Sūrat al-Anʿām
Section 5 of 21 · Surah Studies · Mufti Abdul Rahman Mangera
The Doors of Everything Flung Open
Then Allah says — and this is another passage worth bringing forward — in verse 44:
فَلَمَّا نَسُوا۟ مَا ذُكِّرُوا۟ بِهِۦ فَتَحْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ أَبْوَٰبَ كُلِّ شَىْءٍ حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَا فَرِحُوا۟ بِمَآ أُوتُوٓا۟ أَخَذْنَـٰهُم بَغْتَةً فَإِذَا هُم مُّبْلِسُونَ فَقُطِعَ دَابِرُ ٱلْقَوْمِ ٱلَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا۟ ۚ وَٱلْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ ٱلْعَـٰلَمِينَ
“Thereafter, when they forgot the advice they were given, We opened for them doors of everything, so that when they became proud of what they were given, We seized them suddenly and they were left in despair. Thus, the people who did wrong were uprooted to the last man; Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds.” (6:44–45)
For some this is a great delusion — and people are coming to understand it at the present time, one hopes; a good many are understanding it; but when it is over they may forget again. Who can say? Who knows what Allah has in store for us; one only hopes that we shall realise it. When they forgot what they had been reminded of — having no wish for it and no care for it — We flung open upon them the doors of everything: whatever they might desire, everything. Until, when they exulted in what they had been given, We seized them suddenly, without warning. And what then? So the last remnant of the people who did wrong was cut off; and all praise belongs to Allah, the Lord of the worlds.
And again — remember, qul, qul, qul — here is another:
قُلْ أَرَءَيْتُمْ إِنْ أَخَذَ ٱللَّهُ سَمْعَكُمْ وَأَبْصَـٰرَكُمْ وَخَتَمَ عَلَىٰ قُلُوبِكُم مَّنْ إِلَـٰهٌ غَيْرُ ٱللَّهِ يَأْتِيكُم بِهِ ۗ ٱنظُرْ كَيْفَ نُصَرِّفُ ٱلْـَٔايَـٰتِ ثُمَّ هُمْ يَصْدِفُونَ
“Say, “Tell me, if Allah takes away your hearing and your sights and sets a seal on your hearts, which god other than Allah can bring these back to you?” See how We put forth Our verses in various forms? Yet, still they turn away.” (6:46)
Say — O Messenger (peace be upon him), say to them — that if Allah were to take away your hearing and your sight, and set a seal upon your heart, have you any other lord who could bring them again, who could replace them for you? See how We turn the verses about — meaning how We repeat the verses of the Qur'an again and again, so that what does not move a man at one time may move him later. Again:
قُلْ أَرَءَيْتَكُمْ إِنْ أَتَىٰكُمْ عَذَابُ ٱللَّهِ بَغْتَةً أَوْ جَهْرَةً هَلْ يُهْلَكُ إِلَّا ٱلْقَوْمُ ٱلظَّـٰلِمُونَ
“Say, “Tell me if the punishment of Allah comes upon you whether suddenly or openly, shall any people be destroyed except the unjust?’” (6:47)
What do you think? Say to them: were Allah to bring a punishment upon you suddenly, or openly — and so on. And then:
قُل لَّآ أَقُولُ لَكُمْ عِندِى خَزَآئِنُ ٱللَّهِ وَلَآ أَعْلَمُ ٱلْغَيْبَ وَلَآ أَقُولُ لَكُمْ إِنِّى مَلَكٌ ۖ إِنْ أَتَّبِعُ إِلَّا مَا يُوحَىٰٓ إِلَىَّ ۚ قُلْ هَلْ يَسْتَوِى ٱلْأَعْمَىٰ وَٱلْبَصِيرُ ۚ أَفَلَا تَتَفَكَّرُونَ
“Say, “I do not say to you that I have the treasures of Allah, nor do I have the knowledge of the Unseen, nor do I say to you that I am an angel. I only follow what is revealed to me.” Say, “Are the blind and the seeing alike? Do you, then, not reflect?”” (6:50)
Tell them: I do not possess the treasures of the heavens and the earth. It is easy to become too engrossed in all of this, and there is no space for it; so the survey now passes over a great many verses.
One thing we are told, and an important one, is in verse 68:
وَإِذَا رَأَيْتَ ٱلَّذِينَ يَخُوضُونَ فِىٓ ءَايَـٰتِنَا فَأَعْرِضْ عَنْهُمْ حَتَّىٰ يَخُوضُوا۟ فِى حَدِيثٍ غَيْرِهِۦ ۚ وَإِمَّا يُنسِيَنَّكَ ٱلشَّيْطَـٰنُ فَلَا تَقْعُدْ بَعْدَ ٱلذِّكْرَىٰ مَعَ ٱلْقَوْمِ ٱلظَّـٰلِمِينَ
“When you see those who indulge in (blaspheming) Our verses, turn away from them until they become occupied with some other discourse. If Satan should cause you to forget (this instruction), then do not sit with the unjust people after recollection.” (6:68)
When you see those who banter about Our signs, taking them lightly, leave them; turn away from them until they enter upon some other discussion, a better one. And if Shayṭān should make you forget — if a man is drawn into the banter and does not leave it or turn away; if Shayṭān makes him forget, the blame here being laid upon Shayṭān — then, once he comes to himself, he should not afterwards sit with the oppressors.