His saying - glorified and exalted is He -: "And between them is a barrier, and on the heights are men who recognize all by their marks. And they called to the companions of Paradise, 'Peace be upon you.' They have not entered it while they are longing." "And when their eyes are turned towards the companions of the Fire, they say, 'Our Lord, do not place us with the wrongdoing people.'" "And the companions of the heights called to men whom they recognized by their marks. They said, 'Your great numbers did not avail you, nor did your arrogance.'"

The pronoun in His saying, "And between them" refers to Paradise and the Fire. It is possible that it refers to both, as His saying - blessed and exalted is He -: "And the companions of Paradise called to the companions of the Fire" [Al-A'raf: 44] includes both. And "the barrier" is the wall mentioned by Him - glorified and exalted is He - in His saying: "And a barrier was placed between them with a door" [Al-Hadid: 13]. Ibn Abbas said this. Mujahid said: "The heights" is a barrier between Paradise and the Fire. Ibn Abbas - may Allah be pleased with him - also said: It is a hill between Paradise and the Fire. Al-Zahrawi mentioned a hadith that the Messenger of Allah - blessings and peace be upon him - said: "Indeed, Uhud is a mountain that loves us and we love it; and it will stand on the Day of Resurrection between Paradise and the Fire; some people will be held back upon it, recognizing each by their marks; they are, if Allah wills, among the people of Paradise." He mentioned another hadith from Safwan ibn Sulaym that the Prophet - blessings and peace be upon him - said: "Indeed, Uhud is on a corner of the corners of Paradise." And "the heights" is the plural of "'urf"; which is the elevated place of the earth. From it is the saying of the poet:

"Every knotted flesh is like the mountain that rises above the heights."

And from it is the saying of Al-Shamakh:

"And it remained on the heights, as if it were spears directed towards the wind."

And from it is the 'urf of the horse and the 'urf of the rooster, due to their elevation. Al-Suddi said: It is called "the heights" because its companions recognize the people.

Qadi Abu Muhammad - may Allah have mercy on him - said: This is a metaphor; and what is meant by the heights is the top of that barrier. And His saying - glorified and exalted is He - "men"; Abu Mijlaz and Lahiq ibn Humayd said: They are the angels; and the term "men" is borrowed for them, as they appear in the forms of men; he said: And they are males, not females.

Qadi Abu Muhammad - may Allah have mercy on him - said: And Allah has also named men among the jinn.

The majority said: They are men from among humans. Then they differed; Mujahid said: They are righteous people, knowledgeable scholars. Al-Zahrawi reported that they are the just witnesses of the Resurrection who testify against people with their deeds; and they are in every nation. Al-Zajjaj said this; and some said: They are prophets. Al-Mahdawi said: They are the martyrs. Shurhabil ibn Sa'd said: They are those who were martyred in the cause of Allah - glorified and exalted is He - who went out disobedient to their parents. Al-Tabari mentioned in this a hadith from the Prophet - blessings and peace be upon him - that their disobedience and their martyrdom were equal. Ibn Mas'ud, Al-Sha'bi, Hudhayfah ibn Al-Yaman, Ibn Abbas, Ibn Jubayr, and Al-Dahhak said: They are a people whose good deeds and bad deeds are equal.

The judge Abu Muhammad - may Allah have mercy on him - said: It has been reported in the Musnad of Khaythamah ibn Sulayman at the end of the fifteenth part a hadith from Jabir ibn Abdullah who said: The Messenger of Allah - blessings and peace be upon him - said: "The scales will be placed on the Day of Resurrection; the good deeds will be weighed; and the bad deeds; so whoever's good deeds outweigh his bad deeds by the weight of a mustard seed will enter Paradise; and whoever's bad deeds outweigh his good deeds by the weight of a mustard seed will enter the Fire." It was said: O Messenger of Allah; what about the one whose good deeds and bad deeds are equal? He said: "Those are the people of Al-A'raf; they have not entered it; while they hope to." And Hudhayfah ibn Al-Yaman said: They are a people whose small ones were delayed until the last of the people.

The judge Abu Muhammad - may Allah have mercy on him - said: It is necessary from the verse that on the heights of that wall - or on elevated places between the two groups where Allah, the Exalted, wills - there are men from the people of Paradise; their entrance is delayed; and they will have what has been described regarding consideration between the two groups.

And ﴿They recognize each by their marks﴾; meaning by their signs; which are the whiteness of the faces; and their beauty among the people of Paradise; and the blackness and ugliness among the people of the Fire; and other than that; in the domain of these; and in the domain of those; and "as-sīmah": (p-572) the sign; and it is from "wasama"; and it has a heart; it is said: "sīmah"; in a restricted form; and "sīmā"; in an extended form; and "sīmiyā"; with the kasrah of the meem; and an additional ya; its weight is "‘iflā"; while being from "wasama"; and it is said: it is from "sawama"; meaning to know; so its weight - according to this - is "fi‘lā". And their calling to the people of Paradise is possible to be while the people of Paradise have not yet entered it; so it is also possible that his saying: ﴿They have not entered it while they hope﴾; is meant for the people of Paradise; and this is the interpretation of Abu Mijlaz; as he made the people of Al-A'raf angels; and it is possible that it is meant for the people of Al-A'raf; and it is possible that their calling to the people of Paradise with peace is while they have entered it; so at that time, his saying, the Exalted, ﴿They have not entered it while they hope﴾; cannot be meant except for the people of Al-A'raf alone; and this is the interpretation of Al-Suddi; Qatadah; Ibn Mas'ud; and Al-Hasan; and he said: By Allah, Allah did not place that hope in their hearts except for a good that He intended for them.

The judge Abu Muhammad - may Allah have mercy on him - said: And this is the most apparent and appropriate; and there is no consideration for anyone along with the saying of the Prophet - blessings and peace be upon him.

And His saying, the Exalted, ﴿And they hope﴾; is a separate statement; He informed that they have not entered it; while they are hoping for its entrance; so it is as if the statement is a condition of the pronoun in "they called."

And Abu Ruqaysh the grammarian read: "They did not enter it while they were coveting it"; and Iyad ibn Laqit read: "while they were displeased"; and some people mentioned a saying, which is that his saying, glorified and exalted is He, "while they are coveting it"; is to be understood as a state of the pronoun of the group in "they did not enter it"; and the meaning would be: "They did not enter it while they were in a state of desire for it; rather, they were in a state of despair and fear; but they were encompassed by the pardon of Allah - glorified and exalted is He. And Ibn Mas'ud said: The people of Al-A'raf only coveted because the light that was in their hands was not extinguished when all that was in the hands of the hypocrites was extinguished.

And the pronoun in "their eyes" refers back to the people of Al-A'raf; so they greet the people of Paradise; and when they look at the Fire and its people, they call upon Allah, glorified and exalted is He, for deliverance from it; this was said by Ibn Abbas - may Allah be pleased with both of them - and a group of scholars. And Abu Mijlaz said: The pronoun refers to the people of Paradise; and they have not yet entered it; and His saying, glorified and exalted is He, "turned away"; indicates what is there from the terror of the sight; and His saying, glorified and exalted is He, "men"; refers to the people of the Fire; and it is possible that this call is while the people of the Fire are in the Fire; so their recognition is by identifying signs that they are those who were known in this world; and it is possible that this call is while they are being carried to the Fire; so the distinguishing mark by which they are known is that they are the people of the Fire; the darkening of faces and the distortion of features. And Abu Mijlaz said: The angels call out to men in the Fire; and others said: Rather, humans call out to the people of the Fire; and it was said that "what" in His saying, glorified and exalted is He, "What has availed"; is an interrogative with the meaning of confirmation and reproach; and it was said: "and what"; is negating; and the first is more correct; and "your gathering"; is a term that encompasses the gatherings of the armies; and the followers; and the gathering of wealth; because the intended meaning of the men is that they are tyrannical kings who will be confronted on the Day of Resurrection with the meaning of humiliation and disgrace; and "what"; the second is a verbal noun; and a group read: "you are increasing"; with a three-pronged 'th' from "abundance."