Al-An'am (The Cattle): Verse 33

Issues in the Verse:

Know that the disbelievers were divided into many factions.

1. Some denied his prophethood because they rejected the idea of a human messenger, arguing that God's messenger should be an angel. God addressed this doubt elsewhere in this Surah.
2. Others claimed that resurrection after death was impossible, using this impossibility to challenge his message. God addressed this with numerous arguments previously mentioned.
3. Others insulted him directly with foolish talk, which is what God mentions in this verse.

There is a difference of opinion regarding the specific nature of what saddened him:

• Opinion 1 (Al-Hasan): They called him a sorcerer, a poet, a soothsayer, or mad.
• Opinion 2: They explicitly declared that they would not believe in him or accept his religion and law.
• Opinion 3: They accused him of lying and fabrication.

• Nafi' and Al-Kisai recited it with a damma on the Yā' and a kasra on the Zāy (لِيَحْزُنَكَ).
• The rest recited it with a fatḥa on the Yā' and a ḍamma on the Zāy (لَيُحْزِنَكَ). Both forms are linguistically valid: ḥazana-nī (it saddened me) and aḥzana-nī (it caused me sadness).

• Nafi' and Al-Kisai recited it with a light dāl (لاَ يُكَذِّبُونَكَ - yukadhdhibūna-ka).
• The rest recited it with a heavy dāl (لاَ يُكَذِّبُونَكَ - yukadhdhibūna-ka).

There are two main views on the difference between these readings:

View 1: There is a clear difference. Two justifications are offered for this difference:

1. Al-Kisai's Argument: Arabs say kadhdhaba-r-rajul (he accused the man of lying) when attributing fabrication and invention of falsehoods to him. They say akkadhaba-hu (he declared his statement false) when informing that what he reported is false, even if the speaker did not invent or intend the falsehood.
   • Al-Zajjaj explained: Kadhdhabta-hu means "I said to him, 'You are a liar.'" Akkadhbata-hu means "What he brought forth is false in itself, without claiming that the speaker fabricated it intentionally." Thus, the people believed that the Prophet (PBUH) did not invent this message through deliberation, but rather he genuinely imagined the truth of that prophethood and message, even though what he imagined was inherently false (in their view).
2. Abu Ali's Argument: The meaning of لاَ يُكَذِّبُونَكَ (light dāl) could be: "They do not find you to be a liar," because they knew him for his truthfulness and trustworthiness. This is analogous to saying aḥmadta-r-rajul (you found the man praiseworthy), meaning you encountered him in a state of being praised, so you loved him and praised him well.

View 2: There is no difference in meaning.

• Abu Ali's View: Both readings can have the same meaning. The taf'īl form (like kadhdhaba) can mean attributing the quality of lying to someone, similar to dhannabta-hu (you said he committed a sin) or fassaqta-hu (you declared him wicked). It means "I said to you that you did these things." This is similar to the af'ala form, where they say asqayta-hu meaning "I said to him, 'May God give you water to drink.'"
  • Poetic Evidence (Dhu ar-Rummah):

    And I make him drink until, from what I reveal, His stones and his resting places speak to me.

  • This means attributing the act of giving drink by saying, "May God give you drink." Based on this analogy, the meanings of both readings are the same, although the taf'īl form is sometimes used when they intend to attribute a greater degree of something than the af'al form.

The apparent meaning of the verse suggests they do not accuse Muhammad (PBUH) of lying, yet they reject God's signs. Several ways to reconcile these two points are offered:

Way 1: Distinction between Secret Belief and Open Denial. They did not lie to him in secret, but they denied the Qur'an and prophethood openly.

• Supporting Narratives:
  1. Al-Harith ibn 'Amir of Quraysh said: "By God, Muhammad, you have never lied to us, but if we follow you, we will be snatched from our land. That is why we do not believe in you."
  2. It is narrated that Al-Akhnas ibn Shariq asked Abu Jahl: "Tell me about Muhammad: is he truthful or a liar? No one else is here besides us." Abu Jahl replied: "By God, Muhammad is truthful and has never lied! But if Banu Qusayy take the banner, the water distribution, the pilgrimage services, and prophethood, what is left for the rest of Quraysh?" This verse was then revealed.
• Interpretation based on this: The meaning is that they do not deny him with their hearts, but they deny his prophethood with their tongues and outward speech. This is not far-fetched, similar to the verse about Moses: {And they denied them, while their souls were certain of them, out of injustice and arrogance} (An-Naml: 14).

Way 2: Denial of Prophethood, Not Personal Character. They do not say, "You are a liar," because they experienced him over a long time and never found him to be a liar; they called him Al-Amīn (The Trustworthy). However, they deny the validity of his prophethood and message for two reasons:

1. They believed Muhammad suffered from some defect or deficiency, causing him to imagine himself as a messenger from God.
2. They admitted he was truthful in all other matters but rejected this one specific claim (prophethood).

Way 3: The Denial is Directed at God. Since overwhelming miracles manifested confirming his claim, yet they persisted in denial, God tells him: "They have not truly lied to you; rather, they have lied to Me." This is like a man insulting another man's slave; the master might say to the slave, "He did not insult you; he insulted Me." The intent is not to negate the insult to the slave, but to magnify the gravity of the offense. This is supported by the verse: {Indeed, those who pledge allegiance to you, [O Muhammad]—they are only pledging allegiance to Allāh} (Al-Fath: 10).

Way 4: Denial of the Miracle's Implication. This is a subtle thought: The phrase {فإنهم لا يكذبونك} means they do not single you out for this denial; rather, they reject the implication of any miracle proving truthfulness in general. This is what is meant by {ولكن الظالمين بآيات الله يجحدون} (But the wrongdoers reject the signs of God). They say every miracle is mere sorcery and deny that any miracle proves truthfulness whatsoever. The implication is: They do not deny you specifically, but they deny all prophets and messengers. And God knows best.

Verse 34: Consolation and Divine Promise