Surah Al-A'raf 7:24: Down to earth: a home and enjoyment, for a while.

7:24

قَالَ ٱهۡبِطُواْ بَعۡضُكُمۡ لِبَعۡضٍ عَدُوّٞۖ وَلَكُمۡ فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ مُسۡتَقَرّٞ وَمَتَٰعٌ إِلَىٰ حِينٖ

Qala ihbitoo baAAdukum libaAAdin AAaduwwun walakum fee alardi mustaqarrun wamataAAun ila heenin

[Allah] said, "Descend, being to one another enemies. And for you on the earth is a place of settlement and enjoyment for a time."

Word by word

قَالَ(Allah) said
ٱهۡبِطُواْGet down
بَعۡضُكُمۡsome of you
لِبَعۡضٍto some others
عَدُوّٞۖ(as) enemy
وَلَكُمۡAnd for you
فِيin
ٱلۡأَرۡضِthe earth
مُسۡتَقَرّٞ(is) a dwelling place
وَمَتَٰعٌand livelihood
إِلَىٰfor
حِينٖa time

Al-A'raf · 7:24Makkah

Down to earth: a home and enjoyment, for a while.

Earth as a stay with an end date

The new home

eartha place to settle

enjoymentreal and good

for a timea term already written

How long it lasts

this is foreverbuild like it never ends

for a timeenjoy it, it ends

They were sent down to earth, with enmity now between people and Shaytan. The tafsir says each has a set term, written already. It notes that the exact place of landing comes from Israelite tales, and if it mattered, Allah would have told us.

The new flat, the new car, the new phone. Real enjoyment, and you are allowed it. But each one came with an end date you cannot see on the receipt.

Life here is where I really live, and it will just go on.

Earth is a real home with real joy, but only for a set time.

Try this

Enjoy one good thing today on purpose, and thank Allah for it while it lasts.

Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft

Tafsir Ibn Kathir

(Allah) said: "Get down, one of you an enemy to the other. On earth will be a dwelling place for you and an enjoyment for a time. (24)He said: "Therein you shall live, and therein you shall die, and from it you shall be brought out (resurrected). (25)

Sending Them All Down to Earth

It was said that,

اهْبِطُوا

(Get down), was addressed to Adam, Hawwa', Iblis and the snake. Some scholars did not mention the snake, and Allah knows best. The enmity is primarily between Adam and Iblis, and Hawwa' follows Adam in this regard. Allah said in Surah Ta Ha,

اهْبِطَا مِنْهَا جَمِيعًا

("Get you down (from the Paradise to the earth), both of you, together...")[20:123].

If the story about the snake is true, then it is a follower of Iblis. Some scholars mentioned the location on earth they were sent down, but these accounts are taken from the Israelite tales, and only Allah knows if they are true. If having known these areas was useful for the people in matters of religion or life, Allah would have mentioned them in His Book, and His Messenger ﷺ would have mentioned them too. Allah's statement,

وَلَكُمْ فِي الْأَرْضِ مُسْتَقَرٌّ وَمَتَاعٌ إِلَىٰ حِينٍ

(On earth will be a dwelling place for you and an enjoyment for a time.) means, on earth you will have dwellings and known, designated, appointed terms that have been recorded by the Pen, counted by Predestination and written in the First Record.

قَالَ فِيهَا تَحْيَوْنَ وَفِيهَا تَمُوتُونَ وَمِنْهَا تُخْرَجُونَ

(He (Allah) said: "Therein you shall live, and therein you shall die, and from it you shall be brought out (resurrected).")

This Ayah is similar to Allah's other statement,

مِنْهَا خَلَقْنَاكُمْ وَفِيهَا نُعِيدُكُمْ وَمِنْهَا نُخْرِجُكُمْ تَارَةً أُخْرَىٰ

(Thereof (the earth) We created you, and into it We shall return you, and from it We shall bring you out once again.)[20:55].

Allah states that He has made the earth a dwelling place for the Children of Adam, for the remainder of this earthly life. On it, they will live, die and be buried in their graves; and from it, they will be resurrected for the Day of Resurrection. On that Day, Allah will gather the first and last of creatures and reward or punish each according to his or her deeds.