142 Page Notes

06 Surah Al-Anam (continued)

Page 142 - Related Hadith/Sunnah

6:111

6:112

6:113

6:114

6:115

6:116

6:117

6:118

Translation of the meaning by Sahih International.

Page 142 - Related Hadiths and Sunnah

Page 142 of the Quran covers Surah Al-An'am (The Cattle), verses 111 through 118. This passage deals heavily with the nature of human obstinacy against divine truth, the presence of spiritual enemies, the danger of blindly following the majority, and a major transition into dietary laws (specifically invoking God's name over food).

The Prophet Muhammad’s Hadiths and Sunnah provide crucial context to these verses, transitioning from deep theology into explicit daily practices.

1. Verses 112–113: Whisperings of the Devils (Devils of Mankind and Jinn)

"And it is how We have made for every prophet an enemy—devils from mankind and jinn, inspiring to one another decorative speech in delusion..." (Quran 6:112)

This verse reveals a spiritual reality: that devils (Shayatin) exist not just as invisible spirits (Jinn), but also among human beings who actively try to divert others from truth.

• Seeking Refuge from Human Devils: The Sunnah directly reflects this duality. The companion Abu Dharr narrated that he went to the mosque and sat near the Prophet. The Prophet asked him, "O Abu Dharr, have you sought refuge in Allah from the devils among humans and jinn?" Abu Dharr was surprised and asked, "Are there devils among humans?" The Prophet replied, "Yes." (Musnad Ahmad, Hadith 21540; Sunan al-Nasa'i, Hadith 5507; graded authentic/Sahih by Al-Albani).

• The Concept of Waswasah (Whispering): Verse 112 describes these forces inspiring one another with "decorative speech." The Prophet warned his companions that Satan would try to beautify doubts or evil actions using logic or appealing speech. He taught that when someone experiences these intrusive, destructive thoughts, they should say: "I believe in Allah and His Messengers" and seek refuge in God. (Sahih Muslim, Book of Faith, Hadith 134).

2. Verse 116: The Danger of Blindly Following the Majority

"And if you obey most of those upon the earth, they will mislead you from the way of Allah. They follow not except assumption, and they are not but falsifying." (Quran 6:116)

This verse is a foundational Islamic principle stating that truth is not democratic or determined by numbers, but by divine revelation. The Sunnah contains many warnings about societal pressures and the urge to fit in.

• The Prohibition of Being an "Imme'ah" (A Yes-Man): The Prophet explicitly taught his followers to maintain their moral clarity regardless of what the majority of society does. He said:

"Do not let yourselves be 'yes-men' (Imme'ah), saying: 'If the people do good we shall do good, and if they do wrong we shall do wrong.' Rather, accustom yourselves to do good if the people do good, and to not do wrong if they do evil." (Jami' at-Tirmidhi, Book of Righteousness and Maintaining Ties, Hadith 2007).

• Islam Beginning and Returning as Something Strange: Because the truth is often not followed by the majority, the Prophet comforted the believers by telling them that being in the minority is natural for the righteous: "Islam began as something strange and it will return to being strange just as it began, so glad tidings to the strangers." (Sahih Muslim, Book of Faith, Hadith 145).

3. Verse 118: Mentioning Allah's Name Over Food

"So eat of that [meat] upon which the name of Allah has been mentioned, if you are believers in His verses." (Quran 6:118)

This verse marks a shift into a major practical commandment in Islamic dietary law (Halal), requiring that animal meat be slaughtered while explicitly pronouncing God's name (Tasmiyah). The Sunnah turns this theological decree into a mandatory daily habit.

The Tasmiyah (Invocation). Source: sarah sharif / Getty Images

• The Requirement at Slaughter: The Prophet made it clear that mentioning God's name at the time of slaughtering an animal validates the meat. He said: "If the blood is caused to flow and the name of Allah is mentioned, then eat..." (Sahih al-Bukhari, Book of Slaughters and Hunting, Hadith 5498).

• What if the Slaughterer's Action is Unknown? A group of people came to the Prophet and said, "Some people bring us meat and we do not know whether they mentioned the name of Allah over it or not." The Prophet provided a highly practical solution rooted in ease:
  "Mention the name of Allah over it yourselves and eat it." (Sahih al-Bukhari, Book of Buyu' (Trade), Hadith 2057).

• The Sunnah of Saying Bismillah Before Eating: Beyond the actual slaughter, the Prophet made it a strict sunnah to invoke Allah's name before tasting any food to prevent Satan from sharing in the blessing. He famously instructed a young boy, Umar ibn Abi Salamah:
  "O boy! Mention the Name of Allah (say 'Bismillah'), eat with your right hand, and eat from what is closer to you." (Sahih al-Bukhari, Book of Food, Hadith 5376; Sahih Muslim, Hadith 2022).

Canonical Collections and References

If you wish to look up the exact placements of these discussions in classical commentaries:

• Sahih al-Bukhari: Kitab al-Dhaba'ih (Book of Slaughters) provides the absolute legal weight to Verse 118.

• Tafsir Ibn Kathir (Volume 3): Under the commentary for Surah Al-An'am, verse 112, Ibn Kathir lays out the full chains of transmission explaining the differences between human devils and jinn devils.

• Jami' at-Tirmidhi: Kitab al-Birr wa al-Silah (Book of Piety) tracks the moral independence required by verse 116.