Tafsir of Al-An'am 6:35

(And if their turning away is hard) means: if it is difficult and grievous. The word kāna (was/is) is used, as some have said, to establish the condition in the past, and it does not transform into the future, because kāna, due to the strength of its indication of the past, does not accept the in (conditional particle) for the future, unlike other verbs. This is the view of al-Mubarrad, while the grammarians interpret this as: "If it becomes clear and appears that their turning away (is hard for you)"—meaning the disbelievers' turning away from faith in you and in the Glorious Quran that you brought, just as their statement about it, "Legends of the ancients," makes clear, and their actions of withdrawal and prohibition signify. Perhaps the expression "turning away" (i‘rad) was used instead of "denial" (takdhib)—even though the consolation, as indicated by His saying, "Messengers before you were denied," was regarding the latter—in order to emphasize the severity of the denial.

"Their turning away" is the subject of kabura (is hard), and the advancement of the prepositional phrase (‘alayka - upon you) is for the reason previously mentioned multiple times. The sentence is the predicate of kāna, explaining its subject, which is the pronoun of state (dhamir al-sha’n), and there is no need to posit the word qad (already). It is also said that the subject of kāna is "their turning away," and "is hard," along with its implicit subject referring back to the noun, is its predicate, placed before its subject. The discourse is a new beginning intended to confirm the necessity of patience, derived from the consolation, by stating that this is a matter from which there is no escape at all.

In some traditions, it is narrated that al-Harith ibn ‘Amir ibn Nawfal ibn ‘Abd Manaf came to the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) in the presence of the Quraysh and said: "O Muhammad, bring us a sign from Allah as the prophets used to do, and we will believe you." Allah the Exalted refused to bring them a sign from what they proposed, so they turned away from the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace). This weighed heavily upon him (may the blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), for he was intensely eager for the faith of his people. Thus, whenever they asked him for a sign, he would wish that Allah the Exalted would reveal it, hoping for their faith. Then [this verse] was revealed: (If you are able)—meaning: if you are capable and it is facilitated for you—(to seek a tunnel in the earth)—which is a burrow therein leading to a place of escape, as stated in the Qamus. Its original meaning is the burrow of the jerboa, from which the nafiqa’ (exit hole) is derived for one of its exits. It is also called a nafaqa, and it is the one the animal hides while appearing to use another; if it is approached from the qas‘a’ (main entrance), it strikes it with its head and breaks through. From this, the concept of nifaq (hypocrisy) is taken. The prepositional phrase is connected to an omitted [adjective] that serves as an attribute for "a tunnel." The phrasing is based on tajrid (abstraction) in one opinion, and it is permitted that it be connected to "seek" or to an omitted [adverbial phrase] acting as a state (hal) for the implied pronoun, meaning: "a tunnel existing in the earth," or "that you seek in the earth," or "that you seek while you are in the earth."

(Or a ladder into the sky)—meaning a stairway therein, derived from safety (salama), as al-Zajjaj said, because it is that which delivers (yusallimuka) you to your ascent. It is, as al-Farra’ stated, masculine. They cited as evidence for its masculinity His saying: "Or do they have a ladder (sullam) by which they listen?" Then he said: "And I was recited a verse regarding its feminine usage which I have forgotten." The author of al-Ghadayiri said: The verse which al-Farra’ forgot is a verse by Aws: "We have a ladder in glory which they do not ascend, and they have no ladder in the height of glory." They also cited poetry for its masculinity: "The poetry is difficult, and its ladder is long; if he who does not know it ascends it, he wants to parse it and finds it incomprehensible." Regarding "into the sky," there exists the same possibilities for the prepositional phrase as mentioned before.

(Then you bring them)—meaning from it—(a sign)—from what they proposed of signs. The fa (then) is at the beginning of this conditional statement, and the response to the condition is omitted; you may estimate it as: "I would have brought" (in the form of a statement) or as the predicate of an imperative verb. The sentence is the response to the first condition. The meaning is: "If their turning away from faith is hard for you, and you wished to answer them regarding what they asked as a proposal so that they might believe, then if you were able to do so and bring them a sign, then do it." This contains an indication of his (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) extreme eagerness for the faith of his people and the fulfillment of their requests and proposals, while simultaneously hinting at the rebuke of the people. Or, the meaning is: "If their turning away is hard for you, then if you were able to bring the impossible, you would have brought it." The intent is to show that he (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) reached the limit in his eagerness for their faith. It also implies the remoteness of their acceptance of Islam from the realm of possibility, as is not hidden to the contemplative. The preference for "seeking" (ibtigha’) over "taking" (ittikhadh) is to signify that what was mentioned of the tunnel and the ladder is something he is not even able to seek, so how then to take it?

It is permitted that seeking those two things—namely, the very act of burrowing into the earth and ascending to the sky—is the sign itself. In that case, the fa in "then you bring them" is explanatory (tafsiriyya), and the nunation in "a sign" is for magnification. The meaning then is: "If you are able to seek them, then you make that a sign for them; you would have done so." Abu Hayyan rejected this, saying that it does not appear from the apparent text; for if it were so, the structure would be "then you bring them with that as a sign," i.e., "what a sign!" Furthermore, what sign is there in entering a tunnel in the earth, even if ascending to the sky could be a sign? What we mentioned—that the bringing of the sign is from those two things—is the apparent [meaning] that immediately comes to mind. It was narrated by Ibn Jarir, Ibn al-Mundhir, Ibn Abi Hatim, and al-Bayhaqi in al-Asma’ wa al-Sifat on the authority of Ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both). It is also said that the meaning is: "Then you bring them a sign from the sky, and the seeking of the tunnel is for flight." This is supported by what al-Tustari narrated from Nafi‘ ibn al-Azraq, that he said to Ibn ‘Abbas: "Tell me about His saying: 'If you are able to seek a tunnel in the earth'?" He replied: "A burrow in the earth, so that you go away fleeing." There is remoteness in this, and regarding the report of al-Azraq, there is what is said about it.

(And if Allah had willed, He could have gathered them upon guidance)—meaning if Allah the Exalted had willed to gather them upon the guidance you are upon, He would have gathered them upon it by granting them success for faith, and they would have believed with you. But He did not will that, Glory be to Him, due to their evil choice, according to what Allah the Exalted knew of them in pre-eternity. The Mu‘tazila said: "The meaning is, if He, Glory be to Him, had willed to gather them upon guidance, He would have done so by bringing them a sign that compels them to it; but He, Glorified be He, did not do that because it falls outside of wisdom." The truth is what the People of Sunnah hold. (So do not be of the ignorant)—meaning: if you know that He, Glory be to Him, did not will their guidance and faith, do not be among those who, through extreme eagerness for their conversion or inclination toward the descent of their proposals, are attributed to ignorance regarding the subtleties of the affairs of the Exalted. It is permissible that the "ignorant," according to what is narrated from the Mu‘tazila, refers to the "proposers," and the prohibition is intended to prevent him (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) from assisting in their proposal, addressing them under the title of "ignorance" rather than "disbelief" because the basis for the prohibition is realized.

Al-Jubba’i said: "The meaning is: Do not despair in a place of patience, lest your state approach the state of the ignorant by treading their path." The former [interpretation] is better. In His addressing His Prophet (may the blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) with this address, rather than addressing him with what Noah (peace be upon him) was addressed with in His saying: "I advise you lest you be among the ignorant," there is an indication of the intensity of his (may the blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) compassion and the ardor of his eagerness (may the blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). Understand this.