Anwar Al-Quran

Verses 158–165

6. Al-An'aam · The Cattle

Makkan165 verses

هَلْ يَنظُرُونَ إِلَّآ أَن تَأْتِيَهُمُ ٱلْمَلَٰٓئِكَةُ أَوْ يَأْتِىَ رَبُّكَ أَوْ يَأْتِىَ بَعْضُ ءَايَٰتِ رَبِّكَ ۗ يَوْمَ يَأْتِى بَعْضُ ءَايَٰتِ رَبِّكَ لَا يَنفَعُ نَفْسًا إِيمَٰنُهَا لَمْ تَكُنْ ءَامَنَتْ مِن قَبْلُ أَوْ كَسَبَتْ فِىٓ إِيمَٰنِهَا خَيْرًۭا ۗ قُلِ ٱنتَظِرُوٓا۟ إِنَّا مُنتَظِرُونَ

6:158Do they not consider that the angels may come to them, or your Lord may come, or some of your Lord’s signs may come? The day when some of your Lord’s signs do come, faith shall not benefit any soul that had not believed beforehand and had not earned some goodness in its faith. Say, ‘Wait! We too are waiting!’

إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ فَرَّقُوا۟ دِينَهُمْ وَكَانُوا۟ شِيَعًۭا لَّسْتَ مِنْهُمْ فِى شَىْءٍ ۚ إِنَّمَآ أَمْرُهُمْ إِلَى ٱللَّهِ ثُمَّ يُنَبِّئُهُم بِمَا كَانُوا۟ يَفْعَلُونَ

6:159Indeed those who split up their religion and became sects, you will not have anything to do with them. Their matter rests only with Allah; then He will inform them concerning what they used to do.1

مَن جَآءَ بِٱلْحَسَنَةِ فَلَهُۥ عَشْرُ أَمْثَالِهَا ۖ وَمَن جَآءَ بِٱلسَّيِّئَةِ فَلَا يُجْزَىٰٓ إِلَّا مِثْلَهَا وَهُمْ لَا يُظْلَمُونَ

6:160Whoever brings virtue shall receive [a reward] ten times its like; but whoever brings vice shall not be requited except with its like, and they will not be wronged.

قُلْ إِنَّنِى هَدَىٰنِى رَبِّىٓ إِلَىٰ صِرَٰطٍۢ مُّسْتَقِيمٍۢ دِينًۭا قِيَمًۭا مِّلَّةَ إِبْرَٰهِيمَ حَنِيفًۭا ۚ وَمَا كَانَ مِنَ ٱلْمُشْرِكِينَ

6:161Say, ‘Indeed my Lord has guided me to a straight path, the upright religion, the creed of Abraham, a Hanif, and he was not one of the polytheists.’

قُلْ إِنَّ صَلَاتِى وَنُسُكِى وَمَحْيَاىَ وَمَمَاتِى لِلَّهِ رَبِّ ٱلْعَٰلَمِينَ

6:162Say, ‘Indeed my prayer and my worship, my life and my death are for the sake of Allah, the Lord of all the worlds.2

لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُۥ ۖ وَبِذَٰلِكَ أُمِرْتُ وَأَنَا۠ أَوَّلُ ٱلْمُسْلِمِينَ

6:163He has no partner, and I have been commanded [to follow] this [creed], and I am the first of those who submit [to Allah].’

قُلْ أَغَيْرَ ٱللَّهِ أَبْغِى رَبًّۭا وَهُوَ رَبُّ كُلِّ شَىْءٍۢ ۚ وَلَا تَكْسِبُ كُلُّ نَفْسٍ إِلَّا عَلَيْهَا ۚ وَلَا تَزِرُ وَازِرَةٌۭ وِزْرَ أُخْرَىٰ ۚ ثُمَّ إِلَىٰ رَبِّكُم مَّرْجِعُكُمْ فَيُنَبِّئُكُم بِمَا كُنتُمْ فِيهِ تَخْتَلِفُونَ

6:164Say, ‘Shall I seek a Lord other than Allah, while He is the Lord of all things?’ No soul does evil except against itself, and no bearer shall bear another’s burden; then to your Lord will be your return, whereat He will inform you concerning that about which you used to differ.3

وَهُوَ ٱلَّذِى جَعَلَكُمْ خَلَٰٓئِفَ ٱلْأَرْضِ وَرَفَعَ بَعْضَكُمْ فَوْقَ بَعْضٍۢ دَرَجَٰتٍۢ لِّيَبْلُوَكُمْ فِى مَآ ءَاتَىٰكُمْ ۗ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ سَرِيعُ ٱلْعِقَابِ وَإِنَّهُۥ لَغَفُورٌۭ رَّحِيمٌۢ

6:165It is He who has made you successors on the earth, and raised some of you in rank above others so that He may test you in respect to what He has given you. Indeed your Lord is swift in retribution, and indeed, He is all-forgiving, all-merciful.

Tafsir

Commentary on this passage

Verse 158

1.According to commentators Angel means the Angel of death, Lord denotes His chastisements and signs denote the signs of Qiyamat. After these signs become apparent everything would be useless except faith and good deeds.

Verse 160

2.The system of Allah is based on mercy. The Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) has stated that the reward of good deed is tenfold and punishment of bad deed is only one. It is surprising that people give priority to one over ten. That is even if you have concern for the worldly life you should think that the reward of the good deed is more and if one is a religious person he should know that reward is worth more than punishment.

Verse 165

3.The Holy Quran has time and again drawn our attention towards this point that ownership of man in the world is not absolute. On the contrary it is a kind of vicegerancy and caliphate, in which, a person uses the things which are granted from the real master and it is unlawful to spend anything from it without His will. Allah has given them power and has kept different capabilities and also set up standards but all these are for tests and trials: What he has taken from Us and what he has spent in Our way or how he has spent the wealth given by Us? Whether he has considered Our respect or not. May the Almighty Allah give us Tawfeeq to respect His Greatness.

Footnotes

Explanations of words and phrases in these verses

  1. 1

    She’a is the plural of Shia, that is a group. This denotes the division of people into sects. But it cannot be applied to the group which has always been united in opposing falsehood. According to the writer of Tafseerul Meezan it denotes the people of the Book (Able Kitab). That were the Muslims to become like them, the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) would become aloof from them. This is indeed true but it is a pity that in spite of this the Muslims have become eligible to be shunned (Tabor) after the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.).

  2. 2

    The first ayat speaks about belief while here the mention is regarding deeds and actions, because these two are the only treasures of human life.

  3. 3

    It is only regarding punishment, otherwise in case of rewards each benefits from the action of others. This is absolutely logical and permitted by shariat.

  4. Benefit

    Jaa-a-bil Hasana (come with goodness) indicates that everyone will come in Qiyamat with his deeds. The reward is at least ten times, although it can be more. Like in the case of sins the recompense is not according to the magnitude of sin alone. It is also dependant on other factors and the condition in which it was committed.