Anwar Al-Quran

Verses 147–151

6. Al-An'aam · The Cattle

Makkan165 verses

فَإِن كَذَّبُوكَ فَقُل رَّبُّكُمْ ذُو رَحْمَةٍۢ وَٰسِعَةٍۢ وَلَا يُرَدُّ بَأْسُهُۥ عَنِ ٱلْقَوْمِ ٱلْمُجْرِمِينَ

6:147But if they deny you, say, ‘Your Lord is dispenser of an all-embracing mercy, but His punishment will not be averted from the guilty lot.’

سَيَقُولُ ٱلَّذِينَ أَشْرَكُوا۟ لَوْ شَآءَ ٱللَّهُ مَآ أَشْرَكْنَا وَلَآ ءَابَآؤُنَا وَلَا حَرَّمْنَا مِن شَىْءٍۢ ۚ كَذَٰلِكَ كَذَّبَ ٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ حَتَّىٰ ذَاقُوا۟ بَأْسَنَا ۗ قُلْ هَلْ عِندَكُم مِّنْ عِلْمٍۢ فَتُخْرِجُوهُ لَنَآ ۖ إِن تَتَّبِعُونَ إِلَّا ٱلظَّنَّ وَإِنْ أَنتُمْ إِلَّا تَخْرُصُونَ

6:148The polytheists will say, ‘Had Allah wished we would not have ascribed any partner [to Him], nor our fathers, nor would we have forbidden anything.’ Those who were before them had denied likewise until they tasted Our punishment. Say, ‘Do you have any [revealed] knowledge that you can produce before us? You follow nothing but conjectures, and you do nothing but surmise.’

قُلْ فَلِلَّهِ ٱلْحُجَّةُ ٱلْبَٰلِغَةُ ۖ فَلَوْ شَآءَ لَهَدَىٰكُمْ أَجْمَعِينَ

6:149Say, ‘To Allah belongs the conclusive argument. Had He wished, He would have surely guided you all.’1

قُلْ هَلُمَّ شُهَدَآءَكُمُ ٱلَّذِينَ يَشْهَدُونَ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ حَرَّمَ هَٰذَا ۖ فَإِن شَهِدُوا۟ فَلَا تَشْهَدْ مَعَهُمْ ۚ وَلَا تَتَّبِعْ أَهْوَآءَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَذَّبُوا۟ بِـَٔايَٰتِنَا وَٱلَّذِينَ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ بِٱلْءَاخِرَةِ وَهُم بِرَبِّهِمْ يَعْدِلُونَ

6:150Say, ‘Bring your witnesses who may testify that Allah has forbidden this.’ So if they testify, do not testify with them, and do not follow the desires of those who deny Our signs, and those who do not believe in the Hereafter and equate [others] with their Lord.

۞ قُلْ تَعَالَوْا۟ أَتْلُ مَا حَرَّمَ رَبُّكُمْ عَلَيْكُمْ ۖ أَلَّا تُشْرِكُوا۟ بِهِۦ شَيْـًۭٔا ۖ وَبِٱلْوَٰلِدَيْنِ إِحْسَٰنًۭا ۖ وَلَا تَقْتُلُوٓا۟ أَوْلَٰدَكُم مِّنْ إِمْلَٰقٍۢ ۖ نَّحْنُ نَرْزُقُكُمْ وَإِيَّاهُمْ ۖ وَلَا تَقْرَبُوا۟ ٱلْفَوَٰحِشَ مَا ظَهَرَ مِنْهَا وَمَا بَطَنَ ۖ وَلَا تَقْتُلُوا۟ ٱلنَّفْسَ ٱلَّتِى حَرَّمَ ٱللَّهُ إِلَّا بِٱلْحَقِّ ۚ ذَٰلِكُمْ وَصَّىٰكُم بِهِۦ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَعْقِلُونَ

6:151Say, ‘Come, I will recount what your Lord has forbidden you. That you shall not ascribe any partners to Him, and you shall be good to the parents, you shall not kill your children due to penury—We will provide for you and for them—you shall not approach indecencies, the outward among them and the inward ones, and you shall not kill a soul [whose life] Allah has made inviolable, except with due cause. This is what He has enjoined upon you so that you may exercise your reason.23

Tafsir

Commentary on this passage

Verse 148

1.This is the nature of the fickle person that originally he tries to prove his sins as virtuous and when he encounters an obstacle, he puts this responsibility on others. Though the polytheists have done the same. First they settled themselves as the contractors of lawful and unlawful and when they could not succeed, they made Allah responsible for it. Though an intellectual person knows that Allah does not compel. Allah compels only to believe in Him and not to use abusive language.

Verse 150

2.The prophet cannot follow the desires of anyone but Allah has suggested the three ways, so that this matter would become a common law for all (i) They are contradictor of Our revealed verse. (ii) They have no faith of Doomsday of Resurrection (iii) They believe in others as their Gods. It is clear that they are not the worthy followers at any cost.

Verse 151

3.The circle of these sinful people is very vast. All bad acts are included in it, such as copulation, sodomy, oppression, immodesty, backbiting, tell-tale, jealousy, polytheism, disobedience of parents, killing, misappropriating the wealth of orphans etc. These have been mentioned separately by Allah so that its importance can be estimated and other things have been kept commonly in this circle.

Footnotes

Explanations of words and phrases in these verses

  1. 1

    Hujjat-e-Baligha is an irrefutable argument that leaves no scope for the dissenting view.

  2. 2

    Imalq - It is penury and flattery is its product by which the poor try to obtain monetary favours from the rich. This ayat mentions the present poverty and elsewhere the fear of destitution of the present people is emphasised more. While in the latter case stress is laid on the sustenance of the children.

  3. 3

    In the period of ignorance open adultery was haraam while it was permitted if performed secretly. Like in the ignorance of today it is prohibited by force but allowed if both partners consent.

  4. Benefit

    The 151st ayat mentions ten Divine commands.

    (1) Not to make anyone a partner of Allah.

    (2) Goodness to parents.

    (3) Not to kill ones children.

    (4) To not even go near the evil doers.

    (5) To not kill an innocent soul.

    (6) Not to misappropriate the property of orphans.

    (7) To be honest in weighing and measuring.

    (8) To be just in speaking.

    (9) To fulfill the divine oaths.

    (10) To tread the way of Allah and not go astray