6. Surah Al-An'aam
الأنعامThe Cattle · 165 ayahsمعارف القرآن انگلش
اَلْحَمْدُ لِلّٰهِ الَّذِیْ خَلَقَ السَّمٰوٰتِ وَ الْاَرْضَ وَ جَعَلَ الظُّلُمٰتِ وَ النُّوْرَ١ؕ۬ ثُمَّ الَّذِیْنَ كَفَرُوْا بِرَبِّهِمْ یَعْدِلُوْنَ Open ayah 6:1 in the Quran reader
All praise belongs to Allah who created the heavens and the earth and made darkness and light, yet those who disbelieve equate (others) with their Lord.
Commentary
Sayyidna ` Abdullah ibn ` Abbas ؓ has said that one of the distinctions of Surah Al-An'am is that the whole of it, except some 'Ayat, was revealed at one time in Makkah with the complement of seventy thousand angels following it with recitation of the name of Allah. Early Tafsir authorities Mujahid, al-Kalbi, Qatadah and others have said more or less the same thing.
Abu Ishaq Al-Asfra'ini has said that this Surah consists of all principles and subsidiaries of Tauhid (Oneness of Allah). This Surah has been prefaced with الْحَمْدُ لِلَّـهِ (Al-Hamdulillah) whereby people have been told that all praises belong to Allah. The purpose is to educate and help people get the right perspective - that Allah needs no praise from anyone, whether or not anyone praises Him, He is, in terms of His own intrinsic perfection, by Himself, the Praised One. By bringing in the sentence which follows immediately, which mentions the creation of the heavens and the earth and the darkness and the light, given there is the very proof of His being the Praised One. Isn't it that the Being which holds such Power and Wisdom would have to be the One deserving of all praise?
In this verse, ` samawat' (heavens) has been mentioned in the plural while 'ard (earth), in the singular - though, in another verse (65:12), earth has been identified as being seven like the heavens. Perhaps, it is indicative of the mutual distinction the seven heavens have in terms of their form and attributes while the seven earths are like each other, therefore, they were taken as one in number. (Mazhari)
Similarly, by mentioning ` zulumat' (darkness, or layers of darkness) in the plural, and 'nur' (light) in the singular, the indication given may be that nur or light signifies the correct way and the straight path - and that is just one, while zulumat, or many layers of darkness, signifies the path of error - and their number runs in thousands. (Mazharl al-Bahr al-Muhit)
Also noticeable here is that the origination of the heavens and the earth has been expressed through the word, 'khalaqa' (created) while that of darkness and light with the word, ja‘ala' (made). The hint implied is that darkness and light are not independent and self-existent like the heavens and the earth, instead, they are contingents and attributes. And zulumat (darkness) has been given precedence over nur (light) perhaps because zulumat is basic to this world while nur is associated with particulars - when they are there, there is light; and when they are not there, there is darkness.
By pointing out to the reality of Tauhid (Oneness of Allah) and its open proof in this verse the purpose is to warn all those peoples who do not simply believe in Tauhid, or have forsaken the reality of Tauhid despite professing it.
The Magians (Majus) believe in two creators, Yazdan and Ahriman (or Ahraman). Yazdan, according to them, is the creator of good and Ahriman, the creator of evil. They also identify these as (the principles of) light and darkness.
The polytheists in India take an incredibly high number of gods as partners in the divinity of God. The Arya Samajists, despite acknowledging Tauhid, take spirit and matter to be infinitely pre-existent, and independent of the power and creation of God, whereby they have moved way away from the reality of Tauhid. Similarly, the Christians who, despite professing the creed of Tauhid, started taking Sayyidna ` Isa (علیہ السلام) and his blessed mother as partners in the divinity of God - and then, in order to prop their belief in one God, they to rely on the irrational theory of Unity in Trinity. As for the disbelievers and polytheists of Arabia, they demonstrated such philanthropy in dishing out Godhood that, according to them, every piece of rock on a hill could be good enough to become an object of worship for the whole human-kind! Thus, the wonderful human being whom Allah had made to be the noblest of His creation, someone whom the whole universe was to serve, went so astray from the right path that he took - not just the moon, the sun, the stars, but the fire, water, trees and rocks too - even crawling insects as objects of prostration and worship, providers of needs and resolvers of problems.
By saying in this verse of the Holy Qur'an that Allah Ta` ala is the Creator of the heavens and the earth and He is the Maker of darkness and light, all such false notions have been refuted - when He is the sole Creator and Maker of everything, ascribing partners to His Divinity makes no sense.
هُوَ الَّذِیْ خَلَقَكُمْ مِّنْ طِیْنٍ ثُمَّ قَضٰۤى اَجَلًا١ؕ وَ اَجَلٌ مُّسَمًّى عِنْدَهٗ ثُمَّ اَنْتُمْ تَمْتَرُوْنَ Open ayah 6:2 in the Quran reader
He is the one who created you from clay, then destined a term. And the fixed term lies with Him, yet you are in doubt.
In the first verse, by saying that all those great bodies of things in this big universe created by Allah Ta` ala on Whom they depend, an open and correct lesson has been given to all human beings. After that, in other verses which follow, human beings have been told that their very own being is a small universe. If one were to make a start from this point, right from the beginning to the end - birth, living, death among a great mesh of internal dimensions and distances - it would show that the belief in the Oneness of Allah is a reality all too clear. It is about this that the verse said: هُوَ الَّذِي خَلَقَكُم مِّن طِينٍ ثُمَّ قَضَىٰ أَجَلًا ; (He is the One who created you from clay, then destined a term). The verse is saying that Allah is the One who created Sayyidna Adam (علیہ السلام) with clay, and then, gave him life - and common human food comes from the moist substance of clay, and from food the sperm, and from the sperm comes the creation of the human being.
Sayyidna Abu Musa al-Ash'ari ؓ عنہ says that he has heard from the Holy Prophet ﷺ that Allah Ta` ala created Sayyidna Adam (علیہ السلام) from a particular blend of clay included wherein are essential ingredients of the whole earth. This is the reason why the children of Adam are different in colour, shape, morals and habits with some black or white or red, and some hard or soft or good-natured or evil-tempered. (Mazhari, from a narration of Ibn ` Adiyy, with good authority)
This was about the human origin. After that, mentioned here are the two stages at the end. One of these is the personal end of a human being which is called death. The other stage is the combined end of the entire humankind along with that of all cosmic servants waiting on them, which is known as the Qiyamah (the day of Doom). The expression - ` the personal end of a human being' - is used here because Allah Ta` ala destined a term for his or her life (on the earth). Reaching the completion of this term is death - though human beings do not know it - but, the angels do. In fact, a human being too, in a way, knows death as incidents of the children of Adam dying all around, everywhere, all the time, are common experience.
After that, comes the mention of the end of the whole world, that is, the Qiyamah, in the following words: وَأَجَلٌ مُّسَمًّى عِندَهُ , that is, there is yet another term which stands fixed and which is known to Allah alone. The full knowledge of this ` term' has not been given to any angel, or human being.
Summing up in a sequence, we can say that, in the first verse, we have been told about the ` big universe', that is, the whole wide world, which has been created and made by Allah Ta` ala. Then, in the second verse, very similarly, we have been told that the ` small universe', that is, the human beings, have also been created by Allah. Then, it is to shake human beings out of their negligence that they have been told that every human being has a particular age, after which death is certain. This is a constant fact of life observed by human beings all the time. The words: وَأَجَلٌ مُّسَمًّى عِندَهُ ۖ ثُمَّ أَنتُمْ تَمْتَرُونَ (And the fixed term lies with Him, yet you are in doubt) carry the instruction that using the personal death of a human being as the proof of the general and collective death of the whole world system, that is, the Qiyamah, is something very natural and logical. Therefore, there is absolutely no doubt about the coming of the Qiyamah (the much publicized but least believed ` Apocalypse' of the West). Therefore, towards the end of the verse (2), the text wonders as to why would people keep doubting the coming of Qiyamah which stands proved so clearly.
وَ هُوَ اللّٰهُ فِی السَّمٰوٰتِ وَ فِی الْاَرْضِ١ؕ یَعْلَمُ سِرَّكُمْ وَ جَهْرَكُمْ وَ یَعْلَمُ مَا تَكْسِبُوْنَ Open ayah 6:3 in the Quran reader
He is Allah in the heavens and the earth. He knows what you conceal and what you reveal and He knows what you earn.
The third verse contains the consequential outcome of what was said in the first two verses. It declares that Allah is the only Being who is worthy of worship and obedience in all the heavens and the earth, and He is the One who knows everything human beings conceal or reveal and, particularly, everything they say or do.
وَ مَا تَاْتِیْهِمْ مِّنْ اٰیَةٍ مِّنْ اٰیٰتِ رَبِّهِمْ اِلَّا كَانُوْا عَنْهَا مُعْرِضِیْنَ Open ayah 6:4 in the Quran reader
And there does not come to them a sign from the signs of their Lord, but they keep turning away from it.
The fourth verse carries a complaint against the anti-truth doggedness and obstinacy of the chronically heedless human race by saying:
وَمَا تَأْتِيهِم مِّنْ آيَةٍ مِّنْ آيَاتِ رَبِّهِمْ إِلَّا كَانُوا عَنْهَا مُعْرِضِينَ ﴿4﴾ that is, despite the many clear proofs and open signs of the Oneness of Allah, the dissenters and rejectionists among human beings have taken to a way of their own, using which, they would turn their faces away from whatever sign is shown to them for their guidance, without ever paying the least attention to it.
فَقَدْ كَذَّبُوْا بِالْحَقِّ لَمَّا جَآءَهُمْ١ؕ فَسَوْفَ یَاْتِیْهِمْ اَنْۢبٰٓؤُا مَا كَانُوْا بِهٖ یَسْتَهْزِءُوْنَ Open ayah 6:5 in the Quran reader
So, they have belied the truth when it came to them. Now, there shall come to them the full account of what they have been laughing at.
In the fifth and the last verse here, further details of this heedlessness have been indicated through some events. It was said: فَقَدْ كَذَّبُوا بِالْحَقِّ لَمَّا جَاءَهُمْ ۖ (So, they have belied the truth when it came to them). The word, ` Al-Haqq' (the truth) here, could mean the Qur'an - and the blessed person of the noble Prophet ﷺ also.
The reason is that he lived his whole life among these Arab tribes. He grew up from a child into a young man and from his youth into his later years right before their eyes. They also knew fully well that the Holy Prophet ﷺ had remained absolutely untaught by any human teacher, so much so that he could not write even his name by himself. The whole Arabia knew him by his appellation of Ummiyy (unlettered, unschooled). For forty years, this was him amongst them. He never demonstrated any marked interest in poetry (a traditional distinction of the age) nor he had any aptitude for formal education and learning. Then, after having completed his forty years, there came a sudden change, an instant flowering of the unimaginable. His blessed tongue became such fountainhead of insights and realities, learning and arts that went on to disarm the best minds of the world. He challenged every eloquent and learned master of words in Arabia to match the Word brought by him. But his' antagonists, who would have not hesitated to sacrifice anything they had - life, wealth, honour, children, family, anything, anytime - just to defeat him, did not have the courage to accept his challenge and, at the least, produce one 'Ayah (verse) like the 'Ayah of the Holy Qur'an.
Thus, the very presence of the Holy Prophet , U1 and the Glorious Qur'an, was a great sign of irrefutable legitimacy. In addition to that, there were thousands of miracles and open signs which came to pass at his blessed hands and which cannot be denied by any sane person. But, those people belied all such signs totally. Therefore, it was said in the verse: فَقَدْ كَذَّبُوا بِالْحَقِّ لَمَّا جَاءَهُمْ ۖ (So, they have belied the truth when it came to them).
Now, pointed out at the conclusion of the verse is the sad end of their effort to falsify truth: فَسَوْفَ يَأْتِيهِمْ أَنبَاءُ مَا كَانُوا بِهِ يَسْتَهْزِئُونَ (Now, there shall come to them the full account of what they have been laughing at). It means that right now these people who are heedless to their fate mock at the miracles and commandments of Allah brought by the Holy Prophet ﷺ and at the all true message that there is a Qiyamah (Doomsday) and Akhirah (Hereafter), but very soon will come the time when all these realities will be before their eyes. There will be a Qiyamah in fact. There will be a Reckoning (Hisab) when everyone will have to account for one's faith and deed - and everyone shall get the reward or punishment for what he or she has done. But, believing and confessing at that time is not going to work for them because that will be no day of deeds - rather, that day will be the day of Retribution. The time to think is now. Allah Almighty has given the respite - a God-sent piece of luck, so to say. Act now, for it is by having faith alone that you will succeed in this world and in the lasting world to come.
اَلَمْ یَرَوْا كَمْ اَهْلَكْنَا مِنْ قَبْلِهِمْ مِّنْ قَرْنٍ مَّكَّنّٰهُمْ فِی الْاَرْضِ مَا لَمْ نُمَكِّنْ لَّكُمْ وَ اَرْسَلْنَا السَّمَآءَ عَلَیْهِمْ مِّدْرَارًا١۪ وَّ جَعَلْنَا الْاَنْهٰرَ تَجْرِیْ مِنْ تَحْتِهِمْ فَاَهْلَكْنٰهُمْ بِذُنُوْبِهِمْ وَ اَنْشَاْنَا مِنْۢ بَعْدِهِمْ قَرْنًا اٰخَرِیْنَ Open ayah 6:6 in the Quran reader
Have they not seen how many generations We have destroyed prior to them, whom We had given in the land a position We did not give to you, and We left the heaven pouring over them and made rivers flow beneath them? Then We destroyed them because of their sins and raised up, after them, another generation.
Commentary
In previous verses, mention was made of grave consequences to be faced by those who avoid or oppose Divine commandments and prophetic teachings. In the present verses, the same deniers of the truth have been given an opportunity to learn and correct themselves by observing conditions around them as well as those prevailing in times before them. No doubt, events of the past are documents full of chastening lessons which, if seen to find wisdom, would prove to be more effective than a thousand sermons. So, still valid is the saying of the sage: The world is the best book and time, the best teacher. That is why wisdom-based historical anecdotes form a good part of the Holy Qur'an. But, speaking generally, people have not given world history any serious role in conducting lives properly. They have, rather than benefiting from it, made it into an intellectual pastime which would either help to sleep or to while away spare time.
Perhaps, it is for this reason that the Holy Qur'an has taken the essence of history as a server of warning and a dispenser of good counsel. But, this is unlike the customary historical fiction where the story or the event are an end in themselves. So, the Qur'an has not taken up historical events as ongoing events in their own right. Instead of doing something like that, it has chosen to place part of the narrative as relevant to the given subject and setting of the message in the text. Then, there would be another occasion, another place, when it would describe another part of the story as relevant there. This may be indicative of the reality that a report or story is not an end by itself, instead, the purpose is to identify the outcome of the report and the practical implication of the event, therefore, one should be concerned with what is necessary for the objective in sight, move ahead and survey his circumstances in that light - that is, learn that vital lesson from what has gone before and thereby correct oneself.
In the first verse, it was said about the people of Makkah, the direct addressees of the Holy Prophet ﷺ : أَلَمْ يَرَوْا كَمْ أَهْلَكْنَا مِن قَبْلِهِم مِّن قَرْنٍ Havethey not seen how many generations We have destroyed prior to them?' Here, ` seen' means to ponder about, because these generations were not present before them at that time to see. It was after that, that the destruction of many generations (` qarn' ) was mentioned.
The word, قَرن qarn, is used for a group of people collectively present at a given time and period. It is also used to denote a long period of time which could be, depending on different interpretations, between ten to one hundred years. But, some events and narrations do support the position that this word is used for one hundred years as it appears in a Hadith in which the Holy Prophet ii had told Sayyidna ` Abdullah ibn Busr al-Ma'ziniyy that he will live for one Qarn. Also when the Holy Prophet ﷺ prayed for a certain child that may he live for a whole qarn, he did live for a full one hundred years. The majority of ` Ulama' take the famous Hadith خَیرُالقُرونِ قَرنِی ثُمَّ الَّذین یلونھُم ثُمَ الَّذینَ یَلُونَھُم (still recited as part of the Khutbah of Jumu'ah all over the world) to be meaning exactly this, that is, every qarn is one hundred years.
About past peoples of the world, first it was said that the kind of power and well-being given to them was not given to people later than them, but when these very people took to the ways of belying prophets and disobeying Divine injunctions, all that majesty of power and wealth was rendered futile against the punishment of Allah which annihilated them totally. So, this was a lesson for the addressees of today, the people of Makkah who did not have the power of the legendary people of ` Ad and Thamud, nor the affluence of the people of Syria and Yaman. For them, the need of the hour was to learn a lesson from what happened to the peoples of the past and turn towards an examination of their doings and think where they are going to end up by op-posing the truth.
At the end of the verse, it was said: وَأَنشَأْنَا مِن بَعْدِهِمْ قَرْنًا آخَرِينَ (and raised up, after them, another generation). It means that the great power of Allah Jalla Sha'nuhu was not simply limited to seeing that nations of strength, authority and power lay destroyed in a flash, but it was right there on the ashes of their destruction that other peoples were made to rise and populate places, as if nothing had happened there and no one was missing from the scene. This spectacle of Divine power and wisdom is something observable in its own ways during every time and period when thousands die every day but there is no vacuum left anywhere. We never come to realize that people who belonged here are not here anymore.
Once, while on the plains of Arafat with a million men and women spread around, came the thought that only a mere seventy or eighty years earlier, none among this whole assembly of people existed. Yet, on this same place of ` Arafat, nearly that many other human beings were present, no trace of whom exists today. On this analogy, imagine about any assembly of human beings, any animated gathering of people, think about their past and future, and then figure out what you get - somebody telling you. to wise up to the ultimate truth of things فَتَبَارَكَ اللَّـهُ أَحْسَنُ الْخَالِقِينَ (Praised be Allah, the best of creators).
وَ لَوْ نَزَّلْنَا عَلَیْكَ كِتٰبًا فِیْ قِرْطَاسٍ فَلَمَسُوْهُ بِاَیْدِیْهِمْ لَقَالَ الَّذِیْنَ كَفَرُوْۤا اِنْ هٰذَاۤ اِلَّا سِحْرٌ مُّبِیْنٌ Open ayah 6:7 in the Quran reader
And if We had sent down to you something written on paper, and they had even touched it with their hands, still the disbelievers would have said, "This is nothing but sheer magic."
The second verse (7) was revealed in the background of a particular event when ` Abdullah ibn Umaiyyah came up with a hostile demand before the Holy Prophet ﷺ by saying: ` I cannot believe in you until such time that I see you climbing all the way to the heavens and bringing a book from there before our eyes, in which it should be written in my name that I should attest to your prophethood.' And, on top of saying all this, he went on to even declare that he would still not be impressed enough by his accomplishing all that for he does not seem to be likely to convert to Islam anyway.
Strange are the ways of fate, for this very gentleman embraced Islam later on, and embraced it with such fervor and class that he became a winning warrior in the cause of Islam and received his Shahadah (martyrdom) in the Battle of Ta'if.
Such were the uncalled-for and hostile demands made and mocking and insulting dialogues inflicted on the Holy Prophet ﷺ especially when he himself was more affectionate for his people, more than their own parents could ever be to them. What effect these caustic bad manners would have made on his heart is something we cannot fathom. It can only be sensed by one who is consumed with the good of his people in the same manner as the blessed Prophet himself was.
Therefore, to comfort him, it was said that such demands from his antagonists were not being put forward for any useful purpose, nor did they want to follow it. They were a kind of people who would not stop at what they were demanding. Even if they were presented with far more clear proofs of their Prophet's veracity, they would still not believe. For example, if Allah were to send down, as they demanded, a written book from the heavens - and not only that they see it for them-selves that there is no sleight of hand or sight or magic, they may even physically touch it with their hands to make sure that they were not day-dreaming and that it was a reality - still, after all that, they would say nothing but: اَن ھٰذآ اِلَّا سِحرُ مُّبِینُ (This is nothing but sheer magic): This is because what they are saying comes from malice and hostility.
وَ قَالُوْا لَوْ لَاۤ اُنْزِلَ عَلَیْهِ مَلَكٌ١ؕ وَ لَوْ اَنْزَلْنَا مَلَكًا لَّقُضِیَ الْاَمْرُ ثُمَّ لَا یُنْظَرُوْنَ Open ayah 6:8 in the Quran reader
And they say, "Why is it that an angel has not been sent down to him?" And had We sent down an angel, the whole matter would have been finished, and thereafter they would have had no time.
وَ لَوْ جَعَلْنٰهُ مَلَكًا لَّجَعَلْنٰهُ رَجُلًا وَّ لَلَبَسْنَا عَلَیْهِمْ مَّا یَلْبِسُوْنَ Open ayah 6:9 in the Quran reader
And if We had made him an angel, We would have obviously made him a man, and would have caused them the same confusion they are causing now.
وَ لَقَدِ اسْتُهْزِئَ بِرُسُلٍ مِّنْ قَبْلِكَ فَحَاقَ بِالَّذِیْنَ سَخِرُوْا مِنْهُمْ مَّا كَانُوْا بِهٖ یَسْتَهْزِءُوْنَ۠ Open ayah 6:10 in the Quran reader
Messengers have been mocked at before you. So, those who laughed at them were besieged by what they have been making a mockery of.
قُلْ سِیْرُوْا فِی الْاَرْضِ ثُمَّ انْظُرُوْا كَیْفَ كَانَ عَاقِبَةُ الْمُكَذِّبِیْنَ Open ayah 6:11 in the Quran reader
Say, "Go about the earth, and see what was the fate of those who belied (the prophets)."
The third verse (8) was also revealed because of an event which concerns this very ` Abdullah ibn Abi Umaiyyah who, accompanied by Nadr ibn al-Harith and Nawfal ibn Khalid ؓ ، came to the Holy Prophet ﷺ . This time their demand was: ` We shall believe in you only when you go and bring a book from the heavens and let four angels come along with it to testify that the book was from none but Allah and that you are the Messenger of Allah.'
One answer Allah gave to them was that by making such demands, these heedless people were inviting their own destruction, because the Divine law is that, should a people ask their prophet to show a miracle of their choice, and as a result of their demand, such miracle is shown by the power and will of Allah, then, should they, even then, remain reluctant to believe and accept faith any longer, they are destroyed by a mass general punishment. These particular people of Makkah were really not making their demands as based on any good intentions, which may have at the least given some hope of their accepting the truth. Therefore, it was said: وَلَوْ أَنزَلْنَا مَلَكًا لَّقُضِيَ الْأَمْرُ ثُمَّ لَا يُنظَرُونَ (And had We sent down an angel, the whole matter would have been finished). In other words, it means ` If We do send the miracle they demand, that is, send an angel, then, these people who are not the kind who would accept truth will still act contrary and hostile even after having seen the miracle, then, the Divine command to have them destroyed would stand activated. Since they would be given no respite after that hap-pens, therefore, they should understand that the fact of not showing the miracle demanded by them spells out real good for them, without which they would be nowhere.
The second answer to this problem with them was given in the fourth verse (9) in a different manner where it was said that people asking such questions were certainly strange people who were demanding that angels should come down to them. This is so because there are only two ways angels can come down. Firstly, an angel may come as he is, in his form and state of being. If so, no human being can stand before his real awe - in fact, he is more likely to die at the never imagined sight. The second form in which the angel could come down is that the angel comes in human shape and form, as Sayyidna Jibra'il al-Amin (علیہ السلام) has come to the Holy Prophet ﷺ several times in the shape of a human being. In this situation too, the Holy Prophet ﷺ is told, this questioner will have the same objection against this ` angel' as he has against you - because he would take him to be nothing but human.
After having answered all these hostile questions, solace has been given to the Holy Prophet ﷺ in the fifth verse (10) by saying that this attitude of mockery and injury directed against him by his people is not something particular to him. Other prophets and messengers before him had to face similar heart-breaking experiences, but they did not lose hope. Finally, what happened was that those who used to mock were overtaken by the punishment which they mocked at.
In short, the Holy Prophet ﷺ has been assured that his mission is to convey the commandments of Allah. Once he feels he has done that, let his heart be at rest. Whether someone is affected by the message or not, that is not for him to worry about - for it is not a part of his duty as a Messenger of Allah. So, let this concern bring no sorrow to his heart.
قُلْ لِّمَنْ مَّا فِی السَّمٰوٰتِ وَ الْاَرْضِ١ؕ قُلْ لِّلّٰهِ١ؕ كَتَبَ عَلٰى نَفْسِهِ الرَّحْمَةَ١ؕ لَیَجْمَعَنَّكُمْ اِلٰى یَوْمِ الْقِیٰمَةِ لَا رَیْبَ فِیْهِ١ؕ اَلَّذِیْنَ خَسِرُوْۤا اَنْفُسَهُمْ فَهُمْ لَا یُؤْمِنُوْنَ Open ayah 6:12 in the Quran reader
Say, "To whom belongs all that there is in the heavens and the earth?" Say, "To Allah." He has prescribed for Himself to be merciful. He will surely gather you to-wards a day of doom in which there is no doubt. Those who have brought loss to themselves are not going to believe.
Commentary
In the opening verse (12), قل لِّمَن مَّا فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ the disbelievers have been asked as to who is the Master of the entire universe and all that it contains. Then, Allah Himself gives the answer through the blessed words of the Holy Prophet ﷺ that Allah is the Master of all. The reason for answering the question, rather than waiting for the disbelievers to answer it, is that the answer given was an accepted fact with the disbelievers of Makkah as well, for they were, though involved with Shirk and idolatry, no deniers of the fact that Allah Al-mighty was the Master of the heavens and the earth and everything they contained.
The word, اِلٰی :ila (towards) in the next sentence: لَيَجْمَعَنَّكُمْ إِلَىٰ يَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ He will surely gather you towards a day of doom) has been used either in the sense of tawaffa meaning to take in full, bring to a finish, or gather, (as in the translation of the meaning given here), in which case, it would mean that Allah Ta` ala will gather everyone, from the beginning to the end, on the day of Qiyamah - or, it could mean ` to gather in the graves,' in which case, it would mean that human beings will be kept being gathered into their resting places unto the day of Qiyamah when they will be raised back to life. (Qurtubi)
As for the sentence: كَتَبَ عَلَىٰ نَفْسِهِ الرَّحْمَةَ (He has prescribed for Himself to be merciful) appearing a little earlier in verse 12, a narration from Sayyidna Abu Hurairah ؓ in the Sahih of Muslim reports that the Holy Prophet ﷺ said: When Allah Ta` la made His creation, He made a promise to Himself in writing which is with Him, written in which are the words: اِنَّ رَحمَتِی تَغلِبُ عَلٰی غَضَبِی that is, ` My mercy shall remain dominant over My wrath.' (Qurtubi)
The sentence which appears at the end of the verse: الَّذِينَ خَسِرُوا أَنفُسَهُمْ (Those who have brought loss to themselves ... ) indicates that the deprivation of the disbelievers from the universal mercy of Allah Almighty mentioned earlier was caused by their own deeds, for they did not take to the way which brings mercy - that is, the way of belief and faith. (Qurtubi)
وَ لَهٗ مَا سَكَنَ فِی الَّیْلِ وَ النَّهَارِ١ؕ وَ هُوَ السَّمِیْعُ الْعَلِیْمُ Open ayah 6:13 in the Quran reader
And to Him belongs what finds rest in the night and the day. And He is All-Hearing, All-Knowing.
قُلْ اَغَیْرَ اللّٰهِ اَتَّخِذُ وَلِیًّا فَاطِرِ السَّمٰوٰتِ وَ الْاَرْضِ وَ هُوَ یُطْعِمُ وَ لَا یُطْعَمُ١ؕ قُلْ اِنِّیْۤ اُمِرْتُ اَنْ اَكُوْنَ اَوَّلَ مَنْ اَسْلَمَ وَ لَا تَكُوْنَنَّ مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِیْنَ Open ayah 6:14 in the Quran reader
Say, "Would I take as guardian someone other than Allah, the Creator of the heavens and the earth, and He feeds, and is not fed?" Say, "I have been asked to be the first to submit." And never be one of those who ascribe partners to Allah.
The word, ` sukun' appearing in verse 13: وَلَهُ مَا سَكَنَ فِي اللَّيْلِ وَالنَّهَارِ (And to Him belongs what finds rest in the night and the day) could either mean the state of being still or at rest, in which case, the verse would mean that Allah is the Master of everything present in the night and the day. Or, it is also possible that the sense could be that of a combined state of stillness and movement (which would amount to saying - what tarries and what moves), but what was mentioned here is the state of sukun or rest only - because, movement which stands in contrast to it can be understood as being obvious enough.
قُلْ اِنِّیْۤ اَخَافُ اِنْ عَصَیْتُ رَبِّیْ عَذَابَ یَوْمٍ عَظِیْمٍ Open ayah 6:15 in the Quran reader
Say, "If I disobey my Lord, I fear the punishment of a momentous day."
Commentary
In the previous verses, the command given was to shun Shirk and believe in the perfect power of Allah Jalla Sha'nuhu mentioned there-in. In the first of the present verses (15), the punishment for the contravention of this command has been mentioned in a particularly endearing manner, that is, the Holy Prophet ﷺ has been ` commanded' that he should tell the people that should he too (God forbid) come to contravene the command of His Lord, then, he too has the fear of the punishment of the day of Qiyamah. It is obvious that the noble Messenger of Allah is (Divinely) protected from every sin - so, the likelihood of disobedience coming from him simply does not exist. But, by mentioning this hypothetical situation, the purpose is to convey the message to the community that the contravention of the Divine command is so serious a matter that even the greatest prophet cannot stand excused from it - if not him, who else?
مَنْ یُّصْرَفْ عَنْهُ یَوْمَئِذٍ فَقَدْ رَحِمَهٗ١ؕ وَ ذٰلِكَ الْفَوْزُ الْمُبِیْنُ Open ayah 6:16 in the Quran reader
Whoever is spared from it (that day) is, indeed, blessed with His mercy. And that is success, open and clear.
After that, it was said: مَّن يُصْرَفْ عَنْهُ يَوْمَئِذٍ فَقَدْ رَحِمَهُ (Whoever is spared from it that day is, indeed, blessed with His mercy). It means that the punishment of the day of Resurrection (al-Mahshar) is extremely horrendous and harsh. Whoever finds this removed from him or her should know that it was great mercy from Allah. This has been further strengthened by saying:' وَذَٰلِكَ الْفَوْزُ الْمُبِينُ that is success, open and clear). The word, اَلفَوزُ : ` al-fawz' (success) means being admitted in Jannah (Paradise). This tells us that deliverance from punishment and admittance into the Paradise are inseparable from each other.
وَ اِنْ یَّمْسَسْكَ اللّٰهُ بِضُرٍّ فَلَا كَاشِفَ لَهٗۤ اِلَّا هُوَ١ؕ وَ اِنْ یَّمْسَسْكَ بِخَیْرٍ فَهُوَ عَلٰى كُلِّ شَیْءٍ قَدِیْرٌ Open ayah 6:17 in the Quran reader
And if Allah causes you some harm, no one is there to remove it except He Himself; and if He causes you some good, then He is powerful over everything.
All Gain and Loss Comes from Allah: A Cardinal Muslim Belief
In the third verse (17), a basic article of faith in Islam has been described - that it is Allah, in reality, who is the Master-Dispenser of all gain and loss. No one can ` really' bring the least benefit to anyone, nor cause the least harm. As for the outward manifestation of gain or loss, benefit or harm, seen coming from one person to the other, is no more than a matter of appearances. Seen in the full flash of reality, this does not hold out any more than a ready-to-vanish curtain. So succinctly the idea was put in a Persian couplet:
کار زلفِ تست مشک افشانی امّا عاشقاں
مصلِحت راتھمتے برآ ھوۓ چیں بستہ اند
Spraying Musk is the work of your tresses, but those who love you
Have found it expedient to ascribe the blame to the Chinese deer!
This belief too is one of the revolutionary beliefs of Islam, a belief which made Muslims shed the dependence on the created and rely on their Creator alone. It was this belief which put together a large group of unprecedented charmers of the soul on the map of the world, who were, despite their meager means and haunting hunger, weightier and worthier than a whole world - for they would not bow their heads before anyone.
The Holy Qur'an has taken up this subject at many places with different approaches, out of which, quoted here is a verse from Surah Fatir:
مَّا يَفْتَحِ اللَّـهُ لِلنَّاسِ مِن رَّحْمَةٍ فَلَا مُمْسِكَ لَهَا ۖ وَمَا يُمْسِكْ فَلَا مُرْسِلَ لَهُ مِن بَعْدِهِ
What Allah, out of His mercy, does make open to people, there is no one to withhold it; and what He does withhold, there is no one to release it after that - 35:2.
It appears in Sahih Ahadith that the Holy Prophet ﷺ used to say this in his prayers very often:
اَللَّھُمَّ لَا مَانعَ لِمَا اَعطَیتَ ولَا مُعطِیَ لِمَا مَنَعتَ ولَا یَنفَعُ ذَا الجَدِّ مِنکِ الجِدُّ
"0 Allah, there is no withholder of what You have bestowed and there is no giver of what You have withheld and no status of a man of status can be of use to him against You.
Under his comments on this verse, Imam al-Baghawi has reported from Sayyidna ` Abdullah ibn ` Abbas ؓ that there was an occasion when the Holy Prophet ﷺ mounted a ride, he asked me to sit behind him. After having covered some distance, he turned towards me and said, ` You young man.' I said: ` Here I am, Ya Rasul Allah. Can I do something?' He said: ` You remember Allah. Allah will remember you. If you will remember Allah, you will find Him before you under all circumstances. You recognize Allah when you are in peace and comfort, Allah will recognize you when you are in trouble. When you have to ask, only ask Allah. When you need help, seek help only from Allah. Whatever is going to happen in this world has already been written by the writer of destiny. If all those created were to combine and try to bring a benefit to you in which Allah has kept no share for you, they would never be able to do that. And if they all come together and try to inflict a harm on you which is not in your lot, they would never become capable of doing that. If you are sure of being able to act patiently, then, do just that, by all means. If you do not have the strength and ability to do so, observe patience - because there is great good and barakah in remaining patient against what does not go well with your temperament. And understand it very clearly that the help of Allah is with patience, and comfort with hardship, and prosperity with adversity.' (This Hadkh also appears in Tirmidhi and the Musnad of Ahmad with sound chains of authority)
Alas, despite this clear declaration of the Qur'an and the age long teachings of the Holy Prophet ﷺ ، this Ummah has started going off course in this critical matter when they have handed out what lies in the exclusive domain of Allah to His created beings. To-day, there is a very large number of Muslims who would, rather than call upon Allah and pray to Him in their hour of distress, cry for help in all sorts of names, but do not seem to remember the name of Allah. As for praying to Allah through the spiritual mediation of prophets and men of Allah, that is a different matter, and that is permissible. Evidences of which are available within the teachings of the Holy Prophet ﷺ himself. But, calling on or praying to a created being directly for the removal of one's need or solution of problem is an open rebellion against this Qur'anic injunction. May Allah keep all Muslims on the straight path.
وَ هُوَ الْقَاهِرُ فَوْقَ عِبَادِهٖ١ؕ وَ هُوَ الْحَكِیْمُ الْخَبِیْرُ Open ayah 6:18 in the Quran reader
And He is Dominant over His slaves, and He is the All-Wise, the All-Aware.
At the end of verse 18, it was said: وَهُوَ الْقَاهِرُ فَوْقَ عِبَادِهِ ۚ وَهُوَ الْحَكِيمُ الْخَبِيرُ ﴿18﴾ (And He is dominant over His slaves, and He is the Ali-Wise, the All-Aware). It means that the mastery of Allah Ta` ala prevails over His servants in the absolute sense and that everyone remains under His power and control all the time. This is the reason why no human being, no matter how great, whether a prophet close to Allah, or the most powerful ruler of the world, nine of them come out successful in everything they do, nor is every wish of theirs granted.
And then, He is Wise too, for everything He does is essential Wisdom. And then, He is All-Aware too, for He is the One who knows everything. Thus, by the word, al-Qahir (the Dominant) pointed to is the perfect power of Allah Ta` ala and, by the word, al-Hakim (the All-Wise), His all-encompassing knowledge - and the two tell us that perfection in knowledge and power are the sole attributes of Almighty Allah and it is only Him that they belong to.
قُلْ اَیُّ شَیْءٍ اَكْبَرُ شَهَادَةً١ؕ قُلِ اللّٰهُ١ۙ۫ شَهِیْدٌۢ بَیْنِیْ وَ بَیْنَكُمْ١۫ وَ اُوْحِیَ اِلَیَّ هٰذَا الْقُرْاٰنُ لِاُنْذِرَكُمْ بِهٖ وَ مَنْۢ بَلَغَ١ؕ اَئِنَّكُمْ لَتَشْهَدُوْنَ اَنَّ مَعَ اللّٰهِ اٰلِهَةً اُخْرٰى١ؕ قُلْ لَّاۤ اَشْهَدُ١ۚ قُلْ اِنَّمَا هُوَ اِلٰهٌ وَّاحِدٌ وَّ اِنَّنِیْ بَرِیْٓءٌ مِّمَّا تُشْرِكُوْنَۘ Open ayah 6:19 in the Quran reader
Say, "What can be the greatest in bearing witness?" Say, "Allah. He is the witness between me and you. And this Qur'an has been revealed to me so that I should thereby warn you, and whomsoever it may reach. Do you really bear witness that there are other gods along with Allah?" Say, "I bear no such witness." Say, "In fact, He is one God. And I have nothing to do with what you associate (with Him)."
A particular event which is the cause of the revelation of this verse has been generally reported by commentators. It is said that once a deputation of the people of Makkah came to the Holy Prophet ﷺ . They said: ` You claim to be a Messenger of Allah. Who is your witness on this? We have yet to see a man who attests to its truth, although we have tried our best to confirm it from the Jews and Christians.'
Thereupon, the verse: قُلْ أَيُّ شَيْءٍ أَكْبَرُ شَهَادَةً which means: You tell them whose witness could be greater than that of Allah, within whose power lies the gain and loss of everyone in the world? Then, you tell them that Allah is the witness between me and you The witness of Allah refers to those miracles and signs which Allah Ta` ala made manifest to confirm the veracity of the prophethood of the Holy Prophet ﷺ . Therefore, addressing the people of Makkah, it was said: أَئِنَّكُمْ لَتَشْهَدُونَ أَنَّ مَعَ اللَّـهِ آلِهَةً أُخْرَىٰ. It means: Do you, even after the witness of Allah Ta` ala Himself, stand to witness against Him by saying that there are other gods too along with Allah? If that is so, you are responsible for your fate. As for me, I bear no such witness. Then, the Holy Prophet ﷺ ، is asked to tell them: قُلْ إِنَّمَا هُوَ إِلَـٰهٌ وَاحِدٌ that is, He is one God, the only one worthy of worship who has no partners, sharers or associates in His pristine Divinity.
This proves that the Holy Prophet ﷺ is the Last Prophet and the Qur’ an will keep reaching until the day of Qiyamah. It will continue to be recited and taugh right through the day of Qyiamah, and people will remain obliged to follow it.
Sayyidna Said ibn Jubayr ؓ said: To Whomever the Qur'an has reached, he has become like one who has visited Muhammad ﷺ . And it appears in another Hadith: To whomever the Qur'an has reached, I am his warner (` nadhir' ).
Therefore, the Holy Prophet ﷺ had asked his Companions emphatically : بَلِّغُوا عَنِّی وَ لَو آیَۃً 'that is, convey my instructions and teachings to people, even if it be one 'Ayah.
And Sayyidna ` Abdullah ibn Masud ؓ reports that the Holy Prophet ﷺ said: May Allah keep that person hale and hearty who heard a saying of mine, committed it to his memory and then conveyed it to my Ummah. This is important because it generally happens that a person may not himself appreciate the sense of what is said but which would be understood much better by a person of later times to whom the first person has conveyed it.
اَلَّذِیْنَ اٰتَیْنٰهُمُ الْكِتٰبَ یَعْرِفُوْنَهٗ كَمَا یَعْرِفُوْنَ اَبْنَآءَهُمْ١ۘ اَلَّذِیْنَ خَسِرُوْۤا اَنْفُسَهُمْ فَهُمْ لَا یُؤْمِنُوْنَ۠ Open ayah 6:20 in the Quran reader
Those to whom We have given the Book recognize him (the Messenger) as they would recognize their sons. Those who have brought loss to themselves, they are not going to believe.
وَ مَنْ اَظْلَمُ مِمَّنِ افْتَرٰى عَلَى اللّٰهِ كَذِبًا اَوْ كَذَّبَ بِاٰیٰتِهٖ١ؕ اِنَّهٗ لَا یُفْلِحُ الظّٰلِمُوْنَ Open ayah 6:21 in the Quran reader
And who is more unjust than the one who coins a lie against Allah or belies His signs? Beware, the unjust shall not prosper.
In verse 20, there is a refutation of the saying of those who had said that they had checked with the Jews and the Christians and none of them were ready to attest to his truth as a Messenger of Allah. About that it was said: الَّذِينَ آتَيْنَاهُمُ الْكِتَابَ يَعْرِفُونَهُ كَمَا يَعْرِفُونَ أَبْنَاءَهُمُ ; (That is, as for the Jews and Christians, they recognize Muhammad al-Mustafa as they would recognize their sons.
The reason is that there is, in the Torah and Injil, a full description of the physical features of the Holy Prophet ﷺ ، of his home city and then his post-emigration place of residence, and of his habits and morals and achievements - all this in such details that it leaves no room for doubt in the recognition of his identity. In fact, this is not limited to the mention of the Holy Prophet ﷺ the Torah and the Injil carry even the detailed description of his noble Sahabah as well. Therefore, there was no possibility that anyone who recited the Torah and the Injil and believed in them would be unable to recognize the Holy Prophet ﷺ .
At this point, the simile given in the text is that of children - ` as they would recognize their sons.' Not said here is: as children recognize their parents. The reason is that the recognition of children by parents is most detailed and certain. Children remain before parents day and night under all conditions. From infancy to younger years, they are raised in the hands and laps of parents. So, the extent to which parents can recognize their children, their children cannot recognize them.
Sayyidna ` Abdullah ibn Salam ؓ عنہ belonged to the Jewish faith, then he became a Muslim. Sayyidna Faruq al-A'zam ؓ asked him: Allah Ta` ala says in the Qur'an that you recognize our Rasul as you would recognize your sons. What is the reason for it? Sayyidna ` Abdullah ibn Salam said: Yes, we know the Holy Prophet ﷺ from his qualities and features revealed by Allah Almighty through the Torah. Therefore, this knowledge of ours is certain and absolute. This is contrary to our offspring about whom one could doubt whether or not they were their children.
Sayyidna Zayd ibn Sa'nah who first belonged to the people of the Book had recognized the Holy Prophet ﷺ through the description of his qualities and features stated in the Torah and the Injil. There was only one quality which could not be confirmed from earlier information. So, this he confirmed by testing. That quality was : ` His forbearance will dominate his anger.' Then, he went to see the Holy Prophet ﷺ ، made his test and found him a true bearer of this quality. He instantly became a Muslim.
In the last verse (21), it was said that these people of the Book who, despite knowing the true identity of the Holy Prophet ﷺ do not accept Islam were simply ruining themselves at their own hands: الَّذِينَ خَسِرُوا أَنفُسَهُمْ فَهُمْ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ (Those, who have brought loss on themselves, they are not going to believe).
وَ یَوْمَ نَحْشُرُهُمْ جَمِیْعًا ثُمَّ نَقُوْلُ لِلَّذِیْنَ اَشْرَكُوْۤا اَیْنَ شُرَكَآؤُكُمُ الَّذِیْنَ كُنْتُمْ تَزْعُمُوْنَ Open ayah 6:22 in the Quran reader
And (forget not) the Day We shall gather them together, then We shall say to those who associated partners with Allah, "Where are those you claimed to be partners of Allah?"
Commentary
Mentioned in the previous verse (21) was that the unjust and the deniers of truth will not receive salvation. Details appear in the present verses. The first (22) and the second (23) verses talk about the great trial to be held on the day of Resurrection before the Lord of all. It was said: وَيَوْمَ نَحْشُرُهُمْ جَمِيعًا (And [ forget not ] the Day We shall gather them together), that is, ` gather all disbelievers and their self-made objects of worship together.' After that, it is said: ثُمَّ نَقُولُ لِلَّذِينَ أَشْرَكُوا أَيْنَ شُرَكَاؤُكُمُ الَّذِينَ كُنتُمْ تَزْعُمُونَ (then We shall say to those who associated partners with Allah, "Where are those you claimed to be partners of Allah?" ), that is, ` ask them about the objects of worship they had taken to as partners of Allah, and resolvers of their problems, and why would they not come to help them in their hour of trial.'
The word, ثُمَّ :'thumma' (then, after that), used here denotes delay, which tells us that the trial of answering fateful questions will not start soon after having been gathered on the Day of Resurrection. Instead, they shall keep standing in that state of wonder and perplexity for a long period of time. It will be a passage of time in between when the reckoning will commence.
In a Hadith, the Holy Prophet ﷺ has been reported to have said: What would happen to you when Allah Ta’ ala will gather you on the plains of Resurrection as arrows are gathered in the quiver - and you shall be in that state for fifty thousand years. And it ap-pears in another narration that everyone will tarry in the dark on that Day for one thousand years - not being able to even talk to each other. (This narration has been reported by Hakim in Al-Mustadrak, and by Al-Baihaqi)
The difference of fifty thousand and ten thousand in this narration also appears in two verses of the Holy Qur'an as well. In Surah Al-Ma` arij, it is said: كَانَ مِقْدَارُهُ خَمْسِينَ أَلْفَ سَنَةٍ [ A Day ] the measure whereof is [ as ] fifty thousand years 70:4.' In Surah Al-Hajj, it is said: وَإِنَّ يَوْمًا عِندَ رَبِّكَ كَأَلْفِ سَنَةٍ :A Day in the sight of thy Lord is like a thousand years of your reckoning - 22:47.' The reason for this difference is that this day will be long in terms of the severity of pain and the levels of pain will be different. Therefore, this day will seem to be that of fifty thousand years for some and that of one thousand years for others.