Al-An'am · Makki · ayah 158 of 165

Al-An'am 6:158

هَلْ يَنظُرُونَ إِلَّآ أَن تَأْتِيَهُمُ ٱلْمَلَـٰٓئِكَةُ أَوْ يَأْتِىَ رَبُّكَ أَوْ يَأْتِىَ بَعْضُ ءَايَـٰتِ رَبِّكَ ۗ يَوْمَ يَأْتِى بَعْضُ ءَايَـٰتِ رَبِّكَ لَا يَنفَعُ نَفْسًا إِيمَـٰنُهَا لَمْ تَكُنْ ءَامَنَتْ مِن قَبْلُ أَوْ كَسَبَتْ فِىٓ إِيمَـٰنِهَا خَيْرًا ۗ قُلِ ٱنتَظِرُوٓا۟ إِنَّا مُنتَظِرُونَ

“Do they [then] wait for anything except that the angels should come to them or your Lord should come or that there come some of the signs[359] of your Lord? The Day that some of the signs of your Lord will come no soul will benefit from its faith as long as it had not believed before or had earned through its faith some good. Say, "Wait. Indeed, we [also] are waiting."”

Saheeh International

Essence

Faith forced by the final sign counts for nothing; choose it now, while choosing still means something.

A reflection

Waiting for the King to report to you

A customer has been offered a good contract. The terms are clear and the price is fair. Yet he refuses to sign until the company's chief executive phones him personally. His adviser points out that the chief executive does not ring every customer. The customer folds his arms. He will wait.

The ayah opens with a question that holds up a mirror to that posture. Hal yanẓurūna: what are they waiting for? A whole surah has set out the signs. Rain, seeds, stars, night and day (6:95-99). A Book has been sent down, blessed and clear (6:155-157). Still they wait. For angels to come to them. For your Lord to come. For some of the signs of your Lord.

Notice who sets the terms. The created being sits and waits for the Creator to present Himself. It is the ego of the man with folded arms, raised to the height of heaven. Belief is held back like a favour, to be granted once Allah has made a personal appearance.

The ayah does not flatter that pride. It describes what such an appearance would mean. The commentaries link the coming signs to the sun rising from the west. The Prophet ﷺ said that the sun, each time it sets, goes and prostrates beneath the Throne and asks permission to rise. One day it will be told to return where it came from (Sahih al-Bukhari, Sahih Muslim). The sun has never once risen without permission. Neither has the man with folded arms.

The phrase 'or your Lord comes' is read in more than one way. Some commentaries take it as His command and judgement coming. Others affirm the coming as He described it, without likening it to anything. The text says: your Lord comes. That is enough to lower the head.

Does Allah want belief in advance the way a vain ruler wants applause? No. He is free of all need (35:15). Faith before the sign is for our sake, because it is the only kind that shows what we are. The ego asks when He will come to it. The ayah asks whether we will come to Him while coming still counts.

The full entry has 6 more reflections, questions to sit with, and "Live it today" - with the words, the roots and the tafsir alongside. Free, no account, works offline.