6. Sura al-Anam

The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:

وَمَا مِن دَآبَّةٍ فِي الأَرْضِ وَلاَ طَائِرٍ يَطِيرُ بِجَنَاحَيْهِ إِلاَّ أُمَمٌ أَمْثَالُكُم ...

6: 38. There is not an animal (that lives) on the earth, nor a being that flies on its wings, but (forms part of) communities like you.

C859. "Animals living on the earth" include those living in the water-fishes, reptiles, crustaceans, insects, as well as four-footed beasts. Life on the wing is separately mentioned.

"Tair," which is ordinarily translated as "bird," is anything that flies, including mammals like bats.

In our pride we may exclude animals from our purview, but they live a life, social ad individual, like ourselves, and all life is subject to the Plan and Will of Allah.

In 6:59 we are told that not a leaf falls but by His Will, and things dry and green are recorded in His Book. In other words they all obey His archetypal Plan, the Book which is also mentioned here.

They are all answerable in their several degrees to His Plan ("shall be gathered to their Lord in the end"). This is not Pantheism: it is ascribing all life, activity, and existence to the Will and Plan of Allah.

...مَّا فَرَّطْنَا فِي الكِتَابِ مِن شَيْءٍ ...

Nothing have We omitted from the Book,

... ثُمَّ إِلَى رَبِّهِمْ يُحْشَرُونَ ﴿٣٨﴾

and they (all) shall be gathered to their Lord in the end.

وَالَّذِينَ كَذَّبُواْ بِآيَاتِنَا صُمٌّ وَبُكْمٌ فِي الظُّلُمَاتِ...

6: 39. Those who reject Our Signs are deaf and dumb, in the midst of darkness profound:

C860. The limited free will of man makes a little difference. If he sees the Signs but shuts his ears to the true Message, and refuses (like a dumb thing) to speak out the Message which all Nature proclaims, then according to the Plan ( of his limited free-will) he must suffer and wander, just as, in the opposite case, he will receive grace and salvation.

...مَن يَشَإِ اللّهُ يُضْلِلْهُ وَمَن يَشَأْ يَجْعَلْهُ عَلَى صِرَاطٍ مُّسْتَقِيمٍ ﴿٣٩﴾

whom Allah willeth, He leaveth to wander,

whom He willeth, He placeth on the way that is straight.

Other versions:

6: 38

Asad although there is no beast that walks on earth and no bird that flies on its two wings which is not [God’s] creature [note 30] like yourselves: no single thing have We neglected n Our decree. And once again [note 31]: Unto their Sustainer shall they [all] be gathered.

Yusuf Ali There is not an animal (that lives) on the earth nor a being that flies on its wings but (forms part of) communities like you. Nothing have We omitted from the Book and they (all) shall be gathered to their Lord in the end.

Pickthall There is not an animal in the earth, nor a flying creature flying on two wings, but they are peoples like unto you. We have neglected nothing in the Book (of Our decrees). Then unto their Lord they will be gathered.

Transliteration Wa ma_ min da_bbatin fil ardi wa la_ ta_'iriy yatiru bi jana_haihi illa_ umamun amsa_lukum, ma_ farratna_ fil kita_bi min syai'in summa ila_ rabbihim yuhsyaru_n(a).

6: 39

Yusuf Ali Those who reject Our Signs are deaf and dumb in the midst of darkness profound: whom Allah willeth He leaveth to wander whom He willeth He placeth on the way that is straight.

Pickthall Those who deny our revelations are deaf and dumb in darkness. Whom Allah will He sendeth astray, and whom He will He placeth on a straight path.

Transliteration Wallazina kazabu_ bi a_ya_tina_ summuw wa bukmun fiz zuluma_t(i), may yasya'illa_hu yudlilhu wa may yasya' yaj'alhu 'ala_ sira_tim mustaqim(in).

[[Asad’s note 30 – Lit., “but they are [God’s] creatures (unam)” The word ‘ummah’ [of which ‘umam’ is the plural] primarily denotes a group of living beings having certain characteristics of circumstances in common. Thus, it is often synonymous with “community”, “people”, “nation”, “genus”, “generation”, and so forth. [Lisan al-Arab, with particular eference to this very Quran verse; also Lane I, 90].

Thus, the meaning of the above passage is this; Man can detect God’s “signs” or “miracles” in all the life-phenomena that surround him, and should, therefore, try to observe them with a view to better understanding ‘God’s way” [sunnat Allah] – which is the Quranic term for what we call “laws of nature”.]]

[[ Ali’s notes - 858 Sins are all around them, but they do not understand. If they want a particular Sign to suit their gross ignorance, they will not be humoured, for they can always pick holes in anything that descends to their level. (6.37)

859 "Animals living on the earth" include those living in the water, - fishes, reptiles, crustaceans, insects, as well as four-footed beasts. Life on the wing is separately mentioned. "Tair," which is ordinarily translated as "bird," is anything that flies, including mammals like bats. In our pride we may exclude animals from our purview, but they all live a life, social and individual, like ourselves, and all life is subject to the Plan and the Will of God. In vi. 59 we are told that not a leaf falls but by His Will, and things dry and green are recorded in His Book. In other words they all obey His archetypal Plan, the Book which is also mentioned here. They are all answerable in their several degrees to His Plan ("shall be gathered to their Lord in the end"). This is not Pantheism: it is ascribing all life, activity, and existence to the Will and Plan of God. (6.38)

860 The limited free will of man makes a little difference. If he sees the Signs but shuts his ears to the true Message, and refuses (like a dumb thing) to speak out the Message which all Nature proclaims, then according to the Plan ( of his limited free-will) he must suffer and wander, just as, in the opposite case, he will receive grace and salvation.

(6.39) ]]