Tafsir of Al-An'am 6:127

(For them is the Abode of Peace) That is, for these people, is the Abode of Peace, which is Paradise, as Qatadah said. "Peace" (Al-Salam) is Allah Almighty, as said by Al-Hasan, Ibn Zayd, and Al-Suddi; and attributing the abode to Him, the Exalted, is for the purpose of honor. Al-Zajjaj and Al-Jubba’i said: "Peace" (Al-Salam) means safety—that is, the abode of safety from calamities, afflictions, and all the detestable things that the people of the Fire encounter. It is also said that it refers to greeting, meaning an abode where their salutation is peace.

(With their Lord) Meaning, in His protection and preferential guarantee, or a treasure for them with Him, the true nature of which is known to none but Him. The sentence is a new beginning, though some say it is an adjective for the people.

(And He is their Guardian) Meaning, their Lover or their Helper.

(Because of what they used to do) That is, because of their righteous deeds, or that He is their Guardian through the recompense of these deeds, by taking charge of delivering the reward to them.

(And thus We have made for every prophet an enemy) This is due to the disparity in the ranks of their souls regarding purity and turbidity, light and darkness, proximity and distance. From here it is said: "The ignorant are enemies to the people of knowledge," and the greater the disparity, the more intense the enmity and the greater the harm resulting from it. This is why it is mentioned in some reports: "No prophet was harmed like I was harmed." This enmity causes an increased focus on the Truth, the Majestic, and an aversion to pleasures, a striving for the virtue through which the enemy cannot be conquered, and a precaution against what is likely to be a cause for reproach, among other things.

(And so that the hearts of those who do not believe may incline to it) They incline toward it—they being those veiled due to the existence of affinity—(And that they may be pleased with it) by their love for it, and so that they may commit what they are committing of the name of mutual support and outward show.

(Is it other than Allah I should seek as a judge between you? And it is He who sent down to you the Book) The miraculous, comprehensive book in which the truth and falsehood are detailed, such that no room is left for a speaker to add anything. Therefore, seeking other than it is not befitting for a rational person, and no one inclines toward it except the ignorant.

(And the word of your Lord has been fulfilled) Meaning, His decree has been completed in pre-eternity regarding what He judged and ordained.

(In truth) Corresponding to what happens.

(And in justice) Proportional to the capacity [of the individual]. It is said: In truth regarding what He promised, and in justice regarding what He threatened.

(None can change His words) Because they are according to the pattern established in His knowledge, and a reversal is impossible.

(And if you obey most of those on the earth) That is, from the lower realm, by leaning toward the world and the realm of the self and nature.

(They will mislead you from the way of Allah) Because they do not summon except to the desires that distance one from Allah Almighty.

(They follow not except assumption) That is, they follow nothing, because they are veiled in the station of the self by illusions and imaginations.

(And they are not but lying) By measuring the unseen against the witnessed.

(And leave the apparent of sin) From the words and actions manifested through the limbs.

(And its hidden part) From corrupt beliefs and void intentions.

Sahl said: The apparent of sin is disobedience, whatever it may be, and its hidden part is the love of it. Al-Shibli said: The apparent of sin is heedlessness, and its hidden part is forgetting to contemplate the preceding matters [of destiny]. Some said: The apparent of sin is seeking the world, and its hidden part is seeking Paradise, because both things distract from the Truth, and everything that distracts from Him, the Exalted, is a sin. It is also said: The apparent of sin is the pleasures of the self, and its hidden part is the pleasures of the heart. Others said: The apparent of sin is the love of the world, and its hidden part is the love of status. It is also said: The apparent of sin is observing one's deeds, and its hidden part is the heart's resting in states.

(And the devils) Who are those veiled by the apparent from the hidden.

(Inspire their allies) Meaning, those who ally with them among the deniers.

(To dispute with you. And if you obey them) And abandon what you are upon of monotheism.

(Indeed, you would be associators) Just like them.

[Regarding the verse: "Or is one who was dead..."] Or one who was dead through ignorance and the passion of the self or being veiled by its attributes, and We gave him life through knowledge and the love of the Truth, or uncovered the veils of His attributes and made for him a light from Our guidance and knowledge—or a light from Our attributes? Or one who was dead through struggles and We gave him life through the spirit of witnessing? Or dead through the desires of the self and We gave him life through the purity of the heart? Or dead through seeing the reward and We gave him life through seeing the return to the Bestower, and We granted him the light of insight or guidance?

Ja'far al-Sadiq said: The meaning is, "Or one who was dead to Us, and We gave him life through Us, and made him an Imam who guides by the light of response, and those who are astray return to him."

Ibn 'Ata said: "Or one who was dead through the life of his self and the death of his heart, and We gave him life through the killing of his self and the life of his heart, and we made the paths of success easy for him and collyrium-anointed his eyes with the lights of proximity, so he sees none but Us and does not turn to any other."

(Like one who is in darkness) That is, the darkness of his self, his attributes, and his actions; he is not exiting them due to his poor capacity.

(Thus is made pleasing to the disbelievers) The veiled ones.

(That which they were doing) So they became veiled by it.

(And thus We have placed within every city the greatest of its criminals to plot therein) And this becomes a cause for the increased perfection of those who know, according to what has preceded regarding the placing of enemies for the prophets, peace be upon them. It is possible that this is an allusion to what is within the selves—that is, "And thus We have placed in every city of human existence—which is the body—the greatest of its criminals" among the powers of the self-commanding evil, to plot therein by misleading the heart.

(But they plot not except against themselves) Because the consequence of their plotting returns to them, externally and internally.

(And when a sign comes to them at the hands of the Messenger, may the blessings and peace of Allah be upon him, they say, "We will never believe until we are given the like of what the messengers of Allah were given") Of the message to them.

(Allah is most knowing where He places His message) That is, where the treasury of capacity is full and the self is sanctified.

(There will afflict those who committed crimes by being veiled from the Truth, humiliation before Allah) That is, disgrace by the loss of their status at the time of the ruin of their bodies, and a severe punishment by their deprivation of what is appropriate and the arrival of what is contradictory in the bodily resurrection.

(So whoever Allah wants to guide) To Him and to make him know Him, He expands his breast for Islam by casting into it a light from His lights, so he knows Him through it.

(And whomsoever He wants to mislead, He makes his breast tight and constricted) He does not enter into it anything of the lights of the sun of gnosis.

(As if he were climbing into the sky) Fleeing and escaping from accepting it, because it is contrary to his capacity. It is also said: The meaning is, whoever Allah wants to guide to monotheism, He expands his breast to accept the light of the Truth and to surrender existence to Allah, the Exalted, by uncovering the veils of the attributes of his self from the face of his heart—which faces the self—so it opens to accept the light of the Truth. And whomsoever He wants to mislead, He makes his breast tight and constricted by the self’s overcoming him and pressing upon him, just as if he were climbing into the sky of his spirit with those dark bodily states, and that is an impossible matter. Other things have been said.

(Thus does Allah place the defilement) That is, the defilement of pollution with the stench of nature.

(Upon those who do not believe) They are those veiled from the Truth.

(And this) That is, the path of monotheism or the decree.

(Is the path of your Lord) That is, His way which He has approved, or His custom which His wisdom has necessitated.

(We have detailed the signs for a people who remember) The gnoses and realities embedded in their capacity.

(For them is the Abode of Peace with their Lord) It is the arena of His majesty, the enclosures of the holiness of His attributes, and the places where His attributes fall, the occurrence of the lights of His beauty—purified from the danger of the veil, the cause of troubles, and the arrival of torment.

(And He is their Guardian) By the description of His care for them and the uncovering of His beauty to them, or He is their Guardian who protects them from seeing other than Him in the midst. It is possible the meaning is: For them is the abode of safety from every fear and calamity, where the servant is in the shade of the Essence and Attributes, and the fresh greenery of remaining after annihilation. Many are of the opinion that "Peace" (Al-Salam) is one of His names, the Exalted; so what do you think of an abode that is attributed to Him, the Exalted?

If Salma descends in a valley, its water is pure and flowing, and its trees are roses.

We ask Allah Almighty to enter us into that abode for the sake of His chosen Prophet, may the blessings and peace of Allah be upon him.