Verse. 954

٦ - ٱلْأَنْعَام

6 - Al-An'am

وَہُوَالَّذِيْ جَعَلَكُمْ خَلٰۗىِٕفَ الْاَرْضِ وَرَفَعَ بَعْضَكُمْ فَوْقَ بَعْضٍ دَرَجٰتٍ لِّيَبْلُوَكُمْ فِيْ مَاۗ اٰتٰىكُمْ۝۰ۭ اِنَّ رَبَّكَ سَرِيْعُ الْعِقَابِ۝۰ۡۖ وَاِنَّہٗ لَغَفُوْرٌ رَّحِيْمٌ۝۱۶۵ۧ
Wahuwa allathee jaAAalakum khalaifa alardi warafaAAa baAAdakum fawqa baAAdin darajatin liyabluwakum fee ma atakum inna rabbaka sareeAAu alAAiqabi wainnahu laghafoorun raheemun

English

Ahmed Ali

It is He who made you trustees on the earth, and exalted some in rank over others in order to try you by what He has given you. Indeed your Lord's retribution is swift, yet He is forgiving and kind.

165

Tafseer

'Abdullāh Ibn 'Abbās / Muḥammad al-Fīrūzabādī

تفسير : (he it is who hath placed you as vicegerents of the earth) in the place of past nations (and hath exalted some of you in rank above others) in merit in terms of wealth and servants, (that he may try you) that he may test you (by (the test of) that which he hath given you) of wealth and servants. (lo! thy lord is swift in prosecution) towards the one who disbelieves in him or who does not give thanks to him, (and lo! he is forgiving) he pardons, (merciful) towards the person who believes in him'.

Jalāl al-Dīn al-Maḥallī

تفسير : and he it is who has made you successors (khalā’if is the plural of khalīfa), in other words, [he has made you] to succeed one another therein, in the earth and has raised some of you above others in degrees, through wealth and status and otherwise, so that he may try you, that he may test you, in what he has given you, in order to manifest the obedient among you and the disobedient. surely your lord is swift in punishment, of those who disobey him; and surely he is forgiving, to believers, merciful, to them.

Sahl al-Tustari

تفسير : … surely your lord is swift in punishment, and surely he is forgiving, merciful.he [sahl] said:this refers to the punishment of the heart which is a cover and veil, so that it [the heart] inclines to that which is other than him. furthermore, whenever god looks upon the heart of a servant and finds there that which is other than him, he empowers his enemy over him. however, he is most forgiving to the one who repents for what he has done.no harm (maḍār) can be considered a punishment, because it [acts as] a purification and an expiation (kaffāra), except for hardness (qaswa) of the heart, for that in itself is a punishment. external punishments are a torment (ʿadhāb), but the punishments of the heart have differentlevels, for the lower self holds a share and a design with regard to the heart. [as for the one whose] heart is veiled, god empowers his enemy over him. his heart does not orbit the celestial dominions (malakūt), nor does the divine omnipotence (qudra) manifest itself to him, nor does he witness (yushāhid) god. but as for the one whose heart is hardened, god leaves him to his own devices and means. truly the tendency of the heart may be compared to the tongue; when a person speaks, he can speak of only one thing [at a time]. similarly if a heart is full of concern [for something] there is no room for anything along with that. but god knows best.his words, mighty and majestic is he: