Tafsir of Al-An'am 6:108

Surah Al-An'am (The Cattle): Verse 108

Original Text Context:

اعلم أن هذا الكلام أيضا متعلق بقولهم للرسول عليه السلام إنما جمعت هذا القرآن من مدارسة الناس ومذاكرتهم...

Translation: Know that this discourse is also connected to their claim to the Prophet (peace be upon him) that he only compiled this Qur'an through studying and discussing with people. It is as if God Almighty is telling him: Do not pay attention to the foolishness of these disbelievers, and let not their disbelief weigh heavily upon you. If I had willed to remove disbelief from them, I would have been able. But I have left them with their disbelief, so you should not occupy your heart with their words.

Theological Discussion on Divine Will (Mashi'ah):

واعلم أن أصحابنا تمسكوا بقوله تعالى : { ولو شاء الله ما أشركوا }...

Translation: Know that our [Ash'ari] companions rely on the verse: {And if Allah had willed, they would not have associated partners [with Him]} (6:107). The meaning is: If Allah had willed that they should not commit shirk (polytheism), they would not have committed it. Since the consequence (their disbelief) did not occur, we know that the condition (His will for them not to commit shirk) did not happen. Thus, we know that Allah’s will for them not to associate partners is not realized.

The Mu'tazila argue: It is established by proof that Allah willed faith from everyone, and He did not will disbelief or shirk from anyone. This verse implies that Allah did not will faith from everyone. Therefore, reconciliation between these two proofs is necessary. They interpret Allah's will for their faith as His will for voluntary faith that merits reward and praise. They interpret the absence of His will for their faith as referring to faith achieved through coercion (qahr) or compulsion (ilja’). That is, Allah did not will to compel them into faith because compulsion nullifies accountability and removes the person from deserving reward.

This is what they [the Mu'tazila] rely upon in this matter, and it is extremely weak, supported by several points:

1. First Point: There is no doubt that Allah is the one who gave the disbeliever the power (qudrah) to disbelieve. If the power to disbelieve is not capable of resulting in faith, then the Creator of that power certainly intended disbelief. If that power is capable of resulting in faith, the side of disbelief could not have been favored over the side of faith unless a motive (da'i) calling towards faith arose. Otherwise, it would imply one possibility outweighs the other without a deciding factor, which is impossible. The combination of the power and the motive towards disbelief results in disbelief. Since Allah is the Creator of both the power and the motive, and since their combination necessitates disbelief, it is established that Allah intended disbelief from the disbeliever.

2. Second Point: To elaborate: Allah knew beforehand that the disbeliever would not have faith. The existence of faith while knowing its absence is contradictory. When one of two contraries exists, the occurrence of the other is impossible. The impossible, when known to be impossible, is not willed. Therefore, it is impossible to say that Allah wills faith from the disbeliever.

3. Third Point: Suppose voluntary faith is superior and more beneficial than faith achieved through compulsion. However, since Allah knew that this more beneficial outcome would absolutely not occur, it was incumbent upon His wisdom and mercy to create faith in them through compulsion. Although this compelled faith might not merit great reward, at the very least, it would save them from great punishment. To refrain from creating this compelled faith, which would save them from the severest torment, is inconsistent with mercy and benevolence.

• Analogy: Consider a compassionate father whose beloved son stands at the edge of the sea. The father tells the son: "Dive to the bottom of this sea to extract great, precious pearls." The father knows with certainty that if the son dives, he will perish and drown. If this father is truly concerned and compassionate, he must prevent the son from diving, saying: "Abandon the pursuit of those pearls, for you will not find them and will perish. It is better for you to settle for meager sustenance while safe." To command him to dive into the depths while being certain of nothing but his destruction indicates a lack of mercy and an intent toward ruin. The situation here is similar. (And Allah knows best.)

The Prophet's Role and Responsibility:

واعلم أنه تعالى لما بين أنه لا قدرة لأحد على إزالة الكفر عنهم ختم الكلام بما يكمل معه تبصير الرسول عليه السلام...

Translation: Know that after Allah clarified that no one has the power to remove disbelief from them, He concluded the discourse with what completes the insight for the Prophet (peace be upon him). God clarified the extent of His delegation to him: He did not make him a guardian (hafiz) or an agent (wakil) responsible for preventing them [from disbelief]. Rather, He entrusted him with conveying the message (balāgh) through commanding and forbidding actions, conveying knowledge, and clarifying matters through proofs and pointing them out. If they submit to acceptance, the benefit returns to them. If not, the harm returns to them. In either case, the Prophet (PBUH) remains within the bounds of prophethood, messengership, and conveying the message.

Surah Al-An'am (The Cattle): Verse 108

Verse 108:

{ وَلَا تَسُبُّوا الَّذِينَ يَدْعُونَ مِن دُونِ اللَّهِ فَيَسُبُّوا اللَّهَ عَدُوًّا بِغَيْرِ عِلْمٍ كَذَٰلِكَ زَيَّنَّا لِكُلِّ أُمَّةٍ عَمَلَهُمْ ثُمَّ إِلَىٰ رَبِّهِم مَّرْجِعُهُمْ فَيُنَبِّئُهُم بِمَا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ }

Translation: {And do not insult those they invoke other than Allah, lest they insult Allah in enmity without knowledge. Thus have We made fair-seeming to every nation their deeds. Then to their Lord is their return, and He will inform them of what they used to do.}

Context and Prohibition:

اعلم أن هذا الكلام أيضا متعلق بقولهم للرسول عليه السلام : إنما جمعت هذا القرآن من مدارسة الناس ومذاكرتهم...

Translation: Know that this statement is also connected to their claim to the Prophet (PBUH): "You only compiled this Qur'an through studying and discussing with people." It is plausible that some Muslims, upon hearing this from the disbelievers, became angry and insulted their gods in retaliation. God Almighty forbade this action because if you insult their gods, they become angry, and perhaps they will then say things about God Almighty that are inappropriate. To guard against this potential harm, it was necessary to refrain from that speech. In summary, this is a caution that if your opponent confronts you with ignorance and foolishness, it is not permissible for you to respond with speech that mirrors their own, as this opens the door to mutual insults and foolishness, which is unbecoming of the rational.

There are several issues in this verse:

First Opinion: Ibn Abbas said: When the verse {Indeed, you and that which you worship other than Allah are fuel for Hell} (Al-Anbiya: 98) was revealed, the polytheists said: "If you do not stop insulting our gods and reviling them, we will surely revile your God." Then this verse was revealed.

• My Critique: I have two objections here. First, people agree that this Surah was revealed all at once. How can it be said that the reason for this specific verse's revelation was as described? Second, the disbelievers acknowledged the existence of God Almighty and claimed they only worshipped idols to serve as intercessors with God. If this is the case, how can we conceive of them daring to insult or revile God?

Second Opinion: Al-Suddi said: When the death of Abu Talib approached, Quraysh said: "Let us go to him and ask him to forbid his nephew [Muhammad] from us, as we feel ashamed to kill him after his death, lest the Arabs say: 'He was protecting him, and once he died, they killed him.'" So Abu Sufyan, Abu Jahl, and Al-Nadr ibn Al-Harith went with a group to him. They spoke to him as they wished. Abu Talib called Muhammad (PBUH) and said: "These are your people and cousins asking you to leave them to their religion, and they will leave you to yours." The Prophet (PBUH) said: (Say: There is no god but Allah). They refused. Abu Talib said: "Say something other than this word, for your people dislike it." The Prophet (PBUH) replied: (I will not say anything other than it until you bring me the sun and place it in my hand.) They then said to him: "Stop insulting our gods, or we will insult yours, and whoever commands you to do so." This is the meaning of God's saying: {lest they insult Allah in enmity without knowledge}.

• My Commentary: We have already demonstrated that the people acknowledged the existence of God Almighty, making it impossible for them to insult God. Rather, there are possibilities here:
  1. Perhaps some among them believed in eternal time (Dahr) and denied the Creator, thus not caring about this type of foolishness.
  2. When the Companions insulted the idols, the disbelievers insulted the Prophet (PBUH) in return. God Almighty equated insulting the Prophet with insulting God, as in the verse: {Indeed, those who pledge allegiance to you are only pledging allegiance to Allah} (Al-Fath: 10) and {Indeed, those who harm Allah} (Al-Ahzab: 57).
  3. Perhaps among their ignorant ones, some believed that a devil compelled him to claim prophethood, and due to their ignorance, they called that devil "the god of Muhammad (PBUH)." Thus, they insulted the "god of Muhammad" based on this interpretation.

Question: One might ask: Insulting idols is one of the fundamental acts of obedience (ta'at). How can God Almighty command refraining from it?

Answer: Although this insult is an act of obedience, it becomes obligatory to avoid it if it leads to the occurrence of a great evil (munkar). This is the case here, because this insult would lead them to insult God and His Messenger, open the door to foolishness, repel people from accepting the religion, and instill anger and rage in their hearts. Because it necessitates these evils, it was forbidden.

Third Issue: Al-Hasan recited: {فَيَسُبُّوا اللَّهَ عَدُوًّا} with a ḍammah on the ‘ayn and a shaddah on the wāw. It is said: ‘adā fulān ‘adūwwan, ‘adwan, ‘adwānan, ‘adā—meaning he wronged unjustly, exceeding the limit. Al-Zajjaj said: ‘adūwwan is in the accusative case (manṣūb) as a verbal noun (maṣdar), meaning "they will insult Allah with an insult." He added that it could also imply the preposition lām (for), meaning "they will attribute injustice to Allah."

Fourth Issue: Al-Jubba'i said: This verse indicates that it is not permissible to do anything to the disbelievers that would increase their distance from the truth and cause them to recoil. If it were permissible to do so, God could command it, and He would not have forbidden what we mentioned, nor would He have commanded gentleness in calling them, as in His saying to Moses and Aaron: {Then speak to him with gentle speech; perhaps he may remember or fear} (Taha: 44). This proves the falsehood of the doctrine of the Compellers (Mujabbirah).

Fifth Issue: They said this verse indicates that commanding good (al-amr bi al-ma‘rūf) can become reprehensible if it leads to committing an evil, and forbidding evil (al-nahy ‘an al-munkar) can become reprehensible if it leads to an increase in evil. Strong probability (ghalabat al-ẓann) takes the place of certain knowledge in this matter. This serves as a lesson for those who call to the religion not to become preoccupied with what yields no benefit in the objective. Describing the idols as inanimate objects that neither benefit nor harm is sufficient to discredit their divinity; there is no need to insult them further.

Regarding Divine Decree of Deeds:

وأما قوله تعالى : { كَذَٰلِكَ زَيَّنَّا لِكُلِّ أُمَّةٍ عَمَلَهُمْ }...

Translation: As for His saying: {Thus have We made fair-seeming to every nation their deeds}, our companions used this as proof that Allah makes disbelief seem fair to the disbeliever, faith to the believer, sin to the sinner, and obedience to the obedient.

Al-Ka'bi said: Interpreting the verse in this manner is impossible because God Almighty says: {Satan made their deeds seem fair to them} (Muhammad: 25) and {And those who disbelieve, their allies are Taghut. They take them out of light into darkness} (Al-Baqarah: 257).

The scholars offered several responses:

1. Al-Jubba'i's Response: The meaning is that Allah made fair to every preceding nation what He commanded them to do—namely, accepting the truth. Al-Ka'bi also mentioned this exact response: the meaning is that Allah made fair to them what they should have done, yet they did not desist.
2. Another Group's Response: The meaning is that Allah made their evil deeds seem fair to every nation of disbelievers, meaning He left them to their own devices and gave them respite until their evil deeds appeared good to them.
3. Third View: Allah allowed Satan to make it seem fair to them.
4. Fourth View: It was made fair in their own estimation and claim that God commanded this and made it fair for them.

These are all the interpretations mentioned for this verse, and all of them are weak. This is because conclusive rational proof demonstrates the correctness of what the apparent meaning of this text implies. We have repeatedly shown that the issuance of an act from a servant depends on the presence of a motive (da'i). We showed that this motive must be created by God, and the meaning of that motive is nothing other than the servant's belief, conviction, or assumption that the act involves a superior benefit and a prevailing advantage. If that motive is created by God's action, and that motive means nothing other than the servant believing the act involves superior benefit and advantage, then:

1. It is impossible for an act, statement, movement, or stillness to originate from the servant unless Allah has made that act seem fair in his heart, conscience, and conviction. Furthermore, a person does not initially choose disbelief and ignorance while knowing it is disbelief and ignorance—knowledge of that is necessary. Rather, he chooses it because he believes it to be faith, knowledge, truth, and right. If there were no prior ignorance, he would not choose this ignorance.
2. Then, we move to the question: Why did he choose that prior ignorance? If it was due to another prior ignorance, this chain must continue infinitely, which is impossible. Since that is false, these chains of ignorance must terminate in an initial ignorance created by God from the beginning. Because of this initial ignorance, he forms the belief that disbelief is faith, truth, and right. Therefore, it is impossible for the disbeliever to choose ignorance and disbelief unless God makes that ignorance seem fair in his heart.

Based on these two decisive, certain proofs, what the apparent meaning of this verse implies is the undeniable truth. Since this is the case, all the aforementioned interpretations are invalidated, because resorting to interpretation only occurs when the literal meaning cannot be upheld. Since proof has established that one cannot deviate from the literal meaning, all these forced interpretations collapse. (And Allah knows best.)

Furthermore, His saying: {Thus have We made fair-seeming to every nation their deeds} following {lest they insult Allah in enmity without knowledge} suggests that their commission of that evil was due to God's making it seem fair. To interpret this as God making good deeds seem fair to the nations is disconnected from what precedes it. Moreover, {Thus have We made fair-seeming to every nation their deeds} encompasses both believing and disbelieving nations, so restricting this statement only to the believing nation violates the apparent generality. As for the other interpretations, the author of Al-Kashshāf mentioned them, and their refutation is not hidden. (And Allah knows best.)

Conclusion of the Verse:

أما قوله تعالى : { ثم إلى ربهم مرجعهم فينبئهم بما كانوا يعملون }...

Translation: As for His saying: {Then to their Lord is their return, and He will inform them of what they used to do}, the purpose is that their affair is entrusted to Allah, and Allah Almighty is fully aware of their conditions and privy to their innermost thoughts. Their return on the Day of Resurrection is to Allah, who will recompense everyone according to their deeds: if good, then good; if evil, then evil.

Surah Al-An'am (The Cattle): Verse 109

Verse 109:

{ وَأَقْسَمُوا بِاللَّهِ جَهْدَ أَيْمَانِهِمْ لَئِن جَاءَتْهُمْ آيَةٌ لَّيُؤْمِنُنَّ بِهَا قُلْ إِنَّمَا الْآيَاتُ عِندَ اللَّهِ وَمَا يُشْعِرُكَ أَنَّهَا إِذَا جَاءَتْ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ }

Translation: {And they swore by Allah, with their most solemn oaths, that if a sign came to them, they would surely believe in it. Say, "The signs are only with Allah." And what will make you realize, O addressee, that even if a sign came, they would not believe?}