The Holy Quran with Five Volume Commentary (Vol 2) — Page 395
CHAPTER 6 AL-AN'ĀM (Revealed before Hijrah) Title and Date of Revelation This Surah belongs to the Meccan period. According to most accounts, the whole of it was revealed in one portion; and as reported by some traditionalists, as many as 70,000 angels stood guard when it was being revealed, which points to the high position it holds among the Quranic Surahs and the special protection which was afforded to its subject matter. The Surah probably derives its title from the subject dealt with in vv. 137-139 where cattle (the word An'am meaning cattle) have been condemned as one of the main causes of idolatry. At another place the Quran says that idolatry makes idolaters sink so low as to render them, as it were, like mere cattle (25:45). Subject Matter In this Surah there is a change in the treatment of the subject matter from that of the previous Sūrahs. It contains a refutation of religions other than the Israelite. It starts with the refutation of the Zoroastrian faith, which believes in the duality of the Godhead in two separate Gods of good and evil. The Quran exposes this doctrine by declaring that both the powers of doing good and evil are in reality two links of the same chain, one remaining incomplete without the other; so they cannot be said to have been created by two different Gods. Light and darkness are indeed the creation of the same God and, instead of pointing to the duality of the Godhead, they really constitute a strong argument in favour of its Oneness and possess a peculiar affinity with the creation of man and his natural powers and faculties. The Surah proceeds to discuss the important subject that evil is born of the wrong use of God-given faculties; and whenever men cease to make a right use of them, God raises a Prophet to teach them their right use. But, instead of receiving a patient and reverent hearing, he receives mockery and derision, in spite of the fact that such mockery has always led to disastrous results. Further on, in the second section (Ruku), the Surah says that delay in Divine punishment overtaking disbelievers often makes them all the more intrepid, though this delay is always due to God's mercy and not to His inability to call them to account as and when He likes. Then it proceeds to say that the severe persecution to which the Prophet and his followers are subjected can never result in a weakening of their connection with God, because their belief in God is based on true realization of His attributes which they impart to others by means of the signs that God shows at their hands. In 835