In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful
بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
6-1 Praise be to Allah, Who created the heavens and the earth, and made darkness and light. Yet those who disbelieve set up equals to their Lord.a
ٱلۡحَمۡدُ لِلَّهِ ٱلَّذِى خَلَقَ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٲتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضَ وَجَعَلَ ٱلظُّلُمَـٰتِ وَٱلنُّورَۖ ثُمَّ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ بِرَبِّہِمۡ يَعۡدِلُونَ (١)
6-1a: يَعۡدِلُونَ – For the meaning of عدل see 5-8a. بِرَبِّہِمۡ يَعۡدِلُونَ means they consider another to be His equal or partner. The meaning of عدل عن الحق is جار or was unjust.
The real purpose of this surah is to make a statement about the Oneness of God. Hence, in this very first verse the most obvious kind of polytheism, that of associating another with Allah, is negated. This is a refutation of the dualistic doctrine, that is of those who consider that there are two gods – a creator of good and a creator of evil or the Maker of darkness and the Maker of light. This belief existed among the fire worshippers. Islam does not admit a permanent existence of good and evil. Instead, evil is the name of the incorrect use of strengths, powers and forces that Allah has bestowed. Hence there is only One Creator, and that is the reason why the heavens and earth are paired with خلق (creation) and جَعَلَ (made) with darkness and light because evil is the name of the wrong use of things that are made to be used for a good purpose. The subject of جَعَلَ is God because He is the original cause. The acceptance of a separate creator of evil admits that man cannot conquer evil by opposing it and he is necessarily to remain forever tainted with sin. In contrast to this, according to Islamic monotheism, evil is not something that cannot be overcome and the whole purpose of man’s existence is to strive towards this goal of overcoming evil. Examples of people who overcame evil and made Satan obedient to them are presented to us.
6-2 He it is Who created you from clay, then He decreed a term. And there is a term named with Him; still you doubt.
هُوَ ٱلَّذِى خَلَقَكُم مِّن طِينٍ۬ ثُمَّ قَضَىٰٓ أَجَلاً۬ۖ وَأَجَلٌ۬ مُّسَمًّى عِندَهُ ۥۖ ثُمَّ أَنتُمۡ تَمۡتَرُونَ (٢)
6-2a: Every person is said to be created from clay because food that sustains and maintains a person has its origin in dust. Food is the extract of dust, and the extract of food is the life germ from which humans are born. Along with the creation of heaven and earth, mention is made of the creation of man. The indication in He decreed a term is to earthly life which is of a limited duration, and which ends with death. أَجَلٌ۬ مُّسَمًّى or the term named which will be in His presence refers to the next life. Thus God will appear openly after the term named and this will be on the Day of Requital. For this reason it is called مُّسَمّٰى that is, fixed or settled. The topic is thus transitioned to raising after death.
6-3 And He is Allah in the heavens and in the earth. He knows your secret (thoughts) and your open (words), and He knows what you earn.
وَهُوَ ٱللَّهُ فِى ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٲتِ وَفِى ٱلۡأَرۡضِۖ يَعۡلَمُ سِرَّكُمۡ وَجَهۡرَكُمۡ وَيَعۡلَمُ مَا تَكۡسِبُونَ (٣)
6-3a: Mention is made in the first two verses that there is only One Creator, it is now stated that there is only one Allah in the heavens and in the earth, that is there is none other who is a partner with Him. Attention is also drawn to the fact that no one has been a partner in His proper name Allah which has never been given to any other deity that has been worshipped but other names or attributes have been partnered. His power is manifested in His creation in which no one partnered with Him, and this shows His knowledge. Actions whether done secretly or openly are known to God. It is out of what one earns that God shapes a new life in resurrection.
6-4 And there comes not to them any message of the messages of their Lord but they turn away from it.a
وَمَا تَأۡتِيهِم مِّنۡ ءَايَةٍ۬ مِّنۡ ءَايَـٰتِ رَبِّہِمۡ إِلَّا كَانُواْ عَنۡہَا مُعۡرِضِينَ (٤)
6-4a: It is only revelation that discloses the secret that the next life will be shaped out of actions and although this knowledge is divulged for the betterment of man, people turn away after listening to this message.
6-5 So they rejected the truth when it came to them, but soon will come to them the news of that which they mocked.a
فَقَدۡ كَذَّبُواْ بِٱلۡحَقِّ لَمَّا جَآءَهُمۡۖ فَسَوۡفَ يَأۡتِيہِمۡ أَنۢبَـٰٓؤُاْ مَا كَانُواْ بِهِۦ يَسۡتَہۡزِءُونَ (٥)
6-5a: The thing that they mocked was the punishment that they were warned about. The news coming to them is the coming of the punishment. In another place, it is stated: وَلَتَعۡلَمُنَّ نَبَأَهُ ۥ بَعۡدَ حِينِۭ (And certainly you will come to know about it after a time) (38:88). The purport here too is the occurrence of the event.
6-6 See they not how many a generation We destroyed before them, whom We had established in the earth as We have not established you, and We sent the clouds pouring abundant rain on them, and We made the rivers flow beneath them? Then We destroyed them for their sins, and raised up after them another generation.a
أَلَمۡ يَرَوۡاْ كَمۡ أَهۡلَكۡنَا مِن قَبۡلِهِم مِّن قَرۡنٍ۬ مَّكَّنَّـٰهُمۡ فِى ٱلۡأَرۡضِ مَا لَمۡ نُمَكِّن لَّكُمۡ وَأَرۡسَلۡنَا ٱلسَّمَآءَ عَلَيۡہِم مِّدۡرَارً۬ا وَجَعَلۡنَا ٱلۡأَنۡهَـٰرَ تَجۡرِى مِن تَحۡتِہِمۡ فَأَهۡلَكۡنَـٰهُم بِذُنُوبِہِمۡ وَأَنشَأۡنَا مِنۢ بَعۡدِهِمۡ قَرۡنًا ءَاخَرِينَ (٦)
6-6a: قَرۡنٍ۬ – قَرۡن or اقتران means the coming together of two or more things in whatever manner. Accordingly, قَرۡن (plural قرون ) are those people who exist at the same point of time, that is a generation (R).
مَّكَّنَّـٰهُمۡ – نُمَكِّن لَّكُمۡ – It occurs both with and without ل as a preposition. It is derived from مکان (مامَکۡن) . The meaning of مکنّه is to grant stability and tranquility or firmness and strength. The meaning of مکّن له is also considered to be the same, and also that they were given means of extravagance and other blessings, as in: ڪَذَٲلِكَ مَكَّنَّا لِيُوسُف (thus We established Joseph).
مِّدۡرَارً۬ا – It is derived from دَرّ which is spoken of the copious flow of milk or tears, and it also means just milk (LA). Metaphorically, it is also spoken about abundant rain and دَرّ also means a good or bad action from which comes the common idiom اللّٰهَ درُّك which is spoken both for praise and censure (I).
The destruction of previous nations is mentioned so that a lesson may be learnt from their ultimate fate. People who get a large share of the luxuries of this world often become unmindful of the Hereafter and the result is that they get destroyed in the end and another nation rises to take their place.
6-7 And if We had sent down to thee a writing on paper, then they had touched it with their hands, those who disbelieve would have said: This is nothing but clear enchantment.a
وَلَوۡ نَزَّلۡنَا عَلَيۡكَ كِتَـٰبً۬ا فِى قِرۡطَاسٍ۬ فَلَمَسُوهُ بِأَيۡدِيہِمۡ لَقَالَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوٓاْ إِنۡ هَـٰذَآ إِلَّا سِحۡرٌ۬ مُّبِينٌ۬ (٧)
6-7a: People who are devoid of any spirituality like to see spiritual affairs in a physical shape. A manifestation of this tendency is that they want the scripture to come to them in a written form from up above. The fact is that a person’s connection with God is through his soul or spiritual heart and the revelation from Him is therefore received by the spiritual heart. If a written Book had been revealed, it would have no connection with the spiritual heart, and neither would it have created a transformation in the heart and the real purpose for which the Quran is revealed would have been vitiated. The statement that even if the Quran had been revealed as a written Book, they would have said that this is enchantment. This is not just a matter of conjecture because Allah did make the Quran a Book written on paper but they still did not accept it.
6-8 And they say: Why has not an angel been sent down to him? And if We send down an angel, the matter would be decided and then they would not be respited.a
وَقَالُواْ لَوۡلَآ أُنزِلَ عَلَيۡهِ مَلَكٌ۬ۖ وَلَوۡ أَنزَلۡنَا مَلَكً۬ا لَّقُضِىَ ٱلۡأَمۡرُ ثُمَّ لَا يُنظَرُونَ (٨)
6-8a: This second objection is also of people devoid of spirituality. Just as they want to see God’s words in a physical form, likewise they want to see angels physically as well. The response that is given to this is that the angels are for giving punishment. When a person does not accept the motivation provided by the angels of goodness to do good, then a different kind of angels who are angels of punishment come for these rejectors.
6-9 And if We had made him an angel, We would certainly have made him a man, and (thus) made confused to them what they confuse.a
وَلَوۡ جَعَلۡنَـٰهُ مَلَڪً۬ا لَّجَعَلۡنَـٰهُ رَجُلاً۬ وَلَلَبَسۡنَا عَلَيۡهِم مَّا يَلۡبِسُونَ (٩)
6-9a: لَبۡس means to cover and from which is derived the word for clothes لباس . The meaning of لَبۡس امر is to make a matter confused or doubtful (R).
Their litany of objections continues. Sometimes they complain why did a human come as a Messenger and why did not God send an angel so that they would have been convinced. The reply given is that even if an angel would have come as a Messenger to humans, the angel would have come in the form of a human because a big part of the Messenger’s work is to be a role model for humans. Only a human can be a role model for humans. In addition, the angel is an ethereal being and unless the angel transforms into a physical being, it cannot be seen. If the angel had come in a physically transformed manner, the objection would have remained.
6-10 And certainly messengers before thee were derided, but that which they derided encompassed those of them who scoffed.
وَلَقَدِ ٱسۡتُہۡزِئَ بِرُسُلٍ۬ مِّن قَبۡلِكَ فَحَاقَ بِٱلَّذِينَ سَخِرُواْ مِنۡهُم مَّا ڪَانُواْ بِهِۦ يَسۡتَہۡزِءُونَ (١٠)
6-19a: حَاقَ – Zajjaj has taken its meaning to be احاطه that is to surround or encompass, and some other have taken its meaning to be عاد علیه وبال امرہ (the evil consequences of their actions came back to discomfit them). Raghib has stated that according to some, its root is حَقّ .
When the Messenger warns of the consequences of evil deeds, the evil charactered persons, drunk with the sense of power, mock the warning but the evil consequences of their actions ultimately recoil back on them.
Bayan-ul-Quran 