and they thought it was collapsing over their heads. There and then did We say to them: Adhere to all We have imparted to you -AL-Tawrah- and observe the code of discipline and body of regulations and hold them in esteem and hold to your promise and pay attention and regard to it and be mindful of Our commandments, you may hopefully entertain the profound reverence dutiful to Me

Raising Mount Tur over the Jews, because of Their Rebellion `Ali bin Abi Talhah reported that Ibn `Abbas commented on the Ayah, وَإِذ نَتَقْنَا الْجَبَلَ فَوْقَهُمْ ( And (remember ) when We Nataqna the mountain over them), "We raised the mountain, as Allah's other statement testifies, وَرَفَعْنَا فَوْقَهُمُ الطُّورَ بِمِيثَـقِهِمْ ( And for their covenant, We raised over them the mountain ) 4:154." Also, Sufyan Ath-Thawri narrated that Al-A`mash said that, Sa`id bin Jubayr said that Ibn `Abbas said, "The angels raised the Mount over their heads, as reiterated by Allah's statement, وَرَفَعْنَا فَوْقَهُمُ الطُّورَ ( We raised over them the mountain ) 4:154." Al-Qasim bin Abi Ayyub narrated that Sa`id bin Jubayr said that Ibn `Abbas said, "Musa later on proceeded with them to the Sacred Land.
He took along the Tablets, after his anger subsided, and commanded them to adhere to the orders that Allah ordained to be delivered to them.
But these orders became heavy on them and they did not want to implement them until Allah raised the mountain over them, كَأَنَّهُ ظُلَّةٌ ( as if it had been a canopy ), that is, when the angels raised the mountain over their heads." An-Nasa'i collected it.

(7:171) And recall when We shook the mountain over them as though it were a canopy, and they thought that it was going to fall over them; and We said: 'Hold firmly to that which We have given you, and remember what is in it, that you may guard against evil. *132

And [mention] when We raised the mountain meaning

*132).
The allusion here is to the event which took place when Moses proclaimed God's Divine Law at the foot of Mount Sinai.

Then Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet God; and they took their stand at the foot of the mountain.
And Mount Sinai was wrapped in smoke, because the Lord descended upon it in fire; and the smoke of it went up like the smoke of a kiln, and the whole mountain quaked greatly.
( Exodus 19: 17-18. )
This awesome atmosphere was created by God at the time when He made the people of Israel enter into a covenant with Him in order to impress upon them the gravity of the event and the supreme importance of the covenant.
It should not be mistakenly assumed, however, that the people of Israel, who were reluctant to make the covenant, were forced to enter into it.
In fact they were all believers and had gone to the Mount merely to make the covenant.
The extraordinary conditions which God created were such as to make the Israelites realize that making a covenant with God was not an ordinary matter.
They were rather made to feel that they were entering into a covenant with none other than Almighty God and that violating it could spell their disaster.

This concludes the discourse especially addressed to the Israelites.
From here on the discourse is directed to all mankind, and particularly to the people whom the Prophet ( peace be on him ) addressed directly.

 

Raising Mount Tur over the Jews, because of Their Rebellion `Ali bin Abi Talhah reported that Ibn `Abbas commented on the Ayah, وَإِذ نَتَقْنَا الْجَبَلَ فَوْقَهُمْ ( And (remember ) when We Nataqna the mountain over them), "We raised the mountain, as Allah's other statement testifies, وَرَفَعْنَا فَوْقَهُمُ الطُّورَ بِمِيثَـقِهِمْ ( And for their covenant, We raised over them the mountain ) 4:154." Also, Sufyan Ath-Thawri narrated that Al-A`mash said that, Sa`id bin Jubayr said that Ibn `Abbas said, "The angels raised the Mount over their heads, as reiterated by Allah's statement, وَرَفَعْنَا فَوْقَهُمُ الطُّورَ ( We raised over them the mountain ) 4:154." Al-Qasim bin Abi Ayyub narrated that Sa`id bin Jubayr said that Ibn `Abbas said, "Musa later on proceeded with them to the Sacred Land.
He took along the Tablets, after his anger subsided, and commanded them to adhere to the orders that Allah ordained to be delivered to them.
But these orders became heavy on them and they did not want to implement them until Allah raised the mountain over them, كَأَنَّهُ ظُلَّةٌ ( as if it had been a canopy ), that is, when the angels raised the mountain over their heads." An-Nasa'i collected it.

( And when We shook the Mount ) when We extracted, raised and fixed the Mount ( above them ) above their heads ( as it were a covering ) for comfort, ( and they supposed ) they knew and were certain ( that it was going to fall upon them ) if they did not accept the Scripture ( (and We said ): Hold fast that which We have given you) act according to it seriously and diligently, ( and remember that which is therein ) of reward and punishment; it is also said that this means: recall what is therein of commands and prohibitions; and it is also said that this means: act upon that which is therein of the lawful and the unlawful, ( that ye may ward off (evil )) that you may ward off Allah’s wrath and torment and that you may believe in Allah.

And (remember) when We raised the mountain over them as if it had been a canopy, and they thought that it was going to fall on them. (We said): "Hold firmly to what We have given you [i.e. the Taurat (Torah)], and remember that which is therein (act on its commandments), so that you may fear Allah and obey Him."

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