Verses 35–43
6. Al-An'aam · The Cattle
Makkan165 verses
وَإِن كَانَ كَبُرَ عَلَيْكَ إِعْرَاضُهُمْ فَإِنِ ٱسْتَطَعْتَ أَن تَبْتَغِىَ نَفَقًۭا فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ أَوْ سُلَّمًۭا فِى ٱلسَّمَآءِ فَتَأْتِيَهُم بِـَٔايَةٍۢ ۚ وَلَوْ شَآءَ ٱللَّهُ لَجَمَعَهُمْ عَلَى ٱلْهُدَىٰ ۚ فَلَا تَكُونَنَّ مِنَ ٱلْجَٰهِلِينَ
6:35And should their aversion be hard on you, find, if you can, a tunnel into the ground, or a ladder into sky, that you may bring them a sign. Had Allah wished, He would have brought them together on guidance. So do not be one of the ignorant.
۞ إِنَّمَا يَسْتَجِيبُ ٱلَّذِينَ يَسْمَعُونَ ۘ وَٱلْمَوْتَىٰ يَبْعَثُهُمُ ٱللَّهُ ثُمَّ إِلَيْهِ يُرْجَعُونَ
6:36Only those who listen will respond [to you]. As for the dead, Allah will resurrect them, then they will be brought back to Him.1
وَقَالُوا۟ لَوْلَا نُزِّلَ عَلَيْهِ ءَايَةٌۭ مِّن رَّبِّهِۦ ۚ قُلْ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ قَادِرٌ عَلَىٰٓ أَن يُنَزِّلَ ءَايَةًۭ وَلَٰكِنَّ أَكْثَرَهُمْ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ
6:37They say, ‘Why has not a sign been sent down to him from his Lord?’ Say, ‘Allah is indeed able to send down a sign,’ but most of them do not know.
وَمَا مِن دَآبَّةٍۢ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ وَلَا طَٰٓئِرٍۢ يَطِيرُ بِجَنَاحَيْهِ إِلَّآ أُمَمٌ أَمْثَالُكُم ۚ مَّا فَرَّطْنَا فِى ٱلْكِتَٰبِ مِن شَىْءٍۢ ۚ ثُمَّ إِلَىٰ رَبِّهِمْ يُحْشَرُونَ
6:38There is no animal on land, nor a bird that flies with its wings, but they are communities like yourselves. We have not omitted anything from the Book. Then they will be mustered toward their Lord.23
وَٱلَّذِينَ كَذَّبُوا۟ بِـَٔايَٰتِنَا صُمٌّۭ وَبُكْمٌۭ فِى ٱلظُّلُمَٰتِ ۗ مَن يَشَإِ ٱللَّهُ يُضْلِلْهُ وَمَن يَشَأْ يَجْعَلْهُ عَلَىٰ صِرَٰطٍۢ مُّسْتَقِيمٍۢ
6:39Those who deny Our signs are deaf and dumb, in a manifold darkness. Allah leads astray whomever He wishes, and whomever He wishes He puts him on a straight path.
قُلْ أَرَءَيْتَكُمْ إِنْ أَتَىٰكُمْ عَذَابُ ٱللَّهِ أَوْ أَتَتْكُمُ ٱلسَّاعَةُ أَغَيْرَ ٱللَّهِ تَدْعُونَ إِن كُنتُمْ صَٰدِقِينَ
6:40Say, ‘Tell me, should Allah’s punishment overtake you, or should the Hour overtake you, will you supplicate anyone other than Allah, should you be truthful?
بَلْ إِيَّاهُ تَدْعُونَ فَيَكْشِفُ مَا تَدْعُونَ إِلَيْهِ إِن شَآءَ وَتَنسَوْنَ مَا تُشْرِكُونَ
6:41No, Him you will supplicate, and He will remove that for which you supplicated Him, if He wishes, and you will forget what you ascribe [to Him] as [His] partners.’
وَلَقَدْ أَرْسَلْنَآ إِلَىٰٓ أُمَمٍۢ مِّن قَبْلِكَ فَأَخَذْنَٰهُم بِٱلْبَأْسَآءِ وَٱلضَّرَّآءِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَضَرَّعُونَ
6:42We have certainly sent [apostles] to nations before you, then We seized them with stress and distress so that they might entreat [Us].4
فَلَوْلَآ إِذْ جَآءَهُم بَأْسُنَا تَضَرَّعُوا۟ وَلَٰكِن قَسَتْ قُلُوبُهُمْ وَزَيَّنَ لَهُمُ ٱلشَّيْطَٰنُ مَا كَانُوا۟ يَعْمَلُونَ
6:43Why did they not entreat when Our punishment overtook them! But their hearts had hardened, and Satan had made what they had been doing seem decorous to them.
Tafsir
Commentary on this passage
Verse 35
1.This style of speech shows that the demand of infidels is severe and it is not suitable for the Prophet to give importance to their demands. It is clarified that this matter is not connected with the Prophet (s.a.) and he does-not want to fulfill the demands of infidels. This is the best way to warn the people of the world and Allah said: Remember, do not demand from him. He has no power of his own to show the miracle. We show miracles and no one can dictate to Us.
After notification of divine power people’s attention is drawn towards the craftiness of those who rejected the arguments of Allah’s oneness and grandeur and this is the reason that when they are overtaken by misery they remember Me and don’t remember their own gods at that time because they know very well that the whole power is in Allah’s hand and no one is supreme except Allah. This approach of spurious worshippers is seen in every stage, Initially they follow their leader’s advice and disgrace the truth and when they fall in trouble they do not remember their own and call their family members for help.
Verse 42
2.This is the system of Providence that before sending punishment He sends the message and subsequently warns them by sending different kinds of calamities so they can become aware and when all this is ineffective Allah opens the doors of His favour so that they can rejoice fully, as seen in the condition of previous nations. After this they feel proud inspite of revolt against Allah that Allah could not do anything and the doors of comforts and pleasures are open for us. Then suddenly the wrath appears and everything is destroyed and they becomes helpless and feel that no one is their helper except Allah.
Footnotes
Explanations of words and phrases in these verses
- 1
Those who do not respond to Divine call are called dead because actual life is Allah’s obedience. The rest is animal behaviour.
- 2
There are different communities in all genres of creation and it is the miracle of Allah’s power that despite their differences they have the intellects. Thus, is it not possible for such a powerful entity to show a new miracle?
- 3
It denotes Lauh-eMahfooz (the Protected Tablet) or the Holy Quran that contains all the things in necessary proponions.
- 4
Meaning that they have been subjected to poverty and disease as a result of their disobedience.
Benefit
It is clearly announced in the 42nd ayat that Allah does not initiate punishment immediately after disobedience (revolt). In some case He opens wide the doors of bounties till the person becomes satisfied and then the punishment descends all of a sudden and he becomes aware of his true worth.