Al-An'am (The Cattle): (68) And when you see those...

It is known that the Almighty said in the first verse: {And your people have denied it, while it is the truth. Say, "I am not over you a guardian."} (6:66). This clarified that the Messenger is not obligated to remain with or be a guardian over those who deny this religion. Then, this verse clarifies that if those deniers add mockery of the religion and slander against the Messenger to their disbelief and denial, it becomes obligatory to guard against associating with them and to leave their company.

There are several issues in this verse:

Issue 1: His saying, {And when you see}

It is said that this is an address to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), but the intended meaning is for others. Another view is that the address is to others: "O hearer, when you see those who engage in idle talk concerning Our signs..."

Al-Wahidi narrated that the polytheists, when they sat with the believers, would attack the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) and the Qur'an, insulting and mocking them. Thus, they were commanded not to sit with them until they moved on to a different topic.

The word al-khawd (engaging in talk) in Arabic linguistically means discussion in a manner of jest and play. The Almighty said, recounting the disbelievers: {And we used to engage in idle talk along with those who engaged in it} (Al-Muddaththir: 45). If a man is asked about a group of people and says, "I left them engaging in khawd," it implies they began speaking words that should not be mentioned.

Some literalists (Hashawiyyah) use this verse to prohibit argumentation and debate concerning the Essence and Attributes of Allah. They argue that this constitutes khawd in Allah's signs, and khawd in Allah's signs is forbidden based on this verse.

The response to this is: We have transmitted from the exegetes that the meaning intended by (khawd) here is initiating discourse about Allah's signs in a manner of slander and mockery. We have also explained that the word (khawd) is fundamentally established in the language for this specific meaning. Therefore, this line of reasoning fails. And Allah knows best.

Issue 2: The Recitation

Ibn 'Amir recited {yunsīnaka} with a shaddah (doubling of the letter nūn). The verbs fa'ala and af'ala carry the same meaning, as we have explained in many places. In the revelation, there is {So give respite to the disbelievers—give them respite for a short while} (At-Tariq: 17).

The preferred reading is that of the general public (the majority) due to the Almighty's saying: {None made me forget it except Satan} (Al-Kahf: 63).

The meaning of the verse is: If you forget and sit, then do not sit after the reminder. And stand up when you are reminded. Adh-Dhikrā (the reminder) is the name for the admonition, according to Al-Layth. Al-Farra' said that adh-Dhikrā can also mean remembrance (dhikr).

His saying {with the wrongdoing people} means with the polytheists.

Issue 3: His saying, {so turn away from them}

This turning away could be achieved by physically leaving them, or by other means. When He subsequently said, {then sit not after the reminder}, this became evidence that the intended meaning is to turn away from them by rising and leaving their gathering.

Here are some questions:

The answer is: Those who adhere strictly to the literal meanings of words and claim they must be applied literally do not permit this. Those who hold that the meaning is what is considered permit it, arguing that the objective is to show disapproval. Therefore, any means that achieves this objective is permissible to adopt.

The answer is: Whatever Allah obligated the Messenger to do, he was obligated to do it, whether the effect of fear was apparent or not. If we permitted him to abandon an obligation due to fear, then reliance on the messages he conveyed to us would cease. As for others than the Messenger, in a situation of intense fear, the obligation might be lifted from them because their refraining from action does not lead to the aforementioned harm (undermining the message).

Issue 4: His saying, {And if Satan should cause you to forget, then after the reminder, sit not}

This implies that the obligation is lifted from the one who forgets. Al-Jubba'i said: If ignorance of a matter necessitates the lifting of obligation, then the inability to perform a matter is even more deserving of lifting the obligation. This indicates that imposing what is beyond capacity does not occur. It also indicates that the ability (istita'ah) must exist before the action, because if it only arose with the action, it would not have existed before the action. Therefore, the disbeliever must not be capable of faith, and consequently, the command to have faith should not be directed towards him.

Be aware that these points have been frequently mentioned in this book along with their refutations, so we will not prolong the discussion by reiterating the answers. And Allah knows best.

7 < {Nor is there upon those who fear [Allah] any blame for what they have spent, but [it is only] a reminder, that they may fear Him. *And leave those who have taken their religion as amusement and diversion and have been deluded by the worldly life. But remind with it, lest a soul be destroyed by what it has earned—there will not be for it besides Allah any protector or any intercessor; and if it should offer any compensation, it would not be accepted from it. Those are the ones who are destroyed by what they have earned. They will have a drink of boiling water and a painful punishment because they used to disbelieve.} > 7

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