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."
Tafsir · in English
Tazkirul Quran
Brief · Short modern reflections on each passage.
Change
Commentary on 6:7–9
The reason for a man going astray in this world is that here he has complete freedom to reject the Truth. He even has the opportunity to give fine justifications for erroneous thoughts, words and deeds. Man enjoys full freedom in this world of trial to accept or reject the Truth as he pleases. If the preacher of God’s word appears in the shape of an ordinary man, the ‘reason’ given for ignoring him could be that his effectiveness hinges on a talent for leadership and has nothing to do with Truth or righteousness. Similarly, if a book complete in every detail, comes down from the sky, he will say, ‘This is mere magic,’ to justify his rejection of it. The people of Makkah used to ask, if the Prophet was appointed to convey God’s message, why God’s angels were not with him to testify. A man talks like this because he is not serious about the call of God’s message. If he is serious, he will immediately come to know that this world is a place of trial. The test can be carried out only when realities are hidden behind a curtain. If the hidden realities were revealed and God and His angels made their appearance, there would be no question of prophethood or of giving the call of Truth, because thereafter nobody would dare to deny the realities. In the present world, because of their devotion to externals, people are unable to recognise the Messenger of God from the importance of his message. God’s Messenger appears to them like an ordinary man suddenly emerging and claiming very high status. They assess him on the basis of his outward appearance and, finding him insignificant in that respect, they deny him.
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.