6:109 Al-An'aam (The Cattle)

أي: وأقسم المشركون المكذبون للرسول محمد صلى الله عليه وسلم. { بِاللَّهِ جَهْدَ أَيْمَانِهِمْ } أي: قسما اجتهدوا فيه وأكدوه. { لَئِنْ جَاءَتْهُمْ آيَةٌ } تدل على صدق محمد صلى الله عليه وسلم { لَيُؤْمِنُنَّ بِهَا } وهذا الكلام الذي صدر منهم، لم يكن قصدهم فيه الرشاد، وإنما قصدهم دفع الاعتراض عليهم، ورد ما جاء به الرسول قطعا، فإن الله أيد رسوله صلى الله عليه وسلم، بالآيات البينات، والأدلة الواضحات، التي -عند الالتفات لها- لا تبقي أدنى شبهة ولا إشكال في صحة ما جاء به، فطلبهم -بعد ذلك- للآيات من باب التعنت، الذي لا يلزم إجابته، بل قد يكون المنع من إجابتهم أصلح لهم، فإن الله جرت سنته في عباده، أن المقترحين للآيات على رسلهم، إذا جاءتهم، فلم يؤمنوا بها -أنه يعاجلهم بالعقوبة، ولهذا قال: { قُلْ إِنَّمَا الْآيَاتُ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ } أي: هو الذي يرسلها إذا شاء، ويمنعها إذا شاء، ليس لي من الأمر شيء، فطلبكم مني الآيات ظلم، وطلب لما لا أملك، وإنما توجهون إلي توضيح ما جئتكم به، وتصديقه، وقد حصل، ومع ذلك، فليس معلوما، أنهم إذا جاءتهم الآيات يؤمنون ويصدقون، بل الغالب ممن هذه حاله، أنه لا يؤمن، ولهذا قال: { وَمَا يُشْعِرُكُمْ أَنَّهَا إِذَا جَاءَتْ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ }

يقول تعالى إخبارا عن المشركين أنهم أقسموا بالله جهد أيمانهم أي حلفوا أيمانا مؤكدة "لئن جاءتهم آية" أي معجزة وخارق "ليؤمنن بها" أي ليصدقنها "قل إنما الآيات عند الله" أي قل يا محمد لهؤلاء الذين يسألونك الآيات تعنتا وكفرا وعنادا لا على سبيل الهدى والاسترشاد إنما مرجع هذه الآيات إلى الله إن شاء جاءكم بها وإن شاء ترككم قال ابن جرير حدثنا هناد حدثنا يونس بن بكير حدثنا أبو معشر عن محمد بن كعب القرظي قال كلم رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم قريش فقالوا يا محمد تخبرنا أن موسى كان معه عصا يضرب بها الحجر فانفجرت منه اثنتا عشرة عينا وتخبرنا أن عيسى كان يحيي الموتى وتخبرنا أن ثمود كانت لهم ناقة فأتنا من الآيات حتى نصدقك فقال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم أي شيء تحبون أن آتيكم به؟ قالوا تجعل لنا الصفا ذهبا فقال لهم فإن فعلت تصدقوني؟ قالوا نعم والله لئن فعلت لنتبعك أجمعون فقام رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم يدعو فجاءه جبريل عليه السلام فقال له ما شئت إن شئت أصبح من الصفا ذهبا ولئن أرسل آية فلم يصدقوا عند ذلك ليعذبنهم وإن شئت فاتركهم حتى يتوب تائبهم. فقال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم بل يتوب تائبهم فأنزل الله تعالى "وأقسموا بالله جهد أيمانهم" إلى قوله تعالى "ولكن أكثرهم يجهلون" وهذا مرسل وله شواهد من وجوه أخر. وقال الله تعالى "وما منعنا أن نرسل بالآيات إلا أن كذب بها الأولون" الآية وقوله تعالى "وما يشعركم أنها إذا جاءت لا يؤمنون" قيل المخاطب بما يشعركم المشركون وإليه ذهب مجاهد كأنه يقول لهم وما يدريكم بصدقهم في هذه الأيمان التي تقسمون بها وعلى هذا فالقراءة "إنها إذا جاءت لا يؤمنون" بكسر أنها على استئناف الخبر عنهم بنفي الإيمان عند مجيء الآيات التي طلبوها وقرأ بعضهم "أنها إذا جاءت لا تؤمنون" بالتاء المثناة من فوق وقيل المخاطب بقوله وما يشعركم المؤمنون يقول وما يدريكم أيها المؤمنون وعلى هذا فيجوز في قوله "أنها" الكسر كالأول والفتح على أنه معمول يشعركم وعلى هذا فتكون لا في قوله "أنها إذا جاءت لا يؤمنون" صلة كقوله "ما منعك ألا تسجد إذ أمرتك" وقوله "وحرام على قرية أهلكناها أنهم لا يرجعون" أي ما منعك أن تسجد إذ أمرتك وحرام أنهم يرجعون وتقديره في هذه الآية وما يدريكم أيها المؤمنون الذين تودون لهم ذلك حرصا على إيمانهم أنها إذا جاءتهم الآيات يؤمنون قال بعضهم "أنها" بمعنى لعلها قال ابن جرير وذكروا أن ذلك كذلك في قراءة أبي بن كعب. قال وقد ذكر عن العرب سماعا اذهب إلى السوق أنك تشتري لنا شيئا بمعنى لعلك تشتري. قال وقد قيل إن قول عدي بن زيد العبادي من هذا: أعاذل ما يدريك أن منيتي إلى ساعة في اليوم أو في ضحى الغد وقد اختار هذا القول ابن جرير وذكر عليه شواهد من أشعار العرب والله أعلم.

Asking for Miracles and Swearing to Believe if They Come

Allah states that the idolators swore their strongest oaths by Allah,

لَئِن جَآءَتْهُمْ ءَايَةٌ

(that if there came to them a sign...) a miracle or phenomenon,

لَّيُؤْمِنُنَّ بِهَا

(they would surely believe therein.) affirming its truth,

قُلْ إِنَّمَا الاٌّيَـتُ عِندَ اللَّهِ

(Say: "Signs are but with Allah.") 6:109 meaning: Say, O Muhammad - to those who ask you for signs out of defiance, disbelief and rebellion, not out of the desire for guidance and knowledge - "The matter of sending signs is for Allah. If He wills, He sends them to you, and if He wills, He ignores your request." Allah said next,

وَمَا يُشْعِرُكُمْ أَنَّهَآ إِذَا جَآءَتْ لاَ يُؤْمِنُونَ

(And what will make you perceive that (even) if it came, they will not believe) It was said that `you' in `make you preceive' refers to the idolators, according to Mujahid. In this case, the Ayah would mean, what makes you -- you idolators -- preceive that you are truthful in the vows that you swore Therefore, in this recitation, the Ayah means, the idolators will still not believe if the sign that they asked for came. It was also said that `you' in, `what will make you preceive', refers to the believers, meaning, what will make you preceive, O believers, that the idolators will still not believe if the signs come. Allah also said,

مَا مَنَعَكَ أَلاَّ تَسْجُدَ إِذْ أَمَرْتُكَ

("What prevented you (O Iblis) that you did not prostrate, when I commanded you") 7:12 and,

وَحَرَامٌ عَلَى قَرْيَةٍ أَهْلَكْنَـهَآ أَنَّهُمْ لاَ يَرْجِعُونَ

(And a ban is laid on every town (population) which We have destroyed that they shall not return (to this world again).) 21:95 These Ayat mean: `What made you, O Iblis, refrain from prostrating, although I commanded you to do so, and, in the second Ayah, that village shall not return to this world again. In the Ayah above 6:109, the meaning thus becomes: What makes you perceive, O believers, who wish eagerly for the disbelievers to believe, that if the Ayat came to them they would believe Allah said next,

وَنُقَلِّبُ أَفْئِدَتَهُمْ وَأَبْصَـرَهُمْ كَمَا لَمْ يُؤْمِنُواْ بِهِ أَوَّلَ مَرَّةٍ

(And We shall turn their hearts and their eyes away, as they refused to believe therein for the first time,) Al-`Awfi said that Ibn `Abbas said about this Ayah, "When the idolators rejected what Allah sent down, their hearts did not settle on any one thing and they turned away from every matter (of benefit)." Mujahid said that Allah's statement,

وَنُقَلِّبُ أَفْئِدَتَهُمْ وَأَبْصَـرَهُمْ

(and We shall turn their hearts and their eyes away, ) means, We prevent them from the faith, and even if every sign came to them, they will not believe, just as We prevented them from faith the first time. Similar was said by `Ikrimah and `Abdur-Rahman bin Zayd bin Aslam. `Ali bin Abi Talhah said that Ibn `Abbas said, "Allah mentions what the servants will say before they say it and what they will do before they do it. Allah said;

وَلاَ يُنَبِّئُكَ مِثْلُ خَبِيرٍ

(And none can inform you like Him Who is the All-Knower.) 35:14 and,

أَن تَقُولَ نَفْسٌ يحَسْرَتَى عَلَى مَا فَرَّطَتُ فِى جَنبِ اللَّهِ

(Lest a person should say, "Alas, my grief that I was undutiful to Allah.") 39:56 until,

لَوْ أَنَّ لِى كَـرَّةً فَأَكُونَ مِنَ الْمُحْسِنِينَ

("If only I had another chance, then I should indeed be among the doers of good.") 39:58. So Allah, glory be to Him, states that if they were sent back to life, they would not accept the guidance,

وَلَوْ رُدُّواْ لَعَـدُواْ لِمَا نُهُواْ عَنْهُ وَإِنَّهُمْ لَكَـذِبُونَ

(But if they were returned, they would certainly revert to that which they were forbidden. And indeed they are liars.) 6:28 Allah said,

وَنُقَلِّبُ أَفْئِدَتَهُمْ وَأَبْصَـرَهُمْ كَمَا لَمْ يُؤْمِنُواْ بِهِ أَوَّلَ مَرَّةٍ

(And We shall turn their hearts and their eyes away (from guidance), as they refused to believe therein for the first time,) meaning: `If they were sent back to this life, they would be prevented from embracing the guidance, just as We prevented them from it the first time, when they were in the life of this world." Allah said,

وَنَذَرُهُمْ

(and We shall leave them...) and abandon them,

فِي طُغْيَـنِهِمْ

(in their trespass...) meaning, disbelief, according to Ibn `Abbas and As-Suddi. Abu Al-`Aliyah, Ar-Rabi` bin Anas and Qatadah said that `their trespass' means, `their misguidance'. m

يَعْمَهُونَ

(to wander blindly) or playfully, according to Al-A`mash. Ibn `Abbas, Mujahid, Abu Al-`Aliyah, Ar-Rabi`, Abu Malik and others commented, "to wander in their disbelief."

They that is the disbelievers of Mecca have sworn by God the most earnest oaths that if there came to them a sign of what they requested they will believe in it. Say to them ‘Signs are only with God’ and He sends them down as and when He wills; I am but a warner. But what will make you realise? how would you know if they have believed if these signs did come to them? In other words you would not know this; truly when they come they will not believe because of what I already know a variant reading for lā yu’minūna ‘they will not believe’ has lā tu’minūna ‘you will not believe’ making the address to the disbelievers; another variant reading has annahā instead of innahā ‘that truly’ as meaning la‘alla ‘that perhaps’ or as governed by the preceding clause la’in jā’athum āyatun ‘if there came to them a sign’.

On Signs and Miracles

The previous verses had mentioned how obstinate people failed to benefit from clear signs of Allah and open miracles of His Messenger and kept on denying the message of truth. The present verses mention how they took a new turn, and demanded particular miracles from the Holy Prophet ﷺ . As reported by Ibn Jarir, the Quraysh chiefs asked that they be shown the miracle of turning the Mount of Safa into solid gold; if so, they would accept that he was a prophet and messenger, and that they would embrace Islam. The Holy Prophet ﷺ said: All right, make a solid agreement that, if this miracle is shown, all of you will become Muslims. They took solemn oaths. The Holy Prophet ﷺ stood up to pray that Allah turns the Mount into gold. Sayyidna Jibra'il (علیہا السلام) came with Wahy which said: If you wish, We shall make this whole Mount a Mount of gold, but the consequence will be that, according to the customary Divine Law, all of them - if they still fail to believe - shall be destroyed through a mass punishment, as has been happening with past communities who demanded a miracle which was shown, yet they reverted back to denial when the wrath and punishment of Allah overtook them. Since the Holy Prophet ﷺ was aware of their habitual obstinacy, and because he was in mercy the foremost, he said that he was not going to pray for that miracle anymore. Thereupon, the following verse was revealed: وَأَقْسَمُوا بِاللَّـهِ جَهْدَ أَيْمَانِهِمْ (And they swore by Allah on eloquent oaths - 109). Reported here is the sworn saying of the disbelievers that they would embrace Islam if they can see the miracle demanded by them. After that, in the sentence which follows immediately, it was said: إِنَّمَا الْآيَاتُ عِندَ اللَّـهِ (Signs are, definitely, with Allah - 109). This contains an answer to their saying. It has been declared here that all signs and miracles are within the power and control of Allah Ta` a1a. As for the miracles already manifested, they too were from Him - and those being demanded now, they too lie within His absolute control. But, according to the dictate of reason and justice, they had no right to make such a demand - because, the Holy Prophet ﷺ claims to be a Messenger of Allah, in support of which, he has already presented proofs and evidences in the form of miracles. Now, the other party does have the right to question these proofs and evidences by showing the proofs of their being false. But, the attitude of not cross-examining evidences presented and yet demanding some other evidences would be like the scenario in a law court where the respondent would avoid cross-examining the witness presented by the plaintiff and take the plea that he does not accept the evidence of these witnesses and that he would accept what is said particularly by such and such a person in his statement. Obviously, no court would consider this plea worth hearing.

Similar is the case of the veracity of a prophet or Rasul of Allah. To that end there are many clear signs and miracles before those who disbelieve. Now, unless they prove that these signs and miracles are false, they have no right to say that they would rather like to see a miracle of this or that kind before they could believe.

After that, upto the end of the cited verses, Muslims have been directly instructed that their duty is to stay firm on the true faith in their individual capacity, as well as convey it to others correctly and properly. If they, even then, show signs of rigidness and obstinacy, one should not worry about them because no one has to be forced into becoming a Muslim. If this was what could be done by force, who can claim to have greater coercive power than Allah Ta` ala. He Himself would have made everyone a Muslim. And in order to give Muslims their peace of heart, it was also explained in the verse that these people will not believe even if Allah were to show them the miracles of their choice openly and clearly. The reason was that their denial was not based on any misunderstanding or lack of awareness. In fact, it was due to their hostility and obstinacy - a disease which cannot be treated by miracles. In verse 111 وَلَوْ أَنَّنَا نَزَّلْنَا إِلَيْهِمُ الْمَلَائِكَةَ , it has been said that these people, if they were shown all miracles demanded by them, in fact, even if they were made to meet with angels and talk to the dead, they would still not believe. In the two verses that follow (112 113), the Holy Prophet ﷺ has been comforted by saying that the hostility of such people against him is nothing surprising. Past prophets too had their enemies - so, let him not be sad about it.

(And they swear a solemn oath by Allah that if there come unto them a portent they will believe therein...) [6:109] up to (Howbeit, most of them are ignorant) [6:111]. Muhammad ibn Musa ibn al-Fadl informed us> Muhammad ibn Ya�qub al-Umawi> Ahmad �Abd al-Jabbar> Yunus ibn Bukayr> Abu Ma�shar> Muhammad ibn Ka�b who said: �The Quraysh spoke to the Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and give him peace. They said: �You inform us that Moses, peace be upon him, had a staff with which he struck a stone and twelve springs gushed forth, and that Jesus, peace be upon him, revived the dead, and that Thamud had a camel; why do you not bring us some of those signs so that we believe in you?� The Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and give him peace, asked them: �What sign do you want me to bring you?� They said: �Turn [mount] al-Safa into gold�. He said: �Would you believe in me if I did as you ask?� They said: �Yes, by Allah, if you do, we will all follow you�. The Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and give him peace, stood up and began supplicating. Then, Gabriel, peace be upon him, came to him and said: �If you wish, I can turn al-Safa into gold. However, never did I send a sign that people disbelieved in except that I sent chastisement after it. If you wish, I will leave them until some of them decide to repent�. The Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and give him peace, said: �Leave them until some of them decide to repent�. And so Allah, exalted is He, revealed (And they swear a solemn oath by Allah that if there come unto them a portent they will believe therein) up to His words (� they would not believe unless Allah so willed�) [6:111]�.