Surah Al-An’am Ayat 122 in Arabic Text
English Translation
Here you can read various translations of verse 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.
Can he who was dead, to whom We gave life, and a light whereby he can walk amongst men, be like him who is in the depths of darkness, from which he can never come out? Thus to those without faith their own deeds seem pleasing.
He who was dead and whom We raised to life, 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?. Thus have their own doings been made to seem fair to the unbelievers.
Is he who was dead (without Faith by ignorance and disbelief) and We gave him life (by knowledge and Faith) and set for him a light (of Belief) whereby he can walk amongst men, like him who is in the darkness (of disbelief, polytheism and hypocrisy) from which he can never come out? Thus it is made fair-seeming to the disbelievers that which they used to do.
Is he who was dead and We have raised him unto life, and set for him a light wherein he walketh among men, as him whose similitude is in utter darkness whence he cannot emerge? Thus is their conduct made fairseeming for the disbelievers.
And is he who was deceased, then We gave him life and made for him a light to walk by among mankind, as one whose likeness is in the darkness (es), (and) he is not coming out of them? Thus whatever the disbelievers were doing was adorned (i.e., made attractive) for them.
Is a dead person brought back to life by Us, and given light with which to walk among people, comparable to someone trapped in deep darkness who cannot escape? In this way the evil deeds of the disbelievers are made to seem alluring to them.
ایسا شخص جو پہلے مرده تھا پھر ہم نے اس کو زنده کردیا اور ہم نے اس کو ایک ایسا نور دے دیا کہ وه اس کو لئے ہوئے آدمیوں میں چلتا پھرتا ہے۔ کیا ایسا شخص اس شخص کی طرح ہوسکتا ہے؟ جو تاریکیوں سے نکل ہی نہیں پاتا۔ اسی طرح کافروں کو ان کے اعمال خوش نما معلوم ہوا کرتے ہیں
Quran 6 Verse 122 Explanation
For those looking for commentary to help with the understanding of Surah Al-An’am ayat 122, we’ve provided two Tafseer works below. The first is the tafseer of Abul Ala Maududi, the second is of Ibn Kathir.
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.
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.
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,
(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.
(Like him who is in the darkness) of ignorance, desires and various types of deviation,
(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;
(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,
(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
(Is he who walks prone on his face, more rightly guided, or he who walks upright on the straight way) ﴿67:22﴾, and
(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,
(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,
(And originated the darknesses and the light.) ﴿6:1﴾ Allah’s statement,
(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. ﴾
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