Surah Anam ayat 28 Tafsir Quran 6:28

﴿بَلْ بَدَا لَهُم مَّا كَانُوا يُخْفُونَ مِن قَبْلُ ۖ وَلَوْ رُدُّوا لَعَادُوا لِمَا نُهُوا عَنْهُ وَإِنَّهُمْ لَكَاذِبُونَ﴾
[ الأنعام: 28]

6:28 But what they concealed before has [now] appeared to them. And even if they were returned, they would return to that which they were forbidden; and indeed, they are liars.

God exalted be He says Nay — here used in order to reject the desire to believe implied by the optative exclamation — that which they used to conceal to hide before by their saying By God our Lord we were never idolaters! Q. 623 has now become evident to them as their limbs have borne witness against them and so they now wish for that mentioned in the previous verse; and even if hypothetically they were returned to the world they would return to that which they are forbidden of idolatry; they are truly liars when they promise that they would believe if they were to be returned.

The fact is that now they do realize their earlier sinful settled behaviour, representing their hidden common feeling of the denial of the truth. And if they were sent back to life below, they would, thus still, resume the same evil practice they were advised to avoid; they are indeed liars

Wishes and Hopes Do Not Help One When He Sees the Torment Allah mentions the condition of the disbelievers when they are made to stand before the Fire on the Day of Resurrection and witness its chains and restraints, along with seeing the horrible, momentous conditions in the Fire with their own eyes.
This is when the disbelievers will say, يلَيْتَنَا نُرَدُّ وَلاَ نُكَذِّبَ بِـَايَـتِ رَبِّنَا وَنَكُونَ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ( "Would that we were but sent back (to the world )! Then we would not deny the Ayat of our Lord, and we would be of the believers!") They wish that they would be sent back to the life of the world so that they could perform righteous deeds, refrain from disbelieving in the Ayat of their Lord and be among the believers.
Allah said, بَلْ بَدَا لَهُمْ مَّا كَانُواْ يُخْفُونَ مِن قَبْلُ ( Nay, what they had been concealing before has become manifest to them. ) meaning, the disbelief, denial and rebellion that they used to hide in their hearts will then be uncovered, even though they will try to hide this fact in this life and the Hereafter.
Earlier, Allah said, ثُمَّ لَمْ تَكُنْ فِتْنَتُهُمْ إِلاَّ أَن قَالُواْ وَاللَّهِ رَبِّنَا مَا كُنَّا مُشْرِكِينَ - انظُرْ كَيْفَ كَذَبُواْ عَلَى أَنفُسِهِمْ وَضَلَّ عَنْهُمْ مَّا كَانُواْ يَفْتَرُونَ ( There will then be (left ) no trial for them but to say: "By Allah, our Lord, we were not those who joined others in worship with Allah." Look! How they lie against themselves! But the ( lie ) which they invented will disappear from them.
) It is also possible that the meaning here is that the disbelievers will realize the truth that they knew all along in their hearts, that is, that what the Messengers brought them in this life is true, although they used to deny his Message before their followers.
Allah said that Musa said to Fir`awn, لَقَدْ عَلِمْتَ مَآ أَنزَلَ هَـؤُلاءِ إِلاَّ رَبُّ السَّمَـوَتِ وَالاٌّرْضِ بَصَآئِرَ ( "Verily, you know that these signs have clearly been sent down by none but the Lord of the heavens and the earth as eye-opening evidence." ) 17:102 Allah said about Fir`awn and his people, وَجَحَدُواْ بِهَا وَاسْتَيْقَنَتْهَآ أَنفُسُهُمْ ظُلْماً وَعُلُوّاً ( And they belied them (those Ayat ) wrongfully and arrogantly, though they were themselves convinced thereof.) 27:14 بَلْ بَدَا لَهُمْ مَّا كَانُواْ يُخْفُونَ مِن قَبْلُ ( Nay, it has become manifest to them what they had been concealing before. ) 6:28 When this occurs, and the disbelievers ask to be returned to this life, they will not do so because they truly wish to embrace the faith.
Rather, they ask to be returned to this life for fear of the torment that they are witnessing before them, as punishment for the disbelief they committed, and to try and avoid the Fire that they see before their eyes. 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. ) meaning, they lie when they say they wish to go back to this life so that they can embrace the faith.
Allah states that even if they were sent back to the life of this world, they will again commit the disbelief and defiance that they were prohibited. وَإِنَّهُمْ لَكَـذِبُونَ ( And indeed they are liars. ) in their statement that, وَلَوْ تَرَى إِذْ وُقِفُواْ عَلَى النَّارِ فَقَالُواْ يلَيْتَنَا نُرَدُّ وَلاَ نُكَذِّبَ بِـَايَـتِ رَبِّنَا وَنَكُونَ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ - بَلْ بَدَا لَهُمْ مَّا كَانُواْ يُخْفُونَ مِن قَبْلُ وَلَوْ رُدُّواْ لَعَـدُواْ لِمَا نُهُواْ عَنْهُ وَإِنَّهُمْ لَكَـذِبُونَ - وَقَالُواْ إِنْ هِىَ إِلاَّ حَيَاتُنَا الدُّنْيَا وَمَا نَحْنُ بِمَبْعُوثِينَ ( "Would that we were but sent back! Then we would not deny the Ayat of our Lord, and we would be of the believers!" Nay, what they had been concealing before has become manifest to them.
But if they were returned, they would certainly revert to that which they were forbidden.
And indeed they are liars.
And they said: "There is no (other life ) but our ( present ) life of this world, and never shall we be resurrected.") Therefore, they will revert to their old behavior and say, إِنْ هِىَ إِلاَّ حَيَاتُنَا الدُّنْيَا ( There is no life but our life of this world ) and there is no Hereafter, وَمَا نَحْنُ بِمَبْعُوثِينَ ( and never shall we be resurrected.
) Allah said, وَلَوْ تَرَى إِذْ وُقِفُواْ عَلَى رَبِّهِمْ ( If you could but see when they will stand before their Lord! ) in front of Him, أَلَيْسَ هَـذَا بِالْحَقِّ ( "Is not this the truth" ) meaning, is not Resurrection true, contarary to what you thought, قَالُواْ بَلَى وَرَبِّنَا قَالَ فَذُوقُواْ العَذَابَ بِمَا كُنتُمْ تَكْفُرُونَ ( They will say: "Yes, by our Lord!" He will then say: "So taste you the torment because you used not to believe." ) and because you today denied Resurrection.
Therefore, taste the torment, أَفَسِحْرٌ هَـذَا أَمْ أَنتُمْ لاَ تُبْصِرُونَ ( "Is this magic, or do you not see" ) 52:15

(6:28) No! They will say this merely because the Truth which they had concealed will become obvious to them; *19 or else if they were sent back, they would still revert to what was forbidden to them. (So this plea of theirs would be a lie too) for they are just liars.

But what they concealed before has [now] meaning

*19).
At that moment such a statement on their part would not be indicative of either any true change of heart or of any genuinely revised judgement based on serious reflection and reasoning.
It would rather be the result of direct observation of reality at a time when even the staunchest unbeliever would find it impossible to deny it.

 

Wishes and Hopes Do Not Help One When He Sees the Torment Allah mentions the condition of the disbelievers when they are made to stand before the Fire on the Day of Resurrection and witness its chains and restraints, along with seeing the horrible, momentous conditions in the Fire with their own eyes.
This is when the disbelievers will say, يلَيْتَنَا نُرَدُّ وَلاَ نُكَذِّبَ بِـَايَـتِ رَبِّنَا وَنَكُونَ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ( "Would that we were but sent back (to the world )! Then we would not deny the Ayat of our Lord, and we would be of the believers!") They wish that they would be sent back to the life of the world so that they could perform righteous deeds, refrain from disbelieving in the Ayat of their Lord and be among the believers.
Allah said, بَلْ بَدَا لَهُمْ مَّا كَانُواْ يُخْفُونَ مِن قَبْلُ ( Nay, what they had been concealing before has become manifest to them. ) meaning, the disbelief, denial and rebellion that they used to hide in their hearts will then be uncovered, even though they will try to hide this fact in this life and the Hereafter.
Earlier, Allah said, ثُمَّ لَمْ تَكُنْ فِتْنَتُهُمْ إِلاَّ أَن قَالُواْ وَاللَّهِ رَبِّنَا مَا كُنَّا مُشْرِكِينَ - انظُرْ كَيْفَ كَذَبُواْ عَلَى أَنفُسِهِمْ وَضَلَّ عَنْهُمْ مَّا كَانُواْ يَفْتَرُونَ ( There will then be (left ) no trial for them but to say: "By Allah, our Lord, we were not those who joined others in worship with Allah." Look! How they lie against themselves! But the ( lie ) which they invented will disappear from them.
) It is also possible that the meaning here is that the disbelievers will realize the truth that they knew all along in their hearts, that is, that what the Messengers brought them in this life is true, although they used to deny his Message before their followers.
Allah said that Musa said to Fir`awn, لَقَدْ عَلِمْتَ مَآ أَنزَلَ هَـؤُلاءِ إِلاَّ رَبُّ السَّمَـوَتِ وَالاٌّرْضِ بَصَآئِرَ ( "Verily, you know that these signs have clearly been sent down by none but the Lord of the heavens and the earth as eye-opening evidence." ) 17:102 Allah said about Fir`awn and his people, وَجَحَدُواْ بِهَا وَاسْتَيْقَنَتْهَآ أَنفُسُهُمْ ظُلْماً وَعُلُوّاً ( And they belied them (those Ayat ) wrongfully and arrogantly, though they were themselves convinced thereof.) 27:14 بَلْ بَدَا لَهُمْ مَّا كَانُواْ يُخْفُونَ مِن قَبْلُ ( Nay, it has become manifest to them what they had been concealing before. ) 6:28 When this occurs, and the disbelievers ask to be returned to this life, they will not do so because they truly wish to embrace the faith.
Rather, they ask to be returned to this life for fear of the torment that they are witnessing before them, as punishment for the disbelief they committed, and to try and avoid the Fire that they see before their eyes. 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. ) meaning, they lie when they say they wish to go back to this life so that they can embrace the faith.
Allah states that even if they were sent back to the life of this world, they will again commit the disbelief and defiance that they were prohibited. وَإِنَّهُمْ لَكَـذِبُونَ ( And indeed they are liars. ) in their statement that, وَلَوْ تَرَى إِذْ وُقِفُواْ عَلَى النَّارِ فَقَالُواْ يلَيْتَنَا نُرَدُّ وَلاَ نُكَذِّبَ بِـَايَـتِ رَبِّنَا وَنَكُونَ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ - بَلْ بَدَا لَهُمْ مَّا كَانُواْ يُخْفُونَ مِن قَبْلُ وَلَوْ رُدُّواْ لَعَـدُواْ لِمَا نُهُواْ عَنْهُ وَإِنَّهُمْ لَكَـذِبُونَ - وَقَالُواْ إِنْ هِىَ إِلاَّ حَيَاتُنَا الدُّنْيَا وَمَا نَحْنُ بِمَبْعُوثِينَ ( "Would that we were but sent back! Then we would not deny the Ayat of our Lord, and we would be of the believers!" Nay, what they had been concealing before has become manifest to them.
But if they were returned, they would certainly revert to that which they were forbidden.
And indeed they are liars.
And they said: "There is no (other life ) but our ( present ) life of this world, and never shall we be resurrected.") Therefore, they will revert to their old behavior and say, إِنْ هِىَ إِلاَّ حَيَاتُنَا الدُّنْيَا ( There is no life but our life of this world ) and there is no Hereafter, وَمَا نَحْنُ بِمَبْعُوثِينَ ( and never shall we be resurrected.
) Allah said, وَلَوْ تَرَى إِذْ وُقِفُواْ عَلَى رَبِّهِمْ ( If you could but see when they will stand before their Lord! ) in front of Him, أَلَيْسَ هَـذَا بِالْحَقِّ ( "Is not this the truth" ) meaning, is not Resurrection true, contarary to what you thought, قَالُواْ بَلَى وَرَبِّنَا قَالَ فَذُوقُواْ العَذَابَ بِمَا كُنتُمْ تَكْفُرُونَ ( They will say: "Yes, by our Lord!" He will then say: "So taste you the torment because you used not to believe." ) and because you today denied Resurrection.
Therefore, taste the torment, أَفَسِحْرٌ هَـذَا أَمْ أَنتُمْ لاَ تُبْصِرُونَ ( "Is this magic, or do you not see" ) 52:15

( Nay, but that ) their punishment ( hath become clear unto them which before ) in the life of this world ( they used to hide ) their disbelief and idolatry. ( And if they were sent back ) to the life of this world, as they request ( they would return unto that which they are forbidden ) their disbelief and idolatry. ( Lo! they are liars ) because were they to be returned, they would still not believe.

Nay, it has become manifest to them what they had been concealing before. But if they were returned (to the world), they would certainly revert to that which they were forbidden. And indeed they are liars.

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