Surah 6. Al-An'am

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Verses [Section]: 1-10[1], 11-20 [2], 21-30 [3], 31-40 [4], 41-50 [5], 51-55 [6], 56-60 [7], 61-70 [8], 71-82 [9], 83-90 [10], 91-94 [11], 95-100 [12], 101-110 [13], 111-121 [14], 122-129 [15], 130-140 [16], 141-144 [17], 145-150 [18], 151-154 [19], 155-165 [20]

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Quran Text of Verse 11-20قُلْSayسِیْرُوْاTravelفِیinالْاَرْضِthe earthثُمَّandاَنْظُرُوْاseeكَیْفَhowكَانَwasعَاقِبَةُ(the) endالْمُكَذِّبِیْنَ (of) the rejecters قُلْSayلِّمَنْTo whom (belongs)مَّاwhatفِی(is) inالسَّمٰوٰتِthe heavensوَ الْاَرْضِ ؕand the earthقُلْSayلِّلّٰهِ ؕTo AllahكَتَبَHe has decreedعَلٰیuponنَفْسِهِHimselfالرَّحْمَةَ ؕthe MercyلَیَجْمَعَنَّكُمْSurely He will assemble youاِلٰیonیَوْمِ(the) Dayالْقِیٰمَةِ(of) the Resurrectionلَا(there is) noرَیْبَdoubtفِیْهِ ؕabout itاَلَّذِیْنَThose whoخَسِرُوْۤاhave lostاَنْفُسَهُمْthemselvesفَهُمْthen theyلَا(do) notیُؤْمِنُوْنَ believe وَ لَهٗAnd for Himمَا(is) whateverسَكَنَdwellsفِیinالَّیْلِthe nightوَ النَّهَارِ ؕand the dayوَ هُوَand Heالسَّمِیْعُ(is) All-Hearingالْعَلِیْمُ All-Knowing قُلْSayاَغَیْرَIs it other thanاللّٰهِAllahاَتَّخِذُI (should) takeوَلِیًّا(as) a protectorفَاطِرِCreatorالسَّمٰوٰتِ(of) the heavensوَ الْاَرْضِand the earthوَ هُوَwhile (it is) HeیُطْعِمُWho feedsوَ لَاand notیُطْعَمُ ؕHe is fedقُلْSayاِنِّیْۤIndeed Iاُمِرْتُ[I] am commandedاَنْthatاَكُوْنَI beاَوَّلَ(the) firstمَنْwhoاَسْلَمَsubmits (to Allah)وَ لَاand notتَكُوْنَنَّbeمِنَofالْمُشْرِكِیْنَ the polytheists قُلْSayاِنِّیْۤIndeed, Iاَخَافُ[I] fearاِنْifعَصَیْتُI disobeyedرَبِّیْmy Lordعَذَابَpunishmentیَوْمٍ(of) a Dayعَظِیْمٍ Mighty مَنْWhoeverیُّصْرَفْis avertedعَنْهُfrom itیَوْمَىِٕذٍthat Dayفَقَدْthen surelyرَحِمَهٗ ؕHe had Mercy on himوَ ذٰلِكَAnd thatالْفَوْزُ(is) the successالْمُبِیْنُ (the) clear وَ اِنْAnd ifیَّمْسَسْكَtouches youاللّٰهُAllahبِضُرٍّwith afflictionفَلَاthen noكَاشِفَremoverلَهٗۤof itاِلَّاexceptهُوَ ؕHimوَ اِنْAnd ifیَّمْسَسْكَHe touches youبِخَیْرٍwith goodفَهُوَthen Heعَلٰی(is) onكُلِّeveryشَیْءٍthingقَدِیْرٌ All-Powerful وَ هُوَAnd Heالْقَاهِرُ(is) the Subjugatorفَوْقَoverعِبَادِهٖ ؕHis slavesوَ هُوَAnd Heالْحَكِیْمُ(is) the All-Wiseالْخَبِیْرُ the All-Aware 6. Al-An'am Page 130قُلْSayاَیُّWhatشَیْءٍthingاَكْبَرُ(is) greatestشَهَادَةً ؕ(as) a testimonyقُلِSayاللّٰهُ ۙ۫Allahشَهِیْدٌۢ(is) Witnessبَیْنِیْbetween meوَ بَیْنَكُمْ ۫and between youوَ اُوْحِیَand has been revealedاِلَیَّto meهٰذَاthisالْقُرْاٰنُ[the] Quranلِاُنْذِرَكُمْthat I may warn youبِهٖwith itوَ مَنْۢand whoeverبَلَغَ ؕit reachesاَىِٕنَّكُمْDo you trulyلَتَشْهَدُوْنَtestifyاَنَّthatمَعَwithاللّٰهِAllahاٰلِهَةً(there are) godsاُخْرٰی ؕotherقُلْSayلَّاۤNotاَشْهَدُ ۚ(do) I testifyقُلْSayاِنَّمَاOnlyهُوَHeاِلٰهٌ(is) GodوَّاحِدٌOneوَّ اِنَّنِیْand indeed, I amبَرِیْٓءٌfreeمِّمَّاof whatتُشْرِكُوْنَۘyou associate (with Him) اَلَّذِیْنَThose (to) whomاٰتَیْنٰهُمُWe have given themالْكِتٰبَthe Bookیَعْرِفُوْنَهٗthey recognize himكَمَاasیَعْرِفُوْنَthey recognizeاَبْنَآءَهُمْ ۘtheir sonsاَلَّذِیْنَThose whoخَسِرُوْۤاlostاَنْفُسَهُمْthemselvesفَهُمْthen theyلَا(do) notیُؤْمِنُوْنَ۠believe

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Translation of Verse 11-20

11. Say: “Travel in the land and see what was the fate of those who rejected Truth.’’

12. Ask them: “To whom belongs all that is in the heavens and the earth?” Say: “To Allah.²¹ He has prescribed mercy for Himself.²² He will gather you together on the Day of Judgement, there is no doubt about it.²³ Those, who have ruined their own souls, do not believe.²⁴

13. “And to Him belongs all that rests in the night and the day.²⁵ And He is the One who hears and knows all things.”

14. Say: “Shall I take as a benefactor any other being than Allah, the Maker of the heavens and the earth? And He is that feeds but is not fed.”²⁶,²⁷ Say: “I am commanded to be the first to surrender to Him.²⁸ And (O prophet!) be not of the company of the polytheists”.

15. Say: “If I disobeyed my Lord I fear, the torment of an awful day.”³⁰

16. He from whom such torment is averted on that day, had in truth His mercy on him. That is a clear triumph.³¹

17. “If Allah touch you with affliction, none can remove it but He; and if He touch you with good (fortune), He has power over all things.”³²

18. “He is supreme over His slaves.³³ He is the Wise and the Aware.” ³⁴

19. Ask (them): “What thing is most weighty in testimony?” Say: “Allah is witness between you and me;³⁵ and this Quran has been revealed to me that I may thereby warn³⁶ you and whomsoever it may reach.³⁷ Do you bear witness that there are gods besides Allah?” Say: “Nay, I bear no such witness.” Say: “He is the only One God.³⁸ Verily, I am innocent of that which you associate with Him.”

20. Those to whom We have given the Book recognize him as they recognize their own children.³⁹ (But) those who have lost themselves do not believe.

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Commentary

21. That is: You should necessarily ask them this question: Who is the real owner of all that exists in the heavens and the earth? so that they may contemplate and may get to the reality. However, you may also let them hear your answer to this question that everything belongs to Allah and Allah only, so that the reality may be made clear to them.

22. That is: None has compelled Him to be merciful. He Himself has decided to treat His slaves mercifully.

23. To gather all together on the Day of Resurrection is the demand of His favours and blessings. Although the Doomsday will occur in the most terrifying manner and the rejectors of faith will receive the wrath of God, but this is only one aspect of the Day of Resurrection. Another aspect, which is more important and bears positive consequences, is that Allah will shower His limitless favours and blessings on His loyal slaves and these slaves will be recipients of these blessings forever.

24. Those people who are not interested in deriving benefit from showers of blessings of Allah on the Day of Resurrection will eventually be deprived of the blessings, and the, deprivation from the Divine blessings is the greatest deprivation, which amounts to everlasting ruin and condemnation.

25. He is the Master of Time and Space. The state of the night and the day is the same for Him. Nothing, in any condition whatsoever, is beyond His power.

26. Eating and drinking is the property and need of the creatures and not of the Creator Allah is the Creator and He has no need to eat or drink. Contrary to this, the idolaters believe that their idols or gods eat and drink. Accordingly the polytheists of India believe that their gods live by drinking a special kind of drink, Soma, and it is also surprising that the idolaters present articles of , food, etc., before their idols.

27. That is: When Allah is the only Being who has brought into existence the heavens and the earth, and He alone provides food and drink to all and looks after their growth. and that He himself is not at all in the need of any food or drink, then where does the question of treating anyone else as God arise? When it is He alone who meets the needs of all, and everyone is indebted to Him then what prudence is there in treating the needy as the provider?

28. prophet himself worships God first before inviting others to do that. ‘He begins the work of his mission, as ordained by God, with his own self, that is he surrenders himself totally to Allah that he will worship only Allah and he will obey whatever command will be given to him by Allah.

In this command of Allah and this example of the career of a prophet, there is a guidance for every truth loving person that in the matter of the religion of truth he should first of all fulfil his own responsibility concerning his own self, irrespective of the fact whether others fulfil their responsibilities or not, because he will have to answer for himself before God.

29. This makes the difference between a Muslim and a polytheist clear. A Muslim surrenders or submits himself totally to Allah or His cause. As against this an idolater or a polytheist does not submit himself to Allah. If he at all believes in god, then it is with some reservations, because his loyalty is divided among various gods.

He from whom such torment is averted on that day, had in truth His mercy on him. That is a clear triumph. “If Allah touch you with affliction, none can remove it but He; and if He touch you with good (fortune), He has power over all things.” (Al--Quran)

30. That is: The fear of the punishment of the Doomsday. Every slave of God should have this fear. Even a prophet is no exception.

31. That is: The real success is this that on the Day of Judgement a person should be spared the Divine punishment. If today the people do not realise this, then on the Day of Resurrection they will surely realise it.

32. It is within Allah’s power to cause pleasure or grief. It is quite baseless and without any foundation to believe that any other being can cause pleasure or grief to the creatures. The titles like “Mushkil-Kusha” (Reliever of trouble), Ghaus (helper), etc., are hollow, and the ignorant people have coined them for others besides Allah in their ignorance, which has no relevance to reality.

33. His creatures or His slaves are totally under Allah’s power and control. He can keep any of His slave in any condition He likes, and none has the power to obstruct Him from doing so.

34. The purpose of mentioning these attributes is to show that as Allah has these attributes, His being the Supreme God is as it should be. As for the gods of the idolaters, since they have none of these attributes, how can they be considered as gods and worthy of being worshipped?

35. It means that when Allah Himself is the Creator of the heavens and the earth, He can only tell us whether He had taken any partner in His godhood. Without His telling, the claim of the idolaters that God has taken such and such persons or idols as His partners is baseless. In the matter of godhood, the evidence of the Creator of the universe only can be considered as most reliable and decisive, and the prophet is presenting this very evidence, and His evidence, as is explained later on, is before them in the form of the holy Quran.

36. That is: Quran is Allah’s word, therefore, its being Allah’s evidence is clear, and its evidence is that there is no partner or associate in Allah’s godhood. Quran has been revealed to warn those who ascribe partners to God that they will have to face heavy punishment for this crime.

37. That is: Quran is not merely for the people of Makkah or the Arabs only. It is for Arabs and Non- Arabs – for all. To whatever men and to whatever community or nation it reaches, to them the truth with its authentic proof has been communicated that the prophet of Islam has conveyed the message of Allah to them, and that they have been informed of the adverse consequences of polytheism, idolatry and rebellion against Allah.

38. The truth is that it is Allah only who is God, and He is the real, true and undebatable God. Besides Him there is no other god, and none other is worthy of worship.

39. As people have no hesitation or doubt in recognizing their own children, similarly the people of the Divine Scriptures have no difficulty or doubt in recognizing their prophet, since they well know what are the attributes of a prophet. They also know that this unlettered prophet (Peace be upon him) fits perfectly the prophecies made in the Divine Books (Torah and Injeel).

This verse alludes to the right-loving group among the people of the Book, and the purpose is to bring it home to the idolater that the prophet and Quran have not appeared in some vacuum, but that they have a solid foundation and they are connected with that series of Divine guidance which has been in existence from the earlier days.