Al-An'am 6:63–73

Allah's Compassion and Generosity, and His Power and Torment

Allah mentions how He favors His servants, saving them during times of need, in the darkness of land and at sea, such as when storms strike. In such cases, they call on Allah alone, without partners, in supplication. In other Ayat, Allah said,

وَإِذَا مَسَّكُمُ الْضُّرُّ فِى الْبَحْرِ ضَلَّ مَن تَدْعُونَ إِلاَ إِيَّاهُ

(And when harm strikes you at sea, those that you call upon besides Him vanish from you except Him.) 17:67,

هُوَ الَّذِى يُسَيِّرُكُمْ فِى الْبَرِّ وَالْبَحْرِ حَتَّى إِذَا كُنتُمْ فِى الْفُلْكِ وَجَرَيْنَ بِهِم بِرِيحٍ طَيِّبَةٍ وَفَرِحُواْ بِهَا جَآءَتْهَا رِيحٌ عَاصِفٌ وَجَآءَهُمُ الْمَوْجُ مِن كُلِّ مَكَانٍ وَظَنُّواْ أَنَّهُمْ أُحِيطَ بِهِمْ دَعَوُاْ اللَّهَ مُخْلِصِينَ لَهُ الدِّينَ لَئِنْ أَنْجَيْتَنَا مِنْ هَذِهِ لَنَكُونَنَّ مِنَ الشَّكِرِينَ

(He it is Who enables you to travel through the land and the sea, till when you are in the ships and they sail with them with a favorable wind, and they rejoice, then comes a stormy wind and the waves come to them from all sides, and they think that they are encircled therein, they invoke Allah, making their faith pure for Him alone, saying: "If You deliver us from this, we shall truly be of the grateful".) 10:22, and,

أَمَّن يَهْدِيكُمْ فِى ظُلُمَتِ الْبَرِّ وَالْبَحْرِ وَمَن يُرْسِلُ الرِّيَاحَ بُشْرًاَ بَيْنَ يَدَىْ رَحْمَتِهِ أَءِلَهٌ مَّعَ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى اللَّهُ عَمَّا يُشْرِكُونَ

(Is not He (better than your gods) Who guides you in the darkness of the land and the sea, and Who sends the winds as heralds of glad tidings, going before His mercy Is there any god with Allah High Exalted be Allah above all that they associate as partners (with Him)!) 27:63. Allah said in this honorable Ayah,

قُلْ مَن يُنَجِّيكُمْ مِّن ظُلُمَتِ الْبَرِّ وَالْبَحْرِ تَدْعُونَهُ تَضَرُّعاً وَخُفْيَةً

(Say: "Who rescues you from the dark recesses of the land and the sea, when you call upon Him begging and in secret.") i.e., in public and secret,

لَّئِنْ أَنجَنَا

((Saying): `If He (Allah) only saves us...) from this distress,

لَنَكُونَنَّ مِنَ الشَّكِرِينَ

(we shall truly be grateful.) thereafter. Allah said,

قُلِ اللَّهُ يُنَجِّيكُمْ مِّنْهَا وَمِن كُلِّ كَرْبٍ ثُمَّ أَنتُمْ تُشْرِكُونَ

(Say: "Allah rescues you from these (dangers) and from all distress, and yet you commit Shirk.") meaning, yet you call other gods besides Him in times of comfort. Allah said;

قُلْ هُوَ الْقَادِرُ عَلَى أَن يَبْعَثَ عَلَيْكُمْ عَذَاباً مِّن فَوْقِكُمْ أَوْ مِن تَحْتِ أَرْجُلِكُمْ

(Say: "He has the power to send torment on you from above or from under your feet,") He said this after His statement,

ثُمَّ أَنتُمْ تُشْرِكُونَ

(And yet you commit Shirk. ) Allah said next,

قُلْ هُوَ الْقَادِرُ عَلَى أَن يَبْعَثَ عَلَيْكُمْ عَذَاباً

(Say: "He has the power to send torment on you.."), after He saves you. Allah said in Surah Subhan (chapter 17),

رَّبُّكُمُ الَّذِى يُزْجِى لَكُمُ الْفُلْكَ فِى الْبَحْرِ لِتَبْتَغُواْ مِن فَضْلِهِ إِنَّهُ كَانَ بِكُمْ رَحِيمًا - وَإِذَا مَسَّكُمُ الْضُّرُّ فِى الْبَحْرِ ضَلَّ مَن تَدْعُونَ إِلاَ إِيَّاهُ فَلَمَّا نَجَّكُمْ إِلَى الْبَرِّ أَعْرَضْتُمْ وَكَانَ الإِنْسَنُ كَفُورًا - أَفَأَمِنتُمْ أَن يَخْسِفَ بِكُمْ جَانِبَ الْبَرِّ أَوْ يُرْسِلَ عَلَيْكُمْ حَاصِبًا ثُمَّ لاَ تَجِدُواْ لَكُمْ وَكِيلاً - أَمْ أَمِنتُمْ أَن يُعِيدَكُمْ فِيهِ تَارَةً أُخْرَى فَيُرْسِلَ عَلَيْكُمْ قَاصِفًا مِّنَ الرِّيحِ فَيُغْرِقَكُم بِمَا كَفَرْتُمْ ثُمَّ لاَ تَجِدُواْ لَكُمْ عَلَيْنَا بِهِ تَبِيعًا

(Your Lord is He Who drives the ship for you through the sea, in order that you may seek of His bounty. Truly! He is Ever Merciful towards you. And when harm strikes you upon the sea, those that you call upon besides Him vanish from you except Him. But when He brings you safely to land, you turn away (from Him). And man is ever ungrateful. Do you then feel secure that He will not cause a side of the land to swallow you up, or that He will not send against you a storm of stones Then, you shall find no guardian. Or do you feel secure that He will not send you back a second time to sea, and send against you a hurricane of wind and drown you because of your disbelief, then you will not find any avenger therein against Us) 17:66-69. Al-Bukhari, may Allah grant him His mercy, commented on Allah's statement,

قُلْ هُوَ الْقَادِرُ عَلَى أَن يَبْعَثَ عَلَيْكُمْ عَذَاباً مِّن فَوْقِكُمْ أَوْ مِن تَحْتِ أَرْجُلِكُمْ أَوْ يَلْبِسَكُمْ شِيَعاً وَيُذِيقَ بَعْضَكُمْ بَأْسَ بَعْضٍ انْظُرْ كَيْفَ نُصَرِّفُ الاٌّيَتِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَفْقَهُونَ

(Say: "He has the power to send torment on you from above or from under your feet, or to Yalbisakum in party strife, and make you taste the violence of one another." See how variously We explain the Ayat, so that they may understand.) "Yalbisakum means, `cover you with confusion', So it means to, `divide into parties and sects'. Jabir bin `Abdullah said, `When this Ayah was revealed,

قُلْ هُوَ الْقَادِرُ عَلَى أَن يَبْعَثَ عَلَيْكُمْ عَذَاباً مِّن فَوْقِكُمْ

(Say: "He has power to send torment on you from above") Allah's Messenger ﷺ said,

«أَعُوذُ بِوَجْهِك»

(I seek refuge with Your Face.)

أَوْ مِن تَحْتِ أَرْجُلِكُمْ

(or from under your feet,) he again said,

«أَعُوذُ بِوَجْهِك»

(I seek refuge with Your Face.)

أَوْ يَلْبِسَكُمْ شِيَعاً وَيُذِيقَ بَعْضَكُمْ بَأْسَ بَعْضٍ

(or to cover you with confusion in party strife, and make you to taste the violence of one another.) he said,

«هَذهِ أَهْوَنُ أَوْ أَيْسَر»

(This is less burdensome or easier.)"' Al-Bukhari recorded this Hadith again in the book of Tawhid (in his Sahih), and An-Nasa'i also recorded it in the book of Tafsir.

Another Hadith

Imam Ahmad recorded that Sa`d bin Abi Waqqas said, We accompanied the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and passed by the Masjid of Bani Mu`awiyah. The Prophet went in and offered a two Rak`ah prayer, and we prayed behind him. He supplicated to his Lord for a long time and then said,

«سَأَلْتُ رَبِّي ثَلَاثًا: سَأَلْتُهُ أَنْ لَا يُهْلِكَ أُمَّتِي بِالْغَرَقِ فَأَعْطَانِيهَا، وَسَأَلْتُهُ أَنْ لَا يُهْلِكَ أُمَّتِي بِالسَّنَةِ فَأَعْطَانِيهَا، وَسَأَلْتُهُ أَنْ لَا يَجْعَلَ بَأْسَهُمْ بَيْنَهُمْ فَمَنَعَنِيهَا»

(I asked my Lord for three: I asked Him not to destroy my Ummah (Muslims) by drowning and He gave that to me. I asked Him not to destroy my Ummah by famine and He gave that to me. And I asked Him not to make them taste the violence of one another, but He did not give that to me.) Muslim, but not Al-Bukhari, recorded this Hadith in the book on Fitan (trials) (of his Sahih).

Another Hadith

Imam Ahmad recorded that Khabbab bin Al-Aratt, who attended the battle of Badr with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ , said, "I met Allah's Messenger during a night in which he prayed throughout it, until dawn. When the Messenger of Allah ﷺ ended his prayer, I said, `O Allah's Messenger! This night, you have performed a prayer that I never saw you perform before.' Allah's Messenger ﷺ said,

«أَجَلْ إِنَّهَا صَلَاةُ رَغَبٍ وَرَهَبٍ، سَأَلْتُ رَبِّي عَزَّ وَجَلَّ فِيهَا ثَلَاثَ خِصَالٍ، فَأَعْطَانِي اثْنَتَيْنِ وَمَنَعَنِي وَاحِدَةً، سَأَلْتُ رَبِّي عَزَّ وَجَلَّ أَنْ لَا يُهْلِكْنَا بِمَا أَهْلَكَ بِهِ الْأُمَمَ قَبْلَنَا فَأَعْطَانِيهَا، وَسَأَلْتُ رَبِّي عَزَّ وَجَلَّ أَنْ لَا يُظْهِرَ عَلَيْنَا عَدُوًّا مِنْ غَيْرِنَا فَأَعْطَانِيهَا، وَسَأَلْتُ رَبِّي عَزَّ وَجَلَّ أَنْ لَا يُلْبِسَنَا شِيَعًا فَمَنَعَنِيهَا»

(Yes, it was a prayer of eagerness and fear. During this prayer, I asked my Lord for three things and He gave me two and refused to give me the third. I asked my Lord not to destroy us with what He destroyed the nations before us and He gave me that. I asked my Lord not to make our enemies prevail above us and He gave me that. I asked my Lord not to cover us with confusion in party strife, but He refused.) An-Nasa'i, Ibn Hibban in his Sahih, and At-Tirmidhi also recorded it. In the book on Fitan, in Al-Jami`, At-Tirmidhi said, "Hasan Sahih". Allah's statement,

أَوْ يَلْبِسَكُمْ شِيَعاً

(or to cover you with confusion in party strife, ) means, He causes you to be in disarray and separate into opposing parties and groups. Al-Walibi (`Ali bin Abi Talhah) reported that Ibn `Abbas said that this Ayah refers to desires. Mujahid and several others said similarly. A Hadith from the Prophet , collected from various chains of narration, states,

«وَسَتَفْتَرِقُ هَذِهِ الأُمَّةُ عَلَى ثَلَاثٍ وَسَبْعِينَ فِرْقَةً، كُلُّهَا فِي النَّارِ إِلَّا وَاحِدَة»

(And this Ummah (Muslims) will divide into seventy - three groups, all of them in the Fire except one.) Allah said;

وَيُذِيقَ بَعْضَكُمْ بَأْسَ بَعْضٍ

(and make you taste the violence of one another.) meaning, some of you will esperience torture and murder from one another, according to Ibn `Abbas and others. Allah said next,

انْظُرْ كَيْفَ نُصَرِّفُ الاٌّيَتِ

(See how variously We explain the Ayat,) by making them clear, plain and duly explained,

لَعَلَّهُمْ يَفْقَهُونَ

(So that they may understand.) and comprehend Allah's Ayat, proofs and evidences.

The Invitation to the Truth is Guidance Without Coercion

Allah said,

(But have denied it) denied the Qur'an, guidance and clear explanation that you (O Muhammad ) have brought them,

(your people) meaning, Quraysh,

(though it is the truth.) beyond which there is no other truth.

(Say: "I am not responsible for your affairs.") meaning, I have not been appointed a guardian or watcher over you. Allah also said;

(And say: "The truth is from your Lord." Then whosoever wills, let him believe, and whosoever wills, let him disbelieve.) 18:29, This means, my duty is to convey the Message and your duty is to hear and obey. Those who follow me, will acquire happiness in this life and the Hereafter. Those who defy me will become miserable in this life and the Hereafter. So Allah said;

(For every news there is a reality...) meaning, for every news, there is a reality, in that, this news will occur, perhaps after a while, according to Ibn `Abbas and others. Allah said in other Ayat,

(And you shall certainly know the truth of it after a while.) 38:88 and,

((For) each and every matter there is a decree (from Allah).) 13:38. This, indeed, is a warning and a promise that will surely occur,

(and you will come to know.) Allah's statement,

(And when you see those who engage in false conversation about Our verses (of the Qur'an)), by denying and mocking them.

The Prohibition of Sitting with Those Who Deny and Mock Allah's Ayat

(stay away from them till they turn to another topic.) until they talk about a subject other than the denial they were engaged in.

(And if Shaytan causes you to forget...) This command includes every member of this Ummah. No one is to sit with those who deny and distort Allah's Ayat and explain them incorrectly. If one forgets and sits with such people,

(then after the remembrance sit not you) after you remember,

(in the company of those people who are the wrongdoers.). A Hadith states,

(My Ummah was forgiven unintentional errors, forgetfulness and what they are coerced to do.) The Ayah above 6:68 is the Ayah mentioned in Allah's statement,

(And it has already been revealed to you in the Book that when you hear the Verses of Allah being denied and mocked at, then sit not with them, until they engage in a talk other than that; (but if you stayed with them) certainly in that case you would be like them.) 4:140, for, if you still sit with them, agreeing to what they say, you will be just like them. Allah's statement,

(There is no responsibility for them upon those who have Taqwa,) means, when the believers avoid sitting with wrongdoers in this case, they will be innocent of them and they will have saved themselves from their sin. Allah's statement,

(but (their duty) is to remind them, that they may avoid that.), means, We commanded you to ignore and avoid them, so that they become aware of the error they are indulging in, that they may avoid this behavior and never repeat it again.

(And leave alone those who take their religion as play and amusement, and are deceived by the life of this world.) The Ayah commands to leave such people, ignore them and give them respite, for soon, they will taste a tremendous torment. This is why Allah said,

(But remind with it) meaning, remind the people with this Qur'an and warn them against Allah's revenge and painful torment on the Day of Resurrection. Allah said;

(lest a soul Tubsal for that which one has earned,) meaning, so that it is not Tubsal. Ad-Dahhak from Ibn `Abbas, Mujahid, `Ikrimah, Al-Hasan and As-Suddi said that Tubsal means, be submissive. Al-Walibi said that Ibn `Abbas said that Tubsal means, `be exposed'. Qatadah said that Tubsal means, `be prevented', Murrah and Ibn Zayd said that it means, `be recompensed', Al-Kalbi said, `be reckoned'. All these statements and expressions are similar, for they all mean exposure to destruction, being kept away from all that is good, and being restrained from attaining what is desired. Allah also said;

(Every person is restrained by what he has earned. Except those on the Right.) 74:38-39, and

(when he will find for himself no protector or intercessor besides Allah,) and,

(and even if he offers every ransom, it will not be accepted from him.) meaning, whatever the ransom such people offer, it will not be accepted from them. Allah said in a similar statement,

(Verily, those who disbelieved, and died while they were disbelievers, the (whole) earth full of gold will not be accepted from anyone of them.) 3:91 Allah said here,

(Such are they who are given up to destruction because of that which they have earned. For them will be a drink of boiling water and a painful torment because they used to disbelieve. )

The Parable of Those Who Revert to Disbelief After Faith and Good Deeds

As-Suddi said, "Some idolators said to some Muslims, `Follow us and abandon the religion of Muhammad ﷺ.' Allah sent down the revelation,

قُلْ أَنَدْعُواْ مِن دُونِ اللَّهِ مَا لاَ يَنفَعُنَا وَلاَ يَضُرُّنَا وَنُرَدُّ عَلَى أَعْقَبِنَا

(Say: "Shall we invoke others besides Allah, that can do us neither good nor harm, and shall we turn on our heels...") by reverting to disbelief,

بَعْدَ إِذْ هَدَانَا اللَّهُ

("...after Allah has guided us.") for if we do this, our example will be like he whom the devils have caused to wander in confusion throughout the land. Allah says here, your example, if you revert to disbelief after you believed, is that of a man who went with some people on a road, but he lost his way and the devils led him to wander in confusion over the land. Meanwhile, his companions on the road were calling him to come to them saying, `Come back to us, for we are on the path.' But, he refused to go back to them. This is the example of he who follows the devil after recognizing Muhammad ﷺ, and Muhammad ﷺ is the person who is calling the people to the path, and the path is Islam." Ibn Jarir recorded this statement.Allah's statement, j

كَالَّذِى اسْتَهْوَتْهُ الشَّيَطِينُ فِى الاٌّرْضِ

(Like one whom the Shayatin (devils) have made to go astray (wandering) through the land, ) refers to ghouls,

يَدْعُونَهُ

(calling him) by his name, his father's and his grandfather's names. So he follows the devils' call thinking that it is a path of guidance, but by the morning he will find himself destroyed and perhaps they eat him. The Jinns will then let him wander in a wasteland where he will die of thirst. This is the example of those who follow the false gods that are being worshipped instead of Allah, Most Honored. Ibn Jarir also recorded this. Allah said,

قُلْ إِنَّ هُدَى اللَّهِ هُوَ الْهُدَى

(Say: "Verily, Allah's guidance is the only guidance,") Allah said in other instances,

وَمَن يَهْدِ اللَّهُ فَمَا لَهُ مِن مُّضِلٍّ

(And whomsoever Allah guides, for him there will be none to misguide him.) 39:37, and,

إِن تَحْرِصْ عَلَى هُدَاهُمْ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ لاَ يَهْدِى مَن يُضِلُّ وَمَا لَهُمْ مِّن نَّصِرِينَ

(If you covet for their guidance, then verily Allah guides not those whom He makes to go astray. And they will have no helpers.) 17:37 Allah's statement,

وَأُمِرْنَا لِنُسْلِمَ لِرَبِّ الْعَلَمِينَ

(and we have been commanded to submit to the Lord of all that exists.) means, we were commanded to worship Allah in sincerity to Him alone, without partners.

وَأَنْ أَقِيمُواْ الصَّلوةَ وَاتَّقُوهُ

(And to perform the Salah, and have Taqwa of Him.) meaning, we were commanded to perform the prayer and to fear Allah in all circumstances,

وَهُوَ الَّذِى إِلَيْهِ تُحْشَرُونَ

(and it is He to Whom you shall be gathered.) on the Day of Resurrection.

وَهُوَ الَّذِى خَلَقَ السَّمَوَتِ وَالاٌّرْضَ بِالْحَقِّ

(It is He Who has created the heavens and the earth in truth.) meaning, in justice, and He is their Originator and Owner Who governs their affairs and the affairs of their inhabitants. Allah said,

وَيَوْمَ يَقُولُ كُن فَيَكُونُ

(and on the Day He will say: "Be!" it shall become.) Referring to the Day of Resurrection, which will come faster than the blink of an eye, when Allah says to it, `Be.'

As-Sur; The Trumpet

Allah's statement,

يَوْمَ يُنفَخُ فِى الصُّوَرِ

(on the Day when the Sur will be blown...) refers to His statement,

وَيَوْمَ يَقُولُ كُن فَيَكُونُ

(and on the Day He will say: "Be!" it shall become.) as we stated above. Or, it means,

وَلَهُ الْمُلْكُ يَوْمَ يُنفَخُ فِى الصُّوَرِ

(His will be the dominion on the Day when the Sur will be blown.) Allah said in other Ayat,

لِّمَنِ الْمُلْكُ الْيَوْمَ لِلَّهِ الْوَحِدِ الْقَهَّارِ

(Whose is the kingdom this Day It is Allah's, the One, the Irresistible!) 40:16, and,

الْمُلْكُ يَوْمَئِذٍ الْحَقُّ لِلرَّحْمَنِ وَكَانَ يَوْماً عَلَى الْكَفِرِينَ عَسِيراً

(The sovereignty on that Day will be the true (sovereignty), belonging to the Most Beneficent (Allah), and it will be a hard Day for the disbelievers.) 25:26 The Sur is the Trumpet into which the angel Israfil, peace be upon him, will blow. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said,

«إِنَّ إِسْرَافِيلَ قَدِ الْتَقَمَ الصُّورَ، وَحَنَى جَبْهَتَهُ يَنْتَظِرُ مَتَى يُؤْمَر فَيَنْفُخ»

(Israfil has held the Sur in his mouth and lowered his forehead, awaiting the command to blow in it.) Muslim recorded this Hadith in his Sahih. Imam Ahmad recorded that `Abdullah bin `Amr said, "A bedouin man said, `O Allah's Messenger! What is the Sur' He said,

«قَرْنٌ يُنْفَخُ فِيه»

(A Trumpet which will be blown.)"