Sura 6, al-Anam (Cattle), Mecca 55
The Quranic Text & Ali’s translation:
وَلاَ
تَطْرُدِ الَّذِينَ
يَدْعُونَ
رَبَّهُم بِالْغَدَاةِ
وَالْعَشِيِّ
يُرِيدُونَ
وَجْهَهُ...
6: 52. Send not away those who call on their Lord morning and evening, seeking His Face.
[Note: 870. Face: wajh: see 2:112 and n. 114.]
...مَا عَلَيْكَ مِنْ حِسَابِهِم مِّن شَيْءٍ وَمَا مِنْ حِسَابِكَ عَلَيْهِم مِّن شَيْءٍ...
Naught have they to gain from thee, and naught hast thou to gain from them,
...فَتَطْرُدَهُمْ فَتَكُونَ مِنَ الظَّالِمِينَ ﴿٥٢﴾
that thou shouldst turn them away, and thus be (one) of the unjust.
Transliteration Wa la_ tatrudil lazina yad'u_na rabbahum bil gada_ti wal 'asyiyyi yuridu_na wajhah(u_), ma_ 'alaika min hisa_bihim min syai'iw wa ma_ min hisa_bika 'alaihim min syai'in fa tatrudahum fataku_na minaz za_limin(a).
6: 52
Asad
Hence, repulse not [any of ] those who at morn and evening invoke their Sustainer, seeking His countenance. You are in no wise accountable for them–just as they are in no wise accountable for you – and you have therefore no right to repulse them: for then you would be among the evildoers.
Pickthall
Repel not those who call upon their Lord at morn and evening, seeking His countenance. Thou art not accountable for them in aught, nor are they accountable for thee in aught, that thou shouldst repel them and be of the wrong-doers.
*******************************************
Amatulla’s comments:
This is a very important verse related to the non-Muslims
Neither Ali nor Asad’s notes expound the important underlying emphasis here:
First these people referred here are not Muslims, yet these same very people are described as very sincere who “morn and evening invoke their Sustainer” implying God is pleased with them with their sincerity and devotion. They may not be Muslims but they are described as righteous in their conviction and action, because the same expression is used in other places in the Quran to describe the righteous among the Muslims. The next sentence is more reflective of this emphasis, it is saying direct to the Prophet that if he would have repulsed these people and not treat them right in giving due importance and attention, the Prophet himself would have become “unjust” or “evildoer”. This is extremely important emphasis to note. Very few times the Quran expressed like this to warn the Prophet.
Ali’a comments:
870 Face: wajh: see ii. 112 and n. 114. "Face" is used for God's Grace or presence, the highest aim of spiritual aspiration. (6.52)
871 Some of the rich and influential Quraish thought it beneath their dignity to listen to Muhammad's teaching in company with the lowly disciples, who were gathered round him. But he refused to send away these lowly disciples, who were sincere seekers after God. From a worldly point of view they had nothing to gain from Muhammad as he was himself poor and he had nothing to gain from them as they had no influence. But that was no reason for turning them away; indeed their true sincerity entitled them to precedence over wordly men in the kingdom of God, whose justice was vindicated in Muhammad's daily life in this as in other things. If their sincerity was in any way doubtful, it involved no responsibility for the Preacher. (6.52)
872 Pursue the argument of the last note. The influential people who were not given precedence over the poor and humble but sincere disciples, were on their trial as to their spiritual insight. Their temptation was to say (and they said it in scorn): "We are much greater than they: has God then selected these lowly people for His teaching?" But that was so. And God knew best those who were grateful to Him for His guidance. (6.53)
Asad’s comments:
41: According to Traditions, this and the next verse were revealed when, several years before the Muslims’ exodus to Medina, some of the pagan chieftains at Mecca expressed their willingness to consider accepting Islam on the condition that the Prophet would dissociate himself from the former slaves and other “lowly” persons ………a demand which the Prophet, of course, rejected……………………..As the wording shows, it relates not to “lowly” followers of Islam but no to people who, while not being Muslims in the current sense of this word, believe in God and are always (“at morning and evening”) “seeking His countenance” (i.e., His grace and acceptance):
......................but to people who, while not being Muslims in the current sense of this word, believe in God and are always “seeking His countenance”.........…………Although primarily addressed to the Prophet, the exhortation voiced in this passage is directed to all followers of the Quran: they are enjoined not to repulse anyone who believes in God – even though his beliefs may not fully answer to the demands of the Quran – but, on the contrary, to try to help him by means of a patient explanation of the Quranic teachings.
Note 42 – I.e., for whatever in their beliefs or actions does not coincide with the teachings of the Quran, and vice-versa. In other words, all are accountable to God alone.