سُورَةُ الأَنۡعَامِ
Reading Asbab al-Nuzul by Al-Wahidi
Ayahs 21–30 of 165
وَمَنْ أَظْلَمُ مِمَّنِ ٱفْتَرَىٰ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ كَذِبًا أَوْ كَذَّبَ بِـَٔايَٰتِهِۦٓ ۗ إِنَّهُۥ لَا يُفْلِحُ ٱلظَّٰلِمُونَ
And who is more unjust than one who invents about Allah a lie or denies His verses? Indeed, the wrongdoers will not succeed.
Explained together with ayah 19
وَيَوْمَ نَحْشُرُهُمْ جَمِيعًۭا ثُمَّ نَقُولُ لِلَّذِينَ أَشْرَكُوٓا۟ أَيْنَ شُرَكَآؤُكُمُ ٱلَّذِينَ كُنتُمْ تَزْعُمُونَ
And [mention, O Muhammad], the Day We will gather them all together; then We will say to those who associated others with Allah, "Where are your 'partners' that you used to claim [with Him]?"
Explained together with ayah 19
ثُمَّ لَمْ تَكُن فِتْنَتُهُمْ إِلَّآ أَن قَالُوا۟ وَٱللَّهِ رَبِّنَا مَا كُنَّا مُشْرِكِينَ
Then there will be no [excuse upon] examination except they will say, "By Allah, our Lord, we were not those who associated."
Explained together with ayah 19
ٱنظُرْ كَيْفَ كَذَبُوا۟ عَلَىٰٓ أَنفُسِهِمْ ۚ وَضَلَّ عَنْهُم مَّا كَانُوا۟ يَفْتَرُونَ
See how they will lie about themselves. And lost from them will be what they used to invent.
Explained together with ayah 19
وَمِنْهُم مَّن يَسْتَمِعُ إِلَيْكَ ۖ وَجَعَلْنَا عَلَىٰ قُلُوبِهِمْ أَكِنَّةً أَن يَفْقَهُوهُ وَفِىٓ ءَاذَانِهِمْ وَقْرًۭا ۚ وَإِن يَرَوْا۟ كُلَّ ءَايَةٍۢ لَّا يُؤْمِنُوا۟ بِهَا ۚ حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَا جَآءُوكَ يُجَٰدِلُونَكَ يَقُولُ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوٓا۟ إِنْ هَٰذَآ إِلَّآ أَسَٰطِيرُ ٱلْأَوَّلِينَ
And among them are those who listen to you, but We have placed over their hearts coverings, lest they understand it, and in their ears deafness. And if they should see every sign, they will not believe in it. Even when they come to you arguing with you, those who disbelieve say, "This is not but legends of the former peoples."
(Of them are some who listen unto thee�) [6:25]. Abu Salih reported that Ibn �Abbas said: �Abu Sufyan ibn Harb, al-Walid ibn al-Mughirah, al-Nadr ibn al-Harith, �Utbah and Shaybah the sons of Rabi�ah and Umayyah and Ubayy the sons of Khalaf listened to the Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and give him peace, [reciting the Qur�an], and so they asked al-Nadr: �O Abu Qutaylah, what does Muhammad (s)ay?� He said: �By Him who has made it [the Ka�bah ] His House, I do not know what he is saying, except that I see his lips moving, muttering something. But what he says is nothing but the fables of the people of old, like the stories I used to relate to you regarding bygone nations�. Al-Nadr used to talk abundantly about bygone nations. He used to relate this to the Quraysh who listened to what he had to say. Then, Allah, exalted is He, revealed this verse�.
وَهُمْ يَنْهَوْنَ عَنْهُ وَيَنْـَٔوْنَ عَنْهُ ۖ وَإِن يُهْلِكُونَ إِلَّآ أَنفُسَهُمْ وَمَا يَشْعُرُونَ
And they prevent [others] from him and are [themselves] remote from him. And they do not destroy except themselves, but they perceive [it] not.
(And they forbid (men) from it and avoid it�) [6:26]. 'Abd al-Rahman ibn 'Abdan informed us> Muhammad ibn 'Abd Allah ibn Nu'aym> 'Ali ibn Hamshadh> Muhammad ibn Mandah al-Asfahani> Bakr ibn Bakkar> Hamzah ibn Habib> Habib ibn Thabit> Sa'id ibn Jubayr> Ibn 'Abbas who said, regarding Allah's word (And they forbid (men) from it and avoid it�): �It was revealed about Abu Talib who used to warn the idolaters against harming the Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and give him peace, but, at the same time, kept away from that which was revealed to him�. This was also the opinion of 'Ata' ibn Dinar and al-Qasim ibn Mukhaymarah. Said Muqatil: �This is because the Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and give him peace, went to see Abu Talib to invite him to embrace Islam when the Quraysh gathered at Abu Talib's, intending to harm the Prophet, Allah bless him and give him peace. Abu Talib said: By Allah, they will not reach to you with all their numbers Until I am laid buried in the ground. So carry on with you matter unobstructed And receive a glad tiding and peace of mind. And you have presented a religion which is most certainly One of the best religions on earth. Had it not been for fear of reproach or being insulted You would have found me a firm believer in it. Allah, exalted is He, revealed: (And they forbid (men) from it and avoid it)�. Said Muhammad ibn al-Hanafiyyah, al-Suddi and al-Dahhak: �This was revealed about the unbelievers of Mecca. They used to forbid people from following Muhammad, Allah bless him and give him peace, and they themselves stayed away from him�. This is also the opinion of Ibn 'Abbas according to the report of al-Walibi.
وَلَوْ تَرَىٰٓ إِذْ وُقِفُوا۟ عَلَى ٱلنَّارِ فَقَالُوا۟ يَٰلَيْتَنَا نُرَدُّ وَلَا نُكَذِّبَ بِـَٔايَٰتِ رَبِّنَا وَنَكُونَ مِنَ ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ
If you could but see when they are made to stand before the Fire and will say, "Oh, would that we could be returned [to life on earth] and not deny the signs of our Lord and be among the believers."
Explained together with ayah 26
بَلْ بَدَا لَهُم مَّا كَانُوا۟ يُخْفُونَ مِن قَبْلُ ۖ وَلَوْ رُدُّوا۟ لَعَادُوا۟ لِمَا نُهُوا۟ عَنْهُ وَإِنَّهُمْ لَكَٰذِبُونَ
But what they concealed before has [now] appeared to them. And even if they were returned, they would return to that which they were forbidden; and indeed, they are liars.
No, what they had been concealing beforehand now appears to them, and even if they were sent back, they would return to what had been prohibited to them. This is an allusion to the Day of Resurrection, which is the day of the unveiling of states and the manifestation of secrets, the day secret cores will be tried [86:9] and hidden things will become manifest. There will be many who were counted among the renunciants in this world and who wore the color of the friends and the dress of the familiar but who will see on that day the burning brand of wretchedness on their own foreheads, having been brought down to the dwelling place of the strangers. There will also be many whom you recognized as shameless and knew as bound for the manacles, who had nothing in this world, who were no one and nameless, yet in whose name on that day will be brought the treasuries of the unseen and the robes of generosity. The holy ones of the Higher Plenum and the dwellers in the Gardens of the Shelter will be staring and astonished at His work. It will be as the poet said: Many a prayerful pir will be left behind without steed, many a tavern-going scoundrel will saddle a roaring lion. [DS 110] And even it they were sent back, they would return to what had been prohibited to them. Even if the folk of punishment were sent back to this world of theirs, they would return to their refusal and denial. And even if the folk of limpidness and loyalty were sent back to this world of theirs, they would return to the beauty of their deeds.
وَقَالُوٓا۟ إِنْ هِىَ إِلَّا حَيَاتُنَا ٱلدُّنْيَا وَمَا نَحْنُ بِمَبْعُوثِينَ
And they say, "There is none but our worldly life, and we will not be resurrected."
Explained together with ayah 28
وَلَوْ تَرَىٰٓ إِذْ وُقِفُوا۟ عَلَىٰ رَبِّهِمْ ۚ قَالَ أَلَيْسَ هَٰذَا بِٱلْحَقِّ ۚ قَالُوا۟ بَلَىٰ وَرَبِّنَا ۚ قَالَ فَذُوقُوا۟ ٱلْعَذَابَ بِمَا كُنتُمْ تَكْفُرُونَ
If you could but see when they will be made to stand before their Lord. He will say, "Is this not the truth?" They will say, "Yes, by our Lord." He will [then] say, "So taste the punishment because you used to disbelieve."
Explained together with ayah 28
Commentary: Asbab al-Nuzul by Al-Wahidi. Qur'an text and translation via AlQuran Cloud.
