133 Page Notes

06 Surah Al-Anam (continued)

Page 133 - Related Hadith/Sunnah

6:45

6:46

6:47

6:48

6:49

6:50

6:51

6:52

Translation of the meaning by Sahih International.

Page 133 - Related Hadiths and Sunnah

Page 133 of the Quran contains Surah Al-An'am (The Cattle), verses 45 through 52. This portion of the Surah deals with the finality of divine punishment upon tyrannical nations, the challenge to human sensory power versus divine control, the humility required of a Prophet, and a foundational historical event concerning social equality in early Islam.

The Sunnah and classical Hadiths provide deep contextual and spiritual commentary on these specific verses.

1. The Uprooting of Oppressors (Verses 45)

"So the people that committed wrong were uprooted. And praise to Allah, Lord of the worlds." (6:45)

• Praising Allah for the Elimination of Evil: Verse 45 concludes a section detailing how arrogant societies were destroyed. It emphasizes that cleansing the earth of systemic tyranny is an act worthy of cosmic praise (Alhamdulillah).

• The Concept of Divine Justice in the Sunnah: The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ routinely taught that while Allah is patient with oppressors, His ultimate grasp is unyielding.

  • Hadith Source: Abu Musa al-Ash'ari reported that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
    "Verily, Allah gives respite to the oppressor. But when He seizes him, He never lets him go." The Prophet ﷺ then recited from Surah Hud: "And such is the seizure of your Lord when He seizes the cities while they are committing wrong..." (Sahih al-Bukhari, Book 65, Hadith 4686; Sahih Muslim, Book 45, Hadith 2583). This directly mirrors the theme of verse 45, showing how historical tyrannies are abruptly terminated.

2. Sensory Deprivation as a Divine Punishment (Verses 46–47)

"Say, 'Have you considered: if Allah should take away your hearing and your sight and set a seal upon your hearts, which deity other than Allah could restore them to you?'..." (6:46)

• The Fragility of Human Senses: Allah challenges humanity to realize that their sight, hearing, and cognitive faculties are completely dependent on His continuous permission.

• The Sunnah of Guarding and Praying for the Senses: Because the physical senses are completely vulnerable to divine withdrawal, the Prophet ﷺ established a beautiful morning and evening Sunnah strictly asking Allah to preserve them.

  • Hadith Source: The companion Abdur-Rahman ibn Abi Bakrah told his father: "O my father! I hear you supplicating every morning and evening: 'O Allah, grant health to my body; O Allah, grant health to my hearing; O Allah, grant health to my sight. There is no deity worthy of worship except You.'" His father replied: "Yes, my son, I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ making this exact supplication, and I like to follow his Sunnah." (Sunan Abi Dawud, Book 43, Hadith 312; graded Sahih).

3. The Limits of Prophetic Knowledge (Verse 50)

"Say, [O Muhammad], 'I do not tell you that I have the depositories of Allah or that I know the unseen, nor do I tell you that I am an angel. I only follow what is revealed to me.'..." (6:50)

• The Essential Humanity of the Messenger: The Makkans frequently challenged the Prophet ﷺ to reveal where treasures were buried or to accurately predict the exact future. This verse forces a clear boundary: the Prophet ﷺ is a humble human being who only knows what Allah chooses to reveal to him.

• Hadith Correlation on the Unseen (Al-Ghayb):

  • Hadith Source: In Sahih al-Bukhari, Ibn Umar narrated that the Prophet ﷺ said: "The keys of the Unseen are five, and no one knows them except Allah..." which includes the exact time of the Hour, when it will rain, and what tomorrow brings (Sahih al-Bukhari, Book 60, Hadith 4627).

  • Even when performing spectacular miracles or receiving direct revelations, the Prophet ﷺ consistently maintained the posture directed by Verse 50—attributing all supernatural knowledge entirely to Allah.

4. The Critical "Asbab al-Nuzul" (Reason for Revelation) of Verse 52

"And do not send away those who call upon their Lord morning and afternoon, seeking His countenance. Not upon you is anything of their account and not upon them is anything of your account..." (6:52)

This verse holds immense historical weight in the development of early Islamic social justice, directly addressing a clash between tribal elitism and religious brotherhood.

• The Background: The wealthy elite and tribal chiefs of the Quraysh felt it was beneath their high societal dignity to sit in the same assembly as the poor, vulnerable, or enslaved Muslims who surrounded the Prophet ﷺ—such as Bilal al-Habashi, Ammar ibn Yasir, Suhayb al-Rumi, and Khabbab ibn al-Aratt. The chiefs approached the Prophet ﷺ and offered a deal: "If you drive these poor people away from your circle, we will sit with you, listen to your message, and consider Islam. But we cannot sit with slaves."

• The Prophet's Dilemma: For a brief moment, the Prophet's intense desire to see the powerful chieftains accept Islam (which would bring peace to the persecuted community) caused him to contemplate creating separate seating times or politely asking the poor companions to step aside while the elites visited. Allah immediately revealed Verse 52 as a strict, unyielding prohibition against class discrimination.

• The First-Hand Witness Account:

  • Hadith Source: Sa'd bin Abi Waqqas reported directly regarding this event:
    "We were six people with the Prophet ﷺ when the polytheists said to him: 'Drive these people away so they do not become arrogant over us.' The six were myself, Ibn Mas'ud, a man from the Hudhayl tribe, Bilal, and two other men whose names I won't mention. There occurred in the mind of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ whatever Allah willed to occur [of considering their offer], so Allah revealed: 'And do not send away those who call upon their Lord morning and afternoon, seeking His countenance.'" (Sahih Muslim, Book 44, Hadith 71 / 2413b).

References

• Al-Bukhari, M. I. (n.d.). Sahih al-Bukhari. Kitab al-Tafsir (Book of Prophetic Commentary).

• Abu Dawud, S. (n.d.). Sunan Abi Dawud. Kitab al-Adab (Book of Etiquette).

• Ibn Kathir, I. O. (2000). Tafsir al-Quran al-Azim (Vol. 3, Commentary on Surah Al-An'am). Dar Taybah.

• Muslim, I. H. (n.d.). Sahih Muslim. Kitab Fada'il al-Sahabah (Book of the Virtues of the Companions).