Al-An'am 6:108
The Cattle · Juz 7 · Page 141
وَلَا تَسُبُّواْ ٱلَّذِينَ يَدۡعُونَ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ فَيَسُبُّواْ ٱللَّهَ عَدۡوَۢا بِغَيۡرِ عِلۡمٖۗ كَذَٰلِكَ زَيَّنَّا لِكُلِّ أُمَّةٍ عَمَلَهُمۡ ثُمَّ إِلَىٰ رَبِّهِم مَّرۡجِعُهُمۡ فَيُنَبِّئُهُم بِمَا كَانُواْ يَعۡمَلُونَ ١٠٨
And do not insult those they invoke other than Allāh, lest they insult Allāh in enmity without knowledge. Thus We have made pleasing to every community their deeds. Then to their Lord is their return, and He will inform them about what they used to do.
Tafsir · in English
Ibn Kathir (abridged)
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Commentary on 6:108
The Prohibition of Insulting the False gods of the Disbelievers, So that they Do not Insult Allah
Allah prohibits His Messenger and the believers from insulting the false deities of the idolators, although there is a clear benefit in doing so. Insulting their deities will lead to a bigger evil than its benefit, for the idolators might retaliate by insulting the God of the believers, Allah, none has the right to be worshipped but He. `Ali bin Abi Talhah said that Ibn `Abbas commented on this Ayah 6:108; "They (disbelievers) said, `O Muhammad! You will stop insulting our gods, or we will insult your Lord.' Thereafter, Allah prohibited the believers from insulting the disbelievers' idols,
فَيَسُبُّواْ اللَّهَ عَدْواً بِغَيْرِ عِلْمٍ
(lest they insult Allah wrongfully without knowledge.)" `Abdur-Razzaq narrated that Ma`mar said that Qatadah said, "Muslims used to insult the idols of the disbelievers and the disbelievers would retaliate by insulting Allah wrongfully without knowledge. Allah revealed,
وَلاَ تَسُبُّواْ الَّذِينَ يَدْعُونَ مِن دُونِ اللَّهِ
(And insult not those whom they worship besides Allah.)" On this same subject -- abandoning what carries benefit to avert a greater evil - it is recorded in the Sahih that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said,
«مَلْعُونٌ مَنْ سَبَّ وَالِدَيْه»
(Cursed is he who insults his own parents!) They said, "O Allah's Messenger! And how would a man insult his own parents" He said,
«يَسُبُّ أَبَا الرَّجُلِ فَيَسُبُّ أَبَاهُ وَيَسُبُّ أُمَّهُ فَيَسُبُّ أُمَّه»
(He insults a man's father, and that man insults his father, and insults his mother and that man insults his mother.) Allah's statement,
كَذَلِكَ زَيَّنَّا لِكُلِّ أُمَّةٍ عَمَلَهُمْ
(Thus We have made fair seeming to each people its own doings;) means, as We made fair seeming to the idolators loving their idols and defending them, likewise We made fair seeming to every previous nation the misguidance they indulged in. Allah's is the most perfect proof, and the most complete wisdom in all that He wills and chooses.
ثُمَّ إِلَى رَبِّهِمْ مَّرْجِعُهُمْ
(then to their Lord is their return,) gathering and final destination,
فَيُنَبِّئُهُمْ بِمَا كَانُواْ يَعْمَلُونَ
(and He shall then inform them of all that they used to do.) He will compensate them for their deeds, good for good and evil for evil.
Page 141
6:102
ذَٰلِكُمُ ٱللَّهُ رَبُّكُمۡۖ لَآ إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَۖ خَٰلِقُ كُلِّ شَيۡءٖ فَٱعۡبُدُوهُۚ وَهُوَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيۡءٖ وَكِيلٞ ١٠٢
That is Allāh, your Lord; there is no deity except Him, the Creator of all things, so worship Him. And He is Disposer of all things.
6:103
لَّا تُدۡرِكُهُ ٱلۡأَبۡصَٰرُ وَهُوَ يُدۡرِكُ ٱلۡأَبۡصَٰرَۖ وَهُوَ ٱللَّطِيفُ ٱلۡخَبِيرُ ١٠٣
Vision perceives Him not,1 but He perceives [all] vision; and He is the Subtle,2 the Aware.3
3 translator’s notes
6:104
قَدۡ جَآءَكُم بَصَآئِرُ مِن رَّبِّكُمۡۖ فَمَنۡ أَبۡصَرَ فَلِنَفۡسِهِۦۖ وَمَنۡ عَمِيَ فَعَلَيۡهَاۚ وَمَآ أَنَا۠ عَلَيۡكُم بِحَفِيظٖ ١٠٤
There has come to you enlightenment from your Lord. So whoever will see does so for [the benefit of] his soul, and whoever is blind [does harm] against it. And [say], "I am not a guardian over you."1
1 translator’s note
- The Prophet (ﷺ) is directed to disassociate himself from all erroneous belief and practice. ↩
6:105
وَكَذَٰلِكَ نُصَرِّفُ ٱلۡأٓيَٰتِ وَلِيَقُولُواْ دَرَسۡتَ وَلِنُبَيِّنَهُۥ لِقَوۡمٖ يَعۡلَمُونَ ١٠٥
And thus do We diversify the verses so they [i.e., the disbelievers] will say, "You have studied,"1 and so We may make it [i.e., the Qur’ān] clear for a people who know.
1 translator’s note
- Accusing the Prophet (ﷺ) of having learned from the Jews and Christians. ↩
6:106
ٱتَّبِعۡ مَآ أُوحِيَ إِلَيۡكَ مِن رَّبِّكَۖ لَآ إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَۖ وَأَعۡرِضۡ عَنِ ٱلۡمُشۡرِكِينَ ١٠٦
Follow, [O Muḥammad], what has been revealed to you from your Lord - there is no deity except Him - and turn away from those who associate others with Allāh.
6:107
وَلَوۡ شَآءَ ٱللَّهُ مَآ أَشۡرَكُواْۗ وَمَا جَعَلۡنَٰكَ عَلَيۡهِمۡ حَفِيظٗاۖ وَمَآ أَنتَ عَلَيۡهِم بِوَكِيلٖ ١٠٧
But if Allāh had willed, they would not have associated. And We have not appointed you over them as a guardian, nor are you a manager over them.1
1 translator’s note
- The Prophet's duty did not go beyond delivery of the message. ↩
6:108
وَلَا تَسُبُّواْ ٱلَّذِينَ يَدۡعُونَ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ فَيَسُبُّواْ ٱللَّهَ عَدۡوَۢا بِغَيۡرِ عِلۡمٖۗ كَذَٰلِكَ زَيَّنَّا لِكُلِّ أُمَّةٍ عَمَلَهُمۡ ثُمَّ إِلَىٰ رَبِّهِم مَّرۡجِعُهُمۡ فَيُنَبِّئُهُم بِمَا كَانُواْ يَعۡمَلُونَ ١٠٨
And do not insult those they invoke other than Allāh, lest they insult Allāh in enmity without knowledge. Thus We have made pleasing to every community their deeds. Then to their Lord is their return, and He will inform them about what they used to do.
6:109
وَأَقۡسَمُواْ بِٱللَّهِ جَهۡدَ أَيۡمَٰنِهِمۡ لَئِن جَآءَتۡهُمۡ ءَايَةٞ لَّيُؤۡمِنُنَّ بِهَاۚ قُلۡ إِنَّمَا ٱلۡأٓيَٰتُ عِندَ ٱللَّهِۖ وَمَا يُشۡعِرُكُمۡ أَنَّهَآ إِذَا جَآءَتۡ لَا يُؤۡمِنُونَ ١٠٩
And they swear by Allāh their strongest oaths that if a sign came to them, they would surely believe in it. Say, "The signs are only with [i.e., from] Allāh." And what will make you perceive that even if it [i.e., a sign] came, they would not believe.
6:110
وَنُقَلِّبُ أَفۡـِٔدَتَهُمۡ وَأَبۡصَٰرَهُمۡ كَمَا لَمۡ يُؤۡمِنُواْ بِهِۦٓ أَوَّلَ مَرَّةٖ وَنَذَرُهُمۡ فِي طُغۡيَٰنِهِمۡ يَعۡمَهُونَ ١١٠
And We will turn away their hearts and their eyes just as they refused to believe in it [i.e., the revelation] the first time. And We will leave them in their transgression, wandering blindly.