Surah Al-An'am , 6 : 1 - 7

Excerpt from " A Thematic Commentary On The Qur'an "
Shaykh Muhammad al-Ghazali
[ 1917 - 1996 ]

THIS IS THE FIRST MAKKAN surah of the initial seven long surahs of the Qur'an. The Book it self was addressed in the first instance to the religiously ignorant pagans and polytheists of Arabia, who worshiped idols, were hopelessly unenlightened, and clung slavishly to the beliefs and religious traditions they had inherited from their ancestors. They were typically bigoted and narrow-minded. In talking to them,, the Qur'an adopted a rigorous, patient approach, amassing all possible evidence and using all methods of persuasion to make them see the truth. It spoke at length about God, His omnipotence, and the proof for His existence and power, manifest in their own creation and life. It challenged, teased, and cajoled their basic human nature and common sense, tapping their latent spiritual instincts and urging them to shake off the fetters of paganism.

The surah is distinguished for the recurring affirmations and direct instructions addressed to the Arab mind of the seventh century AC, that was reveling in religious ignorance and backwardness. That is clear right at the start as the opening verse says: "Praise be to Allah, Who hath created the heavens and the earth, and hath appointed darkness and light. Yet those who disbelieve ascribe rivals unto their Lord. (1)  Despite God's incredible and unique power, however, the ignorant and unenlightened continue to take other objects as gods besides Him, ascribing to them a comparable status. Following the opening verse, we find an emphasis on the fact that humankind's life span on earth is finite, and a day will come when all shall return to face God and account for their actions. The praise due to Almighty is enforced by the affirmation: " He is Allah in the heavens and in the earth. He knoweth both your secret and your utterance, and He knoweth what ye earn. (3) 




Recitation by Shaykh Mishary Rashid al Afasy with direct English transliteration..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jOfjatghBoI




Reflection and commentary by Shaykh Dr Israr Ahmed

1 . http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O2oJgBv-KS4

2 . http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QrTQSENqZaA&feature=relmfu

3 . http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ewp2FP-MqgY&feature=relmfu