6-71 Say: Shall we call, besides Allah, on that which profits us not nor harms us, and shall we be turned back on our heels after Allah has guided us? Like one whom the devils cause to follow his low desires, in bewilderment in the earth — he has companions who call him to the right way (saying), Come to us. Say: Surely the guidance of Allah, that is the (true) guidance. And we are commanded to submit to the Lord of the worlds:a
قُلۡ أَنَدۡعُواْ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ مَا لَا يَنفَعُنَا وَلَا يَضُرُّنَا وَنُرَدُّ عَلَىٰٓ أَعۡقَابِنَا بَعۡدَ إِذۡ هَدَٮٰنَا ٱللَّهُ كَٱلَّذِى ٱسۡتَهۡوَتۡهُ ٱلشَّيَـٰطِينُ فِى ٱلۡأَرۡضِ حَيۡرَانَ لَهُ ۥۤ أَصۡحَـٰبٌ۬ يَدۡعُونَهُ ۥۤ إِلَى ٱلۡهُدَى ٱئۡتِنَاۗ قُلۡ إِنَّ هُدَى ٱللَّهِ هُوَ ٱلۡهُدَىٰۖ وَأُمِرۡنَا لِنُسۡلِمَ لِرَبِّ ٱلۡعَـٰلَمِينَ (٧١)
6-71a: ٱسۡتَهۡوَتۡ – Its root is ھویٰ which means the inclination of self towards sensuality, and the meaning of ھُوِیّ is سقوط من عُلۡوٍ الی سُفۡلٍ (To fall from height to lowness) (R). Thus, inclination of self towards sensuality is falling from a height to lowness. Imam Raghib has given the meaning of ٱسۡتَهۡوَتۡهُ as حَمَلَتۡه‘ علیٰ اتباع الۡھَویٰ (Made him to follow his physical desires), and another meaning based on the second definition can be making him fall from a high status. The ultimate result is the same for both translations. For another meaning of ھویٰ see 14-37a.
حَيۡرَانَ – حَارَ is derived from یحار which means wavering or perplexed. So, حَيۡرَانَ is someone who is perplexed and wavers between this and that.
The alternative to being obedient to God is to follow one’s desires. What is said here is that if a Muslim follows someone other than Allah, his example is like that of a person who becomes so misguided by following Satan that he cannot find the right way. It is a fact that by following the commands of Allah, a person is at peace in his heart, but a state of anxiety and perturbation always exists with a person who follows his desires. Such a person sometimes inclines to one thing and sometimes to another and in this way, he falls from his high status to one of baseness. Those who call him are his previous companions.
6-72 And that you should keep up prayer and keep your duty to Him. And He it is to Whom you shall be gathered.
وَأَنۡ أَقِيمُواْ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَٱتَّقُوهُۚ وَهُوَ ٱلَّذِىٓ إِلَيۡهِ تُحۡشَرُونَ (٧٢)
6-73 And He it is Who created the heavens and the earth with truth. And when He says, Be, it is. His word is the truth and His is the kingdom on the day when the trumpet is blown. The Knower of the unseen and the seen; and He is the Wise, the Aware.
وَهُوَ ٱلَّذِى خَلَقَ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٲتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضَ بِٱلۡحَقِّۖ وَيَوۡمَ يَقُولُ ڪُن فَيَڪُونُۚ قَوۡلُهُ ٱلۡحَقُّۚ وَلَهُ ٱلۡمُلۡكُ يَوۡمَ يُنفَخُ فِى ٱلصُّورِۚ عَـٰلِمُ ٱلۡغَيۡبِ وَٱلشَّهَـٰدَةِۚ وَهُوَ ٱلۡحَڪِيمُ ٱلۡخَبِيرُ (٧٣)
6-73a: يَوۡمَ يَقُولُ ڪُن فَيَڪُونُ – The indication here is to بعث بعد الموت (raising after death). The creation of the heavens and the earth with truth means that the creation is for a purpose and that purpose is the perfection of the soul, and this is the summary of the whole creation. It is essential that the shortcomings of the life of this world be made up in this world, and it is not difficult for Allah Who has created so many things to create a person from that person’s actions.
6-73b: صُوۡر – The common meaning of صُوۡر is a horn or a bugle, but in Lisan al Arab صُوۡر is also given as the plural of صُوۡرۃ . Instead of صُوۡر Qatadah and Hassan read it as صُوَر which is a generic plural of صُوۡرَۃ . This has been criticized both on the grounds that the reading صُوَر is not correct and also that the plural of صُوۡرۃ as صُوۡر is not correct. However, صُوۡر as the plural of صُوۡرۃ is established from Lisan al Arab and also confirmed by Abu Ubaida and Johari who cites Kalbi. Consideration though needs to be given that the word قرن (horn) is used in place of صُوۡر (bugle) in hadith, but it should also be remembered that by نَفَخُ فِى ٱلصُّورِ or نَفَخُ فِى قرن is not meant actually blowing a horn. The real nature of such words which have been used about the Day of Requital is known only to Allah. The ones blowing the صُوۡر or قرن will be angels and the horn of the angels will be a thing of a different sort and not the horn which is used by humans to blow the bugle. The essence of نفَخُ فِى ٱلصُّورِ is that people will be gathered and nothing more. An analogy exists because the bugle is sounded to gather people in the physical world. So, the real purport of نفَخُ فِى ٱلصُّورِ is to gather and this gathering, as is evident from several places in the Quran, is for the spirits to be put into bodies. So, the Quran has adopted a word that includes both the meanings, and the two meanings are not contradictory.
6-74 And when Abraham said to his sire, Azar: Takest thou idols for gods? Surely I see thee and thy people in manifest error.
وَإِذۡ قَالَ إِبۡرَٲهِيمُ لِأَبِيهِ ءَازَرَ أَتَتَّخِذُ أَصۡنَامًا ءَالِهَةًۖ إِنِّىٓ أَرَٮٰكَ وَقَوۡمَكَ فِى ضَلَـٰلٍ۬ مُّبِينٍ۬ (٧٤)
6-74a: اَب – Every person who is the cause of bringing a person into being or for his reform, or for his appearance is called اَب. Accordingly, its meaning includes father, paternal uncle, paternal grandfather, and other elders of the family. اَب can also be a teacher. In وَجَدۡنَآ ءَابَآءَنَا عَلَىٰٓ أُمَّةٍ۬ (We found our fathers on a course or following a religion) (43:22 and 23) the purport taken from ابَآءَنَا is scholars of religion who nurtured them through their knowledge because in another place it is stated رَبَّنَآ إِنَّآ أَطَعۡنَا سَادَتَنَا وَكُبَرَآءَنَا (Our Lord, we only obeyed our leaders and our great men) (33:67).
In a narration of the religion of Unity, mention is made of Abraham who is the patriarch of a long line of preachers of Unity and this is his unique distinction among prophets.
Who was Azar: Azar is called the اَب of Abraham. Is Azar the father of Abraham or some other elder of his family? There is no doubt that a casual reading leads one to think that Azar is the father of Abraham. The first matter against this assumption is that the name of Abraham’s father in Torah is given as Terah and the genealogies found in Arabia unanimously support this. Zurqani has also given Terah as the name of Abraham’s father. A response to this is that names change when used in another language and so the Arabic version of the name could be different. In addition, a Jewish historian, Eusebius, has given the name of Abraham’s father as Athar instead of Terah. Athar is quite close to Azar in pronunciation. The second thing against Azar being the father is that there is testimony from the Quran against this assumption. In Surah Abrahm, there is a mention that Abraham in his advanced age prayed: رَبَّنَا ٱغۡفِرۡ لِى وَلِوَٲلِدَىَّ وَلِلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَ يَوۡمَ يَقُومُ ٱلۡحِسَابُ (Our Lord, grant me protection and my parents and the believers on the day when the reckoning comes to pass) (14:41). However, it is stated about the اَب of Abraham that وَمَا كَانَ ٱسۡتِغۡفَارُ إِبۡرَٲهِيمَ لِأَبِيهِ إِلَّا عَن مَّوۡعِدَةٍ۬ وَعَدَهَآ إِيَّاهُ فَلَمَّا تَبَيَّنَ لَهُ ۥۤ أَنَّهُ ۥ عَدُوٌّ۬ لِّلَّهِ تَبَرَّأَ مِنۡهُۚ (And Abraham’s asking forgiveness for his sire was only owing to a promise which he had made to him; but when it became clear to him that he was an enemy of Allah, he dissociated himself from him) (9:114). So, Abraham, in his old age, when praying for protection for his parents could not have been praying for this اَب. It follows that Azar is not the father of Abraham but some other elder.
6-75 And thus did We show Abraham the kingdom of the heavens and the earth and that he might be of those having certainty.a
وَكَذَٲلِكَ نُرِىٓ إِبۡرَٲهِيمَ مَلَكُوتَ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٲتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضِ وَلِيَكُونَ مِنَ ٱلۡمُوقِنِينَ (٧٥)
6-75a: Prophets guided by their enlightened intellect: It is stated here that right from the beginning prophets are pure and do not indulge in polytheism and other sinful activities. Even before they receive revelation, reflection on nature guides them to the truth. Their nature is pure, their spiritual light is not blurred, their intellect does not falter, and their thinking leads them to the right conclusion.
6-76 So when the night overshadowed him, he saw a star. He said: Is this my Lord? So when it set, he said: I love not the setting ones.a
فَلَمَّا جَنَّ عَلَيۡهِ ٱلَّيۡلُ رَءَا كَوۡكَبً۬اۖ قَالَ هَـٰذَا رَبِّىۖ فَلَمَّآ أَفَلَ قَالَ لَآ أُحِبُّ ٱلۡأَفِلِينَ (٧٦)
6-76a: هَـٰذَا رَبِّى – Abraham was one having certainty as pointed in 6-75 and he was not only disgusted with idol worship and polytheism but was astonished at the polytheism of others: أَتَتَّخِذُ أَصۡنَامًا ءَالِهَةًۖ (Takest thou idols for gods) (6:74). It is not possible therefore that he could conceive on seeing the star that it is his Lord. A review of the next two verses shows that Abraham is engaged in a debate with his people because when the biggest deity of his nation, the sun, sets, he clearly addresses his nation and says: I am clear of what you set up (with Allah). Further on, it is clearly stated: وَتِلۡكَ حُجَّتُنَآ ءَاتَيۡنَـٰهَآ إِبۡرَٲهِيمَ عَلَىٰ قَوۡمِهِ (And this was Our argument that We gave to Abraham against his people) (6:83). So, هَـٰذَا رَبِّى is a rhetorical question with an implied negative where the interrogative word is omitted, just as in the dialog of Moses: وَتِلۡكَ نِعۡمَةٌ۬ تَمُنُّہَا عَلَىَّ أَنۡ عَبَّدتَّ بَنِىٓ إِسۡرَٲٓءِيلَ (And is it a favor of which thou remindest me that thou hast enslaved the Children of Israel?) (26:22). An alternative explanation is that it is an expression of amazement.
فَلَمَّآ أَفَلَ – افول means the disappearance of luminous celestial bodies from sight as in the setting of the moon, star etcetera. Abraham is trying to prove to his nation that something that appears and then disappears, like a star which sets, cannot be a deity as it is subject to the laws of nature. It is merely a physical thing that appears and then disappears. There is an indication in قَالَ لَآ أُحِبُّ ٱلۡأَفِلِينَ (I love not the setting ones) that the thing which they love has no authority. If one loves Allah, it creates an inseparable bond with Him, but what is the use of loving a thing that is itself bound by physical laws and disappears even as its lover is left pining for it.
6-77 Then when he saw the moon rising, he said: Is this my Lord? So when it set, he said: If my Lord had not guided me, I should certainly be of the erring people.
فَلَمَّا رَءَا ٱلۡقَمَرَ بَازِغً۬ا قَالَ هَـٰذَا رَبِّىۖ فَلَمَّآ أَفَلَ قَالَ لَٮِٕن لَّمۡ يَہۡدِنِى رَبِّى لَأَڪُونَنَّ مِنَ ٱلۡقَوۡمِ ٱلضَّآلِّينَ (٧٧)
6-78 Then when he saw the sun rising, he said: Is this my Lord? Is this the greatest? So when it set, he said: O my people, I am clear of what you set up (with Allah).a
فَلَمَّا رَءَا ٱلشَّمۡسَ بَازِغَةً۬ قَالَ هَـٰذَا رَبِّى هَـٰذَآ أَڪۡبَرُۖ فَلَمَّآ أَفَلَتۡ قَالَ يَـٰقَوۡمِ إِنِّى بَرِىٓءٌ۬ مِّمَّا تُشۡرِكُونَ (٧٨)
6-78a: It transpires that the most important deity of these people is the sun because it is the last mentioned and the narration ends with it. This is also clearly stated in هَـٰذَآ أَڪۡبَر which like هَـٰذَا رَبِّى is a rhetorical expression with an implied negative. This is the reason why in 2:258 Abraham asked them to raise the sun from the west.
6-79 Surely I have turned myself, being upright, wholly to Him Who originated the heavens and the earth, and I am not of the polytheists.
إِنِّى وَجَّهۡتُ وَجۡهِىَ لِلَّذِى فَطَرَ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٲتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضَ حَنِيفً۬اۖ وَمَآ أَنَا۟ مِنَ ٱلۡمُشۡرِكِينَ (٧٩)
6-80 And his people disputed with him. He said: Do you dispute with me respecting Allah and He has guided me indeed? And I fear not in any way those that you set up with Him, unless my Lord please. My Lord comprehends all things in His knowledge. Will you not then mind?
وَحَآجَّهُ ۥ قَوۡمُهُ ۥۚ قَالَ أَتُحَـٰٓجُّوٓنِّى فِى ٱللَّهِ وَقَدۡ هَدَٮٰنِۚ وَلَآ أَخَافُ مَا تُشۡرِكُونَ بِهِۦۤ إِلَّآ أَن يَشَآءَ رَبِّى شَيۡـًٔ۬اۗ وَسِعَ رَبِّى ڪُلَّ شَىۡءٍ عِلۡمًاۗ أَفَلَا تَتَذَڪَّرُونَ (٨٠)
6-80a: As is the wont of the followers of evil, when they could not come up with a rational argument to rebut Abraham, it appears that they tried to frighten him with the wrath of their deities. Abraham’s response is that he does not fear them, and if any harm befalls him it will be under the decree of Allah. Hence, he is not worried.
6-81 And how should I fear what you have set up (with Him), while you fear not to set up with Allah that for which He has sent down to you no authority? Which then of the two parties is surer of security, if you know?a
وَڪَيۡفَ أَخَافُ مَآ أَشۡرَڪۡتُمۡ وَلَا تَخَافُونَ أَنَّكُمۡ أَشۡرَكۡتُم بِٱللَّهِ مَا لَمۡ يُنَزِّلۡ بِهِۦ عَلَيۡڪُمۡ سُلۡطَـٰنً۬اۚ فَأَىُّ ٱلۡفَرِيقَيۡنِ أَحَقُّ بِٱلۡأَمۡنِۖ إِن كُنتُمۡ تَعۡلَمُونَ (٨١)
6-81a: مَا لَمۡ يُنَزِّلۡ بِهِۦ عَلَيۡڪُمۡ سُلۡطَـٰنً۬اۚ (that for which He has sent down to you no authority) – There is nothing in the teaching of any prophet that indicates that Allah commanded a prophet to allow partners with Him. An alternative meaning is that there is no rational argument to support polytheism.
6-82 Those who believe and mix not up their faith with iniquity — for them is security and they go aright.
ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ وَلَمۡ يَلۡبِسُوٓاْ إِيمَـٰنَهُم بِظُلۡمٍ أُوْلَـٰٓٮِٕكَ لَهُمُ ٱلۡأَمۡنُ وَهُم مُّهۡتَدُونَ (٨٢)
6-82a: ظلم – Out of the many meanings of ظلم one is setting up partners with Allah. It is established from a hadith about which there is unanimous agreement of authenticity that the Holy Prophet explained the meaning of ظلم as polytheism and supported his argument with: إِنَّ ٱلشِّرۡكَ لَظُلۡمٌ عَظِيمٌ۬ (Surely ascribing partners (to Him) is a grievous iniquity) (31:13). Further, the theme of this surah is about monotheism. If there is no adulteration of polytheism after belief, a person will find peace, otherwise not.
Bayan-ul-Quran 