Surah al-An`am (The Cattle) 6 : 154

Overview (Verses 154 - 157)

A Book to Bring Mercy to Mankind
 
“Moreover, We gave Moses the Book in fulfilment [of Our favour] upon him who would do right, clearly spelling out everything, and providing guidance and grace, so that they might believe in the meeting with their Lord.” (Verse 154) This verse starts with the conjunction, ‘moreover’, while in Arabic the conjunction used signifies `then’, but there is no time gap in the text here. The conjunction relates the statement following it to what occurs before it. That is, the instruction to the Prophet: “Say: Come, let me tell you what your Lord has forbidden to you.” (Verse 151) This is followed by the statement: “Know that this is the way leading to Me, a straight path.” (Verse 153) The present statement starting with `moreover’ is added to the two earlier statements as part of what the Prophet is instructed to convey to people, detailing with what God has forbidden, outlining the path to follow and showing the continuity from earlier messages.
 
The interpretation of the next clause, “in fulfilment [of Our favour] upon him who would do right”, according to al-Ţabarī, is as follows: “We have given the Torah to Moses so as to complete the favours We have bestowed on him. Thus We perfect the honour We have granted him in reward for his obedience to his Lord and implementation of his religion. It spells out every thing he and his people need to know in order to put their faith in practice.”
 
According to Qatādah, the phrase, clearly spelling out everything’, means that it gives a detailed outline of what is permissible and what is forbidden. Moreover, the Torah revealed to Moses provides his people with guidance and ensures mercy to them so that they may believe that they will meet their Lord and receive His grace that wards off His punishment.
 
The same purpose applies to the Book addressed to you. With it you may have guidance in addition to God’s mercy: “And this is a Book which We have bestowed from on high, a blessed one. Follow it, then, and be conscious of God, so that you might be graced with His mercy.” (Verse 155)
 
The Qur’ān is indeed a blessed book, as we have explained in Chapter 11: “This is a blessed book which We have revealed, confirming what came before it, that you may warn the Mother City and all who dwell around it. Those who believe in the life to come do believe in it, and they are ever-mindful of their prayers.” (Verse 92) This Book was mentioned there within the context of faith in general. It is mentioned here in a similar statement, but in the context of jurisprudence. People are ordered to follow it, because receiving God’s grace is made conditional on such following.
 
The Arabs who were the first to be addressed by the Qur’ān are told that with the revelation of this blessed book spelling out everything most clearly, all arguments and excuses are useless. Now that you have the Qur’ān, you do not need to refer to anything else. It covers all aspects of life. Therefore, they do not need to legislate for any purpose without guidance: “[It has been given to you] lest you say, ‘Only two groups of people before our time have received revelations from on high; and we were unaware of what they learned.’ Or lest you say, If a Book had been revealed to us, we would surely have followed its guidance better than they did.’ Now then a clear evidence of the truth has come to you from your Lord, and guidance, and grace. Who could be more wicked than he who denies God’s revelations and turns away from them in disdain? We shall punish those who turn away from Our revelations in disdain with grave suffering for so turning away.” (Verses 156-157)
 
It has been God’s will that every messenger was sent to his people, speaking their language. When He willed to send His final message, He sent the last of all prophets, Muĥammad, to all mankind. As His final Messenger, it is only right that he should address all mankind equally.
 
God forestalls the Arabs’ argument should they say that Moses and Jesus were sent to their own people, while they, i.e. the Arabs, were oblivious of what the Jews and the Christians studied in their Books. They might have argued that had they received a book in their own language, addressed to them and providing guidance and warnings, they would have been better guided than the Jews and the Christians. Now this Book has been revealed and given to them by a Messenger from among them, even though he is a Messenger to all mankind. The Book he brings is, in itself, a clear proof of its truth. It gives them some very clear, unambiguous and unequivocal information. It provides them with guidance out of the error in which they live, and ensures God’s grace will be bestowed on them in this life as well as in the life to come.
 
Bearing all this in mind, who could be more in the wrong than one who denies God’s revelations and turns his back on them when they show him the way to goodness and success? Who is more unjust to himself and to mankind by denying himself and others all these blessings, and by spreading corruption on earth through upholding ignorant concepts and laws? Those who turn away from the truth have a malignant nature, just like the disease that affects a camel’s hoof, causing it to become lop-sided. They are lop-sided in the sense that they cannot maintain a straight path to the truth. Their attitude qualifies them for the worst punishment: “We shall punish those who turn away from Our revelations in disdain with grave suffering for so turning away.” (Verse 157)
 
The Qur’ān uses this particular expression, borrowed from a physical condition to describe a mental one, so that the original sense imparts an added connotation. This is frequently employed in the Qur’ān. It describes an arrogant person as one who `turns his cheek away from people’ (31: 18). This is borrowed from the image of a disease affecting camels and humans, giving them a stiff neck, so that they lift their cheeks and turn them away. It also describes the useless deeds of the unbelievers as swelling and coming to nothing, giving an image of a camel grazing in a poisoned area. Its belly swells then it dies. In all this, the physical image is used to describe a mental situation in a highly vivid and inspiring manner.