Al-An'am 6:45
The Cattle · Juz 7 · Page 133
فَقُطِعَ دَابِرُ ٱلۡقَوۡمِ ٱلَّذِينَ ظَلَمُواْۚ وَٱلۡحَمۡدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ ٱلۡعَٰلَمِينَ ٤٥
So the people that committed wrong were eliminated. And praise to Allāh, Lord of the worlds.
Tafsir · in English
Ibn Kathir (abridged)
Medium · The classic, abridged: ayahs explained by ayahs and hadith.
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Commentary on 6:40–45
The Idolators Call On Allah Alone During Torment and Distress
Allah states that He does what He wills with His creatures and none can resist His decision or avert what He decrees for them. He is the One Who has no partners, Who accepts the supplication from whomever He wills. Allah said,
قُلْ أَرَأَيْتُكُم إِنْ أَتَكُمْ عَذَابُ اللَّهِ أَوْ أَتَتْكُمْ السَّاعَةُ أَغَيْرَ اللَّهِ تَدْعُونَ إِن كُنتُمْ صَدِقِينَ
(Say: "Tell me if Allah's torment comes upon you, or the Hour comes upon you, would you then call upon any one other than Allah (Reply) if you are truthful!") This means, you -- disbelievers -- will not call other than Allah in this case, because you know that none except He is able to remove the affliction. Allah said,
إِن كُنتُمْ صَدِقِينَ
(if you are truthful) by taking gods besides Him.
بَلْ إِيَّهُ تَدْعُونَ فَيَكْشِفُ مَا تَدْعُونَ إِلَيْهِ إِنْ شَآءَ وَتَنسَوْنَ مَا تُشْرِكُونَ
(Nay! To Him alone you call, and, if He willed, He would remove that (distress) for which you call upon Him, and you forget at that time whatever partners you joined with Him (in worship)!) for in times of necessity, you only call on Allah and forget your idols and false deities. In another Ayah, Allah said;
وَإِذَا مَسَّكُمُ الْضُّرُّ فِى الْبَحْرِ ضَلَّ مَن تَدْعُونَ إِلاَ إِيَّاهُ
(And when harm touches you upon the sea, those that you call upon besides Him vanish from you except Him (Allah)) 17:67. Allah said;
وَلَقَدْ أَرْسَلنَآ إِلَى أُمَمٍ مِّن قَبْلِكَ فَأَخَذْنَهُمْ بِالْبَأْسَآءِ
(Verily, We sent (Messengers) to many nations before you. And We seized them with extreme poverty...) That is, loss of wealth and diminished provisions,
وَالضَّرَّآءِ
(and loss of health) various illnesses, diseases and pain,
لَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَضَرَّعُونَ
(so that they might believe with humility) and call Allah and supplicate to Him with humbleness and humility. Allah said;
فَلَوْلا إِذْ جَآءَهُمْ بَأْسُنَا تَضَرَّعُواْ
(When Our torment reached them, why then did they not believe with humility) Meaning: Why do they not believe and humble themselves before Us when We test them with disaster'
وَلَكِن قَسَتْ قُلُوبُهُمْ
(But their hearts became hardened,) for their hearts are not soft or humble,
وَزَيَّنَ لَهُمُ الشَّيْطَنُ مَا كَانُواّ يَعْمَلُونَ
(and Shaytan made fair-seeming to them that which they used to do. ) That is, Shirk, defiance and rebellion.
فَلَمَّا نَسُواْ مَا ذُكِّرُواْ بِهِ
(So, when they forgot (the warning) with which they had been reminded,) by ignoring and turning away from it,
فَتَحْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ أَبْوَابَ كُلِّ شَىْءٍ
(We opened to them the gates of everything,) Meaning: `We opened the gates of provisions for them from wherever they wished, so that We deceive them.' We seek refuge with Allah from such an end. This is why Allah said,
حَتَّى إِذَا فَرِحُواْ بِمَآ أُوتُواْ
f(until in the midst of their enjoyment in that which they were given,) such as wealth, children and provisions,
أَخَذْنَهُمْ بَغْتَةً فَإِذَا هُمْ مُّبْلِسُونَ
(all of a sudden, We took them to punishment and lo! They were plunged into destruction with deep regrets and sorrows.) They have no hope for any type of good thing. Al-Hasan Al-Basri said, "Whomever Allah gives provision and he thinks that Allah is not testing him, has no wisdom. Whomever has little provision and thinks that Allah will not look at (provide for) him, has no wisdom." He then recited the Ayah,
فَلَمَّا نَسُواْ مَا ذُكِّرُواْ بِهِ فَتَحْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ أَبْوَابَ كُلِّ شَىْءٍ حَتَّى إِذَا فَرِحُواْ بِمَآ أُوتُواْ أَخَذْنَهُمْ بَغْتَةً فَإِذَا هُمْ مُّبْلِسُونَ
(So, when they forgot (the warning) with which they had been reminded, We opened to them the gates of every (pleasant) thing, until in the midst of their enjoyment in that which they were given, all of a sudden, We took them to punishment, and lo! They were plunged into destruction with deep regrets and sorrows.) He added, "By the Lord of the Ka`bah! Allah deceived these people, when He gave them what they wished, and then they were punished." Ibn Abi Hatim recorded this statement.
Page 133
6:45
فَقُطِعَ دَابِرُ ٱلۡقَوۡمِ ٱلَّذِينَ ظَلَمُواْۚ وَٱلۡحَمۡدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ ٱلۡعَٰلَمِينَ ٤٥
So the people that committed wrong were eliminated. And praise to Allāh, Lord of the worlds.
6:46
قُلۡ أَرَءَيۡتُمۡ إِنۡ أَخَذَ ٱللَّهُ سَمۡعَكُمۡ وَأَبۡصَٰرَكُمۡ وَخَتَمَ عَلَىٰ قُلُوبِكُم مَّنۡ إِلَٰهٌ غَيۡرُ ٱللَّهِ يَأۡتِيكُم بِهِۗ ٱنظُرۡ كَيۡفَ نُصَرِّفُ ٱلۡأٓيَٰتِ ثُمَّ هُمۡ يَصۡدِفُونَ ٤٦
Say, "Have you considered:1 if Allāh should take away your hearing and your sight and set a seal upon your hearts, which deity other than Allāh could bring them [back] to you?" Look how We diversify2 the verses; then they [still] turn away.
6:47
قُلۡ أَرَءَيۡتَكُمۡ إِنۡ أَتَىٰكُمۡ عَذَابُ ٱللَّهِ بَغۡتَةً أَوۡ جَهۡرَةً هَلۡ يُهۡلَكُ إِلَّا ٱلۡقَوۡمُ ٱلظَّٰلِمُونَ ٤٧
Say, "Have you considered: if the punishment of Allāh should come to you unexpectedly or manifestly,1 will any be destroyed but the wrongdoing people?"
1 translator’s note
- i.e., before your eyes. ↩
6:48
وَمَا نُرۡسِلُ ٱلۡمُرۡسَلِينَ إِلَّا مُبَشِّرِينَ وَمُنذِرِينَۖ فَمَنۡ ءَامَنَ وَأَصۡلَحَ فَلَا خَوۡفٌ عَلَيۡهِمۡ وَلَا هُمۡ يَحۡزَنُونَ ٤٨
And We send not the messengers except as bringers of good tidings and warners. So whoever believes and reforms - there will be no fear concerning them, nor will they grieve.
6:49
وَٱلَّذِينَ كَذَّبُواْ بِـَٔايَٰتِنَا يَمَسُّهُمُ ٱلۡعَذَابُ بِمَا كَانُواْ يَفۡسُقُونَ ٤٩
But those who deny Our verses - the punishment will touch1 them for their defiant disobedience.
1 translator’s note
- i.e., reach and afflict. ↩
6:50
قُل لَّآ أَقُولُ لَكُمۡ عِندِي خَزَآئِنُ ٱللَّهِ وَلَآ أَعۡلَمُ ٱلۡغَيۡبَ وَلَآ أَقُولُ لَكُمۡ إِنِّي مَلَكٌۖ إِنۡ أَتَّبِعُ إِلَّا مَا يُوحَىٰٓ إِلَيَّۚ قُلۡ هَلۡ يَسۡتَوِي ٱلۡأَعۡمَىٰ وَٱلۡبَصِيرُۚ أَفَلَا تَتَفَكَّرُونَ ٥٠
Say, [O Muḥammad], "I do not tell you that I have the depositories [containing the provision] of Allāh or that I know the unseen, nor do I tell you that I am an angel. I only follow what is revealed to me." Say, "Is the blind equivalent to the seeing? Then will you not give thought?"
6:51
وَأَنذِرۡ بِهِ ٱلَّذِينَ يَخَافُونَ أَن يُحۡشَرُوٓاْ إِلَىٰ رَبِّهِمۡ لَيۡسَ لَهُم مِّن دُونِهِۦ وَلِيّٞ وَلَا شَفِيعٞ لَّعَلَّهُمۡ يَتَّقُونَ ٥١
And warn by it [i.e., the Qur’ān] those who fear that they will be gathered before their Lord - for them besides Him will be no protector and no intercessor - that they might become righteous.
6:52
وَلَا تَطۡرُدِ ٱلَّذِينَ يَدۡعُونَ رَبَّهُم بِٱلۡغَدَوٰةِ وَٱلۡعَشِيِّ يُرِيدُونَ وَجۡهَهُۥۖ مَا عَلَيۡكَ مِنۡ حِسَابِهِم مِّن شَيۡءٖ وَمَا مِنۡ حِسَابِكَ عَلَيۡهِم مِّن شَيۡءٖ فَتَطۡرُدَهُمۡ فَتَكُونَ مِنَ ٱلظَّٰلِمِينَ ٥٢
And do not send away those who call upon their Lord morning and afternoon, seeking His face [i.e., favor]. Not upon you is anything of their account and not upon them is anything of your account.1 So were you to send them away, you would [then] be of the wrongdoers.
1 translator’s note
- No one is held accountable for the deeds or intentions of another. That is left to Allāh's judgement. ↩
Translation: Saheeh International · Text and layout: Quran Foundation · Mushaf fonts: King Fahd Complex, provided by Quran Foundation · Privacy