6. Al-An'aam

And on his authority from Ibn 'Abbas, regarding Allah's saying (Praise be to Allah) he said: '(Praise be to Allah) Allah says: gratitude and godhood are Allah's, (Who hath created the heavens) in two days: Sunday and Monday (and the earth) in two days: Tuesday and Wednesday, (and has appointed darkness and light) He created faith and disbelief or night and day. (Yet those who disbelieve) the unbelievers of Mecca (ascribe rivals) idols (unto their Lord).

(He it is Who hath created you from clay) i.e. from Adam and Adam was created from clay, (and hath decreed a term for you) He created this world and fixed a term for its extinction and made created beings whose lifespan expires with death. (A term is fixed with Him) Allah knows the term of the Hereafter: therein there is no death or evanescence. (Yet still you) O people of Mecca (doubt) in Allah and resurrection after death!

(He is Allah in the heavens) He is the God of the dwellers of heaven (and in the earth) and the God of all the dwellers of the earth. (He knoweth both your secret and your utterance) He says: He knows what you keep hidden in your breasts just as He knows what you make public, (and He knoweth what you earn) of good or evil.

(Never came there unto them) i.e. unto the people of Mecca (a revelation of the revelations of Allah) such as the eclipse of the sun or the splitting of the moon or stars (but they did turn away from) except that they disbelieved in (it) i.e. the sign.

(And they) the people of Mecca (denied the Truth) the Qur'an and the sign (when it came unto them) when Muhammad (pbuh) came to them. (But there will) this is a threat of punishment (come unto them the tidings of that which they used to deride) the news of their derision and the punishment of their derision on the Day of Badr and the Day of Uhud as well as on the Day of the Confederates.

(See they not) were the people of Mecca not informed in the Qur'an (how many a generation) past nations (We destroyed before them, whom We had established) We gave them sovereignty and respite (in the earth more firmly than We have established you) than the sovereignty and respite We have given you, O people of Mecca, (and We shed on them abundant showers from the sky) whenever they needed it, (and made the rivers flow beneath them) beneath their fields, plantations and trees. (Yet We destroyed them for their sins) We destroyed them because of denying the prophets, (and created after them another generation) a different people who were better than they.

(Had we sent down unto thee (Muhammad)) if Gabriel had brought down the Qur'an to you in one bulk ((actual) writing upon parchment) as asked for by 'Abdullah Ibn Umayyah al-Makhzumi and his friends, (so that they could feel it with their hands) so that they would hold and read it, (those who disbelieve) i.e. 'Abdullah Ibn Umayyah al-Makhzumi (would have said: This is naught else than mere magic) a clear lie.

(They say) i.e. 'Abdullah Ibn Umayyah al-Makhzumi: (Why hath not an angel been sent down unto him?) to testify for what he is saying. (If We sent down an angel) as they are asking you, (then the matter would be judged) he would come down to punish them and take away their souls; it is also said that this means: if the angel comes down, he would destroy all of them; (no further time would be allowed them (for reflection)) they would not be allowed any delay.

(Had We appointed an angel) as Our messenger, (We assuredly had made him (as) a man) in the form of a man such that they are able to look at him; (and (thus) obscured for them) the real form of the angel ((as) they (now) obscure) the traits and description of Muhammad.

(Messengers (of Allah) have been derided before thee) their people derided them as your people are deriding you now, (but that whereat they scoffed surrounded) befell (such of them) of the unbelievers (as did deride) the punishment of their derision.