Translation of the meanings Ayah 171 Surah Al-A‘rāf - English Translation - Dr. Waleed Bleyhesh Omary - The Noble Qur'an Encyclopedia

Ayah: 171

۞ وَإِذۡ نَتَقۡنَا ٱلۡجَبَلَ فَوۡقَهُمۡ كَأَنَّهُۥ ظُلَّةٞ وَظَنُّوٓاْ أَنَّهُۥ وَاقِعُۢ بِهِمۡ خُذُواْ مَآ ءَاتَيۡنَٰكُم بِقُوَّةٖ وَٱذۡكُرُواْ مَا فِيهِ لَعَلَّكُمۡ تَتَّقُونَ

(171) ^[1813]˹Mention Muhammad˺ When We uprooted the mountain ˹lifting it˺ like a canopy above them and they expected it to fall on them, ˹We said˺: “Hold fast to what We have given you and bear in mind what came into it, so that you might be Mindful”.^[1814]

[1813] This passage highlights a further incident from the saga of the Israelites. It is notable in the current context as it provides greater relevance to the rest of humanity, so that they may draw lessons from it. People, in general, are not to be misled into thinking that God only took the pledge from the Israelites specifically. Instead, they are being made aware of an earlier testimony from all humans that Allah is their only and true God. That they are told so after mention of the show of force that God demonstrated to the Israelites reminds people of God’s Power in the face of those who defy Him: “And nothing prevents people from Believing when guidance comes to them and from asking forgiveness of their Lord except that there ˹must˺ befall them the ˹accustomed˺ fate of the former peoples or that punishment should come ˹directly˺ before them” (18: 55).
[1814] After all these incidents of rebelling against God’s commands and Moses’ bidding as highlighted in Aya 145 above, they were only to afford the matter the care and concern it deserved through such a drastic measure as uprooting a mountain (cf. Ibn ʿĀshūr), yet even that was not enough for them: “˹Remember˺ When We took your pledge, and raised the mountain above you; “Hold fast to what We have given you and bear in mind what came into it, so that you might be Mindful. ˹Remember˺ When We took your pledge, and raised the mountain above you; “Hold fast to what We have given you and bear in mind what came into it, so that you might be Mindful. *Then you turned away after that. Had it not been for Allah’s favour and Mercy, you would have been among the Losers” (2: 63-64).