Jannah & JahannamThe Day

Al-A'raf, the heights

الْأَعْرَاف

A barrier between the people of the Garden and the people of the Fire, on which are men who know each by their marks.

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About

Between the people of the Garden and the people of the Fire there is a barrier, and on the heights are men who know each by their marks; they greet the people of the Garden, hoping to enter it, and when they look toward the Fire they ask Allah not to place them with the wrongdoers (7:46-47).

As-Sa'di explains that al-A'raf is a barrier that is neither of the Garden nor of the Fire, overlooking both. Scholars differ on who its people are; he holds the sound view to be that they are those whose good and bad deeds are equal, who stay there as long as Allah wills and are then brought into the Garden by His mercy, which outstrips His anger.

Evidence

QuranAl-A'raaf (The Heights)Quran 7:46

وَبَيْنَهُمَا حِجَابٌ ۚ وَعَلَى ٱلْأَعْرَافِ رِجَالٌ يَعْرِفُونَ كُلًّۢا بِسِيمَىٰهُمْ ۚ وَنَادَوْا۟ أَصْحَـٰبَ ٱلْجَنَّةِ أَن سَلَـٰمٌ عَلَيْكُمْ ۚ لَمْ يَدْخُلُوهَا وَهُمْ يَطْمَعُونَ ٤٦

And between them will be a partition [i.e., wall], and on [its] elevations are men[373] who recognize all[374] by their mark. And they call out to the companions of Paradise, "Peace be upon you." They have not [yet] entered it, but they long intensely.

Translator's notes

[373] Those whose scales are balanced between good and evil deeds. [374] Both the inhabitants of Paradise and those of Hell.

Saheeh International · QuranEnc v1.1.2

Another translation: Al-Hilali & Muhsin Khan · QuranEnc v1.1.2

46. And between them will be a (barrier) screen and on Al-A‘râf [4] (a wall with elevated places) will be men (whose good and evil deeds would be equal in scale), who would recognise all (of the Paradise and Hell people), by their marks (the dwellers of Paradise by their white faces and the dwellers of Hell by their black faces), they will call out to the dwellers of Paradise, "Salâmun ‘Alaikum" (Peace be on you), and at that time they (men on Al-A‘râf) will not yet have entered it (Paradise), but they will hope to enter (it) with certainty.

[4] (V.7:46) Al-A‘râf It is said that it is a wall between Paradise and Hell and it has on it elevated places. [Please see Tafsir Al-Qurtubi].

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