Translation of the Meanings of the Noble Qur'an - English Translation - Dr. Waleed Bleyhesh Omary * - Translations’ Index
Translation of the meanings Ayah: (148) Surah: Al-An‘ām
سَيَقُولُ ٱلَّذِينَ أَشۡرَكُواْ لَوۡ شَآءَ ٱللَّهُ مَآ أَشۡرَكۡنَا وَلَآ ءَابَآؤُنَا وَلَا حَرَّمۡنَا مِن شَيۡءٖۚ كَذَٰلِكَ كَذَّبَ ٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبۡلِهِمۡ حَتَّىٰ ذَاقُواْ بَأۡسَنَاۗ قُلۡ هَلۡ عِندَكُم مِّنۡ عِلۡمٖ فَتُخۡرِجُوهُ لَنَآۖ إِن تَتَّبِعُونَ إِلَّا ٱلظَّنَّ وَإِنۡ أَنتُمۡ إِلَّا تَخۡرُصُونَ
(148) [1529]Those who Associate will say: “Had Allah wished, we would not have Associated, neither we nor our fathers; neither would we have prohibited anything!”[1530] Likewise the ones before them denied until they tasted Our affliction[1531]. Say ˹Muhammad˺: “Do you have knowledge that you may produce for us? Indeed you only follow ˹mere˺ fancies, indeed they are only guessing”[1532].
[1529] Now that it is their presumed turn to respond to the arguments put forward to them, assuming their position, God quotes this time-worn pretext of the rejecters of the Truth; blaming their Denial on God (cf. al-Rāzī, al-Biqāʿī): “The Associators said: “Had Allah wished, neither we nor our fathers would have worshipped anything other than Him, nor prohibited anything without His command”. The same was done by those before them. Is not the Messengers’ duty only to deliver ˹the Message˺ clearly?” (16: 35)
[1530] They argue by citing predestination (al-qadar), yet they were given the choice of choosing the path they follow in life whilst being sent Messengers to show them the right path: “…and pointed out to him ˹man˺ the two clear ways ˹of good and evil˺?” (90: 10); “We showed him the way, be he thankful or be he ardently Denying” (76: 3); “… and by the soul and how He formed it; *And inspired it ˹with discernment of ˺ its wickedness and its righteousness” (91: 7-8). Thus endowed, blaming their evil doings on God’s will is nothing more than scapegoating, a weak ploy meant either to evade responsibility or to quiet one’s nagging conscience. Yet it could also be meant merely for the sake of arguing back.
[1531] The example of earlier nations is given here to confirm that God is not pleased with the path they chose for themselves no matter what line of argument they take, so that they may rethink. Earlier in the sura (Aya 11) they were bade to: “Travel the land and look what was the fate of the deniers”.
[1532] In actuality, this is what they base their ‘laws’ on, a fact stated earlier in Aya 116 above and alluded to throughout the sura.
[1530] They argue by citing predestination (al-qadar), yet they were given the choice of choosing the path they follow in life whilst being sent Messengers to show them the right path: “…and pointed out to him ˹man˺ the two clear ways ˹of good and evil˺?” (90: 10); “We showed him the way, be he thankful or be he ardently Denying” (76: 3); “… and by the soul and how He formed it; *And inspired it ˹with discernment of ˺ its wickedness and its righteousness” (91: 7-8). Thus endowed, blaming their evil doings on God’s will is nothing more than scapegoating, a weak ploy meant either to evade responsibility or to quiet one’s nagging conscience. Yet it could also be meant merely for the sake of arguing back.
[1531] The example of earlier nations is given here to confirm that God is not pleased with the path they chose for themselves no matter what line of argument they take, so that they may rethink. Earlier in the sura (Aya 11) they were bade to: “Travel the land and look what was the fate of the deniers”.
[1532] In actuality, this is what they base their ‘laws’ on, a fact stated earlier in Aya 116 above and alluded to throughout the sura.
Arabic explanations of the Qur’an:
Translation of the meanings Ayah: (148) Surah: Al-An‘ām
Translation of the Meanings of the Noble Qur'an - English Translation - Dr. Waleed Bleyhesh Omary - Translations’ Index
Translation of the meanings of the Noble Qur’an into English - in progress - translated by Dr. Walid Bleihesh Al-Omari.