Verses 56–73

Chapter 6: Al-Anʿām (The Cattle) · Printed edition: Volume 13, pp. 130–185

These verses are the closing arguments against the polytheists in favor of monotheism and other related themes of prophethood and resurrection; and they form a single well-connected narrative.

قُلْ إِنِّي نُهِيتُ أَنْ أَعْبُدَ الَّذِينَ تَدْعُونَ مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ ۚ قُلْ لَا أَتَّبِعُ أَهْوَاءَكُمْ ۙ قَدْ ضَلَلْتُ إِذًا وَمَا أَنَا مِنَ الْمُهْتَدِينَ ٥٦

(6:56) Say: “I am forbidden to serve those whom you call upon besides Allah.” Say: “I do not follow your low desires, for then indeed I should have gone astray and I should not be of those who go aright.”

It is a command to the Holy Prophet that he should inform the polytheists about the prohibition that has come upon him regarding worshiping their gods. It is an implied way of conveying the prohibition about worshiping them.

The next sentence: “Say: ‘I do not follow your low desires,’” explains the basis of prohibition since worshiping the idols would be following the low desires, and he has been forbidden from doing so. Then the verse: “’for then indeed I should have gone astray and I should not be of those who go aright,’” indicates the reason for not following the low desires: doing so would be misguidance and separation from the group of rightly-guided ones, those who are known by the quality of accepting God’s guidance and are recognized by it. Following the low desires negates the continuity of guidance in the person’s soul and prevents the light of monotheism from illuminating his heart, an illumination that is constant and beneficial.

These words form a summary of a complete and rationalized statement for prohibition or avoidance of worshiping their idols. It means that worshiping them would be following the low desires, and following low desires is misguidance and separation from the ranks of those guided aright by Divine guidance.

قُلْ إِنِّي عَلَىٰ بَيِّنَةٍ مِنْ رَبِّي وَكَذَّبْتُمْ بِهِ ۚ مَا عِنْدِي مَا تَسْتَعْجِلُونَ بِهِ ۚ إِنِ الْحُكْمُ إِلَّا لِلَّهِ ۖ يَقُصُّ الْحَقَّ ۖ وَهُوَ خَيْرُ الْفَاصِلِينَ ٥٧

(6:57) Say: “Surely I have manifest proof from my Lord and you call it a lie; I have not with me that which you would hasten; the judgment is only Allah’s; He relates the truth and He is the best of separators (between truth and falsehood).”

al-Bayyinah means ‘the manifest proof’ and it is from al-bayān which means ‘clarity’. The original meaning of this word is separation of a thing from another in such a way that they do not join or mix. From al-bayān is derived al-bayn, al-bawn, al-baynūnah, etc. al-Bayyinah (the manifest proof) is known as bayyinah because the truth is separated from the falsehood; and so it becomes clear and it becomes easy to identify it without any difficulty and effort.

The pronoun ‘it’ in “and you call it a lie” refers to the Qur’an; and the apparent context demands that the lie be related to the manifest proof that is with the Holy Prophet, and this is supported by next sentence: “I have not with me that which you would hasten…” By considering this latter sentence, the meaning of the verse is as follows: One of the manifest proofs by which God has supported my messengership is the Qur’an that you have rejected; and what you are demanding from me and asking to hasten one of the signs (that is, the punishment) is not in my control nor is its decision delegated to me. Consequently, there is no point of agreement between us since I have been given (the Qur’an as a sign) that you do not want and you demand that what I have not been given.

It is clear from the above that the pronoun in “and you call it a lie” refers to the manifest proof which is contained in the Qur’an. And verily the statement: “I have not with me that which you would hasten…” means implicitly denying any control over what they would like to hasten. What a human mostly controls (especially in case of giving and bestowing) are things that are with him or at least stored with him and under his control, and then he gives out from it whatever he wishes. Therefore, the meaning of “I have not with me” is denial of control and power in the style of denying the consequence by denying the cause.

His statement “the judgment is only God’s…” explains the reason for denial and that is why it has occurred in negative form. (Its literal translation would be: “the judgement is not but of God.”) Moreover, the exceptional clause (‘only’) denotes the exclusivity of the matter to prove that the negation is universal in the sense that no one but the Almighty God has the judgment and it depends on Him only.

Discourse

The discussions “A Talk on the Meaning of Judgment and that it Belongs to God Only”; “A Talk on the Meaning of Reality of God’s Action and Judgment” appear here in the printed volume. Read them in the Al-Mizan App.

Commentary continues:

قُلْ لَوْ أَنَّ عِنْدِي مَا تَسْتَعْجِلُونَ بِهِ لَقُضِيَ الْأَمْرُ بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَكُمْ ۗ وَاللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ بِالظَّالِمِينَ ٥٨

(6:58) Say: “If that which you desire to hasten were with me, the matter would have certainly been decided between you and me; and Allah best knows the unjust.”

It means that if I was capable of doing what you want from me—and if the sign (that is, punishment) comes down to a messenger, it shall be a decisive judgement between him and his people—the matter will be finally decided between me and you, and one of the two groups will be saved while the other will be punished and destroyed; and it will punish or destroy only you because you are the unjust, and the Divine punishment seizes only the unjust ones for their injustice. The Almighty is above the level of those who get confused in the judgement and who are unable to distinguish the unjust from the innocent, and thus end up punishing me instead.

The words: “and God best knows the unjust” is kind of an indication and justification (for the decisive judgement); in other words, it is surely you who will be punished because you are indeed the unjust ones and the Divine chastisement does not pass from the unjust to the others. This sentence reaffirms the message of a previous verse: Say: “Have you considered if the chastisement of Allah should overtake you suddenly or openly, will any be destroyed but the unjust people?” ()

وَعِنْدَهُ مَفَاتِحُ الْغَيْبِ لَا يَعْلَمُهَا إِلَّا هُوَ ۚ وَيَعْلَمُ مَا فِي الْبَرِّ وَالْبَحْرِ ۚ وَمَا تَسْقُطُ مِنْ وَرَقَةٍ إِلَّا يَعْلَمُهَا وَلَا حَبَّةٍ فِي ظُلُمَاتِ الْأَرْضِ وَلَا رَطْبٍ وَلَا يَابِسٍ إِلَّا فِي كِتَابٍ مُبِينٍ ٥٩

(6:59) And with Him are the keys of the unseen—none knows them but He; and He knows what is in the land and the sea; and there falls not a leaf but He knows it, nor a grain in the darkness of the earth, nor any thing green nor dry but (it is all) in a clear book.

In explaining the connection of this verse to the previous one, some commentators say that since the previous verse ended with the words: and Allah best knows the unjust, the Almighty God added the statement that the treasures of the unseen or the keys of those treasures are with Him, none knows them but He and He knows every sublime and subtle matter.

This explanation does not clarify the exclusivity seen in the verse: “none knows them but He.” It is better to link this verse with the theme of both previous verses (from Say: “Surely I have manifest proof from my Lord… to …and Allah best knows the unjust.”), since they together state that the sign and its inevitable outcome that they were asking from the Holy Prophet is, indeed, in full control of God and no one else has any say in it; and that He knows the judgement and He is not confused in judging and punishing the unjust people since He is Aware of them; and that He exclusively knows the unseen, He knows the sublime as well as the subtle issues, and neither does He miss something nor forget. He further elaborates this by His Word: “And with Him are the keys of the unseen,” thereby He clarifies His exclusive control on the knowledge of the unseen and that His knowledge encompasses everything. Then He completes His statement by the next three verses.

In this way, the context of the verses become like some other similar verses such as those in the story of Prophet Hūd and his people: They said: “Have you come to us to turn us away from our gods; then bring us what you threaten us with, if you are of the truthful ones.” He said: “The knowledge is only with Allah, and I deliver to you the message with which I am sent…” ().

And with Him are the keys of the unseen: al-Mafātiḥ (the keys) is plural of maftaḥ in the meaning of a treasure; it could also be plural of miftaḥ in the meaning of a key. This latter rendering is supported by the non-canonical recitation: (wa ʿindahu mafātīḥu al-ghayb—‘And with Him are the keys of the unseen’). The conclusions of both meanings are the same: whosoever has the keys of the treasures is aware of what is in them and has power to use them as he pleases just as the one who has the treasures themselves. However, other similar verses in the Qur’an support the first meaning since the Almighty has repeatedly talked about His treasures and the treasures of His mercy (and that is in seven instances) and in none of those cases has the word “keys” occurred: Or have they the treasures of your Lord with them? (); Say: “I do not say to you, ‘I have with me the treasures of Allah…’” (); And there is not a thing but with Us are the treasures of it… (); And Allah’s are the treasures of the heavens and the earth… (); Or is it that they have the treasures of the mercy of your Lord…? (). Therefore, the most appropriate meaning of mafātīḥ is the treasures of the unseen.

In any case, the verse: “And with Him are the keys of the unseen” intends to state the exclusivity of the knowledge of the unseen to the Almighty either by saying that the treasures of the unseen are not known to anyone but God or by saying that the keys of the unseen are not known by other than God. So, no one else has access to those treasures since he does not have knowledge of their keys by which he can open them and use what is therein.

Although the beginning of the verse talks about the exclusivity of the knowledge of the unseen to Almighty, its latter part is not restricted to the knowledge of the unseen; rather it mentions that His knowledge encompasses everything no matter whether it is unseen or seen—after all not everything ‘wet or dry’ can be classified as unseen. This is clear enough. So, the verse in general clarifies the encompassing nature of Almighty’s knowledge covering every unseen and seen item; even though it’s beginning part talks about the unseen and its latter part talks about both the unseen and the seen.

From another perspective, the beginning of the verse deals with the unseen that is in the treasures of the unseen under the covers of secrecy and the locks of obscurity. The Almighty God says: And there is not a thing but with Us are the treasures of it, and We do not send it down but in a known measure, (). Verily the things that are in ‘the treasures of the unseen with Him’ are not entities that can be comprehended by visible boundaries nor can they be quantified by known measures. Moreover, there is no doubt that they are ‘unseen treasures’ because they are beyond the determination of boundary and measure; and we cannot comprehend any information unless it is limited and measured. Furthermore, the things in the treasures of the unseen are—before descending to the level of visibility and declining to the stage of limit and measure; and, in short, before they come to exist in a measured form—without any boundary and measure even though they exist in a kind of (abstract) existence with the Almighty as mentioned in the verse.

The entities that exist in this visible world, bound by time, existed before their (material) existence with God in His treasures in a kind of existence that is abstract and without measure even if we are unable to comprehend their form of existence; they existed within the keys of the unseen and its treasures before their (material) existence and their settling down at the stage of measure and time.

Perhaps there are other things preserved within these treasures that are not comparable to the things that are time-bound, and known and familiar to us. This kind of the unseen that has not yet emerged on the scene of visibility is known as “al-ghayb al-muṭlaq—the absolute unseen.”

(Then there is “al-ghayb al-nisbi—the relative unseen”). The things that are wrapped in the cover of (physical) reality and descend to the level of limits and measures were (previously) in the treasures of the unseen, that is, in the category of the absolute unseen. However, these same entities—with their limits and measures—can still be comprehended by our eyes and intelligence: So, when we come to know about them, they are considered as ‘seen’; and when we don’t know about them, then they are considered as ‘unseen’. When such things are unknown to us, it is appropriate to name them as “the relative unseen.” For example, something that is inside a house, it is ‘seen’ in relation to those who are inside it; and it is ‘unseen’ in relation to those who are outside it. These descriptions are relative to those inside or outside the house. This relativity can also be seen in lights and colors: they are discernible by the vision and so are ‘seen’ in relation to the eyes but ‘unseen’ in relation to the ears. Similarly, the sounds that are discernible by the ears are ‘seen’ in relation to the ears but ‘unseen’ in relation to the eyes; and both are ‘seen’ in relation to a human being who has eyes and ears but ‘unseen’ to those who are blind and deaf.

What God has mentioned in (the latter part of) the verse: “and He knows what is in the land and the sea; and there falls not a leaf but He knows it, nor a grain in the darkness of the earth, nor anything green nor dry but (it is all) in a clear book”, refers to the relative unseen since all these items are limited and measured that can be either comprehended by us or they could be hidden from us.

Then the verse says that these things are: “in a clear book”: So, what is the status of these things that are in the clear book? Are these things in it in form of “the unseen” as well as “the seen” or only in form of “the unseen”? In other words, does the term “a clear book” refer to the world that consists of things that are never hidden from it (even though they be unseen to one another)? Or does it refer to a reality beyond this world in which these things have been recorded and preserved in it in a peculiar way that they are unseen to the people of this world and so whatever is in the book is the absolute unseen?

In still other words, the things that exist in the limited existence that have been mentioned in this verse, do they themselves exist in the clear book just as the letters exist in the books that are with us? Or do they exist in form of their names in it just as the physical items exist in meaning only when we write about them in the papers and the books, and the these words mirror the outside reality according to the absolute knowledge?

(The answer is the second of the two alternatives.) The Word of the Almighty: No misfortune befalls on the earth nor in your own selves, but it is in a book before We bring it into existence… (), proves that the relationship of this book to the real events is like that of a book in which the program of the event is written down to the actual event. Closer to this are the following verses: …and there does not lie concealed from your Lord the weight of an atom in the earth or in the heaven, nor anything less than that nor greater, but it is in a clear book, (); …not the weight of an atom becomes absent from Him, in the heavens or in the earth, and neither less than that nor greater, but it is in a clear book, (); He said: “Then what is the state of the former generations?” He said: “The knowledge thereof is with my Lord in a book: errs not my Lord, nor does He forget,” (); and other verses like it.

So: “a clear book”, whatever may it be, is an entity different from the real things; it existed before the things and will remain after they perish just like the programs written for activities before their occurrence that remain recorded even after their occurrence.

Nonetheless, these entities and events in our world are variable and changing under the general law of movement whereas the verses state that there is no possibility of change or error in the contents of the Book. The Almighty says: Allah erases what He pleases and establishes (likewise), and with Him is the basis of the Book, (). In a guarded tablet, (). …and with Us is a writing that preserves (). As you can see, the verses prove that this book, while containing all details of events and persons that are variable and changing, does not itself change nor does any variation and error reach it.

Thus, it becomes clear from this that “the Book” that is with the Almighty God is separate from “the keys of the unseen” and the treasures of things. God has described the keys and the treasures as being beyond measure and limit, and that the limits and measures come upon those things when they descend from the treasures of the unseen to this world that is the level of visibility. Also, He has described that this book contains the details of the perimeters of these things and events. So, from that perspective: “a clear book” would be different from “the treasures of the unseen” that are with God and, in reality, it is creation of God that precisely records the other creations and preserves them after their descent from the treasures of the unseen and before they reach to the stage of (physical) materialization and also after their materialization and demise.

It also proves that the Almighty God mentioned this book in this verse to describe the encompassing nature of His knowledge about the items and events that occur in the world no matter whether they were unseen for us or visible. As for “the absolute unseen” that no one but the Almighty can know, that has been described by Him as being in “His treasures”; and “the keys of the unseen” that He possesses, no one knows that except Him. However, some verses indicate that while it is possible for others to know what is in “the book”, no one can know what is in “the treasures.” For example: In a book that is hidden; none do touch it save the purified ones, ().

So, there is nothing in the creation of God but that it has its origin in “the treasures of the unseen” from which it is sustained; and there is nothing in what God has created but that “the clear book” contains it before its (physical) existence, at the time of its existence, and after it perishes. However, “the clear book” is a degree lower in status than “the treasures.” An intelligent observer can discern that “the clear book”, even though it is simply a book, is not like the parchments and material papers; the material scrolls—whatever their size and their quality—are incapable of recording its own history let alone the perpetual history of other items.

From this discussion, two points become clear:

Firstly, the meaning of “the keys of unseen” is the Divine treasures that contains things before it branches out into mould of measures, and it contains the unseen status of everything as declared in the following verse: And there is not a thing but with Us are the treasures of it, and We do not send it down but in a known measure, ().

Secondly, the term “a clear book” refers to its relationship to all things like the relationship of a book that contains program of action to the action itself; therein is a kind of measure for things except that the Book exists before the things, with them and after them; and it contains the knowledge of the Almighty about things, a knowledge which has no room for error or omission. That is why it is sometimes surmised that “a clear book” refers to the real status of things and their physical materialization (which is immune to any change) since nothing is subject to change except after its existence; and that is the meaning of the idiom: “verily once an entity is created it does not change.”

In short, this book contains everything that happens in the world of creation and invention—whatever happened in the past, whatever is happening now, and whatever will happen in the future without any doubt. However, it also contains things that are in the realm of limits and measures, and scrolls and books that allow change and alteration, and accept the process of erasing and reinstating as stated in God’s words: Allah erases what He pleases and establishes (likewise), and with Him is the basis of the Book; (). The erasing and confirming especially when it is contrasted with the basis of the Book—happens in the Book.

Thus, the connection of the verse: And with Him are the keys of the unseen with the previous verses becomes clear. The conclusion of the two previous verses was that: ‘what you are demanding of me for the decisive sign between us is not within my power, neither is the final judgement with me, instead it is in the knowledge and power of my Lord; if it were in my power, the matter would have been decisively settled between us, and the chastisement would have seized you, that it does not seize anyone but the unjust ones since God knows that you are, indeed, the unjust ones; because He is the Knowledgeable Who is not ignorant of anything. Hence, there is no way to know and control what He intends and decides eventually because the keys of the unseen are with Him, none knows them but He; and He best knows the unjust ones and does not confuse them with others since He knows what is in the land and the sea, and knows every minute and grand thing, and everything is in the clear book.’

So, His Word: “and with Him are the keys of the unseen” refers to the absolute unseen to which none other than Him has access. The statement “no one knows them” is a circumstantial phrase and it proves that the keys of the unseen is from category of knowledge, however it is unlike the knowledge with which we are familiar. What naturally comes to our minds about the meaning of ‘knowledge’ refers to the images that have been derived from things after they come to exist and can be measured by their perimeters while “the keys of unseen”—as mentioned earlier—refers to knowledge of things (in their abstract form) that have not yet come to (physical) materialization and cannot be measured by their physical perimeters. In other words, the unlimited knowledge not influenced by anything.

And His Word: “and He knows what is in the land and the sea” show the expansive bounds of His knowledge that can be comprehended by others, both those items that are sometimes visible to some people as well as those that are invisible to some others. ‘the land’ has been mentioned first because it is more known to the people who are being addressed.

And His Word: “and there falls not a leaf but He knows it” specifically talks about leaves since it is difficult for a human being to know about them because of the excessively great quantity of the leaves on the trees and that makes it impossible for a person to distinguish them one from the other or to monitor them all together with the variance in their state ending in falling off and decaying.

Also, His Word: “nor a grain in the darkness of the earth, nor anything green nor dry but (it is all) in a clear book” is contextually connected to the term “a leaf.” The expression “the darkness of the earth” refers to its dark depths that contain the grains, some of which grow while others perish. So, the meaning of the verse would be: ‘no grain falls in the dark depths of the earth nor do anything green nor dry—whatever it may be—falls on it but God knows it.’ Based on this, the words “but (it is all) in a clear book” replaces the expression “but that He knows it”; and implication of its missing syntactical part is the following: “but that it is found written in the clear book.”

The adjective of the book as al-mubīn (clear) could have two meanings: If it is in the meaning of ‘the clarifying book’, then it is so because it clarifies for its reader everything in its true form without allowing any shadow of change, alteration, and concealment in its description. If it is in the meaning of ‘the clear book’, then it is so because the book is in essence of a written entity and the written entity is recited, and if it is clear without any concealment or ambiguity, then the Book is also the same.

وَهُوَ الَّذِي يَتَوَفَّاكُمْ بِاللَّيْلِ وَيَعْلَمُ مَا جَرَحْتُمْ بِالنَّهَارِ ثُمَّ يَبْعَثُكُمْ فِيهِ لِيُقْضَىٰ أَجَلٌ مُسَمًّى ۖ ثُمَّ إِلَيْهِ مَرْجِعُكُمْ ثُمَّ يُنَبِّئُكُمْ بِمَا كُنْتُمْ تَعْمَلُونَ٦٠

(6:60) And He it is Who takes your souls at night (in sleep), and He knows what you acquire in the day then He raises you up therein that an appointed term may be fulfilled; then to Him is your return, then He will inform you of what you were doing.

al-Tawaffā means to take something in full; and God uses it in His statements in the meaning of taking the living soul the way it happens at time of death as He has said in the next verse: …until when death comes to one of you, Our messengers (that is, angels) cause him to die… ()

al-Tawaffā is also used in meaning of putting one to sleep just as it is used in meaning of causing death as seen in: Allah takes completely the souls at the time of their death, and those that die not during their sleep… (), since both actions are similar in preventing the soul from its function on the body (partially in case of sleep and fully in case of death).

Similarly, the term al-baʾth is used in meaning of awaking someone from sleep as it is used in meaning of raising someone after death both reconnect the soul’s function on the body (partially in the former and fully in the latter).

And qualifying al-tawaffā with ‘at night’ and al-baʾth with “during the day” is based on what happens normally since people are asleep at night and awake during the day.

So, the word “yatawaffākum—He takes your souls in full” proves that the soul is the complete essence of a human being which is reflected by the term ‘I’ and not like what we sometimes are made to think that the soul is one of the two parts of a human being and not its complete being or that it is a form or a quality accidental to him. A clearer verse in this matter is –11: And they say: “What! When we have become lost in the earth, shall we then indeed be in a new creation?” Nay! They are disbelievers in the meeting of their Lord. Say: “The angel of death who is given charge of you shall take you completely, then to your Lord you shall be brought back.” The astonishment of the unbelievers was based on their assumption that the essence of a human being is the body which perishes and decays when its limbs disintegrate because of death and so it is ‘lost’ in the earth. Hence the answer is based on the view that a human’s essence is the soul (the spirit), and when the angel of death takes the soul in full and secures it, nothing of it is lost.

…and He knows what you acquire in the day: (“Jaraḥtum—you acquire” is from) al-jarḥ that refers to the action done by the limb, and it means whatever a person acquires. The sentence means that God knows what you have acquired (of deeds) in the day. It is better to consider wa (and) and the sentence following it as a circumstantial phrase (and not a conjunction) of the earlier active verb. (So, the sentence should then start with: “while He knows what you acquire in the day.”) Consequently, the sentence “then He raises you up therein” connects with “He it is Who takes your souls” without any interruption of an irrelevant statement in between since the two verses intend to explain the Divine design about human life in this world, at time of death and after it until he is returned to his Lord.

The main purpose of the two narrative sentences is to explain the meaning of the Almighty’s Word: “And He it is Who takes your souls at night (in sleep) while He knows what you acquire in the day, then He raises you up therein—in the day—in order to fulfill an appointed term… and He sends keepers over you until when death comes to one of you, Our messengers take him completely, and they are not remiss. And then they are returned to God, their True Master.” This is the actual intent of this statement, and everything else is of secondary status. In short, the meaning is that He it is Who takes your souls at night (in sleep) while He knows what you acquire in the day, then He raises you again up in the day.

… then He raises you up therein that an appointed term may be fulfilled; then to Him is your return, then He will inform you of what you were doing: Awakening someone or making someone alert has been described by the word baʾth in order to contrast it with the word tawaffā used for putting someone to sleep. The purpose of baʾth/awakening is to complete the appointed term (of death), a time known to God that cannot be missed by the worldly life of a human, as He has said: …so when their term comes they shall not remain behind (even) an hour, nor shall they go before ().

Fulfillment of the appointed term is justification (for awakening) because the Almighty is Swift in reckoning, and had it not been for the previously determined term, He would have surely seized them for their deeds and evil consequences of their sins. He said: And they did not become divided until after the knowledge had come to them out of rivalry among themselves; and had not a word gone forth from your Lord till an appointed time, certainly judgment would have been decided between them… (); the previous determined term can be seen in God’s Word in the story of Adam’s descent: “and there is for you in the earth an abode and a provision for a time.” ().

So, the meaning of the verse is that verily God takes your souls at the night and although He knows what you have earned of evil deeds during the day, He does not hold back your souls (to finalize your death) rather He awakens you during the day after taking your souls so that your determined time (of death) be fulfilled; and with death and resurrection, you shall return to Him who will inform you of what you were doing.

وَهُوَ الْقَاهِرُ فَوْقَ عِبَادِهِ ۖ وَيُرْسِلُ عَلَيْكُمْ حَفَظَةً حَتَّىٰ إِذَا جَاءَ أَحَدَكُمُ الْمَوْتُ تَوَفَّتْهُ رُسُلُنَا وَهُمْ لَا يُفَرِّطُونَ ٦١

(6:61) And He is the Supreme, above His servants and He sends keepers over you; until when death comes to one of you, Our Messengers take him completely, and they are not remiss.

Some discussion on this sentence has passed in the commentary of the 17th verse of this chapter.

Expressing the process of sending the keepers without any qualifying term and linking it to the time of death is not without indication that the role of these keepers is to protect the human from every calamity that he faces, every misery that follows him, and every tribulation that approaches him. After all, our life in this world is a life of interaction and competition in which everything is affected by rivalry with others from all directions because every part of this physical world is occupied with seeking perfection and increasing its share of existence. Moreover, nothing can increase in its share except that it diminishes an equal share from something else; so things are constantly in state of struggle and domination. Thus, part of this world is the human being whose physical constitution is the most delicate of existing constitutions and the most elegant of what we know; and his rivals in nature are numerous and his enemies in life are more dangerous. Therefore, God has sent to him the angels as protectors from a variety of calamities, impacts of disasters and misfortunes; and they constantly protect him from death until when his determined term (of death) comes, they leave him to his tribulations which will eventually cause his death as it has been mentioned in the aḥādīth.

As for the verse where the Almighty says: And most surely there are keepers over you, honourable recorders, they know what you do, (), the word ‘keepers’ refers to those angels who record the deeds. However, some exegetes have taken the verses under discussion as a commentary of this verse. Even though this verse does not totally discount that interpretation but the words: “until when death comes to one of you” support the earlier interpretation.

Our messengers take him completely, and they are not remiss: Apparently, the meaning of ‘remiss’ is negligence and carelessness in implementing the Divine Command of causing death. Almighty God, however, has declared the angels as those who do what they are commanded to do. And He has also said that every nation is tied to its (determined) term, and when their term comes, they will not remain behind even for a moment nor shall they die before it. The angels assigned to the task of taking the soul fully do not fall short of the necessary limit that are clearly delineated for them about the death of a given person at a given time in such-and-such conditions; and so they do not neglect, even for a moment, in taking the soul of a person whose death has been assigned to them and so they do not remiss.

Are these angels (assigned to cause death) the same as those who were mentioned earlier as keepers? The verse is silent on this matter although there is a remote indication about their being the same. However, these angels assigned to cause death (to whatever category they may belong) are indeed helpers of the Angel of Death as the Almighty has said: Say: “The angel of death who is given charge of you shall take you completely, then to your Lord you shall be brought back.” ().

Relating the action of taking the soul to these angels and then to the Angel of Death in the verse mentioned above and further more to the Almighty God as in the verse: Allah takes completely the souls at the time of death… ()—is kind of a variety in the levels of reference. To God ends everything and He is the Master Who is absolutely free in whatever He does; and the Angel of Death is connected (to the Almighty) in his function of taking the souls with his helpers who are functionaries of the task and his means and tools.

This is just like the line that is drawn by a pen behind which is a hand (which holds and moves it) and behind them both is the person who is writing.

ثُمَّ رُدُّوا إِلَى اللَّهِ مَوْلَاهُمُ الْحَقِّ ۚ أَلَا لَهُ الْحُكْمُ وَهُوَ أَسْرَعُ الْحَاسِبِينَ ٦٢

(6:62) Then are they sent back to Allah, their Master, the True One; now surely His is the judgment and He is swiftest in taking account.

The verse refers to their return to the Almighty God through resurrection after death. His description as: “their Master, the True One” indicates that He is the cause of all the functions mentioned earlier such as putting to sleep awakening, maintaining (their lives), causing death, and bringing about resurrection. It also has analysis of the concept of mastership and then proof of the right of mastership for Him: the master is one who owns the slave, and among his rights is to act about him as he wills. Since the Almighty has the real ownership and He is the One who brought about creation, management, and resurrection, then He is the True Master for Whom is established the meaning of mastership in a way that it can never be diminished ever.

… now surely His is the judgment and He is swiftest in taking account: Since the Almighty has explained the exclusivity of the treasures of the unseen to Himself, His knowledge about the clear book that contains everything, and His management of the affairs of His creatures from the time they came to exist until their return to Him, He now explains that the judgement belongs to Him and not to anyone else. As He has mentioned earlier: the judgment is only Allah’s, He now announces the conclusion of His statement by saying: “now surely His is the judgment” in order to draw their attention to what they have ignored.

That is, His Word: “and He is swiftest in taking account” is another conclusion of the previous statement. He clarifies that He does not delay the reckoning of people’s deeds from its appropriate time; rather He delays whenever He delays in order to fulfill the term that has been determined for it.

قُلْ مَنْ يُنَجِّيكُمْ مِنْ ظُلُمَاتِ الْبَرِّ وَالْبَحْرِ تَدْعُونَهُ تَضَرُّعًا وَخُفْيَةً لَئِنْ أَنْجَانَا مِنْ هَٰذِهِ لَنَكُونَنَّ مِنَ الشَّاكِرِينَ ٦٣

(6:63) Say: “Who is it that delivers you from (the dread of) darkness of the land and the sea (when) you pray to Him (openly) humiliating yourselves, and secretly: ‘If He delivers us from this, certainly we shall be of the grateful ones.’ “

“Deliverance from the dread of darkness of the land and the sea” means to rescue from the difficulties that a person faces while travelling on the land or in the sea such as severe cold, rain, snow, storm, robbers, etc. This becomes more difficult for a person in darkness of the night or the clouds or the winds that cause swirling dust—all this elevates a person’s anxiety, hopelessness, and disorientation in finding ways to prevent it. That is why deliverance has been linked to (levels of) darkness.

The actual question was about who delivers the human from the difficulties that he faces in his travels in the land and the sea. Then the difficulties were linked to the land and the sea since they denote the space; and then the darkness was linked to the land and the sea because darkness has a definite impact in intensifying these difficulties. Finally, ‘the difficulties’ was replaced by ‘the (levels of) darkness’ and deliverance was linked to it: “delivers you from darkness of the land and the sea.” Even though the Almighty God delivers people from all distress and sadness as He has mentioned in the next verse, the term darkness has been specifically mentioned because hardship, discomfort and calamity are normally associated, in human’s mind, with the journey on the land and in the sea.

al-Taḍarruʾ means openly expressing humiliation (that is, humbleness and submission) as mentioned by al-Rāghib (in his al-Mufradāt); and therefore it has been contrasted with “al-khufyah—secretly” (that is, privately and covertly). Openly expressing humiliation and secrecy in prayer refers to asking openly and secretly respectively. When someone faces a calamity, he begins praying secretly and in whispers; but when the calamity becomes severe, and signs of hopelessness and being cut off from the safety appear, then he does not care whether the people around him will see his humility and imploring gesture—he prays openly in as well as in whispers.

Mentioning ‘openly’ and ‘secretly’ is an indication that the Almighty delivers people from the calamities of the land and the sea, the severe ones as well as the lighter ones.

And in His Word: “If He delivers us from this, certainly we shall be of the grateful ones” indicates that when a person prays under such a situation to be relieved from it, he adds a pledge and a promise to His Lord that if God relieves him from that situation he will surely be among the grateful ones and will abandon his previous ungrateful state.

The origin of this promise is based on the norm prevailing among the people in their interaction with one another. When one of us becomes helpless and surrounded with a trial from a severe calamity or poverty or an enemy, he will seek help from someone whom he considers to be capable to remove that problem and promises him something that will please him and strengthen his determination and manliness. And that could be in form of a good praise or wealth or work or loyalty. This is based on the social interaction between us that all exist as interchange is done between two parties in which one gives something and takes something in return, since need is essential to a human in the sense that he does nothing but for sake of a benefit which will come in his way. Other creatures are also the same.

The Almighty God’s status, however, is nobler than any need or any loss, and He does not do anything but that its benefit is for His creatures. That is why the concept of monotheism has been placed in contrast to the human being’s promise of gratitude and obedience in his natural prayer. (In other words,) whenever a disaster falls upon a human being, and he is cut off from elements of safety and the means of rescue disappear, he comes to realize that indeed God, Glory be to Him, is the only entity capable of removing grief from him, and that He is the one who manages his affairs from the time He created him and He also manages every means (in the system of universe). It is then that he finds himself as unjust and transgressor in relation to God, Glory be to Him, not deserving the removal of grief and fulfillment of need by the Almighty because of the sins that he has accumulated and the consequences of evil deeds that he has earned. So, he promises his Lord to be grateful and obedient in order to improve his eligibility for acceptance of his prayer and deliverance from his calamity.

Thus, we see that when he is delivered from the calamity, he goes away forgetting the pledge he made with his Lord and the promise of being grateful, as God has said at the conclusion of the next verse: yet again you associate (others) with Him.

قُلِ اللَّهُ يُنَجِّيكُمْ مِنْهَا وَمِنْ كُلِّ كَرْبٍ ثُمَّ أَنْتُمْ تُشْرِكُونَ ٦٤

(6:64) Say: “Allah delivers you from them and from every distress, yet again you associate (others) with Him.

al-Rāghib in his al-Mufradāt said:

“al-Karb means severe distress as the Almighty says: And We delivered him and his family from a mighty distress. (). ‘al-Kurbah is similar (in meaning). Its origin is from (the idiom), ‘karbu al-arḍ in the meaning of digging the earth inside out so distress also arouses the anxiety inside a person. It is said that it could be from (the idiom): ‘al-kirāb ʿala al-baqar—ploughing is upon the cow.’ And it is surely not from the saying, ‘al-kilāb ʿala al-baqar—(sending) the dogs upon the cattle’ (an idiom that means creating chaos among people). It is also possible that al-karb is from (the idiom), karabat al-shams in the sense that the sun is about to set. The saying, ‘ināu kurbān—the container is about to fill up’ (kurbān) means nearness like qurbān. It could be from al-karab and that means a strong knot in the rope of the bucket; it is said, ‘Akrabt al-dalw—I put a knot on the bucket.’ Sometimes al-gham (anxiety) is described as a knot on the heart.”

The expression every distress has been linked in this verse to: the darkness of the land and the sea, in order to encompass all humans since there is not a single human being who has not faced in his lifetime one or another kind of distress and anxiety; consequently, pleading and praying (for relief) is common among them whether they express it openly or secretly.

In short, the meaning of this verse is that when you are faced with difficulties in the darkness of the land and the sea, and are cut off from the normal means (of rescue) and are at the end of your wits, you come to realize, by reverting to your human nature, that the Almighty God is your Lord besides Whom there is no lord and you become absolutely certain that worshiping other than Him is unjust and sinful. The proof of this is that you pray to Him at that time openly with humiliation as well as secretly, and you promise Him to be grateful to Him thereafter and not to disbelieve in Him if He delivers you. But after being delivered, you break your pledge that you made with Him and you continue on your previous disbelief.

These two verses are arguments against the polytheists and rebuke for them on breaking the oath and not fulfilling the pledge.

قُلْ هُوَ الْقَادِرُ عَلَىٰ أَنْ يَبْعَثَ عَلَيْكُمْ عَذَابًا مِنْ فَوْقِكُمْ أَوْ مِنْ تَحْتِ أَرْجُلِكُمْ أَوْ يَلْبِسَكُمْ شِيَعًا وَيُذِيقَ بَعْضَكُمْ بَأْسَ بَعْضٍ ۗ انْظُرْ كَيْفَ نُصَرِّفُ الْآيَاتِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَفْقَهُونَ ٦٥

(6:65) Say: “He has the power that He should send on you a chastisement from above you or from beneath your feet, or that He should throw you into confusion, (making you) of different parties; and make some of you taste the fighting of others.” See how repeatedly We display the signs that they may understand.

al-Rāghib in his al-Mufradāt says:

“The origin of al-baʾth (to send) is raising up something and giving it a direction. It is said: ‘baʾathtuhu fāʾnbaʾatha—I sent him and he was dispatched.’ al-Baʾth differs in meaning depending on the difference in its point of reference. So ‘baʾatht al-baʾīr—I sent the camel’ means I caused it to rise and move; whereas the Almighty’s Word: and (as to) the dead, God will raise them (), that is, He will raise them from death and make them move to the judgement… So, al-baʾth is of two kinds: (1) Human, such as in causing the camel to rise and move and to send a person for a task. (2) Divine, which is of two types: (a) to create items, things and entities from nothing; and this is exclusively for the Almighty Creator and no one can do that. (b) To raise the dead back to life, and this power has been bestowed to some of His chosen ones such as Jesus and others like him.”

In short, in the term al-baʾth, there is kind of an indication of raising and lifting up someone or something. And with consideration, it is used for giving direction to and sending someone since giving direction towards a task and sending someone towards a nation normally only happens after calmness and immobility. Therefore, ‘baʾth—sending’ of a chastisement has within itself an indication that the nature of chastisement is that it be directed towards the people and come upon them, and this necessary consequence is only prevented by a barrier such as belief and obedience to God. This discussion has a concluding part that will come later on.

(On the term “yalbisakum—throw you into confusion,” al-Ṭabrisī) says in Majmaʾ al-bayān:

“(The expression:) ‘I made the matter confused for them,’ means when I did not clarify it and mixed some issues with the other… al-Labs/al-lubs ) means confusing the issue and confusing the statement… al-Shiyaʾ means the sects; each group is a sect by itself; shīʾah of so-and-so means his followers. al-Tashayyuʾ means following (someone) on basis of faith and love.”

Based on this, the verse, or that He should throw you into confusion (making you) of different parties, means that to mix one with another and confuse them while they were groups and sects.

So, His Word: “Say: ‘He has the power that He should send on you a chastisement from above you or from beneath your feet,’” apparently means to prove God’s ability for sending on them a chastisement from above or beneath them. To prove the capability to do something does not necessarily mean actually doing it; proving His capability of sending chastisement is sufficient to frighten and warn them. The context, however, indicates that the verse does not only want to prove the capability; rather it shows that they deserve this kind of chastisement; and that the chastisement itself demands that it be send upon them if they don’t agree on faith in God and His revelation as we saw in the implication of the meaning of al-baʾth. This understanding is supported by the latter verse: For every prophecy is a term and you will come to know (it). This is a clear threat.

The Almighty God clearly threatens this nation with chastisement in other similar verses in the Qur’an such as: And every nation had a messenger, so when their messenger came, the matter was decided between them with justice… till: And they ask you: “Is that true?” Say: “Aye! By my Lord! It is most surely the truth, and you will not escape;” (). Surely this community of yours is one community, and I am your Lord so worship Me. And they broke their religion (into sects) between them… (). Then set your face upright for religion in natural devotion (to truth)… and be not of the polytheists, of those who divided their religion and became sects… ().

It has been said that the chastisement: “from above them” refers to the forms of chastisement like the cry, the stone, the flood and the wind as it was done to the people of ʿĀd, Thamūd, Shuʾayb and Lot; and: “from beneath their feet” refers to sinking into the ground as it was done to Qārūn (Korah).

It has also been said that the chastisement: “from above them” refers to the chastisement that will come to them from their elders and their tyrant rulers; and: “from beneath their feet” refers to the chastisement that will come to them from the lowly people and their evil slaves. It has been further said that the chastisement “from above them” and “from beneath them” refers to the deadly weapons and firearms that humans have lately invented such as the fighter-planes and tanks that discharge explosive and destructive bombs, etc., and underwater submarines that drown the ships and boats. So, the warning has occurred in this verse while He very well knows what will happen in His Kingdom.

The truth is that the expression used in the verse can be applied to all these explanations mentioned above, and some similar chastisements that have been sent down after the revelation of this verse can be applied to the verse. The common cause for these events that has facilitated its path is the differences of opinion and divisions that appeared in the ummah and went contrary to the call of the Holy Prophet who used to call them to unity of the word of truth: This indeed is my straight path, so follow it, and do not follow (other) ways, for they will separate you from His way… ().

… or that He should throw you into confusion, (making you) of different parties; and make some of you taste the fighting of others…: Apparently, it refers to the groupings that emerged after the Prophet and that led to appearance of various schools of thought that had acquired the flavour of partisanship and the fervor of jāhiliyyah; and this was followed by wars and battles in which each group allowed violation of all that was sacrosanct to the other and dismiss them, in their views, from the sanctity of the faith and the territory of Islam.

Therefore, the words: “or that He should throw you into confusion, (making you) of different parties; and make some of you taste the fighting of others” refer to one chastisement, not two chastisements even though it is possible, in a way, to consider the act of throwing them into confusion and the act of making them taste the infighting as separate chastisements. Division between the ummah has another evil consequence and that is creeping weakness, depleted power, and divided resources. However, if the expression, “make some of you taste…” is taken as an indication of separate chastisement then it would be considered as a qualifying phrase to the general statement (“throw you into confusion”). However, placing a qualifying statement alongside a general statement is not appropriate except by extra emphasis in the speech. (Such an emphasis does not exist here) and the conjecture ‘And’ support what we have said.

In conclusion, the verse means: Tell them, O the Messenger of God, and warn them about the consequence of their refusal to join together under the banner of Islam and to heed to the true call; and that for their attitude, there is an evil consequence within the power of the Almighty God by which He can seize them by sending upon them a chastisement from which there will be no escape or refuge, and that is the chastisement from above them or from beneath their feet, or He can make some of them taste the fighting of others by which they will end up becoming groups and sects, differing from one another in dispute with one another and at war against one another—thus they will taste the fighting of one another. Then God ends the statement by addressing the Holy Prophet: See how repeatedly We display the signs that they may understand. Its meaning is clear.

وَكَذَّبَ بِهِ قَوْمُكَ وَهُوَ الْحَقُّ ۚ قُلْ لَسْتُ عَلَيْكُمْ بِوَكِيلٍ ٦٦

(6:66) And your people call it a lie and it is the very truth. Say: “I am not placed in charge of you.”

The people of the Holy Prophet are the Quraysh or the tribe of Muḍar or the Arabs in general. The purport of some verses in other places is that the Holy Prophet’s people are the Arabs: And if We had revealed it to any of the non-Arabs so that he should have recited it to them, they would not have believed therein. Thus have We caused it to enter into the hearts of the guilty. They will not believe in it until they see the painful punishment. And it shall come to them all of a sudden, while they shall not perceive, (). And We did not send any messenger but with the language of his people, so that he might explain to them clearly… ().

Anyway, God’s statement: “And your people call it a lie and it is the very truth,” serves as a justification for materialization of the news that was contained in the previous warning. As if it was said: O the ummah, get together in the monotheism of your Lord and get united in following the true word; otherwise there is no protector who can protect you from the chastisement that will come from above or from beneath or from the division and groupings that is followed by armed fight of one against the other. Then the Holy Prophet was addressed and it was said to him: Verily your people rejected that and so they deserve the evil chastisement or severe pain that they will taste.

It is clear, firstly, from this that the pronoun in “call it a lie” refers to the chastisement as al-Ālūsī has attributed this view to the majority of commentators. Sometimes it is said that it refers to the “repeatedly displaying of the signs” or to the Qur’an. However, this is far-fetched. It is not far-fetched to link the pronoun to the news that is contained in the previous verse.

Secondly, based on the context, this news: “And your people call it a lie and it is the very truth” is the first news that prepares the ground for the threat of chastisement. It is as if someone says: It is necessary for your people to unite on believing in God and His signs and to be vigilant and watchful against getting into rejection of God and His signs; and against creating differences among themselves so that the chastisement of God, Glory be to Him, does not come upon them. Then it is said: Your people—among your entire ummah and those who are of your contemporary or from the people who came after you—quickly moved to violate what they were obliged to confirm and they belied the news (of chastisement) so they were discredited because of this and they shall soon know. Moreover, that those who rejected the Holy Prophet or the Qur’an or this chastisement are not only the Arabs who are his people, rather he was rejected also by the Jews and other communities of his era as well as those who came after him. Their rejection and their division altogether had a positive impact in the warning given about the chastisement. So, specifically relating the rejection to his people even though others were part of this rejection proves what we have said earlier.

An analytical discussion on the psyche of the Islamic society supports the conclusion that we have derived from the verse: The decaying psyche of the present Muslim ummah, the lack in its strength and its dissolving unity can be traced upon analysis to the differences and disputes of the early days after the Holy Prophet’s demise; and that can be linked to the events of the early days of the hijrah and (even) before it to what the Prophet faced from his own tribe and how they boldly defied him by rejecting and ridiculing his thoughts.

Even though these people gathered around the banner of Islam and sought the protection under its shadow after the faith prevailed (in the society) and its lamp was illuminated, the noble religious society was not free from the ill of hypocrisy as many verses of the Qur’an have confirmed it. The number of the hypocrites was not insignificant and it was impossible for the society to be safe from their evil impact on its psyche, and it could not absorb them fully in order to transform them into good members of the society during the Holy Prophet’s lifetime, and their embers did not take long to be reignited and increase its inflammation as it continues even now. After all, everything returns back to its origin and there are all kinds of game in the belly of the wild ass.

Thirdly, God’s statement: “Say: ‘I am not placed in charge of you’,” is an indirect statement which says to ignore them and say to them: ‘I am not responsible for your actions nor am I liable (for them) so that I should prevent you from rejecting (the message) out of concern for you. The only duty that I have as a Messenger is to warn you about a severe punishment which is hidden from you.’ This also clarifies that His statement: For every prophecy is a term, and you will come to know (it), is part of the Holy Prophet’s speech to his people as the words “you will come to know (it)” supports this interpretation. The people are addressed by the Holy Prophet’s speech and not by the Almighty God.

لِكُلِّ نَبَإٍ مُسْتَقَرٌّ ۚ وَسَوْفَ تَعْلَمُونَ ٦٧

(6:67) For every prophecy is a term and you will come to know (it).

This is a clear threat and warning of an event that will imminently occur. The correctness of referring the warning to the polytheists (of Mecca) is obvious by the previous discussion since the roots of divisions and problems that the Muslim ummah is to face can be traced back to them. After all, people are one community; its latter generations are affected by what happens to the earlier ones, the defects that appear in the latter ones can be connected to the first ones, no matter whether they realize that or not or they see that or not. The Almighty God says: Nay, they are in doubt, the sport. Therefore keep waiting for the day when the heaven shall bring a clear drought that shall overtake men; this is a painful punishment. Our Lord! Remove from us the punishment; surely we are believers. How shall they be reminded, and there came to them an Apostle making clear (the truth), yet they turned their backs on him and said: “One taught (by others), a madman.” Surely We will remove the punishment a little, (but) you will surely return (to evil), ().

Reflect on the verses how God seized the latter communities because of the crimes of their predecessors. Are not they in the same category as verses quoted earlier from the chapters: Yūnus (), al-Anbiyā (), al-Rūm ()? There are many verses in the Noble Qur’an that talk about the evil consequences and ill fortunes that will overtake the ummah followed by the Divine Favor (of forgiveness and blessings). The worst negligence committed by our commentators (of the Qur’an) is in matter of reflection on these blessed verses in spite of their numerousness, importance and strong connection to the status and good fortune of the ummah in this world and the hereafter.

وَإِذَا رَأَيْتَ الَّذِينَ يَخُوضُونَ فِي آيَاتِنَا فَأَعْرِضْ عَنْهُمْ حَتَّىٰ يَخُوضُوا فِي حَدِيثٍ غَيْرِهِ ۚ وَإِمَّا يُنْسِيَنَّكَ الشَّيْطَانُ فَلَا تَقْعُدْ بَعْدَ الذِّكْرَىٰ مَعَ الْقَوْمِ الظَّالِمِينَ ٦٨

(6:68) And when you see those who engage in vain discourses about Our signs, withdraw from them until they enter into some other discourse, and if the Satan causes you to forget, then do not sit after recollection with the unjust people.

al-Rāghib, in his al-Mufradāt, says:

“al-Khawḍ means to enter the water and pass through it; then it was borrowed for other actions. It has mostly occurred in the Qur’an in meaning of entering into something blameworthy.”

It means entering into vain talks and engaging deeply into it; for example, quoting the true Qur’anic verses, and then ridiculing them and being insolent about them.

“Withdraw from them” means not to participate with them in what they are engaged in by standing up and moving away from them or something like it that will demonstrate non-participation. The phrase: “until they enter into some other discourse” is a conditional clause which proves that the prohibition of being in their company and sitting with them is not general, covering even a right purpose; the prohibition is only for sitting with them while they are deeply engrossed in the Divine verses (for the purpose of ridiculing them).

It is clear, therefore, that there is kind of an ellipsis. So in the statement: “and when you see those who engage in vain discourses about Our signs, withdraw from them until they enter into some other discourse,” there is an implied sentence which is omitted because it is not required. And so the meaning—and God knows better—is as follows: ‘And when you see the people who engage in and ridicule God’s verses continue in their engagement of and ridiculing the Divine verses, withdraw from them and do not sit in their circle until they engage in other discourse. So, when they enter into other discourse, then nothing prevents you from sitting with them.’ Although the verse came in the context of the argument against the polytheists, but the criterion mentioned therein is of a general nature and so it covers others equally.

At the end of the verse, God says: “…then do not sit after recollection with the unjust people.” Engaging negatively in God’s verses is injustice; and the verse prohibits from participating with the unjust people in their injustice. In a similar verse, the Almighty says: …surely then you would be like them… ()

So, it becomes clear that the verse does not command to withdraw from those who engage negatively in Almighty God’s verses; rather it commands to withdraw from them as long as they are engaged negatively in Divine verses.

The pronoun hu in ghayruhu (some other) refers to the discourse in which they engage negatively in Divine verses since it is a negative engagement that has been forbidden.

… and if the Satan causes you to forget, then do not sit after recollection with the unjust people: The letter mā in (wa imma yunsiyannaka) is superfluous and denotes a kind of emphasis or reduction; and the letter nūn (in yunsiyannaka) is for emphasis and its origin form was wa-in yunsika. The statement consists of emphasis and intensified pronunciation for prohibition; in other words, ‘even if you forgot Our prohibition because the Satan made you to forget it and then you remembered it, so do not be neglectful of it and don’t lose time in withdrawing from them since those who fear displeasing God should in no way participate with those who negatively engage in the Divine verses, ridiculing them.’

Although the verse addresses the Holy Prophet, the intended addressee is the ummah. In the discussion on infallibility of the Prophets we had negated occurrence of such kind of forgetfulness, the forgetfulness of the Divine Law (by the prophets would amount to) neglecting it and that in turn could be used as an argument against them and a justification for the opponents.

This is supported by the statement after the verse addressing the pious among the ummah: And nothing of the reckoning of their (deeds) shall be upon those who guard (against evil), but (theirs) is only to remind, haply they may guard.

More clearer proof for this is in God’s statement in Sūrah al-Nisāʾ: And indeed He has revealed to you in the Book that when you hear Allah’s communications disbelieved in and mocked at, do not sit with them until they enter into some other discourse; surely then you would be like them; surely Allah will gather together the hypocrites and the unbelievers all in Hell; (). The reference in this Medinan verse about what: He has revealed to you in the Book is to the verse of Sūrah al-Anʾām under discussion and not any other verse. And the command revealed previously was addressed to the believers; and so it follows that although the verse: And when you see those who engage in vain discourses… is addressed to the Holy Prophet, it actually is intended for someone else—as the saying goes: “Although I address you but I would like the neighbor to hear me.”

وَمَا عَلَى الَّذِينَ يَتَّقُونَ مِنْ حِسَابِهِمْ مِنْ شَيْءٍ وَلَٰكِنْ ذِكْرَىٰ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَّقُونَ ٦٩

(6:69) And nothing of the reckoning of their (deeds) shall be upon those who guard (against evil), but (theirs) is only to remind, haply they may guard.

It means that the sin of those who engage negatively (in Divine verses) will not be carried by anyone but themselves and it will not affect others unless the others also act like them and participate with them in the sin or be pleased with their sin. Indeed, no one will be held accountable for an act except the doer. But we remind them haply they may guard themselves against evil. (Why?) Because a person may attend their gathering and even though it is possible for him not to indulge in their negative engagement (with Divine verses) nor is he pleased in his heart with their act and it is also possible for him that he does not consider his participation in their gathering as a way of support for their sin or their statement but just the fact of witnessing a transgression and seeing a sin desensitizes his heart about the sinful act and minimizes the mistakes in his views—and when the seriousness of a sin is minimized, it is likely that he will fall for it because the hearts are inclined to sins. Thus, it is incumbent upon a righteous person (who possesses piety and exercises precaution in prohibited things by God) to refrain from mixing with those who ridicule and show insolence towards God just as it is incumbent upon those who are in company of the ones who engage negatively in God’s verses to do the same so that he is not desensitized to insolence towards God and His verses, and ends up committing that sin and putting himself on the verge of perdition. Whoever hovers around the fire is likely to fall into it.

From this explanation, it becomes clear, first of all, that it is only the pious who have been separated from the accountability of those who engage negatively (in Divine verses)—even though others (in principle) do not share the punishment of the sinners’ deeds—in order to emphasize the point that one who participates in their gatherings and sits with them is not immune from sharing in the punishment of their sins. So, the implied missing part in the statement would be as follows: Those who don’t engage negatively will not be responsible in any way as long as they safeguard themselves from such engagement with them; but yet We prohibit them from sitting with them so that they may continue their refrain from such engagement or so that they may enhance their piety and sensitivity regarding prohibitions given by God, Glory be to Him.

Secondly, the meaning of taqwā in the verse: “and nothing of the reckoning of their (deeds) shall be upon those who guard (against evil)” is the general taqwā, that is, refraining and staying away from whatever displeases God, the Sublime. And in the verse: haply they may guard the taqwā refers to the specific sin of engaging negatively in the verses of God. It could also be that the taqwā in the first verse refers to the basic level of taqwā but in the second it refers to its perfect form; or the first one could be the general taqwā while the second could be its expanded form which is applied to a given situation such as the act of engaging negatively in God’s verses. Yet there is another explanation also: the first one could be the taqwā addressed to the believers and the second one could be the taqwā addressed to those who are engaging negatively; and in this case the implied statement would be: ‘give an advice to those who engage negatively so that they may refrain from such engagement.’

Thirdly, the term dhikrā (to remind) is an unconditional object for an implied verb. The implied (verb) is: ‘but We counsel them by that reminder’ or ‘counsel them of the reminder’. Or dhikrā could be a predicate of an omitted subject and so the implied subject would be: ‘but this command is a reminder’. Or it could be a subject for an omitted predicate and so the implied meaning would be: ‘it is your duty to counsel them’. The second of these variations seems closer to the mind.

وَذَرِ الَّذِينَ اتَّخَذُوا دِينَهُمْ لَعِبًا وَلَهْوًا وَغَرَّتْهُمُ الْحَيَاةُ الدُّنْيَا ۚ وَذَكِّرْ بِهِ أَنْ تُبْسَلَ نَفْسٌ بِمَا كَسَبَتْ لَيْسَ لَهَا مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ وَلِيٌّ وَلَا شَفِيعٌ وَإِنْ تَعْدِلْ كُلَّ عَدْلٍ لَا يُؤْخَذْ مِنْهَا ۗ أُولَٰئِكَ الَّذِينَ أُبْسِلُوا بِمَا كَسَبُوا ۖ لَهُمْ شَرَابٌ مِنْ حَمِيمٍ وَعَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ بِمَا كَانُوا يَكْفُرُونَ ٧٠

(6:70) And leave those who have taken their religion for a play and an idle sport, and whom this world’s life has deceived, and remind (them) thereby lest a soul should be fettered with what it has earned; it shall not have besides Allah any guardian nor an intercessor, and if it should seek to give every compensation, it shall not be accepted from it; these are they who shall be fettered with what they earned; they shall have a drink of boiling water and a painful chastisement because they disbelieved.

al-Rāghib says:

al-Baṣl means contracting something or separating it. Because of its meaning of contraction, it has been borrowed for ‘scowling face;’ and so it is said: ‘He is bāṣil, fearless’ and ‘mubtaṣilu al-wajh, courageous face’. And because of its meaning of separating, baṣl is used to describe something forbidden or mortgaged such as in God’s Word: and remind (them) thereby lest a soul should be fettered with what it has earned; which means it will be deprived from the reward. The difference between al-ḥarām and al-baṣl is that the former is general in the sense something that is forbidden by law and by force whereas the latter refers to something forbidden by force only such as in His Word: these are they who shall be fettered with what they earned; which means they are deprived of the reward.

(al-Ṭabarsī) in Majmaʾ al-bayān says:

“It is said: Abṣaltuhu bi jarīratihi (I surrendered him (to you)).al-Mustabṣil means the one who surrenders himself since he knows that he has no way to escape. al-Akhfash said: ‘The word tublaṣa (in the verse under discussion) means you will be punished. And it is said that tublaṣa means to be mortgaged. These meanings are close (in their import).’ “

And leave those who have taken their religion for a play and an idle sport…: Adhering to their evil desires has been described (in this verse) as a play and a sport with their religion. This sentence presupposes a true faith for them, a faith towards which their pure nature calls them; and it was incumbent upon them to adhere to it seriously and to protect it from confusion and change, but they took it as a play and a sport, altering it from one state to another and changing it from one form to another according to the dictates of their evil desires.

The above sentence was followed by the words: “and whom this world’s life has deceived,” because of the close connection between the two, since settling down comfortably in earnestly acquiring and indulging in the enjoyments of this materialistic life compels one to abandon the true faith and to consider it as a play and a sport.

Then God said: “and remind (them) thereby”, that is, counsel them “by the Qur’an” so that a person would not be fettered to the transgressions that he has committed, or so that a person is not surrendered for accountability and punishment on account of what he had committed. Hence, such a person has no master and no intercessor other than God; and no weight (of gold) nor any kind of redemption will be accepted on that day, because that day is the day of compensation for the deeds, not the day of buying and selling. These are the ones who shall be fettered to what they had earned or will be prevented from God’s reward or will be surrendered for their punishment; they shall have a drink of boiling water and a painful chastisement because of their disbelief.

قُلْ أَنَدْعُو مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ مَا لَا يَنْفَعُنَا وَلَا يَضُرُّنَا وَنُرَدُّ عَلَىٰ أَعْقَابِنَا بَعْدَ إِذْ هَدَانَا اللَّهُ كَالَّذِي اسْتَهْوَتْهُ الشَّيَاطِينُ فِي الْأَرْضِ حَيْرَانَ لَهُ أَصْحَابٌ يَدْعُونَهُ إِلَى الْهُدَى ائْتِنَا ۗ قُلْ إِنَّ هُدَى اللَّهِ هُوَ الْهُدَىٰ ۖ وَأُمِرْنَا لِنُسْلِمَ لِرَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ ٧١

(6:71) Say: “Shall we call on that besides Allah, which does not benefit us nor harm us and shall we be returned back on our heels after Allah has guided us, like him whom the Shayāṭīn have made to fall down perplexed in the earth? He has companions who call him to the right way, (saying): ‘Come to us.’ “ Say: “Surely the Guidance of Allah, which is the (true) guidance, and we are commanded to that we should submit to the Lord of the worlds.

This is an argument against the polytheists in form of a rhetorical question; and only two of the qualities of their idols—inability to benefit and inability to harm—have been mentioned here because taking someone or something as god is based on one of the two reasons: hope (of something) or fear (of something); and if the idols neither benefit nor harm us, then there is no impetus to pray to them, worship them or seeking closeness to them.

… and shall we be returned back on our heels after Allah has guided us, like him whom the Shayāṭīn have made to fall down perplexed in the earth? He has companions who call him to the right way, (saying): ‘Come to us.’ al-Istihwā means fulfilling the desire and falling down; and al-rad ʿala al-aʾqab (turning back on heels) means straying from the right path and abandoning true guidance. True guidance indeed ends in finding the straight path and treading upon it whereas ‘turning back on heels’ means not treading the path and turning back, and that is indeed misguidance. That is why the verse says: “and shall we be returned back on our heels after God has guided us,” qualifying the ‘return’ occurring after the Divine guidance. It is indeed strange to see that some people have taken the argument of this verse: “and shall we be returned back on our heels after God has guided us,” and other similar verses such as the statement of Jethro (Shuʾayb), as quoted by the Almighty God: The chiefs, those who were proud from among his people, said: “We will most certainly turn you out, O Shuʾayb, and (also) those who believe with you, from our town, or you shall come back to our faith.” He said: What! Though we dislike (it)? Indeed we shall have forged a lie against Allah if we go back to your religion after Allah had delivered us from it, and it befits us not that we should go back to it, except if Allah our Lord please…” ().

They have argued thereby that the Prophets, peace be upon them, before being raised as Prophets and donning the mantle of prophethood, were on the path of kufr (disbelief) because of the words ‘returning on the heels after God has guided us,’ and ‘back to your religion after God had delivered us from it’ that they have taken as proofs that the Prophets were followers of kufr before being delivered from it.

This is a false argument. These words and expressions are used by the prophets in the language of the religious society whose members were idol-worshipers until God guided them through their prophets. We don’t mean to say that since majority of the people were polytheists before therefore it is valid to relate their previous disbelief to all members of the society including their prophets—God’s true statement cannot be such. Rather we mean that it is okay to say about a religious society—that includes the prophet and his community—which its members were delivered from shirk after being guided by the Almighty God; without Him, there will be nothing but misguidance. As for the community, they were on polytheism in the period before they were guided to the true faith (through the prophets); as for their prophets, they were always guided by God and they, without the (constant) Divine guidance, would have faced nothing but misguidance. (The emphasis here is that) if it had not been for the Divine guidance, they would have faced nothing for themselves except misguidance since other so-called gods don’t possess any loss or benefit for themselves. So, it is appropriate to say about them that there is no basis for them to return on the heels after God has guided them or to return to polytheism after God has delivered them from it.

In short, the statement (that they were polytheists before being believers) is applicable to them in the true sense even though some members of their society—such as their Prophets—were not disbelievers before the prophethood. Faith and guidance was with them in all situations from the Almighty God—if they had been left by themselves (without God’s guidance), there would be nothing but misguidance as you already know. And you also know from various past discussions on the infallibility of the Prophets that the Noble Qur’an has clearly stated the purity of their persons from the smallest of minor sins, let alone the major ones, especially the most serious of the major ones and that is shirk, ascribing a partner to Almighty God. And His Word: “like him whom the Shayāṭīn have made to fall down perplexed in the earth?” This is the portrayal of a perplexed person who lacks insight in his affairs and strong determination in seeking his felicity; and so he abandons the best and the upright path towards his goal which has been treaded by the rightly-guided companions of him. So, now he is confused between the Satan (and his agents) who invite him towards misguidance and perdition on the one hand and his rightly-guided companions—who have reached to their stations and attained the goal—who invites him towards the guidance saying: ‘come to us.’ He doesn’t know what to do; he is between those who are pulling him down and those who are pulling him up!

Say: “Surely the Guidance of Allah, which is the (true) guidance, and we are commanded to that we should submit to the Lord of the worlds: If the choice is between the call of God, Glory be to Him, which is according to the human nature, the fiṭrah, which is known as ‘God’s guidance,’ and between the call of the Satan (and his agents) which is based on evil desires and taking the faith as a play and an idle sport, then God’s guidance is, indeed, the only true guidance.

What accompanies the call of fitrah is God’s guidance; and there is no doubt in it because the true guidance is also proclaimed by the creation and invention that is from God only. And we don’t wish for any religion or belief except to seek the truth, and there is no truth but with God and so His guidance is never devoid of truth. The fact that God’s guidance is the true guidance which should be adopted and not the satanic call is obvious because all our affairs reside with God: our origin, our final destination as well as our needs of this world and the Hereafter.

… and we are commanded that we should submit to the Lord of the worlds: (al-Ṭabrisī) says in Majmaʾ al-bayān:

“The Arabs say: Amartuka li tafʾal or Amartuka an tafʾal or Amartuka biʾan tafʾal (all meaning: I commanded you so that you may do it). So, Amartuka biʾan tafʾal has the proposition letter bā and the meaning would be: the command is applied to this act. In the format Amartuka an tafʾal the proposition letter has been deleted. Whereas Amartuka li tafʾal simply means: I commanded you for the act. al-Zajjāj (referring to the words in the verse) says: ‘It means: “We are commanded so that we should submit.” “

The sentence: “and we are commanded that we should submit” is an explicative appositive for: “surely the Guidance of God, which is the (true) guidance”, the command to submit is the application of God’s guidance. So, the meaning is: ‘God has commanded us to submit to Him’ and the active subject of this verbal clause (that is, ‘God’) has been kept vague in order to facilitate the clause ‘to the Lord of the worlds’ thus replacing the pronoun ‘Him’. This explains the reason for the command: We have been commanded by the revelation to submit to God because He is the Lord of the worlds altogether—there is no other god or gods for all the worlds or for some of them (as believed by the dualists).

‘Submitting’ in this verse apparently means submitting all affairs to the Almighty and not just uttering the two testimonies of faith; and that is the apparent means of His Word: Surely the religion with Allah is Islam (), as mentioned earlier.

وَأَنْ أَقِيمُوا الصَّلَاةَ وَاتَّقُوهُ ۚ وَهُوَ الَّذِي إِلَيْهِ تُحْشَرُونَ ٧٢

(6:72) And that you should keep up prayer and be careful of (your duty to) Him; and He it is to Whom you shall be gathered.

This displays skilful coherence of the speech wherein the command (in the previous verse) has been taken in the sense of the statement and follows the same course. As if it is said: ‘We have been told to submit to the Lord of the worlds and to keep up prayer and be careful of Him.’ The verse has summarized the detailed religious duties in the term: “and be careful of (your duty to) Him.” It has, however, specifically singled out, from all the duties, the daily prayers by name in order to emphasize its importance and honour its status; the importance that the Noble Qur’an has given to the daily prayer is no doubt obvious.

… and He it is to Whom you shall be gathered: It is obligatory to submit to Him and to be careful of Him because the return of humans is to Him and reckoning and compensation is in His hands.

وَهُوَ الَّذِي خَلَقَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ بِالْحَقِّ ۖ وَيَوْمَ يَقُولُ كُنْ فَيَكُونُ ۚ قَوْلُهُ الْحَقُّ ۚ وَلَهُ الْمُلْكُ يَوْمَ يُنْفَخُ فِي الصُّورِ ۚ عَالِمُ الْغَيْبِ وَالشَّهَادَةِ ۚ وَهُوَ الْحَكِيمُ الْخَبِيرُ ٧٣

(6:73) And He it is Who has created the heavens and the earth with truth; and on the day He says: “Be”, it is. His word is the truth and His is the Kingdom on the day when the trumpet shall be blown; the Knower of the unseen and the seen; and He is the Wise, the Aware:

A number of names and qualities of Almighty have been mentioned here in order to clarify and justify what has been said previously. The Almighty has mentioned that the true guidance belongs to Him; and that was further explained by submitting to Him, praying to Him and being careful of Him—that is indeed the entirety of the faith. Then He explained the reason why His guidance is the true guidance that cannot be ignored: all will be gathered to Him. He further gives the full explanation by His Word: “And He it is Who has created the heavens and the earth…” These names and qualities are such that even if one of those were missing, the statement would not have been complete.

And His Word: “And He it is Who has created the heavens and the earth with truth”, means that the entire creation is His work and that He had done it on basis of truth, not falsehood; and if the work is not based on falsehood, then it must have a purpose and there is a purpose to creation—to return to the Almighty (for reckoning and compensation). This is one of the two arguments that the Almighty has mentioned in these words: And We did not create the heavens and the earth and what is between them in vain; that is the opinion of those who disbelieve… (). So, creating the heavens and the earth on basis of truth leads to the point that the creation will be gathered to Him (on resurrection). And His Word: “and on the day He says: ‘Be’, it is.” The context shows that the objective of the statement ‘Be’ is the Day of Resurrection even though it could be applied to every existing creation as the Almighty says: His command, when He intends anything, is only that He says to it, “Be,” and it is, (). So, ‘the day’ is an adverb denoting time connected to ‘Be’; and the meaning is: The day He says to the Day of Resurrection, ‘Be’ and it will be. It is also said that the objective of the statement ‘Be’ is the thing (as in example of ), then it comes to exist. However, what we have mentioned is closer to the context.

And His Word: “His word is the truth” This is a justification for the preceding sentence that is why it appears as a separate sentence. al-Ḥaqq (the truth) means something that exists in the real sense of existence, an external existence (as opposed to a mental existence in the mind only). If God’s word is His action and creation (as stated in “and on the day He says, ‘Be’, it is”), so His word is the truth itself, and therefore none can oppose or change His Word: He said: The truth then (it) is and the truth do I speak, ().

And His Word: “and His is the Kingdom on the day when the trumpet shall be blown;” This refers to the Day of Resurrection as He (Allah) has said: (Of) the day when they shall come forth… (). The meaning of the phrase: “His is the Kingdom on the day of trumpet” even though the kingdom belongs to Him at all times—is its manifestation when all means of support will disappear and all relationships and family ties will be cut off. Some segment of this theme has occurred in previous discussions and more discussions on it and on the meaning of the trumpet will come in its appropriate place, God willing.

His, the Sublime’s Word: “the Knower of the unseen and the seen; and He is the Wise, the Aware.” Its meaning has occurred in the past; and it is a name of the Almighty that incorporates the process of reckoning and compensation. Similarly, the two names: the Wise, the Aware. So, God, by His knowledge of the seen and the unseen, knows everything inside out; neither is its outward dimension hidden from Him because of its appearance nor is its interior because of its being inside. By His Wisdom, He perfectly manages the process of creation, and separates the necessary compensation as required so that He does not do injustice or deal blindly (with the people). By His awareness, neither a small entity escapes His attention because of its minuteness or a great entity because of its greatness.

These names and attributes perfectly clarify that all the people will be gathered to Him; and that His guidance is the true guidance; and that the religion of fiṭrah that He has ordered us to follow is the true faith. So, the Almighty has created the universe for a specific purpose: it should return to Him; and when He wants it to return, He shall say to it ‘Be’, and it will come to existence because His Word is the truth that no one can oppose. It will be clearly manifest on that day that the kingdom belongs to Him and nothing has any power on anything. On that day, on basis of wisdom and awareness, He will separate those who obeyed Him from those who disobeyed because He knows every unseen and seen reality.

The conclusions of the above discussion are as follows:

Firstly, the meaning of “with truth” is that the creation of the heavens and the earth was with truth in the sense that ‘truth’ is its quality. The discussion on the meaning that God’s actions and statements are with truth just passed above. So, the opinion expressed by some that the verse means ‘He created the heavens and the world with a true word’ is far-fetched. (“Truth” in this verse is the attribute of the God’s action, that is, creation; and not of His word.)

Secondly, the apparent meaning of: “and on the day He says, ‘Be’, it is”, based on the context, refers to the command for bringing about the Day of Resurrection even though the command ‘Be’ is commonly used for creation of all things.

Thirdly, the purpose of specifically mentioning the blowing of the trumpet (out of the various signs of resurrection) in: “on the day when the trumpet shall be blown”, is to emphasize the general nature of the gathering that ties in with the preceding verse: and He it is to Whom you shall be gathered. al-Ḥashr (the gathering) refers to the resurrection of the people and marshalling them all together in a state of confusion. The trumpet is normally blown to gather the soldiers of a barrack for an important matter; similarly, the trumpet will be blown (that is, the second trumpet on the Day of Resurrection) in order to gather the people at the place of assembly for judgement. So this day no soul shall be dealt with unjustly in the least; and you shall not be rewarded aught but which you did, ().

The term ‘day’ has occurred twice in this verse but in different meanings: the first instance is in form of an adverb denoting general time such as the time for the Resurrection Day, as we would say: ‘the day when God created the movement’ and ‘the moment when God created the days and the nights’. Here ‘the day’ is part of the movement, depending on it, and ‘the moment’ is the day and the night. The second instance is in the meaning of the Day of Resurrection itself.

Examining Narrations

1. al-Suyūṭī, in al-Durr al-manthūr, under the verse: He separates the truth… () says that al-Dārquṭnī, in al-Ifrād, and Ibn Marduwayh have quoted from Ubay b. Kaʿb who said: “The Holy Prophet recited it for a person as yaquṣṣu: He separates the truth and He is the best of separators (between truth and falsehood).” (That is, as it has occurred in the common recitation of the Qur’an.)
2. He also quoted under the verse: And with Him are the keys of the unseen—none knows them but He… (), that Aḥmad, al-Bukhārī, Ḥashīsh b. Aṣram in al-Istiqāmah; Ibn Abī Ḥātim, Abu al-Shaykh and Ibn Marduwayh have narrated from Ibn ʿUmar that the Messenger of God said: “The keys of the unseen are five, none knows them but God: no one knows what will happen tomorrow except God; no one knows when the wombs will let go their burden except God; no one knows when the rain will come except God; no soul knows in what land will it die except God; and no one knows when the Hour (of Doom) will come except the Almighty God.” (al-Durr al-manthūr)

Author’s comment: If this narration is authentic, it should not be considered as contrary to the general import of the verse since numbers are not to be taken literally. All the examples mentioned in the narration can be summarized in one category of future events; and there are other applications of the unseen other than these five as proven in the verse itself.

3. al-Suyūṭī also says that al-Khaṭīb has quoted in his al-Tārīkh a narration from Ibn ʿUmar, through a weak chain (of narrators) that the Messenger of God said: “There is not a grain on the face of the earth or a fruit on the trees but on it is written: ‘In the name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful; this is the sustenance of so-and-so.’ And that is the meaning of the Sublime’s Word: and there falls not a leaf but He knows it, nor a grain in the darkness of the earth, or anything green or dry but (it is all) in a clear book.” (al-Durr al-manthūr)

Author’s comment: Besides the weakness in its chain of narrators, the content of this narration does not properly fit the verse.

4. al-ʿAyyāshī in his al-Tafsīr narrates from Abu al-Rabīʿ al-Shāmī who said: “I asked Abū ʿAbdillāh (al-Ṣādiq) about the Word of God: and there falls not a leaf but He knows it, nor a grain in the darkness of the earth, or anything green or dry but (it is all) in a clear book.” He said: “The leaf refers to the miscarriage, the grain refers to a child, the darkness of the earth refers to the wombs, and green refers to the child who will be born while dry refers to the miscarried (foetus). And all of that is in a clear book.”

Author’s comment: This has also been narrated by al-Kulaynī and al-Ṣadūq from Abu al-Rabīʿ, and by al-Qummī without a sanad. This narration does not fit with the apparent meaning of the verse. There is a similar narration quoted by al-ʿAyyāshī from al-Ḥusayn b. Saʿīd from Abu al-Ḥasan.

5. al-Ṭabrisī in Majmaʿ al-bayān (under verse ) says: “The verse Say: ‘He has the power that He should send on you a chastisement from above you…’ means the tyrant rulers; and: ‘…or from beneath your feet…’ means the evil slaves and one who has no goodness in him. This has been narrated from Abu ʿAbdillāh (al-Ṣādiq).”

Then he said: “As for the verse: …or that He should throw you into confusion, (making you) of different parties…, it has been said that it means to put one against the other by placing enmity and prejudice among them; and this has been narrated from Abū ʿAbdillāh (al-Ṣādiq).” Then he said: “As for statement: …and make some of you taste the fighting of others, it has been said that it refers to bad neighbors; and that has been narrated from al-Ṣādiq as well.”

6. al-Qummī in his al-Tafsīr (under the verse ) says: “The verse: …He should send on you a chastisement from above you…, means the tyrant ruler; and: …or from beneath your feet…, means the low class and those in whom there is no goodness; and: …or that He should throw you into confusion, (making you) of different parties…, refers to tribal prejudice; and: …and make some of you taste the fighting of others, refers to bad neighbors.”
7. al-Qummī says: “In the narration of Abu al-Jārūd who quotes Abū Jaʿfar (al-Bāqir) saying about the His Word: ‘He has the power that He should send on you a chastisement from above you, means the smoke and sky from the heaven; and: or from beneath your feet, means the sinking of the ground; and: or that He should throw you into confusion, (making you) of different parties; refers to difference in religion and mutual accusation among the Muslims; and: and make some of you taste the fighting of others, refers to some of you killing the others. All this is related to the people of the qiblah (the Muslim ummah) as God says: See how repeatedly We display the signs that they may understand.’” (al-Tafsīr)
8. Also, in al-Durr al-manthūr ʿAbdu al-Razzāq, ʿAbd b. Ḥamīd, al-Bukhārī, al-Tirmidhī, al-Nasāʾī, Nuʿaym b. Ḥammād in al-Fitan, Ibn Jarīr, Ibn al-Mundhir, Ibn Abī Ḥātim, Ibn Ḥibbān, Abu al-Shaykh, Ibn Marduwayh and al-Bayhaqī in al-Asmāʾ wa al-ṣifāt narrated from Jābir b. ʿAbdillāh who said: “When this verse: He has the power that He should send on you a chastisement from above you, was revealed, the Messenger of God said: ‘I take refuge by Thy Honour!’ …or from beneath your feet, he said: ‘I take refuge by Thy Honour!’ …or that He should throw you into confusion, (making you) of different parties; and make some of you taste the fighting of others. He said: ‘This is lighter’ or ‘easier.’ “ (al-Suyūtī)

Author’s comment: Also, similar to this (ḥadīth) has been quoted by Ibn Marduwayh from Jābir.

9. al-Suyūṭī says that Aḥmad, Tirmidhī, Ḥassanah, Nuʿaym b. Ḥammād in al-Fitan, Ibn Abī Ḥātim and Ibn Marduwayh have quoted from Saʿd b. Abī Waqqāṣ a statement from the Holy Prophet about this verse: Say: “He has the power that He should send on you a chastisement from above you or from beneath your feet,” The Holy Prophet said: “This is surely going to happen, and its interpretation has yet to come.” (al-Durr al-manthūr)

Author’s comment: There are many narrations from the Sunnī sources as well as from the Shīʿī sources from the Imāms of Ahlu al-Bayt which say that the punishment that God has threatened from above them and from beneath their feet refers to the cry from the heaven and the sinking of the land that will happen to this ummah. As for throwing them into confusion, dividing them in groups and making them taste the atrocities of one another, these have already occurred.

10. al-Suyūṭī in al-Durr al-manthūr and Ibn Kathīr in his al-Tafsīr have narrated many reports showing that when the verse: Say: “He has the power that He should send on you a chastisement from above you or from beneath your feet, or that He should throw you into confusion, (making you) of different parties; and make some of you taste the fighting of others.” See how repeatedly We display the signs that they may understand; was revealed, the Holy Prophet sought refuge with his Lord and prayed that He would not punish his ummah with a variety of punishments. His Lord responded positively in case of some punishments but not in case of other punishments: throwing them into confusion and thereby dividing them into groups, and making them taste the fighting of one another.

Author’s comment: These narrations, in spite of their numbers and a mixture of strong and weak chains of narrators, are all feeble because they go against the apparent meaning of the verse. Indeed the two verses following the verse under discussion: And your people call it a lie and it is the very truth. Say: “I am not placed in charge of you. For every prophecy is a term, and you will come to know (it),” () are explicit warning about occurrence (of the chastisement); moreover, these verses from sūrah of al-Anʿām were revealed all together and God, the Sublime, commanded His Prophet to convey them to his ummah. If there had been any change in form of lifting the chastisement, then it was imperative to see that in His revelation, that cannot be affected by falsehood from any direction; and we don’t see any trace of such a change, instead what we see is contrary to that as seen in the discussion above that many verses from the Holy Qur’an support these verses in their message such as the ones in the sūrahs of: Yūnus, Rūm, etc. Furthermore, these narrations contradict many other narrations from both the Sunnī and Shīʿī sources demonstrating the occurrence of the chastisement on the ummah in future.

In addition to this, these narrations (quoted by al-Suyūṭī and Ibn Kathīr), in spite of their numbers and agreement that the Holy Prophet prayed after revelation of verse: Say: “He has the power that He should send on you a chastisement…”, they are not united in the number of (items in the prayer): some say that there were three while others say that there were four; nor are they united in the number of cases that God accepted for him: some say one while others say two. They also disagree in the category of the items: some say that it was a plea about protection from stones raining from the sky, sinking into the earth, being divided into groups and fighting against one another while some say that it was for protection against drowning into the sea, drought and infighting among the ummah. Still, others say it was for protection against wide-spread drought, being overpowered by a foreign enemy and infighting among the Muslims. In some it says that the subjects of the prayer was that the ummah would not unite on misguidance and that a foreign enemy would not overpower them and that He would not destroy them by drought and protect them from division and infighting. Still other narrations say that the plea was for not being overpowered by others and that He would not destroy them by drowning and would not make them fight one another. In some narrations, it says that the plea was that God would not destroy the ummah by means of chastisement used to destroy the previous nations; He would not impose others over them, would not make them divided and not make them fight one another. Some narrations say that he (Prophet) pleaded that the ummah be protected from the chastisement from their above and from beneath their feet and from being divided and from infighting.

Finally, many of these narrations say that the Holy Prophet prayed while he was in Ḥurrah of Banū Muʿāwiyah, a village from the villages of the Anṣār, in the northern part of Medina. This means that the prayer was made after the hijrah while we know that sūrah of al-Anʿām is a chapter that was revealed in Mecca, all together, before the hijrah! And there are many other differences in the narrations which are obvious for anyone who looks into them.

If it is necessary for me to take something from these narrations, then I will choose what was narrated by ʿAbdu al-Razzāq, ʿAbd b. Ḥamīd, Ibn Jarīr, Ibn al-Mundhir and Ibn Marduwayh from Shadād b. Aws who has narrated a marfuʿ ḥadīth from the Holy Prophet who said: “Verily God contracted the earth for me until I was able to see its easts as well as its wests, and (I came to realize that) my ummah will reach to the areas that had been contracted for me; and that I was gifted with two treasures: ‘red’ and ‘white’. I prayed to my Lord not to destroy my people by a general drought, or confuse them in sects, or make them taste the violence of one another. He (God) said: ‘O Muḥammad, once I decree something, it cannot be changed and I, hereby, grant you, for your ummah, that I will not destroy them by a general drought and I will not impose on them an enemy besides them to destroy them until they destroy and kill one another and take one another as prisoners.’ The Holy Prophet said: ‘I fear for my ummah the misguiding leaders; when the sword is unleashed in my ummah (against one another), it will not be relieved from them until the Day of Resurrection.’”

This narration and its content are free from most of the objections raised above, and there is no indication that this prayer was after the revelation of the verse (under discussion). It should, however, be taken in the meaning of the total destruction and widespread drought that would obliterate the ummah; otherwise, the droughts, disasters and bloodshed that the ummah has faced in wars imposed by the Mongols, the Crusaders and (the Christians) in Spain and other places cannot be denied. It should also be said that this prayer and plea was in the early days of Islam before this sūrah was revealed. The Holy Prophet, after all, is well-aware of the status of his Lord and is on a high status himself to ask his Lord to change His decree after having received these verses and being ordered to convey them and to warn his ummah about it.

After lengthy discussion, the verses of the Noble Qur’an prove that it is engulfed by the truth; and the truth is that this religion of Islam is to stay till the Day of Resurrection and that the ummah will not be totally annihilated, and the means by which God has tested the past nations will be used to test this ummah also in a completely identical manner without any difference and failure. Numerous narrations from the Holy Prophet and the Imāms of Ahl al-Bayt, that are authentic and clear, confirm this truth.

11. al-Suyūṭī says: “In his al-nāsikh, al-Naḥḥās has quoted Ibn ʿAbbās regarding the verse: Say: ‘I am not placed in charge of you;’ (), he said: ‘This verse has abrogated the verse: then slay the idolaters wherever you find them, ().’ “

Author’s comment: From our previous discussion, it is clear that the statement Say: “I am not placed in charge of you;” is an introductory context for the warning which occurs in the next verse: For every prophecy is a term, and you will come to know (it), (). A statement such as this cannot be abrogated (since it is not a command, but a prediction).

12. In the discussion on verse: And when you see those who engage in vain discourses about Our signs… (), al-Qummī quotes ʿAbd al-Aʿlāʾ b. Aʿyan through his chain of narrators that the Messenger of God said: “Whoever believes in God and the Last Day, he should not sit in a gathering wherein an Imām is being insulted or a Muslim is being slandered because verily God says in His Book that: And when you see those who engage in vain discourses about Our signs, withdraw from them until they enter into some other discourse, and if the Satan causes you to forget, then do not sit after recollection with the unjust people.” (al-Tafsīr)
13. al-Suyūṭī quotes from ʿAbd b. Ḥamīd, Ibn Jarīr and Abū Nuʿaym in his al-Ḥilyah from Abū Jaʿfar (al-Bāqir) who said: “Do not sit with the argumentative people since they are the ones who negatively engage in God’s verses.” (al-Durr al-manthūr)
14. al-Suyūṭī quotes from ʿAbd b. Ḥamīd and Ibn Mundhir from Muḥammad b. ʿAli (al-Bāqir) who said: “Verily the dissenters are those who negatively engage in God’s verses.” (al-Durr al-manthūr)
15. al-ʿAyyāshī quotes from Rubʿī b. ʿAbdillāh from someone whom he mentioned from Abū Jaʿfar (al-Bāqir) about the Word of God: And when you see those who engage in vain discourses about Our signs… He said: “(Engaging in vain discourses about Our signs, means) to dispute about God and to argue about the Qur’an.” And about: withdraw from them until they enter into some other discourse, he said: “The story-teller.” (al-Tafsīr)

Author’s comment: As you can see, these narrations are broader than the content of the verse, and it’s actually applying the criterion on similar examples.

16. al-Ṭabrisī quotes Abū Jaʿfar (al-Bāqir) who said: “When the verse: then do not sit after recollection with the unjust people, was sent down, the Muslims said: ‘What should we do? Whenever the polytheists would ridicule the Qur’an, we used to get up and leave them; we stopped entering the Sacred Mosque and doing the circumambulation of the Sacred House.’ So, God revealed: And nothing of the reckoning of their (deeds) shall be upon those who guard (against evil), but (theirs) is only to remind, haply they may guard; (), commanding them to counsel them as much as they could.” (Majmaʿ al-bayān)

Author’s comment: As you can see, this narration has taken the word ‘reminding’ as a general passive particle and has related the pronouns in ‘haply they may guard’ to the polytheists thus implying the following meaning: ‘but remind them the reminder, haply they may guard themselves.’ A problem still exists since the sūrah was revealed altogether while the narration talks of a specific incident regarding this verse.

17. al-Suyūṭī narrates from Ibn Jarīr, Ibn al-Mundhir and Abu al- Shaykh from Ibn Jarīj who said that the polytheists used to sit with the Holy Prophet wishing to listen from him. But once they had heard (the verses), they used to ridicule them. Therefore, the verse: And when you see those who engage in vain discourses about Our signs, withdraw from them…, was revealed. He said: “Whenever they used to ridicule, he would stand up and go away. Some of them realized this and said: ‘Don’t ridicule since he goes away.’ This is reflected in the words: haply they may guard against negatively engaging in the Qur’anic verses and he would consequently stand up. Then the verse: And nothing of the reckoning of their (deeds) shall be upon those who guard (against evil),’ was revealed so that you would sit with them but you shouldn’t sit. Then this verse was abrogated in Medina by the verse: And indeed He has revealed to you in the Book that when you hear Allah’s communications disbelieved in and mocked at, do not sit with them until they enter into some other discourse. Surely then you would be like them (). This verse abrogated the verse .” (al-Durr al-manthūr)

Author’s comment: If the verse: and indeed He has revealed to you… () which is identical in meaning to: when you see those who engage in vain discourses, abrogates the verse: and nothing of the reckoning of their (deeds) shall be upon those who guard (against evil), then the verse: and nothing of the reckoning of their (deeds) shall be upon those who guard (against evil), abrogates the verse: when you see those who engage in vain discourses. This is not compatible with the fact that this sūrah was revealed altogether.

Moreover, the meanings of the three verses (; ; ) do not have any conflict so that the second could abrogate the first and then be abrogated by the third one. This is obvious.

18. Similar to this narration is another one which al-Suyūṭī quotes from al-Naḥḥās in his al-nāsikh from Ibn ʿAbbās about verse: And nothing of the reckoning of their (deeds) shall be upon those who guard (against evil), who said: “This is a Meccan verse that was abrogated in Medina by the verse: And indeed He has revealed to you in the Book that when you hear Allah’s communications disbelieved in and… (), (al-Durr al-manthūr)
19. Sayyid Hāshim, under the verse: His word is the truth and His is the Kingdom…, quotes from Ibn Bābawayh, through his chain of narrators, from Thaʿlabah b. Maymūn from his companions from Abū ʿAbdillāh (al-Ṣādiq) about the Word of God: the Knower of the unseen and the seen, that he said: “The Knower of ‘the unseen’ means of what is not yet existing, and ‘the seen’ means what is already existing.” (Tafsīr al-burhān)

Author’s comment: This ḥadīth mentions the most known examples of the unseen and the seen in our world. In the previous discussion under the verse and in other places, it was mentioned that there are other examples of the unseen also.

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1. The discussion on the Knowledge of God in this verse may be summarized as follows:

   First, we have “Mafātīḥu al-ghayb—The Treasures of the Unseen or the Keys of the Unseen.”

   i) This refers to the exclusive Knowledge of God that is not accessible to anyone but Him.

   ii) Things in The Treasures of the Unseen have an abstract existence and are beyond the realm of limits and measures.

   Since these things are beyond the realm of limits and measures, they are unseen in relation to the human beings.

   Ghayb or unseen can be absolute (muṭlaq) or relative (nisbī).

   Then at a slightly lower level, we have “al-Kitābu al-Mubīn—The Clear Book.”

   i) It contains the records of every person, thing and event from the time they existed in “The Treasures of the Unseen” to the time they emerge onto the physical realm and until they perish.

   ii) al-Kitābu al-Mubīn contains what is known as “Ummu al-Kitāb—The Basis of the Book” that is also known as “Lawḥ Maḥfūz—The Guarded Tablet” and its contents are immune from any change or alteration.

   iii) It also contains “Lawḥ Maḥw wa Ithbāt—The Tablet of Erasure and Reaffirmation.” This refers to the partial knowledge that God gives to some angels and prophets which is changeable from their perspective.

   iv) While “The Treasures of the Unseen” is exclusively for God, “The Clear Book” is accessible to chosen humans depending on the will and permission of God. (Trans.) ↩︎

2. Nonetheless, this narration can easily qualify as the esoteric interpretation of the verse. (Trans.) ↩︎