Al-An'am (The Cattle): (151) Say: "Come, I will recite..."

It is known that after the Almighty established the falsehood of what the disbelievers claimed—that God had forbidden certain things for them—He followed it by clarifying the things He did forbid them, which are mentioned in this verse. There are several issues concerning this:

Issue 1: The meaning of "Come" (تعالوا) and the grammar of what follows.

The author of Al-Kashshaf states that (تعالوا) (Come) is a specific term that has become general. Its origin is for someone in a higher position to call someone lower than him, but it later became common and general.

Regarding the phrase, "What your Lord has forbidden you" (ما حرم ربكم عليكم), it is in the accusative case (mansub). There are two views on what governs this accusative case:

1. It is governed by the verb "I will recite" (أتلو), meaning: "I will recite that which your Lord has forbidden you."
2. It is governed by the verb "has forbidden" (حرم), meaning: "I will recite the things that He has forbidden you."

If one objects: The statement, "That you associate nothing with Him, and to parents do good" (أن لا تشركوا به شيئا وبالوالدين إحسانا), seems to be a detailed explanation of what was summarized in "What your Lord has forbidden you." This is false, because abandoning polytheism and showing kindness to parents are obligations, not prohibitions.

The response involves several points:

1. The meaning of "forbidden" (تحريم) here is to establish a specific, defined boundary (a harim). Thus, "I will recite what your Lord has forbidden you" means: "I will recite to you what He has clarified with a complete and specific explanation, establishing a defined boundary." Under this interpretation, the objection is removed.
2. The sentence ends at "I will recite what your Lord has forbidden" (أتلو ما حرم ربكم), and then a new sentence begins: "Upon you is that you associate nothing with Him" (عليكم أن لا تشركوا), similar to saying, "Peace be upon you" (عليكم السلام).
3. Alternatively, the sentence ends at "I will recite what your Lord has forbidden you" (أتلو ما حرم ربكم عليكم), and then a new clause begins: "That you associate nothing with Him" (ألا تشركوا به شيئا), meaning "so that you do not associate anything with Him." The structure would be: "I will recite what your Lord has forbidden you so that you do not associate anything with Him."
4. The particle (أن) in (أن لا تشركوا) is explanatory (مفسرة), meaning "i.e." The verse's meaning would be: "I will recite what your Lord has forbidden you, i.e., 'Do not associate anything with Him.'" This means that the prohibition is precisely the statement: "Do not associate anything with Him."

If one objects further: The phrase "and to parents do good" (وبالوالدين إحسانا) is coordinated with "That you associate nothing with Him" (أن لا تشركوا به شيئا). Therefore, "to parents do good" must also be an explanation of "What your Lord has forbidden you," which implies that showing kindness to parents is forbidden, which is false.

We reply: Since kindness to them is obligatory, it implies that mistreating them is forbidden.

Issue 2: The Five Obligations Mentioned

The Almighty has obligated five matters in this verse:

The Almighty has explained the categories of polytheists in this Surah in the best manner. Some polytheists make idols partners with God, as alluded to when Abraham said to his father Azar: "Do you take idols as deities? Indeed, I see you and your people in clear error" (6:74).

A second group worships the stars, whose claims Abraham refuted by saying: "I do not love those that set" (6:76).

A third group, whom God described as: "They have made for God partners—the jinn" (6:100), referring to those who believe in Yazdan and Ahriman (a dualistic belief system).

A fourth group made for God sons and daughters. The Almighty established proofs against the claims of all these groups and sects. After demonstrating the falsehood of their claims through evidence, He states here: "That you associate nothing with Him" (ألا تشركوا به شيئا).

This obligation is mentioned second because the greatest blessing upon a person is the blessing of God Almighty, followed immediately by the blessing of the parents. This is because the true agent of human existence is God, while the apparent agent is the parents. Furthermore, their blessings upon the child are immense: nurturing, compassion, and protection from loss and destruction during infancy.

After establishing the rights of the parents, He establishes the rights of the children. "Do not kill your children for fear of poverty" (من إملاق). This explicitly forbids infanticide (burying daughters alive), which some did out of jealousy, but mostly out of fear of poverty.

The Almighty refutes this rationale by stating: "We provide for you and for them." Since God guarantees the provision for both the parent and the child, just as it is obligatory for the parents to preserve the life and rely on God for sustenance, the same applies to the child.

Shammir noted that (أملق) can be intransitive or transitive. "A man became poor" (أملق الرجل) means he became needy (intransitive). "Time destroyed what he had" (أملق الدهر ما عنده) means destruction. Thus, Imlāq means corruption/destruction.

Ibn Abbas said that they disliked adultery openly but practiced it secretly. God forbade them from committing adultery both openly and secretly. However, it is better not to restrict this prohibition to a specific type of immorality, but to let it apply generally to all indecencies, whether apparent or hidden, because the wording is general. The underlying reason for this prohibition—being an immorality—is also general. Restricting the general wording and meaning goes against the evidence.

There is a subtlety in the phrase "what appeared of it and what was hidden" (ما ظهر منها وما بطن): If a person refrains from sin outwardly but not inwardly, it indicates that his restraint is not due to obedience to God but due to fear of people's blame. This is flawed, as one who fears people's blame more than God's punishment is feared to fall into disbelief. Conversely, one who abandons sin outwardly and inwardly demonstrates that he abandoned it out of reverence for God's command, fear of His punishment, and desire for servitude to Him.

This is included within the category of immoralities, yet the Almighty singled it out for two reasons:

1. Singling something out indicates its great importance and honor, like saying, "And His angels, and Gabriel and Michael."
2. The Almighty intended to make an exception (إلا بالحق), and this exception cannot be made within the general category of immoralities.

Once this is established, we say: "Except by right" (إلا بالحق). Killing a soul that is forbidden [to be killed] can be a right due to a crime committed by that soul. The Hadith supports this: "The blood of a Muslim is not lawful except for three: disbelief after faith, adultery after marriage, and the killing of a soul unjustly." The Qur'an indicates a fourth cause: "Indeed, the recompense of those who wage war against Allah and His Messenger and strive upon earth [to cause] corruption is that they be killed or crucified..." (5:33).

In summary, the fundamental principle regarding the taking of a soul is prohibition; its permissibility is only established by a separate, explicit proof.

After clarifying these five categories, the Almighty follows them with a phrase that brings acceptance closer to the heart: "This He has enjoined upon you" (ذالكم وصاكم به), because this wording carries gentleness and compassion, all intended to bring the accountable person closer to acceptance. Then He follows it with: "so that you may use reason" (لعلكم تعقلون), meaning so that you may comprehend the benefits and advantages of these injunctions in this world and the Hereafter.

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