Araf 46-47 | aamsaafanquran's Blog

Araf 46-47

46- AND THERE IS A SHIELD BETWEEN THEM, AND ON THE BARRIER THERE ARE MEN WHO KNOW EACH SIDE BY THEIR LOOKS, THEY CALLED PEOPLE OF PARADISE SAYING PEACE: “UPON YOU, YOU ONLY HOPED TO ENTER (PARADISE)”

47- AND WHEN THEIR EYES WERE TURNED TOWARDS THOSE IN THE FIRE THEY SAID: “OUR LORD, DO NOT LET US BE WITH THE TRANSGRESSORS”.

Allah the Highest creates a barrier between the Hell-Fire and Paradise, only Allah knows its height and width.  Allah the Highest tells us about this barrier in Sorah Al-Hadid saying: “AND A WALL WITH A DOOR WAS ERECTED BETWEEN THEM, ON THE INSIDE THERE IS MERCY, AND ON THE BACK THERE IS PUNISHMENT”.  (S: 57 A: 13)

This area between the Paradise and the Hell-Fire is called “Al-Araf”; this Sorah in the Quran is carrying this name.  In this area will wait those who neither did enough to take them to Paradise or the Hell-Fire? 

They will wait there looking at the Hell-Fire on one side, fearing to end up with them, and looking at the Paradise on the other side, hoping to enter there to enjoy its delights.  They will live between fear and hope until Allah the Highest passes His judgement concerning them.

They wait there until they know their destiny. Allah’s messenger prayer and peace upon him said about them: “They are the last people Allah has to judge.  When the Lord of the Judges (Allah the Highest) will say: “You are those whose good deeds kept you out of the Fire but are not enough to be admitted to Paradise, you are saved by Me, go to wherever you like in Paradise”.  (Ibn Jarir)

This should tell us never to think a sin to be trivial or a good deed to be too little to do, for this can make the difference between being in Paradise, or the Hell-Fire, may Allah the Highest save us from.