Transliteration:( Wa iz qeela lahumuskunoo haazihil qaryata wa kuloo minhaa haisu shi'tum wa qooloo hittatunw wadkhulul baaba sujjadan naghfir lakum khateee'aatikum; sanazeedul muhsineen )
And when it was said to them: "Dwell in this town and eat from it wherever you wish [367], and say, 'Remove our sins' [368]. Enter the gate prostrating, and We will forgive you your sins [369]. We will soon increase the rewards for those who do good."
The city referred to here is Jerusalem, known as the City of the Prophets. This shows that residing in sacred places is a divine favor. Just as Jerusalem was honored, the people of Madinah are also blessed, for they live in the sacred court of the Beloved Prophet ﷺ. To live and die in such places is a great blessing from Allah Almighty.
Some scholars say this refers to Jerusalem, while others mention Areeha, where the Jabbareen resided. Their chief was Auj bin Unaq (Tafseer Roohul Bayaan). The people were granted permission to eat freely from the land’s fields and gardens, with no restrictions—whether religious or otherwise. This also reflects that Muslim soldiers may benefit from the spoils of defeated combatants. Hence, both interpretations align, and there is no contradiction in the verse.
This verse highlights that sacred cities deserve reverence. Proximity to the righteous brings spiritual benefit, and repentance in their presence leads to greater acceptance. The Israelites were instructed to enter prostrating and saying ‘remove our sins’, but they mocked the command, replacing “Hittah” (forgive us) with “Hintah” (give us wheat). Thus, they sought worldly gain instead of spiritual pardon, ignoring the true essence of the divine instruction.
The tafsir of Surah Al-A’raf verse 161 by Ibn Kathir is unavailable here.
Please refer to Surah A’raf ayat 160 which provides the complete commentary from verse 160 through 162.
(7:161) And recall[120] when it was said to them: ‘Dwell in this town and eat plentifully of whatever you please, and say: “Repentance”, and enter the gate prostrate. We shall forgive you your sins and shall bestow further favours on those who do good.’
120. This alludes to their constant defiance and rebellion in face of God’ favours which eventually brought about their destruction.
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