Surah Al-An'am — Verse 137

Meanings of Key Words:

• Shuraka'uhum (شُرَكَاؤُهُمْ): Their partners — referring to the devils among the jinn who inspired and beautified this evil act.
• Li-yurduhum (لِيُرْدُوهُمْ): To destroy them — i.e., to bring them to ruin and perdition.
• Wa-li-yalbisu (وَلِيَلْبِسُوا): To confuse and mix — i.e., to make their religion obscure and ambiguous to them.
• Yaftarun (يَفْتَرُونَ): They fabricate — i.e., the lies and falsehoods they invent against Allah.

Explanation of the Verse:

Just as the devils beautified for the polytheists the unjust division of their crops and cattle — giving a share to Allah and a share to their false deities — they likewise beautified for many of them the killing of their own children. The devils made this horrific act seem appealing and justified, whether through burying baby girls alive out of fear of poverty, or through other forms of infanticide. The purpose of this evil embellishment was to bring these parents to utter destruction — both in this world through the grave sin of taking innocent life, and in the Hereafter through Allah's punishment. It was also meant to confuse their religion, so that they could no longer distinguish between what is lawful and what is unlawful, between truth and falsehood, and so that their faith would become so muddled that they would remain lost in misguidance.

Had Allah willed that they not do this, they would not have done it — for nothing occurs in His dominion except by His will and decree. But His wisdom necessitated that they be left to their choices, as a test and a trial, and because He knew their evil disposition and their ultimate end. The verse also serves as a decisive refutation of those who claim that humans act entirely independently of Allah's will, for it affirms that all that happens falls within His divine decree.

So, O Messenger, leave these polytheists and the lies they fabricate against Allah — their false claims, their invented rituals, and their slanderous attributions to their Creator. Do not grieve over them, and do not exhaust yourself in trying to guide those who have chosen blindness over sight. Allah is fully aware of their deeds, and He will judge between you and them with perfect justice. Their end is with Him, and He is the Best of Judges.

A Call to Reflection and Faith:

Dear reader, contemplate the depth of this verse and the mercy of Allah, who protected you from such darkness. These people were so deceived by their devils that they killed their own children — the very souls that Allah had entrusted to them — all because of fear of poverty and blind imitation of false traditions. Yet Allah, in His infinite mercy, forbade this and made the preservation of life one of the highest objectives of His law.

How beautiful is Islam, which honors the child, protects the family, and elevates the sanctity of human life! How grateful we should be that Allah has guided us to a religion that commands kindness to children, care for the vulnerable, and complete trust in Allah's provision. He says: "Do not kill your children out of fear of poverty — We provide for them and for you" (Al-Isra: 31).

Let this verse be a reminder to us all: the devils are still at work, beautifying evil deeds in the hearts of people — making sin seem attractive, making disobedience appear reasonable, and confusing the truth. But the believer who clings to the Qur'an and the Sunnah has a clear light that no darkness can extinguish. Hold fast to your faith, for it is your shield against every deception, and trust in Allah, for He is the Best Protector and the Most Merciful of those who show mercy.