Surah Anam ayat 122 Tafsir Quran 6:122

﴿أَوَمَن كَانَ مَيْتًا فَأَحْيَيْنَاهُ وَجَعَلْنَا لَهُ نُورًا يَمْشِي بِهِ فِي النَّاسِ كَمَن مَّثَلُهُ فِي الظُّلُمَاتِ لَيْسَ بِخَارِجٍ مِّنْهَا ۚ كَذَٰلِكَ زُيِّنَ لِلْكَافِرِينَ مَا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ﴾
[ الأنعام: 122]

6:122 And is one who was dead and We gave him life and made for him light by which to walk among the people like one who is in darkness, never to emerge therefrom? Thus it has been made pleasing to the disbelievers that which they were doing.

The following was revealed regarding Abū Jahl and others Why is he who was dead through unbelief and We gave him life through guidance and appointed for him a light by which to walk among people distinguishing thereby the truth from falsehood — this light being faith — as him whose likeness ka-man mathaluhu mathal ‘likeness’ is extra; in other words read ka-man huwa ‘as him who’ is in darkness whence he cannot emerge? — and this is the disbeliever — No! So in the same way that faith has been adorned for believers what the disbelievers have been doing in the way of disbelief and acts of disobedience has been adorned for them.

Does he who has been destitute of spiritual life and We inspirited with illumination and enlightenment to conduct himself well among the people and Providence his guide, compare with him who is led by the nose by the prince of darkness into deepest dismay where there is no escape! Thus were the infidels deluded with sensuous notions that in vain they wasted their days

The Parable of the Disbeliever and the Believer This is an example that Allah has given of the believer who was dead, meaning, wandering in confusion and misguidance.
Then, Allah brought life to him, by bringing life to his heart with faith, guiding him to it and guiding him to obeying His Messengers, لَهُ نُورًا يَمْشِي بِهِ فِى النَّاسِ كَمَن ( And set for him a light whereby he can walk amongst men. ) for he became guided to where he should go and how to remain on the correct path.
The light mentioned here is the Qur'an, according to Ibn `Abbas, as Al-`Awfi and Ibn Abi Talhah reported from him.
As-Suddi said that the light mentioned here is Islam.
Both meanings are correct. مَّثَلُهُ فِي الظُّلُمَـتِ لَيْسَ ( Like him who is in the darkness ) of ignorance, desires and various types of deviation, بِخَارِجٍ مِّنْهَا كَذَلِكَ ( From which he can never come out ) for he is unable to find a way out from what he is in.
In Musnad Ahmad, it is recorded that the Prophet said;
«إِنَّ اللهَ خَلَقَ خَلْقَهُ فِي ظُلْمَةٍ، ثُمَّ رَشَّ عَلَيْهِمْ مِنْ نُورِهِ، فَمَنْ أَصَابَهُ ذَلِكَ النُّورُ اهْتَدَى، وَمَنَ أَخْطَأَهُ ضَل»
( Allah created creation in darkness, then He showered His Light upon them.
Whoever was struck by that light is guided, whoever it missed is astray. ) Allah said in other Ayat, اللَّهُ وَلِيُّ الَّذِينَ ءامَنُواْ يُخْرِجُهُم مِّنَ الظُّلُمَـتِ إِلَى النُّورِ وَالَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ أَوْلِيَآؤُهُمُ الطَّـغُوتُ يُخْرِجُونَهُم مِّنَ النُّورِ إِلَى الظُّلُمَـتِ أُوْلَـئِكَ أَصْحَـبُ النَّارِ هُمْ فِيهَا خَـلِدُونَ ( Allah is the Guardian of those who believe.
He brings them out from darkness into light.
But as for those who disbelieve, their friends are Taghut, they bring them out from light into darkness.
Those are the dwellers of the Fire, and they will abide therein forever. ) 2:257, and أَفَمَن يَمْشِى مُكِبّاً عَلَى وَجْهِهِ أَهْدَى أَمَّن يَمْشِى سَوِيّاً عَلَى صِرَطٍ مُّسْتَقِيمٍ ( Is he who walks prone on his face, more rightly guided, or he who walks upright on the straight way ) 67:22, and مَثَلُ الْفَرِيقَيْنِ كَالاٌّعْمَى وَالاٌّصَمِّ وَالْبَصِيرِ وَالسَّمِيعِ هَلْ يَسْتَوِيَانِ مَثَلاً أَفَلاَ تَذَكَّرُونَ ( The parable of the two parties is as the blind and the deaf and the seer and the hearer.
Are they equal when compared Will you not then take heed ) 11:24, and, وَمَا يَسْتَوِى الاٌّعْمَى وَالْبَصِيرُ - وَلاَ الظُّلُمَاتُ وَلاَ النُّورُ - وَلاَ الظِّلُّ وَلاَ الْحَرُورُ - وَمَا يَسْتَوِى الاٌّحْيَآءُ وَلاَ الاٌّمْوَاتُ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُسْمِعُ مَن يَشَآءُ وَمَآ أَنتَ بِمُسْمِعٍ مَّن فِى الْقُبُورِ - إِنْ أَنتَ إِلاَّ نَذِيرٌ ( Not alike are the blind and the seeing.
Nor are darkness and light.
Nor are the shade and the sun's heat.
Nor are the living and the dead.
Verily, Allah makes whom He wills to hear, but you cannot make hear those who are in the graves.
You are only a warner. ) 35:19-23 There are many other Ayat on this subject.
We explained before why Allah mentioned the light in the singular sense and the darkness in the plural sense when we explained the Ayah at the beginning of the Surah, وَجَعَلَ الظُّلُمَـتِ وَالنُّورَ ( And originated the darknesses and the light. ) 6:1 Allah's statement, زُيِّنَ لِلْكَـفِرِينَ مَا كَانُواْ يَعْمَلُونَ ( Thus it is made fair seeming to the disbelievers that which they used to do. ) means, We made their ignorance and misguidance appear fair to them, as Allah decreed out of His wisdom, there is no deity worthy of worship except Him alone without partners.

(6:122) He who was dead and whom We raised to life, *88 and We set a light for him to walk among men - is he like the one steeped in darkness out of which he does not come out? *89. Thus have their own doings been made to seem fair to the unbelievers. *90

And is one who was dead and meaning

*88).
'Death' signifies here the state of ignorance and lack of consciousness, whereas 'life' denotes the state of knowledge and true cognition, the state of awareness of Reality.
He who cannot distinguish between right and wrong and does not know the Straight Way for human life, may be alive on the biological plane, but his essential humanity is not.
He may be a living animal but is certainly not a living human being.
A living human being is one who can distinguish right from wrong, good from evil, honesty from dishonesty.

*89).
The question is: 'How can they expect one who has been able to attain genuine consciousness of his true human nature and who, by virtue of his knowledge of the Truth, can clearly discern the Straight Way among the numerous crooked ways, to live like those who lack true consciousness and go on stumbling in the darkness of ignorance and folly?'
*90).
The law of God with regard to those to whom light is presented but who wilfully refuse to accept it, preferring to follow their crooked paths even after they have been invited to follow the Straight Way, is that in the course of time such people begin to cherish darkness, and to enjoy groping their way in the dark, stumbling and falling as they proceed.
They tend to mistake cacti for orchids, thorns for roses.
They find pleasure in every act of evil and corruption.
They look forward to renewed experiences of corruption, hoping that where they were previously unsuccessful they will now find success.

 

The Parable of the Disbeliever and the Believer This is an example that Allah has given of the believer who was dead, meaning, wandering in confusion and misguidance.
Then, Allah brought life to him, by bringing life to his heart with faith, guiding him to it and guiding him to obeying His Messengers, لَهُ نُورًا يَمْشِي بِهِ فِى النَّاسِ كَمَن ( And set for him a light whereby he can walk amongst men. ) for he became guided to where he should go and how to remain on the correct path.
The light mentioned here is the Qur'an, according to Ibn `Abbas, as Al-`Awfi and Ibn Abi Talhah reported from him.
As-Suddi said that the light mentioned here is Islam.
Both meanings are correct. مَّثَلُهُ فِي الظُّلُمَـتِ لَيْسَ ( Like him who is in the darkness ) of ignorance, desires and various types of deviation, بِخَارِجٍ مِّنْهَا كَذَلِكَ ( From which he can never come out ) for he is unable to find a way out from what he is in.
In Musnad Ahmad, it is recorded that the Prophet said; «إِنَّ اللهَ خَلَقَ خَلْقَهُ فِي ظُلْمَةٍ، ثُمَّ رَشَّ عَلَيْهِمْ مِنْ نُورِهِ، فَمَنْ أَصَابَهُ ذَلِكَ النُّورُ اهْتَدَى، وَمَنَ أَخْطَأَهُ ضَل» ( Allah created creation in darkness, then He showered His Light upon them.
Whoever was struck by that light is guided, whoever it missed is astray. ) Allah said in other Ayat, اللَّهُ وَلِيُّ الَّذِينَ ءامَنُواْ يُخْرِجُهُم مِّنَ الظُّلُمَـتِ إِلَى النُّورِ وَالَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ أَوْلِيَآؤُهُمُ الطَّـغُوتُ يُخْرِجُونَهُم مِّنَ النُّورِ إِلَى الظُّلُمَـتِ أُوْلَـئِكَ أَصْحَـبُ النَّارِ هُمْ فِيهَا خَـلِدُونَ ( Allah is the Guardian of those who believe.
He brings them out from darkness into light.
But as for those who disbelieve, their friends are Taghut, they bring them out from light into darkness.
Those are the dwellers of the Fire, and they will abide therein forever. ) 2:257, and أَفَمَن يَمْشِى مُكِبّاً عَلَى وَجْهِهِ أَهْدَى أَمَّن يَمْشِى سَوِيّاً عَلَى صِرَطٍ مُّسْتَقِيمٍ ( Is he who walks prone on his face, more rightly guided, or he who walks upright on the straight way ) 67:22, and مَثَلُ الْفَرِيقَيْنِ كَالاٌّعْمَى وَالاٌّصَمِّ وَالْبَصِيرِ وَالسَّمِيعِ هَلْ يَسْتَوِيَانِ مَثَلاً أَفَلاَ تَذَكَّرُونَ ( The parable of the two parties is as the blind and the deaf and the seer and the hearer.
Are they equal when compared Will you not then take heed ) 11:24, and, وَمَا يَسْتَوِى الاٌّعْمَى وَالْبَصِيرُ - وَلاَ الظُّلُمَاتُ وَلاَ النُّورُ - وَلاَ الظِّلُّ وَلاَ الْحَرُورُ - وَمَا يَسْتَوِى الاٌّحْيَآءُ وَلاَ الاٌّمْوَاتُ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُسْمِعُ مَن يَشَآءُ وَمَآ أَنتَ بِمُسْمِعٍ مَّن فِى الْقُبُورِ - إِنْ أَنتَ إِلاَّ نَذِيرٌ ( Not alike are the blind and the seeing.
Nor are darkness and light.
Nor are the shade and the sun's heat.
Nor are the living and the dead.
Verily, Allah makes whom He wills to hear, but you cannot make hear those who are in the graves.
You are only a warner. ) 35:19-23 There are many other Ayat on this subject.
We explained before why Allah mentioned the light in the singular sense and the darkness in the plural sense when we explained the Ayah at the beginning of the Surah, وَجَعَلَ الظُّلُمَـتِ وَالنُّورَ ( And originated the darknesses and the light. ) 6:1 Allah's statement, زُيِّنَ لِلْكَـفِرِينَ مَا كَانُواْ يَعْمَلُونَ ( Thus it is made fair seeming to the disbelievers that which they used to do. ) means, We made their ignorance and misguidance appear fair to them, as Allah decreed out of His wisdom, there is no deity worthy of worship except Him alone without partners.

( Is he who was dead ) i.e. the disbeliever; this verse was revealed about ’Ammar Ibn Yasir, Abu Jahl Ibn Hisham ( and We have raised him unto life ) and We honoured him with faith, referring to ’Ammar Ibn Yasir, ( and set for him a light ) knowledge ( wherein he walketh ) wherein he is guided ( among men ) it is also said that ( and set for him a light ) means: We set for him a light on the Bridge over hell in the midst of people, ( as him whose similitude is in utter darkness ) the error of disbelief in this world and the darkness of Gehenna on the Day of Judgement, the reference here is to Abu Jahl ( whence he cannot emerge ) he cannot free himself from disbelief and error in this world nor from the darkness in the Hereafter? ( Thus is their conduct made fair-seeming for the disbelievers ) thus We made his works seem fair to Abu Jahl.

Is he who was dead (without Faith by ignorance and disbelief) and We gave him life (by knowledge and Faith) and set for him a light (of Belief) whereby he can walk amongst men, like him who is in the darkness (of disbelief, polytheism and hypocrisy) from which he can never come out? Thus it is made fair-seeming to the disbelievers that which they used to do.

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