Surah al-An`am (The Cattle) 6 : 51

Overview (Verses 51 - 54)

A Warning Loud and Clear
 
Warn with this [Qur’ān] those who fear that they will be gathered to their Lord, when they shall have none to protect them from Him or to intercede with Him, so that they may be God-fearing. Do not drive away those who call on their Lord morning and evening, seeking only to win His pleasure. You are in no way accountable for them, just as they are in no way accountable for you. Should you drive them away, you would be among the wrongdoers. It is in this way that We try some of them by means of others, so that they may say: ‘Are these the ones upon whom God has bestowed His favour from among us?” Does not God know best as to who is truly grateful? When those who believe in God’s revelations come to you, say: Peace be upon you. Your Lord has committed Himself to bestow grace and mercy: if any of you does a bad deed out of ignorance, and then repents and mends his ways, He will be much forgiving, merciful. (Verses 51-54)
 
It is a mark of the Islamic faith that it pays little regard to worldly values and petty human considerations. God’s Messenger (peace be upon him) has been commanded to present it to human beings as it is, without decoration, adornment or tempting promises. He was also commanded to pay particular attention to those who are likely to respond positively to his call and to ally himself with those who receive it well, willing to make a sincere effort to win God’s pleasure. He was not to attach any weight to the values of a jāhiliyyah society. His task was to warn those who fear what may happen to them when they are gathered to their Lord, on the Day of Resurrection, when they shall have none to support or intercede for them. The fact remains that no one can intercede with God unless he is given permission to do so. Even with this permission, he can only intercede on behalf of those for whose benefit God allows intercession. Those who genuinely fear what will happen on that day have a strong claim to know the warning with which God’s Messenger has been sent. They are more likely to benefit by it and respond to it.
 
If the Prophet explains it to them, they may be able to avoid in this life what may expose them to God’s punishment in the life to come. The warning with which the Prophet has been sent outlines to them what they must avoid and gives them the motivation to do so: “Warn with this [Qur’ān] those who fear that they will be gathered to their Lord, when they shall have none to protect them from Him or to intercede with Him, so that they may be God-fearing.” (Verse 51)
 
“Do not drive away those who call on their Lord morning and evening, seeking only to win His pleasure.” (Verse 52) The Prophet is also ordered not to drive away those who pray to God and who call on Him with sincerity, every morning and every evening, seeking only to please Him. This is an example of dedication, love and good manners. A person does not address his worship and supplication to God alone unless he is truly dedicated. He does not seek only God’s pleasure unless he profoundly loves Him. When he combines the two qualities of worshipping God alone and seeking only His pleasure, he will have adopted the sort of manners worthy of a true believer.
 
It is reported that some of the Arabian ‘notables’ felt it unbecoming of them to respond to the Islamic call because the Prophet Muĥammad (peace be upon him) kept his door open to poor and unsupported people such as Şuhayb, Bilāl, `Ammār, Khabbāb, Salmān, Ibn Mas`ūd and others. These were poor people who could not change their sweat-stained clothes when they visited him. Their social position did not qualify them to be in the same meeting place as the Quraysh chiefs. Therefore, the chiefs asked the Prophet to drive them away, but he refused. They suggested to him that he should meet the two groups separately in order to give the chiefs their privileges, just as they enjoyed them in pre-Islamic society. Keen as he was to persuade them to accept Islam, the Prophet considered the possibility of granting their request. His Lord made His command clear to him: “Do not drive away those who call on their Lord morning and evening, seeking only to win His pleasure.” (Verse 52)
 
Sa`d ibn Abī Waqqāş, a prominent Companion of the Prophet, reports: “Six of us were with the Prophet (peace be upon him) when the unbelievers said to him: drive away these so that they are not encouraged to go above their standing with us. With me were `Abdullāh ibn Mas`ūd, a man from the Hudhayl, Bilāl and two others.” The Prophet felt whatever God might have let him feel. He was deep in thought when God revealed to him the verse stating: “Do not drive away those who call on their Lord morning and evening, seeking only to win His pleasure”. [Related by Muslim.] Those Quraysh chiefs spoke ill of the poor whom the Prophet received well. They pointed to their poverty and weakness and claimed that their presence with God’s Messenger was the reason behind the negative attitude adopted by the upper classes towards Islam. God gave his final ruling on this question, totally refuting their claims: “You are in no way accountable for them, just as they are in no way accountable for you. Should you drive them away, you would be among the wrongdoers.” (Verse 52)
 
Each is accountable for himself. If those individuals were of straitened means, then that is what God gave them. You, Prophet, have nothing to do with it. Similarly, whether you are rich or poor is not of anyone else’s concern. Wealth or poverty have nothing to do with faith and its criterion for determining people’s positions. The Prophet is told that if such people were driven away from his company on account of their financial status, he would not be attaching to such considerations their value as determined by God’s measure. Hence, he would be a wrongdoer. Far be it from the Prophet to be so.
 
The result of this was to let those who were rich in character, although financially poor, remain with the Prophet, occupying their rightful positions which they had earned by virtue of their faith and their pursuit of God’s pleasure. They did so through calling on Him and by appealing to Him. Islamic values were thus given supremacy. The arrogant Quraysh chiefs were not impressed. They wondered: how could God choose the poor and the weak to grant them guidance in preference to us? Had it been true that the message Muĥammad preached was a message of goodness, they would not have been ahead of us in embracing it. God would have certainly guided us to it before them. They wondered: is it possible that God would grant them His favours in preference to us, when we are the people exercising power and enjoying wealth and high position in this city. This was, indeed, a test God set for those proud people. They were hardened on account of their wealth and distinguished family backgrounds. Yet they fared very badly because they could not appreciate the true nature of this faith and the type of social order it wanted people to establish. Needless to say, the social order that Islam establishes takes humanity by the hand to elevate it to heights it cannot attain through any other means. When Islam was allowed to have its full play in the life of Arabia, the Arabs rose to heights they could not have imagined possible at the time. Indeed, even today, they cannot be imagined possible even by the most advanced of democratic systems.
 
The Most Deserving of God’s Grace
 
“It is in this way that We try some of them by means of others, so that they may say: Are these the ones upon whom God has bestowed His favour from among us?’“ (Verse 53) This is a rhetorical question asked by the arrogant Arab chiefs. The Qur’ān provides the perfect answer: “Does not God know best as to who is truly grateful?” (Verse 53) It is an answer loaded with pointed connotations. It clearly suggests that following right guidance is a reward given by God to those whom He knows to be truly grateful. In this way, they are favoured with this particular aspect of divine grace. No amount of gratitude is sufficient in return for this act of grace. God, however, accepts the best that His servants can do and rewards them for it. His reward is always exceedingly generous.
 
The answer also suggests that accepting faith is a blessing that has nothing to do with the values that may prevail in any society following man-made systems. God bestows it on those whom He knows to be grateful for it, even though they may be poor and have no influence. Human values have no weight on God’s scales.
 
It is clear from God’s answer to that arrogant question that it is those people’s sheer ignorance that gives rise to their objection to the selection of people on whom God bestows His grace. Those who raise the question do not realise that God bestows this favour on the basis of His perfect knowledge. It is He who knows those who deserve such a favour from among His servants. Such ignorant objections also betray the objectors’ bad manners.
 
God commands His Messenger to be the one who starts by greeting those on whom God has bestowed the grace of being among the early Muslims; the very ones whom the Quraysh chiefs ridiculed. The Prophet is further commanded to give them the happy news that God has committed Himself to grant them His mercy, as He will forgive those among them who mend their ways after having committed any bad deed out of ignorance. “When those who believe in God’s revelations come to you, say: Peace be upon you. Your Lord has committed Himself to bestow grace and mercy: if any of you does a bad deed out of ignorance, and then repents and mends his ways, He will be much forgiving, merciful.” (Verse 54)
 
Having given them the blessing of adopting the faith, and promised them easy reckoning on the Day of Judgement, God now honours them with His mercy. Indeed, He commits Himself to showing mercy to those who believe in Him. He also commands His Messenger (peace be upon him) to convey to them this commitment. God’s grace is so plentiful that it ensures forgiveness of all bad deeds, once those who commit them repent and mend their ways. The qualification mentioned here, which describes a bad deed as being committed `out of ignorance’, is interpreted by scholars as intrinsic to committing sins. All human sins are committed `out of ignorance’. According to this interpretation, this statement includes every bad deed: once the person who has done it repents and mends his ways, he will be forgiven. Other statements support this interpretation as they describe forgiveness as surely forthcoming upon repentance and doing well. This is the practical exercise of grace, which God has committed Himself to bestow.
 
It is useful to mention here some of the reports about the circumstances which led to the revelation of these verses. Together with the Qur’ānic statements, these reports indicate the great departure Islam brought about in human life. It enables human beings to attain a summit far higher than any they would otherwise be able to reach.
 
Al-Ţabarī relates on the authority of Ibn Mas`ūd: “A group of Quraysh notables passed by the Prophet when he was with a group of Muslims who were of low status in Makkan society, including Şuhayb, `Ammār, Bilāl and Khabbāb. The notables said to the Prophet: `Muĥammad, are you happy to be with these from among your people? Are these the ones upon whom God has bestowed His favour from among us? Are we to follow these? Drive them away, for if you do so, we may follow you’. God then revealed the Qur’ānic verses which states: “Do not drive away those who call on their Lord morning and evening, seeking only to win His pleasure.” (Verse 52) “It is in this way that We try some of them by means of others, so that they may say: Are these the ones upon whom God has bestowed His favour from among us?’ Does not God know best as to who is truly grateful?” (Verse 53)
 
Al-Ţabarī also attributes to Khabbāb, one of the Prophet’s Companions, the following report of the incident which led to the revelation of Verse 52:
 
Al-Aqra ibn Ĥābis of the tribe of Tamīm and `Uyaynah ibn Ĥişn of the Fazār once found the Prophet sitting with Bilāl, Şuhayb, `Ammār, Khabbāb and others who commanded no influence in Arabian society. They looked on them with contempt. They said to the Prophet: “We would like you to establish a special time for us so that the Arabs will recognize our high position. Delegations come to you from all parts of Arabia and we feel ashamed to be seen with such people. When we come to see you, tell them to leave. When we depart, you may sit with them if you wish.” The Prophet agreed. They said: “Could you put this in writing for us.” The Prophet asked for a sheet of writing material and called `Alī to write the same down. We were sitting a little further away. Then Gabriel, the angel, was sent down with these verses: “Do not drive away those who call on their Lord morning and evening, seeking only to win His pleasure. You are in no way accountable for them, just as they are in no way accountable for you. Should you drive them away, you would be among the wrongdoers. It is in this way that We try some of them by means of others, so that they may say: Are these the ones upon whom God has bestowed His favour from among us?’ Does not God know best as to who is truly grateful? When those who believe in God’s revelations come to you, say: ‘Peace be upon you. Your Lord has committed Himself to bestow grace and mercy.’“ (Verses 52-54) The Prophet dropped the sheet and called us. We went to him and he said: “Peace be upon you. Your Lord has committed Himself to bestow grace and mercy”. Thereafter, we used to sit with him. When he wished to leave, he would stand up and go. But then God revealed to him the verse: “Contain yourself in patience with those who call on their Lord morning and evening, seeking His countenance. Let not your eyes pass beyond them in quest of the beauties of the life of this world.” (18: 28) After that God’s Messenger would sit with us. When it was his usual time to leave, we would leave first so that he could leave, if he so wished. Subsequent to the revelation of these verses, the Prophet would always be the first to greet them, every time he saw them. He would say: “Praise be to God who has made among my followers some people whom I am ordered to be the first to greet”.
 
An authentic report related by Muslim mentions that Abū Sufyān passed by Salmān, Şuhayb, Bilāl and others. They said: “The swords of God’s soldiers have not taken their dues from this enemy of God.” Abū Bakr said: “Do you say this about the leader of the Quraysh?” He then mentioned this to the Prophet who said: “Abū Bakr, you may have offended them. If you have, then you have offended your Lord.” Abū Bakr then went to them and said, “Brothers! Have I offended you?” They said, “No. May God forgive you, brother.”
 
To Bridge a Wide Gulf
 
We need to cast another long look at this whole passage, as it is of exceeding importance to humanity as a whole. Its verses have a much greater significance than the listing of values and theoretical principles on human rights. They represent something great that has been achieved in human life when this faith took humanity by the hand to bridge a very wide gulf. In just one stage of history, humanity attained the brightest summit. Despite its long retreat from that summit, the greatness and reality of that achievement cannot be taken lightly. Since humanity has reached that summit once, it can certainly repeat its performance. The summit remains there. Human beings and the religion of Islam remain the same. What is needed is the determined resolution to try again and the confidence that the summit is once again attainable.
 
These verses draw for humanity the rising curve, marking each stage in order to show the low level of ignorance at which the Arabs were situated before Islam took them to the highest summit. When they attained it, they took the rest of mankind with them.
 
The depths in which the Arabs, and the whole of humanity, lived in their days of ignorance is brought before our eyes as the Quraysh chiefs say to the Prophet, with an overtone of reproach: “Muĥammad, are these the ones you have chosen for company from among your people? Are these the ones upon whom God has bestowed His favour from among us? Are we to be the followers of these? Drive them away for, then, we may consider following you.” We see it again in the way al- Aqra` and `Uyaynah looked contemptuously on the early Companions of the Prophet such as Bilāl, Şuhayb, `Ammār, Khabbāb and other seemingly unsuitable people. The two chiefs said to the Prophet: “We would like you to establish a special time for us so that the Arabs will recognize our high position. Delegations come to you from all parts of Arabia and we feel ashamed to be seen with such people. When we come to see you, tell them to leave. When we depart, you may sit with them if you wish.”
 
This is the uglier face of ignorance and its petty values, which attach importance to social standing and considerations of wealth and class. Those individuals despised by the Arabian chiefs were either non-Arabs, or they lacked wealth and social standing. The same values prevail in all jāhiliyyah societies, even modern ones.
 
Islam attaches no value whatsoever to all these considerations. For Islam has come from on high, and did not spring from the earth. Indeed, the earth represents that low level which could not have supported such a new and noble plant. Islam gives a specific order to the first person to carry out Islamic orders, Muĥammad (peace be upon him), the recipient of divine revelations who belonged to the leading family of the top clan, Hāshim, of the leading Arabian tribe, the Quraysh, and to Abū Bakr, the Prophet’s Companion and successor, concerning those people of very low status. For these individuals abandoned allegiance to anyone and dedicated themselves to the service of God alone. That enabled them to attain all those spectacular achievements.
 
If the low depth of ignorance is represented by the suggestions of the Quraysh chiefs and the feelings of al-Aqra` and `Uyaynah, the great height of Islam is delineated by God’s order to His Messenger (peace be upon him): “Do not drive away those who call on their Lord morning and evening, seeking only to win His pleasure. You are in no way accountable for them, just as they are in no way accountable for you. Should you drive them away, you would be among the wrongdoers. It is in this way that We try some of them by means of others, so that they may say: Are these the ones upon whom God has bestowed His favour from among us?’ Does not God know best as to who is truly grateful? When those who believe in God’s revelations come to you, say: ‘Peace be upon you. Your Lord has committed Himself to bestow grace and mercy: if any of you does a bad deed out of ignorance, and then repents and mends his ways, He will be much forgiving, merciful.’“ (Verses 52-54) It is also highlighted by the Prophet’s attitude towards those weaker individuals whom God has ordered him to be the first to greet and to stay with until they leave. This order is given to none other than Muĥammad ibn `Abdullāh, God’s Messenger, the best and most noble creature that ever lived.
 
The height of Islam is also represented by the way those individuals looked at their position with God. They considered their swords as God’s swords and they were not impressed by Abū Sufyān, the elder and chief of the Quraysh. His rank among Muslims was a low one, since he was among those pardoned by the Prophet as they accepted Islam when Makkah surrendered to him. Their high position was earned by their early acceptance of Islam, when that acceptance exposed them to a great deal of suffering. When Abū Bakr took issue with them concerning Abū Sufyān, the Prophet warned him that he might have angered them and by so doing he might have incurred God’s displeasure. How splendid. No comment is adequate here. We can only reflect on this totally new outlook on social status. Abū Bakr goes to those very individuals to make sure that he has not angered them. He says to them: “Brothers! Have I offended you?” They said, “No. May God forgive you, brother.”
 
What a great achievement for humanity! What a great divide separates the new situation, with all its new values, concepts and feelings from what prevailed in the days of ignorance! The earth remained the same, with the same environment, the same people, and the same economy. The only difference is that something has been sent down from on high to human beings. The revelations combined power and authority. They addressed human nature in its purity. It signalled those lurking at the bottom to start their march up to the great heights, the scaling of which was made possible with Islam.
 
Yet humanity has now retreated from that summit and has tumbled back to its lower depths. We see in New York, Washington, Chicago, Johannesburg and other centres of `civilisation’ a later-day prevalence of the same stinking bigotry based on ties of race, colour, nationhood and class.
 
At the same time, Islam remains at the summit telling mankind that, by God’s grace, it can lift itself out of the mud and aspire to a bright, glorious future. To do this, it has to listen to the divine guidance and to implement the code embodied in this religion of Islam. For it is this that ensures for mankind a place up there at the summit.
 
Within the approach I have set myself in this work, I cannot elaborate much further. Nevertheless, I repeat my call on people to reflect in depth on these Qur’ānic statements in order to visualize the great expanse which opens up for human beings as they start to climb up from the depths of ignorance to the great heights, guided by Islam. They should then reflect on the great difference between that and how low they can sink when they respond to the beckoning of materialistic civilisation, which is totally devoid of faith and its spiritual dimensions. Such reflection should be enough to make people understand where the implementation of Islam will lead them today, after they have experienced the multiple failure of a great many doctrines, creeds, systems, concepts and situations. All these have been invented by men in isolation from divine guidance. Hence, they have failed to guide mankind again to the summit or to ensure a proper standard of human rights. In contrast, we see Islam giving people a sense of reassurance as it accomplishes that great departure without strife, persecution, conflict or extraordinary measures that deny people their basic rights. It employs no special measures of terror, torture, hunger, poverty or any element of suffering which people experience as they try to move from one man- made system to another. Nevertheless, under all these systems, people subjugate one another and endure much misery. We have to satisfy ourselves with these comments and try to appreciate the powerful effect of the Qur’ānic statement and its strong implications.