6. Al-An'aam

The Cattle · Meccan · 165 ayahs

سُورَةُ الأَنۡعَامِ

Reading Al-Mukhtasar in Interpreting the Noble Qur'an by Tafsir Center for Quranic Studies

Ayahs 41–50 of 165

بَلْ إِيَّاهُ تَدْعُونَ فَيَكْشِفُ مَا تَدْعُونَ إِلَيْهِ إِن شَآءَ وَتَنسَوْنَ مَا تُشْرِكُونَ

No, it is Him [alone] you would invoke, and He would remove that for which you invoked Him if He willed, and you would forget what you associate [with Him].

The truth is that when the Hour comes you not call anyone besides Allah Who created you, and He removes the calamity and takes away harm as He is worthy of that and able to do so, if He so wills. As for what you worshipped as gods, you will leave them because you know that they cannot bring benefit nor cause harm.

Al-An'aam 6:41Listen in Qur'an →

وَلَقَدْ أَرْسَلْنَآ إِلَىٰٓ أُمَمٍۢ مِّن قَبْلِكَ فَأَخَذْنَٰهُم بِٱلْبَأْسَآءِ وَٱلضَّرَّآءِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَضَرَّعُونَ

And We have already sent [messengers] to nations before you, [O Muhammad]; then We seized them with poverty and hardship that perhaps they might humble themselves [to Us].

I sent messengers to many communities before you, O Messenger, but those communities denied their messengers and turned away from what they brought. I then tried them with poverty and sickness in order for them to submit and humble themselves before their Lord.

Al-An'aam 6:42Listen in Qur'an →

فَلَوْلَآ إِذْ جَآءَهُم بَأْسُنَا تَضَرَّعُوا۟ وَلَٰكِن قَسَتْ قُلُوبُهُمْ وَزَيَّنَ لَهُمُ ٱلشَّيْطَٰنُ مَا كَانُوا۟ يَعْمَلُونَ

Then why, when Our punishment came to them, did they not humble themselves? But their hearts became hardened, and Satan made attractive to them that which they were doing.

If only they had humbled themselves before Allah, when His calamity came to them, and begged Allah to remove the calamity, then He would have shown them mercy. But they did not do that. Instead, their hearts became hard and they did not take notice and learn a lesson. Satan made the disbelief and sins that they were committing seem good to them, so they continued with those actions.

Al-An'aam 6:43Listen in Qur'an →

فَلَمَّا نَسُوا۟ مَا ذُكِّرُوا۟ بِهِۦ فَتَحْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ أَبْوَٰبَ كُلِّ شَىْءٍ حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَا فَرِحُوا۟ بِمَآ أُوتُوٓا۟ أَخَذْنَٰهُم بَغْتَةًۭ فَإِذَا هُم مُّبْلِسُونَ

So when they forgot that by which they had been reminded, We opened to them the doors of every [good] thing until, when they rejoiced in that which they were given, We seized them suddenly, and they were [then] in despair.

When they ignored the warning of extreme poverty and sickness, and did not follow Allah’s instructions, He enticed them further away from the truth by opening the doors of provision to them, and giving them wealth after they were poor. He also blessed them with good health after they had suffered sickness. This continued until they were steeped in their pride and enjoyment of life; then His punishment came upon them suddenly, and they were overtaken by despair and lost all hope.

Al-An'aam 6:44Listen in Qur'an →

فَقُطِعَ دَابِرُ ٱلْقَوْمِ ٱلَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا۟ ۚ وَٱلْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ ٱلْعَٰلَمِينَ

So the people that committed wrong were eliminated. And praise to Allah, Lord of the worlds.

The last of the disbelievers was cut off by being wiped out altogether when the help came to Allah’s messengers. Thanks and praise is only for Allah, the Lord of the Worlds, for destroying His enemies and helping His friends.

Al-An'aam 6:45Listen in Qur'an →

قُلْ أَرَءَيْتُمْ إِنْ أَخَذَ ٱللَّهُ سَمْعَكُمْ وَأَبْصَٰرَكُمْ وَخَتَمَ عَلَىٰ قُلُوبِكُم مَّنْ إِلَٰهٌ غَيْرُ ٱللَّهِ يَأْتِيكُم بِهِ ۗ ٱنظُرْ كَيْفَ نُصَرِّفُ ٱلْءَايَٰتِ ثُمَّ هُمْ يَصْدِفُونَ

Say, "Have you considered: if Allah should take away your hearing and your sight and set a seal upon your hearts, which deity other than Allah could bring them [back] to you?" Look how we diversify the verses; then they [still] turn away.

Say, O Messenger, to these idolaters: Tell me, if Allah has to make you deaf by taking away your hearing, make you blind by taking away your sight, and seal your hearts so that you do not understand anything, what other being deserving worship is there that will bring all of these back to you? Think, O Messenger, about how we explain the evidence to them in various ways, yet they still turn away from it.

Al-An'aam 6:46Listen in Qur'an →

قُلْ أَرَءَيْتَكُمْ إِنْ أَتَىٰكُمْ عَذَابُ ٱللَّهِ بَغْتَةً أَوْ جَهْرَةً هَلْ يُهْلَكُ إِلَّا ٱلْقَوْمُ ٱلظَّٰلِمُونَ

Say, "Have you considered: if the punishment of Allah should come to you unexpectedly or manifestly, will any be destroyed but the wrongdoing people?"

Tell me, if Allah’s punishment comes to you suddenly without your realizing it, or if it comes to you openly before your eyes, then is it not so that only those who do wrong by disbelieving Allah and His messengers will be destroyed, and only those who have faith in Allah and follow His messengers will be saved.

Al-An'aam 6:47Listen in Qur'an →

وَمَا نُرْسِلُ ٱلْمُرْسَلِينَ إِلَّا مُبَشِّرِينَ وَمُنذِرِينَ ۖ فَمَنْ ءَامَنَ وَأَصْلَحَ فَلَا خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ

And We send not the messengers except as bringers of good tidings and warners. So whoever believes and reforms - there will be no fear concerning them, nor will they grieve.

I send our messengers only to inform the people of faith and obedience of the glad tidings of everlasting delight that will never end, and to warn the people of disbelief and sin of My severe punishment. Whoever accepts the messengers and sets right his actions, they will have no fear for what awaits them in the Afterlife, nor will they grieve over the pleasures of the world that they missed.

Al-An'aam 6:48Listen in Qur'an →

وَٱلَّذِينَ كَذَّبُوا۟ بِـَٔايَٰتِنَا يَمَسُّهُمُ ٱلْعَذَابُ بِمَا كَانُوا۟ يَفْسُقُونَ

But those who deny Our verses - the punishment will touch them for their defiant disobedience.

Those who deny our signs will be afflicted by the punishment because they opposed Allah. If they had not gone against Him, but fulfilled His instructions and stayed away from His prohibitions, then the punishment would not have afflicted them.

Al-An'aam 6:49Listen in Qur'an →

قُل لَّآ أَقُولُ لَكُمْ عِندِى خَزَآئِنُ ٱللَّهِ وَلَآ أَعْلَمُ ٱلْغَيْبَ وَلَآ أَقُولُ لَكُمْ إِنِّى مَلَكٌ ۖ إِنْ أَتَّبِعُ إِلَّا مَا يُوحَىٰٓ إِلَىَّ ۚ قُلْ هَلْ يَسْتَوِى ٱلْأَعْمَىٰ وَٱلْبَصِيرُ ۚ أَفَلَا تَتَفَكَّرُونَ

Say, [O Muhammad], "I do not tell you that I have the depositories [containing the provision] of Allah or that I know the unseen, nor do I tell you that I am an angel. I only follow what is revealed to me." Say, "Is the blind equivalent to the seeing? Then will you not give thought?"

Say, O Messenger, to these idolaters: I do not say to you that I have with me Allah’s treasures of provision and that I can do with them as I please. I also do not say to you that I know the Ghaib, besides the revelation that Allah has shown me. I also do not say to you that I am an angel. I am the Messenger of Allah and I only follow what is revealed to me. I do not claim that which is not right for me. Is the disbeliever whose sight is blind to the truth equal to the believer who sees the truth and has faith in it? Do you, idolaters, then not think about the signs around you?

Al-An'aam 6:50Listen in Qur'an →

Commentary: Al-Mukhtasar in Interpreting the Noble Qur'an by Tafsir Center for Quranic Studies. Qur'an text and translation via AlQuran Cloud.