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5. PIOUS PEOPLE’S DU‘Ā (SUPPLICATION) IN THE QUR’ĀN (4) Among other groups of pious people whose supplications are mentioned in the Qur’ān are: e. of the people of the Heights (aṣḥāb al-A‘rāf, )أصحاب األعراف. These people would be placed in a place called al-A‘rāf. The word alA‘rāf is the plural of ‘urf meaning “an elevated land”. Al-A‘rāf here means a high place or wall from which they see the dwellers of Paradise, and the dwellers of Hell. This area is also “a gate therein inside it will be mercy [i.e., Paradise], and outside it will be torment [i.e., Hell].” (Q. 57:13). It is, then, a barrier between Paradise and Hell which prevents the dwellers of the Hellfire from entering Paradise. Who are the people who will be placed in the heights, wall or gate who will not be admitted, neither Paradise nor Hell, although eventually will be admitted to Paradise? There are many interpretations, among which are as follows: 1. They are those whose good and bad deeds are equal. So, they are not very pious. Their evil deeds prevent them from being qualified to enter Paradise, and their good deeds prevent them from being qualified to enter Hell. Therefore, they stop there until they are admitted to Paradise (the interpretation of Ibn ‘Abbās, Ḥudhayfah, Ibn Mas‘ūd, and other companions of the Prophet, as swell as of people of later generation; this is the most acceptable interpretation). 2. They are people who joined the Muslims in the jihād defending Islam without their parents’ permission. They will not be admitted to Paradise because they disobeyed their parents, but will not enter Hell either, because they were martyrs. This view is similar to the first one. 3. They are people who also joined the Muslims in the jihād without the permission of one of their parents. This view is similar to the previous one (b) 4. They are people who lived in the era of fatrah (the interval between two prophets, where there was no new prophet to