Surah Anam ayat 109 Tafsir Quran 6:109

﴿وَأَقْسَمُوا بِاللَّهِ جَهْدَ أَيْمَانِهِمْ لَئِن جَاءَتْهُمْ آيَةٌ لَّيُؤْمِنُنَّ بِهَا ۚ قُلْ إِنَّمَا الْآيَاتُ عِندَ اللَّهِ ۖ وَمَا يُشْعِرُكُمْ أَنَّهَا إِذَا جَاءَتْ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ﴾
[ الأنعام: 109]

6:109 And they swear by Allah their strongest oaths that if a sign came to them, they would surely believe in it. Say, "The signs are only with Allah." And what will make you perceive that even if a sign came, they would not believe.

They that is the disbelievers of Mecca have sworn by God the most earnest oaths that if there came to them a sign of what they requested they will believe in it. Say to them ‘Signs are only with God’ and He sends them down as and when He wills; I am but a warner. But what will make you realise? how would you know if they have believed if these signs did come to them? In other words you would not know this; truly when they come they will not believe because of what I already know a variant reading for lā yu’minūna ‘they will not believe’ has lā tu’minūna ‘you will not believe’ making the address to the disbelievers; another variant reading has annahā instead of innahā ‘that truly’ as meaning la‘alla ‘that perhaps’ or as governed by the preceding clause la’in jā’athum āyatun ‘if there came to them a sign’.

The infidels make a solemn declaration with an appeal to Allah that if a significant sign be revealed to them to evince both Muhammad’s Prophethood and integrity; they would most certainly accept it. Say to them: Revelations and signs evincing my Prophethood and the truth of my mission rest in the hands of Allah alone. Nonetheless, how do you know, you Muslims, whether the infidels will or will not favourably respond to the miraculous sign

Asking for Miracles and Swearing to Believe if They Come Allah states that the idolators swore their strongest oaths by Allah, لَئِن جَآءَتْهُمْ ءَايَةٌ ( that if there came to them a sign... ) a miracle or phenomenon, لَّيُؤْمِنُنَّ بِهَا ( they would surely believe therein. ) affirming its truth, قُلْ إِنَّمَا الاٌّيَـتُ عِندَ اللَّهِ ( Say: "Signs are but with Allah." ) 6:109 meaning: Say, O Muhammad - to those who ask you for signs out of defiance, disbelief and rebellion, not out of the desire for guidance and knowledge - "The matter of sending signs is for Allah.
If He wills, He sends them to you, and if He wills, He ignores your request." Allah said next, وَمَا يُشْعِرُكُمْ أَنَّهَآ إِذَا جَآءَتْ لاَ يُؤْمِنُونَ ( And what will make you perceive that (even ) if it came, they will not believe) It was said that `you' in `make you preceive' refers to the idolators, according to Mujahid.
In this case, the Ayah would mean, what makes you -- you idolators -- preceive that you are truthful in the vows that you swore Therefore, in this recitation, the Ayah means, the idolators will still not believe if the sign that they asked for came.
It was also said that `you' in, `what will make you preceive', refers to the believers, meaning, what will make you preceive, O believers, that the idolators will still not believe if the signs come.
Allah also said, مَا مَنَعَكَ أَلاَّ تَسْجُدَ إِذْ أَمَرْتُكَ ( "What prevented you (O Iblis ) that you did not prostrate, when I commanded you") 7:12 and, وَحَرَامٌ عَلَى قَرْيَةٍ أَهْلَكْنَـهَآ أَنَّهُمْ لاَ يَرْجِعُونَ ( And a ban is laid on every town (population ) which We have destroyed that they shall not return ( to this world again ).) 21:95 These Ayat mean: `What made you, O Iblis, refrain from prostrating, although I commanded you to do so, and, in the second Ayah, that village shall not return to this world again.
In the Ayah above 6:109, the meaning thus becomes: What makes you perceive, O believers, who wish eagerly for the disbelievers to believe, that if the Ayat came to them they would believe Allah said next, وَنُقَلِّبُ أَفْئِدَتَهُمْ وَأَبْصَـرَهُمْ كَمَا لَمْ يُؤْمِنُواْ بِهِ أَوَّلَ مَرَّةٍ ( And We shall turn their hearts and their eyes away, as they refused to believe therein for the first time, ) Al-`Awfi said that Ibn `Abbas said about this Ayah, "When the idolators rejected what Allah sent down, their hearts did not settle on any one thing and they turned away from every matter ( of benefit )." Mujahid said that Allah's statement, وَنُقَلِّبُ أَفْئِدَتَهُمْ وَأَبْصَـرَهُمْ ( and We shall turn their hearts and their eyes away, ) means, We prevent them from the faith, and even if every sign came to them, they will not believe, just as We prevented them from faith the first time.
Similar was said by `Ikrimah and `Abdur-Rahman bin Zayd bin Aslam.
`Ali bin Abi Talhah said that Ibn `Abbas said, "Allah mentions what the servants will say before they say it and what they will do before they do it.
Allah said; وَلاَ يُنَبِّئُكَ مِثْلُ خَبِيرٍ ( And none can inform you like Him Who is the All-Knower. ) 35:14 and, أَن تَقُولَ نَفْسٌ يحَسْرَتَى عَلَى مَا فَرَّطَتُ فِى جَنبِ اللَّهِ ( Lest a person should say, "Alas, my grief that I was undutiful to Allah." ) 39:56 until, لَوْ أَنَّ لِى كَـرَّةً فَأَكُونَ مِنَ الْمُحْسِنِينَ ( "If only I had another chance, then I should indeed be among the doers of good." ) 39:58.
So Allah, glory be to Him, states that if they were sent back to life, they would not accept the guidance, وَلَوْ رُدُّواْ لَعَـدُواْ لِمَا نُهُواْ عَنْهُ وَإِنَّهُمْ لَكَـذِبُونَ ( But if they were returned, they would certainly revert to that which they were forbidden.
And indeed they are liars. ) 6:28 Allah said, وَنُقَلِّبُ أَفْئِدَتَهُمْ وَأَبْصَـرَهُمْ كَمَا لَمْ يُؤْمِنُواْ بِهِ أَوَّلَ مَرَّةٍ ( And We shall turn their hearts and their eyes away (from guidance ), as they refused to believe therein for the first time,) meaning: `If they were sent back to this life, they would be prevented from embracing the guidance, just as We prevented them from it the first time, when they were in the life of this world." Allah said, وَنَذَرُهُمْ ( and We shall leave them... ) and abandon them, فِي طُغْيَـنِهِمْ ( in their trespass... ) meaning, disbelief, according to Ibn `Abbas and As-Suddi.
Abu Al-`Aliyah, Ar-Rabi` bin Anas and Qatadah said that `their trespass' means, `their misguidance'.
m يَعْمَهُونَ ( to wander blindly ) or playfully, according to Al-A`mash.
Ibn `Abbas, Mujahid, Abu Al-`Aliyah, Ar-Rabi`, Abu Malik and others commented, "to wander in their disbelief."

(6:109) They swear by Allah with their most solemn oaths that if a sign *74 comes to them, they will certainly believe in it. Say: 'Signs are in Allah's power alone. *75 What will make you realize that even if those signs were to come, they would still not believe? *76

And they swear by Allah their strongest meaning

*74).
'Sign' in this context signifies a tangible miracle which is so impressive that it leaves people with no alternative but to believe in the veracity of the Prophet ( peace be on him ) and the truth of his claim to have been appointed by God.

*75).
The Prophet ( peace be on him ) denies his ability to perform miracles.** That power lies with God alone.
If God wants a miracle to take place, He has the power; if He does not want miracles to take place, none will.

**And so indeed does every Prophet of God - Ed.

*76).
These words are addressed to the Muslims.
Driven by the restless yearning to see people embrace Islam - a yearning which they sometimes expressed in words - they wished some miracle to happen which might lead their erring brethren to the true faith.
In response to this wish and longing they are told that their embracing the true faith does not depend upon their observing any miraculous sign.

 

Asking for Miracles and Swearing to Believe if They Come Allah states that the idolators swore their strongest oaths by Allah, لَئِن جَآءَتْهُمْ ءَايَةٌ ( that if there came to them a sign... ) a miracle or phenomenon, لَّيُؤْمِنُنَّ بِهَا ( they would surely believe therein. ) affirming its truth, قُلْ إِنَّمَا الاٌّيَـتُ عِندَ اللَّهِ ( Say: "Signs are but with Allah." ) 6:109 meaning: Say, O Muhammad - to those who ask you for signs out of defiance, disbelief and rebellion, not out of the desire for guidance and knowledge - "The matter of sending signs is for Allah.
If He wills, He sends them to you, and if He wills, He ignores your request." Allah said next, وَمَا يُشْعِرُكُمْ أَنَّهَآ إِذَا جَآءَتْ لاَ يُؤْمِنُونَ ( And what will make you perceive that (even ) if it came, they will not believe) It was said that `you' in `make you preceive' refers to the idolators, according to Mujahid.
In this case, the Ayah would mean, what makes you -- you idolators -- preceive that you are truthful in the vows that you swore Therefore, in this recitation, the Ayah means, the idolators will still not believe if the sign that they asked for came.
It was also said that `you' in, `what will make you preceive', refers to the believers, meaning, what will make you preceive, O believers, that the idolators will still not believe if the signs come.
Allah also said, مَا مَنَعَكَ أَلاَّ تَسْجُدَ إِذْ أَمَرْتُكَ ( "What prevented you (O Iblis ) that you did not prostrate, when I commanded you") 7:12 and, وَحَرَامٌ عَلَى قَرْيَةٍ أَهْلَكْنَـهَآ أَنَّهُمْ لاَ يَرْجِعُونَ ( And a ban is laid on every town (population ) which We have destroyed that they shall not return ( to this world again ).) 21:95 These Ayat mean: `What made you, O Iblis, refrain from prostrating, although I commanded you to do so, and, in the second Ayah, that village shall not return to this world again.
In the Ayah above 6:109, the meaning thus becomes: What makes you perceive, O believers, who wish eagerly for the disbelievers to believe, that if the Ayat came to them they would believe Allah said next, وَنُقَلِّبُ أَفْئِدَتَهُمْ وَأَبْصَـرَهُمْ كَمَا لَمْ يُؤْمِنُواْ بِهِ أَوَّلَ مَرَّةٍ ( And We shall turn their hearts and their eyes away, as they refused to believe therein for the first time, ) Al-`Awfi said that Ibn `Abbas said about this Ayah, "When the idolators rejected what Allah sent down, their hearts did not settle on any one thing and they turned away from every matter ( of benefit )." Mujahid said that Allah's statement, وَنُقَلِّبُ أَفْئِدَتَهُمْ وَأَبْصَـرَهُمْ ( and We shall turn their hearts and their eyes away, ) means, We prevent them from the faith, and even if every sign came to them, they will not believe, just as We prevented them from faith the first time.
Similar was said by `Ikrimah and `Abdur-Rahman bin Zayd bin Aslam.
`Ali bin Abi Talhah said that Ibn `Abbas said, "Allah mentions what the servants will say before they say it and what they will do before they do it.
Allah said; وَلاَ يُنَبِّئُكَ مِثْلُ خَبِيرٍ ( And none can inform you like Him Who is the All-Knower. ) 35:14 and, أَن تَقُولَ نَفْسٌ يحَسْرَتَى عَلَى مَا فَرَّطَتُ فِى جَنبِ اللَّهِ ( Lest a person should say, "Alas, my grief that I was undutiful to Allah." ) 39:56 until, لَوْ أَنَّ لِى كَـرَّةً فَأَكُونَ مِنَ الْمُحْسِنِينَ ( "If only I had another chance, then I should indeed be among the doers of good." ) 39:58.
So Allah, glory be to Him, states that if they were sent back to life, they would not accept the guidance, وَلَوْ رُدُّواْ لَعَـدُواْ لِمَا نُهُواْ عَنْهُ وَإِنَّهُمْ لَكَـذِبُونَ ( But if they were returned, they would certainly revert to that which they were forbidden.
And indeed they are liars. ) 6:28 Allah said, وَنُقَلِّبُ أَفْئِدَتَهُمْ وَأَبْصَـرَهُمْ كَمَا لَمْ يُؤْمِنُواْ بِهِ أَوَّلَ مَرَّةٍ ( And We shall turn their hearts and their eyes away (from guidance ), as they refused to believe therein for the first time,) meaning: `If they were sent back to this life, they would be prevented from embracing the guidance, just as We prevented them from it the first time, when they were in the life of this world." Allah said, وَنَذَرُهُمْ ( and We shall leave them... ) and abandon them, فِي طُغْيَـنِهِمْ ( in their trespass... ) meaning, disbelief, according to Ibn `Abbas and As-Suddi.
Abu Al-`Aliyah, Ar-Rabi` bin Anas and Qatadah said that `their trespass' means, `their misguidance'.
m يَعْمَهُونَ ( to wander blindly ) or playfully, according to Al-A`mash.
Ibn `Abbas, Mujahid, Abu Al-`Aliyah, Ar-Rabi`, Abu Malik and others commented, "to wander in their disbelief."

( And they swear a solemn oath ) an utmost oath, for when one swears by Allah, one swears a solemn oath ( by Allah that if there come unto them a portent ) as they have asked ( they will believe therein ) they will believe in that sign. ( Say ) O Muhammad, to those who sneer and their folk: ( Portents are with Allah ) the signs come from Allah ( and (so is ) that which telleth you) and how do you know, O believers ( that if such ) the signs ( came unto them they would not believe ) by Allah they will not believe in the sign.

And they swear their strongest oaths by Allah, that if there came to them a sign, they would surely believe therein. Say: "Signs are but with Allah and what will make you (Muslims) perceive that (even) if it (the sign) came, they will not believe?"

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