Tafsir of Al-An'am 6:150

"Say, 'Bring forward your witnesses...'"

{هلم} (Bring forward): Among the Hijazis, this term is used uniformly for the singular, plural, masculine, and feminine. The Banu Tamim, however, inflect it for gender and number. The meaning is: "Bring your witnesses and present them."

If you ask: How can He command him to summon witnesses who testify that God has forbidden what they claim is forbidden, and then command him not to testify with them?

I say: He commanded him to summon them—even though they are witnesses to falsehood—in order to bind them with the argument, silence them, and demonstrate to those for whom they testify that their witnesses are bankrupt and have no basis. This shows that both the witnesses and those for whom they testify are equal in that they possess nothing valid to hold onto.

His saying: {فلا تشهد معهم} (Do not testify with them): This means: Do not accept what they have testified to, and do not believe them. For if he were to accept it, it would be as if he had testified alongside them, becoming one of them.

{ولا تتبع أهواء الذين كذبوا بآياتنا} (And do not follow the desires of those who denied Our signs): This uses the explicit noun in place of the pronoun to indicate that whoever denies the signs of God and associates others with Him is following nothing but desire. Had he followed the evidence, he would have been nothing but a believer in the signs and a monotheist regarding God Almighty.

If you ask: Why was it not said, "Say, 'Bring witnesses who testify that God has forbidden this'"? What is the difference between that and the revealed text?

I say: The intent is for them to bring their witnesses—those known to testify for them and support their claims. Those for whom they testified used to imitate them, trust them, and rely upon their testimony. The command was to dismantle what they stood upon, so that the Truth might be established and falsehood invalidated. Thus, the witnesses were attributed to them [by the possessive pronoun "your witnesses"]. The use of the definite article [in "your witnesses"] indicates that these are specific witnesses, known for testifying on their behalf and supporting their doctrine. The evidence for this is His saying: {فإن شهدوا فلا تشهد معهم} (If they testify, do not testify with them). Had it been said, "Bring witnesses who testify," the meaning would have been "Bring people who testify to the prohibition of this," which would imply a request for witnesses of the truth—and that is not the objective. Indeed, it would contradict His saying: {فإن شهدوا فلا تشهد معهم}.

{قل تعالوا أتل ما حرم ربكم عليكم ألا تشركوا به شيئا وبالوالدين إحسانا ولا تقتلوا أولادكم من إملاق نحن نرزقكم وإياهم ولا تقربوا الفواحش ما ظهر منها وما بطن ولا تقتلوا النفس التي حرم الله إلا بالحق ذلكم وصاكم به لعلكم تعقلون}

"Say, 'Come, I will recite what your Lord has prohibited to you: [He commands] that you do not associate anything with Him, and to parents, good treatment. And do not kill your children out of poverty; We provide for you and for them. And do not approach immoralities—what is apparent of them and what is concealed. And do not kill the soul which God has forbidden, except by right. This has He instructed you that you might use reason.'"