Surah Al A'raf Tafseer

Story Bal`am bin Ba`ura

Allah tells;

وَاتْلُ عَلَيْهِمْ نَبَأَ الَّذِيَ اتَيْنَاهُ ايَاتِنَا

فَانسَلَخَ مِنْهَا

And recite to them the story of him to whom We gave Our Ayat, but he threw them away,

Abdur-Razzaq recorded that Abdullah bin Mas`ud said that this Ayah;

"Is about Bal`am bin Ba`ura' a man from the Children of Israel."

Shu`bah and several other narrators narrated this statement from Mansur who got it from Ibn Mas`ud.

Sa`id bin Abi Arubah narrated that Qatadah said that Ibn Abbas said,

"He is Sayfi, son of Ar-Rahib."

Qatadah commented that Ka`b said,

"He was a man from Al-Balqla' (a province of Jordan) who knew Allah's Greatest Name. He used to live in Bayt Al-Maqdis with the tyrants."

Al-Awfi reported that Ibn Abbas said,

"He is Bal`am bin Ba`ura', a man from Yemen whom Allah had given the knowledge of His Ayat, but he abandoned them."

Malik bin Dinar said,

"He was one of the scholars of the Children of Israel whose supplication was acceptable. They used to seek his lead in supplication in times of difficulty. Allah's Prophet Musa sent him to the King of Madyan to call him to Allah. That king appeased him and gave him land and gifts, and he reverted from the religion of Musa and followed the king's religion."

Imran bin Uyaynah narrated that Husayn said that Imran bin Al-Harith said that Ibn Abbas said,

"He is Bal`am son of Ba`ura'."

Similar was said by Mujahid and Ikrimah.

Therefore, it is well-known that this honorable Ayah was revealed about a man from the Children of Israel in ancient times, according to Ibn Mas`ud and several others among the Salaf.

Ali bin Abi Talhah reported that Ibn Abbas said,

"He is a man from the city of the tyrants (Jerusalem) whose name was Bal`am and who knew Allah's Greatest Name."

Ali bin Abi Talhah also reported that Ibn Abbas that he said,

"When Musa and those with him went to the city of the tyrants (Jerusalem), the cousins of Bal`am and his people came to him and said, `Musa is a strong man, and he has many soldiers. If he gains the upper hand over us, we will be destroyed. Therefore, supplicate to Allah that He prevents Musa and those with him from prevailing over us.' Bal`am said, `If I supplicate to Allah that He turns back Musa and those with him, I will lose in this life and the Hereafter.'

They kept luring him until he supplicated against Musa and his people, and Allah took away what he bestowed on him (of knowledge).

Hence Allah's statement,

فَانسَلَخَ مِنْهَا

فَأَتْبَعَهُ الشَّيْطَانُ

but he threw them away; so Shaytan followed him up."'

فَكَانَ مِنَ الْغَاوِينَ

and he became of those who went astray.

Allah said next