6-42 And indeed We sent (messengers) to nations before thee then We seized them with distress and affliction that they might humble themselves.a
وَلَقَدۡ أَرۡسَلۡنَآ إِلَىٰٓ أُمَمٍ۬ مِّن قَبۡلِكَ فَأَخَذۡنَـٰهُم بِٱلۡبَأۡسَآءِ وَٱلضَّرَّآءِ لَعَلَّهُمۡ يَتَضَرَّعُونَ (٤٢)
6-42a: يَتَضَرَّعُونَ – The meaning of ضرع and تَضَرَّع is to manifest humbleness and abjection (LA).
A general rule is explained here that Allah’s purpose in sending trials and tribulations is for people to turn to Allah, shed their arrogance, and humble themselves before God. So, a person should try to benefit from the trials and tribulations that come his way by bowing before God and by giving up being enamored by the glamor of the earthly life. The trials and tribulations mentioned here are the ones that come before the destructive chastisement.
6-43 Yet why did they not, when Our punishment came to them, humble themselves? But their hearts hardened and the devil made all that they did seem fair to them.a
فَلَوۡلَآ إِذۡ جَآءَهُم بَأۡسُنَا تَضَرَّعُواْ وَلَـٰكِن قَسَتۡ قُلُوبُہُمۡ وَزَيَّنَ لَهُمُ ٱلشَّيۡطَـٰنُ مَا ڪَانُواْ يَعۡمَلُونَ (٤٣)
6-43a: It has been made very clear here that it is the devil who embellishes a person’s evil actions and not God. This verse provides a definitive rule that wherever the subject who embellishes is not mentioned and an act is shown to be good which is actually evil then the embellisher is the devil.
6-44 Then, when they neglected that with which they had been admonished, We opened for them the gates of all things. Until, when they rejoiced in that which they were given, We seized them suddenly; then lo! they were in utter despair.a
فَلَمَّا نَسُواْ مَا ذُڪِّرُواْ بِهِۦ فَتَحۡنَا عَلَيۡهِمۡ أَبۡوَٲبَ ڪُلِّ شَىۡءٍ حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَا فَرِحُواْ بِمَآ أُوتُوٓاْ أَخَذۡنَـٰهُم بَغۡتَةً۬ فَإِذَا هُم مُّبۡلِسُونَ (٤٤)
6-44a: When a nation does not reform itself as a result of smaller punishments then the larger chastisement becomes inevitable. Sometimes what happens is that when the lesser punishment is lifted, it is followed by a period of ease and luxury. The people are exultant and think that the former difficulties were temporary and insignificant, as stated elsewhere: قَالُواْ قَدۡ مَسَّ ءَابَآءَنَا ٱلضَّرَّآءُ (Distress and happiness did indeed touch our fathers) (7:95).
6-45 So the roots of the people who did wrong were cut off. And praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds.
فَقُطِعَ دَابِرُ ٱلۡقَوۡمِ ٱلَّذِينَ ظَلَمُواْۚ وَٱلۡحَمۡدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ ٱلۡعَـٰلَمِينَ (٤٥)
6-45a: دَابِرُ – دُبُر means the back and دَابِر means obedient and coming later, that is one left behind whether in space, or time or rank (R), and it also means the source or root (IJ). By قُطِعَ دَابِرُ ٱلۡقَوۡمِ is meant the coming of the destructive punishment which will break their grandeur and their power. It is not necessary that everyone die. The destructive punishment for the Makkans was their defeat. In the narration about the Battle of Badr, it is stated: وَيُرِيدُ ٱللَّهُ أَن يُحِقَّ ٱلۡحَقَّ بِكَلِمَـٰتِهِۦ وَيَقۡطَعَ دَابِرَ ٱلۡكَـٰفِرِينَ (and Allah desired to establish the Truth by His words, and to cut off the root of the disbelievers) (8:7) although it was only a few of the Makkan leaders who were killed but because the defeat broke their power, so it is called cutting off their root.
When is a nation destroyed: The words in the verse that follow the destruction of an unjust nation: Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds, shows that Allah destroys a nation so that the the denizens of the world may be nurtured. When the condition of a nation becomes such that it becomes a detriment to the nurturing of the world, and piety is in danger of being eradicated, then the nation is destroyed.
6-46 Say: Have you considered that if Allah should take away your hearing and your sight and seal your hearts, who is the god besides Allah that can bring it to you? See how We repeat the messages yet they turn away!a
قُلۡ أَرَءَيۡتُمۡ إِنۡ أَخَذَ ٱللَّهُ سَمۡعَكُمۡ وَأَبۡصَـٰرَكُمۡ وَخَتَمَ عَلَىٰ قُلُوبِكُم مَّنۡ إِلَـٰهٌ غَيۡرُ ٱللَّهِ يَأۡتِيكُم بِهِۗ ٱنظُرۡ ڪَيۡفَ نُصَرِّفُ ٱلۡأَيَـٰتِ ثُمَّ هُمۡ يَصۡدِفُونَ (٤٦)
6-46a: نُصَرِّفُ ٱلۡأَيَـٰتِ – The meaning of تصریف is the same as صرف that is, to change from one condition to another but there is an element of augmentation in تصریف (R).
The statement in this verse is addressed to those who are hard-hearted in their opposition to the Holy Prophet. After narrating what transpired with previous nations, these opponents are warned as to what would happen if they continued in their opposition. The result will be that they will have ears but they will not hear, they will have eyes but they will not see, they will have hearts but they will not reflect. The meaning of if Allah does not bring it to them is that they will be deprived of any benefit from these sensory organs because the Divine law is that when one does not use a particular power, it atrophies.
6-47 Say: See, if the chastisement of Allah should overtake you suddenly or openly, will any be destroyed but the wrongdoing people?a
قُلۡ أَرَءَيۡتَكُمۡ إِنۡ أَتَٮٰكُمۡ عَذَابُ ٱللَّهِ بَغۡتَةً أَوۡ جَهۡرَةً هَلۡ يُهۡلَكُ إِلَّا ٱلۡقَوۡمُ ٱلظَّـٰلِمُونَ (٤٧)
6-47a: بَغۡتَةً – بَغۡتَةً means suddenly without any forewarning, while جھرۃ means openly with indications beforehand. Allah’s chastisement sometimes comes in one way and sometimes in the other.
6-48 And We send not messengers but as bearers of good news and warners; then whoever believes and acts aright, they shall have no fear, nor shall they grieve.
وَمَا نُرۡسِلُ ٱلۡمُرۡسَلِينَ إِلَّا مُبَشِّرِينَ وَمُنذِرِينَۖ فَمَنۡ ءَامَنَ وَأَصۡلَحَ فَلَا خَوۡفٌ عَلَيۡہِمۡ وَلَا هُمۡ يَحۡزَنُونَ (٤٨)
6-49 And as for those who reject Our messages, chastisement will afflict them because they transgressed.
وَٱلَّذِينَ كَذَّبُواْ بِـَٔايَـٰتِنَا يَمَسُّہُمُ ٱلۡعَذَابُ بِمَا كَانُواْ يَفۡسُقُونَ (٤٩)
6-50 Say: I say not to you, I have with me the treasures of Allah, nor do I know the unseen, nor do I say to you that I am an angel; I follow only that which is revealed to me. Say: Are the blind and the seeing alike? Do you not then reflect?a
قُل لَّآ أَقُولُ لَكُمۡ عِندِى خَزَآٮِٕنُ ٱللَّهِ وَلَآ أَعۡلَمُ ٱلۡغَيۡبَ وَلَآ أَقُولُ لَكُمۡ إِنِّى مَلَكٌۖ إِنۡ أَتَّبِعُ إِلَّا مَا يُوحَىٰٓ إِلَىَّۚ قُلۡ هَلۡ يَسۡتَوِى ٱلۡأَعۡمَىٰ وَٱلۡبَصِيرُۚ أَفَلَا تَتَفَكَّرُونَ (٥٠)
6-50a: Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah, enriched his companions with wealth and revealed to them many happenings of the future even to the extent of telling them about the state of affairs that will confront the Ummah in the future. When the darkness of polytheism and irreligiousness was spreading in all directions, the Holy Prophet, like an angel, remained untainted by any impurity. For inviting people to belief, he does not use this as a bait. The Holy Prophet’s teaching of do good for the sake of goodness is unrivaled in its perfection. Hence, he is commanded to tell the people that Allah is the owner of all treasures and not him. Allah gives it to whom He wishes. Further, that he has no knowledge of the future, and that he is not an angel, but a mortal just like them. He calls on them so that they may reach the perfection for which humans are created and that is the real purpose of his call. He tells them that if they accept him, it should not be because there is some adulteration of worldly benefit, or because of any physical desire. The Holy Prophet, the Pride of Humanity, calls people only to invite them to attain the perfection that humans can achieve.
Testimony of the Holy Prophet’s sinlessness: The phrase: إِنۡ أَتَّبِعُ إِلَّا مَا يُوحَىٰٓ (I follow only what is revealed to me) provides firstly testimony of the sinlessness of the Holy Prophet in that he follows only the commands of Allah, not his personal desires, nor the wishes of somebody else. Secondly, this is an indication of his perfection in that he follows everything in the Quran that is present by way of moral teachings. Thus, whatever perfections are mentioned in the Quran, they are all present in the Holy Prophet. The Quran is knowledge, and the Holy Prophet is its personification. Third, the Holy Prophet’s followers are informed that if they desire to achieve perfection, they should follow the Quran, and the Holy Prophet’s way is the only way for them. For this reason, the verse ends by stating that the seeing and blind are not alike. Blind is the one who remains unaware of these perfections, while the seeing is the one who sees this perfection and then strives to achieve it.
To conclude from these words that the Holy Prophet’s method of practice is unable to be followed, is completely contrary to the purport of the words. What is stated here is that whatever actions can be associated with the Holy Prophet were not performed as a result of his own desires but were at the behest of revelation whether manifest or hidden.
Bayan-ul-Quran 