135 Page Notes

06 Surah Al-Anam (continued)

Page 135 - Related Hadith/Sunnah

6:60

6:61

6:62

6:63

6:64

6:65

6:66

6:67

6:68

Translation of the meaning by Sahih International.

Page 135 - Related Hadiths and Sunnah

Page 135 of the Quran contains Surah Al-An'am (The Cattle), verses 60 through 68. This passage covers the deep metaphysical realities of sleep (described as a minor death), the constant presence of guardian angels, the human tendency to call upon Allah only during life-threatening emergencies, and the strict societal command to walk away from gatherings where Islamic values are being mocked.

The Sunnah and classical Hadiths provide historical, spiritual, and legal frameworks for these specific verses.

1. Sleep as the "Minor Death" (Verse 60)

"And it is He who takes your souls by night and knows what you have committed by day. Then He revives you therein that a specified term may be fulfilled..." (6:60)

• The Metaphor of Sleep: The Quran uses the word Yatawaffakum (takes your soul / causes you to die) to describe sleep, establishing that sleep is a temporary separation of the soul from the active body.

• The Sunnah of Waking and Sleeping: The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ structured his daily routine to consciously reflect the reality of verse 60, using specific prayers upon sleeping and waking to reinforce this connection.

  • Hadith Source (Upon Waking): Hudhayfah ibn al-Yaman narrated: "Whenever the Prophet ﷺ got up from his sleep, he would say: 'All praise is due to Allah Who gave us life after He caused us to die, and to Him is the ultimate resurrection.'" (Sahih al-Bukhari, Book 80, Hadith 6324).

  • Hadith Source (Upon Sleeping): Abu Hurayrah reported that the Prophet ﷺ instructed believers to say when laying down: "In Your name, my Lord, I lay down my side, and in Your name I rise. If You take my soul [during sleep], have mercy on it, and if You send it back, protect it as You protect Your righteous servants." (Sahih al-Bukhari, Book 80, Hadith 6320).

2. The Guardian Angels and the Angels of Death (Verse 61)

"And He is the subjugator over His servants, and He sends over you guardian angels until, when death comes to one of you, Our messengers [i.e., angels of death] take him, and they do not fail." (6:61)

• The Shift of Angelic Shifts: Verse 61 reveals that humans are constantly shielded by angels until their predetermined moment of death arrives.

• Hadith Source: The Prophet ﷺ described the routine of these guardian angels:
  "Angels come to you in shifts by night and by day, and they meet at the time of the Fajr (dawn) and Asr (afternoon) prayers. Then those who spent the night with you ascend, and Allah asks them—though He knows better than they: 'In what state did you leave My servants?' They reply: 'We left them while they were praying, and we came to them while they were praying.'" (Sahih al-Bukhari, Book 9, Hadith 555; Sahih Muslim, Book 5, Hadith 632).

3. Sincerity Born of Desperation (Verses 63–64)

"Say, 'Who rescues you from the darknesses of the land and sea [when] you call upon Him imploring and privately: "If He should save us from this, we will surely be among the thankful"?' Say, 'Allah rescues you from it and from every distress; then you [still] associate others with Him.'" (6:63-64)

• The Human Condition: These verses expose human psychological hypocrisy: people tend to forget their false idols and pray to Allah with absolute, pure monotheism (Ikhlas) during natural disasters or life-threatening crises, only to return to corporate or idol-worshipping distractions once safe.

• The Islam of Ikrimah ibn Abi Jahl:
  The most famous historical manifestation of this verse involves Ikrimah, the son of Abu Jahl.

  • Historical Hadith Source: When the Prophet ﷺ conquered Makkah, Ikrimah fled toward the sea to escape to Abyssinia. While on a ship, a massive storm arose, threatening to capsize the boat. The crew shouted to the passengers: "Make your devotion sincere to Allah alone! Your false gods cannot help you at all here in the sea."

  • Ikrimah thought to himself: "By Allah, if nothing can save me in the sea except sincerity to Allah alone, then nothing can save me on the land except sincerity to Allah alone! O Allah, I promise You that if I survive this, I will go directly to Muhammad, place my hand in his hand, and pledge my allegiance." He survived, returned to Makkah, embraced Islam, and became a highly celebrated hero of the faith (Sunan an-Nasa'i, Book 37, Hadith 4068; cited by Ibn Kathir).

4. Internal Divisions as a Divine Punishment (Verse 65)

"Say, 'He is the [one] Able to send upon you punishment from above you or from beneath your feet or to confuse you [into becoming] sects and make you taste the violence of one another.'..." (6:65)

• The Prophet's Anxiety for his Ummah: This verse deeply terrified the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ because it warns that societal collapse and sectarian violence are forms of divine punishment.

• Hadith Source: Jabir ibn Abdullah narrated: "When this verse was revealed: 'Say, He is Able to send upon you punishment from above you,' the Prophet ﷺ said: 'I seek refuge in Your Face.' When the verse continued: 'or from beneath your feet,' the Prophet ﷺ said: 'I seek refuge in Your Face.' But when it concluded: 'or to confuse you into becoming sects and make you taste the violence of one another,' the Prophet ﷺ remarked: 'This is easier (or less severe than immediate cosmic destruction).'" (Sahih al-Bukhari, Book 97, Hadith 7406).

• The Unanswered Du'a: In another narration in Sahih Muslim, the Prophet ﷺ explained that he asked Allah for three things: to not destroy his nation with a widespread flood, to not destroy them with a universal famine, and to not let them fight one another. Allah granted the first two, but withheld the third, indicating that internal conflict is tied directly to human free will and societal corruption (Sahih Muslim, Book 52, Hadith 2890).

5. Walking Away from Mockery (Verse 68)

"And when you see those who engage in [offensive] discourse concerning Our verses, then turn away from them until they enter into another conversion. And if Satan should cause you to forget, then do not remain after the reminder with the wrongdoing people." (6:68)

• The Rule of Religious Association: This verse sets down a foundational legal rule in Islam: a believer cannot sit passively in a gathering where the Quran, the Prophet ﷺ, or religious values are being actively mocked, insulted, or unproductively picked apart.

• The Sunnah of Civic Disengagement from Harm: The Prophet ﷺ taught that staying in a place where evil is spoken or done makes a person a silent accomplice unless they speak up or physically exit the space.

  • Hadith Source: The Prophet ﷺ said: "Whoever among you sees an evil action, let him change it with his hand; if he cannot, then with his tongue; and if he cannot, then with his heart—and that is the weakest of faith." (Sahih Muslim, Book 1, Hadith 78). Verse 68 outlines the practical application of changing it "with the heart" by physically removing oneself from the environment when one lacks the social authority to stop the offensive discourse.

References

• Al-Bukhari, M. I. (n.d.). Sahih al-Bukhari. Kitab al-Riqaq (Book of Heart-Melting Narrations) & Kitab al-Tawhid (Book of Monotheism).

• 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 al-Fitan wa Ashrat al-Sa'ah (Book of Tribulations and Portents of the Last Hour).

• An-Nasa'i, A. S. (n.d.). Sunan an-Nasa'i. Kitab Tahrim al-Dam (Book on the Prohibition of Bloodshed).