Quran-6:122 Surah Al-anam English Translation,Transliteration and Tafsir(Tafseer).

أَوَمَن كَانَ مَيۡتٗا فَأَحۡيَيۡنَٰهُ وَجَعَلۡنَا لَهُۥ نُورٗا يَمۡشِي بِهِۦ فِي ٱلنَّاسِ كَمَن مَّثَلُهُۥ فِي ٱلظُّلُمَٰتِ لَيۡسَ بِخَارِجٖ مِّنۡهَاۚ كَذَٰلِكَ زُيِّنَ لِلۡكَٰفِرِينَ مَا كَانُواْ يَعۡمَلُونَ

Transliteration:( Awa man kaana maitan fa ahyainaahu wa ja'alnaa lahoo noorany yamshee bihee fin naasi kamamm masaluhoo fiz zulumaati laisa bikhaarijim minhaa; kazaalika zuyyina lilkaafireena maa kaanoo ya'maloon )

122. And is he who was dead, then We gave him life and made for him a light [270], by which he walks among mankind, like one who is in darkness [271], from which he cannot come out? Thus, in the eyes of the disbelievers, their deeds have been made fair [272]. (Kanzul Imaan Translation)

(122) And is one who was dead and We gave him life and made for him light by which to walk among the people like one who is in darkness, never to emerge therefrom? Thus it has been made pleasing to the disbelievers that which they were doing. (Saheen International Translation)

Surah Al-Anam Ayat 122 Tafsir (Commentry)



  • Tafseer-e-Naeemi (Ahmad Yaar Khan)
  • Ibn Kathir
  • Ala-Madudi
  • Shaheen International

270. This makes it clear that Faith is life and infidelity is death as this renders the soul dead. Hence, in the verse: "Therefore you make not the deaf to hear" (S30:V52) reference is made to the infidels.

271. Light is described in the singular and darkness in the plural to show that guidance is one but infidelity is of diverse types. The reason for the revelation of this complete verse is: Once Abu Jahal threw dust on the Holy Prophet ? which was a discomfort to  Hazrat  Hamzah who had gone out hunting the Holy Prophet ?. On returning when he heard of this he angrily went up to Abu Jahal to punish him. As he was to tear Abu Jahal's gullet with his bow. Abu Jahal pleadingly  said that the Holy Prophet  ? constantly derides our idols. yet you are maintaining silence.Hazrat Hamzah replied who is more foolish than you who makes deities from stones then worship his own creation? Saying this Hazrat Hamzah went to the Holy Prophet and accepted Islam. On that occasion, this verse was revealed.

272. From this we learn that the sinful believer always despises the sin and this conviction keeps him as a believer. On the other hand, an infidel becomes happy with his evil deeds and is proud of them as a result of which he is not worthy of forgiveness Reason for its revelation: This verse was revealed concerning Hazrat Hamza and Abu Jahal. Ameer Hamza had accepted Islam but Abu Jahal remained an infidel. Hence, the two are not equal. The same is the opinion of Hazrat Abdullah Ibn Abbas (May Allah be pleased with them).

 

Ibn-Kathir

122. Is he who was dead, and We gave him life, and set for him a light, whereby he can walk among men — like him who is in the darkness from which he can never come out Thus it is made fair seeming to the disbelievers that which they used to do.


The Parable of the Disbeliever and the Believer

This is an example that Allah has given of the believer who was dead, meaning, wandering in confusion and misguidance. Then, Allah brought life to him, by bringing life to his heart with faith, guiding him to it and guiding him to obeying His Messengers,

﴿لَهُ نُورًا يَمْشِي بِهِ فِى النَّاسِ كَمَن﴾

(And set for him a light whereby he can walk amongst men.) for he became guided to where he should go and how to remain on the correct path. The light mentioned here is the Qur’an, according to Ibn `Abbas, as Al-`Awfi and Ibn Abi Talhah reported from him. As-Suddi said that the light mentioned here is Islam. Both meanings are correct.

﴿مَّثَلُهُ فِي الظُّلُمَـتِ لَيْسَ﴾

(Like him who is in the darkness) of ignorance, desires and various types of deviation,

﴿بِخَارِجٍ مِّنْهَا كَذَلِكَ﴾

(From which he can never come out) for he is unable to find a way out from what he is in. In Musnad Ahmad, it is recorded that the Prophet said;

«إِنَّ اللهَ خَلَقَ خَلْقَهُ فِي ظُلْمَةٍ، ثُمَّ رَشَّ عَلَيْهِمْ مِنْ نُورِهِ، فَمَنْ أَصَابَهُ ذَلِكَ النُّورُ اهْتَدَى، وَمَنَ أَخْطَأَهُ ضَل»

(Allah created creation in darkness, then He showered His Light upon them. Whoever was struck by that light is guided, whoever it missed is astray.) Allah said in other Ayat,

﴿اللَّهُ وَلِيُّ الَّذِينَ ءامَنُواْ يُخْرِجُهُم مِّنَ الظُّلُمَـتِ إِلَى النُّورِ وَالَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ أَوْلِيَآؤُهُمُ الطَّـغُوتُ يُخْرِجُونَهُم مِّنَ النُّورِ إِلَى الظُّلُمَـتِ أُوْلَـئِكَ أَصْحَـبُ النَّارِ هُمْ فِيهَا خَـلِدُونَ ﴾

(Allah is the Guardian of those who believe. He brings them out from darkness into light. But as for those who disbelieve, their friends are Taghut, they bring them out from light into darkness. Those are the dwellers of the Fire, and they will abide therein forever.) ﴿2:257﴾, and

﴿أَفَمَن يَمْشِى مُكِبّاً عَلَى وَجْهِهِ أَهْدَى أَمَّن يَمْشِى سَوِيّاً عَلَى صِرَطٍ مُّسْتَقِيمٍ ﴾

(Is he who walks prone on his face, more rightly guided, or he who walks upright on the straight way) ﴿67:22﴾, and

﴿مَثَلُ الْفَرِيقَيْنِ كَالاٌّعْمَى وَالاٌّصَمِّ وَالْبَصِيرِ وَالسَّمِيعِ هَلْ يَسْتَوِيَانِ مَثَلاً أَفَلاَ تَذَكَّرُونَ ﴾

(The parable of the two parties is as the blind and the deaf and the seer and the hearer. Are they equal when compared Will you not then take heed) ﴿11:24﴾, and,

﴿وَمَا يَسْتَوِى الاٌّعْمَى وَالْبَصِيرُ – وَلاَ الظُّلُمَاتُ وَلاَ النُّورُ – وَلاَ الظِّلُّ وَلاَ الْحَرُورُ – وَمَا يَسْتَوِى الاٌّحْيَآءُ وَلاَ الاٌّمْوَاتُ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُسْمِعُ مَن يَشَآءُ وَمَآ أَنتَ بِمُسْمِعٍ مَّن فِى الْقُبُورِ – إِنْ أَنتَ إِلاَّ نَذِيرٌ ﴾

(Not alike are the blind and the seeing. Nor are darkness and light. Nor are the shade and the sun’s heat. Nor are the living and the dead. Verily, Allah makes whom He wills to hear, but you cannot make hear those who are in the graves. You are only a warner.) ﴿35:19-23﴾ There are many other Ayat on this subject. We explained before why Allah mentioned the light in the singular sense and the darkness in the plural sense when we explained the Ayah at the beginning of the Surah,

﴿وَجَعَلَ الظُّلُمَـتِ وَالنُّورَ﴾

(And originated the darknesses and the light.) ﴿6:1﴾ Allah’s statement,

﴿زُيِّنَ لِلْكَـفِرِينَ مَا كَانُواْ يَعْمَلُونَ ﴾

(Thus it is made fair seeming to the disbelievers that which they used to do.) means, We made their ignorance and misguidance appear fair to them, as Allah decreed out of His wisdom, there is no deity worthy of worship except Him alone without partners. ﴾

(6:122) He who was dead and whom We raised to life,[88] and We set a light for him to walk among men – is he like the one steeped in darkness out of which he does not come out?[89]. Thus have their own doings been made to seem fair to the unbelievers.[90]

Ala-Maududi

(6:122) He who was dead and whom We raised to life,[88] and We set a light for him to walk among men – is he like the one steeped in darkness out of which he does not come out?[89]. Thus have their own doings been made to seem fair to the unbelievers.[90]


88. ‘Death’ signifies here the state of ignorance and lack of consciousness, whereas ‘life’ denotes the state of knowledge and true cognition, the state of awareness of Reality. He who cannot distinguish between right and wrong and does not know the Straight Way for human life, may be alive on the biological plane, but his essential humanity is not. He may be a living animal but is certainly not a living human being. A living human being is one who can distinguish right from wrong, good from evil, honesty from dishonesty.

89. The question is: ‘How can they expect one who has been able to attain genuine consciousness of his true human nature and who, by virtue of his knowledge of the Truth, can clearly discern the Straight Way among the numerous crooked ways, to live like those who lack true consciousness and go on stumbling in the darkness of ignorance and folly?’

90. The law of God with regard to those to whom light is presented but who wilfully refuse to accept it, preferring to follow their crooked paths even after they have been invited to follow the Straight Way, is that in the course of time such people begin to cherish darkness, and to enjoy groping their way in the dark, stumbling and falling as they proceed. They tend to mistake cacti for orchids, thorns for roses. They find pleasure in every act of evil and corruption. They look forward to renewed experiences of corruption, hoping that where they were previously unsuccessful they will now find success.

(122) And is one who was dead and We gave him life and made for him light by which to walk among the people like one who is in darkness, never to emerge therefrom? Thus it has been made pleasing to the disbelievers that which they were doing.

Sign up for Newsletter