بِسۡمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
Al-An'am 6:7
The Cattle · Juz 7 · Page 128
وَلَوۡ نَزَّلۡنَا عَلَيۡكَ كِتَٰبٗا فِي قِرۡطَاسٖ فَلَمَسُوهُ بِأَيۡدِيهِمۡ لَقَالَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوٓاْ إِنۡ هَٰذَآ إِلَّا سِحۡرٞ مُّبِينٞ ٧
And even if We had sent down to you, [O Muḥammad], a written scripture on a page and they touched it with their hands, the disbelievers would say, "This is not but obvious magic."
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Ma'arif al-Qur'an
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Commentary on 6:7
The second verse (7) was revealed in the background of a particular event when ` Abdullah ibn Umaiyyah came up with a hostile demand before the Holy Prophet ﷺ by saying: ` I cannot believe in you until such time that I see you climbing all the way to the heavens and bringing a book from there before our eyes, in which it should be written in my name that I should attest to your prophethood.' And, on top of saying all this, he went on to even declare that he would still not be impressed enough by his accomplishing all that for he does not seem to be likely to convert to Islam anyway.
Strange are the ways of fate, for this very gentleman embraced Islam later on, and embraced it with such fervor and class that he became a winning warrior in the cause of Islam and received his Shahadah (martyrdom) in the Battle of Ta'if.
Such were the uncalled-for and hostile demands made and mocking and insulting dialogues inflicted on the Holy Prophet ﷺ especially when he himself was more affectionate for his people, more than their own parents could ever be to them. What effect these caustic bad manners would have made on his heart is something we cannot fathom. It can only be sensed by one who is consumed with the good of his people in the same manner as the blessed Prophet himself was.
Therefore, to comfort him, it was said that such demands from his antagonists were not being put forward for any useful purpose, nor did they want to follow it. They were a kind of people who would not stop at what they were demanding. Even if they were presented with far more clear proofs of their Prophet's veracity, they would still not believe. For example, if Allah were to send down, as they demanded, a written book from the heavens - and not only that they see it for them-selves that there is no sleight of hand or sight or magic, they may even physically touch it with their hands to make sure that they were not day-dreaming and that it was a reality - still, after all that, they would say nothing but: اَن ھٰذآ اِلَّا سِحرُ مُّبِینُ (This is nothing but sheer magic): This is because what they are saying comes from malice and hostility.
Page 128
سورة الأنعام
Al-An'am
The Cattle · Meccan · 165 ayahs
بِسۡمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
6:1
ٱلۡحَمۡدُ لِلَّهِ ٱلَّذِي خَلَقَ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضَ وَجَعَلَ ٱلظُّلُمَٰتِ وَٱلنُّورَۖ ثُمَّ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ بِرَبِّهِمۡ يَعۡدِلُونَ ١
[All] praise is [due] to Allāh, who created the heavens and the earth and made the darkness and the light. Then those who disbelieve equate [others] with their Lord.
6:2
هُوَ ٱلَّذِي خَلَقَكُم مِّن طِينٖ ثُمَّ قَضَىٰٓ أَجَلٗاۖ وَأَجَلٞ مُّسَمًّى عِندَهُۥۖ ثُمَّ أَنتُمۡ تَمۡتَرُونَ ٢
It is He who created you from clay and then decreed a term1 and a specified time [known] to Him;2 then [still] you are in dispute.
6:3
وَهُوَ ٱللَّهُ فِي ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَفِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ يَعۡلَمُ سِرَّكُمۡ وَجَهۡرَكُمۡ وَيَعۡلَمُ مَا تَكۡسِبُونَ ٣
And He is Allāh, [the only deity] in the heavens and the earth. He knows your secret and what you make public, and He knows that which you earn.
6:4
وَمَا تَأۡتِيهِم مِّنۡ ءَايَةٖ مِّنۡ ءَايَٰتِ رَبِّهِمۡ إِلَّا كَانُواْ عَنۡهَا مُعۡرِضِينَ ٤
And no sign comes to them from the signs of their Lord except that they turn away therefrom.
6:5
فَقَدۡ كَذَّبُواْ بِٱلۡحَقِّ لَمَّا جَآءَهُمۡ فَسَوۡفَ يَأۡتِيهِمۡ أَنۢبَٰٓؤُاْ مَا كَانُواْ بِهِۦ يَسۡتَهۡزِءُونَ ٥
For they had denied the truth when it came to them, but there is going to reach them the news of what they used to ridicule.1
1 translator’s note
- They will experience the reality of what they had denied and the consequence of their denial. ↩
6:6
أَلَمۡ يَرَوۡاْ كَمۡ أَهۡلَكۡنَا مِن قَبۡلِهِم مِّن قَرۡنٖ مَّكَّنَّٰهُمۡ فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ مَا لَمۡ نُمَكِّن لَّكُمۡ وَأَرۡسَلۡنَا ٱلسَّمَآءَ عَلَيۡهِم مِّدۡرَارٗا وَجَعَلۡنَا ٱلۡأَنۡهَٰرَ تَجۡرِي مِن تَحۡتِهِمۡ فَأَهۡلَكۡنَٰهُم بِذُنُوبِهِمۡ وَأَنشَأۡنَا مِنۢ بَعۡدِهِمۡ قَرۡنًا ءَاخَرِينَ ٦
Have they not seen how many generations We destroyed before them which We had established upon the earth as We have not established you? And We sent [rain from] the sky upon them in showers and made rivers flow beneath them; then We destroyed them for their sins and brought forth after them a generation of others.
6:7
وَلَوۡ نَزَّلۡنَا عَلَيۡكَ كِتَٰبٗا فِي قِرۡطَاسٖ فَلَمَسُوهُ بِأَيۡدِيهِمۡ لَقَالَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوٓاْ إِنۡ هَٰذَآ إِلَّا سِحۡرٞ مُّبِينٞ ٧
And even if We had sent down to you, [O Muḥammad], a written scripture on a page and they touched it with their hands, the disbelievers would say, "This is not but obvious magic."
6:8
وَقَالُواْ لَوۡلَآ أُنزِلَ عَلَيۡهِ مَلَكٞۖ وَلَوۡ أَنزَلۡنَا مَلَكٗا لَّقُضِيَ ٱلۡأَمۡرُ ثُمَّ لَا يُنظَرُونَ ٨
And they say, "Why was there not sent down to him an angel?"1 But if We had sent down an angel, the matter would have been decided;2 then they would not be reprieved.