SURAH AL-AN AAM (AYA 41 to 50)

بَلْ إِيَّاهُ تَدْعُونَ فَيَكْشِفُ مَا تَدْعُونَ إِلَيْهِ إِنْ شَاءَ وَتَنْسَوْنَ مَا تُشْرِكُونَ {6:41}

[Q6:41] Bal iyyaahu tad'oona fa yakshifu maa tad'oona ilaihi in shaaa'a wa tansawna maa tushrikoon. 
[Q6:41] Nay, Him you call upon, so He clears away that for which you pray if He pleases and you forget what you set up (with Him).

[Q6:41] Bahkan Dialah (ALLAH (SwT)) yang kamu seru lalu Dia hapuskan bahaya yang kamu pohonkan kepadaNya jika Dia kehendaki dan kamu lupakan apa yang kamu sekutukan (dengan ALLAH (SwT) dalam masa kamu ditimpa bahaya itu).  

(see commentary for verse 40)

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(6:41) Lo, it is to Him alone that you cry and then, if He so wills, He removes the distress for which you had cried to Him. Then you forget the partners you had set up with Allah. *29

*29. ATTENTION IS NOW DRAWN TOWARDS ANOTHER SIGN - ONE OBSERVABLE EVEN IN THE LIVES OF THOSE WHO DENY THE TRUTH. When either some great calamity befalls a man or when death starkly stares him in the face, it is only to God that he turns for refuge. On such occasions even the staunchest polytheists forget their false gods and cry out to the One True God, and even the most rabid atheists stretch out their hands in prayer to Him. This phenomenon is mentioned here in order to draw an instructive lesson. It shows that devotion to God and monotheism are ingrained in the human soul. No matter how overlaid this truth might be, some day it shakes off man's heedlessness and ignorance and manifests itself fully. It was the observation of this sign which had led 'Ikrimah, the son of Abu Jahl, to the true faith. For when Makka was conquered at the hands of the Prophet (peace be on him), 'Ikrimah fled to Jeddah and sailed from there towards Abyssinia. During the voyage the boat ran into a severe storm which threatened to capsize it. At first people began calling on their gods and goddesses. Later on, when the storm grew even worse and the passengers were sure that the boat would sink, they began to feel it was time to call on God alone, for He alone could save them. This opened the eyes of 'Ikrimah, whose heart cried out to him that if there was no effective helper for them in that situation, how could there he one elsewhere? He also recalled that this was precisely what the Prophet (peace be on him) had constantly told people, and that it was precisely because of this preaching that they had been engaged in unnecessary violent conflict with him. This was a turning-point in 'Ikrimah's life. He instantly made up his mind that if he survived the storm he would go straight to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be on him) and place his hand in his, binding himself in allegiance. Thereafter he not only remained true to his word by becoming a Muslim, but spent the rest of his life struggling in the cause of Islam. 

SECTION 5

Who the former disbelievers were seized with distress and affliction---Warning against the approach of the punishment.

وَلَقَدْ أَرْسَلْنَا إِلَىٰ أُمَمٍ مِنْ قَبْلِكَ فَأَخَذْنَاهُمْ بِالْبَأْسَاءِ وَالضَّرَّاءِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَضَرَّعُونَ {6:42}

[Q6:42] Wa laqad arsalnaaa ilaaa umamim min qablika fa akhaznaahum bilbaasaaa'i waddarraaa'i la'allahum yata darra'oon. 
[Q6:42] And certainly We sent (messengers) to nations before you then We seized them with distress and affliction in order that they might humble themselves.

[Q6:42] Dan demi sesungguhnya Kami telah utuskan Rasul-rasul kepada umat-umat yang dahulu daripadamu (lalu mereka mendustakannya), maka Kami seksakan mereka dengan kebuluran dan penyakit, supaya mereka berdoa (kepada Kami) dengan merendah diri (serta insaf dan bertaubat). 

Please refer to the commentary of al Baqarah 2:136, 177, 285; Ali Imran 3: 84; Nisa 4:136, 152 and 164.

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(6:42) And We did indeed send Messengers to other nations before you and then We seized those nations with misfortune and hardship so that they might humble themselves (before Us).

فَلَوْلَا إِذْ جَاءَهُمْ بَأْسُنَا تَضَرَّعُوا وَلَٰكِنْ قَسَتْ قُلُوبُهُمْ وَزَيَّنَ لَهُمُ الشَّيْطَانُ مَا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ {6:43}

[Q6:43] Falaw laaa iz jaaa'ahum baasunaa tadarra'oo wa laakin qasat quloobuhum wa zaiyana lahumush Shaitaanu maa kaanoo ya'maloon. 

[Q6:43] Yet why did they not, when Our punishment came to them, humble themselves? But their hearts hardened and the Shaitan made what they did fair-seeming to them.
[Q6:43] Maka alangkah eloknya kalau mereka berdoa kepada Kami dengan merendah diri (serta insaf dan bertaubat) ketika mereka ditimpa azab Kami? Tetapi yang sebenarnya hati mereka keras (tidak mahu menerima kebenaran) dan Syaitan pula memperelokkan pada (pandangan) mereka apa yang mereka telah lakukan.

Having inadvertently sinned, IF MAN DOES NOT TURN REPENTANT TO ALLAH (SWT) SO THAT HE WOULD HAVE BEEN FORGIVEN, BUT, on the contrary, becomes stubborn and hardhearted, Shaytan gets his opportunity to exploit him by putting forward the alluring pleasures of his vanity fair.

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(6:43) But when misfortune befell them from Us why did they not humble themselves? Their hearts had hardened and Satan had made their deeds seem fair to them.

فَلَمَّا نَسُوا مَا ذُكِّرُوا بِهِ فَتَحْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ أَبْوَابَ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ حَتَّىٰ إِذَا فَرِحُوا بِمَا أُوتُوا أَخَذْنَاهُمْ بَغْتَةً فَإِذَا هُمْ مُبْلِسُونَ {6:44}

[Q6:44] Falammaa nasoo maa zukkiroo bihee fatahnaa 'alaihim abwaaba kulli shai'in hattaaa izaa farihoo bimaaa ootooo akhaznaahum baghtatan fa izaa hum mmublisoon. 
[Q6:44] But when they neglected that with which they had been admonished, We opened for them the doors of all things, until when they rejoiced in what they were given We seized them suddenly; then lo! They were in utter despair.

[Q6:44] Kemudian apabila mereka melupakan apa yang telah diperingatkan mereka dengannya, Kami bukakan kepada mereka pintu-pintu segala kemewahan dan kesenangan, sehingga apabila mereka bergembira dan bersukaria dengan segala nikmat yang diberikan kepada mereka, Kami timpakan mereka secara mengejut (dengan bala bencana yang membinasakan), maka mereka pun berputus asa (dari mendapat sebarang pertolongan). 

The good things of life must teach us not only goodness BUT ALSO develop sensitiveness and spiritual awareness, OTHERWISE we are puffed up in prosperity which is a punishment from a higher point of view. We go deeper and deeper into sin, until we are pulled up all of a sudden, and then, instead of being contrite, we merely become desperate.

Ø  The Holy Prophet (ALLAHuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad) said:

"When you see a man, more and more blessed with bounties of ALLAH (SWT), inspite of his repeated sinfulness, then be sure that he is enjoying a respite, either to repent and walk on the right path, or be prepared for a sudden affliction from ALLAH (SWT)."

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(6:44) So, when they forgot what they had been reminded of, We opened the gates of all things so that while they rejoiced in what they had been granted We seized them suddenly and they were plunged into utter despair.

فَقُطِعَ دَابِرُ الْقَوْمِ الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا ۚ وَالْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ {6:45}

[Q6:45] Faquti'a daabirul qawmil lazeena zalamoo; walhamdu lillaahi Rabbil 'aalameen.  
[Q6:45] So the roots of the people who were unjust were cut off; and all praise is due to ALLAH (SWT), the Lord of the worlds.

[Q6:45] Lalu kaum yang zalim itu dibinasakan sehingga terputus keturunannya dan (dengan itu bersyukurlah kerana musnahnya kezaliman, dengan menyebut): Segala puji tertentu bagi ALLAH (SwT) Tuhan yang memelihara dan mentadbirkan sekalian Alam. 

ALLAH (SWT)'S PUNISHMENT TO WRONGDOERS IS A MEASURE OF JUSTICE. To protect the righteous from their depredations and maintain His just decrees, the last remnant of the unjust had to be cut off, so they were completely destroyed.

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(6:45) Thus the last remnant of those wrongdoing people was cut off. All praise is for Allah, the Lord of the entire universe, (for having punished them so).

قُلْ أَرَأَيْتُمْ إِنْ أَخَذَ اللَّهُ سَمْعَكُمْ وَأَبْصَارَكُمْ وَخَتَمَ عَلَىٰ قُلُوبِكُمْ مَنْ إِلَٰهٌ غَيْرُ اللَّهِ يَأْتِيكُمْ بِهِ ۗ انْظُرْ كَيْفَ نُصَرِّفُ الْآيَاتِ ثُمَّ هُمْ يَصْدِفُونَ {6:46}

[Q6:46] Qul ara'aitum in akhazal laahu sam'akum wa absaarakum wa khatama 'alaa quloobikum man ilaahun ghairul laahi yaateekum bih; unzur kaifa nusarriful Aayaati summa hum yasdifoon.

[Q6:46] Say: Have you considered that if ALLAH (SWT) takes away your hearing and your sight and sets a seal on your hearts, who is the God besides ALLAH (SWT) that can bring it to you? See how We repeat the communications, yet they turn away.
[Q6:46] Katakanlah (wahai Muhammad): Bagaimana fikiran kamu, jika ALLAH (SwT) melenyapkan pendengaran serta penglihatan kamu dan Dia pula mengecap (memeterikan) atas hati kamu? Siapakah Tuhan selain ALLAH (SwT) yang berkuasa mengembalikannya kepada kamu? Lihatlah bagaimana Kami berulang-ulang menerangkan tanda-tanda kebesaran Kami (dengan berbagai cara), dalam pada itu, mereka tetap juga berpaling ingkar. 

ALLAH (SWT) explains His signs in various ways in order to admonish the wrongdoers, yet they turn aside (see commentary of al Baqarah 2:7).

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(6:46) Say (O Muhammad!): What do you think? If Allah should take away your hearing and your sight and seal your hearts *30 - who is the god, other than Allah, who could restore them to you? Behold, how We put forth Our signs in diverse forms, and yet they turn away from them.

قُلْ أَرَأَيْتَكُمْ إِنْ أَتَاكُمْ عَذَابُ اللَّهِ بَغْتَةً أَوْ جَهْرَةً هَلْ يُهْلَكُ إِلَّا الْقَوْمُ الظَّالِمُونَ {6:47}

[Q6:47] Qul ara'aitakum in ataakum 'azaabul laahi baghtatan aw jahratan hal yuhlaku illal qawmuz zaalimoon. 

[Q6:47] Say: Have you considered if the chastisement of ALLAH (SWT) should overtake you suddenly or openly, will any be destroyed but the unjust people?
[Q6:47] Katakanlah: Bagaimana fikiran kamu, jika datang kepada kamu azab ALLAH (SwT) dengan tiba-tiba atau dengan terang-terang (setelah diperlihatkan tanda-tanda yang menunjukkan kedatangannya), siapakah yang akan binasa, selain dari kaum yang zalim?

THE PUNISHMENT OF ALLAH (SWT) COMES TO THE WRONGDOERS WITHOUT WARNING OR WITH MANY WARNINGS. All wrongdoing must eventually have its punishment. A general calamity may not destroy the righteous, BECAUSE they receive ALLAH (SWT)'s mercy and pleasure both in this world and in the hereafter.

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(6:47) Say: 'If the chastisement of Allah were to overtake you unawares or openly shall any except the wrong-doing people be destroyed?'

وَمَا نُرْسِلُ الْمُرْسَلِينَ إِلَّا مُبَشِّرِينَ وَمُنْذِرِينَ ۖ فَمَنْ آمَنَ وَأَصْلَحَ فَلَا خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ {6:48}

[Q6:48] Wa maa nursilul mursaleena illaa mubashshireena wa munzireena faman aamana wa aslaha falaa khawfun 'alaihim wa laa hum yahzanoon. 

[Q6:48] And We send not messengers but as announcers of good news and givers of warning, then whoever believes and acts aright, they shall have no fear, nor shall they grieve.
[Q6:48] Dan tiadalah Kami utuskan Rasul-rasul itu melainkan sebagai pembawa berita gembira dan pembawa amaran; kemudian sesiapa yang beramal soleh, maka tidak ada kebimbangan (dari berlakunya kejadian yang tidak baik) terhadap mereka dan mereka tidak akan berdukacita. 

ALLAH (SWT) SENT HIS MESSENGERS TO PREACH AND TEACH, TO GIVE HOPE (GLAD TIDINGS), to the repentant and to warn the rejectors and the ungodly of the wrath to come.

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(6:48) We do not send Messengers except as bearers of glad tidings and warners. So, he who believes in their message and mends his conduct need have no fear and need not grieve;

وَالَّذِينَ كَذَّبُوا بِآيَاتِنَا يَمَسُّهُمُ الْعَذَابُ بِمَا كَانُوا يَفْسُقُونَ {6:49}

[Q6:49] Wallazeena kazzaboo bi Aayaatinaa yamassuhumul 'azaabu bimaa kaanoo yafsuqoon.
[Q6:49] And (as for) those who reject Our communications, chastisement shall afflict them because they transgressed.

[Q6:49] Dan orang-orang yang mendustakan ayat-ayat keterangan Kami, mereka akan dikenakan azab seksa dengan sebab mereka berlaku fasik.  

(see commentary for verse 48)

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(6:49) whereas those who give the lie to Our signs, chastisement will visit them for their transgression.

قُلْ لَا أَقُولُ لَكُمْ عِنْدِي خَزَائِنُ اللَّهِ وَلَا أَعْلَمُ الْغَيْبَ وَلَا أَقُولُ لَكُمْ إِنِّي مَلَكٌ ۖ إِنْ أَتَّبِعُ إِلَّا مَا يُوحَىٰ إِلَيَّ ۚ قُلْ هَلْ يَسْتَوِي الْأَعْمَىٰ وَالْبَصِيرُ ۚ أَفَلَا تَتَفَكَّرُونَ {6:50}

[Q6:50] Qul laaa aqoolu lakum 'indee khazaaa'inul laahi wa laaa a'lamul ghaiba wa laaa aqoolu lakum innee malakun in attabi'u illaa maa yoohaaa ilaiy; qul hal yastawil a'maa walbaseer; afalaa tatafakkaroon. 

[Q6:50] Say: I do not say to you, I have with me the treasures of ALLAH (SWT), nor do I know the unseen, nor do I say to you that I am an angel; I do not follow aught save that which is revealed to me. Say: Are the blind and the seeing one alike? Do you not then reflect?
[Q6:50] Katakanlah (wahai Muhammad); Aku tidak mengatakan kepada kamu (bahawa) perbendaharaan ALLAH (SwT) ada di sisiku dan aku pula tidak mengetahui perkara-perkara yang ghaib; aku juga tidak mengatakan kepada kamu bahawasanya aku ini malaikat, aku tidak menurut melainkan apa yang diwahyukan kepadaku. Bertanyalah (kepada mereka): Adakah sama orang yang buta dengan orang yang celik? Tidakkah kamu mahu berfikir? 

This verse implies THAT THE HOLY PROPHET (ALLAHUMA SALI ALA MUHAMMAD WA ALA ALI MUHAMMAD) WAS NOT LIKE DECEITFUL SOOTHSAYERS, [1] WHO PRETEND TO REVEAL HIDDEN TREASURES, [2] OR SEE INTO THE FUTURE, [3] OR CLAIM TO BE THE MASTERS WHO CONTROL EVERYTHING.

**IN A WIDER SENSE the Holy Prophet (ALLAHuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad) dealt out great treasures of truth, given to him by ALLAH (SWT); he had received ALLAH (SWT)'s inspiration to know all about everything, AND ALWAYS made clear to the people that his power, his wisdom and his glory reached the highest position by ALLAH (SWT)'s permission.

**OUTWARDLY to the common man he was a "plain preacher", who presented the truth in its pristine purity, without any misleading ambiguity about his relationship with ALLAH (SWT), SO THAT his unwary followers might not idolize him as the Christians worshipped Isa.

At all events the Holy Prophet (ALLAHuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad) demonstrated his total submission to ALLAH (SWT) as all human beings are commanded to do, notwithstanding his singular achievements, on the basis of which he could be tempted to present himself as a being whose nature is partly divine so that the people who, for centuries, had been accustomed to the worshipping of supernatural phenomena, should demi-deify him; BUT HE NEVER GAVE TO HIS FOLLOWERS ANY ROOM TO RAISE HIM TO GODHEAD.

For "can the blind (disbelievers) be held equal to the seeing (believers)" see commentary of Ma-idah 5:100.

"Will you not then reflect?" indicates that Islam invites man to use his intellect and power of reasoning for arriving at a rational conclusion.

THE HOLY PROPHET (ALLAHUMA SALI ALA MUHAMMAD WA ALA ALI MUHAMMAD) AND HIS AHLUL BAYT have been distinguished from other human beings BECAUSE their physical and spiritual lives attained perfection through divine guidance and inspiration which they earned BECAUSE whatever they did, natural or supernatural, was in total submission to ALLAH (SWT)'s will and in compliance with His commands, by His permission. IT IS A STATE OF ABSOLUTE UBUDIYAT (OBEDIENCE).

Besides ALLAH (SWT), no one knows and controls the unseen, and he who claims knowledge of the unseen and control over it, either by his own inherent skill and effort or through some other agency not connected with and subservient to ALLAH (SWT), is a vulgar soothsayer - deaf, dumb and blind. Also refer to Tur 52:37, 38; Qalam 68:47.

»    According to verses 112 and 121 of this surah the evil ones among men and jinn inspire each other.

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(6:50) (O Muhammad!) Say: 'I do not say to you I have the treasures of Allah. Nor do I have knowledge of what is beyond the reach of human perception. Nor do 1 say to you: I am an angel. I only follow what is revealed to me.' *31 Then ask them: 'Are the blind and the seeing alike?' *32 Do you not then reflect?

*31. FEEBLE-MINDED PEOPLE HAVE ALWAYS ENTERTAINED THE FOOLISH MISCONCEPTION THAT THE MORE GODLY A MAN IS, THE MORE LIBERATED HE SHOULD BE FROM THE LIMITATIONS OF HUMAN NATURE. They expect a godly person to be able to work wonders. By a mere sign of his hand, whole mountains should be transmuted into gold. At his command, the earth should begin to throw up all its hidden treasures. He should have miraculous access to all relevant facts about people. He should be able to point out the locations of things which have been lost, and show how they can be retrieved. He should be able to predict whether or not a patient will survive his disease; whether a pregnant woman will deliver a boy or a girl. Moreover, he should be above all human disabilities and limitations. How can a genuinely godly person feel hunger or thirst? How can he be overcome by sleep? How can he have a wife and children? How can he engage in buying and selling to meet his material requirements? How can he be impelled by force of circumstances to resort to such mundane acts as making money? How can he feel the pinch of poverty and paucity of resources? False conceptions such as these dominated the minds of the contemporaries of the Prophet (peace be on him). When they heard of his claim, in order to test his veracity they asked him regarding things that lie beyond the ken of human perception and to work wonders, and blamed him when they saw him engaged in such acts as eating and drinking, and taking care of his wife and children, and walking about the bazaars like other ordinary human beings. It is misconceptions such as these that this verse seeks to remove. 
*32. The statement of a Prophet in such matters amounts to a testimony based on first-hand observation. For the truths which a Prophet propounds are those which he himself has observed and experienced and which have been brought within the range of his knowledge by means of revelation. On the contrary, those who are opposed to the truths propounded by the Prophets are blind since the notions they entertain are based either on guess-work and conjecture or on blind adherence to ideas hallowed by time. Thus the difference between a Prophet and his opponents is as that between a man who has sound vision and a man who is blind. Obviously the former is superior, by dint of this gift of knowledge from God rather than because he has access to hidden treasures, because of his knowledge of the unseen world, and because of his freedom from physical limitations.