English Translation and Commentary of the Holy Quran (2010)
by Maulana Muhammad Ali
Chapter 6: Al-Anam — The Cattle (Revealed at Makkah: 20 sections, 165 verses)
Section 2 (Verses 6:11–6:20): Greatness of Divine Mercy
Translation:
قُلۡ سِیۡرُوۡا فِی الۡاَرۡضِ ثُمَّ انۡظُرُوۡا کَیۡفَ کَانَ عَاقِبَۃُ الۡمُکَذِّبِیۡنَ ﴿۱۱﴾
6:11 Say: Travel in the land, then see what was the end of the rejectors.
قُلۡ لِّمَنۡ مَّا فِی السَّمٰوٰتِ وَ الۡاَرۡضِ ؕ قُلۡ لِّلّٰہِ ؕ کَتَبَ عَلٰی نَفۡسِہِ الرَّحۡمَۃَ ؕ لَیَجۡمَعَنَّکُمۡ اِلٰی یَوۡمِ الۡقِیٰمَۃِ لَا رَیۡبَ فِیۡہِ ؕ اَلَّذِیۡنَ خَسِرُوۡۤا اَنۡفُسَہُمۡ فَہُمۡ لَا یُؤۡمِنُوۡنَ ﴿۱۲﴾
6:12 Say: To whom belongs whatever is in the heavens and the earth? Say: To Allah. He has ordained mercy on Himself.1 He will certainly gather you on the day of Resurrection — there is no doubt about it. Those who have lost their souls, they will not believe.
وَ لَہٗ مَا سَکَنَ فِی الَّیۡلِ وَ النَّہَارِ ؕ وَ ہُوَ السَّمِیۡعُ الۡعَلِیۡمُ ﴿۱۳﴾
6:13 And to Him belongs whatever dwells in the night and the day. And He is the Hearing, the Knowing.
قُلۡ اَغَیۡرَ اللّٰہِ اَتَّخِذُ وَلِیًّا فَاطِرِ السَّمٰوٰتِ وَ الۡاَرۡضِ وَ ہُوَ یُطۡعِمُ وَ لَا یُطۡعَمُ ؕ قُلۡ اِنِّیۡۤ اُمِرۡتُ اَنۡ اَکُوۡنَ اَوَّلَ مَنۡ اَسۡلَمَ وَ لَا تَکُوۡنَنَّ مِنَ الۡمُشۡرِکِیۡنَ ﴿۱۴﴾
6:14 Say: Shall I take for a friend other than Allah, the Originator of the heavens and the earth, and He feeds and is not fed? Say: I am commanded to be the first of those who submit. And do not be of those who set up partners (with Allah).
قُلۡ اِنِّیۡۤ اَخَافُ اِنۡ عَصَیۡتُ رَبِّیۡ عَذَابَ یَوۡمٍ عَظِیۡمٍ ﴿۱۵﴾
6:15 Say: Surely I fear, if I disobey my Lord, the punishment of a grievous day.
مَنۡ یُّصۡرَفۡ عَنۡہُ یَوۡمَئِذٍ فَقَدۡ رَحِمَہٗ ؕ وَ ذٰلِکَ الۡفَوۡزُ الۡمُبِیۡنُ ﴿۱۶﴾
6:16 He from whom it is averted on that day, Allah indeed has had mercy on him. And this is a manifest achievement.
وَ اِنۡ یَّمۡسَسۡکَ اللّٰہُ بِضُرٍّ فَلَا کَاشِفَ لَہٗۤ اِلَّا ہُوَ ؕ وَ اِنۡ یَّمۡسَسۡکَ بِخَیۡرٍ فَہُوَ عَلٰی کُلِّ شَیۡءٍ قَدِیۡرٌ ﴿۱۷﴾
6:17 And if Allah touch you with affliction, there is none to remove it but He. And if He touch you with good, He is Powerful over all things.2
وَ ہُوَ الۡقَاہِرُ فَوۡقَ عِبَادِہٖ ؕ وَ ہُوَ الۡحَکِیۡمُ الۡخَبِیۡرُ ﴿۱۸﴾
6:18 And He is the Supreme, above His servants. And He is the Wise, the Aware.
قُلۡ اَیُّ شَیۡءٍ اَکۡبَرُ شَہَادَۃً ؕ قُلِ اللّٰہُ ۟ۙ شَہِیۡدٌۢ بَیۡنِیۡ وَ بَیۡنَکُمۡ ۟ وَ اُوۡحِیَ اِلَیَّ ہٰذَا الۡقُرۡاٰنُ لِاُنۡذِرَکُمۡ بِہٖ وَ مَنۡۢ بَلَغَ ؕ اَئِنَّکُمۡ لَتَشۡہَدُوۡنَ اَنَّ مَعَ اللّٰہِ اٰلِہَۃً اُخۡرٰی ؕ قُلۡ لَّاۤ اَشۡہَدُ ۚ قُلۡ اِنَّمَا ہُوَ اِلٰہٌ وَّاحِدٌ وَّ اِنَّنِیۡ بَرِیۡٓءٌ مِّمَّا تُشۡرِکُوۡنَ ﴿ۘ۱۹﴾
6:19 Say: What thing is of most weight in testimony? Say: Allah is witness between you and me. And this Quran has been revealed to me that with it I may warn you and whomsoever it reaches.3 Do you really bear witness that there are other gods with Allah? Say: I do not bear witness. Say: He is only One God, and surely I am innocent of what you set up (with Him).
اَلَّذِیۡنَ اٰتَیۡنٰہُمُ الۡکِتٰبَ یَعۡرِفُوۡنَہٗ کَمَا یَعۡرِفُوۡنَ اَبۡنَآءَہُمۡ ۘ اَلَّذِیۡنَ خَسِرُوۡۤا اَنۡفُسَہُمۡ فَہُمۡ لَا یُؤۡمِنُوۡنَ ﴿٪۲۰﴾
6:20 Those whom We have given the Book recognize him as they recognize their sons.4 Those who have lost their souls, they will not believe.
Commentary:
- The words He has ordained mercy on Himself imply that mercy is in fact His very nature. The evidence of Divine mercy is manifest in the physical world: He has created all things for the benefit of man. Would He not deal equally mercifully with man in his spiritual needs and send a revelation to guide him? ↩︎
- The meaning is: Allah, being All-powerful, will bring good to you. ↩︎
- The Holy Prophet was thus a warner, not for the Arabs only, but for all people whom the Quran may reach, i.e. for the whole world. ↩︎
- For as they recognize their sons, see 2:146 and footnote. ↩︎