6-122 Is he who was dead, then We raised him to life and made for him a light by which he walks among the people, like him whose likeness is that of one in darkness whence he cannot come forth? Thus their doings are made fair-seeming to the disbelievers.a
أَوَمَن كَانَ مَيۡتً۬ا فَأَحۡيَيۡنَـٰهُ وَجَعَلۡنَا لَهُ ۥ نُورً۬ا يَمۡشِى بِهِۦ فِى ٱلنَّاسِ كَمَن مَّثَلُهُ ۥ فِى ٱلظُّلُمَـٰتِ لَيۡسَ بِخَارِجٍ۬ مِّنۡہَاۚ كَذَٲلِكَ زُيِّنَ لِلۡكَـٰفِرِينَ مَا كَانُواْ يَعۡمَلُونَ (١٢٢)
6-122a: میّت – For the meaning of موت see note 2-56a. مَیۡت is an abbreviation of مَیِّت and by being dead is meant ignorant here. In إِنَّكَ مَيِّتٌ۬ (Surely thou wilt die) (39:30) according to some میّت is the separation of the spirit from the body but according to others it is merely the steady erosion of strength and weakness that is taking place every moment because as long as a person is in this world, the process of diminshing keeps occurring every moment, as a poet has said: یَمُوۡتُ جُزۡٓاً فَجُزۡاً (He will gradually diminish) (R). According to Ibn Abbas, the meaning here of میّت is an erring disbeliever, and of احیاء is guidance and by نور is meant the Quran (IJ).
Holy Prophet giving life to the dead: Before delving into the result of those who plan against Islam, it is first stated that Allah will elevate those whose spiritual power is now dead to a high status with this Quran. He will not only grant them life but also a spiritual light which will not be just for them, but they will carry this light to others and benefit them as well. This will be the result of the Holy Prophet’s power of piety that will raise the believers out of a deceased state and elevate them to a high status. In contrast to this, mention is then made of those who dwell in darkness and do not benefit from the light of faith. They fall so much in love with darkness that they do not come out of and it is as if they like their evil actions.
6-123 And thus have We made in every town the leaders of its guilty ones, that they may make plans therein. And they plan not but against themselves, and they perceive not.a
وَكَذَٲلِكَ جَعَلۡنَا فِى كُلِّ قَرۡيَةٍ أَڪَـٰبِرَ مُجۡرِمِيهَا لِيَمۡڪُرُواْ فِيهَاۖ وَمَا يَمۡڪُرُونَ إِلَّا بِأَنفُسِہِمۡ وَمَا يَشۡعُرُونَ (١٢٣)
6-123a: أَڪَـٰبِرَ – It is the plural of کبیر which means a nobleman or chief, as in: إِنَّهُ ۥ لَكَبِيرُكُمُ ٱلَّذِى عَلَّمَكُمُ ٱلسِّحۡرَ (Surely he is your chief who taught you enchantment) (20:71).
Just as they begin to see their evil deeds as good, they also begin to think about planning against the truth. Those who love darkness can never like light. Hence when the spiritual light comes into this world, they start exerting to extinguish it, but in the end, their plan only harms them.
6-124 And when a message comes to them they say: We will not believe till we are given the like of that which Allah’s messengers are given. Allah best knows where to place His message.a Humiliation from Allah and severe chastisement will surely befall the guilty for their planning.b
وَإِذَا جَآءَتۡهُمۡ ءَايَةٌ۬ قَالُواْ لَن نُّؤۡمِنَ حَتَّىٰ نُؤۡتَىٰ مِثۡلَ مَآ أُوتِىَ رُسُلُ ٱللَّهِۘ ٱللَّهُ أَعۡلَمُ حَيۡثُ يَجۡعَلُ رِسَالَتَهُ ۥۗ سَيُصِيبُ ٱلَّذِينَ أَجۡرَمُواْ صَغَارٌ عِندَ ٱللَّهِ وَعَذَابٌ۬ شَدِيدُۢ بِمَا كَانُواْ يَمۡكُرُونَ (١٢٤)
6-124a: Messengership is a Divine grace: The meaning of اٰیت here is generic. Whenever a Divine command or shariah, or Messenger, comes, instead of accepting the truth, the disbelievers begin to question why messengership is not granted to them. In another place, it is stated: بَلۡ يُرِيدُ كُلُّ ٱمۡرِىٍٕ۬ مِّنۡہُمۡ أَن يُؤۡتَىٰ صُحُفً۬ا مُّنَشَّرَةً۬ (Nay, every one of them desires that he should be given pages spread out) (74:52). The reply given to this is that Allah does not appoint just anyone to the position of messengership. If messengership is granted to the dwellers of darkness, how would reform take place in the world. This goes to show that those who God appoints as messengers possess special suitability for the position which is not found in others. This provides the supporting evidence for the sinlessness of prophets and also for the fact that the position of messengership is not granted as a result of one’s effort or prayer. Instead, it is an act of Divine grace. God gives to whomever He wants.
6-124b: By صَغَارٌ is meant humiliation, and عِندَ ٱللَّهِ according to most commentators is synonymous with من عِندَ ٱللَّهِ meaning humiliation from Allah will be their lot. Even if this is considered to happen in the afterlife, the meaning is still the same. The consequence of their planning and opposition is stated to be that they will be humiliated and their power and grandeur on the strength of which they are doing this will go away. This is what happened with the Makkans and this will happen with the current opposition.
6-125 So whomsoever Allah intends to guide, He expands his breast for Islam, and whomsoever He intends to leave in error, He makes his breast strait (and) narrow as though he were ascending upwards. Thus does Allah lay uncleanness on those who believe not.a
فَمَن يُرِدِ ٱللَّهُ أَن يَهۡدِيَهُ ۥ يَشۡرَحۡ صَدۡرَهُ ۥ لِلۡإِسۡلَـٰمِۖ وَمَن يُرِدۡ أَن يُضِلَّهُ ۥ يَجۡعَلۡ صَدۡرَهُ ۥ ضَيِّقًا حَرَجً۬ا ڪَأَنَّمَا يَصَّعَّدُ فِى ٱلسَّمَآءِۚ ڪَذَٲلِكَ يَجۡعَلُ ٱللَّهُ ٱلرِّجۡسَ عَلَى ٱلَّذِينَ لَا يُؤۡمِنُونَ (١٢٥)
6-125a: يَشۡرَحۡ صَدۡرَهُ – The literal meaning of شرح is بسط or to expand. Imam Raghib has explained the meaning of شرح صَدۡر as being strengthening of the heart by Divine light and God given peace and tranquility.
ۥ يَجۡعَلۡ صَدۡرَهُ ۥ ضَيِّقًا حَرَجً۬ا- حَرَج means great tightness that leaves no space inside. Sin is also called حَرَج (R). ضیق is a narrow-hearted man that has no space for any goodness. Imam Raghib states that what is meant by this word is grief and sorrow.
يَصَّعَّدُ فِى ٱلسَّمَآءِۚ – It means ascending upwards so that it becomes difficult to breath. یَصعّد is in reality یَتَصَعَّدُ and صُعُود means to ascend upwards.
The purport is not that God has made two kinds of men, one with wide breast and the other with narrow breast. Instead, the purport is that truthful matters appear to a disbeliever like a mountain whereas the reality is that those matters that cause the disbeliever’s breast to become strait are the very matters that expand the breast and are conducive to growing a believer’s ethics and morals. A disbeliever’s breast is strait because of disbelief. In other words, disbelief is the cause of narrowness and narrowness is not the cause of disbelief.
6-126 And this is the path of thy Lord, (a) straight (path). Indeed We have made the messages clear for a people who mind.
وَهَـٰذَا صِرَٲطُ رَبِّكَ مُسۡتَقِيمً۬اۗ قَدۡ فَصَّلۡنَا ٱلۡأَيَـٰتِ لِقَوۡمٍ۬ يَذَّكَّرُونَ (١٢٦)
6-127 Theirs is the abode of peace with their Lord, and He is their Friend because of what they do.
لَهُمۡ دَارُ ٱلسَّلَـٰمِ عِندَ رَبِّہِمۡۖ وَهُوَ وَلِيُّهُم بِمَا كَانُواْ يَعۡمَلُونَ (١٢٧)
6-128 And on the day when He will gather them all together: O assembly of jinn, you took away a great part of men. And their friends from among men will say: Our Lord, some of us profited by others and we have reached our appointed term which Thou didst appoint for us. He will say: The Fire is your abode — you shall abide therein, except as Allah please. Surely thy Lord is Wise, Knowing.
وَيَوۡمَ يَحۡشُرُهُمۡ جَمِيعً۬ا يَـٰمَعۡشَرَ ٱلۡجِنِّ قَدِ ٱسۡتَكۡثَرۡتُم مِّنَ ٱلۡإِنسِۖ وَقَالَ أَوۡلِيَآؤُهُم مِّنَ ٱلۡإِنسِ رَبَّنَا ٱسۡتَمۡتَعَ بَعۡضُنَا بِبَعۡضٍ۬ وَبَلَغۡنَآ أَجَلَنَا ٱلَّذِىٓ أَجَّلۡتَ لَنَاۚ قَالَ ٱلنَّارُ مَثۡوَٮٰكُمۡ خَـٰلِدِينَ فِيهَآ إِلَّا مَا شَآءَ ٱللَّهُۗ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ حَكِيمٌ عَلِيمٌ۬ (١٢٨)
6-128a: مَعۡشَرَ – Its root is عَشۡر (ten) and because ten is considered as a perfect number, hence عشیرۃ is spoken for a person’s kinsfolk whose numbers enhances his importance (R). Derived from it is the word معشر which means a community whose affair is one and the same: کل جماعة امرھم واحد . Thus, معشر المسلمین means community of the Muslims.
ٱلۡجِنِّ – The meaning of جَنّ is to cover and جِنّ are those beings that the human eye cannot see and are hidden. The Quran has termed Iblis or the devil to be from this kind: كَانَ مِنَ ٱلۡجِنِّ (he was of the jinn) (18:50). Further, the Quran has distinguished two kinds of devils: شَيَـٰطِينَ ٱلۡإِنسِ وَٱلۡجِنِّ (the devils from among men and jinn) (6:112). Tabrezi has written in Ham that the Arabs liken a man who is sharp and clever in affairs to a jinni and a shaitan. Accordingly, in فما نَفَرَتۡ جِنِّی by جِنّ is meant those friends who were like the jinn. Lisan Al Arab cites a verse from a poet in which the poet addresses his beloved as jinni, and since humans do not love jinns, the word is explained in Lisan Al Arab as a woman who is like a jinni in her beauty and gorgeousness or in her capriciousness and idiosyncrasy. A verse from the Days of Ignorance states: بخَیلٍ جِنّةٌ عَبۡقَریَّةٌ (On horses that were mounted by beautiful jinns), and another states: جن اذا فزعوا انس اذا اٰمنو where despite the comparison of men and jinn, the meaning of jinn is men. (The last two verses are taken from the commentary of Sir Syed). This goes to show that the Arabs used the word جِنّ in a very broad sense, that is men with certain broad characteristics were called jinn.
Evidence of certain type of men being called jinn: Is jinn used in this verse for invisible beings or for special kind of men? The answer to this is given by the passage of the Quran itself. First, it is stated: ٱسۡتَمۡتَعَ بَعۡضُنَا بِبَعۡضٍ۬ (some of us profited by others). Now humans benefit from each other, but those invisible beings derive no benefit from humans and neither do humans benefit from them. Second in this verse, jinn and men are called اولیاء or friends, and in the next verse, it is stated: And thus do We make some of the iniquitous to befriend others…). Third in the beginning of the next section, men and jinn are called one community, the word community is properly applied to a person’s family. If the intent here is to mean the other species of invisible beings, then they would not be called as a community with men. Fourth, it is stated in the beginning of the next session that messengers came to jinn and men from among them. It is apparent that the invisible beings are of a different kind, and messengers could not have come to them from among the humans, but to the extent that the Quran has mentioned messengers, all of them were humans in line with the promise made by Allah with the children of Adam: إِمَّا يَأۡتِيَنَّكُمۡ رُسُلٌ۬ مِّنكُمۡ يَقُصُّونَ عَلَيۡكُمۡ ءَايَـٰتِىۙ (…if messengers come to you from among you relating to you my messages) (7:35). These messengers or their followers also convert these invisible beings and make them Muslims. As an example, it is proven from the Hadith that the Holy Prophet said: My devil has become a Muslim. Thus, by jinn here are meant men who are like jinn. They are the same men who are earlier called leaders in verse 6:123. These great men can be called jinn because they are often hidden from the vision of the common folks. In the narration of Solomon, the well-built and strong men who were put to work by him to construct buildings, to be divers etcetera are called jinn and shaitan. If the word shaitan can be used for the leaders of the disbelievers and their chiefs as is the unanimous opinion of all the commentators, then it is not strange that the same people can be called jinn as well.
An exception to the abode of hell fire: The narration here clearly refers to the disbelievers, but an exception is provided to their being consigned to hell in the words إِلَّا مَا شَآءَ ٱللَّهُ (except as Allah pleases) and if Allah desires, He can take these people out from the hellish state.
6-129 And thus do We make some of the iniquitous to befriend others on account of what they earn.
وَكَذَٲلِكَ نُوَلِّى بَعۡضَ ٱلظَّـٰلِمِينَ بَعۡضَۢا بِمَا كَانُواْ يَكۡسِبُونَ (١٢٩)
Bayan-ul-Quran 