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

(6:11) Say: 'Go about journeying the earth, and behold the end of those who gave the lie (to the Truth).'⁸

(6:12) Ask thern: 'To whom belongs all that is in the heavens and on the earth?'⁹ Say: 'Everything belongs to Allah.' He has bound Himself to the exercise of mercy (and thus does not chastise you for your disobedience and excesses instantly). Surely He will gather you all together on the Day of Resurrection - the coming of which is beyond doubt; but those who have courted their own ruin are not going to believe.

(6:13) And to Him belongs all that dwells in the night and the day. He is All-Hearing, All-Knowing.

(6:14) Say: 'Shall I take for my guardian anyone other than Allah - the Originator of the heavens and earth; He Who feeds and Himself is not fed?'¹⁰ Say: 'Surely I have been commanded to be the first among those who submit (to Allah) and not to be one of those who associate others with Allah in His divinity (even though others may do so).'

(6:15) Say: 'Surely do I fear, if I disobey my Lord, the chastisement of an awesome Day.

(6:16) Whosoever has been spared chastisement on that Day, Allah has bestowed His mercy upon him. That is the manifest triumph.

(6:17) Should Allah touch you with affliction, there is none to remove it but He; and should He touch you with good, He has the power to do everything.

(6:18) He has the supreme hold over His servants. He is All-Wise, All-Aware.

(6:19) Ask them: 'Whose testimony is the greatest?' Say: 'Allah is the witness between me and you;¹¹ and this Qur'an was revealed to me that I should warn you thereby and also whomsoever it may reach.' Do you indeed testify that there are other gods with Allah?¹² Say: 'I shall never testify such a thing.' ¹³ Say: 'He is the One God and I am altogether averse to all that you associate with Him in His divinity.'

(6:20) Those whom We have given the Book will recognize this just as they recognize their own ofspring;¹⁴ but those who have courted their own ruin will not believe.

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Commentary

8. The archaeological remains and historical records of the ancient nations testify to how they met their tragic ends through turning away from truth and honesty and stubbornly persisting in their devotion to falsehood.

9. The subtlety of this expression should not go unnoticed. The unbelievers are asked to whom belongs whatever exists in either the heavens or on the earth. The inquirer then pauses to wait for the answer. Those questioned are themselves convinced that all belongs to God, yet while they dare not respond falsely, they are nevertheless not prepared to give the correct answer. Fearing that their response may be used as an argument against their polytheistic beliefs, they keep quiet. At this, the inquirer is told to answer the question himself and to say that all belongs to God.

10. This remark contains a subtle sarcasm. Far from providing sustenance to their followers, the beings whom the polytheists set up as deities beside the true God were dependent upon them for their sustenance. No Pharaoh can maintain the pomp and splendour connected with his godhead unless his subjects pay their tax dues and make him other offerings. No deity can attract worshippers unless some of its devotees make an idol, place it in some magnificent temple, and decorate it lavishly. All these counterfeit gods are totally dependent upon their own servants. It is the Lord of the Universe alone Who is the True God, Whose godhead rests solely upon His.own power; Who needs the help of no one, whereas no one can dispense with His.

11. God Himself witnesses that the Prophet (peace be on him) has been designated by Him and that what he communicated was by His command.

12. In order to bear witness to something, mere guesswork and imagination are not sufficient. What is required is knowledge on the basis of which a person can state something with full conviction. Hence. the question means: Did they really have knowledge of anyone other than God who could lay claim to man's worship and absolute service by dint of being the omnipotent sovereign, the one whose will prevailed throughout the universe?

13. The interlocutor is instructed to tell people that if they wanted to bear false witness and testify without knowledge, they could do so, but that he himself could not do something so unreasonable.

14. Those who have knowledge of the Scriptures know for sure that God is One alone and that no one shares His godhead with Him. It is true that one can spot one's own child even in the midst of a large crowd of children. The same can be said about those well-versed in the Scriptures. Even if the true concept of godhead were interspersed among numerous false beliefs and concepts about God, those well-versed in the scriptural lore would be able to recognize without doubt which doctrine was true.