6. Surah Al-An'aam

الأنعامThe Cattle · 165 ayahsتفہیم القرآن انگلش

Read Surah Al-An'aam in the Quran reader
Ayahs 6:80–81

وَ حَآجَّهٗ قَوْمُهٗ١ؕ قَالَ اَتُحَآجُّوْٓنِّیْ فِی اللّٰهِ وَ قَدْ هَدٰىنِ١ؕ وَ لَاۤ اَخَافُ مَا تُشْرِكُوْنَ بِهٖۤ اِلَّاۤ اَنْ یَّشَآءَ رَبِّیْ شَیْئًا١ؕ وَسِعَ رَبِّیْ كُلَّ شَیْءٍ عِلْمًا١ؕ اَفَلَا تَتَذَكَّرُوْنَ Open ayah 6:80 in the Quran reader

His. people remonstrated with him whereupon Abraham said: 'Do you remonstrate with me concerning Allah Who has guided me to the right way? I do not fear those whom you associate with Allah in His divinity. Only that which my Lord wills, indeed that alone will come by. My Lord embraces all things within His knowledge. Will you not take heed? 54

وَ كَیْفَ اَخَافُ مَاۤ اَشْرَكْتُمْ وَ لَا تَخَافُوْنَ اَنَّكُمْ اَشْرَكْتُمْ بِاللّٰهِ مَا لَمْ یُنَزِّلْ بِهٖ عَلَیْكُمْ سُلْطٰنًا١ؕ فَاَیُّ الْفَرِیْقَیْنِ اَحَقُّ بِالْاَمْنِ١ۚ اِنْ كُنْتُمْ تَعْلَمُوْنَۘ Open ayah 6:81 in the Quran reader

Why should I fear those whom you have associated (with Allah in His divinity) when you do not fear associating others with Allah in His divinity - something for which He has sent down to you no authority. Then, which of the two parties has better title to security? Tell us, if you have any knowledge!

54. The word used here is tadhakkur which conveys the sense that somebody who had been either heedless or negligent of something suddenly wakes up to its true meaning. The purpose of Abraham's statement was to recall them to their senses by reminding them that their true Lord was not uninformed about their deeds, for His knowledge encompasses everything.
Ayahs 6:82–87

اَلَّذِیْنَ اٰمَنُوْا وَ لَمْ یَلْبِسُوْۤا اِیْمَانَهُمْ بِظُلْمٍ اُولٰٓئِكَ لَهُمُ الْاَمْنُ وَ هُمْ مُّهْتَدُوْنَ۠ Open ayah 6:82 in the Quran reader

Those who believe and did not tarnish their faith with wrong-doing for them there is security, and it is they who have been guided to the right way.' 55

وَ تِلْكَ حُجَّتُنَاۤ اٰتَیْنٰهَاۤ اِبْرٰهِیْمَ عَلٰى قَوْمِهٖ١ؕ نَرْفَعُ دَرَجٰتٍ مَّنْ نَّشَآءُ١ؕ اِنَّ رَبَّكَ حَكِیْمٌ عَلِیْمٌ Open ayah 6:83 in the Quran reader

That was Our argument which We gave to Abraham against his people. We raise in ranks whom We will. Truly your lord is All-Wise, All-Knowing.

وَ وَهَبْنَا لَهٗۤ اِسْحٰقَ وَ یَعْقُوْبَ١ؕ كُلًّا هَدَیْنَا١ۚ وَ نُوْحًا هَدَیْنَا مِنْ قَبْلُ وَ مِنْ ذُرِّیَّتِهٖ دَاوٗدَ وَ سُلَیْمٰنَ وَ اَیُّوْبَ وَ یُوْسُفَ وَ مُوْسٰى وَ هٰرُوْنَ١ؕ وَ كَذٰلِكَ نَجْزِی الْمُحْسِنِیْنَۙ Open ayah 6:84 in the Quran reader

And We bestowed upon Abraham (offspring) Ishaq (Isaac) and Ya'qub (Jacob) and each of them did We guide to the right way as We had earlier guided Noah to the right way; and (of his descendants We guided) Da'ud (David) and Sulayman (Solomon), Ayyub (Job), Yusuf (Joseph), Musa (Moses) and Harun (Aaron). Thus do We reward those who do good.

وَ زَكَرِیَّا وَ یَحْیٰى وَ عِیْسٰى وَ اِلْیَاسَ١ؕ كُلٌّ مِّنَ الصّٰلِحِیْنَۙ Open ayah 6:85 in the Quran reader

(And of his descendants We guided) Zakariya (Zachariah), Yahya (John), Isa (Jesus) and Ilyas (Elias): each one of them was of the righteous.

وَ اِسْمٰعِیْلَ وَ الْیَسَعَ وَ یُوْنُسَ وَ لُوْطًا١ؕ وَ كُلًّا فَضَّلْنَا عَلَى الْعٰلَمِیْنَۙ Open ayah 6:86 in the Quran reader

(And of his descendants We guided) Isma'il (Ishmael), al-Yasa' (Elisha), Yunus (Jonah), and Lut (Lot). And each one of them We favoured over all mankind.

وَ مِنْ اٰبَآئِهِمْ وَ ذُرِّیّٰتِهِمْ وَ اِخْوَانِهِمْ١ۚ وَ اجْتَبَیْنٰهُمْ وَ هَدَیْنٰهُمْ اِلٰى صِرَاطٍ مُّسْتَقِیْمٍ Open ayah 6:87 in the Quran reader

And likewise We elected for Our cause and guided on to a straight way some of their forefathers and their offspring and their brethren.

55. This entire section shows that those people did not deny the existence of God as the creator of the heavens and earth. Their real guilt was that they associated others in His attributes and His rights over man. In the first place, Abraham himself clearly states that they associated others with God as His partners. In the second place, the way in which Abraham mentions God in addressing these people is suitable only for a people who did not deny the existence of God. We must, therefore, regard as incorrect the opinion of those Qur'anic commentators who try to explain this verse on the assumption that the people of Abraham either denied or were unaware of the existence of God, and considered their own deities to be the exclusive possessors of godhead. The expression 'and did not tarnish their faith with wrong-doing' led some Companions to the misapprehension that perhaps this 'wrong-doing' signified 'disobedience'. But the Prophet (peace be on him) has made it clear that this wrong-doing signifies shirk (associating others with God in His divinity). The verse means, therefore, that they alone are fully secure and rightly-guided who believe in God and do not mix their faith with any polytheistic belief and practice. It is interesting to learn that this incident, which is the starting-point of Abraham's prophetic career, has found no place in the Bible. It is mentioned only in the Talmud. The Talmudic version, however, is different from the Qur'anic version in two ways. First, in the Talmudic version Abraham's quest for the Truth begins with the sun and then proceeds by way of the stars to his discovery of the One True God. Second. it states that Abraham not only held the sun to be his Lord but even worshipped it, and that the same happened in connection with the moon.
Ayah 6:88

ذٰلِكَ هُدَى اللّٰهِ یَهْدِیْ بِهٖ مَنْ یَّشَآءُ مِنْ عِبَادِهٖ١ؕ وَ لَوْ اَشْرَكُوْا لَحَبِطَ عَنْهُمْ مَّا كَانُوْا یَعْمَلُوْنَ Open ayah 6:88 in the Quran reader

That is Allah's guidance wherewith He guides those of His servants whom He wills. But if they ever associated others with Allah in His divinity, then all that they had done would have gone to waste. 56

56. Had those people also ascribed partners to God like the people of Arabia, they would not have achieved the positions they had attained.Some might perhaps have earned places in the rogues' gallery of history as either ruthless conquerors or monuments to greed. But had they not shunned polytheism and adhered to their exclusive and unadulterated devotion to God, they would certainly neither have had the honour of becoming the source of light and guidance to others nor of assuming the leadership of the pious and the God-fearing.
Ayahs 6:89–90

اُولٰٓئِكَ الَّذِیْنَ اٰتَیْنٰهُمُ الْكِتٰبَ وَ الْحُكْمَ وَ النُّبُوَّةَ١ۚ فَاِنْ یَّكْفُرْ بِهَا هٰۤؤُلَآءِ فَقَدْ وَ كَّلْنَا بِهَا قَوْمًا لَّیْسُوْا بِهَا بِكٰفِرِیْنَ Open ayah 6:89 in the Quran reader

Those are the ones to whom We gave the Book, and judgement and prophethood. 57 And if they refuse to believe in it now, We will bestow this favour on a people who do believe in it. 58

اُولٰٓئِكَ الَّذِیْنَ هَدَى اللّٰهُ فَبِهُدٰىهُمُ اقْتَدِهْ١ؕ قُلْ لَّاۤ اَسْئَلُكُمْ عَلَیْهِ اَجْرًا١ؕ اِنْ هُوَ اِلَّا ذِكْرٰى لِلْعٰلَمِیْنَ۠ Open ayah 6:90 in the Quran reader

(O Muhammad!) Those are the ones Allah guided to the right way. Follow, then, their way, and say: 'I ask of you no reward (for carrying on this mission); it is merely an admonition to all mankind.'

57. Here the Prophets are mentioned as having been endowed with three things: first, the revealed guidance embodied in the Book; second, hukm, i.e. the correct understanding of the revealed guidance, the ability to apply its principles to the practical affairs of life, the God-given capacity to arrive at right opinions regarding human problems; and third, prophethood, the office by virtue of which they are enabled to lead human beings in the light of the guidance vouchsafed to them. 58. God does not care if the unbelievers and polytheists choose to reject the guidance which has come down from Him, for He had already raised a sizeable group of men of faith to truly appreciate its worth.
Ayah 6:91

وَ مَا قَدَرُوا اللّٰهَ حَقَّ قَدْرِهٖۤ اِذْ قَالُوْا مَاۤ اَنْزَلَ اللّٰهُ عَلٰى بَشَرٍ مِّنْ شَیْءٍ١ؕ قُلْ مَنْ اَنْزَلَ الْكِتٰبَ الَّذِیْ جَآءَ بِهٖ مُوْسٰى نُوْرًا وَّ هُدًى لِّلنَّاسِ تَجْعَلُوْنَهٗ قَرَاطِیْسَ تُبْدُوْنَهَا وَ تُخْفُوْنَ كَثِیْرًا١ۚ وَ عُلِّمْتُمْ مَّا لَمْ تَعْلَمُوْۤا اَنْتُمْ وَ لَاۤ اٰبَآؤُكُمْ١ؕ قُلِ اللّٰهُ١ۙ ثُمَّ ذَرْهُمْ فِیْ خَوْضِهِمْ یَلْعَبُوْنَ Open ayah 6:91 in the Quran reader

They did not form any proper estimate of Allah when they said: 'Allah has not revealed anything to any man.' 59 Ask them: 'The Book which Moses brought as a light and guidance for men and which you keep in bits and scraps, some of which you disclose while the rest you conceal, even though through it you were taught that which neither you nor your forefathers knew -who was it who revealed it?' 60 Say: 'Allah!'- and then leave them to sport with their argumentation.

59. In the light of the foregoing discussion and commentary, it is quite evident that this statement comes from the Jews. Since the Prophet (peace be on him) had asserted that he was a Prophet and that a Book had been revealed to him, the unbelieving Quraysh and other polytheists of Arabia naturally used to approach the Jews and the Christians - who believed in the Prophets and in the Scriptures - and tried to solicit a candid answer from them as to whether God's words had indeed been revealed to Muhammad (peace be on him). Whatever answer they gave was then disseminated on all sides by the active opponents of the Prophet (peace be on him) in order to create revulsion against Islam. This is the reason for mentioning, and then refuting, this statement by the Jews, which had been used by the opposition as an argument against Islam. One might wonder how a Jew, who believes in the Torah as a revealed Book of God, could say that God had revealed nothing to anyone. At times blind obstinacy and bigotry cause people to resort to arguments which strike at the roots of their own belief. These people were bent upon denying the prophethood of Muhammad (peace be on him), and this fanaticism had come to dominate them so much that they went so far as to deny the very institution of prophethood. To say that peopte have not formed any proper estimate of God means that they have erred grossly in assessing His wisdom and power. Whoever says that God did not reveal knowledge of Reality and the code for man's guidance has fallen into one of two errors. Either he considers it impossible for man to become the recipient of God's revelation, and this constitutes a gross misjudgement of God's power, or he thinks that even though God has equipped man with intelligence and with the power to act as he chooses, He has nevertheless made no arrangement for his guidance, but has left him in this world altogether unguided and thus conferred upon him the right to behave in any way he likes. This is obviously a misjudgement of God's wisdom. 60. The revelation of the Torah to Moses (peace be on him) is adduced by way of evidence since the Jews, to whom this response is addressed, believed that it had been revealed. It is obvious that their recognition of the Torah as the Book revealed to Moses negated their standpoint that God had never revealed anything to any human being. Their belief in the Torah at least proved that revelation to man is possible, and had actually taken place.
Ayahs 6:92–94

وَ هٰذَا كِتٰبٌ اَنْزَلْنٰهُ مُبٰرَكٌ مُّصَدِّقُ الَّذِیْ بَیْنَ یَدَیْهِ وَ لِتُنْذِرَ اُمَّ الْقُرٰى وَ مَنْ حَوْلَهَا١ؕ وَ الَّذِیْنَ یُؤْمِنُوْنَ بِالْاٰخِرَةِ یُؤْمِنُوْنَ بِهٖ وَ هُمْ عَلٰى صَلَاتِهِمْ یُحَافِظُوْنَ Open ayah 6:92 in the Quran reader

(Like that Book) this too is a Book which We have revealed; full of blessing, confirming what was revealed before it so that you might warn the people of the Mother of Cities (Makka) and those around it. Those who believe in the Hereafter believe in it, and are evermindful of their Prayers. 61

وَ مَنْ اَظْلَمُ مِمَّنِ افْتَرٰى عَلَى اللّٰهِ كَذِبًا اَوْ قَالَ اُوْحِیَ اِلَیَّ وَ لَمْ یُوْحَ اِلَیْهِ شَیْءٌ وَّ مَنْ قَالَ سَاُنْزِلُ مِثْلَ مَاۤ اَنْزَلَ اللّٰهُ١ؕ وَ لَوْ تَرٰۤى اِذِ الظّٰلِمُوْنَ فِیْ غَمَرٰتِ الْمَوْتِ وَ الْمَلٰٓئِكَةُ بَاسِطُوْۤا اَیْدِیْهِمْ١ۚ اَخْرِجُوْۤا اَنْفُسَكُمْ١ؕ اَلْیَوْمَ تُجْزَوْنَ عَذَابَ الْهُوْنِ بِمَا كُنْتُمْ تَقُوْلُوْنَ عَلَى اللّٰهِ غَیْرَ الْحَقِّ وَ كُنْتُمْ عَنْ اٰیٰتِهٖ تَسْتَكْبِرُوْنَ Open ayah 6:93 in the Quran reader

Who can be more unjust than he who places a lie on Allah and who says: 'Revelation has come to me' when in fact nothing was revealed to him, and who says: 'I will produce the like of what Allah has revealed?' If you could but see the wrongdoers in the agonies of death, and the angels stretching out their hands (saying): 'Yield up your souls! Today you will be recompensed with the chastisement of humiliation for the lie you spoke concerning Allah, and for you waxing proud against His signs.'

وَ لَقَدْ جِئْتُمُوْنَا فُرَادٰى كَمَا خَلَقْنٰكُمْ اَوَّلَ مَرَّةٍ وَّ تَرَكْتُمْ مَّا خَوَّلْنٰكُمْ وَرَآءَ ظُهُوْرِكُمْ١ۚ وَ مَا نَرٰى مَعَكُمْ شُفَعَآءَكُمُ الَّذِیْنَ زَعَمْتُمْ اَنَّهُمْ فِیْكُمْ شُرَكٰٓؤُا١ؕ لَقَدْ تَّقَطَّعَ بَیْنَكُمْ وَ ضَلَّ عَنْكُمْ مَّا كُنْتُمْ تَزْعُمُوْنَ۠ Open ayah 6:94 in the Quran reader

(And Allah will say): 'Now you have come to Us all alone even as We had created you in the first instance, and you have left behind all that We had bestowed upon you in the world. We do not see with you your intercessors whom you imagined to have a share with Allah in your affairs. You have now been cut off from one another and all those whom you imagined (to be Allah's associates in your affairs) have failed you.'

61. The point argued above was that God's word can be, and in the past has been, revealed to human beings. The next point is that the message of Muhammad (peace be on him) is indeed the revealed word of God. In order to establish this, four things are adduced as evidence: First, that this Book is overflowing with God's grace and beneficence. In other words, it contains the best possible principles for the well-being and salvation of mankind. It lays down the true doctrines of belief. It urges man to righteous conduct and inspires him to moral excellence. It contains guidance as to how one may live a life of purity. And above all, it is free from any trace of the ignorance, egocentricity, narrow-mindedness, iniquity, obscenity and other corruptions with which the Jews and the Christians had overlaid their revealed Scriptures. Second, this Book does not propound any guidance which is essentially divergent from that previously revealed; rather it confirms and supports it. Third, the purpose of the revelation of this Book is the same as that of the revelation of Scriptures in the past, viz., to shake people out of their heedlessness and warn them of the evil consequences of their corruption. Fourth, that the call of this Book did not attract those who merely worshipped worldly advantages and were slaves of their animal desires. On the contrary, it attracted those whose vision goes beyond the narrow limits of worldly life. Moreover, the revolution wrought in the lives of people under the influence of this Book has rendered them conspicuously distinct from others in respect of piety and godliness. A Book with such characteristics and with such a wholesome impact on human beings can only be from God.
Ayahs 6:95–96

اِنَّ اللّٰهَ فَالِقُ الْحَبِّ وَ النَّوٰى١ؕ یُخْرِجُ الْحَیَّ مِنَ الْمَیِّتِ وَ مُخْرِجُ الْمَیِّتِ مِنَ الْحَیِّ١ؕ ذٰلِكُمُ اللّٰهُ فَاَنّٰى تُؤْفَكُوْنَ Open ayah 6:95 in the Quran reader

Truly it is Allah Who causes the grain 62 and the fruit-kernel to sprout. He brings forth the living from the dead and brings forth the dead from the living. 63 Such is Allah. So whither are you tending in error?

فَالِقُ الْاِصْبَاحِ١ۚ وَ جَعَلَ الَّیْلَ سَكَنًا وَّ الشَّمْسَ وَ الْقَمَرَ حُسْبَانًا١ؕ ذٰلِكَ تَقْدِیْرُ الْعَزِیْزِ الْعَلِیْمِ Open ayah 6:96 in the Quran reader

It is He Who causes the dawn to split forth, and has ordained the night for repose, and the sun and the moon for reckoning time. All this is determined by Allah the Almighty, the All-Knowing.

62. The one who causes the seed-grain to split open under the surface of the earth and then makes it grow and appear on the surface as a plant is no other than God. 63. To 'bring forth the living from the dead' means creating living beings out of dead matter. Likewise, 'to bring out the dead from the living' means to remove the lifeless elements from a living organism.
Ayah 6:97

وَ هُوَ الَّذِیْ جَعَلَ لَكُمُ النُّجُوْمَ لِتَهْتَدُوْا بِهَا فِیْ ظُلُمٰتِ الْبَرِّ وَ الْبَحْرِ١ؕ قَدْ فَصَّلْنَا الْاٰیٰتِ لِقَوْمٍ یَّعْلَمُوْنَ Open ayah 6:97 in the Quran reader

It is He Who has made for you the stars that you may follow the right direction in the darkness of the land and the sea. We have indeed spelled out signs for the people who have knowledge. 64

64. By 'signs' are meant all that support the proposition that there is only one God, that is, no one has either the attributes of God or any share in His authority or can rightfully claim any of the rights which belong exclusively to Him. But the ignorant cannot benefit from these signs, which are scattered all around, in order to arrive at an understanding of the Truth. Only those who observe the phenomena of the universe in a careful and systematic manner, and do so with a correct perspective, can truly benefit from these signs.
Ayahs 6:98–99

وَ هُوَ الَّذِیْۤ اَنْشَاَكُمْ مِّنْ نَّفْسٍ وَّاحِدَةٍ فَمُسْتَقَرٌّ وَّ مُسْتَوْدَعٌ١ؕ قَدْ فَصَّلْنَا الْاٰیٰتِ لِقَوْمٍ یَّفْقَهُوْنَ Open ayah 6:98 in the Quran reader

It is He Who created you out of a single being, 65 and appointed for each of you a time-limit and a resting place. We have indeed spelled out Our signs for those who can understand. 66

وَ هُوَ الَّذِیْۤ اَنْزَلَ مِنَ السَّمَآءِ مَآءً١ۚ فَاَخْرَجْنَا بِهٖ نَبَاتَ كُلِّ شَیْءٍ فَاَخْرَجْنَا مِنْهُ خَضِرًا نُّخْرِجُ مِنْهُ حَبًّا مُّتَرَاكِبًا١ۚ وَ مِنَ النَّخْلِ مِنْ طَلْعِهَا قِنْوَانٌ دَانِیَةٌ وَّ جَنّٰتٍ مِّنْ اَعْنَابٍ وَّ الزَّیْتُوْنَ وَ الرُّمَّانَ مُشْتَبِهًا وَّ غَیْرَ مُتَشَابِهٍ١ؕ اُنْظُرُوْۤا اِلٰى ثَمَرِهٖۤ اِذَاۤ اَثْمَرَ وَ یَنْعِهٖ١ؕ اِنَّ فِیْ ذٰلِكُمْ لَاٰیٰتٍ لِّقَوْمٍ یُّؤْمِنُوْنَ Open ayah 6:99 in the Quran reader

And it is He Who has sent down water from the heavens, and thereby We have brought vegetation of every kind, and out of this We have brought forth green foliage and then from it close-packed ears of corn, and out of the palm-tree from the sheath of it - thick clustered dates, hanging down with heaviness, and gardens of vines, and the olive tree, and the pomegranate - all resembling one another and yet so different. Behold their fruit when they bear fruit and ripen! Surely, in all this there are signs for those who believe.

65. This means that God caused the human race to originate from one human being. 66. If one were to observe carefully the creation of the human species, its division into male and female, the proliferation of the human race by procreation, the passing of life through its several stages in the womb of the mother from conception to childbirth, one would perceive innumerable signs to help one grasp the truth mentioned above. But only those who make proper use of their intellect can be led by means of these signs to an understanding of Reality. Those who live like animals, who are concerned merely with the satisfaction of their lusts and desires, can perceive nothing significant in these phenomena.
Ayahs 6:100–103

وَ جَعَلُوْا لِلّٰهِ شُرَكَآءَ الْجِنَّ وَ خَلَقَهُمْ وَ خَرَقُوْا لَهٗ بَنِیْنَ وَ بَنٰتٍۭ بِغَیْرِ عِلْمٍ١ؕ سُبْحٰنَهٗ وَ تَعٰلٰى عَمَّا یَصِفُوْنَ۠ Open ayah 6:100 in the Quran reader

And yet, some people have come to associate the jinn with Allah in His divinity, 67 even though it is He Who created them; and in ignorance they impute to Him sons and daughters. 68 He is Holy and Exalted far above that which they attribute to Him.

بَدِیْعُ السَّمٰوٰتِ وَ الْاَرْضِ١ؕ اَنّٰى یَكُوْنُ لَهٗ وَلَدٌ وَّ لَمْ تَكُنْ لَّهٗ صَاحِبَةٌ١ؕ وَ خَلَقَ كُلَّ شَیْءٍ١ۚ وَ هُوَ بِكُلِّ شَیْءٍ عَلِیْمٌ Open ayah 6:101 in the Quran reader

He is the Originator of the heavens and the earth. How can He have a son when He has had no mate? And He has created everything and He has full knowledge of all things.

ذٰلِكُمُ اللّٰهُ رَبُّكُمْ١ۚ لَاۤ اِلٰهَ اِلَّا هُوَ١ۚ خَالِقُ كُلِّ شَیْءٍ فَاعْبُدُوْهُ١ۚ وَ هُوَ عَلٰى كُلِّ شَیْءٍ وَّكِیْلٌ Open ayah 6:102 in the Quran reader

Such is Allah, your Lord. There is no god but He - the Creator of all things. Serve Him alone - for it is He Who is the guardian of everything.

لَا تُدْرِكُهُ الْاَبْصَارُ١٘ وَ هُوَ یُدْرِكُ الْاَبْصَارَ١ۚ وَ هُوَ اللَّطِیْفُ الْخَبِیْرُ Open ayah 6:103 in the Quran reader

No visual perception can encompass Him, even though He encompasses all visual perception. He is the All-Subtle, the All-Aware.

67. Because of man's imaginativeness and superstitious disposition, he has often held other invisible beings to be associated with God in His governance of the universe and in making and marring man's destiny. For example, the deity of rain, and the deity of vegetation, the god of wealth and the god of health, and so on. Such beliefs are found among all the polytheistic nations of the world. 68. The ignorant Arabs considered angels to be the daughters of God. In the same way, other polytheistic nations wove a network of bloodrelationships with God, producing thereby a whole crop of gods and goddesses descended from the Creator.
Ayah 6:104

قَدْ جَآءَكُمْ بَصَآئِرُ مِنْ رَّبِّكُمْ١ۚ فَمَنْ اَبْصَرَ فَلِنَفْسِهٖ١ۚ وَ مَنْ عَمِیَ فَعَلَیْهَا١ؕ وَ مَاۤ اَنَا عَلَیْكُمْ بِحَفِیْظٍ Open ayah 6:104 in the Quran reader

The lights of clear perception have now come to you from your Lord. Then, he who chooses to see clearly, does so for his own good; and he who chooses to remain blind, does so to his own harm. I am not your keeper. 69

69. Even though this statement is from God, it is expressed through the mouth of the Prophet (peace be on him). We observe that in the Qur'an the speaker frequently changes - sometimes it is God Who is speaking, sometimes it is the angel who carries the revelation, and sometimes a group of angels; on some occasions it is the Prophet (peace be on him) who is speaking, while on others it is the men of faith. Likewise, those addressed by the Qur'an also change - sometimes it is the Prophet (peace be' on him); sometimes it is the men of faith; sometimes it is the People of the Book; sometimes it is the unbelievers and the polytheists; sometimes it is the Quraysh; sometimes it is the Arabs; and sometimes, mankind as a whole. Regardless of these changes, however, the content of the message always remains the same - it consists of God's guidance to mankind. The statement 'I am not your keeper' signifies that the task of the Prophet is confined to carrying the light of true guidance to others, it is then up to them either to use it to perceive Reality for themselves or to keep their eyes closed. The Prophet (peace he on him) is not asked to compel those who deliberately kept their eyes shut to open them, forcing them to see what they did not wish to see.
Ayahs 6:105–106

وَ كَذٰلِكَ نُصَرِّفُ الْاٰیٰتِ وَ لِیَقُوْلُوْا دَرَسْتَ وَ لِنُبَیِّنَهٗ لِقَوْمٍ یَّعْلَمُوْنَ Open ayah 6:105 in the Quran reader

Thus do We make Our signs clear in diverse ways that they might say: 'You have learned this (from somebody)'; and 'We do this in order that We make the Truth clear to the people of knowledge.' 70

اِتَّبِعْ مَاۤ اُوْحِیَ اِلَیْكَ مِنْ رَّبِّكَ١ۚ لَاۤ اِلٰهَ اِلَّا هُوَ١ۚ وَ اَعْرِضْ عَنِ الْمُشْرِكِیْنَ Open ayah 6:106 in the Quran reader

(O Muhammad!) Follow the revelation which has come to you from your Lord, other than Whom there is no god, and turn away from those who associate others with Allah in His divinity.

70. The same has been said earlier, viz. that genuine seekers after the Truth arrive at it even when it is couched in parables about such apparently trivial things as flies and gnats see (surah al-Baqarah 2:24). As for those who have been seized by a biased negativism, they are prone to ask, sarcastically: What have these trivial things to do with the Book of God? The same idea is expressed here in a slightly different form. The import of the statement is that the Book of God has become a touchstone, which helps mark off the true from the false. These include the sort of people who, once they have ceme to know the teachings of the Book of Ged, try in earnest to reflect on its substance and seek to benefit from the wisdom and admonition it contains. Another group reacts quite differently. When they hear or read the Book, their minds are not attracted by the substance of its message. Rather, their curiosity is aroused and they begin probing as to where this Prophet, who had no formal education, derived the teachings which the Book contains. And since a negative prejudice has already seized their hearts, they find it reasonable to conceive of any possibility except the possibility that the Qur'An is a revelation from God. Such people proclaim their opinion with such strong conviction that one might feel inclined to believe that they had indeed discovered the real 'source' of the Book by means of scientific investigation.
Ayah 6:107

وَ لَوْ شَآءَ اللّٰهُ مَاۤ اَشْرَكُوْا١ؕ وَ مَا جَعَلْنٰكَ عَلَیْهِمْ حَفِیْظًا١ۚ وَ مَاۤ اَنْتَ عَلَیْهِمْ بِوَكِیْلٍ Open ayah 6:107 in the Quran reader

Had Allah so willed they would not have associated others with Him in His divinity; and We have not appointed you a watcher over them, and you are not their guardian. 71

71. It is emphasized that the Prophet (peace be on him) is only required to preach the Truth and try to call people to embrace it. His responsibility ends at that for he is, after all, not their warden. His task is to present this guidance and spare no effort in elucidating the Truth. Anyone who still rejects it does so on his own responsibility. It is not part of the Prophet's task to compel anybody to follow the Truth, and he will not be held accountable for not having been able to bring an individual out of the fold of falsehood. Hence he should not overstrain his mind by his desire to make the blind see, or compel those bent on keeping their eyes shut, to observe. For, had it been an objective of God's universal plan not to allow anyone to remain devoted to falsehood, He need not have sent Prophets for that purpose. Could He not have turned all human beings, instantly, into devotees of the Truth by His mere will? Quite obviously God did not intend to do so. The entire basis of the Divine plan is that men should have free-will and be allowed to choose between the Truth and falsehood; that the Truth should be explained to them in order that they be tested with regard to their choice between truth and falsehood. The right attitude, therefore, is for them to follow the Straight Way which has been illuminated by the light bequeathed to them and to keep on calling others towards it. They should naturally value very highly all those who respond to the message of the Truth. Such persons should not be forsaken or neglected, however humble their station in the world. As for those who wilfully reject the message of God, one need not pursue them too far. They should rather be left alone to proceed towards their doom since they themselves wish so, and are insistent on doing so.
Ayah 6:108

وَ لَا تَسُبُّوا الَّذِیْنَ یَدْعُوْنَ مِنْ دُوْنِ اللّٰهِ فَیَسُبُّوا اللّٰهَ عَدْوًۢا بِغَیْرِ عِلْمٍ١ؕ كَذٰلِكَ زَیَّنَّا لِكُلِّ اُمَّةٍ عَمَلَهُمْ١۪ ثُمَّ اِلٰى رَبِّهِمْ مَّرْجِعُهُمْ فَیُنَبِّئُهُمْ بِمَا كَانُوْا یَعْمَلُوْنَ Open ayah 6:108 in the Quran reader

Do not revile those whom they invoke other than Allah, because they will revile Allah in ignorance out of spite. 72 For We have indeed made the deeds of every people seem fair to them. 73 Tlen, their return is to their Lord and He will inform them of what they have done.

72. The Prophet (peace be on him) and his followers are admonished not to allow their proselytizing zeal to dominate them so that their polemics and controversial religious discussions either lead them to be offensive to the beliefs of non-Muslims or to abuse their religious leaders and deities. Far from bringing people closer to the Truth, such an attitude is likely to alienate them from it further. 73. Here we should bear in mind, as we have pointed out earlier, that God declares those things which take place as a result of the operation of the laws of nature to be His own acts, for it is He Who has rnade those laws. Whatever results from the operation of those laws, therefore, results from His command. Whenever God states that a certain act was His, the same might be described by humans as occurring in the natural course of things.
Ayah 6:109

وَ اَقْسَمُوْا بِاللّٰهِ جَهْدَ اَیْمَانِهِمْ لَئِنْ جَآءَتْهُمْ اٰیَةٌ لَّیُؤْمِنُنَّ بِهَا١ؕ قُلْ اِنَّمَا الْاٰیٰتُ عِنْدَ اللّٰهِ وَ مَا یُشْعِرُكُمْ١ۙ اَنَّهَاۤ اِذَا جَآءَتْ لَا یُؤْمِنُوْنَ Open ayah 6:109 in the Quran reader

They swear by Allah with their most solemn oaths that if a sign 74 comes to them, they will certainly believe in it. Say: 'Signs are in Allah's power alone. 75 What will make you realize that even if those signs were to come, they would still not believe? 76

74. 'Sign' in this context signifies a tangible miracle which is so impressive that it leaves people with no alternative but to believe in the veracity of the Prophet (peace be on him) and the truth of his claim to have been appointed by God. 75. The Prophet (peace be on him) denies his ability to perform miracles. That power lies with God alone. If God wants a miracle to take place, He has the power; if He does not want miracles to take place, none will. And so indeed does every Prophet of God - Ed. 76. These words are addressed to the Muslims. Driven by the restless yearning to see people embrace Islam - a yearning which they sometimes expressed in words - they wished some miracle to happen which might lead their erring brethren to the true faith. In response to this wish and longing they are told that their embracing the true faith does not depend upon their observing any miraculous sign.
Ayah 6:110

وَ نُقَلِّبُ اَفْئِدَتَهُمْ وَ اَبْصَارَهُمْ كَمَا لَمْ یُؤْمِنُوْا بِهٖۤ اَوَّلَ مَرَّةٍ وَّ نَذَرُهُمْ فِیْ طُغْیَانِهِمْ یَعْمَهُوْنَ۠ Open ayah 6:110 in the Quran reader

We are turning their hearts and eyes away from the Truth even as they did not believe in the first instance 77 - and We leave them in their insurgence to stumble blindly.

77. This shows that they still suffer from the same mentality which had made them reject the call of the Prophet (peace be on him) at the outset. Their outlook has undergone no change. The same mental confusion, the same opacity of vision which had kept them from developing sound understanding and.a correct perspective still warps their understanding and clouds their vision.
Ayah 6:111

وَ لَوْ اَنَّنَا نَزَّلْنَاۤ اِلَیْهِمُ الْمَلٰٓئِكَةَ وَ كَلَّمَهُمُ الْمَوْتٰى وَ حَشَرْنَا عَلَیْهِمْ كُلَّ شَیْءٍ قُبُلًا مَّا كَانُوْا لِیُؤْمِنُوْۤا اِلَّاۤ اَنْ یَّشَآءَ اللّٰهُ وَ لٰكِنَّ اَكْثَرَهُمْ یَجْهَلُوْنَ Open ayah 6:111 in the Quran reader

Even if We had sent angels down to them and the dead had spoken to them, and even if We had assembled before them all the things, face to face, they would still not believe unless it be Allah's will that they believe. 78 Most of them behave in utter ignorance.

78. The people under discussion are so perverse that they do not prefer to embrace the Truth in preference to falsehood by rightly exercising their choice and volition. The only way that is left for them to become lovers of the Truth is, therefore, that by His overpowering will God should render them truth-loving not by their choice and volition, but by metamorphizing their very nature. Such a course, however, goes against the wisdom which underlies the creation of man. Hence it is futile to expect God to intervene in the matter and to force those people to believe by the exercise of His will.
Ayahs 6:112–113

وَ كَذٰلِكَ جَعَلْنَا لِكُلِّ نَبِیٍّ عَدُوًّا شَیٰطِیْنَ الْاِنْسِ وَ الْجِنِّ یُوْحِیْ بَعْضُهُمْ اِلٰى بَعْضٍ زُخْرُفَ الْقَوْلِ غُرُوْرًا١ؕ وَ لَوْ شَآءَ رَبُّكَ مَا فَعَلُوْهُ فَذَرْهُمْ وَ مَا یَفْتَرُوْنَ Open ayah 6:112 in the Quran reader

And so it is that against every Prophet We have set up the evil ones from among men and jinn, some of them inspire others with specious speech only by way of. Delusion. 79 Had it been your Lord's will, they would not have done it. 80 Leave them alone to fabricate what they will.

وَ لِتَصْغٰۤى اِلَیْهِ اَفْئِدَةُ الَّذِیْنَ لَا یُؤْمِنُوْنَ بِالْاٰخِرَةِ وَ لِیَرْضَوْهُ وَ لِیَقْتَرِفُوْا مَا هُمْ مُّقْتَرِفُوْنَ Open ayah 6:113 in the Quran reader

So that the hearts of those who do not believe in the Life to Come might incline towards this attractive delusion, and that they may be well pleased with it and might acquire the evils that they are bent on acquiring.

79. The Prophet (peace be on him) is told that he should not be unnerved even if the evil ones among both mankind and the jinn stood united against him and opposed him with all their might. For this was not the first time that such a thing had happened. Whenever a Prophet came and tried to lead people to the Truth, all the satanic forces joined hands to defeat his mission. 'Specious talk' signifies all the trickery and manoeuvring to which the enemy resorts, all his efforts aimed at sowing doubts about Islam and undermining people's faith in it, so as to arouse them against both the Prophet (peace be on him) and his message. Taken as a whole, these are characterized as 'delusion', for the weapons used in their crusade by the opponents of the Truth have the effect of deluding others as well as themselves, no matter how beneficial and successful those weapons may appear to be. 80. Furthermore, we should always bear in mind that, according to the Qur'an, there is a tremendous difference between 'God's will' and 'God's good pleasure'. The failure to differentiate between the two often gives rise to serious misconceptions. If a certain thing takes place in accord with the universal will of God, and thus by His sanction, that does not necessarily mean that God is pleased with it. Nothing at all takes place in the world unless God permits it to take place, unless He makes it a part of His scheme, and unless He makes it possible for that event to take place by creating its necessary conditions. The act of stealing on the part of a thief, the act of homicide on the part of a murderer, the wrong and corruption of the wrong-doer and the corrupt, the unbelief of the unbeliever and the polytheism of the polytheist - none of these are possible without the will of God. Likewise, the faith of the believer and the piety of the pious are inconceivable without the will of God. In short, both these require the will of God. But whereas the things in the first category do not please Him, those in the second do. Even though the will of God is oriented to ultimate good, the course of the realization of that good is paved with conflict between the forces of light and darkness, of good and evil, of what is sound and pure on the one hand and what is corrupt and defiled on the other. With larger interests in view, God has endowed man with the disposition of obedience as well as of disobedience. He has created in man Abrahamic and Mosaic as well as Nimrodic and Pharaonic potentialities. Both the pure, unadulterated human nature and the satanic urges are ingrained in man's being and have been provided with the opportunity to work themselves out by coming into conflict with each other. He has granted those species of His creatures who are possessed of authority (viz. man and jinn) the freedom to choose between good and evil. Whosoever chooses to act righteously has been given the power to do so, and the same is the case with him who chooses to be evil. People of both categories are in a position to use material resources within the framework of the broader considerations underlying God's- governance of His universe. God will be pleased, however, only with those who are working for good. God likes His creatures to exercise their freedom of choice properly and commit themselves to good of their own volition. Unlike the angels, who carry out God's commands without resistance from any quarter, the task entrusted to men is to strive to establish the way of life sanctioned by God in the face of opposition and hostility from evil-doers and rebels against Him. In the framework of His universal will, God allows even those who have chosen the path of rebellion to strive for the realization of their goals, even as He grants the believers every opportunity to strive along the path of obedience and service to God. Despite this granting of freedom and choice to all there is no doubt that God is pleased with, and guides, directs, supports and strengthens the believers alone because their overall direction is to His liking. Nevertheless, they should not expect that by His supernatural intervention God will either force those who are disinclined to believe into believing or that He will forcibly remove the satanic forces - among both men and jinn - who are resolved to spare neither their mental and physical energy nor their material resources to impede the triumph of the Truth. Those determined to strive in the cause of the Truth, and of virtue and righteousness are told that they must prove their earnest devotion by waging a fierce struggle against the devotees of falsehood. For had God wanted to use miracles to obliterate falsehood and usher in the reign of the Truth, He would not have required human beings to accomplish the task. He could have simply seen to it that no evil one remained in the world, leaving no possibility for polytheism and unbelief to exist.
Ayahs 6:114–115

اَفَغَیْرَ اللّٰهِ اَبْتَغِیْ حَكَمًا وَّ هُوَ الَّذِیْۤ اَنْزَلَ اِلَیْكُمُ الْكِتٰبَ مُفَصَّلًا١ؕ وَ الَّذِیْنَ اٰتَیْنٰهُمُ الْكِتٰبَ یَعْلَمُوْنَ اَنَّهٗ مُنَزَّلٌ مِّنْ رَّبِّكَ بِالْحَقِّ فَلَا تَكُوْنَنَّ مِنَ الْمُمْتَرِیْنَ Open ayah 6:114 in the Quran reader

Shall I look upon anyone apart from Allah for judgement when it is He Who has revealed to you the Book in detail? 81 And those whom We gave the Book (before you) know that this (Book) has been revealed in truth by your Lord. Do not, then, be among the doubters. 82

وَ تَمَّتْ كَلِمَتُ رَبِّكَ صِدْقًا وَّ عَدْلًا١ؕ لَا مُبَدِّلَ لِكَلِمٰتِهٖ١ۚ وَ هُوَ السَّمِیْعُ الْعَلِیْمُ Open ayah 6:115 in the Quran reader

The Word of your Lord is perfect in truthfulness and justice; no one can change His words. He is the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing.

81. The implied speaker in this sentence is the Prophet (peace be on him) and the words are addressed to the Muslims. The purpose of the sentence is to impress upon the Muslims that God has elucidated the relevant truths, and has also proclaimed that in their endeavour to make the Truth prevail they will have to follow the path of striving and struggle. The devotees of the Truth should, therefore, resort to those means which human beings normally employ for the successful achievement of their objectives rather than wait for any supernatural intervention that would enable them to achieve their mission without struggle and sacrifice. Moreover, since God Himself had chosen that human effort rather than supernatural intervention should lead to the prevalence of the Truth, who had the power to change this basic fact and bring about the victory of the Truth without any resort to human effort and sacrifice. 82. This is no mere concoction designed to explain away the current problems. All those versed in the Scriptures, and possessing true understanding of the mission of the Prophets (peace be on them all), will confirm that everything in the Qur'an is perfectly true and in fact constitutes that eternal truth which cannot suffer any change or modification.
Ayahs 6:116–117

وَ اِنْ تُطِعْ اَكْثَرَ مَنْ فِی الْاَرْضِ یُضِلُّوْكَ عَنْ سَبِیْلِ اللّٰهِ١ؕ اِنْ یَّتَّبِعُوْنَ اِلَّا الظَّنَّ وَ اِنْ هُمْ اِلَّا یَخْرُصُوْنَ Open ayah 6:116 in the Quran reader

(O Muhammad!) If you obey the majority of those who live on earth, they will lead you away from Allah's path. They only follow idle fancies, indulging in conjecture. 83

اِنَّ رَبَّكَ هُوَ اَعْلَمُ مَنْ یَّضِلُّ عَنْ سَبِیْلِهٖ١ۚ وَ هُوَ اَعْلَمُ بِالْمُهْتَدِیْنَ Open ayah 6:117 in the Quran reader

And your - Lord knows well who stray from His path, and also those who are rightly-guided.

83. One need not follow the way of life of the majority, for the majority tend to follow their conjectures and fancies rather than sound knowledge. Their beliefs, their ideas and concepts, their philosophies of life, the guiding principles of their conduct, their laws - all these are founded on conjecture. On the contrary, the way of life which pleases God, was revealed by Him and hence is based on true knowledge rather than conjecture. Instead of trying to discover the way of life of the majority, a seeker after truth should, therefore, persevere in the way prescribed by God, even if he finds himself to be a solitary traveller.
Ayah 6:118

فَكُلُوْا مِمَّا ذُكِرَ اسْمُ اللّٰهِ عَلَیْهِ اِنْ كُنْتُمْ بِاٰیٰتِهٖ مُؤْمِنِیْنَ Open ayah 6:118 in the Quran reader

If you believe in the signs of Allah, eat (the flesh) of that over which Allah's name has been pronounced. 84

84. Many nations have imposed on themselves superfluous religious taboos, which include a variety of dietary restrictions. On the one hand, they have declared lawful many of the things which God has forbidden. On the other, there are many things which God has made lawful but which some people have forbidden to themselves. Some people have even gone so far as to consider eating animals slaughtered in the name of God as unlawful, while those slaughtered with no mention of God's name may be eaten. God repudiates this and urges the Muslims - if they really believe in Him and obey His injunctions - to smash the superstitious and prejudiced notions contrived by human beings in disregard of God's revealed guidance, and to recognize as unlawful all that God has declared to be unlawful, and as lawful all that God has declared to be lawful.