Al-An'am (ٱلْأَنْعَام)

Surah Al-An'am (الأَنْعَام) is the 6th surah of chapter of the Holy Quran. Its meaning is 'The Cattle.' It's a Makki surah, most likely revealed during the last year of the Prophet's (ﷺ) life. The surah contains 65 verses, 20 Rukus, and is located in the 7th and 8th Juz of the holy Quran. Similar to the preceding Surah Al-Maida, this surah also tells us about the all-encompassing knowledge and glory of Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى). It urges people to reject pagan practices and beliefs, especially idol worship. There are also more detailed rules about what foods we can or cannot consume. There is also an emphasis on what prophethood means and that even prophets only do something if Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى) Wills it. 

This surah was likely revealed in one sitting. There is a narration by Hazrat Ibn Abbas that Asma, the daughter of Yazid, witnessed the revelation of this surah. She reported that at the time of the revelation, the Prophet (ﷺ) was on his camel, and she was holding its nose string. When the revelation came, its weight was so much that the camel's bones were in danger of breaking. Since Asma bint Yazid, the daughter of Yazid ibn Sakhn who was martyred while protecting the Prophet Muhammad in the battle of Uhud, was from the Ansar of Medina, it follows that Surah Al An'am is from the later Meccan period. 

٦ - ٱلْأَنْعَام

6 - Al-An'am

اَلْحَمْدُ لِلہِ الَّذِيْ خَلَقَ السَّمٰوٰتِ وَالْاَرْضَ وَجَعَلَ الظُّلُمٰتِ وَالنُّوْرَ۝۰ۥۭ ثُمَّ الَّذِيْنَ كَفَرُوْا بِرَبِّہِمْ يَعْدِلُوْنَ۝۱
Alhamdu lillahi allathee khalaqa alssamawati waalarda wajaAAala alththulumati waalnnoora thumma allatheena kafaroo birabbihim yaAAdiloona

English

Ahmed Ali

ALL PRAISE BE to God who created the heavens and the earth, and ordained darkness and light. Yet the unbelievers make the others equal of their Lord.

1

ہُوَالَّذِيْ خَلَقَكُمْ مِّنْ طِيْنٍ ثُمَّ قَضٰۗى اَجَلًا۝۰ۭ وَاَجَلٌ مُّسَمًّى عِنْدَہٗ ثُمَّ اَنْتُمْ تَمْتَرُوْنَ۝۲
Huwa allathee khalaqakum min teenin thumma qada ajalan waajalun musamman AAindahu thumma antum tamtaroona

English

Ahmed Ali

It is He who created you from clay then determined a term (of life) for you, and a term (is fixed) with Him. Even then you doubt.

2

وَہُوَاللہُ فِي السَّمٰوٰتِ وَفِي الْاَرْضِ۝۰ۭ يَعْلَمُ سِرَّكُمْ وَ جَہْرَكُمْ وَيَعْلَمُ مَا تَكْسِبُوْنَ۝۳
Wahuwa Allahu fee alssamawati wafee alardi yaAAlamu sirrakum wajahrakum wayaAAlamu ma taksiboona

English

Ahmed Ali

He is God in the heavens and the earth. He knows what you hide and bring out into the open, and knows what you earn (of good and evil).

3

وَمَا تَاْتِيْہِمْ مِّنْ اٰيَۃٍ مِّنْ اٰيٰتِ رَبِّہِمْ اِلَّا كَانُوْا عَنْہَا مُعْرِضِيْنَ۝۴
Wama tateehim min ayatin min ayati rabbihim illa kanoo AAanha muAArideena

English

Ahmed Ali

Yet no sign of their Lord comes to them but they turn away from it.

4

فَقَدْ كَذَّبُوْا بِالْحَقِّ لَمَّا جَاۗءَہُمْ۝۰ۭ فَسَوْفَ يَاْتِيْہِمْ اَنْۢبٰۗـؤُا مَا كَانُوْا بِہٖ يَسْتَہْزِءُوْنَ۝۵
Faqad kaththaboo bialhaqqi lamma jaahum fasawfa yateehim anbao ma kanoo bihi yastahzioona

English

Ahmed Ali

So they disbelieved the truth when it came to them; but they will soon come to know the reality of what they had ridiculed.

5

اَلَمْ يَرَوْا كَمْ اَہْلَكْنَا مِنْ قَبْلِہِمْ مِّنْ قَرْنٍ مَّكَّنّٰہُمْ فِي الْاَرْضِ مَا لَمْ نُمَكِّنْ لَّكُمْ وَاَرْسَلْنَا السَّمَاۗءَ عَلَيْہِمْ مِّدْرَارًا۝۰۠ وَّجَعَلْنَا الْاَنْھٰرَ تَجْرِيْ مِنْ تَحْتِہِمْ فَاَہْلَكْنٰہُمْ بِذُنُوْبِہِمْ وَاَنْشَاْنَا مِنْۢ بَعْدِہِمْ قَرْنًا اٰخَرِيْنَ۝۶
Alam yaraw kam ahlakna min qablihim min qarnin makkannahum fee alardi ma lam numakkin lakum waarsalna alssamaa AAalayhim midraran wajaAAalna alanhara tajree min tahtihim faahlaknahum bithunoobihim waanshana min baAAdihim qarnan akhareena

English

Ahmed Ali

Do they not see how many generations We laid low before them, whom We had firmly established in the land as We have not established you, and showered abundant rain on them, and made rivers lap at their feet, yet whom We destroyed for their sins, and raised new generations after them?

6

وَلَوْ نَزَّلْنَا عَلَيْكَ كِتٰبًا فِيْ قِرْطَاسٍ فَلَمَسُوْہُ بِاَيْدِيْہِمْ لَقَالَ الَّذِيْنَ كَفَرُوْۗا اِنْ ہٰذَاۗ اِلَّا سِحْـرٌ مُّبِيْنٌ۝۷
Walaw nazzalna AAalayka kitaban fee qirtasin falamasoohu biaydeehim laqala allatheena kafaroo in hatha illa sihrun mubeenun

English

Ahmed Ali

Even if We had sent you a transcript on paper which they could feel with their hands, the unbelievers would have said: "This is nothing but clear sorcery."

7

وَقَالُوْا لَوْلَاۗ اُنْزِلَ عَلَيْہِ مَلَكٌ۝۰ۭ وَلَوْ اَنْزَلْنَا مَلَكًا لَّقُضِيَ الْاَمْرُ ثُمَّ لَا يُنْظَرُوْنَ۝۸
Waqaloo lawla onzila AAalayhi malakun walaw anzalna malakan laqudiya alamru thumma la yuntharoona

English

Ahmed Ali

They say: "How is it no angel was sent down to him?" Had We sent an angel down the matter would have come to end, and they would have had no respite.

8

وَلَوْ جَعَلْنٰہُ مَلَكًا لَّجَعَلْنٰہُ رَجُلًا وَّلَـلَبَسْـنَا عَلَيْہِمْ مَّا يَلْبِسُوْنَ۝۹
Walaw jaAAalnahu malakan lajaAAalnahu rajulan walalabasna AAalayhim ma yalbisoona

English

Ahmed Ali

Even if We had sent down an angel as messenger he would have appeared in the garb of a man and filled them with confusion, like the one they are filled with.

9

وَلَقَدِ اسْتُہْزِئَ بِرُسُلٍ مِّنْ قَبْلِكَ فَحَاقَ بِالَّذِيْنَ سَخِرُوْا مِنْہُمْ مَّا كَانُوْا بِہٖ يَسْتَہْزِءُوْنَ۝۱۰ۧ
Walaqadi istuhzia birusulin min qablika fahaqa biallatheena sakhiroo minhum ma kanoo bihi yastahzioona

English

Ahmed Ali

Surely the apostles have been mocked before you; but what they had mocked rebounded on the mockers themselves.

10

Themes and Subject Matter of Surah Al-An'am

The surah discusses various subjects, including the oneness of Allah, wahi (divine revelation) on prophets, and the guidance Allah sends down for His creation. The detail of the topics in Surah Al-An'am is given below:

Tawhid and Monotheism 

One of the main topics of this surah is accepting tawhid or the Oneness of Allah. Islam preaches that there is no God but Allah. At the time, pagans were worshipping multiple self-made gods. Islam emphasized the oneness of Allah. He is the sole creator of the universe, and He alone should be worshipped. 

Life After Death

In non-Abrahamic religions, there is no concept of life after death. Islam admonished all to live their life according to the principles of Islam to avoid punishment in this life and the next. Islam gave the concept of eternal life, which will begin on the day of resurrection when Allah will raise the dead to weigh their good and bad deeds and assign them to heaven or hell for eternity. 

The verses underscore how things will be on the Day of Qiyamah or Judgment. On this day, everyone will be held responsible for what they did or didn't do during their lives. With this in mind, Muslims should always remember that we will have to answer for our deeds and be punished or rewarded accordingly. 

Reflection on Creation

Surah Al-An'am also invites its reciters to contemplate the world around them. They can always find evidence of the existence of Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى)‎ in them. After all, the complex and perfect designs of nature testify to the Majesty and Knowledge of our Lord. 

Prophethood

The surah highlights the Prophets and the roles they played in conveying Allah's (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى)‎ message. Several verses emphasize how the Quran continues the message of the previous Holy Books. It also helps us recognize and acknowledge past messengers like Moses, Abraham, Noah, Jesus, and other prophets. 

Guidance for Everyday Life

This surah provides valuable guidance about ethics, morals, and justice that Muslims should use in their everyday lives. This way, we have a framework in mind about how to deal with other people. In addition, Surah Al-An'am provides moral guidance to Muslims. It urges Muslims to practice honesty, justice, and righteousness. It emphasizes the importance of truthfulness, keeping promises, and treating others with kindness. The surah also prohibits certain actions, such as murder, theft, and deception, guiding the believers to live morally upright lives.

Virtues and Benefits of Surah Al-An'am

There are various benefits of this surah, especially when recited regularly. Ibn Durais (rahimahullah) has recorded a narration about the importance of Surah Al-An'am in the 'Fadailul Quran.' The gist of it is that whoever recites the first 3 ayahs of Surah Al-An'am after the Fajr prayer will have 40 thousand angels writing good deeds for them. On the day of Qiyamah, Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى)‎ will tell them to walk in His shade, and bathe from the Salsabil (a fountain of Jannah), drink from the Kawthar, and enter Jannah. However, this is written as a saying of Abu Muhammad Al Farisi (rahimahullah) instead of a hadith. (Fadailul Quran, pg. 95). 

From this narration, we may hope that these angels will make supplications for the reciter's well-being and benefit. Another benefit is that this surah may provide protection from the wrongdoings of evil people and Shaitan. It also helps the believer reach a heightened state of Taqwa or God-consciousness. There are other Da'if (weak) Hadith and narrations that point toward the majesty of Surah Al-An’am. One source states that the surah was followed by 70,000 angels reciting words to glorify Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى)‎. Finally, it is believed that reciting this surah might help one attain forties in this life and forgiveness in the next. Along with the recitation of the surah, we should also focus on reading the translation and tafsir of this surah. This practice will help us attain more knowledge and increase the benefits we get from recitation.