6:107 Al-An'aam (The Cattle)

{ قَدْ جَاءَكُمْ بَصَائِرُ مِنْ رَبِّكُمْ فَمَنْ أَبْصَرَ فَلِنَفْسِهِ وَمَنْ عَمِيَ فَعَلَيْهَا وَمَا أَنَا عَلَيْكُمْ بِحَفِيظٍ } لما بين تعالى من الآيات البينات، والأدلة الواضحات، الدالة على الحق في جميع المطالب والمقاصد، نبه العباد عليها، وأخبر أن هدايتهم وضدها لأنفسهم، فقال: { قَدْ جَاءَكُمْ بَصَائِرُ مِنْ رَبِّكُمْ } أي: آيات تبين الحق، وتجعله للقلب بمنزلة الشمس للأبصار، لما اشتملت عليه من فصاحة اللفظ، وبيانه، ووضوحه، ومطابقته للمعاني الجليلة، والحقائق الجميلة، لأنها صادرة من الرب، الذي ربى خلقه، بصنوف نعمه الظاهرة والباطنة، التي من أفضلها وأجلها، تبيين الآيات، وتوضيح المشكلات. { فَمَنْ أَبْصَرَ } بتلك الآيات، مواقع العبرة، وعمل بمقتضاها { فَلِنَفْسِهِ } فإن الله هو الغني الحميد. { وَمَنْ عَمِيَ } بأن بُصِّر فلم يتبصر، وزُجِر فلم ينزجر، وبين له الحق، فما انقاد له ولا تواضع، فإنما عماه مضرته عليه. { وَمَا أَنَا } أي الرسول { عَلَيْكُمْ بِحَفِيظٍ } أحفظ أعمالكم وأرقبها على الدوام إنما عليَّ البلاغ المبين وقد أديته، وبلغت ما أنزل الله إليَّ، فهذه وظيفتي، وما عدا ذلك فلست موظفا فيه

واعلم أن لله حكمة في إضلالهم فإنه لو شاء لهدى الناس جميعا ولو شاء لجمعهم على الهدى "ولو شاء الله ما أشركوا" أي بل له المشيئة والحكمة فيما يشاؤه ويختاره لا يسأل عما يفعل وهم يسألون وقوله تعالى "وما جعلناك عليهم حفيظا" أي حافظا تحفظ أقوالهم وأعمالهم "وما أنت عليهم بوكيل" أي موكل على أرزاقهم وأمورهم إن عليك إلا البلاغ كما قال تعالى "فذكر إنما أنت مذكر لست عليهم بمصيطر" وقال "إنما عليك البلاغ وعلينا الحساب".

The Command to Follow the Revelation

Allah commands His Messenger and those who followed his path,

اتَّبِعْ مَآ أُوحِىَ إِلَيْكَ مِن رَّبِّكَ

(Follow what has been inspired to you from your Lord,) meaning, follow it, obey it and act according to it. What has been revealed to you from your Lord is the Truth, no doubt, and there is no deity worthy of worship except Him,

وَأَعْرِضْ عَنِ الْمُشْرِكِينَ

(and turn aside from the idolators) meaning, forgive them, be forbearing and endure their harm until Allah brings relief to you, supports you and makes you triumphant over them. Know -- O Muhammad -- that there is a wisdom behind misleading the idolators, and that had Allah willed, He would have directed all people to guidance,

وَلَوْ شَآءَ اللَّهُ مَآ أَشْرَكُواْ

(Had Allah willed, they would not have taken others besides Him in worship.) Allah's is the perfect will and wisdom in all decrees and decisions, and He is never questioned about what He does, while they all will be questioned. Allah's statement,

وَمَا جَعَلْنَـكَ عَلَيْهِمْ حَفِيظاً

(And We have not made you Hafiz over them.) means, a watcher who observes their statements and deeds,

وَمَآ أَنتَ عَلَيْهِم بِوَكِيلٍ

(Nor are you set over them to dispose of their affairs. ) or to control their provision. Rather, your only job is to convey, just as Allah said,

فَذَكِّرْ إِنَّمَآ أَنتَ مُذَكِّرٌ - لَّسْتَ عَلَيْهِم بِمُسَيْطِرٍ

(So remind them, you are only one who reminds. You are not a dictator over them.) 88:21-22 and,

فَإِنَّمَا عَلَيْكَ الْبَلَـغُ وَعَلَيْنَا الْحِسَابُ

(Your duty is only to convey and on Us is the reckoning.) 13:40

Had God willed they would not have been idolaters; and We have not set you as a keeper over them a watcher so that you might then requite them for their deeds; nor are you a guardian over them so that you might be able to coerce them to faith — this was revealed before the command to fight them.

The reason for this has been given in the fifth verse (107). There it has been said: If Allah Ta` ala had willed - in consideration of His own creational imperative - that the whole human race should become Muslim in faith, then, it would have become impossible for them to associate partners in the Divinity of Allah (Shirk). But, it was because of their misdeeds that Allah willed that they be punished. So, He created the necessary conditions for that end. Now, how could he make them Muslims under these circumstances? In fact, why should he worry about what they choose to do with their lives? Allah has not made him to stand guard over what they do, nor has he been authorized by Allah to bring punishment on them for their misdeeds. Therefore, he should not have any anxiety on account of what they do to themselves or for themselves.