بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيْم
Surah Al-Anʿām (6:21-30): Arabic and English Translation
Verse 21 وَمَنْ أَظْلَمُ مِمَّنِ افْتَرَىٰ عَلَى اللَّهِ كَذِبًا أَوْ كَذَّبَ بِآيَاتِهِۦٓ ۚ إِنَّهُۥ لَا يُفْلِحُ ٱلظَّـٰلِمُونَ
Translation: "And who does more wrong than he who invents a lie against Allah or rejects His signs? Indeed, the wrongdoers will not succeed."
Verse 22 وَيَوْمَ نَحْشُرُهُمْ جَمِيعًا ثُمَّ نَقُولُ لِلَّذِينَ أَشْرَكُوا۟ أَيْنَ شُرَكَآؤُكُمُ ٱلَّذِينَ كُنتُمْ تَزْعُمُونَ
Translation: "And [mention, O Muhammad], the Day We will gather them all together; then We will say to those who associated others with Allah, 'Where are your 'partners' that you used to claim [with Him]?' "
Verse 23 ثُمَّ لَمْ تَكُن فِتْنَتُهُمْ إِلَّآ أَنْ قَالُوا۟ وَٱللَّهِ رَبِّنَا مَا كُنَّا مُشْرِكِينَ
Translation: "Then there will be no [excuse upon] examination except they will say, 'By Allah, our Lord, we were not those who associated.' "
Verse 24 ٱنظُرْ كَيْفَ كَذَبُوا۟ عَلَىٰٓ أَنفُسِهِمْ وَضَلَّ عَنْهُم مَّا كَانُوا۟ يَفْتَرُونَ
Translation: "See how they will lie about themselves. And lost from them will be what they used to invent."
Verse 25 وَمِنْهُم مَّن يَسْتَمِعُ إِلَيْكَ وَجَعَلْنَا عَلَىٰ قُلُوبِهِمْ أَكِنَّةً أَن يَفْقَهُوهُ وَفِىٓ ءَاذَانِهِمْ وَقْرًۭا ۚ وَإِن يَرَوْا۟ كُلَّ ءَايَةٍۢ لَّا يُؤْمِنُوا۟ بِهَا ۚ حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَا جَآءُوكَ يُجَـٰدِلُونَكَ يَقُولُ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوٓا۟ إِنْ هَـٰذَآ إِلَّآ أَسَـٰطِيرُ ٱلْأَوَّلِينَ
Translation: "And among them are those who listen to you, but We have placed over their hearts coverings, lest they understand it, and in their ears deafness. And if they should see every sign, they will not believe in it; even when they come to you arguing with you, those who disbelieve say, 'This is not but legends of the former peoples.' "
Verse 26 وَهُمْ يَنْهَوْنَ عَنْهُ وَيَنْأَوْنَ عَنْهُ ۖ وَإِن يُهْلِكُونَ إِلَّآ أَنفُسَهُمْ وَمَا يَشْعُرُونَ
Translation: "And they prevent [others] from him and are [themselves] distant from him. And they do not destroy except themselves, but they perceive [it] not."
Verse 27 وَلَوْ تَرَىٰٓ إِذْ وُقِفُوا۟ عَلَى ٱلنَّارِ فَقَالُوا۟ يَـٰلَيْتَنَا نُرَدُّ وَلَا نُكَذِّبَ بِـَٔايَـٰتِ رَبِّنَا وَنَكُونَ مِنَ ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ
Translation: "If you could but see when they are made to stand before the Fire and will say, 'Oh, would that we could be returned [to life on earth] and not deny the signs of our Lord and be among the believers.' "
Verse 28 بَلْ بَدَا لَهُم مَّا كَانُوا۟ يُخْفُونَ مِن قَبْلُ ۖ وَلَوْ رُدُّوا۟ لَعَادُوا۟ لِمَا نُهُوا۟ عَنْهُ وَإِنَّهُمْ لَكَـٰذِبُونَ
Translation: "But what they concealed before has [now] appeared to them. And even if they were returned, they would return to that which they were forbidden; and indeed, they are liars."
Verse 29 وَقَالُوٓا۟ إِنْ هِىَ إِلَّا حَيَاتُنَا ٱلدُّنْيَا وَمَا نَحْنُ بِمَبْعُوثِينَ
Translation: "And they say, 'There is none but our worldly life, and we will not be resurrected.' "
Verse 30 *وَلَوْ ت
Understanding Surah Al-Anʿām (6:21-30): A Deep Dive for New Muslims
Surah Al-Anʿām, verses 21 to 30, addresses themes of monotheism, the consequences of disbelief, and the reality of the Day of Judgment. Let's explore these verses to understand their profound messages.
1. The Gravity of Associating Partners with Allah (Verses 21-23)
Allah emphasizes that there is no greater injustice than fabricating lies against Him or denying His signs:
"And who is more unjust than one who invents about Allah a lie or denies His verses? Indeed, the wrongdoers will not succeed."
(Surah Al-Anʿām 6:21)
On the Day of Judgment, those who associated partners with Allah will be questioned about their false deities:
"And [mention, O Muhammad], the Day We will gather them all together; then We will say to those who associated others with Allah, 'Where are your 'partners' that you used to claim [with Him]?' "
(Surah Al-Anʿām 6:22)
In their desperation, they will resort to lies, denying their previous shirk (association of partners with Allah):
"Then there will be no [excuse upon] examination except they will say, 'By Allah, our Lord, we were not those who associated.' "
(Surah Al-Anʿām 6:23)
2. Self-Deception and the Loss of False Deities (Verse 24)
These verses highlight the self-deception of the disbelievers:
"See how they will lie about themselves. And lost from them will be what they used to invent."
(Surah Al-Anʿām 6:24)
Their fabricated gods will abandon them, leaving them to face the consequences of their actions alone.
3. Spiritual Obstinacy and Rejection of Truth (Verses 25-26)
Some individuals, despite hearing the message, remain obstinate:
"And among them are those who listen to you, but We have placed over their hearts coverings, lest they understand it, and in their ears deafness."
(Surah Al-Anʿām 6:25)
They dismiss divine revelations as mere tales of the past and actively prevent others from embracing the truth, harming only themselves in the process.
4. Regret and the Reality of Resurrection (Verses 27-29)
Upon facing the Hellfire, the disbelievers will express deep regret:
"If you could but see when they are made to stand before the Fire and will say, 'Oh, would that we could be returned [to life on earth] and not deny the signs of our Lord and be among the believers.' "
(Surah Al-Anʿām 6:27)
However, even if granted another chance, their inherent dishonesty would lead them back to disbelief. They previously denied the resurrection, considering only the worldly life as real.
5. The Certainty of the Hereafter (Verse 30)
The surah concludes this section by affirming the certainty of the Hereafter:
"If you could but see when they will be made to stand before their Lord. He will say, 'Is this not the truth?' They will say, 'Yes, by our Lord.' He will [then] say, 'So taste the punishment because you used to disbelieve.' "
(Surah Al-Anʿām 6:30)
Key Takeaways for New Muslims:
Monotheism (Tawhid): Recognize and uphold the oneness of Allah, avoiding any form of shirk.
Consequences of Disbelief: Understand the severe repercussions of denying Allah's signs and associating partners with Him.
Self-Reflection: Avoid self-deception by sincerely accepting and acting upon the truth.
Awareness of the Hereafter: Maintain a firm belief in the resurrection and the accountability that follows.
By internalizing these lessons, new Muslims can strengthen their faith and align their actions with the teachings of Islam.