(Revealed before Hijrah)

Date of Revelation and Context
This Surah belongs to the Meccan period. According to most accounts, the whole of it was revealed in one portion; and as reported by some traditionists, as many as 70,000 angels stood guard when it was being revealed, which points to the special protection which was afforded to its subject-matter. The Surah probably derives its title from w. 137-1 39 where the An'am have been condemned as one of the causes of idolatry.

Subject-Matter
In this Surah there is a change in the treatment of the subject-matter from that adopted in the previous Surahs. It contains a refutation of non-Israelite religions and starts with the refutation of the Zoroastrian Faith, which believes in the duality of Godhead-in two separate gods of good and evil. The Qur'an exposes this doctrine by declaring that both the powers of doing good and evil are, in reality, two links of the same chain, one remaining incomplete without the other; so they cannot be said to have been created by two different gods. Light and darkness are indeed Divine creation of the same God, and instead of pointing to the duality of the Godhead, they really constitute a  strong argument in favour of Oneness of God and possess a peculiar affinity with the creation of man and his natural powers and faculties.

The Surah proceeds to discuss the important subject that evil is born of the wrong use of God-given faculties, and that whenever men cease to make right use of them God raises a Prophet to teach them their right use. After this it is stated that the delay in Divine punishment overtaking disbelievers often emboldens them all the more, though the delay is always due to God's mercy. They persecute their Prophet and his followers, entertaining a false hope that in this way they would succeed in weakening the faith of the believers, but the faith of believers remains unflinching and steadfast under severest trials and tribulations, while disbelievers at once disown their own idolatrous beliefs whenever they are overtaken by misfortunes.

Further, light is shed on the subject that irreligiousness is born of lack of faith in Life after death or in the failure of disbelievers to establish real connection with God. This dual lack of faith makes them bold in the rejection of truth. Opposition to the Prophets by the disbelievers appears to be not quite unnatural, since only those people seek God who possess some natural kinship with spiritual matters, for the spiritually-deaf cannot hear the Voice of God. They see Sign after Sign and yet continue to repeat parrotlike that no Sign has been shown to them. The opponents of the Holy Prophet have seen many Signs but have not profited by them. They are, therefore, warned that now they will see only the Sign of punishment. But God is not quick to punish. It is when disbelievers wilfully and persistently shut the door of repentance upon themselves and scornfully reject the Divine Message that they are punished. Next, it is stated that only those who have fear of God in their hearts accept the truth, and the Holy Prophet is told to address his appeal only to the God-fearing. For the others, it is necessary that fear of God should first be created in their hearts, then will arguments and reasons benefit them.

Further, it is stated that it is essential for the progress of Islam that special attention be paid to the spiritual training of believers, because the Prophet is mortal and must die one day and only the community of believers will remain behind to preach and propagate the Divine Message. Next, the disbelievers are told that they are foolish to find fault with the Holy Prophet merely because the promised punishment has not already overtaken them. They are told that to punish the haughty and boastful rejectors of truth rests entirely in the hand of God Who punishes them as He thinks fit or opportune. It may be that a person, who is today the enemy of truth and seems to deserve Divine punishment, may bring about true reformation in himself tomorrow and deserve Divine mercy. So the infliction of punishment, or deferring thereof, is God's own work. The Surah then exposes the falsity of polytheistic doctrines by means of an argument which the Patriarch Abraham had with his people; and then mention is made of the favours and blessings which God bestowed upon him and his descendants because they strove hard to establish truth in the world.

The Surah proceeds to state that the mission of God's Messengers never fails. Like rainwater it gives fertility and freshness to a soil spiritually bleak and barren, and as it is not possible to attain true realization of God unless He reveals Himself to men, it is necessary that Divine Messengers should appear time after time as it is through them that God reveals Himself to the world. Then it is stated that for the attainment of true faith a corresponding wholesome change of heart is a sine qua non. Without such a change, even Signs and miracles prove of no avail. Next, a contrast is instituted between Islamic Teaching, which answers and satisfies the demands of reason and justice and the doctrines and practices of idolaters, which are based neither on reason nor on argument.

Towards the end of the Surah we are told that the Qur'an has been revealed to raise and honour even those nations to whom no revelation has so far been sent in order that they may not suffer from a feeling of inferiority before the People of the Book. The Message of the Qur'an, unlike that of former revealed Scriptures, is for the whole of mankind, and it seeks to establish real and permanent peace between different sections of humanity as well as between man and his Creator.

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ
[6:1] In the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful.

الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي خَلَقَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالأَرْضَ وَجَعَلَ الظُّلُمَاتِ وَالنُّورَ ثُمَّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا بِرَبِّهِمْ يَعْدِلُونَ

[6:2] All praise belongs to Allah Who created the heavens and the earth and brought into being every kind of darkness and[817] light; yet those who disbelieve set up equals to their Lord.

هُوَ الَّذِي خَلَقَكُمْ مِنْ طِينٍ ثُمَّ قَضَى أَجَلاً وَأَجَلٌ مُسَمًّى عِنْدَهُ ثُمَّ أَنْتُمْ تَمْتَرُونَ
[6:3] He it is Who created you from clay, and then He decreed a term[818]. And there is another term fixed with Him[819]. Yet you doubt!

وَهُوَ اللَّهُ فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَفِي الأَرْضِ يَعْلَمُ سِرَّكُمْ وَجَهْرَكُمْ وَيَعْلَمُ مَا تَكْسِبُونَ
[6:4] And He is Allah, the God, both in the heavens and in the earth[820]. He knows your inside and your outside. And He knows what you earn.

وَمَا تَأْتِيهِمْ مِنْ آيَةٍ مِنْ آيَاتِ رَبِّهِمْ إِلاَّ كَانُوا عَنْهَا مُعْرِضِينَ
[6:5] And there comes not to them any Sign of the Signs[821] of their Lord, but they turn away from it.

فَقَدْ كَذَّبُوا بِالْحَقِّ لَمَّا جَاءَهُمْ فَسَوْفَ يَأْتِيهِمْ أَنْبَاءُ مَا كَانُوا بِهِ يَسْتَهْزِئُون
[6:6] So they rejected the truth when it came to them; but soon shall come to them the tidings[822] of that at which they mocked.

أَلَمْ يَرَوْا كَمْ أَهْلَكْنَا مِنْ قَبْلِهِمْ مِنْ قَرْنٍ مَكَّنَّاهُمْ فِي الأَرْضِ مَا لَمْ نُمَكِّنْ لَكُمْ وَأَرْسَلْنَا السَّمَاءَ عَلَيْهِمْ مِدْرَارًا وَجَعَلْنَا الأَنْهَارَ تَجْرِي مِنْ تَحْتِهِمْ فَأَهْلَكْنَاهُمْ بِذُنُوبِهِمْ وَأَنشَأْنَا مِنْ بَعْدِهِمْ قَرْنًا آخَرِينَ

[6:7] See they not how many a generation[823] We have destroyed before them? We had established them in the earth as We have established you[824] not, and We sent the clouds over them, pouring down abundant rain; and We caused streams to flow beneath them; then did We destroy them because of their sins and raised up after them another generation.

وَلَوْ نَزَّلْنَا عَلَيْكَ كِتَابًا فِي قِرْطَاسٍ فَلَمَسُوهُ بِأَيْدِيهِمْ لَقَالَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا إِنْ هَذَا إِلاَّ سِحْرٌ مُبِينٌ
[6:8] And if We had sent down to thee a writing upon parchment and they had felt it with their hands[825], even then the disbelievers would have surely said, ‘This is nothing but manifest sorcery.’

وَقَالُوا لَوْلاَ أُنزِلَ عَلَيْهِ مَلَكٌ وَلَوْ أَنزَلْنَا مَلَكًا لَقُضِيَ الأَمْرُ ثُمَّ لاَ يُنظَرُونَ
[6:9] And they say, ‘Why has not an angel been sent down to him?’ But if We had sent down an angel[826], the matter would have been settled, and then they would not have been granted a respite.

وَلَوْ جَعَلْنَاهُ مَلَكًا لَجَعَلْنَاهُ رَجُلاً وَلَلَبَسْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ مَا يَلْبِسُونَ
[6:10] And if We had appointed as Messenger an angel, We would have made him appear as a man; and thus We would have made confused to them what they are themselves confusing.[827]

وَلَقَدْ اسْتُهْزِئَ بِرُسُلٍ مِنْ قَبْلِكَ فَحَاقَ بِالَّذِينَ سَخِرُوا مِنْهُمْ مَا كَانُوا بِهِ يَسْتَهْزِئُون
[6:11] And surely have the Messengers been mocked at before thee, but that which they mocked at encompassed those of them who scoffed.

قُلْ سِيرُوا فِي الأَرْضِ ثُمَّ انظُرُوا كَيْفَ كَانَ عَاقِبَةُ الْمُكَذِّبِينَ
[6:12] Say, ‘Go about in the earth, and see what was the end of those who treated the Prophets as liars.’

قُلْ لِمَنْ مَا فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالأَرْضِ قُلْ لِلَّهِ كَتَبَ عَلَى نَفْسِهِ الرَّحْمَةَ لَيَجْمَعَنَّكُمْ إِلَى يَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ لاَ رَيْبَ فِيهِ الَّذِينَ خَسِرُوا أَنفُسَهُمْ فَهُمْ لاَ يُؤْمِنُونَ

[6:13] Say, ‘To whom belongs what is in the heavens and the earth?’ Say, ‘To Allah.’ He has taken upon Himself to show mercy[828]. He will certainly continue to assemble you till the Day of Resurrection. There is no doubt in it. Those who ruin their souls will not believe.

وَلَهُ مَا سَكَنَ فِي اللَّيْلِ وَالنَّهَارِ وَهُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْعَلِيمُ
[6:14] To Him belongs whatever dwells in the night and the day. And He is the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing.

قُلْ أَغَيْرَ اللَّهِ أَتَّخِذُ وَلِيًّا فَاطِرِ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالأَرْضِ وَهُوَ يُطْعِمُ وَلاَ يُطْعَمُ قُلْ إِنِّي أُمِرْتُ أَنْ أَكُونَ أَوَّلَ مَنْ أَسْلَمَ وَلاَ تَكُونَنَّ مِنْ الْمُشْرِكِينَ

[6:15] Say, ‘Shall I take any protector other than Allah, the Maker[829] of the heavens and the earth, Who feeds and is not fed?’ Say, ‘I have been commanded to be the first of those who submit.’ And be thou not of those who associate partners with God.

قُلْ إِنِّي أَخَافُ إِنْ عَصَيْتُ رَبِّي عَذَابَ يَوْمٍ عَظِيمٍ
[6:16] Say, ‘Of a truth, I fear, if I disobey[830] my Lord, the punishment of an awful day.’

مَنْ يُصْرَفْ عَنْهُ يَوْمَئِذٍ فَقَدْ رَحِمَهُ وَذَلِكَ الْفَوْزُ الْمُبِينُ
[6:17] He from whom it is averted on that day, God indeed has had mercy on him. And that[831] indeed is a manifest triumph.

وَإِنْ يَمْسَسْكَ اللَّهُ بِضُرٍّ فَلاَ كَاشِفَ لَهُ إِلاَّ هُوَ وَإِنْ يَمْسَسْكَ بِخَيْرٍ فَهُوَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ
[6:18] And if Allah touch thee with affliction, there is none that can remove it but He; and if He touch thee with happiness, then He has power to do all that He wills.

وَهُوَ الْقَاهِرُ فَوْقَ عِبَادِهِ وَهُوَ الْحَكِيمُ الْخَبِيرُ
[6:19] And He is Supreme[832] over His servants; and He is the Wise, the All-Aware.

قُلْ أَيُّ شَيْءٍ أَكْبَرُ شَهَادَةً قُلْ اللَّهُ شَهِيدٌ بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَكُمْ وَأُوحِيَ إِلَيَّ هَذَا الْقُرْآنُ ِلأَنذِرَكُمْ بِهِ وَمَنْ بَلَغَ أَئِنَّكُمْ لَتَشْهَدُونَ أَنَّ مَعَ اللَّهِ آلِهَةً أُخْرَى قُلْ لاَ أَشْهَدُ قُلْ إِنَّمَا هُوَ إِلَهٌ وَاحِدٌ وَإِنَّنِي بَرِيءٌ مِمَّا تُشْرِكُونَ

[6:20] Say, ‘What thing is most weighty as a witness?’ Say, ‘Allah is a Witness[833] between me and you. And this Qur’an has been revealed to me so that with it I may warn you and whomsoever it reaches. What! do you really bear witness that there are other gods beside Allah?’ Say, ‘I bear not witness thereto.’ Say, ‘He is the One God, and certainly I am far removed from that which you associate with Him.’

الَّذِينَ آتَيْنَاهُمْ الْكِتَابَ يَعْرِفُونَهُ كَمَا يَعْرِفُونَ أَبْنَاءَهُمْ الَّذِينَ خَسِرُوا أَنفُسَهُمْ فَهُمْ لاَ يُؤْمِنُونَ
[6:21] Those to whom We gave the Book recognize him as they recognize[834] their sons. But those who ruin their souls will not believe.

وَمَنْ أَظْلَمُ مِمَّنْ افْتَرَى عَلَى اللَّهِ كَذِبًا أَوْ كَذَّبَ بِآيَاتِهِ إِنَّهُ لاَ يُفْلِحُ الظَّالِمُونَ
[6:22] And who is more unjust than he who forges a lie against Allah or gives the lie to His Signs? Surely, the unjust shall not prosper.[835]

وَيَوْمَ نَحْشُرُهُمْ جَمِيعًا ثُمَّ نَقُولُ لِلَّذِينَ أَشْرَكُوا أَيْنَ شُرَكَاؤُكُمْ الَّذِينَ كُنتُمْ تَزْعُمُونَ
[6:23] And think of the day when We shall gather them all together; then shall We say to those who associated partners with God, ‘Where are the partners you spoke of, those whom you used to assert?’[836]

ثُمَّ لَمْ تَكُنْ فِتْنَتُهُمْ إِلاَّ أَنْ قَالُوا وَاللَّهِ رَبِّنَا مَا كُنَّا مُشْرِكِينَ
[6:24] Then the end of their mischief will be naught save that they shall say, ‘By Allah, our Lord, we were not idolaters.’[837]

انظُرْ كَيْفَ كَذَبُوا عَلَى أَنفُسِهِمْ وَضَلَّ عَنْهُمْ مَا كَانُوا يَفْتَرُونَ
[6:25] See how they lie against themselves. And that which they fabricated has failed them.

وَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ يَسْتَمِعُ إِلَيْكَ وَجَعَلْنَا عَلَى قُلُوبِهِمْ أَكِنَّةً أَنْ يَفْقَهُوهُ وَفِي آذَانِهِمْ وَقْرًا وَإِنْ يَرَوْا كُلَّ آيَةٍ لاَ يُؤْمِنُوا بِهَا حَتَّى إِذَا جَاءُوكَ يُجَادِلُونَكَ يَقُولُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا إِنْ هَذَا إِلاَّ أَسَاطِيرُ الأَوَّلِينَ

[6:26] And among them are some who give ear to thee; but We have put veils on their hearts, that they should not understand, and deafness in their ears. And even if they see every Sign, they would not believe therein, so much so, that when they come to thee, disputing with thee, those who disbelieve say, ‘This is nothing but fables of the ancients.’

وَهُمْ يَنْهَوْنَ عَنْهُ وَيَنْأَوْنَ عَنْهُ وَإِنْ يُهْلِكُونَ إِلاَّ أَنفُسَهُمْ وَمَا يَشْعُرُونَ
[6:27] And they forbid others to believe it and themselves too they keep away from it[838]. And they ruin none but their own selves; only they perceive not.

وَلَوْ تَرَى إِذْ وُقِفُوا عَلَى النَّارِ فَقَالُوا يَا لَيْتَنَا نُرَدُّ وَلاَ نُكَذِّبَ بِآيَاتِ رَبِّنَا وَنَكُونَ مِنْ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ
[6:28] And if thou couldst only see when they are made to stand before the Fire! They will say, ‘Oh, would that we might be sent back! And then we would not treat the Signs of our Lord as lies, and we would be of the believers.’

بَلْ بَدَا لَهُمْ مَا كَانُوا يُخْفُونَ مِنْ قَبْلُ وَلَوْ رُدُّوا لَعَادُوا لِمَا نُهُوا عَنْهُ وَإِنَّهُمْ لَكَاذِبُونَ
[6:29] Nay, that which they used to conceal before has now become clear to them[839]. And if they were sent back, they would surely return to that which they were forbidden. And they are certainly liars.

وَقَالُوا إِنْ هِيَ إِلاَّ حَيَاتُنَا الدُّنْيَا وَمَا نَحْنُ بِمَبْعُوثِينَ
[6:30] And they say, ‘There is nothing except this our present life, and we shall not be raised again.’

وَلَوْ تَرَى إِذْ وُقِفُوا عَلَى رَبِّهِمْ قَالَ أَلَيْسَ هَذَا بِالْحَقِّ قَالُوا بَلَى وَرَبِّنَا قَالَ فَذُوقُوا الْعَذَابَ بِمَا كُنتُمْ تَكْفُرُونَ

[6:31] And if thou couldst only see when they are made to stand before their Lord! He will say, ‘Is not this second life the truth?’ They will say, ‘Yea, by our Lord.’ He will say, ‘Then taste the punishment because you disbelieved.’

قَدْ خَسِرَ الَّذِينَ كَذَّبُوا بِلِقَاءِ اللَّهِ حَتَّى إِذَا جَاءَتْهُمْ السَّاعَةُ بَغْتَةً قَالُوا يَا حَسْرَتَنَا عَلَى مَا فَرَّطْنَا فِيهَا وَهُمْ يَحْمِلُونَ أَوْزَارَهُمْ عَلَى ظُهُورِهِمْ أَلاَ سَاءَ مَا يَزِرُونَ

[6:32] Those indeed are the losers who deny the meeting with Allah, so much so, that when the Hour shall come on them unawares, they will say, ‘O our grief for our neglecting this Hour!’ And they shall bear their burdens on their backs.[840] Surely, evil is that which they bear.

وَمَا الْحَيَاةُ الدُّنْيَا إِلاَّ لَعِبٌ وَلَهْوٌ وَلَلدَّارُ الآخِرَةُ خَيْرٌ لِلَّذِينَ يَتَّقُونَ أَفَلاَ تَعْقِلُونَ
[6:33] And worldly life is nothing but a sport and a pastime. And surely the abode of the Hereafter is better for those who are righteous. Will you not then understand?

قَدْ نَعْلَمُ إِنَّهُ لَيَحْزُنُكَ الَّذِي يَقُولُونَ فَإِنَّهُمْ لاَ يُكَذِّبُونَكَ وَلَكِنَّ الظَّالِمِينَ بِآيَاتِ اللَّهِ يَجْحَدُونَ
[6:34] We know full well that what they say verily grieves thee; for surely it is not thee that they charge with falsehood but it is the Signs of Allah that the evil-doers reject.[841]

وَلَقَدْ كُذِّبَتْ رُسُلٌ مِنْ قَبْلِكَ فَصَبَرُوا عَلَى مَا كُذِّبُوا وَأُوذُوا حَتَّى أَتَاهُمْ نَصْرُنَا وَلاَ مُبَدِّلَ لِكَلِمَاتِ اللَّهِ وَلَقَدْ جَاءَكَ مِنْ نَبَإِ الْمُرْسَلِينَ

[6:35] And Messengers indeed have been rejected before thee[842]; but notwithstanding their rejection and persecution they remained patient until Our help came to them. There is none that can change the words of Allah[843]. And there have already come to thee tidings of past Messengers.

وَإِنْ كَانَ كَبُرَ عَلَيْكَ إِعْرَاضُهُمْ فَإِنْ اسْتَطَعْتَ أَنْ تَبْتَغِيَ نَفَقًا فِي الأَرْضِ أَوْ سُلَّمًا فِي السَّمَاءِ فَتَأْتِيَهُمْ بِآيَةٍ وَلَوْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ لَجَمَعَهُمْ عَلَى الْهُدَى فَلاَ تَكُونَنَّ مِنْ الْجَاهِلِينَ

[6:36] And if their aversion is grievous to thee, then, if thou art able to seek a passage into the earth[844] or a ladder unto heaven, and bring them a Sign, thou canst do so. And had Allah enforced His will, He could surely have brought them together into the guidance. So be thou not of those who lack knowledge.

إِنَّمَا يَسْتَجِيبُ الَّذِينَ يَسْمَعُونَ وَالْمَوْتَى يَبْعَثُهُمْ اللَّهُ ثُمَّ إِلَيْهِ يُرْجَعُونَ
[6:37] Only those can accept who listen. And as for the dead[844A], Allah will raise them to life,[845] then to Him shall they be brought back.

وَقَالُوا لَوْلاَ نُزِّلَ عَلَيْهِ آيَةٌ مِنْ رَبِّهِ قُلْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ قَادِرٌ عَلَى أَنْ يُنَزِّلَ آيَةً وَلَكِنَّ أَكْثَرَهُمْ لاَ يَعْلَمُونَ
[6:38] And they say, ‘Why has not a Sign been sent down to him from his Lord?’ Say, ‘Surely, Allah has power to send down a Sign, but most of them do not know.’

وَمَا مِنْ دَابَّةٍ فِي الأَرْضِ وَلاَ طَائِرٍ يَطِيرُ بِجَنَاحَيْهِ إِلاَّ أُمَمٌ أَمْثَالُكُمْ مَا فَرَّطْنَا فِي الْكِتَابِ مِنْ شَيْءٍ ثُمَّ إِلَى رَبِّهِمْ يُحْشَرُونَ

[6:39] There is not an animal that crawls in the earth, nor a bird that flies on its two wings, but they are communities[846] like you. We have left out nothing in the Book. Then to their Lord shall they be gathered together.

وَالَّذِينَ كَذَّبُوا بِآيَاتِنَا صُمٌّ وَبُكْمٌ فِي الظُّلُمَاتِ مَنْ يَشَأْ اللَّهُ يُضْلِلْهُ وَمَنْ يَشَأْ يَجْعَلْهُ عَلَى صِرَاطٍ مُسْتَقِيمٍ

[6:40] Those who have rejected Our Signs are deaf and dumb, in utter darkness. Whom Allah wills He allows to perish and whom He wills He places on the right path.

قُلْ أَرَأَيْتَكُمْ إِنْ أَتَاكُمْ عَذَابُ اللَّهِ أَوْ أَتَتْكُمْ السَّاعَةُ أَغَيْرَ اللَّهِ تَدْعُونَ إِنْ كُنتُمْ صَادِقِينَ
[6:41] Say, ‘What think ye? If the punishment of Allah come upon you or there come upon you the Hour[847], will you call upon any other than Allah, if you are truthful?’

بَلْ إِيَّاهُ تَدْعُونَ فَيَكْشِفُ مَا تَدْعُونَ إِلَيْهِ إِنْ شَاءَ وَتَنسَوْنَ مَا تُشْرِكُونَ
[6:42] Nay, but on Him alone will you call; then will He remove that which you call on Him to remove, if He please, and you will forget what you associate with Him.[848]

وَلَقَدْ أَرْسَلْنَا إِلَى أُمَمٍ مِنْ قَبْلِكَ فَأَخَذْنَاهُمْ بِالْبَأْسَاءِ وَالضَّرَّاءِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَضَرَّعُونَ
[6:43] And indeed We sent Messengers to peoples before thee; then We afflicted them with poverty and adversity[849] that they might humble themselves.

فَلَوْلاَ إِذْ جَاءَهُمْ بَأْسُنَا تَضَرَّعُوا وَلَكِنْ قَسَتْ قُلُوبُهُمْ وَزَيَّنَ لَهُمْ الشَّيْطَانُ مَا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُون
[6:44] Why, then[850], when Our punishment came upon them, did they not grow humble? But their hearts were hardened and Satan made all that they did seem fair to them.

فَلَمَّا نَسُوا مَا ذُكِّرُوا بِهِ فَتَحْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ أَبْوَابَ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ حَتَّى إِذَا فَرِحُوا بِمَا أُوتُوا أَخَذْنَاهُمْ بَغْتَةً فَإِذَا هُمْ مُبْلِسُونَ

[6:45] Then, when they forgot that with which they had been admonished, We opened unto them the gates of all things, until, when they became exultant at what they were given, We seized them suddenly, and lo! they were plunged into despair.

فَقُطِعَ دَابِرُ الْقَوْمِ الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا وَالْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ
[6:46] So the last remnant[851] of the people who did wrong was cut off; and all praise belongs to Allah, the Lord of all the worlds.

قُلْ أَرَأَيْتُمْ إِنْ أَخَذَ اللَّهُ سَمْعَكُمْ وَأَبْصَارَكُمْ وَخَتَمَ عَلَى قُلُوبِكُمْ مَنْ إِلَهٌ غَيْرُ اللَّهِ يَأْتِيكُمْ بِهِ انظُرْ كَيْفَ نُصَرِّفُ الآياتِ ثُمَّ هُمْ يَصْدِفُونَ

[6:47] Say, ‘What think ye? If Allah should take away your hearing and your sight, and seal up your hearts, who is the God other than Allah who could bring it back to you?’ See how We vary the Signs, yet they turn away.

قُلْ أَرَأَيْتَكُمْ إِنْ أَتَاكُمْ عَذَابُ اللَّهِ بَغْتَةً أَوْ جَهْرَةً هَلْ يُهْلَكُ إِلاَّ الْقَوْمُ الظَّالِمُونَ
[6:48] Say, ‘What think ye? If the punishment of Allah come upon you suddenly or openly, will any be destroyed save the wrongdoing people?’

وَمَا نُرْسِلُ الْمُرْسَلِينَ إِلاَّ مُبَشِّرِينَ وَمُنذِرِينَ فَمَنْ آمَنَ وَأَصْلَحَ فَلاَ خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلاَ هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ

[6:49] And We send not the Messengers but as bearers of glad tidings and as warners. So those who believe and reform themselves, on them shall come no fear nor shall they grieve.

وَالَّذِينَ كَذَّبُوا بِآيَاتِنَا يَمَسُّهُمْ الْعَذَابُ بِمَا كَانُوا يَفْسُقُونَ
[6:50] And those who reject Our Signs, punishment will touch them, because they disobeyed.

قُلْ لاَ أَقُولُ لَكُمْ عِندِي خَزَائِنُ اللَّهِ وَلاَ أَعْلَمُ الْغَيْبَ وَلاَ أَقُولُ لَكُمْ إِنِّي مَلَكٌ إِنْ أَتَّبِعُ إِلاَّ مَا يُوحَى إِلَيَّ قُلْ هَلْ يَسْتَوِي الأَعْمَى وَالْبَصِيرُ أَفَلاَ تَتَفَكَّرُونَ

[6:51] Say: “I do not say to you: ‘I possess the treasures of Allah,’ nor do I know the unseen; nor do I say to you: ‘I am an angel.’ I follow only that which is revealed to me.” Say: ‘Can a blind man and one who sees be alike?’ Will you not then reflect?

وَأَنذِرْ بِهِ الَّذِينَ يَخَافُونَ أَنْ يُحْشَرُوا إِلَى رَبِّهِمْ لَيْسَ لَهُمْ مِنْ دُونِهِ وَلِيٌّ وَلاَ شَفِيعٌ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَّقُونَ
[6:52] And warn thereby those who fear that they shall be gathered to their Lord, that they shall have no friend nor intercessor beside Him, so that they may become righteous.

وَلاَ تَطْرُدْ الَّذِينَ يَدْعُونَ رَبَّهُمْ بِالْغَدَاةِ وَالْعَشِيِّ يُرِيدُونَ وَجْهَهُ مَا عَلَيْكَ مِنْ حِسَابِهِمْ مِنْ شَيْءٍ وَمَا مِنْ حِسَابِكَ عَلَيْهِمْ مِنْ شَيْءٍ فَتَطْرُدَهُمْ فَتَكُونَ مِنْ الظَّالِمِينَ

[6:53] And drive not away those who call upon their Lord morning and evening, seeking His countenance[852]. Thou art not at all accountable for them nor are they at all accountable for thee, that thou shouldst drive them away and be of the unjust.

وَكَذَلِكَ فَتَنَّا بَعْضَهُمْ بِبَعْضٍ لِيَقُولُوا أَهَؤُلاَءِ مَنَّ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِمْ مِنْ بَيْنِنَا أَلَيْسَ اللَّهُ بِأَعْلَمَ بِالشَّاكِرِينَ
[6:54] And in like manner have We tried some of them by others, that they may say, ‘Is it these[853] whom Allah has favoured from among us?’ Does not Allah know best those who are grateful?

وَإِذَا جَاءَكَ الَّذِينَ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِآيَاتِنَا فَقُلْ سَلاَمٌ عَلَيْكُمْ كَتَبَ رَبُّكُمْ عَلَى نَفْسِهِ الرَّحْمَةَ أَنَّهُ مَنْ عَمِلَ مِنْكُمْ سُوءًا بِجَهَالَةٍ ثُمَّ تَابَ مِنْ بَعْدِهِ وَأَصْلَحَ فَأَنَّهُ غَفُورٌ رَحِيمٌ

[6:55] And when those who believe in Our Signs come to thee, say: ‘Peace be unto you! Your Lord has taken it upon Himself to show mercy, so that whoso among you does evil ignorantly, and repents thereafter and amends, then He is Most Forgiving, Merciful.’

وَكَذَلِكَ نُفَصِّلُ الآياتِ وَلِتَسْتَبِينَ سَبِيلُ الْمُجْرِمِينَ
[6:56] And thus do We expound the Signs that you may seek forgiveness and that the way of the sinners may become manifest.

قُلْ إِنِّي نُهِيتُ أَنْ أَعْبُدَ الَّذِينَ تَدْعُونَ مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ قُلْ لاَ أَتَّبِعُ أَهْوَاءَكُمْ قَدْ ضَلَلْتُ إِذًا وَمَا أَنَا مِنْ الْمُهْتَدِينَ

[6:57] Say: ‘I am forbidden to worship those on whom you call beside Allah.’ Say: ‘I will not follow your evil inclinations. In that case, I shall become lost and I shall not be of the guided.’

قُلْ إِنِّي عَلَى بَيِّنَةٍ مِنْ رَبِّي وَكَذَّبْتُمْ بِهِ مَا عِندِي مَا تَسْتَعْجِلُونَ بِهِ إِنْ الْحُكْمُ إِلاَّ لِلَّهِ يَقُصُّ الْحَقَّ وَهُوَ خَيْرُ الْفَاصِلِينَ

[6:58] Say: ‘I take my stand on a clear evidence from my Lord and you reject it. That which you desire to be hastened is not in my power. The decision rests with none but Allah. He explains the truth, and He is Best of judges.’

قُلْ لَوْ أَنَّ عِندِي مَا تَسْتَعْجِلُونَ بِهِ لَقُضِيَ الأَمْرُ بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَكُمْ وَاللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ بِالظَّالِمِينَ
[6:59] Say: ‘If that which you desire to be hastened were in my power, surely the matter would be decided between me and you. And Allah knows best the unjust.’

وَعِنْدَهُ مَفَاتِحُ الْغَيْبِ لاَ يَعْلَمُهَا إِلاَّ هُوَ وَيَعْلَمُ مَا فِي الْبَرِّ وَالْبَحْرِ وَمَا تَسْقُطُ مِنْ وَرَقَةٍ إِلاَّ يَعْلَمُهَا وَلاَ حَبَّةٍ فِي ظُلُمَاتِ الأَرْضِ وَلاَ رَطْبٍ وَلاَ يَابِسٍ إِلاَّ فِي كِتَابٍ مُبِينٍ

[6:60] And with Him are the keys of the unseen; none knows them but He. And He knows whatsoever is in the land and in the sea. And there falls not a leaf but He knows it; nor is there a grain in the deep darkness of the earth, nor anything green or dry, but is recorded in a clear Book.[854]

وَهُوَ الَّذِي يَتَوَفَّاكُمْ بِاللَّيْلِ وَيَعْلَمُ مَا جَرَحْتُمْ بِالنَّهَارِ ثُمَّ يَبْعَثُكُمْ فِيهِ لِيُقْضَى أَجَلٌ مُسَمًّى ثُمَّ إِلَيْهِ مَرْجِعُكُمْ ثُمَّ يُنَبِّئُكُمْ بِمَا كُنتُمْ تَعْمَلُونَ

[6:61] And He it is Who takes your souls by night and knows that which you do by day[855]; then He raises you up again therein, that the appointed term[856] may be completed. Then to Him is your return. Then will He inform you of what you used to do.

وَهُوَ الْقَاهِرُ فَوْقَ عِبَادِهِ وَيُرْسِلُ عَلَيْكُمْ حَفَظَةً حَتَّى إِذَا جَاءَ أَحَدَكُمْ الْمَوْتُ تَوَفَّتْهُ رُسُلُنَا وَهُمْ لاَ يُفَرِّطُونَ

[6:62] And He is Supreme[857] over His servants, and He sends guardians to watch over you, until, when death comes to anyone of you, Our messengers take his soul, and they fail not.

ثُمَّ رُدُّوا إِلَى اللَّهِ مَوْلاَهُمْ الْحَقِّ أَلاَ لَهُ الْحُكْمُ وَهُوَ أَسْرَعُ الْحَاسِبِينَ
[6:63] Then are they returned to Allah, their true Lord. Surely, His is the judgment. And He is the Quickest of reckoners.

قُلْ مَنْ يُنَجِّيكُمْ مِنْ ظُلُمَاتِ الْبَرِّ وَالْبَحْرِ تَدْعُونَهُ تَضَرُّعًا وَخُفْيَةً لَئِنْ أَنجَانَا مِنْ هَذِهِ لَنَكُونَنَّ مِنْ الشَّاكِرِينَ

[6:64] Say, “Who delivers you from the calamities[858] of the land and the sea, when you call upon Him in humility and in secret, saying, ‘If He deliver us from this, we will surely be of those who are grateful?’ ”

قُلْ اللَّهُ يُنَجِّيكُمْ مِنْهَا وَمِنْ كُلِّ كَرْبٍ ثُمَّ أَنْتُمْ تُشْرِكُونَ
[6:65] Say, ‘Allah delivers you from them and from every distress, yet you associate partners with Him.’

قُلْ هُوَ الْقَادِرُ عَلَى أَنْ يَبْعَثَ عَلَيْكُمْ عَذَابًا مِنْ فَوْقِكُمْ أَوْ مِنْ تَحْتِ أَرْجُلِكُمْ أَوْ يَلْبِسَكُمْ شِيَعًا وَيُذِيقَ بَعْضَكُمْ بَأْسَ بَعْضٍ انظُرْ كَيْفَ نُصَرِّفُ الآياتِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَفْقَهُونَ

[6:66] Say, ‘He has power to send punishment upon you from above you or from beneath your feet, or to confound you by splitting you into sects and make you taste the violence of one another.’[859] See how We expound the Signs in various ways that they may understand!

وَكَذَّبَ بِهِ قَوْمُكَ وَهُوَ الْحَقُّ قُلْ لَسْتُ عَلَيْكُمْ بِوَكِيلٍ
[6:67] And thy people have rejected it[860], though it is the truth. Say, ‘I am not a guardian over you.’

لِكُلِّ نَبَإٍ مُسْتَقَرٌّ وَسَوْفَ تَعْلَمُونَ
[6:68] For every prophecy there is a fixed time[861]; and soon will you come to know.

وَإِذَا رَأَيْتَ الَّذِينَ يَخُوضُونَ فِي آيَاتِنَا فَأَعْرِضْ عَنْهُمْ حَتَّى يَخُوضُوا فِي حَدِيثٍ غَيْرِهِ وَإِمَّا يُنسِيَنَّكَ الشَّيْطَانُ فَلاَ تَقْعُدْ بَعْدَ الذِّكْرَى مَعَ الْقَوْمِ الظَّالِمِينَ

[6:69] And when thou seest those who engage in vain discourse concerning Our Signs, then turn thou away from them until they engage in a discourse other than that. And if Satan cause thee to forget, then sit not, after recollection, with the unjust people.

وَمَا عَلَى الَّذِينَ يَتَّقُونَ مِنْ حِسَابِهِمْ مِنْ شَيْءٍ وَلَكِنْ ذِكْرَى لَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَّقُونَ
[6:70] And those who are righteous are not at all accountable for them, but their duty is to admonish them, that they may fear God.

وَذَرِ الَّذِينَ اتَّخَذُوا دِينَهُمْ لَعِبًا وَلَهْوًا وَغَرَّتْهُمْ الْحَيَاةُ الدُّنْيَا وَذَكِّرْ بِهِ أَنْ تُبْسَلَ نَفْسٌ بِمَا كَسَبَتْ لَيْسَ لَهَا مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ وَلِيٌّ وَلاَ شَفِيعٌ وَإِنْ تَعْدِلْ كُلَّ عَدْلٍ لاَ يُؤْخَذْ مِنْهَا أُوْلَئِكَ الَّذِينَ أُبْسِلُوا بِمَا كَسَبُوا لَهُمْ شَرَابٌ مِنْ حَمِيمٍ وَعَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ بِمَا كَانُوا يَكْفُرُونَ

[6:71] And let alone those who take their religion for a sport and a pastime, and whom worldly life has beguiled. And admonish people thereby lest a soul be consigned to perdition for what it has wrought. It shall have no helper nor intercessor beside Allah; and even if it offer every ransom, it shall not be accepted from it. These are they who have been delivered over to destruction for their own acts. They will have a drink of boiling water and a grievous punishment, because they disbelieved.

قُلْ أَنَدْعُو مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ مَا لاَ يَنفَعُنَا وَلاَ يَضُرُّنَا وَنُرَدُّ عَلَى أَعْقَابِنَا بَعْدَ إِذْ هَدَانَا اللَّهُ كَالَّذِي اسْتَهْوَتْهُ الشَّيَاطِينُ فِي الأَرْضِ حَيْرَانَ لَهُ أَصْحَابٌ يَدْعُونَهُ إِلَى الْهُدَى ائْتِنَا قُلْ إِنَّ هُدَى اللَّهِ هُوَ الْهُدَى وَأُمِرْنَا لِنُسْلِمَ لِرَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ

[6:72] Say: “Shall we call, beside Allah, upon that which can neither profit us nor harm us, and shall we be turned back on our heels after Allah has guided us, like one whom the evil ones entice away leaving him bewildered in the land[862], and who has companions who call him to guidance, saying, ‘Come to us?’ ” Say: “Surely, the guidance of Allah is the only guidance and we have been commanded to submit to the Lord of all the worlds.

وَأَنْ أَقِيمُوا الصَّلاَةَ وَاتَّقُوهُ وَهُوَ الَّذِي إِلَيْهِ تُحْشَرُونَ
[6:73] “And we have been given the command: ‘Observe Prayer and fear Him;’ and He it is to Whom you shall be gathered.”

وَهُوَ الَّذِي خَلَقَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالأَرْضَ بِالْحَقِّ وَيَوْمَ يَقُولُ كُنْ فَيَكُونُ قَوْلُهُ الْحَقُّ وَلَهُ الْمُلْكُ يَوْمَ يُنفَخُ فِي الصُّورِ عَالِمُ الْغَيْبِ وَالشَّهَادَةِ وَهُوَ الْحَكِيمُ الْخَبِير

[6:74] And He it is Who created the heavens and the earth in accordance with the requirements of wisdom; and the day He says, ‘Be!’, it will be. His word is the truth, and His will be the kingdom on the day when the trumpet[863] will be blown. He is the Knower of the unseen and the seen. And He is the Wise, the All-Aware.

وَإِذْ قَالَ إِبْرَاهِيمُ ِلأَبِيهِ آزَرَ أَتَتَّخِذُ أَصْنَامًا آلِهَةً إِنِّي أَرَاكَ وَقَوْمَكَ فِي ضَلاَلٍ مُبِينٍ
[6:75] And remember the time when Abraham said to his father, Azar[864]: ‘Dost thou take idols for gods? Surely, I see thee and thy people in manifest error.’

وَكَذَلِكَ نُرِي إِبْرَاهِيمَ مَلَكُوتَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالأَرْضِ وَلِيَكُونَ مِنْ الْمُوقِنِينَ
[6:76] And thus did We show Abraham the kingdom of the heavens and the earth[865] that he might be rightly guided and that he might be of those who have certainty of faith.

فَلَمَّا جَنَّ عَلَيْهِ اللَّيْلُ رَأَى كَوْكَبًا قَالَ هَذَا رَبِّي فَلَمَّا أَفَلَ قَالَ لاَ أُحِبُّ الآفِلِينَ
[6:77] And when the night darkened upon him, he saw a star. He said: ‘This is my Lord!’ But when it set, he said: ‘I like not those that set.’

فَلَمَّا رَأَى الْقَمَرَ بَازِغًا قَالَ هَذَا رَبِّي فَلَمَّا أَفَلَ قَالَ لَئِنْ لَمْ يَهْدِنِي رَبِّي لَأَكُونَنَّ مِنْ الْقَوْمِ الضَّالِّينَ

[6:78] And when he saw the moon rise with spreading light, he said: ‘This is my Lord.’ But when it set, he said, ‘If my Lord guide me not, I shall surely be of the people who go astray.’

فَلَمَّا رَأَى الشَّمْسَ بَازِغَةً قَالَ هَذَا رَبِّي هَذَا أَكْبَرُ فَلَمَّا أَفَلَتْ قَالَ يَاقَوْمِ إِنِّي بَرِيءٌ مِمَّا تُشْرِكُونَ

[6:79] And when he saw the sun rise with spreading light, he said: ‘This is my Lord, this is the greatest.’ But when it set, he said, ‘O my people, surely I am clear of that which you associate with God.[866]

إِنِّي وَجَّهْتُ وَجْهِي لِلَّذِي فَطَرَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالأَرْضَ حَنِيفًا وَمَا أَنَا مِنْ الْمُشْرِكِينَ
[6:80] ‘I have turned my face toward Him Who created the heavens and the earth, being ever inclined to God, and I am not of those who associate gods with God.’

وَحَاجَّهُ قَوْمُهُ قَالَ أَتُحَاجُّونِي فِي اللَّهِ وَقَدْ هَدَانِي وَلاَ أَخَافُ مَا تُشْرِكُونَ بِهِ إِلاَّ أَنْ يَشَاءَ رَبِّي شَيْئًا وَسِعَ رَبِّي كُلَّ شَيْءٍ عِلْمًا أَفَلاَ تَتَذَكَّرُونَ

[6:81] And his people argued with him. He said: ‘Do you argue with me concerning Allah when He has guided me aright? And I fear not that which you associate with Him, unless my Lord will something. My Lord comprehends all things in His knowledge. Will you not then be admonished?

وَكَيْفَ أَخَافُ مَا أَشْرَكْتُمْ وَلاَ تَخَافُونَ أَنَّكُمْ أَشْرَكْتُمْ بِاللَّهِ مَا لَمْ يُنَزِّلْ بِهِ عَلَيْكُمْ سُلْطَانًا فَأَيُّ الْفَرِيقَيْنِ أَحَقُّ بِالأَمْنِ إِنْ كُنتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ

[6:82] ‘And why should I fear that which you associate with God, when you fear not to associate with Allah that for which He has sent down to you no authority?’ Which, then, of the two parties has greater right to security[867], if indeed you know?

الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَلَمْ يَلْبِسُوا إِيمَانَهُمْ بِظُلْمٍ أُوْلَئِكَ لَهُمْ الأَمْنُ وَهُمْ مُهْتَدُونَ
[6:83] Those who believe and mix not up their belief with injustice — it is they who shall have peace, and who are rightly guided.

وَتِلْكَ حُجَّتُنَا آتَيْنَاهَا إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَلَى قَوْمِهِ نَرْفَعُ دَرَجَاتٍ مَنْ نَشَاءُ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ حَكِيمٌ عَلِيمٌ
[6:84] And that is Our argument which We gave to Abraham against his people[868]. We exalt in degrees of rank whomso We please. Thy Lord is indeed Wise, All-Knowing.

وَوَهَبْنَا لَهُ إِسْحَاقَ وَيَعْقُوبَ كُلاً هَدَيْنَا وَنُوحًا هَدَيْنَا مِنْ قَبْلُ وَمِنْ ذُرِّيَّتِهِ دَاوُودَ وَسُلَيْمَانَ وَأَيُّوبَ وَيُوسُفَ وَمُوسَى وَهَارُونَ وَكَذَلِكَ نَجْزِي الْمُحْسِنِينَ

[6:85] And We gave him Isaac and Jacob; each did We guide aright, and Noah did We guide aright aforetime, and of his progeny, David and Solomon and Job[869] and Joseph and Moses and Aaron. Thus do We reward those who do good.

وَزَكَرِيَّا وَيَحْيَى وَعِيسَى وَإِلْيَاسَ كُلٌّ مِنْ الصَّالِحِينَ
[6:86] And We guided Zachariah and John and Jesus and Elias; each one of them was of the virtuous.

وَإِسْمَاعِيلَ وَالْيَسَعَ وَيُونُسَ وَلُوطًا وَكُلاًّ فَضَّلْنَا عَلَى الْعَالَمِينَ
[6:87] And We also guided Ishmael and Elisha and Jonah and Lot; and each one did We exalt above the people.[870]

وَمِنْ آبَائِهِمْ وَذُرِّيَّاتِهِمْ وَإِخْوَانِهِمْ وَاجْتَبَيْنَاهُمْ وَهَدَيْنَاهُمْ إِلَى صِرَاطٍ مُسْتَقِيمٍ
[6:88] And We exalted some of their fathers and their children and their brethren, and We chose them and We guided them in the straight path.

ذَلِكَ هُدَى اللَّهِ يَهْدِي بِهِ مَنْ يَشَاءُ مِنْ عِبَادِهِ وَلَوْ أَشْرَكُوا لَحَبِطَ عَنْهُمْ مَا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ
[6:89] That is the guidance of Allah. He guides thereby those of His servants whom He pleases. And if they had worshipped aught beside Him, surely all they did would have been of no avail to them.

أُوْلَئِكَ الَّذِينَ آتَيْنَاهُمْ الْكِتَابَ وَالْحُكْمَ وَالنُّبُوَّةَ فَإِنْ يَكْفُرْ بِهَا هَؤُلاَءِ فَقَدْ وَكَّلْنَا بِهَا قَوْمًا لَيْسُوا بِهَا بِكَافِرِينَ

[6:90] It is these to whom We gave the Book[871] and dominion and prophethood. But if these people are ungrateful for them, it matters not, for We have now entrusted them to a people who are not ungrateful for them.

أُوْلَئِكَ الَّذِينَ هَدَى اللَّهُ فَبِهُدَاهُمْ اقْتَدِهِ قُلْ لاَ أَسْأَلُكُمْ عَلَيْهِ أَجْرًا إِنْ هُوَ إِلاَّ ذِكْرَى لِلْعَالَمِينَ
[6:91] These it is whom Allah guided aright, so follow thou their guidance[872]. Say: ‘I ask not of you any reward for it. This is naught but an admonition for all mankind.’

وَمَا قَدَرُوا اللَّهَ حَقَّ قَدْرِهِ إِذْ قَالُوا مَا أَنزَلَ اللَّهُ عَلَى بَشَرٍ مِنْ شَيْءٍ قُلْ مَنْ أَنزَلَ الْكِتَابَ الَّذِي جَاءَ بِهِ مُوسَى نُورًا وَهُدًى لِلنَّاسِ تَجْعَلُونَهُ قَرَاطِيسَ تُبْدُونَهَا وَتُخْفُونَ كَثِيرًا وَعُلِّمْتُمْ مَا لَمْ تَعْلَمُوا أَنْتُمْ وَلاَ آبَاؤُكُمْ قُلْ اللَّهُ ثُمَّ ذَرْهُمْ فِي خَوْضِهِمْ يَلْعَبُونَ

[6:92] And they do not make a just estimate of Allah, when they say: ‘Allah has not revealed anything to any man.’[873] Say: ‘Who revealed the Book which Moses brought, a light and guidance for the people — though you treat it as scraps of paper which you show while you conceal much[874]; and you have been taught that which neither you nor your fathers knew?’ — Say: ‘Allah’. Then leave them to amuse themselves with their vain discourse.

وَهَذَا كِتَابٌ أَنزَلْنَاهُ مُبَارَكٌ مُصَدِّقُ الَّذِي بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ وَلِتُنذِرَ أُمَّ الْقُرَى وَمَنْ حَوْلَهَا وَالَّذِينَ يُؤْمِنُونَ بالآخِرَةِ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِهِ وَهُمْ عَلَى صَلاَتِهِمْ يُحَافِظُونَ

[6:93] And this is a Book which We have revealed, full of blessings, to fulfil that which preceded it, and to enable thee to warn the Mother of towns[875] and those around her. And those who believe in the Hereafter believe therein[876] and they keep a watch over their Prayer.

وَمَنْ أَظْلَمُ مِمَّنْ افْتَرَى عَلَى اللَّهِ كَذِبًا أَوْ قَالَ أُوحِيَ إِلَيَّ وَلَمْ يُوحَ إِلَيْهِ شَيْءٌ وَمَنْ قَالَ سَأُنزِلُ مِثْلَ مَا أَنزَلَ اللَّهُ وَلَوْ تَرَى إِذْ الظَّالِمُونَ فِي غَمَرَاتِ الْمَوْتِ وَالْمَلاَئِكَةُ بَاسِطُوا أَيْدِيهِمْ أَخْرِجُوا أَنفُسَكُمْ الْيَوْمَ تُجْزَوْنَ عَذَابَ الْهُونِ بِمَا كُنتُمْ تَقُولُونَ عَلَى اللَّهِ غَيْرَ الْحَقِّ وَكُنتُمْ عَنْ آيَاتِهِ تَسْتَكْبِرُونَ

[6:94] And who is more unjust than he who forges a lie against Allah, or says, ‘It has been revealed to me,’ while nothing has been revealed to him; and who says, ‘I will send down the like of that which Allah has sent down?’ And if thou couldst only see, when the wrongdoers are in the agonies of death[877], and the angels stretch forth their hands, saying, ‘Yield up your souls. This day shall you be awarded the punishment of disgrace, because of that which you spoke against Allah falsely and because you turned away from His Signs with disdain.’

وَلَقَدْ جِئْتُمُونَا فُرَادَى كَمَا خَلَقْنَاكُمْ أَوَّلَ مَرَّةٍ وَتَرَكْتُمْ مَا خَوَّلْنَاكُمْ وَرَاءَ ظُهُورِكُمْ وَمَا نَرَى مَعَكُمْ شُفَعَاءَكُمْ الَّذِينَ زَعَمْتُمْ أَنَّهُمْ فِيكُمْ شُرَكَاءُ لَقَدْ تَقَطَّعَ بَيْنَكُمْ وَضَلَّ عَنكُمْ مَا كُنتُمْ تَزْعُمُونَ

[6:95] And now you come to Us one by one even as We created you at first, and you have left behind you[878] that which We bestowed upon you, and We see not with you your intercessors of whom you asserted that they were partners with God in your affairs. Now you have been cut off from one another and that which you presumed has failed you.

إِنَّ اللَّهَ فَالِقُ الْحَبِّ وَالنَّوَى يُخْرِجُ الْحَيَّ مِنْ الْمَيِّتِ وَمُخْرِجُ الْمَيِّتِ مِنْ الْحَيِّ ذَلِكُمْ اللَّهُ فَأَنَّا تُؤْفَكُونَ

[6:96] Verily, it is Allah Who causes the grain and the date-stones to sprout[879]. He brings forth the living from the dead, and He is the Bringer forth of the dead from the living. That is Allah; wherefore, then, are you turned back?

فَالِقُ الإِصْبَاحِ وَجَعَلَ اللَّيْلَ سَكَنًا وَالشَّمْسَ وَالْقَمَرَ حُسْبَانًا ذَلِكَ تَقْدِيرُ الْعَزِيزِ الْعَلِيمِ
[6:97] He causes the break of day; and He made the night for rest[880] and the sun and the moon for reckoning time.[881] That is the decree of the Mighty, the Wise.

وَهُوَ الَّذِي جَعَلَ لَكُمْ النُّجُومَ لِتَهْتَدُوا بِهَا فِي ظُلُمَاتِ الْبَرِّ وَالْبَحْرِ قَدْ فَصَّلْنَا الآياتِ لِقَوْمٍ يَعْلَمُونَ

[6:98] And He it is Who has made the stars[882] for you that you may follow the right direction with their help amid the deep darkness of the land and the sea. We have explained the Signs in detail for a people who possess knowledge.

وَهُوَ الَّذِي أَنشَأَكُمْ مِنْ نَفْسٍ وَاحِدَةٍ فَمُسْتَقَرٌّ وَمُسْتَوْدَعٌ قَدْ فَصَّلْنَا الآياتِ لِقَوْمٍ يَفْقَهُون
[6:99] And He it is Who has produced you from a single person and there is for you a home and a lodging[883]. We have explained the Signs in detail for a people who understand.

وَهُوَ الَّذِي أَنزَلَ مِنْ السَّمَاءِ مَاءً فَأَخْرَجْنَا بِهِ نَبَاتَ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ فَأَخْرَجْنَا مِنْهُ خَضِرًا نُخْرِجُ مِنْهُ حَبًّا مُتَرَاكِبًا وَمِنْ النَّخْلِ مِنْ طَلْعِهَا قِنْوَانٌ دَانِيَةٌ وَجَنَّاتٍ مِنْ أَعْنَابٍ وَالزَّيْتُونَ وَالرُّمَّانَ مُشْتَبِهًا وَغَيْرَ مُتَشَابِهٍ انظُرُوا إِلَى ثَمَرِهِ إِذَا أَثْمَرَ وَيَنْعِهِ إِنَّ فِي ذَلِكُمْ لآياتٍ لِقَوْمٍ يُؤْمِنُونَ

[6:100] And it is He Who sends down water from the cloud; and We bring forth therewith every kind of growth; then We bring forth with that green foliage wherefrom We produce clustered grain. And from the date-palm, out of its sheaths, come forth bunches hanging low. And We produce therewith gardens of grapes, and the olive and the pomegranate — similar and dissimilar. Look at the fruit thereof when it bears fruit, and the ripening thereof. Surely, in this are Signs for a people who believe.[884]

وَجَعَلُوا لِلَّهِ شُرَكَاءَ الْجِنَّ وَخَلَقَهُمْ وَخَرَقُوا لَهُ بَنِينَ وَبَنَاتٍ بِغَيْرِ عِلْمٍ سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى عَمَّا يَصِفُونَ

[6:101] And they hold the Jinn[885] to be partners with Allah, although He created them; and they falsely ascribe to Him sons and daughters without any knowledge. Holy is He and exalted far above what they attribute to Him!

بَدِيعُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالأَرْضِ أَنَّى يَكُونُ لَهُ وَلَدٌ وَلَمْ تَكُنْ لَهُ صَاحِبَةٌ وَخَلَقَ كُلَّ شَيْءٍ وَهُوَ بِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ عَلِيمٌ

[6:102] The Originator of the heavens and the earth! How can He have a son[886] when He has no consort, and when He has created everything and has knowledge of all things?

ذَلِكُمْ اللَّهُ رَبُّكُمْ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ هُوَ خَالِقُ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ فَاعْبُدُوهُ وَهُوَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ وَكِيلٌ
[6:103] Such is Allah, your Lord. There is no God but He, the Creator of all things, so worship Him. And He is Guardian over everything.

لاَ تُدْرِكُهُ الأَبْصَارُ وَهُوَ يُدْرِكُ الأَبْصَارَ وَهُوَ اللَّطِيفُ الْخَبِير
[6:104] Eyes cannot reach Him but He reaches the eyes[887]. And He is the Incomprehensible, the All-Aware.

قَدْ جَاءَكُمْ بَصَائِرُ مِنْ رَبِّكُمْ فَمَنْ أَبْصَرَ فَلِنَفْسِهِ وَمَنْ عَمِيَ فَعَلَيْهَا وَمَا أَنَا عَلَيْكُمْ بِحَفِيظٍ
[6:105] Proofs[888] have indeed come to you from your Lord; so whoever sees[889], it is for his own good; and whoever becomes blind[890], it is to his own harm. And I am not a guardian[891] over you.

وَكَذَلِكَ نُصَرِّفُ الآياتِ وَلِيَقُولُوا دَرَسْتَ وَلِنُبَيِّنَهُ لِقَوْمٍ يَعْلَمُونَ
[6:106] And thus do We vary the Signs that the truth may become established, but the result is that they say, ‘Thou hast learnt well;’ and We vary the Signs that We may explain it to a people who have knowledge.

اتَّبِعْ مَا أُوحِيَ إِلَيْكَ مِنْ رَبِّكَ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ هُوَ وَأَعْرِضْ عَنْ الْمُشْرِكِينَ
[6:107] Follow that which has been revealed to thee from thy Lord; there is no God but He; and turn aside from the idolaters.

وَلَوْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ مَا أَشْرَكُوا وَمَا جَعَلْنَاكَ عَلَيْهِمْ حَفِيظًا وَمَا أَنْتَ عَلَيْهِمْ بِوَكِيلٍ
[6:108] And if Allah had enforced His will[892] they would not have set up gods with Him. And We have not made thee a keeper over them nor art thou over them a guardian.[893]

وَلاَ تَسُبُّوا الَّذِينَ يَدْعُونَ مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ فَيَسُبُّوا اللَّهَ عَدْوًا بِغَيْرِ عِلْمٍ كَذَلِكَ زَيَّنَّا لِكُلِّ أُمَّةٍ عَمَلَهُمْ ثُمَّ إِلَى رَبِّهِمْ مَرْجِعُهُمْ فَيُنَبِّئُهُمْ بِمَا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ

[6:109] And revile[894] not those whom they call upon beside Allah, lest they, out of spite, revile Allah in their ignorance. Thus unto every people have We caused their doing to seem fair[895]. Then unto their Lord is their return; and He will inform them of what they used to do.

وَأَقْسَمُوا بِاللَّهِ جَهْدَ أَيْمَانِهِمْ لَئِنْ جَاءَتْهُمْ آيَةٌ لَيُؤْمِنُنَّ بِهَا قُلْ إِنَّمَا الآيَاتُ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ وَمَا يُشْعِرُكُمْ أَنَّهَا إِذَا جَاءَتْ لاَ يُؤْمِنُونَ

[6:110] And they swear their strongest oaths by Allah that if there came to them a Sign, they would surely believe therein. Say, ‘Surely, Signs are with Allah. But what should make you understand that when the Signs come, they will not believe?’[896]

وَنُقَلِّبُ أَفْئِدَتَهُمْ وَأَبْصَارَهُمْ كَمَا لَمْ يُؤْمِنُوا بِهِ أَوَّلَ مَرَّةٍ وَنَذَرُهُمْ فِي طُغْيَانِهِمْ يَعْمَهُونَ
[6:111] And We shall confound their hearts and their eyes, as they believed not therein at the first time, and We shall leave them in their transgression to wander in distraction.[897]

وَلَوْ أَنَّنَا نَزَّلْنَا إِلَيْهِمْ الْمَلاَئِكَةَ وَكَلَّمَهُمْ الْمَوْتَى وَحَشَرْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ كُلَّ شَيْءٍ قُبُلاً مَا كَانُوا لِيُؤْمِنُوا إِلاَّ أَنْ يَشَاءَ اللَّهُ وَلَكِنَّ أَكْثَرَهُمْ يَجْهَلُونَ

[6:112] And even if We send down unto them angels, and the dead[898] speak to them, and We gather to them all things face to face[899], they would not believe, unless Allah enforced His will. But most of them behave ignorantly.

وَكَذَلِكَ جَعَلْنَا لِكُلِّ نَبِيٍّ عَدُوًّا شَيَاطِينَ الإِنسِ وَالْجِنِّ يُوحِي بَعْضُهُمْ إِلَى بَعْضٍ زُخْرُفَ الْقَوْلِ غُرُورًا وَلَوْ شَاءَ رَبُّكَ مَا فَعَلُوهُ فَذَرْهُمْ وَمَا يَفْتَرُونَ

[6:113] And in like manner have We made for every Prophet an enemy, evil ones from among men and Jinn[900]. They suggest one to another gilded speech in order to deceive — and if thy Lord had enforced His will, they would not have done it; so leave them alone with that which they fabricate —

وَلِتَصْغَى إِلَيْهِ أَفْئِدَةُ الَّذِينَ لاَ يُؤْمِنُونَ بالآخِرَةِ وَلِيَرْضَوْهُ وَلِيَقْتَرِفُوا مَا هُمْ مُقْتَرِفُونَ
[6:114] And in order that the hearts of those who believe not in the Hereafter may incline thereto and that they may be pleased therewith and that they may continue to earn what they are earning.[900A]

أَفَغَيْرَ اللَّهِ أَبْتَغِي حَكَمًا وَهُوَ الَّذِي أَنزَلَ إِلَيْكُمْ الْكِتَابَ مُفَصَّلاً وَالَّذِينَ آتَيْنَاهُمْ الْكِتَابَ يَعْلَمُونَ أَنَّهُ مُنَزَّلٌ مِنْ رَبِّكَ بِالْحَقِّ فَلاَ تَكُونَنَّ مِنْ الْمُمْتَرِينَ

[6:115] Shall I seek for judge other than Allah, when He it is Who has sent down to you the Book, clearly explained? And those to whom We gave the Book[901] know that it has been sent down from thy Lord with truth; so be thou not of those who doubt.

وَتَمَّتْ كَلِمَةُ رَبِّكَ صِدْقًا وَعَدْلاً لاَ مُبَدِّلَ لِكَلِمَاتِهِ وَهُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْعَلِيمُ
[6:116] And the word of thy Lord has been fulfilled in truth and justice[901A]. None can change His words[902]; and He is the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing.

وَإِنْ تُطِعْ أَكْثَرَ مَنْ فِي الأَرْضِ يُضِلُّوكَ عَنْ سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ إِنْ يَتَّبِعُونَ إِلاَّ الظَّنَّ وَإِنْ هُمْ إِلاَّ يَخْرُصُونَ

[6:117] And if thou obey the majority of those on earth, they will lead thee astray from Allah’s way. They follow nothing but mere conjecture, and they do nothing but lie.

إِنَّ رَبَّكَ هُوَ أَعْلَمُ مَنْ يَضِلُّ عَنْ سَبِيلِهِ وَهُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِالْمُهْتَدِينَ
[6:118] Surely, thy Lord knows best those who go astray from His way; and He knows best those who are rightly guided.[903]

فَكُلُوا مِمَّا ذُكِرَ اسْمُ اللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ إِنْ كُنتُمْ بِآيَاتِهِ مُؤْمِنِينَ
[6:119] Eat, then, of that over which the name of Allah has been pronounced, if you are believers in His Signs.[904]

وَمَا لَكُمْ أَلاَّ تَأْكُلُوا مِمَّا ذُكِرَ اسْمُ اللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ وَقَدْ فَصَّلَ لَكُمْ مَا حَرَّمَ عَلَيْكُمْ إِلاَّ مَا اضْطُرِرْتُمْ إِلَيْهِ وَإِنَّ كَثِيرًا لَيُضِلُّونَ بِأَهْوَائِهِمْ بِغَيْرِ عِلْمٍ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ هُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِالْمُعْتَدِينَ

[6:120] And what reason have you that you should not eat of that over which the name of Allah has been pronounced, when He has already explained to you that which He has forbidden unto you — save that which you are forced to? And surely many mislead others by their evil desires through lack of knowledge. Assuredly, thy Lord knows best the transgressors.

وَذَرُوا ظَاهِرَ الإِثْمِ وَبَاطِنَهُ إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَكْسِبُونَ الإِثْمَ سَيُجْزَوْنَ بِمَا كَانُوا يَقْتَرِفُونَ
[6:121] And eschew open sins as well as secret ones. Surely, those who earn sin will be rewarded for that which they have earned.

وَلاَ تَأْكُلُوا مِمَّا لَمْ يُذْكَرْ اسْمُ اللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ وَإِنَّهُ لَفِسْقٌ وَإِنَّ الشَّيَاطِينَ لَيُوحُونَ إِلَى أَوْلِيَائِهِمْ لِيُجَادِلُوكُمْ وَإِنْ أَطَعْتُمُوهُمْ إِنَّكُمْ لَمُشْرِكُونَ

[6:122] And eat not of that on which the name of Allah has not been pronounced[905], for surely that is disobedience. And certainly the evil ones inspire their friends that they may dispute with you. And if you obey them, you will indeed be setting up gods with God.

أَوَمَنْ كَانَ مَيْتًا فَأَحْيَيْنَاهُ وَجَعَلْنَا لَهُ نُورًا يَمْشِي بِهِ فِي النَّاسِ كَمَنْ مَثَلُهُ فِي الظُّلُمَاتِ لَيْسَ بِخَارِجٍ مِنْهَا كَذَلِكَ زُيِّنَ لِلْكَافِرِينَ مَا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ

[6:123] Can he, who was dead and We gave him life and made for him a light whereby he walks among men, be like him whose condition is that he is in utter darkness whence he cannot come forth?[906] Thus have the doings of the disbelievers been made to seem fair to them.

وَكَذَلِكَ جَعَلْنَا فِي كُلِّ قَرْيَةٍ أَكَابِرَ مُجْرِمِيهَا لِيَمْكُرُوا فِيهَا وَمَا يَمْكُرُونَ إِلاَّ بِأَنفُسِهِمْ وَمَا يَشْعُرُونَ

[6:124] And thus have We made in every town the great ones from among its sinners such as are in utter darkness with the result that they plot therein; and they plot not except against their own souls; but they perceive not.

وَإِذَا جَاءَتْهُمْ آيَةٌ قَالُوا لَنْ نُؤْمِنَ حَتَّى نُؤْتَى مِثْلَ مَا أُوتِيَ رُسُلُ اللَّهِ اللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ حَيْثُ يَجْعَلُ رِسَالَتَهُ سَيُصِيبُ الَّذِينَ أَجْرَمُوا صَغَارٌ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ وَعَذَابٌ شَدِيدٌ بِمَا كَانُوا يَمْكُرُونَ

[6:125] And when there comes to them a Sign, they say, ‘We will not believe until we are given the like of that which Allah’s Messengers have been given.’ Allah knows best where to place His Message[906A]. Surely, humiliation before Allah and a severe punishment shall smite the offenders because of their plotting.

فَمَنْ يُرِدْ اللَّهُ أَنْ يَهدِيَهُ يَشْرَحْ صَدْرَهُ لِلإِسْلاَمِ وَمَنْ يُرِدْ أَنْ يُضِلَّهُ يَجْعَلْ صَدْرَهُ ضَيِّقًا حَرَجًا كَأَنَّمَا يَصَّعَّدُ فِي السَّمَاءِ كَذَلِكَ يَجْعَلُ اللَّهُ الرِّجْسَ عَلَى الَّذِينَ لاَ يُؤْمِنُونَ

[6:126] So, whomsoever Allah wishes to guide, He expands his bosom for the acceptance of Islam; and as to him whom He wishes to let go astray, He makes his bosom narrow and close, as though he were mounting up into the skies[907]. Thus does Allah inflict punishment on those who do not believe.

وَهَذَا صِرَاطُ رَبِّكَ مُسْتَقِيمًا قَدْ فَصَّلْنَا الآياتِ لِقَوْمٍ يَذَّكَّرُونَ
[6:127] And this is the path of thy Lord leading straight to Him. We have indeed explained the Signs in detail for a people who would be admonished.

لَهُمْ دَارُ السَّلاَمِ عِنْدَ رَبِّهِمْ وَهُوَ وَلِيُّهُمْ بِمَا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ
[6:128] For them is the abode of peace with their Lord, and He is their Friend because of what they did.

وَيَوْمَ يَحْشُرُهُمْ جَمِيعًا يَا مَعْشَرَ الْجِنِّ قَدْ اسْتَكْثَرْتُمْ مِنْ الإِنسِ وَقَالَ أَوْلِيَاؤُهُمْ مِنْ الإِنسِ رَبَّنَا اسْتَمْتَعَ بَعْضُنَا بِبَعْضٍ وَبَلَغْنَا أَجَلَنَا الَّذِي أَجَّلْتَ لَنَا قَالَ النَّارُ مَثْوَاكُمْ خَالِدِينَ فِيهَا إِلاَّ مَا شَاءَ اللَّهُ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ حَكِيمٌ عَلِيمٌ

[6:129] And on the day when He will gather them all together, He will say, ‘O company[908] of Jinn! you sought to make subservient to yourselves [909] a great many from among men!’ And their friends from among men will say, ‘Our Lord! we profited from one another but now we have reached our term which Thou didst appoint for us.’ He will say, ‘The Fire is your abode, wherein you shall abide, save what Allah may will.’ Surely, thy Lord is Wise, All-Knowing.[910]

وَكَذَلِكَ نُوَلِّي بَعْضَ الظَّالِمِينَ بَعْضًا بِمَا كَانُوا يَكْسِبُونَ
[6:130] And in like manner do We set some of the wrongdoers[910A] over the others because of what they earned.

يَامَعْشَرَ الْجِنِّ وَالإِنسِ أَلَمْ يَأْتِكُمْ رُسُلٌ مِنْكُمْ يَقُصُّونَ عَلَيْكُمْ آيَاتِي وَيُنذِرُونَكُمْ لِقَاءَ يَوْمِكُمْ هَذَا قَالُوا شَهِدْنَا عَلَى أَنفُسِنَا وَغَرَّتْهُمْ الْحَيَاةُ الدُّنْيَا وَشَهِدُوا عَلَى أَنفُسِهِمْ أَنَّهُمْ كَانُوا كَافِرِينَ

[6:131] ‘O company of Jinn and men! did not Messengers come to you from among yourselves who related to you My Signs and who warned you of the meeting of this your day?’ They will say, ‘We bear witness against ourselves.’ And the worldly life deceived them. And they will bear witness against themselves that they were disbelievers.

ذَلِكَ أَنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ رَبُّكَ مُهْلِكَ الْقُرَى بِظُلْمٍ وَأَهْلُهَا غَافِلُونَ
[6:132] That is because thy Lord would not destroy the towns[911] unjustly while their people were unwarned.[912]

وَلِكُلٍّ دَرَجَاتٌ مِمَّا عَمِلُوا وَمَا رَبُّكَ بِغَافِلٍ عَمَّا يَعْمَلُونَ
[6:133] And for all are degrees of rank according to what they do, and thy Lord is not unmindful of what they do.

وَرَبُّكَ الْغَنِيُّ ذُو الرَّحْمَةِ إِنْ يَشَأْ يُذْهِبْكُمْ وَيَسْتَخْلِفْ مِنْ بَعْدِكُمْ مَا يَشَاءُ كَمَا أَنشَأَكُمْ مِنْ ذُرِّيَّةِ قَوْمٍ آخَرِينَ

[6:134] And thy Lord is Self-Sufficient, full of mercy. If He please, He can do away with you and cause to succeed

إِنَّ مَا تُوعَدُونَ لَآتٍ وَمَا أَنْتُمْ بِمُعْجِزِينَ
[6:135] Surely, that which you are promised shall come to pass and you cannot frustrate it.

قُلْ يَا قَوْمِ اعْمَلُوا عَلَى مَكَانَتِكُمْ إِنِّي عَامِلٌ فَسَوْفَ تَعْلَمُونَ مَنْ تَكُونُ لَهُ عَاقِبَةُ الدَّارِ إِنَّهُ لاَ يُفْلِحُ الظَّالِمُونَ

[6:136] Say, ‘O my people, act as best you can.[913] I, too, am acting. Soon will you know whose will be the ultimate reward of the abode.’ Surely, the wrongdoers shall not prosper.

وَجَعَلُوا لِلَّهِ مِمَّا ذَرَأَ مِنْ الْحَرْثِ وَالأَنْعَامِ نَصِيبًا فَقَالُوا هَذَا لِلَّهِ بِزَعْمِهِمْ وَهَذَا لِشُرَكَائِنَا فَمَا كَانَ لِشُرَكَائِهِمْ فَلاَ يَصِلُ إِلَى اللَّهِ وَمَا كَانَ لِلَّهِ فَهُوَ يَصِلُ إِلَى شُرَكَائِهِمْ سَاءَ مَا يَحْكُمُونَ

[6:137] And they have assigned Allah a portion of the crops and cattle which He has produced, and they say, ‘This is for Allah,’ as they imagine, ‘and this is for our idols.’ But that which is for their idols reaches not Allah, while that which is for Allah reaches their idols. Evil is what they judge.[914]

وَكَذَلِكَ زَيَّنَ لِكَثِيرٍ مِنْ الْمُشْرِكِينَ قَتْلَ أَوْلاَدِهِمْ شُرَكَاؤُهُمْ لِيُرْدُوهُمْ وَلِيَلْبِسُوا عَلَيْهِمْ دِينَهُمْ وَلَوْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ مَا فَعَلُوهُ فَذَرْهُمْ وَمَا يَفْتَرُونَ

[6:138] And in like manner have their associate-gods[915] made the killing of their children[916] appear beautiful to many of the idolaters that they may ruin them and cause them confusion in their religion. And if Allah had enforced His will, they would not have done this; so leave them alone with that which they invent.

وَقَالُوا هَذِهِ أَنْعَامٌ وَحَرْثٌ حِجْرٌ لاَ يَطْعَمُهَا إِلاَّ مَنْ نَشَاءُ بِزَعْمِهِمْ وَأَنْعَامٌ حُرِّمَتْ ظُهُورُهَا وَأَنْعَامٌ لاَ يَذْكُرُونَ اسْمَ اللَّهِ عَلَيْهَا افْتِرَاءً عَلَيْهِ سَيَجْزِيهِمْ بِمَا كَانُوا يَفْتَرُونَ

[6:139] And they say, ‘Such and such cattle and crops are forbidden[917]. None shall eat thereof save whom we please’ — so they allege — and there are cattle whose backs are forbidden[918], and there are cattle over which they pronounce not the name of Allah[919], forging a lie against Him. Soon will He requite them for that which they have fabricated.

وَقَالُوا مَا فِي بُطُونِ هَذِهِ الأَنْعَامِ خَالِصَةٌ لِذُكُورِنَا وَمُحَرَّمٌ عَلَى أَزْوَاجِنَا وَإِنْ يَكُنْ مَيْتَةً فَهُمْ فِيهِ شُرَكَاءُ سَيَجْزِيهِمْ وَصْفَهُمْ إِنَّهُ حَكِيمٌ عَلِيمٌ

[6:140] And they say, ‘That which is in the wombs of such and such cattle is exclusively reserved for our males and is forbidden to our wives[920]; but if it be born dead, then they are all partakers thereof. He will reward them for their assertion. Surely, He is Wise, All-Knowing.

قَدْ خَسِرَ الَّذِينَ قَتَلُوا أَوْلاَدَهُمْ سَفَهًا بِغَيْرِ عِلْمٍ وَحَرَّمُوا مَا رَزَقَهُمْ اللَّهُ افْتِرَاءً عَلَى اللَّهِ قَدْ ضَلُّوا وَمَا كَانُوا مُهْتَدِينَ

[6:141] Losers indeed are they who kill their children foolishly for lack of knowledge, and make unlawful what Allah has provided for them, forging a lie against Allah. They have indeed gone astray and are not rightly guided.

وَهُوَ الَّذِي أَنْشَأَ جَنَّاتٍ مَعْرُوشَاتٍ وَغَيْرَ مَعْرُوشَاتٍ وَالنَّخْلَ وَالزَّرْعَ مُخْتَلِفًا أُكُلُهُ وَالزَّيْتُونَ وَالرُّمَّانَ مُتَشَابِهًا وَغَيْرَ مُتَشَابِهٍ كُلُوا مِنْ ثَمَرِهِ إِذَا أَثْمَرَ وَآتُوا حَقَّهُ يَوْمَ حَصَادِهِ وَلاَ تُسْرِفُوا إِنَّهُ لاَ يُحِبُّ الْمُسْرِفِينَ

[6:142] And He it is Who brings into being gardens, trellised and untrellised, and the date-palm and cornfields whose fruits are of diverse kinds, and the olive and the pomegranate, alike and unlike. Eat of the fruit of each when it bears fruit, but pay His due[921] on the day of harvest and exceed not the bounds. Surely, Allah loves not those who exceed the bounds.

وَمِنْ الأَنْعَامِ حَمُولَةً وَفَرْشًا كُلُوا مِمَّا رَزَقَكُمْ اللَّهُ وَلاَ تَتَّبِعُوا خُطُوَاتِ الشَّيْطَانِ إِنَّهُ لَكُمْ عَدُوٌّ مُبِينٌ

[6:143] And of the cattle He has created some for burden and some for slaughter. Eat of that which Allah has provided for you, and follow not the footsteps of Satan. Surely, he is to you an open foe.[922]

ثَمَانِيَةَ أَزْوَاجٍ مِنْ الضَّأْنِ اثْنَيْنِ وَمِنْ الْمَعْزِ اثْنَيْنِ قُلْ أَالذَّكَرَيْنِ حَرَّمَ أَمْ الأُنْثَيَيْنِ أَمَّا اشْتَمَلَتْ عَلَيْهِ أَرْحَامُ الأُنثَيَيْنِ نَبِّئُونِي بِعِلْمٍ إِنْ كُنتُمْ صَادِقِينَ

[6:144] And of the cattle He has created eight mates: of the sheep two, and of the goats two; — say, ‘Is it the two males that He has forbidden or the two females or that which the wombs of the two females contain? Inform me with knowledge, if you are truthful.’

وَمِنْ الإِبِلِ اثْنَيْنِ وَمِنْ الْبَقَرِ اثْنَيْنِ قُلْ أَالذَّكَرَيْنِ حَرَّمَ أَمْ الأُنثَيَيْنِ أَمَّا اشْتَمَلَتْ عَلَيْهِ أَرْحَامُ الأُنثَيَيْنِ أَمْ كُنتُمْ شُهَدَاءَ إِذْ وَصَّاكُمْ اللَّهُ بِهَذَا فَمَنْ أَظْلَمُ مِمَّنْ افْتَرَى عَلَى اللَّهِ كَذِبًا لِيُضِلَّ النَّاسَ بِغَيْرِ عِلْمٍ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لاَ يَهْدِي الْقَوْمَ الظَّالِمِينَ

[6:145] And of the camels two, and of the oxen two. Say, ‘Is it the two males that He has forbidden[923] or the two females or that which the wombs of the two females contain? Were you present when Allah enjoined this on you?’ Who is then more unjust than he who forges a lie against Allah that he may lead men astray without knowledge? Surely, Allah guides not the unjust people.

قُلْ لاَ أَجِدُ فِي مَا أُوحِيَ إِلَيَّ مُحَرَّمًا عَلَى طَاعِمٍ يَطْعَمُهُ إِلاَّ أَنْ يَكُونَ مَيْتَةً أَوْ دَمًا مَسْفُوحًا أَوْ لَحْمَ خِنزِيرٍ فَإِنَّهُ رِجْسٌ أَوْ فِسْقًا أُهِلَّ لِغَيْرِ اللَّهِ بِهِ فَمَنْ اضْطُرَّ غَيْرَ بَاغٍ وَلاَ عَادٍ فَإِنَّ رَبَّكَ غَفُورٌ رَحِيمٌ

[6:146] Say, ‘I find not in what has been revealed to me aught forbidden to an eater who wishes to eat it, except it be that which dies of itself, or blood poured forth, or the flesh of swine — for all that is unclean — or what is profane, on which is invoked the name of other than Allah[924]. But whoso is driven by necessity, being neither disobedient nor exceeding the limit, then surely thy Lord is Most Forgiving, Merciful.’

وَعَلَى الَّذِينَ هَادُوا حَرَّمْنَا كُلَّ ذِي ظُفُرٍ وَمِنْ الْبَقَرِ وَالْغَنَمِ حَرَّمْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ شُحُومَهُمَا إِلاَّ مَا حَمَلَتْ ظُهُورُهُمَا أَوْ الْحَوَايَا أَوْ مَا اخْتَلَطَ بِعَظْمٍ ذَلِكَ جَزَيْنَاهُمْ بِبَغْيِهِمْ وَإِنَّا لَصَادِقُونَ

[6:147] And to those who are Jews We forbade all animals having claws; and of the oxen and the sheep and goats did We forbid them their fats, save that which their backs bear or the intestines, or that which is mixed with a bone[925]. That is the reward We gave them for their rebellion[926]. And most surely We are truthful.

فَإِنْ كَذَّبُوكَ فَقُلْ رَبُّكُمْ ذُو رَحْمَةٍ وَاسِعَةٍ وَلاَ يُرَدُّ بَأْسُهُ عَنْ الْقَوْمِ الْمُجْرِمِينَ
[6:148] But if they accuse thee of falsehood, say, ‘Your Lord is possessed of all-embracing mercy, and His wrath shall not be turned back from the guilty people.’

سَيَقُولُ الَّذِينَ أَشْرَكُوا لَوْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ مَا أَشْرَكْنَا وَلاَ آبَاؤُنَا وَلاَ حَرَّمْنَا مِنْ شَيْءٍ كَذَلِكَ كَذَّبَ الَّذِينَ مِنْ قَبْلِهِمْ حَتَّى ذَاقُوا بَأْسَنَا قُلْ هَلْ عِنْدَكُمْ مِنْ عِلْمٍ فَتُخْرِجُوهُ لَنَا إِنْ تَتَّبِعُونَ إِلاَّ الظَّنَّ وَإِنْ أَنْتُمْ إِلاَّ تَخْرُصُونَ

[6:149] Those who join gods with God will say, ‘If Allah had pleased, we could not have joined gods with Him, nor could our fathers; nor could we have made anything unlawful.’ In like manner did those who were before them accuse God’s Messengers of falsehood, until they tasted of Our wrath. Say, ‘Have you any knowledge? Then produce it for us. You follow nothing but mere conjecture. And you do nothing but lie.’

قُلْ فَلِلَّهِ الْحُجَّةُ الْبَالِغَةُ فَلَوْ شَاءَ لَهَدَاكُمْ أَجْمَعِينَ
[6:150] Say, ‘Allah’s is the argument that reaches home. If He had enforced His will, He could have surely guided you all.’[927]

قُلْ هَلُمَّ شُهَدَاءَكُمْ الَّذِينَ يَشْهَدُونَ أَنَّ اللَّهَ حَرَّمَ هَذَا فَإِنْ شَهِدُوا فَلاَ تَشْهَدْ مَعَهُمْ وَلاَ تَتَّبِعْ أَهْوَاءَ الَّذِينَ كَذَّبُوا بِآيَاتِنَا وَالَّذِينَ لاَ يُؤْمِنُونَ بالآخِرَةِ وَهُمْ بِرَبِّهِمْ يَعْدِلُونَ

[6:151] Say, ‘Bring forward your witnesses who testify that Allah has forbidden this.’ If they bear witness, bear thou not witness with them, nor follow thou the evil inclinations of those who treat Our Signs as lies and those who believe not in the Hereafter and who set up equals to their Lord.

قُلْ تَعَالَوْا أَتْلُ مَا حَرَّمَ رَبُّكُمْ عَلَيْكُمْ أَلاَّ تُشْرِكُوا بِهِ شَيْئًا وَبِالْوَالِدَيْنِ إِحْسَانًا وَلاَ تَقْتُلُوا أَوْلاَدَكُمْ مِنْ إِمْلاَقٍ نَحْنُ نَرْزُقُكُمْ وَإِيَّاهُمْ وَلاَ تَقْرَبُوا الْفَوَاحِشَ مَا ظَهَرَ مِنْهَا وَمَا بَطَنَ وَلاَ تَقْتُلُوا النَّفْسَ الَّتِي حَرَّمَ اللَّهُ إِلاَّ بِالْحَقِّ ذَلِكُمْ وَصَّاكُمْ بِهِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَعْقِلُونَ

[6:152] Say, ‘Come, I will rehearse to you what your Lord has forbidden[928]: that you associate not anything as partner with Him and that you do good to parents, and that you kill not your children for fear of poverty — it is We Who provide for you and for them — and that you approach not foul deeds, whether open or secret; and that you kill not the life which Allah has made sacred, save by right. That is what He has enjoined upon you, that you may understand.

وَلاَ تَقْرَبُوا مَالَ الْيَتِيمِ إِلاَّ بِالَّتِي هِيَ أَحْسَنُ حَتَّى يَبْلُغَ أَشُدَّهُ وَأَوْفُوا الْكَيْلَ وَالْمِيزَانَ بِالْقِسْطِ لاَ نُكَلِّفُ نَفْسًا إِلاَّ وُسْعَهَا وَإِذَا قُلْتُمْ فَاعْدِلُوا وَلَوْ كَانَ ذَا قُرْبَى وَبِعَهْدِ اللَّهِ أَوْفُوا ذَلِكُمْ وَصَّاكُمْ بِهِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَذَكَّرُونَ

[6:153] ‘And approach not the property of the orphan, except in a way which is best, till he attains his maturity. And give full measure and weight with equity[929]. We task not any soul except according to its capacity. And when you speak, observe justice, even if the concerned person be a relative, and fulfil the covenant of Allah[930]. That is what He enjoins upon you, that you may remember.’

وَأَنَّ هَذَا صِرَاطِي مُسْتَقِيمًا فَاتَّبِعُوهُ وَلاَ تَتَّبِعُوا السُّبُلَ فَتَفَرَّقَ بِكُمْ عَنْ سَبِيلِهِ ذَلِكُمْ وَصَّاكُمْ بِهِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَّقُونَ

[6:154] And say, ‘This is My path leading straight. So follow it; and follow not other ways, lest they lead you away from His way. That is what He enjoins upon you, that you may become able to guard against evils.’

ثُمَّ آتَيْنَا مُوسَى الْكِتَابَ تَمَامًا عَلَى الَّذِي أَحْسَنَ وَتَفْصِيلاً لِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ وَهُدًى وَرَحْمَةً لَعَلَّهُمْ بِلِقَاءِ رَبِّهِمْ يُؤْمِنُونَ

[6:155] Again, We gave Moses the Book — completing the favour upon him who did good, and an explanation of all necessary things[931], and a guidance and a mercy — that they might believe in the meeting with their Lord.

وَهَذَا كِتَابٌ أَنزَلْنَاهُ مُبَارَكٌ فَاتَّبِعُوهُ وَاتَّقُوا لَعَلَّكُمْ تُرْحَمُونَ
[6:156] And this is a Book which We have sent down; it is full of blessings. So follow[932] it, and guard against sin that you may be shown mercy;

أَنْ تَقُولُوا إِنَّمَا أُنزِلَ الْكِتَابُ عَلَى طَائِفَتَيْنِ مِنْ قَبْلِنَا وَإِنْ كُنَّا عَنْ دِرَاسَتِهِمْ لَغَافِلِينَ
[6:157] Lest You should say, ‘The Book was sent down only to two peoples[933] before us, and we were indeed unaware of their reading;’

أَوْ تَقُولُوا لَوْ أَنَّا أُنزِلَ عَلَيْنَا الْكِتَابُ لَكُنَّا أَهْدَى مِنْهُمْ فَقَدْ جَاءَكُمْ بَيِّنَةٌ مِنْ رَبِّكُمْ وَهُدًى وَرَحْمَةٌ فَمَنْ أَظْلَمُ مِمَّنْ كَذَّبَ بِآيَاتِ اللَّهِ وَصَدَفَ عَنْهَا سَنَجْزِي الَّذِينَ يَصْدِفُونَ عَنْ آيَاتِنَا سُوءَ الْعَذَابِ بِمَا كَانُوا يَصْدِفُونَ

[6:158] Or lest you should say, ‘Had the Book been sent down to us, we should surely have been better guided than they.’ There has now come to you a clear evidence from your Lord, and a guidance and a mercy. Who, then, is more unjust than he who rejects the Signs of Allah and turns away from them? We will requite those who turn away from Our Signs with an evil punishment because of their turning away.

هَلْ يَنظُرُونَ إِلاَّ أَنْ تَأْتِيَهُمْ الْمَلاَئِكَةُ أَوْ يَأْتِيَ رَبُّكَ أَوْ يَأْتِيَ بَعْضُ آيَاتِ رَبِّكَ يَوْمَ يَأْتِي بَعْضُ آيَاتِ رَبِّكَ لاَ يَنفَعُ نَفْسًا إِيمَانُهَا لَمْ تَكُنْ آمَنَتْ مِنْ قَبْلُ أَوْ كَسَبَتْ فِي إِيمَانِهَا خَيْرًا قُلْ انتَظِرُوا إِنَّا مُنتَظِرُونَ

[6:159] Do they expect aught but that angels should come[934] to them or that thy Lord should come[935] or that some of the Signs of thy Lord should come? The day when some of the Signs[936] of thy Lord shall come, to believe in them shall not profit a soul which believed not before, nor earned any good by its faith. Say, ‘Wait ye, we too are waiting.’

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ فَرَّقُوا دِينَهُمْ وَكَانُوا شِيَعًا لَسْتَ مِنْهُمْ فِي شَيْءٍ إِنَّمَا أَمْرُهُمْ إِلَى اللَّهِ ثُمَّ يُنَبِّئُهُمْ بِمَا كَانُوا يَفْعَلُونَ

[6:160] As for those who split up their religion[937] and became divided into sects, thou hast no concern at all with them. Surely their case will come before Allah, then will He inform them of what they used to do.

مَنْ جَاءَ بِالْحَسَنَةِ فَلَهُ عَشْرُ أَمْثَالِهَا وَمَنْ جَاءَ بِالسَّيِّئَةِ فَلاَ يُجْزَى إِلاَّ مِثْلَهَا وَهُمْ لاَ يُظْلَمُونَ
[6:161] Whoso does a good deed shall have ten times[938] as much; but he who does an evil deed, shall have only a like reward; and they shall not be wronged.

قُلْ إِنَّنِي هَدَانِي رَبِّي إِلَى صِرَاطٍ مُسْتَقِيمٍ دِينًا قِيَمًا مِلَّةَ إِبْرَاهِيمَ حَنِيفًا وَمَا كَانَ مِنْ الْمُشْرِكِينَ
[6:162] Say, ‘As for me, my Lord has guided me unto a straight path — a right religion, the religion of Abraham, the upright. And he was not of those who join gods with God.’

قُلْ إِنَّ صَلاَتِي وَنُسُكِي وَمَحْيَاي وَمَمَاتِي لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ
[6:163] Say, ‘My Prayer and my sacrifice and my life and my death are all for Allah, the Lord of the worlds.[939]

لاَ شَرِيكَ لَهُ وَبِذَلِكَ أُمِرْتُ وَأَنَا أَوَّلُ الْمُسْلِمِينَ
[6:164] ‘He has no partner. And so am I commanded, and I am the first of those who submit.’

قُلْ أَغَيْرَ اللَّهِ أَبْغِي رَبًّا وَهُوَ رَبُّ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ وَلاَ تَكْسِبُ كُلُّ نَفْسٍ إِلاَّ عَلَيْهَا وَلاَ تَزِرُ وَازِرَةٌ وِزْرَ أُخْرَى ثُمَّ إِلَى رَبِّكُمْ مَرْجِعُكُمْ فَيُنَبِّئُكُمْ بِمَا كُنتُمْ فِيهِ تَخْتَلِفُونَ

[6:165] Say, ‘Shall I seek a lord other than Allah, while He is the Lord of all things?’ And no soul acts but only against itself; nor does any bearer of burden bear the burden of another[940]. Then to your Lord will be your return, and He will inform you of that wherein you used to differ.

وَهُوَ الَّذِي جَعَلَكُمْ خَلاَئِفَ الأَرْضِ وَرَفَعَ بَعْضَكُمْ فَوْقَ بَعْضٍ دَرَجَاتٍ لِيَبْلُوَكُمْ فِي مَا آتَاكُمْ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ سَرِيعُ الْعِقَابِ وَإِنَّهُ لَغَفُورٌ رَحِيمٌ

[6:166] And He it is Who has made you successors of others on the earth and has exalted some of you over the others in degrees of rank, that He may try you by that which He has given you.[941] Surely, thy Lord is quick in punishment; and surely He is Most Forgiving, Merciful.

817. The word Ja'ala is sometimes used synonymously with Khalaqa (He created); but whereas the latter word gives the sense of creating a thing after measuring and designing it, the former word signifies the making of a thing in a particular state or condition, or constituting or appointing it for a definite purpose (Lane). Idolatry seems to be based on two theories. The Hindus are the chief protagonists of the theory that God has delegated His powers to certain beings. The Zoroastrians believe in two gods-Ormuzd-the god of light, and Ahriman-the god of darkness. The present verse refutes both these theories and says that God is the Creator of heavens and earth and that He is also the Creator of light and darkness; and since all power and praise belong to Him, what need is there for Him to delegate His powers and entrust part of His work to others?

818.  Both the creation of man and his death (decreeing of a term) have been mentioned as acts of Divine mercy.

819. The first "term" refers to the span of individual life and the second "term" has reference to the life of the universe.

820. The verse does not mean that God's Person pervades the heavens and the earth. What is meant is that His knowledge comprehends the entire universe.

821. An important evidence of the knowledge and power of God are the prophecies that He reveals to His Messengers and the support and assistance that He vouchsafes to them against overwhelming odds. These are called Signs.

822. Anba' is the plural of Naba' which is generally used in the Qur'an about important news relating to some great event (Kulliyyat).

823.  Qarn means, a generation of men succeeding or preceding another generation, as if both were conjoined; people of one time (Lane).

824. The words do not mean that the world is retrogressing. It is no doubt progressing as a whole, but some of the older nations which rose to heights of civilization in the past were so advanced in certain branches of art and science that in those specific branches they were not equaled by the generations that followed. For instance; the modern age, in spite of the marvels it has wrought in the domain of science, still gazes with wonder at some of the works of ancient Egyptian civilization.

825.  They had made sure that it was a heavenly and not an earthly thing.

826. "The coming of angels" signifies the imminent approach of heavenly punishment.

827. The verse exposes the folly of the disbelievers' demand that an angel should have come to guide them.

828. As all things in the heavens and the earth belong to Allah, the enemies of Faith also belong to Him. No one would like to destroy his own handiwork, much less would God do so. He is Merciful and grants respite to disbelievers in order that they may repent and be shown mercy.

829. The word Fatir when used about God means, the Originator or the Creator, or the Maker.

830. The verse constitutes an emphatic exhortation to men to be on their guard against being disobedient to God, not that the Holy Prophet could ever disobey Him.

831. Dhalika may either refer to "the averting of punishment" or to "mercy."

832. The Divine attribute Al-Qahir refutes the theory that matter and soul are coexistent with God and have not been created by Him. If they were not created by Him then He had no right or power to subdue or overrule them.

833. God bears witness in three different ways,-by the revelation of the Qur'an. This is the first witness. The second and the third witnesses are mentioned in the following verses.

834.  A Prophet (or for that matter anything pertaining to faith) is not recognized in the beginning. He is recognized only as a father recognizes his son, more as a matter of probability than of dead certainty. Faith must always begin in the region of the unseen.

835.  The third kind of testimony is based on human reason. Every sane man will admit that if a person claims to speak in the name of God and forges lies against Him, he would but end his life in utter failure and destruction. On the other hand, those who oppose a Divine Messenger are never allowed to prosper and their efforts to arrest or retard the progress of the new Faith end in complete frustration.

836.  You asserted, claimed, or spoke of.

837. This denial on the part of idolaters will really be a confession of their helplessness and a form of petition for Divine mercy.

838. The verse constitutes an eloquent commentary on the captivating power of the Qur'an.

839. The words, has now become clear to them, signify that even the enemies of God's Prophets have in their minds a certain consciousness of the truth of Divine Messengers; but owing to their bigotry and waywardness they try to suppress such thoughts. On the Day of Judgment, however, these latent thoughts of theirs, which they tried to hide in this life, would become apparent, and the truthfulness of the Prophets of which they had dim consciousness would become manifest.

840. The verse means that their burdens would be exceedingly heavy.

841. The Holy Prophet was full of the milk of human kindness. He was not upset by what the disbelievers said concerning him. He was grieved not because the disbelievers accused him of falsehood but because by rejecting Allah's Signs they had shut on themselves the door of Divine mercy.

842. God lovingly addresses the Holy Prophet with these words of comfort and solace. He is told that Prophets before him were also rejected, scoffed at and ridiculed.

843. The Divine law that Divine help comes to the Prophets of God and their enemies come to grief is unalterable.

844. The words, to seek a passage into the earth, signify 'using worldly means,' i.e., preaching and propagating the truth; and the words, a ladder unto heaven, imply 'usingspiritual means,' i.e., offering prayers to God for the guidance of disbelievers, etc. Prayer isindeed the ladder by which a man can spiritually mount to heaven. The Holy Prophet is told toemploy both these means. The word Jahil as in 2:274 means "one not knowing" or"unacquainted." The Holy Prophet is exhorted not to remain unacquainted with the law of Godin this respect. The verse also sheds light on the Holy Prophet's great solicitude and concernfor the spiritual well-being of his people. He was prepared to go to any length to bring them aSign, even if he had "to seek a passage in the earth or a ladder unto heaven."

844A. This shows that the word Mauta has also been used in the Qur'an about those deprived of truth.

845. The verse mentions two classes of men: (a) Those who are good at heart and listen to, and readily accept, the truth; and (b) those who are potentially dead but are fit for spiritual regeneration. God will quicken them with a Sign and then they will also listen and embrace Islam.

846. The verse points out that even birds and insects; like ants, can understand from atmospheric change that a storm is imminent, and animals like dogs understand the orders of their masters but the foolish disbelievers do not see the writing on the wall and do not realize that by rejecting the Holy Prophet they are incurring the displeasure of God. They are warned that all their actions have been recorded and they will have to answer for them. The verse further seems to point to two classes of men: (a) Those who like the beasts are wholly bent upon the earth and their entire life is confined to satisfying their physical desires. (b) Those who like birds soar high into spiritual regions-highly spiritual persons having been likened to birds in the Qur'an (350).

847. "Hour" refers to the hour of the decisive victory of Islam, or; to the Fall of Mecca.

848. The words, you will forget what you associate with Him, were literally fulfilled on the day of the Fall of Mecca. On that day the Meccans lost all faith in their gods, as Abu Sufyan and his wife, Hindah and others had frankly admitted in the presence of the Holy Prophet. Ultimately, idolatry completely disappeared from Arabia.

849. The preceding verses referred to Divine punishment in general. In this verse its various forms have been mentioned.

850. The words lau la are not here used to express mere interrogation but also a feeling of pity. Thus the verse signifies: "They ought to have humbled themselves before God; but it is a pity that they did not."

851. Dabir means, last remains of a people; the roots, stock, race, or the like. The words Qufi'a Dabir al-Qaum mean: (1)The people were cut off to the last man. (2) The leaders of the people were cut off just as a tree is cut down to its roots. (3) The leaders' followers were cut off, i.e., the leaders were deprived of their political power, for it is on the strength of their followers that the political power of their leaders depends.

852. Wajh means, pleasure; countenance; the thing itself (2: 113).

853. Generally, presence of the poor in the community of believers proves a stumbling block in the way of the rich to accept the new Message.

854. This and the next verse lay down the guiding principle that it has not been left in the hands of the Holy Prophet to bring down punishment on disbelievers as demanded by them. If this had been the case, they would have since long met their deserved end, and then perhaps many erstwhile enemies of Islam like 'Umar and Khalid who later on were destined to play a leading role in extending and consolidating the power of Islam. would have died in disbelief. But God being All-Powerful is slow to punish and, being fully conversant with the inner working of the human heart. knows when and whom to punish. He alone knows how far hardships or ease can influence the actions of a man and whether or not good works done by a man are rendered null and void through the operation of other causes. He alone has knowledge of the grains of virtue that lie embedded in the heart of man and knows whether or not these grains will sprout forth and grow and thrive and bring forth fruit. He alone can tell whether a person who, to all appearances, is "dry" and "devoid of all spiritual life," will turn "green" when supplied with heavenly water or whether he is "dead" and beyond revival. In short, God alone has full knowledge of all things and of all conditions and all possibilities and potentialities and therefore He alone can say who is to be punished and who not.

855. God alone knows the condition of man by night and his actions by day, and all times are subject to His control, and therefore it is He alone Who knows the true character of the pious and the wicked, and consequently He alone is in a position to punish.

856. The "term" spoken of here is determined by the faculties and powers with which man is endowed from the time of his birth, and is liable to be extended or curtailed according as right or wrong use is made of it. There is no reference here to the eternal knowledge of God.

857. This verse provides another reason why God alone is entitled to punish. He is Qahir; i.e., Powerful and Mighty over all, therefore He can punish any of His creatures in Hisinfallible knowledge whenever He thinks proper. The powerful are never in a hurry to punish.

858.  Zulumat literally meaning "darkness" here signifies afflictions, calamities and misfortunes; for, with the Arabs, darkness is a symbol of misfortune.

859.  "Punishments from above" signifies famines, earthquakes, floods, hurricanes, the oppression of the weak by the powerful, mental agony, etc., and "punishments from beneath" signifies diseases, pestilences, revolt by subject peoples. etc. Then there is the punishment of discord, disunity and dissension which sometimes end in civil war. This is hinted in the words make you taste the violence of one another.

860. The pronoun "it" refers to (1) the matter under discussion: (2) the Qur'an: (3) Divine punishment. Taking the last meaning, the words "it is the truth" would mean that the promised punishment is sure to come.

861. The verse signifies that God, in His infallible wisdom, has fixed a time for the fulfillment of every prophecy. So the punishment that has been promised to the rejectors of truth will also come to pass in due time.

862. The verse likens the case of an idol-worshipper to that of a distracted person who has no fixed course to pursue. But a true believer has a fixed purpose and a fixed goal in life. He always prays to the One God with a deep-rooted conviction and does not wander about distracted like an idolater.

863. A Divine Prophet is indeed a trumpet through whom the Voice of God is heard, and the sounding of it is a symbol for the wide dissemination of his teachings and the great revolution to be brought about by him in the lives of his people. The verse means that when the teachings of the Holy Prophet are widely published and accepted in the world and when Islam triumphs and predominates, then the Kingdom of God will become demonstrably established in the earth and on that day will idols be broken to pieces.

864. In the Old Testament the name of Abraham's father is given as Terah (Gen.11:26) and in the New Testament (Luke, 3:34) it is Tharah. The Talmud agrees with Luke. Eusebius, the father of ecclesiastical history, gives Athar as the name of Abraham's father (Sale). This shows that even among the Jews there existed no unanimity of opinion about the name of Abraham's father. Eusebius must have strong reasons for differing from Genesis and Luke. The correct form appears to be Athar, which later became changed into Tharah or Terah. Athar closely resembles the name given in the Qur'an (Azar), only there is a slight difference of pronunciation, the two forms being almost identical. Christian writers, therefore; have no reason to quarrel with the Qur'an for calling Abraham's father by the name Azar. Moreover,
Abraham's father is also called Zarah in the Talmud (Sale), and Zarah is approximately the same as Azar. This shows that the Quranic version is much more reliable. Besides, Azar has been called Abraham's Ab (26:87), a word applied both to father, uncle and grandfather, etc. In 2:133 Ishmael who was Jacob's uncle has been called his Ab. It; however, appears from the Qur'an that Azar, though called the Ab of Abraham, was not really his father. Abraham had made a promise to Azar, his Ab, to pray to God to forgive him but when he came to know that he was an enemy of God, he abstained from praying for him; he was even actually forbidden to do so (9:114). But in 14:42 Abraham prays for his Walid which word is applied only to father. This shows that Azar who has been called the Ab of Abraham was a person different from his Walid. Most probably he was his uncle. Some passages of the Bible also support this inference. Abraham married Sarah the daughter of Terah (Gen. 20:12) which shows that Terah was not his father, because he could not marry his own sister. It appears that his father being dead, Abraham was brought up by his uncle, Azar or Athar; who gave him his daughter, Sarah, in marriage. As Azar brought up Abraham and was like a father to him, the latter seemed to have been called his son, and this led to the error of Azar or Athar being taken as the real father of Abraham. It also appears from the Talmud that Azar prosecuted Abraham and took him to the King for the offence of breaking the idols. If Azar had been the father of Abraham, he would not have taken such a drastic step against his own son.

865. The verse means that God granted Abraham the knowledge of, and an insight into, the natural laws that work in the universe, and of the all-pervading Divine power and control.

866. Verses 77 to 79 contain an argument which Abraham employed to bring home to his idolatrous people the absurdity of their belief that the sun, the moon and the stars were so many gods which they worshipped (Jew. Enc.). It is wrong to infer from these verses that Abraham was himself groping in the dark and did not know Who his God was, and that he took the evening star, the moon, and the sun for God one after the other and, when each of them set in its turn. he gave up his belief in their divinity and turned to the One God, the Creator of heavens and earth. In fact, the passage contains several arguments to show that Abraham, far from taking these heavenly bodies for gods, sought to demonstrate to his people the vanity of their beliefs step by step. Verses 75. 76 show that Abraham was a firm believer in One God. He could not, therefore. be considered as groping in the dark and wandering from one deity to another. The words, 'can this be my Lord' constituted an argument against starworship. He said these words to expose his people's belief that the star was their Lord. Moreover, he already knew that the star must set. So his argument contained in the words. "I like not those that set" must have been already present in his mind. In reality, he wanted to use his argument in a most effective manner. So he first assumed the star to be his Lord and. when it disappeared. he hastened to declare, I like not those that set. Similar was the case with the setting of the moon and the sun. Of the sun he used the word "greater" or "greatest" ironically in order to taunt his people for their folly. This clearly shows that by the line of arguments he adopted Abraham intended gradually to draw his people to God. A simple glance over vv. 80-82 makes it crystal clear that Abraham not only possessed firm faith in God but also had a deep knowledge of Divine attributes.

867. This and the preceding two verses definitely show that the incident related in vv. 77-79 was deliberately used by Abraham by way of argument; otherwise he himself was a staunch monotheist and had drunk deep at the fount of Divine love and knowledge.

868. This verse definitely settles the question whether Abraham gradually came to have faith in God by taking one heavenly body after another for his Lord or whether it was a skillfully graduated argument by means of which he sought to demonstrate the error of his people in worshipping these heavenly bodies as gods. The verse shows that Abraham had, from the beginning, been clear and firm in his faith in the Unity of God and that what he said concerning the sun and the moon, etc., was part of the argument which God had taught him.

869.  Ayyub or Job is the hero of the Book of Job. He is mentioned in the Bible as living in the land of Uz. Some authorities say that this is Idumea or Arabia Deserta; others fix Mesopotamia as his native place. It appears that Uz was somewhere in the north of Arabia. It is said that Job lived there before the departure of the Israelites from Egypt. He thus lived before Moses or, as some say, he was a compatriot of Moses, haying received his prophetic mission about 20 years before him. He was not an Israelite, having descended from Esau, the elder brother of Israel. He had a very chequered career, being "tried" by God in diverse ways; but he proved most faithful and righteous and was patient and steadfast in extreme adversity. He still lives in the memory of mankind as a paragon of patience (Jewish Enc. & Enc. of Islam).

870. The prophets descending from Noah have been divided in the present and the preceding two verses into three different groups and to each group has been added a distinctive adjective. The first group comprises David, Solomon, Job. Joseph, Moses and Aaron-Prophets who were given power and prosperity, and who consequently were able to do good to their fellow human beings. Hence members of this group have been designated as "doers of good." for, through their temporal power and prosperity they were able to do material good to their people. David and Solomon were kings; Joseph and Job were blessed with prosperity after they had been tried with afflictions which they both bore with extraordinary patience. Moses and Aaron enjoyed supreme authority over their people. The second group includes Zachariah, John, Jesus and Elias. None of these Prophets possessed temporal power or worldly goods; each lived a humble and lowly life. so much so that of Elias it is said that he was rarely seen and generally lived in the woods. The Prophets of this group have been described as "righteous." The third group consists of Ishmael, Elisha, Jonah and Lot. They had no worldly power. but God granted them grace and excellence. They were alleged to have coveted power and riches. Of Ishmael. we read in the Bible: "He will be a wild man; his hand will be against every man, and every man's hand against him" (Gen. 16:12). Of Elisha it is said that he caused a king who did not obey him to be slain so that he might thus gain political power. Jonah is supposed to have become displeased with God, because, as he thought, he was disgraced by the non-fulfillment of his prophecy, which, it is alleged, showed that he sought power for himself. Of Lot it is alleged that he coveted fertile pasture-lands and was always quarrelling with his kinsman, Abraham. Thus all these Prophets have been accused of coveting wealth and power. But Qur'an declares all these charges to be false. They were a group of heavenly people whom God had exalted.

871. The verse does not mean that every Prophet was given a separate Book. "Giving of the Book" is an expression used in the Qur'an generally in the sense of giving it through a Law-bearing Prophet. Elsewhere in the Qur'an (45: 17) it is stated that three things, vlz., Book, dominion and Prophet hood were given to all the Children of Israel. In 5:45 we read that a galaxy of Prophets appeared after Moses who were given no new Law but followed the Law as given in the Torah and judged by it. In fact, Prophets are of two categories-Law-bearing Prophets to whom a Book (Law or the Shari'ah) is given and Prophets. who are given no Book or Shari'ah, and who follow the Shari'ah of the Law-bearing Prophet. In their case the expression "We gave them the Book" means that they were given the knowledge of the Book or they inherited the Book or the Shari’ah from their Law-bearing predecessor.

872.  The words may be taken to have been addressed either to the Holy Prophet or to every Muslim, because the fundamental teaching of all Prophets is the same. Or they may signify that the spiritual self or nature of the Holy Prophet was such that it was, as if, commanded to combine in itself all the excellent qualities that were to be found individually in all other Divine Prophets. The command expressed by the words "follow them" is in spiritual terminology called Amr Kauni or Khalqi signifying a wish or quality inherent in a thing or person. For instances of such a command see 3:60 and 21:70.

873.  The words mean, "If this Book (the Qur'an ) has not been revealed by God, then who embodied in it such wise and comprehensive teachings as were known neither to you nor to your forefathers-teachings which it was beyond your power to produce. Only God could give such teachings."

874. The Jews have been condemned here for disclosing one part of the Torah and hiding the other part which contains prophecies and Signs about the advent of the Holy Prophet.

875. The place where a Prophet of God appears is called "The Mother of towns." for it is there that men drink spiritual milk, even as a child sucks milk from the breast of its mother. The words, those around her, may signify the whole world as the Message of the Holy Prophet was meant for the whole of mankind.

876. These words show that a believer in the life to come must believe in the Qur'an also. Thus belief in the Qur'an and belief in the Hereafter are inseparably linked together; the one is meaningless without the other.

877.   This torment is not to be identified with the ordinary agonies of death, which are shared, under the general law of nature, by righteous and unrighteous alike, but to the specific punishment that clings to the rejectors of Prophets from the very moment of their death.

878. The words mean, "We gave you certain things so that you might thereby improve your spiritual condition, but you have left them behind your backs, i.e., you made no use of them, and now the time for their use has passed away."

879. Attention is drawn to the seed from which a plant sprouts. How insignificant it is but how it grows and develops into a big tree. Similarly, like a seed, man is capable of growing into the recipient of Divine revelation and of being the reflector of God's great attributes.

880. Just as by working during the day, a man gets tired and he goes to sleep at night and is refreshed similarly, the people among whom the Holy Prophet made his appearance had a long night of rest, and their faculties having been reinvigorated they were full of spiritual energy and were eminently fitted to ascend the heights of spiritual development under his lead.

881. Just as in the physical world the sun and the moon are indispensable for measuring time and as sources of light, so are the Prophets of God indispensable in the spiritual world.

882.  Like the stars which guide the wayfarers in the night, the Divine and spiritual savants give guidance to the erring people groping in spiritual darkness.

883. Mustaqarr signifies the life of this world and Mustauda' the life after death, or the former word signifies the span between death and Resurrection and the latter the life after Resurrection. The verse signifies that when God has multiplied humanity out of "a single soul," it could not have been without a purpose. The great object for which He has created and multiplied human beings is that He has appointed for them not only a period of residence on this earth but also an everlasting life beyond the grave where the righteous will meet their Lord-a lofty goal indeed to which they can only rise under the guidance of Divine Messengers.

884.  Revelation is likened here to rainwater, and the verse answers the question, why, if revelation is indeed a blessing, is there discord and strife whenever a Prophet is raised? It says that just as after rainfall all kinds of vegetation grow up, both bad and good, according to the seeds lying concealed in the earth, similarly, at the advent of a Divine Messenger, men, who so far had remained mixed up, become divided into good and bad. The words "like and unlike" imply that whereas some fruits resemble; and some differ from; each other. This may apply either to fruits of different kinds, which resemble one another in certain respects and differ in others, or to fruits of the same kind which, although resembling one another in the main points, differ from one another in minor details, some tasting sweeter than others and some varying in color or size. The same is the case with those persons who accept a Prophet and follow Divine guidance. Whereas they bear great resemblance to each other in one respect, they differ in another. Some are morally and spiritually more advanced than others. Again, some are more advanced in one phase of spiritual growth; others are more advanced in another. They attain to different stages of spiritual perfection and develop different characteristics according to their respective natural capacities and dispositions. The words "the ripening thereof' refer to the analogy of the ripening of fruit. Just as it is unfair to judge a fruit by an unripe specimen, similarly it is unfair to find fault with the fruits of revelation because some believers are as yet in the process of spiritual development and have not attained perfection.

885.  Jinn are such beings as remain hidden or aloof from the common people. The verse signifies that man stumbles when he rejects Divine revelation and follows his own judgment and reason and associates the jinn and the angels as co-partners with God and attributes sons and daughters to Him.

886.  The word Waladun, Wuldun or Waldun means, a child, a son, a daughter, or any young one; children; sons, daughters; or young ones; also offspring (Lane). One can have a son only when one has a wife. God has no spouse, so He cannot have a son. Moreover, as God is the Creator of everything and possesses perfect knowledge, He does not need a son to help Him or succeed Him.

887. Absar being the plural of Basar which means, sight or understanding, and Latif meaning, incomprehensible; subtle (Lane & Taj); the verse means that human reason alone; unaided by Divine revelation, is incapable of comprehending God. He cannot be seen with physical eyes but reveals Himself to man through His Prophets or through the working of His attributes. He is also perceived by spiritual eyes.

888.  Bas'ir (plural of Basrah) means, proofs, arguments, signs, evidences (Lane).

889. Makes use of reason.

890.  Shuts his eyes to truth and virtually becomes blind.

891. The duty of a Divine Prophet is confined to conveying what is revealed to him by God. It is not his business to compel people to accept it. Incidentally; the verse constitutes a refutation of the charge that Islam encourages or countenances the use of force for the propagation of its teaching.

892. In His infinite wisdom God has made man a free agent. If at all He should have compelled the people He would certainly have compelled them to follow the truth; but in the interest of man himself it has not pleased God to use compulsion.

893. The words "guardian," "keeper" or "disposer of affairs" used for the Holy Prophet in the Qur'an are intended to signify that he is not responsible for the actions of other people.

894.  The verse not only inculcates respect for the susceptibilities of even the idol worshippers but also seeks to create amity among different nations and communities.

895. Zayyanna does not mean that God Himself causes the evil actions of man to look fair. It only signifies that He has so created human nature (and in this law of God lies the secret of man's all-round progress) that when he persists in doing a certain action he acquires a liking for it; and his action begins to appear good in his sight. In accordance with this general Divine law, the idolaters come to like their worship of idols, which appears to them to be good and meritorious.

896. Besides the meaning given in the text the latter part of the verse may be rendered as: "Surely, Signs are with Allah, and also that is with Allah which will make you know that when the Signs come, they will not believe.

897. The past evil deeds of disbelievers, which are preserved with God, stand in the way of their accepting the truth even after Signs come to them, unless they give up their idolatrous practices.

898. One of the functions of the angels is to suggest good ideas to men and to invite them to truth (41:32, 33). Sometimes they perform this function through dreams and visions. The righteous, who are dead, appear to men in dreams to testify to the claim of the Prophets. There is another way in which the dead speak to men. When a people who are spiritually dead are quickened to a new spiritual life by the teaching of their Prophet, their spiritual regeneration, as it were, speaks to the disbelievers and testifies to the truth of his claim.

899. The words refer to the testimony of the different objects of nature which bear testimony to the truth of a Prophet in the form of earthquakes, pestilences; famines, wars and other visitations. Thus nature itself appears to be angry with disbelievers; the very elements are up in arms against them.

900. The words, men and jinn; which occur in many verses of the Qur'an do not signify two different species of God's creatures, but two classes of human beings; "men" denoting the masses or the common folk, and "jinn" standing for the big people who often remain aloof from the common people and do not mix with them, practically remaining hidden from public gaze.

900A. That they may persist in their evil course. The words also mean that they experience the consequences of what they earn.

901.  The "Book" may also refer to the Qur'an; for not only the previous Divine Scriptures but also the Qur'an itself bears testimony to the truth of the Holy Prophet. It contains teachings which, though they run counter to current views and beliefs, yet fair-minded people to whom these teachings are rehearsed and explained feel constrained to acknowledge their reasonableness.

901A. It is reported that when Mecca fell and the Holy Prophet entered the Ka'bah which was at that time full of idols; and struck the idols one after the other with his stick, he recited the very words of this prophecy: The word of thy Lord has been fulfilled in truth and justice, thus alluding to the fact that with the Fall of Mecca the word of God had indeed been fulfilled (Manthur).

902. The Divine prophecies or the way and manner in which God's laws work in favor of Divine Prophets.

903. In matters of faith it is neither the majority nor the minority that can be accepted as judge of what is right or wrong. God alone is the Infallible Judge. He gives His judgment by showing heavenly Signs and by helping the party which pursues the path of truth.

904. Vv. 2:173 and 2352 show that the eating of good and pure food has a direct bearing on the actions of man. So believers are here enjoined to partake of pure and wholesome food to strengthen their faith and cleanse their hearts of impurity.

905. The verse explains why it is forbidden to eat such animals as die of themselves or such as are not duly slaughtered with an invocation of the name of God. The pronouncement of the name of God produces sanctifying effect on man's heart which nullifies the hardening effect which the killing of the animal is likely to produce.

906. In the foregoing verses it was pointed out that man-made laws are always defective. Now it is mentioned in the present verse that man-made teachings cannot stand against Divine teachings. The case of those who devise laws; with the aid of human reason alone, is like one who gropes in darkness from which he will never come out.

906A. Allah knows best who is fit to be His Messenger and who is not.

907. He regards Divine commandments as a burden and finds physical difficulty and mental trouble in carrying them out. His bosom, as it were, becomes narrow like one who is climbing up a steep height.

908.  Ma'shar means, a company of men whose affair is the same (Lane). In this verse the word jinn clearly signifies great and powerful men as opposed to Ins, i.e., the weak and poor classes.

909. The Arabic words may mean: (1)You have won over many from among the common masses to your side and have made them follow you; (2) you have exploited them; (3) you have attached great importance to the masses, i.e., you did not accept the Truth out of fear lest the masses should cease to follow you. Just as weak people do not accept the Truth out of fear of the great, similarly the great ones are sometimes afraid of their followers and do not accept the Truth out of fear lest they should desert them.

910. The verse provides another proof of the fact that by the word "jinn" is here meant only a class of human beings, viz., the great and the powerful, for it is only one class of men that exploits another class, jinn as beings different from men have never been found to exploit men, neither are Divine Messengers known to have ever been raised among them.

910A. The words may also mean, 'And thus do We set some of the evil doers over others.'

911. As the Holy Prophet was raised for all mankind, the word al-Quri would in his case apply to the whole world.

912. God never sends down general calamities unless He first warns people of the impending visitation by raising a Warner. Calamities referred to here are general calamities such as earthquakes, devastating wars, epidemics, etc., which smite a whole people.

913.  The words also mean, (1) act according to your way; (2) do your worst. The verse holds out a challenge to the idolatrous Meccans to do their worst and exert themselves to the utmost of their power and resources to extirpate Islam and destroy the small Muslim Community, but they will utterly fail in their nefarious designs and endeavors.

914.  The reference is to an idolatrous custom of the Arabs. They would divide the produce of their lands between God and their deities. If the portion which they set apart for their deities was spent for other purposes, then the portion which they had reserved for God was given away as charity in the name of their deities, but if the portion set apart for God was spent for other ends, then the portion set aside for the deities was not transferred to God.

915. The "associate-gods" here referred to are divines, soothsayers and astrologers, etc.

916. The reference is to the most atrocious practice among some Arab tribes of slaying or burying alive their female children or offering them as sacrifice at the altar of their deities to avert natural calamities. Or it may be to their superstitious vow that if they had a certain number of children they would offer one of them as sacrifice.

917.  By "forbidden crops" are meant such cultivated fields as were dedicated to the idols. These could be used only by the priests that attended upon them.

918. The cattle mentioned in 5:104. They were not used for riding or as beasts of burden.

919. Cattle dedicated to the associate-gods of Meccan idolaters. There is no reference here to the mentioning of God's name at the time of slaughtering.

920.  Another absurd custom of the Arabs.

921. In the foregoing verses reference was made to some of the idolatrous customs or foolish practices and laws which the pagan Arabs had devised for themselves. With this verse the Surah proceeds to give some of the Divine laws.

922. Apart from its primary meaning the verse also hints that the eating of lawful things is a means of safeguarding one against the attacks of Satan.

923. The idolaters are asked whether they were present when Allah forbade the eating of oxen and camels. They are called upon to produce a Divine authority showing that the cow and the camel were really forbidden. This is so because eating of the flesh of cows and the camel is regarded as forbidden by some people on Scriptural authority-the cow by the Hindus and the camel by some Jews.

924. The verse points out that the laws made by pagan Arabs with regard to permissible and forbidden foods were arbitrary, without any wisdom underlying them; while the food-laws prescribed by Islam are based on reason and wisdom. Basically speaking, Islam forbids four things-three on the basis of their being Rijs, i.e., unclean and impure; and one on the basis of its being Fisq, i.e., profane and irreligious. The first-mentioned three things are carrion, the blood which pours out when an animal is slaughtered or wounded and the flesh of swine. All these are, as the verse says, Rijs (unclean and impure), i.e., they are harmful both to the physical and moral health of man. The word Rijs, it must be noted, is to be read with each of the three first-mentioned forbidden things. The fourth thing forbidden is that on which the name of anything other than Allah, is pronounced. It is Fisq (profane), i.e., a source of disobedience or rebellion against God. The eating of such food is calculated to injure the spiritual health of man and to kill his feelings of love and jealousy for Him.

925. See Lev. 3:17 and 7:23. In the Talmud, exception is made of the fat that sticks to the ribs.

926. These things were forbidden to the Jews as a punishment for their transgression.

927. If God had decided to force men to do His Will, He would certainly have made them do things which are right and not the things which are wrong. But in His infinite wisdom He has made man a free agent. He has explained to him what is right and what is wrong, and then has left him free to follow whichever course he may like to choose.

928. The injunctions which follow the word 'forbidden' are what God commands us to carry out. The injunctions are expressly mentioned but the converse of them which is forbidden is implied. Thus, on the one hand, by using the word "forbidden" and, on the other, by following it up with positive commandments, the verse combines in itself both the direct injunctions and their converse. The verse may be construed in another way also. The first sentence should be taken as having ended with the words what your Lord has forbidden, and the next sentence as beginning with the word 'Alaikum which would in this case mean, "It is enjoined on you." The verse will then read as follows: "Come, I will rehearse to you what your Lord has forbidden. It is enjoined on you that you associate not anything as partner with Him.. ."

929. Next to the injunctions about the protection of life is mentioned the commandment to protect property.

930. After the injunction to guard the tongue comes the injunction to guard the heart, implied in the words and fulfill the covenant of Allah; for whereas the previous injunctions pertained to the covenant with men, the present one relates to the covenant with God.

931. The words "all things" signify all those things which satisfied the moral and spiritual needs of the Jews. The Torah fulfilled all those needs.

932. The verse signifies that the Qur'an is a revealed Book which contains all the imperishable teachings and eternal truths which were contained in the former Scriptures, this being the meaning of the word Mubarak (Lane). Thus by following the Qur'an Muslims are relieved of the necessity of seeking guidance from them.

933. The "two peoples" mentioned in the verse may be the Jews to whom was given the Torah and whose religion originated in the region in the north of Arabia, and the Zoroastrians to whom was given the Zend-Avesta and who lived on the east side of Arabia. Or the words may refer to Jews and Christians, the two peoples who lived in Arabia and with whom the Arabs had come into contact.

934.  The "coming of angels" here refers to the punishment of the people through wars; because the coming of angels has been mentioned in connection with the battles that took dace between Muslims and their enemies (3:125. 126 & 8:10).

935. The term "coming of the Lord" expresses complete destruction of the enemies of truth (2:211).

936. "The coming of the Signs" refers to earthly punishments such as famines, pestilences, calamities, etc.

937. The words, "split up their religion" signify that when people begin to follow their own caprices and fancies, differences arise among them and unanimity of views disappears.

938.  A good deed is like a good seed that multiplies tenfold and even more (2:262; 4:41; 10:27; 28; also Tirmidhi, ch. on Fasting) whereas an evil deed is counted as only one.

939. Prayer; sacrifice, life and death, cover the entire field of man's actions, and the Holy Prophet had been asked to declare that all phases of his life were devoted to God alone. All his prayers were offered to God; all his sacrifices were made to Him; all his life was devoted to His service; and if in the cause of religion he sought death, that was also to win His pleasure.

940. This verse contains, as do vv. 17:16; 53:40, 41, a forceful repudiation of the doctrine of Atonement and emphatically draws attention to the fact that everyone has to carry his own cross and to account for his own actions. Nobody's vicarious sacrifice can do one any good.

941. The verse constitutes at once an exhortation and a warning to the Muslims. They are told that they are going to be granted power and authority, and the duty of regulating the affairs of nations is about to devolve on them. They should discharge their responsibilities with equity and justice as they shall have to give account of their charge to their Creator.