Surah Anam ayat 148 Tafsir Quran 6:148

﴿سَيَقُولُ الَّذِينَ أَشْرَكُوا لَوْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ مَا أَشْرَكْنَا وَلَا آبَاؤُنَا وَلَا حَرَّمْنَا مِن شَيْءٍ ۚ كَذَٰلِكَ كَذَّبَ الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ حَتَّىٰ ذَاقُوا بَأْسَنَا ۗ قُلْ هَلْ عِندَكُم مِّنْ عِلْمٍ فَتُخْرِجُوهُ لَنَا ۖ إِن تَتَّبِعُونَ إِلَّا الظَّنَّ وَإِنْ أَنتُمْ إِلَّا تَخْرُصُونَ﴾
[ الأنعام: 148]

6:148 Those who associated with Allah will say, "If Allah had willed, we would not have associated [anything] and neither would our fathers, nor would we have prohibited anything." Likewise did those before deny until they tasted Our punishment. Say, "Do you have any knowledge that you can produce for us? You follow not except assumption, and you are not but falsifying."

The idolaters will say ‘Had God willed we would not have been idolaters neither we nor our fathers nor would we have forbidden anything’ in other words our idolatry and our forbidding of things are by His will and so He must be satisfied with it. God exalted be He says So in the same way that these have lied those who were before them gave the lie to their prophets until they tasted Our might Our chastisement. Say ‘Have you any knowledge that God is satisfied with this such that you can adduce for us? that is you have no such knowledge. You follow only supposition in this matter merely guessing’ telling lies therein.

And to excuse their unjustifiable infidelity, the idolaters will insolently say: Had Allah willed, neither we nor our fathers would have incorporated with Him other deities nor would we have instituted taboos. Thus much did their predecessors charge their Messengers with falsehood until they tasted the fatal consequences of the evil way they conducted themselves in life. Say to them O Muhammad: Do you have such knowledge serving as evidence to bring it to book? You only follow the false suppositions and the incitement arising from the state of your minds and feelings; you simply lie and indeed you lie your teeth

A False Notion and its Rebuttal Here Allah mentioned a debate with the idolators, refuting a false notion they have over their Shirk and the things that they prohibited.
They said, surely, Allah has full knowledge of the Shirk we indulge in, and that we forbid some kinds of wealth.
Allah is able to change this Shirk by directing us to the faith, - they claimed - and prevent us from falling into disbelief, but He did not do that.
Therefore - they said Allah indicated that He willed, decided and agreed that we do all this.
They said, لَوْ شَآءَ اللَّهُ مَآ أَشْرَكْنَا وَلاَحَرَّمْنَا مِن شَىْءٍ ( "If Allah had willed, we would not have taken partners (in worship ) with Him, nor would our fathers, and we would not have forbidden anything.") Allah said in another Ayah, وَقَالُواْ لَوْ شَآءَ الرَّحْمَـنُ مَا عَبَدْنَـهُمْ ( And they said: "If it had been the will of the Most Gracious (Allah ), we should not have worshipped them ( false deities )") 43:20.
Similar is mentioned in Surat An-Nahl.
Allah said next, كَذَلِكَ كَذَّبَ الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ ( Likewise belied those who were before them, ) for by using and relying on this understanding, the misguided ones before them were led astray.
This notion is false and ungrounded, for had it been true, Allah would not have harmed them, destroyed them, aided His honorable Messengers over them, and made them taste His painful punishment. قُلْ هَلْ عِندَكُم مِّنْ عِلْمٍ ( Say: "Have you any knowledge..." ) that Allah is pleased with you and with your ways, فَتُخْرِجُوهُ لَنَآ ( that you can produce before us. ) and make it plain, apparent and clear for us.
However, إِن تَتَّبِعُونَ إِلاَّ الظَّنَّ ( Verily, you only follow the Zann ) doubts and wishful thinking, وَإِنْ أَنتُمْ إِلاَّ تَخْرُصُونَ ( and you do nothing but lie ) about Allah in the false claims that you utter.
Allah said next, قُلْ فَلِلَّهِ الْحُجَّةُ الْبَـلِغَةُ فَلَوْ شَآءَ لَهَدَاكُمْ أَجْمَعِينَ ( Say: "With Allah is the perfect proof and argument; had He so willed, He would indeed have guided you all." ) Allah said to His Prophet قُلْ ( Say ) O Muhammad, to them, فَلِلَّهِ الْحُجَّةُ الْبَـلِغَةُ ( "With Allah is the perfect proof and argument.
.." ) the perfect wisdom and unequivocal proof to guide whom He wills and misguide whom He wills. فَلَوْ شَآءَ لَهَدَاكُمْ أَجْمَعِينَ ( had He so willed, He would indeed have guided you all. ) All of this happens accordng to His decree, His will, and His choice.
So in this way, He is pleased with the believers, and angry with the disbelievers.
Allah said in other Ayat, وَلَوْ شَآءَ اللَّهُ لَجَمَعَهُمْ عَلَى الْهُدَى ( And had Allah willed, He could have gathered them together (all ) on true guidance,) 6:35 and وَلَوْ شَآءَ رَبُّكَ لآمَنَ مَن فِى الاٌّرْضِ ( And had your Lord willed, those on earth would have believed, all of them together. ) 10:99 and, وَلَوْ شَآءَ رَبُّكَ لَجَعَلَ النَّاسَ أُمَّةً وَاحِدَةً وَلاَ يَزَالُونَ مُخْتَلِفِينَ إِلاَّ مَن رَّحِمَ رَبُّكَ وَلِذلِكَ خَلَقَهُمْ وَتَمَّتْ كَلِمَةُ رَبّكَ لاَمْلاَنَّ جَهَنَّمَ مِنَ الْجِنَّةِ وَالنَّاسِ أَجْمَعِينَ- ( And if your Lord had so willed, He could surely have made mankind one Ummah, but they will not cease to disagree.
Except him on whom your Lord has bestowed His mercy and for that did He create them.
And the Word of your Lord has been fulfilled: "Surely, I shall fill Hell with Jinns and men all together." ) 11:118-119 Ad-Dahhak said, "No one has an excuse if he disobeys Allah.
Surely, Allah has the perfect proof established against His servants." Allah said, قُلْ هَلُمَّ شُهَدَآءَكُمُ ( Bring forward your witnesses, ) produce your witnesses, الَّذِينَ يَشْهَدُونَ أَنَّ اللَّهَ حَرَّمَ هَـذَا ( who can testify that Allah has forbidden this. ) which you have forbidden and lied and invented about Allah in this regard, فَإِن شَهِدُواْ فَلاَ تَشْهَدْ مَعَهُمْ ( Then if they testify, do not testify with them. ) because in this case, their testimony is false and untrue, وَلاَ تَتَّبِعْ أَهْوَآءَ الَّذِينَ كَذَّبُواْ بِآيَـتِنَا وَالَّذِينَ لاَ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِالاٌّخِرَةِ وَهُم بِرَبِّهِمْ يَعْدِلُونَ ( And do not follow the vain desires of those who belie Our Ayat, and such as believe not in the Hereafter, and they hold others as equal with their Lord. ) by associating others with Allah in worship and treating them as equals to Him.

(6:148) Those who associate others with Allah in His divinity will now surely say: 'Had Allah willed, neither we nor our forefathers would have associated others with Allah in His divinity, nor would we have declared anything (which Allah did not forbid) as forbidden.' *124 Even so those who had lived before them gave the lie (to the Truth) until they tasted Our chastisement. Tell them: 'Have you any sure knowledge that you can produce before us? In fact you are only following idle fancies, merely conjecturing.'

Those who associated with Allah will say, meaning

*124).
Their apology for their crimes and misdeeds would be that which has always been advanced by criminals and wrong-doers - an apology based on the assumption of absolute determinism.
They would plead that when they associated others with God in His divinity, or unwarrantedly regarded certain things as prohibited, they did so because those acts had been willed for them by God.
Had He not so willed, they would not have been able to do what they did.
Hence, since they were doing everything according to the will of God, everything was proper.
If anyone was to blame, it was God and not they.
They were under compulsion to do what they did, for the ability to do otherwise lay beyond their power.

 

A False Notion and its Rebuttal Here Allah mentioned a debate with the idolators, refuting a false notion they have over their Shirk and the things that they prohibited.
They said, surely, Allah has full knowledge of the Shirk we indulge in, and that we forbid some kinds of wealth.
Allah is able to change this Shirk by directing us to the faith, - they claimed - and prevent us from falling into disbelief, but He did not do that.
Therefore - they said Allah indicated that He willed, decided and agreed that we do all this.
They said, لَوْ شَآءَ اللَّهُ مَآ أَشْرَكْنَا وَلاَحَرَّمْنَا مِن شَىْءٍ ( "If Allah had willed, we would not have taken partners (in worship ) with Him, nor would our fathers, and we would not have forbidden anything.") Allah said in another Ayah, وَقَالُواْ لَوْ شَآءَ الرَّحْمَـنُ مَا عَبَدْنَـهُمْ ( And they said: "If it had been the will of the Most Gracious (Allah ), we should not have worshipped them ( false deities )") 43:20.
Similar is mentioned in Surat An-Nahl.
Allah said next, كَذَلِكَ كَذَّبَ الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ ( Likewise belied those who were before them, ) for by using and relying on this understanding, the misguided ones before them were led astray.
This notion is false and ungrounded, for had it been true, Allah would not have harmed them, destroyed them, aided His honorable Messengers over them, and made them taste His painful punishment. قُلْ هَلْ عِندَكُم مِّنْ عِلْمٍ ( Say: "Have you any knowledge..." ) that Allah is pleased with you and with your ways, فَتُخْرِجُوهُ لَنَآ ( that you can produce before us. ) and make it plain, apparent and clear for us.
However, إِن تَتَّبِعُونَ إِلاَّ الظَّنَّ ( Verily, you only follow the Zann ) doubts and wishful thinking, وَإِنْ أَنتُمْ إِلاَّ تَخْرُصُونَ ( and you do nothing but lie ) about Allah in the false claims that you utter.
Allah said next, قُلْ فَلِلَّهِ الْحُجَّةُ الْبَـلِغَةُ فَلَوْ شَآءَ لَهَدَاكُمْ أَجْمَعِينَ ( Say: "With Allah is the perfect proof and argument; had He so willed, He would indeed have guided you all." ) Allah said to His Prophet قُلْ ( Say ) O Muhammad, to them, فَلِلَّهِ الْحُجَّةُ الْبَـلِغَةُ ( "With Allah is the perfect proof and argument.
.." ) the perfect wisdom and unequivocal proof to guide whom He wills and misguide whom He wills. فَلَوْ شَآءَ لَهَدَاكُمْ أَجْمَعِينَ ( had He so willed, He would indeed have guided you all. ) All of this happens accordng to His decree, His will, and His choice.
So in this way, He is pleased with the believers, and angry with the disbelievers.
Allah said in other Ayat, وَلَوْ شَآءَ اللَّهُ لَجَمَعَهُمْ عَلَى الْهُدَى ( And had Allah willed, He could have gathered them together (all ) on true guidance,) 6:35 and وَلَوْ شَآءَ رَبُّكَ لآمَنَ مَن فِى الاٌّرْضِ ( And had your Lord willed, those on earth would have believed, all of them together. ) 10:99 and, وَلَوْ شَآءَ رَبُّكَ لَجَعَلَ النَّاسَ أُمَّةً وَاحِدَةً وَلاَ يَزَالُونَ مُخْتَلِفِينَ إِلاَّ مَن رَّحِمَ رَبُّكَ وَلِذلِكَ خَلَقَهُمْ وَتَمَّتْ كَلِمَةُ رَبّكَ لاَمْلاَنَّ جَهَنَّمَ مِنَ الْجِنَّةِ وَالنَّاسِ أَجْمَعِينَ- ( And if your Lord had so willed, He could surely have made mankind one Ummah, but they will not cease to disagree.
Except him on whom your Lord has bestowed His mercy and for that did He create them.
And the Word of your Lord has been fulfilled: "Surely, I shall fill Hell with Jinns and men all together." ) 11:118-119 Ad-Dahhak said, "No one has an excuse if he disobeys Allah.
Surely, Allah has the perfect proof established against His servants." Allah said, قُلْ هَلُمَّ شُهَدَآءَكُمُ ( Bring forward your witnesses, ) produce your witnesses, الَّذِينَ يَشْهَدُونَ أَنَّ اللَّهَ حَرَّمَ هَـذَا ( who can testify that Allah has forbidden this. ) which you have forbidden and lied and invented about Allah in this regard, فَإِن شَهِدُواْ فَلاَ تَشْهَدْ مَعَهُمْ ( Then if they testify, do not testify with them. ) because in this case, their testimony is false and untrue, وَلاَ تَتَّبِعْ أَهْوَآءَ الَّذِينَ كَذَّبُواْ بِآيَـتِنَا وَالَّذِينَ لاَ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِالاٌّخِرَةِ وَهُم بِرَبِّهِمْ يَعْدِلُونَ ( And do not follow the vain desires of those who belie Our Ayat, and such as believe not in the Hereafter, and they hold others as equal with their Lord. ) by associating others with Allah in worship and treating them as equals to Him.

( They who are idolaters will say: Had Allah willed, we had not ascribed (unto Him ) partners neither had our fathers nor had we forbidden aught) of crops and cattle, but this has been commanded and forbidden for us. ( Thus ) just as did your people give the lie ( did those who were before them give the lie ) to their messengers ( till they tasted of the fear of Us ) Our torment. ( Say ) O Muhammad: ( Have ye any knowledge ) any clarification regarding what you describe as unlawful ( that ye can adduce for us? Lo! ye follow naught but an opinion ) your prohibition of crops and cattle is nothing but surmise. ( Lo! Ye do but guess ) you just lie.

Those who took partners (in worship) with Allah will say: "If Allah had willed, we would not have taken partners (in worship) with Him, nor would our fathers, and we would not have forbidden anything (against His Will)." Likewise belied those who were before them, (they argued falsely with Allah's Messengers), till they tasted of Our Wrath. Say: "Have you any knowledge (proof) that you can produce before us? Verily, you follow nothing but guess and you do nothing but lie."

Page 148 English transliteration