The word “a‘raf,” from which Surah al-A‘raf (Q 7) takes its name, has many layers of meaning. One layer of meaning are the signposts, the earmarks, or the signals that differentiate falsehood from truth. A‘raf could refer to the faculties of discernment and knowledge. It could also refer to people known, discerned, and distinguished. The thrust of Surah al-A‘raf itself focuses on those folks who can and do understand, who can discern falsehood from truth, but who, despite their...