6. Al-An'aam

The Cattle · Meccan · 165 ayahs

سُورَةُ الأَنۡعَامِ

Reading Tafsir al-Tustari by Sahl al-Tustari

Ayahs 121–130 of 165

وَلَا تَأْكُلُوا۟ مِمَّا لَمْ يُذْكَرِ ٱسْمُ ٱللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ وَإِنَّهُۥ لَفِسْقٌۭ ۗ وَإِنَّ ٱلشَّيَٰطِينَ لَيُوحُونَ إِلَىٰٓ أَوْلِيَآئِهِمْ لِيُجَٰدِلُوكُمْ ۖ وَإِنْ أَطَعْتُمُوهُمْ إِنَّكُمْ لَمُشْرِكُونَ

And do not eat of that upon which the name of Allah has not been mentioned, for indeed, it is grave disobedience. And indeed do the devils inspire their allies [among men] to dispute with you. And if you were to obey them, indeed, you would be associators [of others with Him].

Explained together with ayah 120

Al-An'aam 6:121Listen in Qur'an →

122

أَوَمَن كَانَ مَيْتًۭا فَأَحْيَيْنَٰهُ وَجَعَلْنَا لَهُۥ نُورًۭا يَمْشِى بِهِۦ فِى ٱلنَّاسِ كَمَن مَّثَلُهُۥ فِى ٱلظُّلُمَٰتِ لَيْسَ بِخَارِجٍۢ مِّنْهَا ۚ كَذَٰلِكَ زُيِّنَ لِلْكَٰفِرِينَ مَا كَانُوا۟ يَعْمَلُونَ

And is one who was dead and We gave him life and made for him light by which to walk among the people like one who is in darkness, never to emerge therefrom? Thus it has been made pleasing to the disbelievers that which they were doing.

Explained together with ayah 120

Al-An'aam 6:122Listen in Qur'an →

123

وَكَذَٰلِكَ جَعَلْنَا فِى كُلِّ قَرْيَةٍ أَكَٰبِرَ مُجْرِمِيهَا لِيَمْكُرُوا۟ فِيهَا ۖ وَمَا يَمْكُرُونَ إِلَّا بِأَنفُسِهِمْ وَمَا يَشْعُرُونَ

And thus We have placed within every city the greatest of its criminals to conspire therein. But they conspire not except against themselves, and they perceive [it] not.

Explained together with ayah 120

Al-An'aam 6:123Listen in Qur'an →

124

وَإِذَا جَآءَتْهُمْ ءَايَةٌۭ قَالُوا۟ لَن نُّؤْمِنَ حَتَّىٰ نُؤْتَىٰ مِثْلَ مَآ أُوتِىَ رُسُلُ ٱللَّهِ ۘ ٱللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ حَيْثُ يَجْعَلُ رِسَالَتَهُۥ ۗ سَيُصِيبُ ٱلَّذِينَ أَجْرَمُوا۟ صَغَارٌ عِندَ ٱللَّهِ وَعَذَابٌۭ شَدِيدٌۢ بِمَا كَانُوا۟ يَمْكُرُونَ

And when a sign comes to them, they say, "Never will we believe until we are given like that which was given to the messengers of Allah." Allah is most knowing of where He places His message. There will afflict those who committed crimes debasement before Allah and severe punishment for what they used to conspire.

Explained together with ayah 120

Al-An'aam 6:124Listen in Qur'an →

125

فَمَن يُرِدِ ٱللَّهُ أَن يَهْدِيَهُۥ يَشْرَحْ صَدْرَهُۥ لِلْإِسْلَٰمِ ۖ وَمَن يُرِدْ أَن يُضِلَّهُۥ يَجْعَلْ صَدْرَهُۥ ضَيِّقًا حَرَجًۭا كَأَنَّمَا يَصَّعَّدُ فِى ٱلسَّمَآءِ ۚ كَذَٰلِكَ يَجْعَلُ ٱللَّهُ ٱلرِّجْسَ عَلَى ٱلَّذِينَ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ

So whoever Allah wants to guide - He expands his breast to [contain] Islam; and whoever He wants to misguide - He makes his breast tight and constricted as though he were climbing into the sky. Thus does Allah place defilement upon those who do not believe.

When God wishes to guide someone, He expands their breast to Islam�Sahl said:Truly God has distinguished between the one who seeks (murīd) and the one who is [divinely] sought (murād), even though they are both from Him (min ʿindihi). But He simply wanted to distinguish the elite (khuṣūṣ) from the generality (ʿumūm), and so He singled out the one who is sought (murād) in this sūra and others. He also mentioned the one who seeks (murīd), representing the generality, in this sūra in His words, Exalted is He: Do not drive away those who call upon their Lord morning and evening, seeking His countenance [6:52]. This is the servant�s being intent (qaṣd) upon God in his every moment of activity and stillness (fī ḥarakātihi wa sukūnihi), just as He also said: and those who hearken to their Lord and maintain the prayer� [42:38]. Thus, whoever finds that he has the state of both the seeker and the sought, that is due to a grace (faḍl) from God to him. Do you not see how He has brought them together in His words, Exalted is He: Whatever grace you have, it is from God [16:53]?He was asked, �Why are they [murīd and murād] separated then?� He said:The seeker who makes an effort to direct himself towards (qaṣd) God, Exalted is He, and to worship Him, and seeks the way to Him, is still in the state of seeking (ṭalab). As for the sought, it refers to the establishment of worship for him by God, Exalted is He. Man has within himself that which [shows him] to be both a seeker (murīd) and one who is sought (murād). At one time, ⸢he enters into his acts of obedience [applying to them] struggle (mukābada) and striving (mujāhada), and this is [when he is] at the level of the seeker (murīd), when he may be stirred [into action] (tuhayyijahu) by the inducement of hope (raghba), or by fear (rahba). Then at another time⸣, he finds himself carried through those acts without effort (taklīf) or striving (jahd), [and this is] a solicitude from God, Exalted is He, towards him. Then after that, he will move on to the highest stations (maqāmāt) and most elevated ranks (darajāt).[At this point] he was asked about the meaning of the stations (maqāmāt), and he replied:They are mentioned in the Book of God, Exalted is He, in the story about the angels, And there is not one of us but [that he] has a known station [37:164].

Al-An'aam 6:125Listen in Qur'an →

126

وَهَٰذَا صِرَٰطُ رَبِّكَ مُسْتَقِيمًۭا ۗ قَدْ فَصَّلْنَا ٱلْءَايَٰتِ لِقَوْمٍۢ يَذَّكَّرُونَ

And this is the path of your Lord, [leading] straight. We have detailed the verses for a people who remember.

Explained together with ayah 125

Al-An'aam 6:126Listen in Qur'an →

127

۞ لَهُمْ دَارُ ٱلسَّلَٰمِ عِندَ رَبِّهِمْ ۖ وَهُوَ وَلِيُّهُم بِمَا كَانُوا۟ يَعْمَلُونَ

For them will be the Home of Peace with their Lord. And He will be their protecting friend because of what they used to do.

Theirs shall be the abode of peace with their Lord�He said:That is, there he will be safe from the anxieties (hawājis) of his self and the whisperings (wasāwis) of his enemy.His words, Exalted is He:

Al-An'aam 6:127Listen in Qur'an →

128

وَيَوْمَ يَحْشُرُهُمْ جَمِيعًۭا يَٰمَعْشَرَ ٱلْجِنِّ قَدِ ٱسْتَكْثَرْتُم مِّنَ ٱلْإِنسِ ۖ وَقَالَ أَوْلِيَآؤُهُم مِّنَ ٱلْإِنسِ رَبَّنَا ٱسْتَمْتَعَ بَعْضُنَا بِبَعْضٍۢ وَبَلَغْنَآ أَجَلَنَا ٱلَّذِىٓ أَجَّلْتَ لَنَا ۚ قَالَ ٱلنَّارُ مَثْوَىٰكُمْ خَٰلِدِينَ فِيهَآ إِلَّا مَا شَآءَ ٱللَّهُ ۗ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ حَكِيمٌ عَلِيمٌۭ

And [mention, O Muhammad], the Day when He will gather them together [and say], "O company of jinn, you have [misled] many of mankind." And their allies among mankind will say, "Our Lord, some of us made use of others, and we have [now] reached our term, which you appointed for us." He will say, "The Fire is your residence, wherein you will abide eternally, except for what Allah wills. Indeed, your Lord is Wise and Knowing."

Explained together with ayah 127

Al-An'aam 6:128Listen in Qur'an →

129

وَكَذَٰلِكَ نُوَلِّى بَعْضَ ٱلظَّٰلِمِينَ بَعْضًۢا بِمَا كَانُوا۟ يَكْسِبُونَ

And thus will We make some of the wrongdoers allies of others for what they used to earn.

So, We let some evildoers have power over others because of what they were earning.That is, God, Exalted is He, takes revenge on a wrongdoer by means of another wrongdoer, and then He Himself takes revenge on them.His words, Exalted is He:

Al-An'aam 6:129Listen in Qur'an →

130

يَٰمَعْشَرَ ٱلْجِنِّ وَٱلْإِنسِ أَلَمْ يَأْتِكُمْ رُسُلٌۭ مِّنكُمْ يَقُصُّونَ عَلَيْكُمْ ءَايَٰتِى وَيُنذِرُونَكُمْ لِقَآءَ يَوْمِكُمْ هَٰذَا ۚ قَالُوا۟ شَهِدْنَا عَلَىٰٓ أَنفُسِنَا ۖ وَغَرَّتْهُمُ ٱلْحَيَوٰةُ ٱلدُّنْيَا وَشَهِدُوا۟ عَلَىٰٓ أَنفُسِهِمْ أَنَّهُمْ كَانُوا۟ كَٰفِرِينَ

"O company of jinn and mankind, did there not come to you messengers from among you, relating to you My verses and warning you of the meeting of this Day of yours?" They will say, "We bear witness against ourselves"; and the worldly life had deluded them, and they will bear witness against themselves that they were disbelievers.

Explained together with ayah 129

Al-An'aam 6:130Listen in Qur'an →

Commentary: Tafsir al-Tustari by Sahl al-Tustari. Qur'an text and translation via AlQuran Cloud.