ﲇ ﲈ ﲉ ﲊ ﲋ ﲌ ﲍ ﲎ ﲏ ﲐ ﲑ ﲒ ﲓ ﲔ ﲕ ﲖ ﲗ ﲘ ﲙ ﲚ ﲛ ﲜ ﲝ ﲞ ﲟ
And is one who was dead and We gave him life and made for him light by which to walk among the people like one who is in darkness, never to emerge therefrom? Thus it has been made pleasing to the disbelievers that which they were doing.
Tafsir
Verse range: 6:122
"Or is one who was dead and We gave him life and made for him light by which he walks among the people like one who is in darkness, never to emerge therefrom?"
The likeness of one whom Allah has guided after misguidance, and granted the success of certainty—by which he distinguishes between the truthful and the false, the guided and the misguided—is like one who was dead, so Allah gave him life and made for him a light by which he walks among the people, illuminated by it, distinguishing one from another and discerning their states.
He is compared to one who remains in misguidance, like one stumbling in darkness, unable to detach or escape from it. The meaning of His saying: "like one whose likeness is in the darkness, never to emerge therefrom" is: like one whose description is this, which is His saying: "in darkness, never to emerge therefrom"—meaning: he is in the darkness, not emerging from it. This is like the Almighty’s saying: "The likeness of Paradise which the righteous have been promised: therein are rivers" (Muhammad: 15), meaning: its description is this, which is His saying: "therein are rivers."
"Thus it has been made fair-seeming to the disbelievers" Meaning: Satan has made it fair-seeming, or Allah (Mighty and Majestic is He), based on His saying: "We have made their deeds fair-seeming to them" (An-Naml: 4).
"And thus We have placed within every city the greatest of its criminals to conspire therein" Meaning: Just as We placed the leaders of Makkah there so they might conspire, so too have We placed in every city the greatest of its criminals for that purpose. Its meaning is: We left them to conspire and did not restrain them from their plotting. He specified the "greatest" because they are the ones who incite misguidance and plot against the people, as in His saying: "We commanded its affluent ones" (Al-Isra: 16). It is also read as akbar mujrimiha (the greatest of its criminals), based on the expression: "They are the greatest of their people" and "the leaders of their people."
"But they conspire not except against themselves" Because their plotting recoils upon them. This is a consolation for the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) and a preliminary promise of victory over them.
It is narrated that Al-Walid ibn al-Mughirah said: "If prophethood were true, I would be more entitled to it than you, for I am older than you in age and wealthier than you." It is also narrated that Abu Jahl said: "We competed with the Banu Abd Manaf for honor until we became like two racehorses; then they said: 'A prophet has come to us who receives revelation.' By Allah, we will never be satisfied with him nor follow him unless we receive revelation just as he does." So this was revealed. Similar to this is the Almighty’s saying: "Rather, every person among them desires that he be given scriptures spread about" (Al-Muddaththir: 52).
"And when a sign comes to them, they say, 'Never will we believe until we are given like that which was given to the messengers of Allah.' Allah is most knowing of where He places His message. There will afflict those who committed crimes humiliation before Allah and severe punishment for what they used to conspire."
