Sūrat al-Anʿām

Classification: Meccan. Reported by Ibn ʿAbbās: Except for six verses. Verse count: 165 verses.

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

{Praise be to Allah, who created the heavens and the earth and made the darkness and the light; then those who disbelieve equate [others] with their Lord.}

• "Praise be to Allah": A declaration of praise for Him, acknowledging His divinity and His exclusive right to be worshipped, as He is the Creator of all things.
• "Who created the heavens and the earth": He brought them into existence from nothing, demonstrating His absolute power.
• "And made the darkness and the light": He established these two as distinct states, serving as signs of His wisdom and governance over the physical world.
• "Then those who disbelieve equate [others] with their Lord": Despite these clear proofs of His oneness and creative power, the disbelievers persist in associating partners with Him, treating created beings as equal to their Creator.

[On the verb Ja‘ala (to make/create)] The verb ja‘ala takes one object when it means "to originate" or "to create," as in: "And He made (ja‘ala) the darkness and the light" (6:1). It takes two objects when it means "to transform" or "to render," as in: "And they made (ja‘alu) the angels, who are servants of the Most Merciful, females" (43:19).

The difference between khalq (creation) and ja‘l (making) is that khalq implies the meaning of measurement/design, while ja‘l implies the meaning of transformation—such as creating something from something else, turning one thing into another, or moving something from one place to another. Examples include: "And He made (ja‘ala) from it its mate" (7:189); "And He made (ja‘ala) the darkness and the light" (because darkness is from dense bodies, while light is from fire); "Then We made (ja‘alnakum) you into pairs" (35:11); and "Has he made (aj‘ala) the gods into one God?" (38:5).

[Question: Why is "Light" singular?] If you ask: Why is "Light" singular? I reply: It is to denote the genus, as in the Almighty’s saying: "And the angels will be on its edges" (69:17). Or, it is because darknesses are many, for every genus of physical body has a shadow, and its shadow is darkness. Light, however, is of a single genus, which is fire.

[On the conjunction of "Then those who disbelieve..."] If you ask: To what is the phrase "Then those who disbelieve in their Lord equate [others with Him]" conjoined? I reply: It is either conjoined to "All praise is due to Allah," meaning that Allah is worthy of praise for what He created—since He created it only as a blessing—yet those who disbelieve in Him equate others with Him, thereby denying His blessing. Or, it is conjoined to "He created the heavens," meaning that He created what He created—things no one else is capable of creating—yet they equate with Him those who are incapable of creating anything at all.

[Question: What is the meaning of Thumma (Then)?] If you ask: What is the meaning of thumma (then) here? I reply: It is to express the improbability (istib‘ād) that they would equate others with Him after the clarity of the signs of His power. Likewise, in the verse "Then you doubt" (6:2), it expresses the improbability that they would doubt Him after it has been established that He is the One who gives them life, causes them to die, and will resurrect them.

{It is He who created you from clay, then decreed a term, and a specified term is with Him; then you doubt.}