6-101 Wonderful Originator of the heavens and the earth! How could He have a son when He has no consort? And He created everything, and He is the Knower of all things.a
بَدِيعُ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٲتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضِۖ أَنَّىٰ يَكُونُ لَهُ ۥ وَلَدٌ۬ وَلَمۡ تَكُن لَّهُ ۥ صَـٰحِبَةٌ۬ۖ وَخَلَقَ كُلَّ شَىۡءٍ۬ۖ وَهُوَ بِكُلِّ شَىۡءٍ عَلِيمٌ۬ (١٠١)
6-101a: The most deceptive aspect of polytheism is assigning a son to God. So, this is taken up first. Its actual rebuttal is in the word بَدِيعُ (Wonderful Originator). See note 2-117a. However, for a nation that is deceived by the literal meaning of a word and does not reflect on facts, attention is drawn to a manifest reality that a son is never born through the agency of a father alone. The proponents of a son doctrine should suggest a mother from the same genus as the father because the combination of a father that is God but a mother that is human is very strange indeed. The third argument given is that God is the Creator of everything and if God has a son, the son should have created something. The fourth argument is based on knowledge. According to the evidence in the Gospels, the Son did not have perfect knowledge. He had no knowledge of the future nor of the Hereafter. If there is no partnership in the attributes, then how can he be a son. Imperfect attributes of God exist in humans but to separate the Son from the rest of humanity, some perfect attributes should be shown in him of which there are none.
6-102 That is Allah, your Lord. There is no god but He; the Creator of all things; therefore serve Him, and He has charge of all things.a
ذَٲلِڪُمُ ٱللَّهُ رَبُّكُمۡۖ لَآ إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَۖ خَـٰلِقُ ڪُلِّ شَىۡءٍ۬ فَٱعۡبُدُوهُۚ وَهُوَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَىۡءٍ۬ وَڪِيلٌ۬ (١٠٢)
6-102a: Every kind of polytheism is rejected here. Often people consider their deities to be their benefactors and helpers. It is, therefore, stated that Allah has charge of all affairs.
6-103 Vision comprehends Him not, and He comprehends (all) vision; and He is the Subtle, the Aware.a
لَّا تُدۡرِڪُهُ ٱلۡأَبۡصَـٰرُ وَهُوَ يُدۡرِكُ ٱلۡأَبۡصَـٰرَۖ وَهُوَ ٱللَّطِيفُ ٱلۡخَبِيرُ (١٠٣)
6-103a: تدرك – See note 4-145a for دَرۡك . دَرۡك is spoken about coming down, just as دَرۡج is spoken about going up. Derived from this, the rock bottom of the ocean is called دَرۡك . When two ropes are joined to reach the water level in a well, the joining of the ropes is called دَرۡك. The effect of something that will happen in the future is also called دَرَك as in: لَّا تَخَـٰفُ دَرَكً۬ا وَلَا تَخۡشَىٰ (…not fearing to be overtaken, nor being afraid) (20:77). Another meaning of ادرك is that a thing has reached its purpose, as in: اَدۡرَك الصَّبِیُّ (the boy reached the last frontier), that is became an adult, and in حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَآ أَدۡرَڪَهُ ٱلۡغَرَقُ (till, when drowning overtook him) (10:90). The same word is used in this verse. Some have taken the word ابصار to mean the physical vision and others have taken it to mean inner vision. In the latter case, the meaning becomes as narrated by Abu Bakr: یَا مَنۡ غَایَةُ مَعۡرفتهِ القصور عن معرفته (O You, the utmost extent of knowledge about Whom still falls short of knowledge about Him). The utmost extent of human knowledge about Allah is that after man acquires knowledge of His created things, as far as he can, he concludes that nothing is of the same kind (jins) as Allah, nor is it a likeness of Allah. Rather, He is the Creator of all things, and this is the utmost extent that human knowledge leads to.
اَلتَّدَارُكُ (to obtain) is frequently used for blessings, redressing of grievances and answering prayers, as in: لَّوۡلَآ أَن تَدَٲرَكَهُ ۥ نِعۡمَةٌ۬ مِّن رَّبِّهِ (Had not favor from his Lord reached him) (68:49). اِدَّارَكَ is the same as تَدَارَك as in: حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَا ٱدَّارَڪُواْ فِيہَا جَمِيعً۬ا (until when they all follow one another into it) that is when they meet one another. In the Quranic verse: بَلِ ٱدَّٲرَكَ عِلۡمُهُمۡ فِى ٱلۡأَخِرَةِ (Nay, their knowledge reaches not the Hereafter) (27:66) that is they have closed their minds and therefore are bereft of the knowledge of the Hereafter (R).
ٱللَّطِيفُ – The meaning of لطافة and لطف is moving slowly and an understanding of fine matters. لطائف are those matters that are beyond the human senses. لطیف as an attribute of Allah means that He is aware of subtle and abstruse matters. This is the meaning here, and also that He is gentle and forgiving in guiding His servants (R).
God does not have a body for the physical eye to comprehend Him nor can human intelligence grasp His essence and reality. On the other hand, all the deities that are made associates with God are visible to the human eye. This does not contradict viewing Allah in the Hereafter because other powers will be granted there. What is mentioned here is the inadequacy of these eyes and intelligence.
6-104 Clear proofs have indeed come to you from your Lord; so whoever sees, it is for his own good; and whoever is blind, it is to his own harm. And I am not a keeper over you.a
قَدۡ جَآءَكُم بَصَآٮِٕرُ مِن رَّبِّكُمۡۖ فَمَنۡ أَبۡصَرَ فَلِنَفۡسِهِۦۖ وَمَنۡ عَمِىَ فَعَلَيۡهَاۚ وَمَآ أَنَا۟ عَلَيۡكُم بِحَفِيظٍ۬ (١٠٤)
6-104a: بَصَآٮِٕرُ – It is the plural of بصیرۃ which is spiritual insight by which one can discern the reality of things (R). The proofs alluded to in the verse are the proofs of Divine Unity. By not a keeper over you is meant that the Holy Prophet is not the guardian of the disbeliever’s actions, and the requital of their actions is not with him but with God.
6-105 And thus do We repeat the messages, and that they may say, Thou hast studied; and that We may make it clear to a people who know.a
وَكَذَٲلِكَ نُصَرِّفُ ٱلۡأَيَـٰتِ وَلِيَقُولُواْ دَرَسۡتَ وَلِنُبَيِّنَهُ ۥ لِقَوۡمٍ۬ يَعۡلَمُونَ (١٠٥)
6-105a: دَرَسۡتَ – The meaning of دَرَس is impress or what is left of an imprint. Because what is left implies that some of the imprint has been erased, hence the word دُرُوس means to obliterate, efface, or expunge. The meaning of دَرَس العِلۡمَ is memorized it and was influenced or effected by it (R). درست الکتاب means to read a book multiple times and to gain the mastery over it so that it becomes easy to remember (L).
لِيَقُولُواْ – The ل in لِيَقُولُواْ is لام عاقبت (prefixed particle of purpose) and indicates as a consequence or so that. The purport is that when matters are explained to them from various perspectives, sometimes by pointing to human nature, sometimes by reminding them of natural laws and sometimes by drawing their attention to previous nations, the disbelievers say that these things have been taken from previous teachings and have been memorized through great diligence. However, knowledgeable people take advantage of it because they recognize the truth and realize that different arguments all lead to the same conclusion. This is clear proof of the truthfulness of the messages.
6-106 Follow that which is revealed to thee from thy Lord — there is no god but He; and turn away from the polytheists.
ٱتَّبِعۡ مَآ أُوحِىَ إِلَيۡكَ مِن رَّبِّكَۖ لَآ إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَۖ وَأَعۡرِضۡ عَنِ ٱلۡمُشۡرِكِينَ (١٠٦)
6-107 And if Allah had pleased, they would not have set up others (with Him). And We have not appointed thee a keeper over them, and thou art not placed in charge of them.
وَلَوۡ شَآءَ ٱللَّهُ مَآ أَشۡرَكُواْۗ وَمَا جَعَلۡنَـٰكَ عَلَيۡهِمۡ حَفِيظً۬اۖ وَمَآ أَنتَ عَلَيۡہِم بِوَكِيلٍ۬ (١٠٧)
6-107a: شَآءَ – For the meaning of شَآءَ see 2-20a. Its meaning is to invent and achieve a thing. Another meaning is synonymous with intention. It is not necessary to mention the matter intented even if the intention is ascribed to Allah, as in: يُرِيدُ ٱللَّهُ بِڪُمُ ٱلۡيُسۡرَ وَلَا يُرِيدُ بِڪُمُ ٱلۡعُسۡرَ (Allah desires ease for you and He desires not hardship for you) (2:185). A person may have an intention even though God’s intention is not for that thing to take place. For example, a person may desire not to die but this is against the Divine intention. Before a person wishes, it is necessary that Allah wishes it: وَمَا تَشَآءُونَ إِلَّآ أَن يَشَآءَ ٱللَّهُۚ (And you will not unless Allah pleases) (76:30).
لَوۡ شَآءَ ٱللَّهُ مَآ أَشۡرَكُواْ (if Allah had pleased, they would not have set up others (with Him)) – Allah has stated here that if He had pleased, the disbelievers would not have set up associates with Allah. In another place, a statement of the disbelievers is recorded: لَوۡ شَآءَ ٱللَّهُ مَآ أَشۡرَڪۡنَا (If Allah pleased, we would not have set up (aught with Him) (6:148) and this statement of the disbelievers is refuted. The difference between the statement here and that of the disbelievers is that the purport of the disbeliever’s statement is that God wishes them to set up associates with Him. Hence the reply given to them is: لَوۡ شَآءَ لَهَدَٮٰكُمۡ (if He had pleased, He would have guided you all) (6:149), that is if Allah had wished to force people, He would have forced them to be guided rather than to set up associates and be misguided. If Allah had done that, man would have been like the rest of creation bound by the law of obedience to Him. The meaning of the statement here that if Allah had pleased, they would not have set up others with Him, is that if Allah had pleased, He would have created man such that he would not have been able to disobey, but then man could not have been the best of creation. That is why, it is stated here وَمَا جَعَلۡنَـٰكَ عَلَيۡهِمۡ حَفِيظً۬ا (We have not appointed you a keeper over them), that is that the Holy Prophet cannot force them to give up polytheism. If Allah had wished to force them, He would have created them so that they could not disobey, but this is not His wish. He has made a law and shown the path, and now it is up to man whether to walk on this path or not. There may be an indication here that ultimately, they would give up polytheism.
6-108 And abuse not those whom they call upon besides Allah, lest, exceeding the limits, they abuse Allah through ignorance. Thus to every people have We made their deeds fair-seeming; then to their Lord is their return so He will inform them of what they did.
وَلَا تَسُبُّواْ ٱلَّذِينَ يَدۡعُونَ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ فَيَسُبُّواْ ٱللَّهَ عَدۡوَۢا بِغَيۡرِ عِلۡمٍ۬ۗ كَذَٲلِكَ زَيَّنَّا لِكُلِّ أُمَّةٍ عَمَلَهُمۡ ثُمَّ إِلَىٰ رَبِّہِم مَّرۡجِعُهُمۡ فَيُنَبِّئُهُم بِمَا كَانُواْ يَعۡمَلُونَ (١٠٨)
6-108a: The command not to abuse other deities: The talk of the opponents was very painful. They would jest, ridicule, mock and abuse, therefore the Muslims are told that they should not retaliate and target the disbeliever’s false deities with abusive language. Because the discussion here is about the evils of polytheism, the parameters of one’s responsibility are specified. To reform a polytheist, it is necessary to point out the evils of polytheism, but the dialogue should be kept within the limits of civility and not become abusive. The need for pointing out an error will always exist in the world, but it is not permissible to cause pain to another by using crude language. In this way, the Quran also teaches good morals and manners. A golden rule has been enunciated that enhances interfaith harmony instead of hate. People have generally ignored this rule and as a result have become enemies in the name of religion, even though the purpose of religion is that there should be goodwill and peace with all people. In this period, the Christians and Hindu Aryas have sowed the dangerous seeds of mutual animosity and hatred by breaking this rule. Hundreds of books are published solely to disparage and mock others. There is no discussion on principles because that is where their weak point lies.
Deeds made fair seeming: By عَمَلَهُمۡ are meant those deeds that they should do. The Quran has shown with great beauty those things that are of benefit to man so that people may act upon them. An example is the rule just propounded, that is not to abuse what other people respect. Evil actions sometimes appear fair seeming to the doer, and this is the devil’s work and not God’s. This is made clear in the Quranic verses: وَزَيَّنَ لَهُمُ ٱلشَّيۡطَـٰنُ مَا ڪَانُواْ يَعۡمَلُونَ (…the devil made all that they did seem fair to them) (6:43) and in 6:137 where the evil action is said to be made fair seeming by the devil.
6-109 And they swear their strongest oaths by Allah that if a sign comes to them they would certainly believe in it. Say: Signs are with Allah. And what should make you know that when they come they believe not?a
وَأَقۡسَمُواْ بِٱللَّهِ جَهۡدَ أَيۡمَـٰنِہِمۡ لَٮِٕن جَآءَتۡہُمۡ ءَايَةٌ۬ لَّيُؤۡمِنُنَّ بِہَاۚ قُلۡ إِنَّمَا ٱلۡأَيَـٰتُ عِندَ ٱللَّهِۖ وَمَا يُشۡعِرُكُمۡ أَنَّهَآ إِذَا جَآءَتۡ لَا يُؤۡمِنُونَ (١٠٩)
6-109a: In the presence of so many clear arguments, the disbelievers again ask for a sign. See 6:35. It is stated that the miracles that the disbelievers ask to be shown are within the powers of Allah but a people who reject so many clear arguments will not benefit from such miracles. Using this verse to deny miracles runs counter to the logic of this verse. The words إِذَا جَآءَتۡ (when they come) shows that the miracles they are demanding will be shown to them, but belief is created by logical proofs and not by miracles.
6-110 And We turn their hearts and their sights, even as they did not believe in it the first time; and We leave them in their inordinacy, blindly wandering on.
وَنُقَلِّبُ أَفۡـِٔدَتَہُمۡ وَأَبۡصَـٰرَهُمۡ كَمَا لَمۡ يُؤۡمِنُواْ بِهِۦۤ أَوَّلَ مَرَّةٍ۬ وَنَذَرُهُمۡ فِى طُغۡيَـٰنِهِمۡ يَعۡمَهُونَ (١١٠)
6-110a: نُقَلِّبُ – The meaning of قَلۡب is to change direction, and تَقۡلیب means to keep changing from one condition to another. The meaning of نُقَلِّبُ أَفۡـِٔدَتَہُمۡ وَأَبۡصَـٰرَهُمۡ (And We turn their hearts and their sights) means صرفھا من رای الی رای (their constant changing of opinion from one to another) (R), that is sometimes thinking one thing and sometimes another.
أَفۡـِٔدَت – It is the plural of فواد . The meaning of فأد is roasted or burned and it is from this meaning that the heart is called فؤاد (R). According to some فوأد is the outer covering of the heart and قَلۡب its center (L).
نذر – Its root is وذر but its past tense has not been used. The meaning of یَذَرالشئ is to discard a thing thinking it to be worthless, as in: وَنَذَرَ مَا ڪَانَ يَعۡبُدُ ءَابَآؤُنَا (and give up that which our fathers used to serve) (7:70); وَيَذَرَكَ وَءَالِهَتَكَ (and forsake thee and thy gods) (7:127); فَذَرۡهُمۡ وَمَا يَفۡتَرُونَ (so leave them alone with what they forge) (6:112); وَذَرُواْ مَا بَقِىَ مِنَ ٱلرِّبَوٰٓاْ (and relinquish what remains (due) from usury) (2:278); وَيَذَرُونَ أَزۡوَٲجً۬ا (and leave wives behind) (2:240). In the last citation, there seems to be an indication that a widow is left helpless after the death of her husband and attention is drawn to her state of helplessness by recommending that she be left something in the last will and testament.
The style of narration in the statement turning their hearts and sights is like the style in the statement increasing their disease, for which see 2:10a. The actions are of the disbelievers, but the outcome is determined by Allah. That the result is the consequence of the actions of the disbelievers is obvious from the statement: لَمۡ يُؤۡمِنُواْ بِهِۦۤ أَوَّلَ مَرَّةٍ۬ (even as they did not believe in it the first time) which gives the reason for the outcome. It is as a consequence of their disbelief that they are lost wandering about in their obstinacy and arrogance, sometimes having one opinion and sometimes another. They were first called to belief through rational arguments, but they did not accept. Then they were shown miracles, but they responded by name calling such as magician, soothsayer and others. This is what is meant by تقلیب أَفۡـِٔدَتَ (turning the hearts). Reasoned arguments provide guidance while miracles corroborate the arguments. A person who does not reflect on the proof cannot benefit from it.
Bayan-ul-Quran 