Tafseer of The Heights · Al-A'raaf · 7:21
And he swore [by Allah] to them, "Indeed, I am to you from among the sincere advisors."
Important: The Arabic source text is always authoritative. This translation is a study aid and has not been verified by scholars — do not use it as a basis for religious proof or for deriving rulings (ahkam). When in doubt, always consult the Arabic text and a qualified scholar.
The discourse on the explanation of His statement: وَقَاسَمَهُمَا إِنِّي لَكُمَا لَمِنَ النَّاصِحِينَ ("And he swore an oath to them both: Truly, I am to you both among the sincere advisers") (7:21).
Abū Jaʿfar said: The Exalted means by His statement وقاسمهما ("and he swore an oath to them both"): and he took an oath to them both, as He said in another place: تَقَاسَمُوا بِاللَّهِ لَنُبَيِّتَنَّهُ (27:49), with the meaning: they swore an oath to one another by Allah that they would fall upon him by night. And as Khālid ibn Zuhayr, the cousin (son of the paternal uncle) of Abū Dhuʾayb, said:
"And he swore to her by Allah with great emphasis: truly, you are sweeter than honey (al-salwā) when we draw it from the comb."
With the meaning: and he took an oath to them both by Allah. And as al-Aʿshā of the Banū Thaʿlaba said:
"Two foster-brothers at the same milk, at the breast of one mother, who swore an oath to one another by something deep-black and dark — forever we shall not part."
With the meaning: they swore an oath to one another.
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And His statement إني لكما لمن الناصحين ("truly, I am to you both among the sincere advisers") means: truly, I am among those who give you both sincere counsel in his advising of you, and in his commanding you both to eat from the fruit of the tree from which you were forbidden to eat, and in his informing you both of that which he informed you, namely that you — if you were to eat from it — would become two angels or would be among those who abide eternally. As:
14396 — Bishr ibn Muʿādh related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda, concerning His statement وقاسمهما إني لكما لمن الناصحين ("and he swore an oath to them both: truly, I am to you both among the sincere advisers"): he swore an oath to them both by Allah until he deceived them, and the believer can indeed be deceived by means of Allah. He said: "Truly, I was created before you both, and I know more than you; so follow me, and I will guide you to the right way." And some of the people of knowledge said: "Whoever deceives us by means of Allah, by him we are deceived."