6. Al-An'aam

The idolaters did not venerate Allah as He should be venerated when they said to their prophet, Muhammad (peace be upon him), ‘Allah has not sent down any revelation to any human being’. Say to them, O Messenger: Who is the One who sent down the Torah to Moses, as a light and guidance for his people? The Jews put it into sheets; and they show what agrees with their desires and conceal what does not, such as the description of Muhammad (peace be upon him). You, O Arabs, were taught the Qur’ān, which neither you nor your predecessors knew. Say to them, O Messenger, ‘Allah sent it down’, then leave them to their ignorance and misguidance, until the most certain thing – death – comes to them.

And this Qur’ān is a book that I revealed to you, O Prophet. It is a blessed book that confirms the heavenly scriptures that came before it, and was revealed to you so that you could warn the people of Mecca and all the people in the East and West to come to the right path. Those who believe in the life of the Hereafter accept this Qur’ān, practice it and guard their prayer by maintaining its requirements, essentials and recommended acts at the times set in the sacred law.

The greatest wrongdoer is the person who makes up lies about Allah by saying, ‘Allah has not revealed anything to any human being’; or by falsely saying, ‘Allah has sent revelation to me’, when Allah did not send any revelation to him; or by saying, ‘I will reveal the like of the Qur’ān that Allah has revealed’. O Messenger, you would see a terrible sight if you could see these wrongdoers at the time of death; and when the angels will stretch out their hands to punish and beat them, and reprimand them by saying: Remove your souls because we are here to take them. Today you will be repaid with a punishment that will disgrace and humiliate you because of the lies that you used to say about Allah by claiming prophethood, revelation or the ability to reveal what Allah has revealed, and because of your being too proud to accept His signs.

They will be told on the Day of Resurrection: You have come to us today individually. Now you do not have any wealth or leadership, and you have come to Me just as I had created you the first time: barefoot, naked and uncircumcised. You have reluctantly left behind what I had given you in the world. I do not see with you today your idols, which you claimed will intercede for you and that they are Allah’s partners with respect to their being deserving of worship. All links between you have been cut. Your claim of their intercession and that they are Allah’s partners has vanished from you.

Allah alone is the One who splits open the seed, from which crops emerge, and the date-stone, from which the date palm sprouts. He creates the living from the dead, just as man and all other animals are formed from sperm; and He creates the dead from the living, just as sperm comes out of a human being and an egg is laid by a chicken. The Being who does this is Allah, the One Who created you. How are you, idolaters, then misled from the truth, despite your witnessing His marvellous creation?

He, may He be glorified, splits the light of dawn from the darkness of the night. He is the One Who has made the night still, in which people can take rest from the tiring and hard work of the day. He is the One Who has made the sun and the moon move according to a precise measure. That marvellous creation is the determination of the Mighty, Whom none can overpower, the One Who knows what is best for His creation.

He, may He be glorified, is the One who created for you, O children of Adam, the stars in the sky, so that you may be guided by them during your travels when the routes on the land and sea are unclear. I have explained the proofs and evidences that indicate My power for a people who reflect and take benefit from them.

He, may He be glorified, is the One Who created you from one soul, which was the soul of your father, Adam. He began your creation by forming your father, Adam, from clay and then He created you from him. He also created for you a place for you to settle in, which is the wombs of your mothers, and a depository in which you are stored, which is the loins of your fathers. I have explained the signs to a people who can understand the words of Allah.

He, may He be glorified, is the One Who sent down rain water from the sky and then with it He caused all types of vegetation to grow. From the vegetation He brought out crops and green trees, from which He produces grain that is packed one of top of the other, as it is found in spikes. From the spathe of the date-palm come clusters that are close to any person standing or sitting. He also brought out grape orchards; and produces olives and pomegranates, the leaves of which are similar but the fruit are different. Look, O people, at the fruit when it first appears and when it ripens. O people, in that there are clear proofs of Allah’s power for a people who believe in Allah. Such people are the ones who will benefit from these proofs.

Yet the idolaters made the jinn partners with Allah in worship believing that the jinn can independently bring benefit and cause harm, whilst Allah alone had created them, so He is most worthy of being worshipped. And out of their ignorance they attributed sons to Allah – as the Jews did with respect to ‘Uzayr’, and the Christians with respect to Jesus – and also daughters. Allah is free and above what the people of falsehood claim about Him.