SURAH AL-AN AAM (AYA 21to 30)

SECTION 3

Polytheists shall themselves confess their guilt

The greatness of the guilt of being polytheists---The polytheists shall themselves deny polytheism which they had themselves held as their conviction---They shall desire to be returned to life.

وَمَنْ أَظْلَمُ مِمَّنِ افْتَرَىٰ عَلَى اللَّهِ كَذِبًا أَوْ كَذَّبَ بِآيَاتِهِ ۗ إِنَّهُ لَا يُفْلِحُ الظَّالِمُونَ {6:21}

[Q6:21] Wa man azlamu mim manif tara 'alal laahi kaziban aw kazzaba bi Aayaatih; innahoo laa yuflihuz zaalimoon. 

[Q6:21] And who is more unjust than he who forges a lie against ALLAH (SWT) or (he who) gives the lie to His communications; surely the unjust will not be successful.
[Q6:21] Dan siapakah lagi yang lebih aniaya dari orang yang mengada-adakan perkara-perkara yang dusta terhadap ALLAH (SwT) atau yang mendustakan ayat-ayat keteranganNya? Sesungguhnya orang-orang yang zalim itu tidak akan berjaya. 

He who says things like [1]"Isa is the son of ALLAH (SWT)," or [2]"He has daughters", or [3]"He has coequals acting on His behalf'", OR [4]denies the description of the Holy Prophet (ALLAHuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad) in the old scriptures, is a fabricator of lies. THOSE WHO HAVE ASSOCIATED OTHERS WITH ALLAH (SWT) SHALL BE BROUGHT BEFORE THE TRUE ALLAH (SWT), THE LORD OF THE WORLDS, ON THE DAY OF RECKONING FOR A JUST REQUITAL, then their subterfuge will not help them, their sedition will earn eternal damnation for them, BECAUSE the acceptance of the falsity of their notions will practically convict them.

Ø  Unzur implies that the Holy Prophet (ALLAHuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad) had seen the scene of the day of resurrection, in advance, and was fully aware of that which will take place.

Once he (Hply Prophet) had said:

"I and the final hour have been sent together; and everything is moving towards this end." It shows that he is viewing all that which is taking place in the universe.

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(6:21) And who could be more wrong-doing than he who either foists a lie on Allah *15 or gives the lie to His signs?  *16 Surely such wrong-doers shall not attain success.

*15. This refers to those who asserted that there were also other beings which shared with God in His godhead, were possessed of divine attributes and powers, and rightly deserved to claim from man worship and absolute service. It is also a slander to claim that God has selected certain beings to be His chosen intimates and that lie has commanded - or is at least agreeable to the idea - that they should he considered to possess divine attributes, and that people should serve and revere them as they would serve and revere God, their Lord. 
*16. By 'signs of God' are meant the signs found within man's own being, as well as those scattered throughout the universe. They also include the signs which are manifest from the lives and achievements of the Prophets, as well as those embodied in the Scriptures. All these point towards one and the same truth - that in the entire realm of existence there is one God alone and that all else are merely His subjects. Who could be more unjust than one who, in utter disregard of all these signs, invests others than the One True God with attributes of godhead, considering them to merit the same rights as God. And does so merely on grounds of either conjecture, or speculation or out of blind adherence to the beliefs of his forefathers although there is not so much as a shred of evidence founded on true knowledge, observation or experience in support of such beliefs. Such a person subjects truth and reality to grave injustice. He also wrongs his own self and everything else in this universe with which he has to deal on the basis of this false assumption. 

وَيَوْمَ نَحْشُرُهُمْ جَمِيعًا ثُمَّ نَقُولُ لِلَّذِينَ أَشْرَكُوا أَيْنَ شُرَكَاؤُكُمُ الَّذِينَ كُنْتُمْ تَزْعُمُونَ {6:22}

[Q6:22] Wa yawma nahshuruhum jamee'an summa naqoolu lillazeena ashrakooo ayna shurakaaa' ukumul lazeena kuntum taz'umoon. 
[Q6:22] And on the day when We shall gather them all together, then shall We say to those who associated others (with ALLAH (SWT)): Where are your associates whom you asserted?

[Q6:22] Dan (ingatlah), hari (kiamat yang padanya) Kami himpunkan mereka semua, kemudian Kami berfirman kepada orang-orang musyrik: Manakah orang-orang dan benda-benda yang dahulu kamu sifatkan (menjadi sekutu ALLAH (SwT))?  

(see commentary for verse 21)

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(6:22) And on the Day when We shall gather them all together, We shall ask those who associated others with -Allah in His divinity: 'Where, now, are your partners whom you imagined (to have a share in the divinity of Allah)?'

ثُمَّ لَمْ تَكُنْ فِتْنَتُهُمْ إِلَّا أَنْ قَالُوا وَاللَّهِ رَبِّنَا مَا كُنَّا مُشْرِكِينَ {6:23}

[Q6:23] Summa lam takun fitnatuhum illaaa an qaaloo wallaahi Rabbinaa maa kunnaa mushrikeen. 

[Q6:23] Then their excuse would be nothing but that they would say: By ALLAH (SWT), our Lord, we were not polytheists.
[Q6:23] Kemudian tidaklah ada akidah kufur mereka selain dari mereka menjawab dengan dusta: Demi ALLAH (SwT) Tuhan kami, kami tidak pernah menjadi orang-orang yang mempersekutukan ALLAH (SwT) (dengan sesuatu yang lain). 

(see commentary for verse 21)

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(6:23) Then they will be able to play no mischief but will say (falsely): 'By Allah, our Lord, we associated none (with You in Your divinity).'

انْظُرْ كَيْفَ كَذَبُوا عَلَىٰ أَنْفُسِهِمْ ۚ وَضَلَّ عَنْهُمْ مَا كَانُوا يَفْتَرُونَ {6:24}

[Q6:24] Unzur kaifa kazaboo 'alaaa anfusihim, wa dalla 'anhum maa kaanoo yaftaroon. 
[Q6:24] See how they lie against their own souls, and that which they forged has passed away from them.

[Q6:24] Lihatlah bagaimana mereka berdusta terhadap diri mereka sendiri dan bagaimana hilang lenyapnya dari mereka apa yang telah mereka ada-adakan (sebagai sekutu ALLAH (SwT)) itu.  

Unzur implies that the Holy Prophet (ALLAHuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad) HAD SEEN THE SCENE OF THE DAY OF RESURRECTION, IN ADVANCE, AND WAS FULLY AWARE OF THAT WHICH WILL TAKE PLACE.

(see commentary for verse 21)

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(6:24) Behold, how they will lie against themselves and how their forged deities will forsake them!

وَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ يَسْتَمِعُ إِلَيْكَ ۖ وَجَعَلْنَا عَلَىٰ قُلُوبِهِمْ أَكِنَّةً أَنْ يَفْقَهُوهُ وَفِي آذَانِهِمْ وَقْرًا ۚ وَإِنْ يَرَوْا كُلَّ آيَةٍ لَا يُؤْمِنُوا بِهَا ۚ حَتَّىٰ إِذَا جَاءُوكَ يُجَادِلُونَكَ يَقُولُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا إِنْ هَٰذَا إِلَّا أَسَاطِيرُ الْأَوَّلِينَ {6:25}

[Q6:25] Wa minhum mai yastami'u ilaika wa ja'alnaa 'alaa quloobihim akinnatan ai yafqahoohu wa feee aazaanihim waqraa; wa ai yaraw kulla Aayatil laa yu'minoo bihaa; hattaaa izaa

jaaa'oka yujaadiloonaka yaqoolul lazeena kafaroo in haazaa illaaa asaateerul awwaleen. 
[Q6:25] And of them is he who hearkens to you, and We have cast veils over their hearts lest they understand it and a heaviness into their ears; and even if they see every sign they will not believe in it; so much so that when they come to you they only dispute with you; those who disbelieve say: This is naught but the stories of the ancients.

[Q6:25] Dan di antara mereka ada yang mendengarkanmu (membaca Al-Quran), pada hal Kami telah jadikan tutupan berlapis-lapis atas hati mereka, yang menghalang mereka daripada memahaminya dan Kami jadikan pada telinga mereka penyumbat (yang menjadikan mereka pekak) dan kalaupun mereka melihat tiap-tiap keterangan (dan mukjizat yang membuktikan kebenaran Rasul), mereka tidak juga akan beriman kepada keterangan itu; sehingga apabila mereka datang kepadamu, sambil membantahmu, berkatalah orang-orang yang kafir itu: Ini tidak lain hanyalah cerita-cerita dongeng orang-orang dahulu. 

Some of the pagans used to visit the Holy Prophet (ALLAHuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad) not to listen to what he said BUT to dispute with him. THEY WERE NOT SEEKERS OF TRUTH AT ALL, and they never wanted to profit by the signs (miracles) of ALLAH (SWT). By keeping themselves and others away from it they destroyed their own souls.

Ø  It is reported that when Nasr bin Khalid had said to Abu Sufyan, Atbah and Shaybah that the Holy Prophet (ALLAHuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad) only recited the tales of the ancients, and he could also relate many fables of the Persians, these verses were revealed.

THE QUR’AN IS MEANINGFUL AND A GUIDANCE TO THOSE WHOSE MINDS AND HEARTS ACCEPT IT (verse 19 of this surah), BUT it is recited as a hujjat (argument) to those also whose hearts do not receive it as said in verse 26 of this surah.

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(6:25) And of them there are some who appear to pay heed to you, but upon their hearts We have laid coverings so they understand it not; and in their ears, heaviness (so they hear not). *17 Even if they were to witness every sign, they would still not believe in it so much so that when they come to you, they dispute with you, those who disbelieve contend: 'This is nothing but fables of the ancient times.' *18

*17. It is noteworthy that God attributes to Himself all that happens in the world as a result of the laws of nature. Since these laws were made by God Himself, the effects which result from their operation are also ultimately due to the will and permission of God. The refusal on the part of unbelievers to heed the call of the Truth even when it is clear and audible stems from their obstinacy, prejudice, mental rigidity and inertia. It is a law of nature that when a man is not prepared to rise above prejudice in his quest for the Truth, his heart closes to every truth which is opposed to his desires. We can describe this condition by saying that the heart of that person has become sealed and when God describes it He does so by saying that He had sealed the heart of the person concerned. The explanation of this Paradox is that whereas we describe merely an incident, God describes its ultimate cause. 
*18. Whenever ignorant people are called to the Truth they are liable to say that there is nothing novel about it, that it is merely a repetition of things that have come down from the past, as if in their view every truth must be new, and whatever is old must of necessity be false, although Truth has always been one and the same and will remain so. All those who have come forward to lead people in the light of God-given knowledge have been preaching one and the same Truth from time immemorial, and all those who will benefit from this valuable source of human knowledge in the future are bound to repeat the same old truths. Novelties can be invented only by those who, being bereft of the light of Divine guidance, are incapable of perceiving the eternal Truth, preferring to weave altogether new ideas out of their imagination and to put them forward as truth. 

وَهُمْ يَنْهَوْنَ عَنْهُ وَيَنْأَوْنَ عَنْهُ ۖ وَإِنْ يُهْلِكُونَ إِلَّا أَنْفُسَهُمْ وَمَا يَشْعُرُونَ {6:26}

[Q6:26] Wa hum yanhawna 'anhu wa yan'awna 'anhu wa iny yuhlikoona illaa anfusahum wa maa yash'uroon. 
[Q6:26] And they prohibit (others) from it and go far away from it, and they only bring destruction upon their own souls while they do not perceive.

[Q6:26] Dan mereka pula melarang orang ramai dari mendengar Al-Quran dan mereka juga menjauhkan diri daripadanya, padahal mereka (dengan perbuatan yang demikian) hanyalah membinasakan diri sendiri (dengan bala bencana dan azab yang disediakan untuk mereka di dunia dan di akhirat kelak), sedang mereka tidak menyedarinya.  

(see commentary for verse 25)

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(6:26) As for others, they prevent them from embracing the Truth; and themselves, they flee from it (so as to harm you). But they court their own ruin, although they do not realize it.

وَلَوْ تَرَىٰ إِذْ وُقِفُوا عَلَى النَّارِ فَقَالُوا يَا لَيْتَنَا نُرَدُّ وَلَا نُكَذِّبَ بِآيَاتِ رَبِّنَا وَنَكُونَ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ {6:27}

[Q6:27] Wa law taraaa iz wauqifoo 'alan Naari faqaaloo yaa laitanaa nuraddu wa laa nukaz ziba bi Aayaati Rabbinaa wa nakoona minal mu'mineen. 

[Q6:27] And could you see when they are made to stand before the fire, then they shall say: Would that we were sent back, and we would not reject the communications of our Lord and we would be of the believers.
[Q6:27] Dan sungguh ngeri jika engkau melihat ketika mereka didirikan di tepi Neraka (untuk menyaksikan azabnya yang tidak terperi), lalu mereka berkata: Wahai kiranya kami dikembalikan ke dunia dan kami tidak akan mendustakan lagi ayat-ayat keterangan Tuhan kami dan menjadilah kami dari golongan yang beriman. 

THEIR FALSITY WAS NOT DUE TO WANT OF KNOWLEDGE, BUT ON ACCOUNT OF PERVERSITY AND SELFISHNESS.

In their hearts was a disease (al Baqarah 2:10), THEREFORE neither 1. Their understanding, 2. Nor their ears, 3. Nor their eyes do the proper work. THEY TWIST **what they see, **hear, or **are taught, AND GO DEEPER AND DEEPER INTO THE MIRE. The deceptions which they used to practise on their people will, on the day of reckoning, become clear to their own eyes.

EVERY SOUL REVEALS IT’S INHERENT NATURE IN WHATEVER FORM IT ASSUMES.

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(6:27) If you could but see when they shall be made to stand by the Fire! They will plead: 'Would that we were brought back to life? Then we would not give the lie to the signs of our Lord and would be among the believers.'

بَلْ بَدَا لَهُمْ مَا كَانُوا يُخْفُونَ مِنْ قَبْلُ ۖ وَلَوْ رُدُّوا لَعَادُوا لِمَا نُهُوا عَنْهُ وَإِنَّهُمْ لَكَاذِبُونَ {6:28}

[Q6:28] Bal badaa lahum maa kaanoo yukhfoona min qablu wa law ruddoo la'aadoo limaa nuhoo 'anhu wa innahum lakaaziboon. 
[Q6:28] Nay, what they concealed before shall become manifest to them; and if they were sent back, they would certainly go back to that which they are forbidden, and most surely they are liars.

[Q6:28] (Mereka mengatakan yang demikian bukanlah kerana hendak beriman) bahkan setelah nyata kepada mereka apa yang mereka selalu sembunyikan dahulu dan kalau mereka dikembalikan ke dunia sekalipun, tentulah mereka akan mengulangi lagi apa yang mereka dilarang dari melakukannya dan sesungguhnya mereka adalah tetap pendusta.  

(see commentary for verse 27)

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(6:28) No! They will say this merely because the Truth which they had concealed will become obvious to them; *19 or else if they were sent back, they would still revert to what was forbidden to them. (So this plea of theirs would be a lie too) for they are just liars.

*19. At that moment such a statement on their part would not be indicative of either any true change of heart or of any genuinely revised judgement based on serious reflection and reasoning. It would rather be the result of direct observation of reality at a time when even the staunchest unbeliever would find it impossible to deny it. 

وَقَالُوا إِنْ هِيَ إِلَّا حَيَاتُنَا الدُّنْيَا وَمَا نَحْنُ بِمَبْعُوثِينَ {6:29}

[Q6:29] Wa qaalooo in hiya illaa hayaatunad dunyaa wa maa nahnu bimab'ooseen. 
[Q6:29] And they say: There is nothing but our life of this world, and we shall not be raised.

[Q6:29] Dan tentulah mereka akan berkata pula: Tiadalah hidup yang lain selain dari hidup kita di dunia ini dan tiadalah kita akan dibangkitkan semula sesudah kita mati. 

THE PAGANS WERE NO LESS MATERIALISTIC THAN SUPERSTITIOUS, THEREFORE, they did not accept the doctrine of resurrection. THEY TOTALLY DENIED THE LIFE OF HEREAFTER AND BELIEVED THAT, IF AT ALL THERE WAS ANOTHER LIFE, THEY WOULD BE SENT BACK AGAIN IN THIS WORLD.

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(6:29) They say now: 'There is nothing but the life of this world, and we shall not be raised from the dead.'

وَلَوْ تَرَىٰ إِذْ وُقِفُوا عَلَىٰ رَبِّهِمْ ۚ قَالَ أَلَيْسَ هَٰذَا بِالْحَقِّ ۚ قَالُوا بَلَىٰ وَرَبِّنَا ۚ قَالَ فَذُوقُوا الْعَذَابَ بِمَا كُنْتُمْ تَكْفُرُونَ {6:30}

[Q6:30] Wa law taraa iz wuqifoo 'alaa Rabbihim; qaala alaisa haazaa bilhaqq; qaaloo balaa wa Rabbinaa; qaala fazooqul 'azaaba bimaa kuntum takfuroon.
[Q6:30] And could you see when they are made to stand before their Lord. He will say: Is not this the truth? They will say: Yea! By our Lord. He will say: Taste then the chastisement because you disbelieved.

[Q6:30] Dan sungguh ngeri jika engkau melihat ketika mereka dihadapkan kepada Tuhan mereka, lalu ALLAH (SwT) berfirman: Bukankah hari kiamat ini suatu perkara yang benar? Mereka menjawab: Benar, demi Tuhan kami! ALLAH (SwT) berfirman lagi: Oleh itu, rasalah azab seksa Neraka dengan sebab kamu telah kufur ingkar. 

RESURRECTION IS AN EVOLUTIONARY STAGE (from the terrestrial to the heavenly and spiritual) where one feels the presence of ALLAH (SWT).

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(6:30) If you could but see when they will be made to stand before their Lord. He will say: 'Is not this the truth?' They will say: 'Yes indeed, by our Lord.'Whereupon He will say: 'Taste the chastisement, then, for your denying the Truth.'