Surah Al-A’raf was revealed in Makkah
الٓمٓصٓ
كِتَـٰبٌ أُنزِلَ إِلَيْكَ
فَلَا يَكُن فِى صَدْرِكَ
حَرَجٌ مِّنْهُ لِتُنذِرَ بِهِۦ
وَذِكْرَىٰ لِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ
ٱتَّبِعُوا۟ مَآ أُنزِلَ إِلَيْكُم
مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ وَلَا تَتَّبِعُوا۟
مِن دُونِهِۦٓ أَوْلِيَآءَ ۗ قَلِيلًا
مَّا تَذَكَّرُونَ
Alif-Lam-Mim-Sad.
(This is the) Book
(the Qur’an) sent down
unto you, so let not
your breast be narrow
therefrom, that you
warn thereby; and a
reminder unto believers.
Follow what has been
sent down unto you
from your Lord, and
follow not any Awliya’
(protectors) besides Him.
(Little do you remember!)
We mentioned before the explanation of the letters (such as, Alif-Lam, that are in the beginning of some Surahs in the Qur’an)
كِتَـبٌ أُنزِلَ إِلَيْكَ
(This is the) Book (the Qur’an) sent down unto you (O Muhammad)
from your Lord,
فَلاَ يَكُن فِى صَدْرِكَ حَرَجٌ مِّنْهُ
so let not your breast be narrow therefrom
meaning, having doubt about it according to Mujahid, Qatadah and As-Suddi. It was also said that the meaning here is: `do not hesitate to convey the Qur’an and warn with it,’
فَاصْبِرْ كَمَا صَبَرَ
أُوْلُواْ الْعَزْمِ مِنَ الرُّسُلِ
Therefore be patient as did the Messengers of strong will (Al-Ahqaf 35).
Allah said here,
لِتُنذِرَ بِهِ
that you warn thereby
meaning, `We sent down the Qur’an so that you may warn the disbelievers with it,’
وَذِكْرَى لِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ
and a reminder unto the believers
Allah then said to the world,
اتَّبِعُواْ مَآ أُنزِلَ إِلَيْكُم مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ
Follow what has been sent down unto you from your Lord
meaning, follow and imitate the unlettered Prophet , who brought you a Book that was revealed for you, from the Lord and master of everything.
وَلاَ تَتَّبِعُواْ مِن دُونِهِ أَوْلِيَآءَ
and follow not any Awliya’, besides Him (Allah)
meaning, do not disregard what the Messenger brought you and follow something else, for in this case, you will be deviating from Allah’s judgment to the decision of someone else. Allah’s statement,
قَلِيلاً مَّا تَذَكَّرُونَ
Little do you remember!
is similar to,
وَمَآ أَكْثَرُ النَّاسِ
وَلَوْ حَرَصْتَ بِمُؤْمِنِينَ
And most of mankind will not believe even if you desire it eagerly (Yusuf 103)
and;
وَإِن تُطِعْ أَكْثَرَ مَن فِى الاٌّرْضِ
يُضِلُّوكَ عَن سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ
And if you obey most of those on the earth, they will mislead you far away from Allah’s path (Al-An’am 116)
and,
وَمَا يُؤْمِنُ أَكْثَرُهُمْ بِاللَّهِ
إِلاَّ وَهُمْ مُّشْرِكُونَ
And most of them believe not in Allah except that they attribute partners unto Him (Yusuf 106).