Anwar Al-Quran

Verses 119–124

6. Al-An'aam · The Cattle

Makkan165 verses

وَمَا لَكُمْ أَلَّا تَأْكُلُوا۟ مِمَّا ذُكِرَ ٱسْمُ ٱللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ وَقَدْ فَصَّلَ لَكُم مَّا حَرَّمَ عَلَيْكُمْ إِلَّا مَا ٱضْطُرِرْتُمْ إِلَيْهِ ۗ وَإِنَّ كَثِيرًۭا لَّيُضِلُّونَ بِأَهْوَآئِهِم بِغَيْرِ عِلْمٍ ۗ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ هُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِٱلْمُعْتَدِينَ

6:119Why should you not eat that over which Allah’s Name has been mentioned, while He has already elaborated for you whatever He has forbidden you, excepting what you may be compelled to [eat in an emergency]? Indeed many mislead [others] by their fancies, without any knowledge. Indeed your Lord knows best the transgressors.1

وَذَرُوا۟ ظَٰهِرَ ٱلْإِثْمِ وَبَاطِنَهُۥٓ ۚ إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ يَكْسِبُونَ ٱلْإِثْمَ سَيُجْزَوْنَ بِمَا كَانُوا۟ يَقْتَرِفُونَ

6:120Renounce outward sins and the inward ones. Indeed those who commit sins shall be requited for what they used to commit.*

وَلَا تَأْكُلُوا۟ مِمَّا لَمْ يُذْكَرِ ٱسْمُ ٱللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ وَإِنَّهُۥ لَفِسْقٌۭ ۗ وَإِنَّ ٱلشَّيَٰطِينَ لَيُوحُونَ إِلَىٰٓ أَوْلِيَآئِهِمْ لِيُجَٰدِلُوكُمْ ۖ وَإِنْ أَطَعْتُمُوهُمْ إِنَّكُمْ لَمُشْرِكُونَ

6:121Do not eat [anything] of that over which Allah’s Name has not been mentioned, and that is indeed transgression. Indeed the satans inspire their friends to dispute with you; and if you obey them, you will indeed be polytheists.2

أَوَمَن كَانَ مَيْتًۭا فَأَحْيَيْنَٰهُ وَجَعَلْنَا لَهُۥ نُورًۭا يَمْشِى بِهِۦ فِى ٱلنَّاسِ كَمَن مَّثَلُهُۥ فِى ٱلظُّلُمَٰتِ لَيْسَ بِخَارِجٍۢ مِّنْهَا ۚ كَذَٰلِكَ زُيِّنَ لِلْكَٰفِرِينَ مَا كَانُوا۟ يَعْمَلُونَ

6:122Is he who was lifeless, then We gave him life and provided him with a light by which he walks among the people, like one who dwells in a manifold darkness which he cannot leave? To the faithless is thus presented as decorous what they have been doing.

وَكَذَٰلِكَ جَعَلْنَا فِى كُلِّ قَرْيَةٍ أَكَٰبِرَ مُجْرِمِيهَا لِيَمْكُرُوا۟ فِيهَا ۖ وَمَا يَمْكُرُونَ إِلَّا بِأَنفُسِهِمْ وَمَا يَشْعُرُونَ

6:123Thus have We installed in every town its major criminals that they may plot therein. Yet they do not plot except against their own souls, but they are not aware.

وَإِذَا جَآءَتْهُمْ ءَايَةٌۭ قَالُوا۟ لَن نُّؤْمِنَ حَتَّىٰ نُؤْتَىٰ مِثْلَ مَآ أُوتِىَ رُسُلُ ٱللَّهِ ۘ ٱللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ حَيْثُ يَجْعَلُ رِسَالَتَهُۥ ۗ سَيُصِيبُ ٱلَّذِينَ أَجْرَمُوا۟ صَغَارٌ عِندَ ٱللَّهِ وَعَذَابٌۭ شَدِيدٌۢ بِمَا كَانُوا۟ يَمْكُرُونَ

6:124When a sign comes to them, they say, ‘We will not believe until we are given the like of what was given to Allah’s apostles.’ Allah knows best where to place His apostleship! Soon the guilty will be visited by a degradation and severe punishment from Allah because of the plots they used to devise.3

Tafsir

Commentary on this passage

Verse 122

1.This is a very good example of Islam and blasphemy, that a man was ignorant and Islam made him alive and then bestowed on him righteousness with the help of which he walks among the people and solves all his problems of life and from it gets illumination. And infidel is lying in the darkness of death and still cannot come out from the darkness. Shaitan adorned this darkness and particulars of death in the sight of infidels that he does not try to emerge from it. It is said that this auspicious verse has been revealed about Hamza and Abu Jahl but anyhow its content is comprehensive and common and it is applicable everywhere and in every era.

Verse 123

2.This is the good preparation of our Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.)’s satisfaction of the heart that malicious persons are not only in Mecca but this manner of people are born everywhere and in every era and their birth is according to their innate nature. Therefore this state of affairs can be attributed to us and We have given this chance to them only due to the fact the loss of their deceitfulness is for them and not for us. And they abstain from the sensibility and consciousness while they cannot think of their loss.

Footnotes

Explanations of words and phrases in these verses

  1. 1

    The infidels used to mislead the Muslims by saying that when you eat what human hands have killed, why can’t you eat that Allah has killed? The Almighty Allah has replied to this from both aspects. It is permitted if the name of Allah is uttered on it and on the contrary it is a transgression and a sin to eat something on which Allah’s name is not recited, because this would imply denial of Allah’s name.

  2. Benefit

    The word ‘Kasb’ earning with the word sin in the 120th ayat indicates that some people trade the treasure of life to earn sins, and this is absolutely degrading and a mammoth loss.

  3. 2

    It has always been the trick of satans in every age that they create doubt in the hearts of simple minded people and separate from them, while these people continue to confront the truth and the people of truth. The Holy Quran has warned of this danger and announced that such person will be included among the sinners.

  4. 3

    It is the system of punishment and crime in Islam that if you behave arrogantly you will be degraded and if you are deceitful you will have to face a severe punishment.