Surah Anam ayat 157 Tafsir Quran 6:157

﴿أَوْ تَقُولُوا لَوْ أَنَّا أُنزِلَ عَلَيْنَا الْكِتَابُ لَكُنَّا أَهْدَىٰ مِنْهُمْ ۚ فَقَدْ جَاءَكُم بَيِّنَةٌ مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ وَهُدًى وَرَحْمَةٌ ۚ فَمَنْ أَظْلَمُ مِمَّن كَذَّبَ بِآيَاتِ اللَّهِ وَصَدَفَ عَنْهَا ۗ سَنَجْزِي الَّذِينَ يَصْدِفُونَ عَنْ آيَاتِنَا سُوءَ الْعَذَابِ بِمَا كَانُوا يَصْدِفُونَ﴾
[ الأنعام: 157]

6:157 Or lest you say, "If only the Scripture had been revealed to us, we would have been better guided than they." So there has [now] come to you a clear evidence from your Lord and a guidance and mercy. Then who is more unjust than one who denies the verses of Allah and turns away from them? We will recompense those who turn away from Our verses with the worst of punishment for their having turned away.

Or lest you should say ‘If the Scripture had been revealed to us we would have surely been more rightly guided than they are’ because of the excellence of our minds. Now indeed a clear proof a clear statement has come to you from your Lord and a guidance and a mercy for him who follows it; and who that is none does greater evil than he who denies God’s signs and turns away from them? We shall surely requite those who turn away from Our signs with dreadful the most severe chastisement for their aversion.

Or you may say: Had we received their Book we would have regarded with more reverence and veneration, and in all things we would have conformed our will to Allahs will and we would have regarded His way but the one way of arriving at the truth. Now, there has come to you a convincing evidence of the truth of Our Messengers mission and with him has come the Quran with illumination and enlightenment and a spirit of truth guiding into all truth and inviting Allahs mercy. Therefore, who is more wicked than he who denies Allahs revelations and signs and counsels deaf to Allahs disclosure of divine knowledge and spiritual enlightenment! Indeed, those who counsel deaf to Our revelations and signs betokening Omnipotence and Authority shall be put to the torment laid upon the damned in requital of closing their hearts, ears and their minds’ eyes to intellectual and spiritual enlightenment

The Qur'an is Allah's Proof Against His Creation Ibn Jarir commented on the Ayah, "The Ayah means, this is a Book that We sent down, so that you do not say, إِنَّمَآ أُنزِلَ الْكِتَـبُ عَلَى طَآئِفَتَيْنِ مِن قَبْلِنَا ( "The Book was sent down only to two sects before us." ) This way, you will have no excuse.
Allah said in another Ayah, وَلَوْلا أَن تُصِيبَهُم مُّصِيبَةٌ بِمَا قَدَّمَتْ أَيْدِيهِمْ فَيَقُولُواْ رَبَّنَا لَوْلا أَرْسَلْتَ إِلَيْنَا رَسُولاً فَنَتِّبِعَ ءايَـتِكَ ( Otherwise, they would have suffered a calamity because of what their hands sent forth, and said: "Our Lord! Why did You not send us a Messenger We would then have followed Your Ayat." )28:47." The Ayah, عَلَى طَآئِفَتَيْنِ مِن قَبْلِنَا ( to two sects before us ) refers to the Jews and Christians, according to `Ali bin Abi Talhah who narrated it from Ibn `Abbas.
Similar was reported from Mujahid, As-Suddi, Qatadah and several others.
Allah's statement, وَإِن كُنَّا عَن دِرَاسَتِهِمْ لَغَـفِلِينَ ( "...and for our part, we were in fact unaware of what they studied." ) meaning: `we did not understand what they said because the revelation was not in our tongue.
We, indeed, were busy and unaware of their message,' so they said.
Allah said next, أَوْ تَقُولُواْ لَوْ أَنَّآ أُنزِلَ عَلَيْنَا الْكِتَـبُ لَكُنَّآ أَهْدَى مِنْهُمْ ( Or lest you should say: "If only the Book had been sent down to us, we would surely, have been better guided than they." ) meaning: We also refuted this excuse, had you used it, lest you say, "If a Book was revealed to us, just as they received a Book, we would have been better guided than they are." Allah also said. وَأَقْسَمُواْ بِاللَّهِ جَهْدَ أَيْمَـنِهِمْ لَئِن جَآءَهُمْ نَذِيرٌ لَّيَكُونُنَّ أَهْدَى مِنْ إِحْدَى الاٍّمَمِ ( And they swore by Allah their most binding oath that if a warner came to them, they would be more guided than any of the nations (before them ).) 35:42 Allah replied here, فَقَدْ جَآءَكُمْ بَيِّنَةٌ مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ وَهُدًى وَرَحْمَةٌ ( So now has come unto you a clear proof from your Lord, and a guidance and a mercy. ) Allah says, there has come to you from Allah a Glorious Qur'an revealed to Muhammad ﷺ, the Arab Prophet.
In it is the explanation of the lawful and unlawful matters, guidance for the hearts and mercy from Allah to His servants who follow and implement it.
Allah said; فَمَنْ أَظْلَمُ مِمَّن كَذَّبَ بِآيَـتِ اللَّهِ وَصَدَفَ عَنْهَا ( Who then does more wrong than one who rejects the Ayat of Allah and Sadafa away therefrom ) This refers to the one who neither benefited from what the Messenger brought, nor followed what he was sent with by abandoning all other ways.
Rather, he Sadafa from following the Ayat of Allah, meaning, he discouraged and hindered people from following it.
This is the explanation of As-Suddi for Sadafa, while Ibn `Abbas, Mujahid and Qatadah said that Sadafa means, he turned away from it.

(6:157) Nor may you claim that: 'Had the Book been revealed to us, we would have been better guided than they.' Surely clear evidence has come to you from your Lord, which is both a guidance and a mercy. Who, then, is more unjust than he who gave the lie to the signs of Allah and turned away from them? *138 And We shall soon requite those who turn away from Our signs with a severe chastisement for having turned away.

Or lest you say, "If only the meaning

*138).
'Signs of Allah' include the teachings embodied in the Qur'an.
They are also manifest in the noble life of the Prophet ( peace be on him ), and the pure lives of those who believed in him.
Tley also include the natural phenomena to which the Qur'an refers in support of its message.

 

The Qur'an is Allah's Proof Against His Creation Ibn Jarir commented on the Ayah, "The Ayah means, this is a Book that We sent down, so that you do not say, إِنَّمَآ أُنزِلَ الْكِتَـبُ عَلَى طَآئِفَتَيْنِ مِن قَبْلِنَا ( "The Book was sent down only to two sects before us." ) This way, you will have no excuse.
Allah said in another Ayah, وَلَوْلا أَن تُصِيبَهُم مُّصِيبَةٌ بِمَا قَدَّمَتْ أَيْدِيهِمْ فَيَقُولُواْ رَبَّنَا لَوْلا أَرْسَلْتَ إِلَيْنَا رَسُولاً فَنَتِّبِعَ ءايَـتِكَ ( Otherwise, they would have suffered a calamity because of what their hands sent forth, and said: "Our Lord! Why did You not send us a Messenger We would then have followed Your Ayat." )28:47." The Ayah, عَلَى طَآئِفَتَيْنِ مِن قَبْلِنَا ( to two sects before us ) refers to the Jews and Christians, according to `Ali bin Abi Talhah who narrated it from Ibn `Abbas.
Similar was reported from Mujahid, As-Suddi, Qatadah and several others.
Allah's statement, وَإِن كُنَّا عَن دِرَاسَتِهِمْ لَغَـفِلِينَ ( "...and for our part, we were in fact unaware of what they studied." ) meaning: `we did not understand what they said because the revelation was not in our tongue.
We, indeed, were busy and unaware of their message,' so they said.
Allah said next, أَوْ تَقُولُواْ لَوْ أَنَّآ أُنزِلَ عَلَيْنَا الْكِتَـبُ لَكُنَّآ أَهْدَى مِنْهُمْ ( Or lest you should say: "If only the Book had been sent down to us, we would surely, have been better guided than they." ) meaning: We also refuted this excuse, had you used it, lest you say, "If a Book was revealed to us, just as they received a Book, we would have been better guided than they are." Allah also said. وَأَقْسَمُواْ بِاللَّهِ جَهْدَ أَيْمَـنِهِمْ لَئِن جَآءَهُمْ نَذِيرٌ لَّيَكُونُنَّ أَهْدَى مِنْ إِحْدَى الاٍّمَمِ ( And they swore by Allah their most binding oath that if a warner came to them, they would be more guided than any of the nations (before them ).) 35:42 Allah replied here, فَقَدْ جَآءَكُمْ بَيِّنَةٌ مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ وَهُدًى وَرَحْمَةٌ ( So now has come unto you a clear proof from your Lord, and a guidance and a mercy. ) Allah says, there has come to you from Allah a Glorious Qur'an revealed to Muhammad ﷺ, the Arab Prophet.
In it is the explanation of the lawful and unlawful matters, guidance for the hearts and mercy from Allah to His servants who follow and implement it.
Allah said; فَمَنْ أَظْلَمُ مِمَّن كَذَّبَ بِآيَـتِ اللَّهِ وَصَدَفَ عَنْهَا ( Who then does more wrong than one who rejects the Ayat of Allah and Sadafa away therefrom ) This refers to the one who neither benefited from what the Messenger brought, nor followed what he was sent with by abandoning all other ways.
Rather, he Sadafa from following the Ayat of Allah, meaning, he discouraged and hindered people from following it.
This is the explanation of As-Suddi for Sadafa, while Ibn `Abbas, Mujahid and Qatadah said that Sadafa means, he turned away from it.

( Or lest you should say ) and so that you will not say on the Day of Judgement: ( If the Scripture had been revealed unto us ) as it was revealed to the Jews and Christians, ( we surely had been better guided than are they ) we would be swifter in answering the Messenger and we would also have a sounder religion. ( Now hath there come unto you a clear proof ) a clarification ( from your Lord ) i.e. the Qur’an and the Messenger, ( a guidance ) from error ( and a mercy ) for the one who believes in him; ( and who doeth greater wrong ) who is more insolent and more daring vis--vis Allah ( than he who denieth the revelations of Allah ) who denies Muhammad ( pbuh ) and the Qur’an, ( and turneth away from them? We award unto those who turn away from Our revelations ) Muhammad ( pbuh ) and the Qur’an ( an evil doom ) a severe torment ( because of their aversion ) vis--vis Muhammad and the Qur’an.

Or lest you (pagan Arabs) should say: "If only the Book had been sent down to us, we would surely have been better guided than they (Jews and Christians)." So now has come unto you a clear proof (the Quran) from your Lord, and a guidance and a mercy. Who then does more wrong than one who rejects the Ayat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.) of Allah and turns away therefrom? We shall requite those who turn away from Our Ayat with an evil torment, because of their turning away (from them). [Tafsir At-Tabari, Vol. 8, Page 95]

Page 149 English transliteration