Al-An'am
ٱلْأَنْعَام Al-Anʿām The Grazing Livestock | |
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Classification | Meccan |
Position | Juzʼ 7—8 |
Hizb no. | 13—15 |
No. of verses | 165 |
No. of Rukus | 20 |
Quran |
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Al-An'am[1] (Arabic: ٱلأنعام, al-ʾanʿām; meaning: The Cattle)[2] is the sixth chapter (sūrah) of the Quran, with 165 verses (āyāt). Coming in order in the Quran after al-Baqarah, Al 'Imran, an-Nisa', and al-Ma'idah, this surah dwells on such themes as the clear signs of God's Dominion and Power, rejecting polytheism and unbelief, the establishment of Tawhid (pure monotheism), the Revelation, Messengership, and Resurrection. It is a "Meccan surah", and it is believed to have been revealed in its entirety during the final year of the Meccan period of Islam.[3] This explains the timing and contextual background of the believed revelation (Asbāb al-nuzūl). The surah also reports the story of the Prophet Ibrahim,[4] who calls others to stop worshiping celestial bodies and turns towards God.
Summary
- 1-3 Praise to the Almighty and Omniscient Creator
- 4-5 The wilful unbelief of the Makkah infidels 6 They are threatened with the divine judgment 7 The people of Makkah hopelessly unbelieving
- 8-9 Why angels were not sent to the infidels
- 10-11 Those who rejected the former prophets were punished
- 12-18 Why the true God should be served
- 19 God the witness between Muhammad and the infidels
- 20 The Jews recognise Muhammad as a prophet
- 21-23 Idolaters on the judgment-day—their condition 24-29 Scoffing idolaters rebuked and threatened
- 30-31 The condition of believers and unbelievers after death
- 32-33 Unbelievers make God a liar 33 God’s word and purposes unchangeable
- 34 Miracles of no avail to convince infidels
- 35 God will raise the dead to life
- 36 Why God did not grant the signs asked by unbelievers
- 37 Animals and birds to be brought into judgment
- 38 Infidels are deaf and dumb 39-40 Idolaters will call upon God in their distress 41-44 Adversity and prosperity alike unmeaning to infidels
- 45 God is the only helper in trouble 46-48 Unbelievers, if impenitent, sure to perish
- 49 Muhammad unacquainted with the secrets of God
- 50 There shall be no intercessor on the judgment-day
- 51-54 The motives of professing Muslims not to be judged
- 55-57 Muhammad declines the proposals of idolaters
- 58-61 God the Omniscient and Sovereign Ruler 62-64 God the Almighty Deliverer
- 65 Muhammad charged with imposture
- 66 Unbelievers will certainly be punished
- 67-69 Mockers to be avoided by Muslims
- 70-71 The punishment of idolaters certain and dreadful
- 71-74 Muslims commanded to obey God only
- 75-84 Abraham’s testimony against idolatry
- 85-91 The prophets who succeeded Abraham
- 92 The unbelieving Jews (of Madína) rebuked
- 93 The Quran confirms the former Scriptures 94 The fate of those who forge Scriptures
- 95 Idolaters deserted by their gods on the judgment-day
- 96-100 The God of nature the true God 101-103 God has no offspring 104-105 God’s favour in sending the Quran
- 106-108 The command to retire from Makkah
- 109 Muhammad not permitted to work miracles
- 110-113 The people of Makkah given over to unbelief
- 114 Muhammad the prophet of God
- 114-117 The direction of Muslims and idolaters contrasted
- 118-121 Law of permitted and forbidden meats
- 122 The righteous and unbelievers compared
- 122-125 wicked leaders of the people—conduct and punishment
- 126-127 The blessedness of the faithful
- 128-130 God’s threatenings against unbelieving men and genii 131 God always warns men before punishing idolatry
- 132-133 Rewards and punishments shall be according to works
- 134 The punishment of unbelievers certain 135-136 The idolaters of Makkah rebuked 137-139 Evil customs of the Quraish exposed 140 The idolaters of Makkah threatened
- 141 The fruit of trees to be eaten
- 142-144 Controversy between the Quraish and Muhammad concerning forbidden meats referred to 145 The law concerning forbidden meats rehearsed 146 The Jewish law of forbidden meats
- 147 God will punish those who accuse the prophets of imposture
- 148-149 The idolaters of Makkah are reprobate 150 Their testimony unworthy of credit
- 151-153 Forbidden things rehearsed
- 154-157 The Quran attests the teaching of Moses and Jesus
- 158 The fate of the wicked on the judgment-day
- 159 Sectaries reproved
- 160 The reward of the righteous and wicked compared
- 161-162 Islam the true religion
- 163 Muhammad’s self-consecration to God
- 164-165 The idolaters exhorted to believe in God [5]
Interpretations
32 Hedonism
6:32 - warns against hedonism:
وَمَا ٱلۡحَيَوٰةُ ٱلدُّنۡيَآ إِلَّا لَعِبٌ۬ وَلَهۡوٌ۬ۖ وَلَلدَّارُ ٱلۡأَخِرَةُ خَيۡرٌ۬ لِّلَّذِينَ يَتَّقُونَۗ أَفَلَا تَعۡقِلُونَ
- "What is the life of this world but play and amusement? But best is the home in the hereafter, for those who are righteous."
59 God is Omniscient
6:59 - teaches that none but God is Omniscient:
وَعِندَهُ ۥ مَفَاتِحُ ٱلۡغَيۡبِ لَا يَعۡلَمُهَآ إِلَّا هُوَۚ وَيَعۡلَمُ مَا فِى ٱلۡبَرِّ وَٱلۡبَحۡرِۚ وَمَا تَسۡقُطُ مِن وَرَقَةٍ إِلَّا يَعۡلَمُهَا وَلَا حَبَّةٍ۬ فِى ظُلُمَـٰتِ ٱلۡأَرۡضِ وَلَا رَطۡبٍ۬ وَلَا يَابِسٍ إِلَّا فِى كِتَـٰبٍ۬ مُّبِينٍ۬
- "And with Him are the keys of the Invisible. None but He Knoweth them. And He Knoweth what is in the land and the sea. Not a leaf falleth but He knoweth it, not a grain amid the darkness of the earth, naught of wet or dry but (it is noted) in a clear record."
68 Disbelievers
6:68 - commands avoiding talking to disbelievers about revelation:
وَإِذَا رَأَيۡتَ ٱلَّذِينَ يَخُوضُونَ فِىٓ ءَايَـٰتِنَا فَأَعۡرِضۡ عَنۡہُمۡ حَتَّىٰ يَخُوضُواْ فِى حَدِيثٍ غَيۡرِهِۦۚ وَإِمَّا يُنسِيَنَّكَ ٱلشَّيۡطَـٰنُ فَلَا تَقۡعُدۡ بَعۡدَ ٱلذِّڪۡرَىٰ مَعَ ٱلۡقَوۡمِ ٱلظَّـٰلِمِينَ
- "And when thou seest those who meddle with Our revelations, withdraw from them until they meddle with another topic. And if the devil causes thee to forget, sit not, after the remembrance, with the congregation of wrong-doers."
73 God's Omnipotence
6:73 - teaches about God's Omnipotence:
وَهُوَ ٱلَّذِى خَلَقَ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٲتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضَ بِٱلۡحَقِّۖ وَيَوۡمَ يَقُولُ ڪُن فَيَڪُونُۚ قَوۡلُهُ ٱلۡحَقُّۚ وَلَهُ ٱلۡمُلۡكُ يَوۡمَ يُنفَخُ فِى ٱلصُّورِۚ عَـٰلِمُ ٱلۡغَيۡبِ وَٱلشَّهَـٰدَةِۚ وَهُوَ ٱلۡحَڪِيمُ ٱلۡخَبِيرُ
- "In the day when He Saith: Be! it is."
78 Hints at an important reality
فَلَمَّا رَءَا ٱلشَّمۡسَ بَازِغَةً۬ قَالَ هَـٰذَا رَبِّى هَـٰذَآ أَڪۡبَرُۖ فَلَمَّآ أَفَلَتۡ قَالَ يَـٰقَوۡمِ إِنِّى بَرِىٓءٌ۬ مِّمَّا تُشۡرِكُونَ
Then, when he beheld the sun rising in all its splendor, he said; "This is my Lord, (is it)? This one is the greatest of all!" But when it set, he said: "O my people! Surely I am free from your association of partner with God and from whatever you associate with Him as partners." 6:78[6]
This verse hints at an important reality through a grammatical rule which is impossible to render in translation according to Unal: The sun is a feminine word in Arabic; whereas prophet Abraham, used a masculine pronoun when pointing to it.[7] This means that his people, like almost all other polytheist peoples, considered their greatest deity as being male. As pointed to in note 26 of his interpretation of 4:117, Unal states that "Whatever they may claim, in nearly all communities that reject Divine Religion in the establishment of their society, women are only objects exploited by men for their interest and tools used to satisfy their carnal desires. Men hold the sovereignty. This is because those reject God's authority depend on and adore force and might; this is possessed and represented by men, rather than women. Therefore a (supreme) god, in such a system, cannot be seen as being female."[7]
112 "Humanity" and "the jinn"
وَكَذَٲلِكَ جَعَلۡنَا لِكُلِّ نَبِىٍّ عَدُوًّ۬ا شَيَـٰطِينَ ٱلۡإِنسِ وَٱلۡجِنِّ يُوحِى بَعۡضُهُمۡ إِلَىٰ بَعۡضٍ۬ زُخۡرُفَ ٱلۡقَوۡلِ غُرُورً۬اۚ وَلَوۡ شَآءَ رَبُّكَ مَا فَعَلُوهُۖ فَذَرۡهُمۡ وَمَا يَفۡتَرُونَ
127 Divisions of the world in Islam
لَهُمۡ دَارُ ٱلسَّلَـٰمِ عِندَ رَبِّہِمۡۖ وَهُوَ وَلِيُّهُم بِمَا كَانُواْ يَعۡمَلُونَ
The "abode of peace" is also known as Dar al-Islam, or house/abode of Submission.[2] The term also appears in Quran Yunus (surah) 10.25 as a name of Paradise.[8]
151-152 Ten Commandments
6:151 - Mildly resembles parts of The Ten Commandments.[9]
قُلۡ تَعَالَوۡاْ أَتۡلُ مَا حَرَّمَ رَبُّڪُمۡ عَلَيۡڪُمۡۖ أَلَّا تُشۡرِكُواْ بِهِۦ شَيۡـًٔ۬اۖ وَبِٱلۡوَٲلِدَيۡنِ إِحۡسَـٰنً۬اۖ وَلَا تَقۡتُلُوٓاْ أَوۡلَـٰدَڪُم مِّنۡ إِمۡلَـٰقٍ۬ۖ نَّحۡنُ نَرۡزُقُڪُمۡ وَإِيَّاهُمۡۖ وَلَا تَقۡرَبُواْ ٱلۡفَوَٲحِشَ مَا ظَهَرَ مِنۡهَا وَمَا بَطَنَۖ وَلَا تَقۡتُلُواْ ٱلنَّفۡسَ ٱلَّتِى حَرَّمَ ٱللَّهُ إِلَّا بِٱلۡحَقِّۚ ذَٲلِكُمۡ وَصَّٮٰكُم بِهِۦ لَعَلَّكُمۡ تَعۡقِلُونَ (١٥١) وَلَا تَقۡرَبُواْ مَالَ ٱلۡيَتِيمِ إِلَّا بِٱلَّتِى هِىَ أَحۡسَنُ حَتَّىٰ يَبۡلُغَ أَشُدَّهُ ۥۖ وَأَوۡفُواْ ٱلۡڪَيۡلَ وَٱلۡمِيزَانَ بِٱلۡقِسۡطِۖ لَا نُكَلِّفُ نَفۡسًا إِلَّا وُسۡعَهَاۖ وَإِذَا قُلۡتُمۡ فَٱعۡدِلُواْ وَلَوۡ ڪَانَ ذَا قُرۡبَىٰۖ وَبِعَهۡدِ ٱللَّهِ أَوۡفُواْۚ ذَٲلِڪُمۡ وَصَّٮٰكُم بِهِۦ لَعَلَّكُمۡ تَذَكَّرُونَ (١٥٢)
Say: "Come, I will recite what your Lord has prohibited you from:
· Join not anything in worship with Him; · be kind and dutiful to your parents; · kill not your children because of poverty -- We provide sustenance for you and for them. · Come not near to Al-Fawahish (immoral sins) whether committed openly or secretly; · and kill not anyone whom God has forbidden, except for a just cause.
This He has commanded you that you may understand."[2]: 6:151–152
159 Sects and denominations
Verse (6:159) is known for forbidding sects and denominations.
إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ فَرَّقُواْ دِينَہُمۡ وَكَانُواْ شِيَعً۬ا لَّسۡتَ مِنۡہُمۡ فِى شَىۡءٍۚ إِنَّمَآ أَمۡرُهُمۡ إِلَى ٱللَّهِ ثُمَّ يُنَبِّئُہُم بِمَا كَانُواْ يَفۡعَلُونَ
- "As for those who divide their religion and break up into sects, thou hast no part in them in the least: their affair is with God: He will, in the end, tell them the truth of all that they did."[2]: 6:159
References
- ^ George Sale translation
- ^ a b c d Ibn Kathir (d. 1373). "Tafsir Ibn Kathir (English): Surah Al An'am". Quran 4 U. Retrieved 21 December 2019.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ Ünal, Ali. (2008). The Qurʼan with annotated interpretation in modern English. Somerset, N.J.: Tughra Books. p. 267. ISBN 978-1-59784-144-3. OCLC 234244740.
- ^ [Quran 6:74–80]
- ^ Wherry, Elwood Morris (1896). A Complete Index to Sale's Text, Preliminary Discourse, and Notes. London: Kegan Paul, Trench, Trubner, and Co.
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
- ^ Ünal, Ali. (2008). The Qurʼan with annotated interpretation in modern English. Somerset, N.J.: Tughra Books. ISBN 978-1-59784-144-3. OCLC 234244740.
- ^ a b Ünal, Ali. (2008). The Qurʼan with annotated interpretation in modern English. Somerset, N.J.: Tughra Books. p. 290. ISBN 978-1-59784-144-3. OCLC 234244740.
- ^ Arnold, T. W. (1927). "Gagauzes - Gakhar". The Encyclopaedia of Islam. Vol. 2. Leiden: Brill. p. 128.
- ^ Ibn Kathir, Stories of the Prophets, From Adam to Muhammad, Ibn Katheer, "Ibn Katheer states that many of the early Muslim scholars and others maintain that the content of these Ten Commandments exists in the following two Qur'anic verses: "Say; 'Come, I will rehearse what God hath (really) prohibited you from join not anything as equal as Him: be good to your parents; kill not your children on a plea of want - We provide sustenance for you and for them- come not nigh to shameful deeds, whether open or secret; take not life, which God hath made sacred, except by way of justice and law: thus doth He command you, that ye may learn wisdom. And come not nigh to the orphan's property, except to improve it, until he attains the age of full strength; give measure and weight with (full) justice; no burden do We place on any soul but that which it can bear - whenever ye speak, speak justly, even if a near relative is concerned; and fulfill the Covenant of God thus doth He command you, the ye may remember." ( al-Anʻām: 151-2)"
External links