Tafsir of Al-An'am 6:56

"Say: I have been forbidden..."

{I have been forbidden}: I have been turned away and restrained—by the rational proofs instilled within me and the revealed proofs granted to me—from worshipping what you worship {besides Allah}. In this is an imputation of ignorance against them and a description of their reckless plunging into that which they followed without insight.

{Say: I do not follow your desires}: That is, I do not proceed according to your path, which you have taken in your religion by following desire rather than following evidence. This is an explanation of the cause from which they fell into misguidance, and a warning to everyone who desires to attain the truth and avoid falsehood.

{I would then be astray, and I would not be of the guided}: That is, if I were to follow your desires, I would be astray and would possess nothing of guidance. He means that you are likewise.

Having negated that desire should be followed, He alerted them to what must be followed by saying: {Say: I am upon a clear proof from my Lord}.

The meaning of His saying: {I am upon a clear proof from my Lord, and you have denied it}: I am, regarding the knowledge of my Lord and that there is no deity worthy of worship but Him, upon a clear argument and a truthful witness. {And you have denied it}—you, by associating others with Him. It is said: "I am upon a clear proof regarding this matter" when you are certain of it, as it is established for you by evidence.

Then, He followed this with that which indicates the gravity of their denial of Allah and the intensity of His wrath upon them for it, and that they are deserving of being overtaken by annihilating punishment, saying: {I do not have that which you seek to hasten}: Meaning the punishment they sought to hasten in their saying: "Rain down upon us stones from the sky."

{The decision is only for Allah}: In delaying your punishment.

{He relates the truth}: That is, the true judgment in everything He decides regarding delay or hastening in its divisions.

{And He is the best of deciders}: That is, the best of judges. It is also read as yaqussu al-haqq (He follows the truth), meaning He follows truth and wisdom in what He judges and decrees, derived from qassa atharahu (he followed his tracks).

{If I had that which you seek to hasten}: That is, within my power and capability—{the matter would have been decided between me and you}: I would have destroyed you immediately, out of anger for my Lord and indignation at your denial of Him, and I would have been rid of you quickly.

{And Allah is most knowing of the wrongdoers}: And of what is required by wisdom regarding the essence of their punishment.

It is also said regarding {upon a clear proof from my Lord}: Upon an argument from my Lord, which is the Qur'an. {And you have denied it}: That is, the proof. The pronoun is masculine based on the interpretation of al-bayan (the evidence) or al-Qur'an.

If you ask: In what case is al-haqq (the truth) in the phrase yaqdi al-haqq? I say: It is an adjective for the verbal noun of yaqdi, meaning "He judges the true judgment." It is also permissible for it to be a direct object, from the saying "he qada the armor" (he fashioned it), meaning He fashions the truth and manages it.

In the reading of Abdullah (ibn Mas'ud), it is yaqdi bi-al-haqq (He judges with the truth).

If you ask: Why was the ya dropped in the script? I say: In accordance with the pronunciation, and its omission in pronunciation is due to the meeting of two quiescent letters.