6. Sura al-Anam
The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:
وَأَقْسَمُواْ
بِاللّهِ جَهْدَ
أَيْمَانِهِمْ
لَئِن جَاءتْهُمْ
آيَةٌ لَّيُؤْمِنُنَّ
بِهَا...
6: 109. They swear their strongest oaths by Allah that if a (special) sign came to them, by it they would believe.
...قُلْ إِنَّمَا الآيَاتُ عِندَ اللّهِ وَمَا يُشْعِرُكُمْ أَنَّهَا إِذَا جَاءتْ لاَ يُؤْمِنُونَ ﴿١٠٩﴾
Say:
"Certainly (all) signs are in the power of Allah:
but what will make you (Muslims) realize that even if a (special) sign comes, they will not believe."
C937. If the Unbelievers are merely obstinate, nothing will convince them. There is no story more full of miracles than the story of Jesus. Yet in that same story we are told that Jesus said:
"A wicked adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given unto it, but the sign of the Prophet Jonas":
There are Signs given by Allah every day -understood by those who believe. A mere insistence upon some particular or special Sign meant mere contumacy and misunderstanding of the spiritual world.
وَنُقَلِّبُ
أَفْئِدَتَهُمْ
وَأَبْصَارَهُمْ
كَمَا لَمْ
يُؤْمِنُواْ
بِهِ أَوَّلَ
مَرَّةٍ...
6: 110. We (too) shall turn to (confusion) their hearts and their eyes, even as they refused to believe in the first instance:
C938. Where there is sheer obstinacy and ridicule of faith, the result will be that such a sinner's heart will be hardened and his eyes will be sealed, so that he cannot even see the things visible to ordinary mortals.
The sinner gathers impetus in his descent towards wrong.
...وَنَذَرُهُمْ فِي طُغْيَانِهِمْ يَعْمَهُونَ ﴿١١٠﴾
We shall leave them in their trespasses, to wander in distraction.
C939. Cf. 2:15.
Allah's grace is always ready to help human weakness or ignorance and to accept repentance and give forgiveness.
But where the sinner is in actual rebellion, he will be given none, and it will be his own fault if he wanders about distractedly, without any certain hope or refuge.
وَلَوْ
أَنَّنَا نَزَّلْنَا
إِلَيْهِمُ
الْمَلآئِكَةَ
وَكَلَّمَهُمُ
الْمَوْتَى
وَحَشَرْنَا
عَلَيْهِمْ
كُلَّ شَيْءٍ...
6: 111. Even if We did send unto them angels, and the dead did speak unto them, and We gathered together all things before their very eyes,
C940. The most stupendous miracles even according to their ideas would not have convinced them. If the whole pageant of the spiritual world were brought before them, they would not have believed, because they -of their own choice and will - refuse knowledge and faith.
... قُبُلاً مَّا كَانُواْ لِيُؤْمِنُواْ إِلاَّ أَن يَشَاء اللّهُ...
they are not the ones to believe, unless it is in Allah's Plan:
...وَلَـكِنَّ أَكْثَرَهُمْ يَجْهَلُونَ ﴿١١١﴾
but most of them ignore (the truth).
Other versions:
6: 109 [al-Anam, Cattle, Mecca 55]
Asad Now they swear by God with their most solemn oaths that if a miracle were shown to them, they would indeed believe in this [divine writ]. Say: :Miracles are in the power of God alone.” [note 94] And for all you know, even if on should be shown to them, they would not believe
Yusuf Ali They swear their strongest oaths by Allah that if a (special) sign came to them by it they would believe. Say: "Certainly (all) signs are in the power of Allah: but what will make you (Muslims) realize that even if a (special) sign comes they will not believe."
Pickthall And they swear a solemn oath by Allah that if there come unto them a portent they will believe therein. Say: Portents are with Allah and (so is) that which telleth you that if such came unto them they would not believe.
Transliteration Wa aqsamu_ billa_hi jahda aima_nihim la'in ja_'athum a_yatul layu'minunna biha_, qul innamal a_ya_tu 'indalla_hi wa ma_ yusy'irukum annaha_ iza_ ja_'at la_ yu'minu_n(a).
6: 110
Asad so long as We keep their hearts and their eyes turned [away from the truth] (note 95), even as they did not believe in it in the first instance: and [so] We shall leave them in their overweening arrogance, blindly stumbling to and fro.
Yusuf Ali We (too) shall turn to (confusion) their hearts and their eyes even as they refused to believe in the first instance: We shall leave them in their trespasses to wander in distraction.
Pickthall We confound their hearts and their eyes. As they believed not therein at the first, We let them wander blindly on in their contumacy.
Transliteration Wa nuqallibu af'idatahum wa absa_rahum kama_ lam yu'minu_ bihi awwala marratiw wa nazaruhum fi tugya_nihim ya'mahu_n(a).
[[Asad’s note 95 –I.e., so long as they remain blind to the truth in consequence of their unwillingness to acknowledge it – and this in accordance with the law of cause and effect which God has imposed on His creation (see surah 2, note 7)]]
[[ Ali’s notes - 938 Where there is sheer obstinacy and ridicule of faith, the result will be that such a sinner's heart will be hardened and his eyes will be sealed, so that he cannot even see the things visible to ordinary mortals. The sinner gathers impetus in his descent towards wrong. (6.110)
939 Cf. ii. 15. God's grace is always ready to help human weakness or ignorance and to accept repentance and give forgiveness. But where the sinner is in actual rebellion, he will be given none, and it will be his own fault if he wanders about distractedly, without any certain hope or refuge. (6.110)]]
6: 111
Asad …….unless God so willed.
Yusuf Ali Even if We did send unto them angels and the dead did speak unto them and We gathered together all things before their very eyes they are not the ones to believe unless it is in Allah's Plan: but most of them ignore (the truth).
Pickthall And though We should send down the angels unto them, and the dead should speak unto them, and We should gather against them all things in array, they would not believe unless Allah so willed. Howbeit, most of them are ignorant.
Transliteration Wa lau annana_ nazzalna_ ilaihimul mala_'ikata wa kallamahumul mauta_ wa hasyarna_ 'alaihim kulla syai'in qubulam ma_ ka_nu_ liyu'minu_ illa_ ay yasya_'alla_hu wa la_kinna aksarahum yajhalu_n(a).