The Cattle (Al-An‘am)
Verses 25-28 GROUP_206 6.25-28
25
وَمِنْهُم مَّن يَسْتَمِعُ إِلَيْكَ وَجَعَلْنَا عَلَى قُلُوبِهِمْ أَكِنَّةً أَن يَفْقَهُوهُ وَفِي آذَانِهِمْ وَقْرًا وَإِن يَرَوْاْ كُلَّ آيَةٍ لاَّ يُؤْمِنُواْ بِهَا حَتَّى إِذَا جَآؤُوكَ يُجَادِلُونَكَ يَقُولُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ إِنْ هَذَآ إِلاَّ أَسَاطِيرُ الأَوَّلِينَ
Among them are some who listen to you, but We have placed veils over their hearts and deafness in their ears which prevent them from understanding what you say. Even if they saw all the signs, they would still not believe in them. When those who deny the truth come to dispute with you, they will say, ‘This is nothing but ancient fables,’
26
وَهُمْ يَنْهَوْنَ عَنْهُ وَيَنْأَوْنَ عَنْهُ وَإِن يُهْلِكُونَ إِلاَّ أَنفُسَهُمْ وَمَا يَشْعُرُونَ
and they bar others from believing and themselves keep away. But they ruin no one but themselves, though they fail to realize this.
27
وَلَوْ تَرَىَ إِذْ وُقِفُواْ عَلَى النَّارِ فَقَالُواْ يَا لَيْتَنَا نُرَدُّ وَلاَ نُكَذِّبَ بِآيَاتِ رَبِّنَا وَنَكُونَ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ
If you could only see when they are set before the Fire. They will say, ‘If only we could be sent back. Then we would not deny the signs of our Lord and we would be of the believers.’
28
بَلْ بَدَا لَهُم مَّا كَانُواْ يُخْفُونَ مِن قَبْلُ وَلَوْ رُدُّواْ لَعَادُواْ لِمَا نُهُواْ عَنْهُ وَإِنَّهُمْ لَكَاذِبُونَ
The truth they used to hide will become all too clear to them. But if they were sent back, they would return to what they had been forbidden. For they are indeed liars.
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Commentary
(a ) In the present world of trial, man has every opportunity to find pretexts or justifications for anything that suits his interests. There are some who appear to listen to God’s message, but if from the outset they are prejudiced, the truth falls on deaf ears and so fails to touch their hearts. They set up mental barriers and, because of this, have no idea of their religious duties, even after they have been carefully explained to them. Arguments, no matter how clearly stated, fail to convince them because, whenever they allow anything of religious significance to cross these barriers, it is with the intention of disputing it, rather than receiving guidance from it. They have no intention of hearing or understanding anything of moral import. As a result, the relevant aspects of any such issue do not come within their mental grasp. Moreover, they are ever ready to present religious matters in a contorted manner. Correct arguments have no influence upon them. Due to their perverseness, they seek out in all ethical questions certain facts which they can misrepresent in order to delude themselves and others that they are on the right path. (a) For people who have this temperament, all moralizing is in vain, because in this world of trial there is no such rule as prevents them from fabricating counter arguments. Even if they do not manage to concoct such arguments, they will contemptuously ignore the truth, saying, ‘What is new in this? This is the same old story which we have been hearing for such a long time.’ In this way, even after being convinced of the veracity of moral precepts, they will find some excuse to reject them. Before God such people are doubly guilty, because not only do they themselves refrain from admitting the Truth, but they also make the Divine argument seem dubious to people in general by distorting its true meaning; they have so little understanding themselves that they are unable to make any profound analysis of the subject. In the life of this world, such people make very tall claims, and because they lose nothing by denying the Truth, they mislead themselves and others. But on the Day of Judgement, when they are called to account and threatened with Hellfire, the Truth will overwhelm them. Suddenly they will start accepting those very principles which they had denied in this life.