Al-An'am 6:20
The Cattle · Juz 7 · Page 130
ٱلَّذِينَ ءَاتَيۡنَٰهُمُ ٱلۡكِتَٰبَ يَعۡرِفُونَهُۥ كَمَا يَعۡرِفُونَ أَبۡنَآءَهُمُۘ ٱلَّذِينَ خَسِرُوٓاْ أَنفُسَهُمۡ فَهُمۡ لَا يُؤۡمِنُونَ ٢٠
Those to whom We have given the Scripture recognize it1 as they recognize their [own] sons. Those who will lose themselves [in the Hereafter] do not believe.
1 translator’s note
- The Qur’ān. Also interpreted as "him," meaning Muḥammad (ﷺ). ↩
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Ibn Kathir (abridged)
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Commentary on 6:17–21
Allah is the Irresistible, Able to Bring Benefit and Protect from Harm
Allah states that He Alone brings benefit or harm, and that He does what He wills with His creatures, none can resist His judgment or prevent what He decrees,
وَإِن يَمْسَسْكَ اللَّهُ بِضُرٍّ فَلاَ كَشِفَ لَهُ إِلاَّ هُوَ وَإِن يَمْسَسْكَ بِخَيْرٍ فَهُوَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَىْءٍ قَدُيرٌ
(And if Allah touches you with harm, none can remove it but He, and if He touches you with good, then He is able to do all things.) Similarly, Allah said,
مَّا يَفْتَحِ اللَّهُ لِلنَّاسِ مِن رَّحْمَةٍ فَلاَ مُمْسِكَ لَهَا وَمَا يُمْسِكْ فَلاَ مُرْسِلَ لَهُ مِن بَعْدِهِ
(Whatever mercy, Allah may grant to mankind, none can withhold it, and whatever He may withhold, none can grant it thereafter) 35:2. It is recorded in the Sahih that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to supplicate,
«اللَّهُمَّ لَا مَانِعَ لِمَا أَعْطَيْتَ وَلَا مُعْطِيَ لِمَا مَنَعْتَ، وَلَا يَنْفَعُ ذَا الْجَدِّ مِنْكَ الْجَد»
(O Allah, there is none Who can avert what You grant or give what You deprive, and no fortune ever helps the fortunate against You.) This is why Allah said,
وَهُوَ الْقَاهِرُ فَوْقَ عِبَادِهِ
(And He is the Irresistible, above His servants,) meaning, to Him the necks are subservient, the tyrants humble before Him and He has complete control over all things. The creatures have all bowed to Allah and are humbled before His grace, honor, pride, greatness, highness and ability over all things. The creatures are insignificant before Him, for they are all under His irresistible decision and power,
وَهُوَ الْحَكِيمُ
(and He is the All-Wise,) in all His actions,
الْخَبِيرُ
(Well-Acquainted with all things.) Who places everything in its rightful place, grants and favors whomever deserves His favor. Allah said next,
قُلْ أَىُّ شَىْءٍ أَكْبَرُ شَهَدةً
(Say: "What thing is the most great in witness") or what is the greatest witness,
قُلِ اللَّهِ شَهِيدٌ بِيْنِى وَبَيْنَكُمْ
(Say: "Allah (the Most Great!) is Witness between you and I") for He knows what I brought you and what you will answer me with,
وَأُوحِىَ إِلَىَّ هَذَا الْقُرْءَانُ لاٌّنذِرَكُمْ بِهِ وَمَن بَلَغَ
(this Qur'an has been revealed to me that I may therewith warn you and whomsoever it may reach.) Therefore, this Qur'an is a warner for all those who hear of it. In another Ayah, Allah said,
وَمَن يَكْفُرْ بِهِ مِنَ الاٌّحْزَابِ فَالنَّارُ مَوْعِدُهُ
(But those of the sects that reject it, the Fire will be their promised meeting place.) 11:17 Ar-Rabi` bin Anas said, "Those who follow the Messenger of Allah ﷺ ought to call to what the Messenger of Allah ﷺ called to and warn against what he warned against." Allah said next,
أَئِنَّكُمْ لَتَشْهَدُونَ
("Can you verily bear witness...") O idolators,
أَنَّ مَعَ اللَّهِ ءَالِهَةً أُخْرَى قُل لاَّ أَشْهَدُ
("that besides Allah there are other gods" Say, "I bear no (such) witness!") Similarly, in another Ayah, Allah said;
فَإِن شَهِدُواْ فَلاَ تَشْهَدْ مَعَهُمْ
(Then if they testify, testify not you with them.) 6:150 Allah said next,
قُلْ إِنَّمَا هُوَ إِلَهٌ وَحِدٌ وَإِنَّنِى بَرِىءٌ مِّمَّا تُشْرِكُونَ
(Say: "Only He is God, alone, and truly I am innocent of what you join in worship with Him.")
People of the Book Recognize the Prophet Just as They Recognize Their Own Children
Allah says, the People of the Book know what you brought them, O Muhammad , as they know their own children. This is because they received good news from the previous Messengers and Prophets about the coming of Muhammad ﷺ, his attributes, homeland, his migration, and the description of his Ummah. Allah said next,
الَّذِينَ خَسِرُواْ أَنفُسَهُم
(Those who have lost (destroyed) themselves) and thus incurred the ultimate loss,
فَهُمْ لاَ يُؤْمِنُونَ
(will not believe.) in this clear matter. A matter about which the previous Prophets gave good news, and a matter extolled about in ancient and modern times. Allah said next,
وَمَنْ أَظْلَمُ مِمَّنِ افْتَرَى عَلَى اللَّهِ كَذِباً أَوْ كَذَّبَ بَِايَتِهِ
(And who does more wrong than he who invents a lie against Allah or rejects His Ayat) meaning, there is no person more unjust than he who lies about Allah and claims that Allah has sent him, while Allah did not send him. There is no person more unjust than he who denies Allah's proofs, signs and evidences,
إِنَّهُ لاَ يُفْلِحُ الظَّلِمُونَ
(Verily, the wrongdoers shall never be successful.) Surely, both of these people will never acquire success, whoever falsely claims that Allah sent him and whoever refuses Allah's Ayat.
Page 130
6:19
قُلۡ أَيُّ شَيۡءٍ أَكۡبَرُ شَهَٰدَةٗۖ قُلِ ٱللَّهُۖ شَهِيدُۢ بَيۡنِي وَبَيۡنَكُمۡۚ وَأُوحِيَ إِلَيَّ هَٰذَا ٱلۡقُرۡءَانُ لِأُنذِرَكُم بِهِۦ وَمَنۢ بَلَغَۚ أَئِنَّكُمۡ لَتَشۡهَدُونَ أَنَّ مَعَ ٱللَّهِ ءَالِهَةً أُخۡرَىٰۚ قُل لَّآ أَشۡهَدُۚ قُلۡ إِنَّمَا هُوَ إِلَٰهٞ وَٰحِدٞ وَإِنَّنِي بَرِيٓءٞ مِّمَّا تُشۡرِكُونَ ١٩
Say, "What thing is greatest in testimony?" Say, "Allāh is witness between me and you. And this Qur’ān was revealed to me that I may warn you thereby and whomever it reaches.1 Do you [truly] testify that with Allāh there are other deities?" Say, "I will not testify [with you]." Say, "Indeed, He is but one God, and indeed, I am free of what you associate [with Him]."
1 translator’s note
- At every time and place until the Day of Judgement. ↩
6:20
ٱلَّذِينَ ءَاتَيۡنَٰهُمُ ٱلۡكِتَٰبَ يَعۡرِفُونَهُۥ كَمَا يَعۡرِفُونَ أَبۡنَآءَهُمُۘ ٱلَّذِينَ خَسِرُوٓاْ أَنفُسَهُمۡ فَهُمۡ لَا يُؤۡمِنُونَ ٢٠
Those to whom We have given the Scripture recognize it1 as they recognize their [own] sons. Those who will lose themselves [in the Hereafter] do not believe.
1 translator’s note
- The Qur’ān. Also interpreted as "him," meaning Muḥammad (ﷺ). ↩
6:21
وَمَنۡ أَظۡلَمُ مِمَّنِ ٱفۡتَرَىٰ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ كَذِبًا أَوۡ كَذَّبَ بِـَٔايَٰتِهِۦٓۚ إِنَّهُۥ لَا يُفۡلِحُ ٱلظَّٰلِمُونَ ٢١
And who is more unjust than one who invents about Allāh a lie or denies His verses? Indeed, the wrongdoers will not succeed.
6:22
وَيَوۡمَ نَحۡشُرُهُمۡ جَمِيعٗا ثُمَّ نَقُولُ لِلَّذِينَ أَشۡرَكُوٓاْ أَيۡنَ شُرَكَآؤُكُمُ ٱلَّذِينَ كُنتُمۡ تَزۡعُمُونَ ٢٢
And [mention, O Muḥammad], the Day We will gather them all together; then We will say to those who associated others with Allāh, "Where are your 'partners' that you used to claim [with Him]?"
6:23
ثُمَّ لَمۡ تَكُن فِتۡنَتُهُمۡ إِلَّآ أَن قَالُواْ وَٱللَّهِ رَبِّنَا مَا كُنَّا مُشۡرِكِينَ ٢٣
Then there will be no [excuse upon] examination except they will say, "By Allāh, our Lord, we were not those who associated."
6:24
ٱنظُرۡ كَيۡفَ كَذَبُواْ عَلَىٰٓ أَنفُسِهِمۡۚ وَضَلَّ عَنۡهُم مَّا كَانُواْ يَفۡتَرُونَ ٢٤
See how they will lie about themselves. And lost from them will be what they used to invent.
6:25
وَمِنۡهُم مَّن يَسۡتَمِعُ إِلَيۡكَۖ وَجَعَلۡنَا عَلَىٰ قُلُوبِهِمۡ أَكِنَّةً أَن يَفۡقَهُوهُ وَفِيٓ ءَاذَانِهِمۡ وَقۡرٗاۚ وَإِن يَرَوۡاْ كُلَّ ءَايَةٖ لَّا يُؤۡمِنُواْ بِهَاۖ حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَا جَآءُوكَ يُجَٰدِلُونَكَ يَقُولُ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوٓاْ إِنۡ هَٰذَآ إِلَّآ أَسَٰطِيرُ ٱلۡأَوَّلِينَ ٢٥
And among them are those who listen to you,1 but We have placed over their hearts coverings, lest they understand it, and in their ears deafness. And if they should see every sign, they will not believe in it. Even when they come to you arguing with you, those who disbelieve say, "This is not but legends of the former peoples."
1 translator’s note
- When you recite the Qur’ān. ↩
6:26
وَهُمۡ يَنۡهَوۡنَ عَنۡهُ وَيَنۡـَٔوۡنَ عَنۡهُۖ وَإِن يُهۡلِكُونَ إِلَّآ أَنفُسَهُمۡ وَمَا يَشۡعُرُونَ ٢٦
And they prevent [others] from him and are [themselves] remote from him. And they do not destroy except themselves, but they perceive [it] not.
6:27
وَلَوۡ تَرَىٰٓ إِذۡ وُقِفُواْ عَلَى ٱلنَّارِ فَقَالُواْ يَٰلَيۡتَنَا نُرَدُّ وَلَا نُكَذِّبَ بِـَٔايَٰتِ رَبِّنَا وَنَكُونَ مِنَ ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَ ٢٧
If you could but see when they are made to stand before the Fire and will say, "Oh, would that we could be returned [to life on earth] and not deny the signs of our Lord and be among the believers."
Translation: Saheeh International · Text and layout: Quran Foundation · Mushaf fonts: King Fahd Complex, provided by Quran Foundation · Privacy