Surah Al-An'aam: Verse 46 - قل أرأيتم إن أخذ الله... - English

Tafsir of Verse 46, Surah Al-An'aam

قُلْ أَرَءَيْتُمْ إِنْ أَخَذَ ٱللَّهُ سَمْعَكُمْ وَأَبْصَٰرَكُمْ وَخَتَمَ عَلَىٰ قُلُوبِكُم مَّنْ إِلَٰهٌ غَيْرُ ٱللَّهِ يَأْتِيكُم بِهِ ۗ ٱنظُرْ كَيْفَ نُصَرِّفُ ٱلْءَايَٰتِ ثُمَّ هُمْ يَصْدِفُونَ

English Translation

Say, "Have you considered: if Allah should take away your hearing and your sight and set a seal upon your hearts, which deity other than Allah could bring them [back] to you?" Look how we diversify the verses; then they [still] turn away.

English Transliteration

Qul araaytum in akhatha Allahu samAAakum waabsarakum wakhatama AAala quloobikum man ilahun ghayru Allahi yateekum bihi onthur kayfa nusarrifu alayati thumma hum yasdifoona

Tafsir of Verse 46

Say: 'What think you? If God seizes your hearing and sight, and sets a seal upon your hearts, who is a god other than God to give it back to you?' Behold how We turn about the signs! Yet thereafter they are turning away.

Say: "Think ye, if Allah took away your hearing and your sight, and sealed up your hearts, who - a god other than Allah - could restore them to you?" See how We explain the signs by various (symbols); yet they turn aside.

أَرَأَيْتُمْ إِنْ أَخَذَ اللَّهُ سَمْعَكُمْ وَأَبْصَـرَكُمْ

(Tell me, if Allah took away your hearing and your sight.) just as He gave these senses to you. In another Ayah, Allah said;

هُوَ الَّذِى أَنشَأَكُمْ وَجَعَلَ لَكُمُ السَّمْعَ وَالاٌّبْصَـرَ

(It is He Who has created you, and endowed you with hearing, seeing.) 67:23. The Ayah above might also mean that Allah will not allow the disbelievers to benefit from these senses in religious terms. This is why He said next,

وَخَتَمَ عَلَى قُلُوبِكُمْ

(and sealed up your hearts,.) He also said in other Ayat,

أَمَّن يَمْلِكُ السَّمْعَ والاٌّبْصَـرَ

(Or who owns hearing and sight) 10:31, and,

وَاعْلَمُواْ أَنَّ اللَّهَ يَحُولُ بَيْنَ الْمَرْءِ وَقَلْبِهِ

(And know that Allah comes in between a person and his heart.) Allah said;

مَّنْ إِلَـهٌ غَيْرُ اللَّهِ يَأْتِيكُمْ بِهِ

(Is there a god other than Allah who could restore them to you) Meaning, is there anyone except Allah who is able to give you back these senses if Allah took them from you Only Allah is able to do so, and this is why He said here,

انْظُرْ كَيْفَ نُصَرِّفُ الاٌّيَـتِ

(See how variously We explain the Ayat,) and make them plain and clear, testifying to Allah's Oneness in lordship and that those worshipped besides Him are all false and unworthy.

ثُمَّ هُمْ يَصْدِفُونَ

(yet they turn aside.) After this explanation, they still turn away from the truth and hinder people from following it. Allah's statement,

قُلْ أَرَأَيْتَكُمْ إِنْ أَتَـكُمْ عَذَابُ اللَّهِ بَغْتَةً

(Say: "Tell me, if the punishment of Allah comes to you suddenly...") means, while you are unaware -- or during the night -- striking you all of a sudden,

أَوْ جَهْرَةً

(or openly) during the day, or publicly,

هَلْ يُهْلَكُ إِلاَّ الْقَوْمُ الظَّـلِمُونَ

(will any be destroyed except the wrongdoing people) This torment only strikes those who commit injustice against themselves by associating others with Allah, while those who worship Allah alone without partners will be saved from it, and they will have no fear or sorrow. In another Ayah, Allah said;

الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ وَلَمْ يَلْبِسُواْ إِيمَـنَهُمْ بِظُلْمٍ

(It is those who believe and confuse not their belief with Zulm, (wrong or Shirk).) 6:82 Allah's statement,

وَمَا نُرْسِلُ الْمُرْسَلِينَ إِلاَّ مُبَشِّرِينَ وَمُنذِرِينَ

(And We send not the Messengers but as bearers of glad tidings and as warners.) means, the Messengers bring good news to Allah's servants, as well as, command all that is good and righteous. They also warn those who disbelieve in Allah of His anger and of all types of torment. Allah said,

فَمَنْ ءَامَنَ وَأَصْلَحَ

(So whosoever believes and does righteous good deeds.) meaning, whoever believes in his heart with what the Messengers were sent with and makes his works righteous by imitating them;

فَلاَ خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ

(upon such shall come no fear,) concerning the future,

وَلاَ هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ

(nor shall they grieve.) about what they missed in the past and left behind them in this world. Certainly, Allah will be the Wali and Protector over what they left behind. Allah said next,

وَالَّذِينَ كَذَّبُواْ بِـَايَـتِنَا يَمَسُّهُمُ الْعَذَابُ بِمَا كَانُواْ يَفْسُقُونَ

(But those who reject Our Ayat, the torment will strike them for their rebelling.) The torment will strike them because of disbelieving in the Message of the Messengers, defying Allah's commands, committing what He prohibited and transgressing His set limits.

Verse 46 - Surah Al-An'aam: (قل أرأيتم إن أخذ الله سمعكم وأبصاركم وختم على قلوبكم من إله غير الله يأتيكم به ۗ انظر كيف نصرف...) - English