6. Al-An'aam

He is the Badi' (Originator) of the heavens and the earth. How can He have children when He has no wife? He created all things and He is the All-Knower of everything (101)

Meaning of Badi'

بَدِيعُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ

(He is the Badi' of the heavens and the earth) Meaning He originated, created, invented and brought them into existence without precedence, as Mujahid and As-Suddi said. This is why the word for innovation - Bid'ah - comes from it, because it is something that did not have a precedence.

أَنَّىٰ يَكُونُ لَهُ وَلَدٌ وَلَمْ تَكُن لَّهُ صَاحِبَةٌ

(How can He have children when He has no wife?) for the child is the offspring of two compatible spouses. Allah does not have an equal, none of His creatures are similar to Him, for He alone created the entire creation. Allah said;

وَقَالُوا اتَّخَذَ الرَّحْمَٰنُ وَلَدًا - لَّقَدْ جِئْتُمْ شَيْئًا إِدًّا

(And they say: "The Most Beneficent (Allah) has begotten a son." Indeed you have brought forth (said) a terrible evil thing.)[19:88-89], until,

وَكُلُّهُمْ آتِيهِ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ فَرْدًا

(And everyone of them will come to Him alone on the Day of Resurrection.)[19:95].

وَخَلَقَ كُلَّ شَيْءٍ وَهُوَ بِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ عَلِيمٌ

(He created all things and He is the All-Knower of everything.)

He has created everything and He is All-Knower of all things. How can He have a wife from His creation who is suitable for His majesty, when there is none like Him? How can He have a child then? Verily, Allah is Glorified above having a son.

Such is Allah, your Lord! None has the right to be worshipped but He, the Creator of all things. So worship Him (alone), and He is the Guardian over all things (102)No vision can grasp Him, but His grasp is over all vision. He is the Most Subtle, Well-Acquainted (with all things)(103)

Allah is Your Lord

Allah said,

ذَٰلِكُمُ اللَّهُ رَبُّكُمْ

(Such is Allah, your Lord!) Who created everything and has neither a son nor a wife,

لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ خَالِقُ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ فَاعْبُدُوهُ

(None has the right to be worshipped but He, the Creator of all things. So worship Him,)

Alone without partners, and attest to His Oneness, affirming that there is no deity worthy of worship except Him. Allah has neither descendants, nor acsendants, wife, equal or rival,

وَهُوَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ وَكِيلٌ

(And He is the Guardian over all things.) meaning, Trustee, Watcher and Disposer of affairs for all things in existence, giving them provisions and protection by day and night.

Seeing Allah in the Hereafter

Allah said,

لَّا تُدْرِكُهُ الْأَبْصَارُ

(No vision can grasp Him) in this life. The vision will be able to look at Allah in the Hereafter, as affirmed and attested to by the numerous Hadiths from the Prophet ﷺ through authentic chains of narration in the collections of the Sahihs, Musnad and Sunan collections. As for this life, Masruq narrated that 'A'ishah said, "Whoever claims that Muhammad ﷺ has seen his Lord, will have uttered a lie against Allah, for Allah the Most Honored, says,

لَّا تُدْرِكُهُ الْأَبْصَارُ وَهُوَ يُدْرِكُ الْأَبْصَارَ

(No vision can grasp Him, but His grasp is over all vision.)"

In the Sahih (Muslim) it is recorded that Abu Musa Al-Ash'ari narrated from the Prophet ﷺ,

إِنَّ اللهَ لَا يَنَامُ وَلَا يَنْبَغِي لَهُ أَنْ يَنَامَ، يَخْفِضُ الْقِسْطَ وَيَرْفَعُهُ، يُرْفَعُ إِلَيْهِ عَمَلُ النَّهَارِ قَبْلَ اللَّيْلِ، وَعَمَلُ اللَّيْلِ قَبْلَ النَّهَارِ، حِجَابُهُ النُّورُ - أَوِ النَّارُ - لَوْ كَشَفَهُ لَأَحْرَقَتْ سَبُحَاتُ وَجْهِهِ مَا انْتَهَى إِلَيْهِ بَصَرُهُ مِنْ خَلْقِهِ

(Verily, Allah does not sleep and it does not befit His majesty that He should sleep. He lowers the scale (of everything) and raises it. The deeds of the day are ascended to Him before the night, and the deeds of the night before the day. His Veil is the Light – or Fire – and if He removes it (the veil), the Light of His Face will burn every created thing that His sight reaches.)

In the previous [revealed] Books there is this statement, "When Musa requested to see Him, Allah said to Musa: 'O Musa! Verily, no living thing sees Me, but it dies and no dried things sees me, but it rolls up.'" Allah said,

فَلَمَّا تَجَلَّىٰ رَبُّهُ لِلْجَبَلِ جَعَلَهُ دَكًّا وَخَرَّ مُوسَىٰ صَعِقًا فَلَمَّا أَفَاقَ قَالَ سُبْحَانَكَ تُبْتُ إِلَيْكَ وَأَنَا أَوَّلُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ

(So when his Lord appeared to the mountain, He made it collapse to dust, and Musa fell down unconscious. Then when he recovered his senses he said: "Glory be to You, I turn to You in repentance and I am the first of the believers.")[7:143].

These Ayat, Hadiths and statements do not negate the fact that Allah will be seen on the Day of Resurrection by His believing servants, in the manner …

Such is Allah, your Lord! None has the right to be worshipped but He, the Creator of all things. So worship Him (alone), and He is the Guardian over all things (102)No vision can grasp Him, but His grasp is over all vision. He is the Most Subtle, Well-Acquainted (with all things)(103)

Allah is Your Lord

Allah said,

ذَٰلِكُمُ اللَّهُ رَبُّكُمْ

(Such is Allah, your Lord!) Who created everything and has neither a son nor a wife,

لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ خَالِقُ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ فَاعْبُدُوهُ

(None has the right to be worshipped but He, the Creator of all things. So worship Him,)

Alone without partners, and attest to His Oneness, affirming that there is no deity worthy of worship except Him. Allah has neither descendants, nor acsendants, wife, equal or rival,

وَهُوَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ وَكِيلٌ

(And He is the Guardian over all things.) meaning, Trustee, Watcher and Disposer of affairs for all things in existence, giving them provisions and protection by day and night.

Seeing Allah in the Hereafter

Allah said,

لَّا تُدْرِكُهُ الْأَبْصَارُ

(No vision can grasp Him) in this life. The vision will be able to look at Allah in the Hereafter, as affirmed and attested to by the numerous Hadiths from the Prophet ﷺ through authentic chains of narration in the collections of the Sahihs, Musnad and Sunan collections. As for this life, Masruq narrated that 'A'ishah said, "Whoever claims that Muhammad ﷺ has seen his Lord, will have uttered a lie against Allah, for Allah the Most Honored, says,

لَّا تُدْرِكُهُ الْأَبْصَارُ وَهُوَ يُدْرِكُ الْأَبْصَارَ

(No vision can grasp Him, but His grasp is over all vision.)"

In the Sahih (Muslim) it is recorded that Abu Musa Al-Ash'ari narrated from the Prophet ﷺ,

إِنَّ اللهَ لَا يَنَامُ وَلَا يَنْبَغِي لَهُ أَنْ يَنَامَ، يَخْفِضُ الْقِسْطَ وَيَرْفَعُهُ، يُرْفَعُ إِلَيْهِ عَمَلُ النَّهَارِ قَبْلَ اللَّيْلِ، وَعَمَلُ اللَّيْلِ قَبْلَ النَّهَارِ، حِجَابُهُ النُّورُ - أَوِ النَّارُ - لَوْ كَشَفَهُ لَأَحْرَقَتْ سَبُحَاتُ وَجْهِهِ مَا انْتَهَى إِلَيْهِ بَصَرُهُ مِنْ خَلْقِهِ

(Verily, Allah does not sleep and it does not befit His majesty that He should sleep. He lowers the scale (of everything) and raises it. The deeds of the day are ascended to Him before the night, and the deeds of the night before the day. His Veil is the Light – or Fire – and if He removes it (the veil), the Light of His Face will burn every created thing that His sight reaches.)

In the previous [revealed] Books there is this statement, "When Musa requested to see Him, Allah said to Musa: 'O Musa! Verily, no living thing sees Me, but it dies and no dried things sees me, but it rolls up.'" Allah said,

فَلَمَّا تَجَلَّىٰ رَبُّهُ لِلْجَبَلِ جَعَلَهُ دَكًّا وَخَرَّ مُوسَىٰ صَعِقًا فَلَمَّا أَفَاقَ قَالَ سُبْحَانَكَ تُبْتُ إِلَيْكَ وَأَنَا أَوَّلُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ

(So when his Lord appeared to the mountain, He made it collapse to dust, and Musa fell down unconscious. Then when he recovered his senses he said: "Glory be to You, I turn to You in repentance and I am the first of the believers.")[7:143].

These Ayat, Hadiths and statements do not negate the fact that Allah will be seen on the Day of Resurrection by His believing servants, in the manner …

Verily, Basa'ir (proofs) have come to you from your Lord, so whosoever sees, will do so for (the good of) himself, and whosoever blinds himself, will do so against himself, and I am not a 'Hafīz' over you (104)Thus We explain variously the verses so that they (the disbelievers) may say: "You have Darasta (studied)" and that We may make the matter clear for the people who have knowledge (105)

The Meaning of Basa'ir

Basa'ir are the proofs and evidences in the Qur'an and the Message of Allah's Messenger ﷺ. The Ayah,

فَمَنْ أَبْصَرَ فَلِنَفْسِهِ

(so whosoever sees, will do so for (the good of) himself.) is similar to,

فَمَنِ اهْتَدَىٰ فَإِنَّمَا يَهْتَدِي لِنَفْسِهِ وَمَن ضَلَّ فَإِنَّمَا يَضِلُّ عَلَيْهَا

(So whosoever receives guidance, he does so for the good of himself, and whosoever goes astray, he does so at his own loss.)[10:108] After Allah mentioned the Basa'ir, He said,

وَمَنْ عَمِيَ فَعَلَيْهَا

(And whosoever blinds himself, will do so against himself,) meaning, he will only harm himself. Allah said,

فَإِنَّهَا لَا تَعْمَى الْأَبْصَارُ وَلَٰكِن تَعْمَى الْقُلُوبُ الَّتِي فِي الصُّدُورِ

(Verily, it is not the eyes that grow blind, but it is the hearts which are in the breasts that grow blind.)[22:46]

وَمَا أَنَا عَلَيْكُم بِحَفِيظٍ

(And I (Muhammad) am not a 'Hafīz' over you.) neither responsible, nor a watcher over you. Rather, I only convey, Allah guides whom He wills and misguides whom He wills. Allah said,

وَكَذَٰلِكَ نُصَرِّفُ الْآيَاتِ

(Thus We explain variously the verses...)[6:105], meaning, just as We explained the Ayat in this Surah, such as explaining Tawhid and that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah. This is how We explain the Ayat and make them plain and clear in all circumstances, to suffice the ignorance of the ignorant; and so that the idolators and disbelievers who deny you say, 'O Muhammad! You have Darasta with those who were before you from among the People of the Book and learned with them'. Ibn 'Abbas, Mujahid, Sa'id bin Jubayr and Ad-Dahhak said similarly. At-Tabarani narrated that 'Amr bin Kaysan said that he heard Ibn 'Abbas saying, "Darasta, means, 'recited, argued and debated.'" This is similar to Allah's statement about the denial and rebellion of the disbelievers,

وَقَالَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا إِنْ هَٰذَا إِلَّا إِفْكٌ افْتَرَاهُ وَأَعَانَهُ عَلَيْهِ قَوْمٌ آخَرُونَ فَقَدْ جَاءُوا ظُلْمًا وَزُورًا - وَقَالُوا أَسَاطِيرُ الْأَوَّلِينَ اكْتَتَبَهَا فَهِيَ تُمْلَىٰ عَلَيْهِ بُكْرَةً وَأَصِيلًا

(Those who disbelieve say, "This (the Qur'an) is nothing but a lie that he has invented, and others have helped him at it, so that they have produced an unjust wrong (thing) and a lie." And they say, "Tales of the ancients, which he has written down, and they are dictated to him morning and afternoon.")[25:4-5]

Allah described the chief liar of the disbelievers [Al-Walid bin Al-Mughirah Al-Makhzumi],

إِنَّهُ فَكَّرَ وَقَدَّرَ - فَقُتِلَ كَيْفَ قَدَّرَ - ثُمَّ قُتِلَ كَيْفَ قَدَّرَ - ثُمَّ نَظَرَ - ثُمَّ عَبَسَ وَبَسَرَ - ثُمَّ أَدْبَرَ وَاسْتَكْبَرَ - فَقَالَ إِنْ هَٰذَا إِلَّا سِحْرٌ يُؤْثَرُ - إِنْ هَٰذَا إِلَّا قَوْلُ الْبَشَرِ

(Verily, he thought and plotted. So let him be cursed! How …

Follow what has been inspired (revealed) to you from your Lord, none has the right to be worshipped but He, and turn aside from the idolators (106)Had Allah willed, they would not have taken others besides Him in worship. And We have not made you 'Hafīz' over them nor are you set over them to dispose of their affairs (107)

The Command to Follow the Revelation

Allah commands His Messenger and those who followed his path,

اتَّبِعْ مَا أُوحِيَ إِلَيْكَ مِن رَّبِّكَ

(Follow what has been inspired to you from your Lord,) meaning, follow it, obey it and act according to it. What has been revealed to you from your Lord is the Truth, no doubt, and there is no deity worthy of worship except Him,

وَأَعْرِضْ عَنِ الْمُشْرِكِينَ

(and turn aside from the idolators) meaning, forgive them, be forbearing and endure their harm until Allah brings relief to you, supports you and makes you triumphant over them. Know – O Muhammad ﷺ – that there is a wisdom behind misleading the idolators, and that had Allah willed, He would have directed all people to guidance,

وَلَوْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ مَا أَشْرَكُوا

(Had Allah willed, they would not have taken others besides Him in worship.)

Allah's is the perfect will and wisdom in all decrees and decisions, and He is never questioned about what He does, while they all will be questioned. Allah's statement,

وَمَا جَعَلْنَاكَ عَلَيْهِمْ حَفِيظًا

(And We have not made you 'Hafīz' over them.) means, a watcher who observes their statements and deeds,

وَمَا أَنتَ عَلَيْهِم بِوَكِيلٍ

(Nor are you set over them to dispose of their affairs.) or to control their provision. Rather, your only job is to convey, just as Allah said,

فَذَكِّرْ إِنَّمَا أَنتَ مُذَكِّرٌ - لَّسْتَ عَلَيْهِم بِمُصَيْطِرٍ

(So remind them, you are only one who reminds. You are not a dictator over them.)[88:21-22] and,

فَإِنَّمَا عَلَيْكَ الْبَلَاغُ وَعَلَيْنَا الْحِسَابُ

(Your duty is only to convey and on Us is the reckoning.)[13:40]

Follow what has been inspired (revealed) to you from your Lord, none has the right to be worshipped but He, and turn aside from the idolators (106)Had Allah willed, they would not have taken others besides Him in worship. And We have not made you 'Hafīz' over them nor are you set over them to dispose of their affairs (107)

The Command to Follow the Revelation

Allah commands His Messenger and those who followed his path,

اتَّبِعْ مَا أُوحِيَ إِلَيْكَ مِن رَّبِّكَ

(Follow what has been inspired to you from your Lord,) meaning, follow it, obey it and act according to it. What has been revealed to you from your Lord is the Truth, no doubt, and there is no deity worthy of worship except Him,

وَأَعْرِضْ عَنِ الْمُشْرِكِينَ

(and turn aside from the idolators) meaning, forgive them, be forbearing and endure their harm until Allah brings relief to you, supports you and makes you triumphant over them. Know – O Muhammad ﷺ – that there is a wisdom behind misleading the idolators, and that had Allah willed, He would have directed all people to guidance,

وَلَوْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ مَا أَشْرَكُوا

(Had Allah willed, they would not have taken others besides Him in worship.)

Allah's is the perfect will and wisdom in all decrees and decisions, and He is never questioned about what He does, while they all will be questioned. Allah's statement,

وَمَا جَعَلْنَاكَ عَلَيْهِمْ حَفِيظًا

(And We have not made you 'Hafīz' over them.) means, a watcher who observes their statements and deeds,

وَمَا أَنتَ عَلَيْهِم بِوَكِيلٍ

(Nor are you set over them to dispose of their affairs.) or to control their provision. Rather, your only job is to convey, just as Allah said,

فَذَكِّرْ إِنَّمَا أَنتَ مُذَكِّرٌ - لَّسْتَ عَلَيْهِم بِمُصَيْطِرٍ

(So remind them, you are only one who reminds. You are not a dictator over them.)[88:21-22] and,

فَإِنَّمَا عَلَيْكَ الْبَلَاغُ وَعَلَيْنَا الْحِسَابُ

(Your duty is only to convey and on Us is the reckoning.)[13:40]

And insult not those whom they worship besides Allah, lest they insult Allah wrongfully without knowledge. Thus We have made fair seeming to each people its own doings; then to their Lord is their return and He shall inform them of all that they used to do (108)

The Prohibition of Insulting the False gods of the Disbelievers, So that they Do not Insult Allah

Allah prohibits His Messenger ﷺ and the believers from insulting the false deities of the idolators, although there is a clear benefit in doing so. Insulting their deities will lead to a bigger evil than its benefit, for the idolators might retaliate by insulting the God of the believers, Allah, none has the right to be worshipped but He.

'Ali bin Abi Talhah said that Ibn 'Abbas commented on this Ayah [6:108]; "They (disbelievers) said, 'O Muhammad! You will stop insulting our gods, or we will insult your Lord.' Thereafter, Allah prohibited the believers from insulting the disbelievers' idols,

فَيَسُبُّوا اللَّهَ عَدْوًا بِغَيْرِ عِلْمٍ

(lest they insult Allah wrongfully without knowledge.)"

Abdur-Razzaq narrated that Ma'mar said that Qatadah said, "Muslims used to insult the idols of the disbelievers and the disbelievers would retaliate by insulting Allah wrongfully without knowledge. Allah revealed,

وَلَا تَسُبُّوا الَّذِينَ يَدْعُونَ مِن دُونِ اللَّهِ

(And insult not those whom they worship besides Allah.)"

On this same subject – abandoning what carries benefit to avert a greater evil – it is recorded in the Sahih that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said,

مَلْعُونٌ مَنْ سَبَّ وَالِدَيْهِ

(Cursed is he who insults his own parents!) They said, "O Allah's Messenger! And how would a man insult his own parents?" He said,

يَسُبُّ أَبَا الرَّجُلِ فَيَسُبُّ أَبَاهُ وَيَسُبُّ أُمَّهُ فَيَسُبُّ أُمَّهُ

(He insults a man's father, and that man insults his father, and insults his mother and that man insults his mother.) Allah's statement,

كَذَٰلِكَ زَيَّنَّا لِكُلِّ أُمَّةٍ عَمَلَهُمْ

(Thus We have made fair seeming to each people its own doings;) means, as We made fair seeming to the idolators loving their idols and defending them, likewise We made fair seeming to every previous nation the misguidance they indulged in. Allah's is the most perfect proof, and the most complete wisdom in all that He wills and chooses.

ثُمَّ إِلَىٰ رَبِّهِم مَّرْجِعُهُمْ

(then to their Lord is their return,) gathering and final destination,

فَيُنَبِّئُهُم بِمَا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ

(and He shall then inform them of all that they used to do.) He will compensate them for their deeds, good for good and evil for evil.

And they swear their strongest oaths by Allah, that if there came to them a sign, they would surely believe therein. Say: "Signs are but with Allah and what will make you perceive that (even) if it came, they will not believe? (109)And We shall turn their hearts and their eyes away, as they refused to believe therein for the first time, and We shall leave them in their trespass to wander blindly (110)

Asking for Miracles and Swearing to Believe if They Come

Allah states that the idolators swore their strongest oaths by Allah,

لَئِن جَاءَتْهُمْ آيَةٌ

(that if there came to them a sign...) a miracle or phenomenon,

لَّيُؤْمِنُنَّ بِهَا

(they would surely believe therein.) affirming its truth,

قُلْ إِنَّمَا الْآيَاتُ عِندَ اللَّهِ

(Say: "Signs are but with Allah.")[6:109] meaning: Say, O Muhammad ﷺ - to those who ask you for signs out of defiance, disbelief and rebellion, not out of the desire for guidance and knowledge - "The matter of sending signs is for Allah. If He wills, He sends them to you, and if He wills, He ignores your request." Allah said next,

وَمَا يُشْعِرُكُمْ أَنَّهَا إِذَا جَاءَتْ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ

(And what will make you perceive that (even) if it came, they will not believe?)

It was said that 'you' in 'make you preceive' refers to the idolators, according to Mujahid. In this case, the Ayah would mean, what makes you – you idolators – preceive that you are truthful in the vows that you swore? Therefore, in this recitation, the Ayah means, the idolators will still not believe if the sign that they asked for came. It was also said that 'you' in, 'what will make you preceive', refers to the believers, meaning, what will make you preceive, O believers, that the idolators will still not believe if the signs come. Allah also said,

مَا مَنَعَكَ أَلَّا تَسْجُدَ إِذْ أَمَرْتُكَ

("What prevented you (O Iblis) that you did not prostrate, when I commanded you?")[7:12] and,

وَحَرَامٌ عَلَىٰ قَرْيَةٍ أَهْلَكْنَاهَا أَنَّهُمْ لَا يَرْجِعُونَ

(And a ban is laid on every town (population) which We have destroyed that they shall not return (to this world again).)[21:95]

These Ayat mean: 'What made you, O Iblis, refrain from prostrating, although I commanded you to do so, and, in the second Ayah, that village shall not return to this world again. In the Ayah above [6:109], the meaning thus becomes: What makes you perceive, O believers, who wish eagerly for the disbelievers to believe, that if the Ayat came to them they would believe? Allah said next,

وَنُقَلِّبُ أَفْئِدَتَهُمْ وَأَبْصَارَهُمْ كَمَا لَمْ يُؤْمِنُوا بِهِ أَوَّلَ مَرَّةٍ

(And We shall turn their hearts and their eyes away, as they refused to believe therein for the first time,)

Al-'Awfi said that Ibn 'Abbas said about this Ayah, "When the idolators rejected what Allah sent down, their hearts did not settle on any one thing and they turned away from every matter (of benefit)." Mujahid said that Allah's statement,

وَنُقَلِّبُ أَفْئِدَتَهُمْ وَأَبْصَارَهُمْ

(and We shall turn their hearts and their eyes away,) means, We prevent them from the faith, and even if every sign came to them, they will not believe, just as We prevented them from faith the first time. …

And they swear their strongest oaths by Allah, that if there came to them a sign, they would surely believe therein. Say: "Signs are but with Allah and what will make you perceive that (even) if it came, they will not believe? (109)And We shall turn their hearts and their eyes away, as they refused to believe therein for the first time, and We shall leave them in their trespass to wander blindly (110)

Asking for Miracles and Swearing to Believe if They Come

Allah states that the idolators swore their strongest oaths by Allah,

لَئِن جَاءَتْهُمْ آيَةٌ

(that if there came to them a sign...) a miracle or phenomenon,

لَّيُؤْمِنُنَّ بِهَا

(they would surely believe therein.) affirming its truth,

قُلْ إِنَّمَا الْآيَاتُ عِندَ اللَّهِ

(Say: "Signs are but with Allah.")[6:109] meaning: Say, O Muhammad ﷺ - to those who ask you for signs out of defiance, disbelief and rebellion, not out of the desire for guidance and knowledge - "The matter of sending signs is for Allah. If He wills, He sends them to you, and if He wills, He ignores your request." Allah said next,

وَمَا يُشْعِرُكُمْ أَنَّهَا إِذَا جَاءَتْ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ

(And what will make you perceive that (even) if it came, they will not believe?)

It was said that 'you' in 'make you preceive' refers to the idolators, according to Mujahid. In this case, the Ayah would mean, what makes you – you idolators – preceive that you are truthful in the vows that you swore? Therefore, in this recitation, the Ayah means, the idolators will still not believe if the sign that they asked for came. It was also said that 'you' in, 'what will make you preceive', refers to the believers, meaning, what will make you preceive, O believers, that the idolators will still not believe if the signs come. Allah also said,

مَا مَنَعَكَ أَلَّا تَسْجُدَ إِذْ أَمَرْتُكَ

("What prevented you (O Iblis) that you did not prostrate, when I commanded you?")[7:12] and,

وَحَرَامٌ عَلَىٰ قَرْيَةٍ أَهْلَكْنَاهَا أَنَّهُمْ لَا يَرْجِعُونَ

(And a ban is laid on every town (population) which We have destroyed that they shall not return (to this world again).)[21:95]

These Ayat mean: 'What made you, O Iblis, refrain from prostrating, although I commanded you to do so, and, in the second Ayah, that village shall not return to this world again. In the Ayah above [6:109], the meaning thus becomes: What makes you perceive, O believers, who wish eagerly for the disbelievers to believe, that if the Ayat came to them they would believe? Allah said next,

وَنُقَلِّبُ أَفْئِدَتَهُمْ وَأَبْصَارَهُمْ كَمَا لَمْ يُؤْمِنُوا بِهِ أَوَّلَ مَرَّةٍ

(And We shall turn their hearts and their eyes away, as they refused to believe therein for the first time,)

Al-'Awfi said that Ibn 'Abbas said about this Ayah, "When the idolators rejected what Allah sent down, their hearts did not settle on any one thing and they turned away from every matter (of benefit)." Mujahid said that Allah's statement,

وَنُقَلِّبُ أَفْئِدَتَهُمْ وَأَبْصَارَهُمْ

(and We shall turn their hearts and their eyes away,) means, We prevent them from the faith, and even if every sign came to them, they will not believe, just as We prevented them from faith the first time. …