6. [al-Anam, Cattle, Mecca 55]

The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:

قُلْ مَن يُنَجِّيكُم مِّن ظُلُمَاتِ الْبَرِّ وَالْبَحْرِ ...

6: 63. Say:

"Who is it that delivereth you from the dark recesses of land and sea,

C885. In continuation of the four heads of argument referred to in n. 876, we have three more heads here in 6:63-65:

1. your calling upon Him in times of danger shows that in the depths of your hearts you feel His need;

2. Allah's Providence saves you, and yet you ungratefully run after false gods;

3. it is not only physical calamities that you have to fear; your mutual discords and vengeances are even more destructive, and only faith in God can save you from them.

C886. Zulumat: dark recesses, terrible lurking dangers, as in deserts or mountains, or forests, or seas.

... تَدْعُونَهُ تَضَرُّعاً وَخُفْيَةً...

when ye call upon Him in humility and silent terror:

C887. There are two readings, but they both ultimately yield the same meaning.

- Khufyatan; silently, secretly. from the depth of your inner heart, suggesting unspeakable terror.

- Khfatan; out of terror or fear or reverence, as in 7:205.

...لَّئِنْ أَنجَانَا مِنْ هَـذِهِ لَنَكُونَنَّ مِنَ الشَّاكِرِينَ ﴿٦٣﴾

'if He only delivers us from these (dangers), (we vow) we shall truly show our gratitude.'?"

قُلِ اللّهُ يُنَجِّيكُم مِّنْهَا وَمِن كُلِّ كَرْبٍ ثُمَّ أَنتُمْ تُشْرِكُونَ ﴿٦٤﴾

6: 64. Say:

"It is Allah that delivereth you from these and all (other) distresses: and yet ye worship false gods!"

قُلْ هُوَ الْقَادِرُ عَلَى أَن يَبْعَثَ عَلَيْكُمْ عَذَابًا مِّن فَوْقِكُمْ أَوْ مِن تَحْتِ أَرْجُلِكُمْ ...

6: 65. Say:

"He hath power to send calamities on you, from above and below,

C888. Calamities from above and below: such as;

- storms and blizzards, torrential rain, etc., or

- earthquakes, floods, landslides, etc.

...أَوْ يَلْبِسَكُمْ شِيَعاً وَيُذِيقَ بَعْضَكُم بَأْسَ بَعْضٍ...

or to cover you with confusion in party strife giving you a taste of mutual vengeance -- each from the other."

...انظُرْ كَيْفَ نُصَرِّفُ الآيَاتِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَفْقَهُونَ ﴿٦٥﴾

See how We explain the Signs by various (symbols), that they may understand.

C889. Cf. 6:46, where this refrain commences the argument now drawing to a close.

وَكَذَّبَ بِهِ قَوْمُكَ وَهُوَ الْحَقُّ...

6: 66. But thy people reject this, though it is the truth.

...قُل لَّسْتُ عَلَيْكُم بِوَكِيلٍ ﴿٦٦﴾

Say:

"Not mine is the responsibility for arranging your affairs;

C890. At the date of this revelation, the Messenger's people had as a body not only rejected Allah's truth, but were persecuting it. The Messenger's duty was to deliver his Message, which he did. He was not responsible for their conduct.

But he told them plainly that all warnings from Allah had their time limit, as they would soon find out, within a very few years. For the leaders of the resistance came to an evil end, and their whole system of fraud and selfishness was destroyed, to make room for the purer Faith of Islam.

Apart from that particular application, there is the more general application, for the present time and for all time.

Pickthall’s Version:

6: 63

Pickthall Say: Who deliver you from the darkness of the land and the sea? Ye call upon Him humbly and in secret, (saying): If we are delivered from this (fear) we truly will be of the thankful.

Transliteration Qul may yunajjikum min zuluma_til barri wal bahri tad'u_nahu_ tadarru'aw wa khufyah(tan), la'in anja_n_ min ha_zihi lanaku_nanna minasy sya_kirin(a).

6: 64

Pickthall Say: Allah deliver you from this and from all afflictions. Yet ye attribute partners unto Him.

Transliteration Qulilla_hu yunajjikum minha_ wa min kulli karbin summa antum tusyriku_n(a).

6: 65

Asad ……..or to confound you with mutual discord and let you taste the fear of one another [note 56].”]. Behold how many facets We give to these messages, so that they might understand the truth.

Pickthall Say: He is able to send punishment upon you from above you or from beneath your feet, or to bewilder you with dissension and make you taste the tyranny one of another. See how We display the revelations so that they may understand.

Transliteration Qul huwal qa_diru 'ala_ ay yab'asa 'alaikum 'aza_bam min fauqikum au min tahti arjulikum au yalbisakum syiya'aw wa yuziqa ba'dakum ba'sa ba'd(in), unzur kaifa nusarriful a_ya_ti la'allahum yafqahu_n(a).

6: 66

Pickthall Thy people (O Muhammad) have denied it, though it is the Truth. Say: I am not put in charge of you.

Transliteration Wa kazzaba bihi qaumuka wa huwal haqq(u), qul lastu'alaikum bi wakil(in).