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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 71–80 of 165

71

قُلْ أَنَدْعُوا۟ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ مَا لَا يَنفَعُنَا وَلَا يَضُرُّنَا وَنُرَدُّ عَلَىٰٓ أَعْقَابِنَا بَعْدَ إِذْ هَدَىٰنَا ٱللَّهُ كَٱلَّذِى ٱسْتَهْوَتْهُ ٱلشَّيَٰطِينُ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ حَيْرَانَ لَهُۥٓ أَصْحَٰبٌۭ يَدْعُونَهُۥٓ إِلَى ٱلْهُدَى ٱئْتِنَا ۗ قُلْ إِنَّ هُدَى ٱللَّهِ هُوَ ٱلْهُدَىٰ ۖ وَأُمِرْنَا لِنُسْلِمَ لِرَبِّ ٱلْعَٰلَمِينَ

Say, "Shall we invoke instead of Allah that which neither benefits us nor harms us and be turned back on our heels after Allah has guided us? [We would then be] like one whom the devils enticed [to wander] upon the earth confused, [while] he has companions inviting him to guidance, [calling], 'Come to us.' " Say, "Indeed, the guidance of Allah is the [only] guidance; and we have been commanded to submit to the Lord of the worlds.

Say, O Messenger, to these idolaters: Shall we worship, besides Allah, idols that have no ability to benefit us, nor can they harm us with? Shall we turn back from faith after Allah has guided us to it? If we do so, we will be like the one whom satans have misled: leaving him confused, not knowing the right path; and where he has companions on the straight path who call him to the truth, but he refuses to respond to their call. Say to them, O Messenger: Allah’s guidance is the true guidance, and He has instructed us to submit to Him, may He be glorified, by being firm in our belief in His Oneness and by worshipping Him alone, because He is the Lord of the Worlds.

Al-An'aam 6:71Listen in Qur'an →
72

وَأَنْ أَقِيمُوا۟ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَٱتَّقُوهُ ۚ وَهُوَ ٱلَّذِىٓ إِلَيْهِ تُحْشَرُونَ

And to establish prayer and fear Him." And it is He to whom you will be gathered.

I have been instructed to establish the prayer in a complete way. I have also been instructed to be mindful of Allah by fulfilling His instructions and staying away from things He has prohibited. He, alone, is the One Who will gather the servants before Him on the Day of Rising, in order to judge them for their actions.

Al-An'aam 6:72Listen in Qur'an →
73

وَهُوَ ٱلَّذِى خَلَقَ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضَ بِٱلْحَقِّ ۖ وَيَوْمَ يَقُولُ كُن فَيَكُونُ ۚ قَوْلُهُ ٱلْحَقُّ ۚ وَلَهُ ٱلْمُلْكُ يَوْمَ يُنفَخُ فِى ٱلصُّورِ ۚ عَٰلِمُ ٱلْغَيْبِ وَٱلشَّهَٰدَةِ ۚ وَهُوَ ٱلْحَكِيمُ ٱلْخَبِيرُ

And it is He who created the heavens and earth in truth. And the day He says, "Be," and it is, His word is the truth. And His is the dominion [on] the Day the Horn is blown. [He is] Knower of the unseen and the witnessed; and He is the Wise, the Acquainted.

He is the One Who created the heavens and the earth for a purpose. On the day when Allah will say to something ‘Be’ and it will become, refers to the Day of Rising when Allah will say ‘Rise’ and they will all rise. His word is the truth that will most certainly occur. On the Day of Rising, when the angel Isrāfīl will blow the trumpet for a second time, all control will be Allah’s alone. He knows what is hidden and what can be seen. He is Wise in His creating and handling of matters. He is Aware about the hidden just as He knows the apparent, and nothing is hidden from Him.

Al-An'aam 6:73Listen in Qur'an →
74

۞ وَإِذْ قَالَ إِبْرَٰهِيمُ لِأَبِيهِ ءَازَرَ أَتَتَّخِذُ أَصْنَامًا ءَالِهَةً ۖ إِنِّىٓ أَرَىٰكَ وَقَوْمَكَ فِى ضَلَٰلٍۢ مُّبِينٍۢ

And [mention, O Muhammad], when Abraham said to his father Azar, "Do you take idols as deities? Indeed, I see you and your people to be in manifest error."

Remember, O Messenger, when Abraham (peace be upon him) said to his father, Āzar, who was a idolater: O father, do you make the idols into gods that you worship besides Allah? I think that you and your people who worship idols are clearly misguided from and confused about the path of truth because of your worship of others besides Allah. Allah is the only Being that deserves to be worshipped, and nothing else has a right to be worshipped.

Al-An'aam 6:74Listen in Qur'an →
75

وَكَذَٰلِكَ نُرِىٓ إِبْرَٰهِيمَ مَلَكُوتَ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ وَلِيَكُونَ مِنَ ٱلْمُوقِنِينَ

And thus did We show Abraham the realm of the heavens and the earth that he would be among the certain [in faith]

In the same way I showed Abraham the misguidance of his father and his people, I also showed him the vast kingdom of the heavens and the earth, so that he could use that as an indication of Allah’s Oneness and of His being the only One deserving of worship. This also made him certain that Allah is One without any partner and that He has power over everything.

Al-An'aam 6:75Listen in Qur'an →
76

فَلَمَّا جَنَّ عَلَيْهِ ٱلَّيْلُ رَءَا كَوْكَبًۭا ۖ قَالَ هَٰذَا رَبِّى ۖ فَلَمَّآ أَفَلَ قَالَ لَآ أُحِبُّ ٱلْءَافِلِينَ

So when the night covered him [with darkness], he saw a star. He said, "This is my lord." But when it set, he said, "I like not those that disappear."

When the darkness of the night came over Abraham, he began to debate with his people in order to bring them from idolatry to monotheism. His people used to worship the stars, so when he saw a star he said, ‘This is my Lord’, with the aim of convincing his people. When the star disappeared, he said, ‘I do not like that which disappears, because the true God is always present and never disappears’. The belief of his people was that gods do not go away and disappear, so he used this same belief of theirs as an argument against them.

Al-An'aam 6:76Listen in Qur'an →
77

فَلَمَّا رَءَا ٱلْقَمَرَ بَازِغًۭا قَالَ هَٰذَا رَبِّى ۖ فَلَمَّآ أَفَلَ قَالَ لَئِن لَّمْ يَهْدِنِى رَبِّى لَأَكُونَنَّ مِنَ ٱلْقَوْمِ ٱلضَّآلِّينَ

And when he saw the moon rising, he said, "This is my lord." But when it set, he said, "Unless my Lord guides me, I will surely be among the people gone astray."

When Abraham saw the moon rising, he said to his people, ‘This is my Lord’, continuing his argument against them. When it disappeared, he said, ‘If Allah does not guide me to His Oneness and worship I will certainly become one of the people who are astray from His religion and who worship others besides Him’.

Al-An'aam 6:77Listen in Qur'an →
78

فَلَمَّا رَءَا ٱلشَّمْسَ بَازِغَةًۭ قَالَ هَٰذَا رَبِّى هَٰذَآ أَكْبَرُ ۖ فَلَمَّآ أَفَلَتْ قَالَ يَٰقَوْمِ إِنِّى بَرِىٓءٌۭ مِّمَّا تُشْرِكُونَ

And when he saw the sun rising, he said, "This is my lord; this is greater." But when it set, he said, "O my people, indeed I am free from what you associate with Allah.

When he saw the sun rising, he said to his people, ‘This thing that is rising is my Lord. It is bigger than the star and the moon’, further continuing his plan of argument and proof against them. When it disappeared, he said, ‘O my people, I am free of what you associate as partners with Allah’.

Al-An'aam 6:78Listen in Qur'an →
79

إِنِّى وَجَّهْتُ وَجْهِىَ لِلَّذِى فَطَرَ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضَ حَنِيفًۭا ۖ وَمَآ أَنَا۠ مِنَ ٱلْمُشْرِكِينَ

Indeed, I have turned my face toward He who created the heavens and the earth, inclining toward truth, and I am not of those who associate others with Allah."

I have devoted my religion to Allah Who created the heavens and the earth without any precedent, throwing off idolatry and embracing pure monotheism. I am not one of the idolaters who worship others besides Allah.

Al-An'aam 6:79Listen in Qur'an →
80

وَحَآجَّهُۥ قَوْمُهُۥ ۚ قَالَ أَتُحَٰٓجُّوٓنِّى فِى ٱللَّهِ وَقَدْ هَدَىٰنِ ۚ وَلَآ أَخَافُ مَا تُشْرِكُونَ بِهِۦٓ إِلَّآ أَن يَشَآءَ رَبِّى شَيْـًۭٔا ۗ وَسِعَ رَبِّى كُلَّ شَىْءٍ عِلْمًا ۗ أَفَلَا تَتَذَكَّرُونَ

And his people argued with him. He said, "Do you argue with me concerning Allah while He has guided me? And I fear not what you associate with Him [and will not be harmed] unless my Lord should will something. My Lord encompasses all things in knowledge; then will you not remember?

Abraham’s people, who were idolaters, disputed with him with respect to Allah’s Oneness and they threatened him with their idols. He said to them: Do you argue with me about Allah’s Oneness and worshipping Him alone when my Lord has guided me to it? I do not have any fear of your idols, because they have no ability to harm or benefit, unless Allah wills. Whatever Allah wills happens. Allah’s knowledge covers everything and nothing in the earth or in the heaven is hidden from Him. Will you, then, not be mindful, O people, and stop your disbelief and associating of partners with Allah and believe in Him alone?

Al-An'aam 6:80Listen 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.