Surah al-An`am (The Cattle) 6 : 150

Overview (Verses 150)

A Very Clear Course to Follow
 
Finally, God instructs His Messenger (peace be upon him) to confront the idolaters asking them to bring witnesses who can support them over the question of legislation, in the same way as He challenged them at the beginning of the sūrah to produce witnesses over the question of Godhead. Early in the sūrah, God says to His Messenger: “Say: ‘What is weightiest in testimony?’ Say: ‘God is witness between me and you. This Qur’ān has been revealed to me that I may thereby warn you and all whom it may reach. Will you in truth bear witness that there are other deities beside God?’ Say: ‘I bear no such witness’. Say: ‘He is but one God. I disown all that you associate with Him.’” (Verse 19) At this particular point, God gives him this instruction: “Say: Bring forward your witnesses who will testify that God has forbidden this. If they so testify, do not you testify with them; and do not follow the wishes of those who deny Our revelations, and those who do not believe in the life to come and who consider others as equal to their Lord.” (Verse 150)
 
This is a tremendous and decisive challenge, giving a clear idea of the nature of this religion of Islam which treats all forms of associating partners with God on the same level. Thus, the open and manifest form of claiming that certain beings are deities is equal to the implicit one represented by usurping the authority to legislate and enacting laws that are not sanctioned by God. Their claim that their legislation is God’s law is totally discounted. The Qur’ān also denounces as liars those who make such an attempt to usurp God’s sovereignty and His authority to legislate, who deny God’s revelations, who do not believe in the life to come, and who consider others as equal to Him. The expression used here is the same as that used in the opening verse of this sūrah to describe the unbelievers: “All praise is due to God, who has created the heavens and the earth, and brought into being darkness and light; yet those who disbelieve regard other beings as equal to their Lord.” (Verse 1)
 
This, then, is God’s verdict concerning those who usurp His sovereignty and exercise His authority to legislate. The verdict is made without any consideration of those people’s claims that their laws are part of God’s law. When God has given His verdict, no one can voice any different opinion.
 
If we want to understand why God makes such a verdict, and why He considers them as liars denying His revelations, and as unbelievers denying the life to come, the door is open to us to deliberate on this. Indeed, such deliberation is required of Muslims.
 
Perhaps it should be explained first that the Arabic term used in this verse to mean God’s `revelations’ is often used to refer to `the signs’ God has placed in the universe pointing to Him, or to refer to His `revelations’ vouchsafed to His Messenger. If we take the first meaning, and consider that God describes them as liars denying His signs in the universe, then the description is true, because all these signs give the same message and the same testimony that God alone is the Creator who has no partners and who gives sustenance to all His creation. Hence, He is the owner of the universe, which means that He alone has the power to conduct all the affairs of the universe as He wishes. Therefore, anyone who does not acknowledge that sovereignty belongs solely to God is an unbeliever in all these signs in the universe. On the other hand, if we take the verse to mean that they do not believe in the Qur’ānic revelations, the description is again true. All these revelations are clear and decisive. They require people to believe that all sovereignty and authority to legislate for human life belongs to God alone. It is His law that should be implemented, and we should submit to His authority and rule.
 
They are also denounced as unbelievers in the life to come. A person who believes in such a life and is certain that he will come face to face with his Lord on the Day of Judgement will never make an act of aggression against God and His most essential quality of Godhead. He will never claim for himself something that belongs to God alone, namely, the right to legislate.
 
They are finally denounced as people who consider other beings as equal to their Lord. In other words they are idolaters in the same way as those Arabs who worshipped idols were unbelievers. Had they believed in God’s oneness, they would not have attributed sovereignty and the authority to legislate to anyone else. Nor would they have accepted any claim by anyone that he has such an authority.
 
This is what appears to me to be the reason for God’s judgement of those people who usurp His authority to legislate and who enact laws not sanctioned by Him. As has already been explained, the verdict describes them in three ways: as liars, denying God’s signs or revelations, as liars who do not believe in the life to come and as idolaters. No Muslim can argue with this verdict. It is the final word which needs no further comment. Let every Muslim take heed and speak in a becoming manner about the verdict of the Almighty, the Wise.

Overview (Verses 150)

A Very Clear Course to Follow
 
Finally, God instructs His Messenger (peace be upon him) to confront the idolaters asking them to bring witnesses who can support them over the question of legislation, in the same way as He challenged them at the beginning of the sūrah to produce witnesses over the question of Godhead. Early in the sūrah, God says to His Messenger: “Say: ‘What is weightiest in testimony?’ Say: ‘God is witness between me and you. This Qur’ān has been revealed to me that I may thereby warn you and all whom it may reach. Will you in truth bear witness that there are other deities beside God?’ Say: ‘I bear no such witness’. Say: ‘He is but one God. I disown all that you associate with Him.’” (Verse 19) At this particular point, God gives him this instruction: “Say: Bring forward your witnesses who will testify that God has forbidden this. If they so testify, do not you testify with them; and do not follow the wishes of those who deny Our revelations, and those who do not believe in the life to come and who consider others as equal to their Lord.” (Verse 150)
 
This is a tremendous and decisive challenge, giving a clear idea of the nature of this religion of Islam which treats all forms of associating partners with God on the same level. Thus, the open and manifest form of claiming that certain beings are deities is equal to the implicit one represented by usurping the authority to legislate and enacting laws that are not sanctioned by God. Their claim that their legislation is God’s law is totally discounted. The Qur’ān also denounces as liars those who make such an attempt to usurp God’s sovereignty and His authority to legislate, who deny God’s revelations, who do not believe in the life to come, and who consider others as equal to Him. The expression used here is the same as that used in the opening verse of this sūrah to describe the unbelievers: “All praise is due to God, who has created the heavens and the earth, and brought into being darkness and light; yet those who disbelieve regard other beings as equal to their Lord.” (Verse 1)
 
This, then, is God’s verdict concerning those who usurp His sovereignty and exercise His authority to legislate. The verdict is made without any consideration of those people’s claims that their laws are part of God’s law. When God has given His verdict, no one can voice any different opinion.
 
If we want to understand why God makes such a verdict, and why He considers them as liars denying His revelations, and as unbelievers denying the life to come, the door is open to us to deliberate on this. Indeed, such deliberation is required of Muslims.
 
Perhaps it should be explained first that the Arabic term used in this verse to mean God’s `revelations’ is often used to refer to `the signs’ God has placed in the universe pointing to Him, or to refer to His `revelations’ vouchsafed to His Messenger. If we take the first meaning, and consider that God describes them as liars denying His signs in the universe, then the description is true, because all these signs give the same message and the same testimony that God alone is the Creator who has no partners and who gives sustenance to all His creation. Hence, He is the owner of the universe, which means that He alone has the power to conduct all the affairs of the universe as He wishes. Therefore, anyone who does not acknowledge that sovereignty belongs solely to God is an unbeliever in all these signs in the universe. On the other hand, if we take the verse to mean that they do not believe in the Qur’ānic revelations, the description is again true. All these revelations are clear and decisive. They require people to believe that all sovereignty and authority to legislate for human life belongs to God alone. It is His law that should be implemented, and we should submit to His authority and rule.
 
They are also denounced as unbelievers in the life to come. A person who believes in such a life and is certain that he will come face to face with his Lord on the Day of Judgement will never make an act of aggression against God and His most essential quality of Godhead. He will never claim for himself something that belongs to God alone, namely, the right to legislate.
 
They are finally denounced as people who consider other beings as equal to their Lord. In other words they are idolaters in the same way as those Arabs who worshipped idols were unbelievers. Had they believed in God’s oneness, they would not have attributed sovereignty and the authority to legislate to anyone else. Nor would they have accepted any claim by anyone that he has such an authority.
 
This is what appears to me to be the reason for God’s judgement of those people who usurp His authority to legislate and who enact laws not sanctioned by Him. As has already been explained, the verdict describes them in three ways: as liars, denying God’s signs or revelations, as liars who do not believe in the life to come and as idolaters. No Muslim can argue with this verdict. It is the final word which needs no further comment. Let every Muslim take heed and speak in a becoming manner about the verdict of the Almighty, the Wise.