سُوْرَةُ الْاَنْعَامِ
Surah Al-An'aam (6) — Ayah 125
فَمَن يُرِدِ ٱللَّهُ أَن يَهْدِيَهُۥ يَشْرَحْ صَدْرَهُۥ لِلْإِسْلَـٰمِ ۖ وَمَن يُرِدْ أَن يُضِلَّهُۥ يَجْعَلْ صَدْرَهُۥ ضَيِّقًا حَرَجًا كَأَنَّمَا يَصَّعَّدُ فِى ٱلسَّمَآءِ ۚ كَذَٰلِكَ يَجْعَلُ ٱللَّهُ ٱلرِّجْسَ عَلَى ٱلَّذِينَ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ ﴿125﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
And whomsoever Allâh wills to guide, He opens his breast to Islâm; and whomsoever He wills to send astray, He makes his breast closed and constricted, as if he is climbing up to the sky. Thus Allâh puts the wrath on those who believe not.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
فَمَن
faman
So whoever
يُرِدِ
yuridi
wants
ٱللَّهُ
l-lahu
Allah
أَن
an
that
يَهْدِيَهُۥ
yahdiyahu
He guides him
يَشْرَحْ
yashraḥ
He expands
صَدْرَهُۥ
ṣadrahu
his breast
لِلْإِسْلَـٰمِ ۖ
lil'is'lāmi
to Islam
وَمَن
waman
and whoever
يُرِدْ
yurid
He wants
أَن
an
that
يُضِلَّهُۥ
yuḍillahu
He lets him go astray
يَجْعَلْ
yajʿal
He makes
صَدْرَهُۥ
ṣadrahu
his breast
ضَيِّقًا
ḍayyiqan
tight
حَرَجًۭا
ḥarajan
and constricted
كَأَنَّمَا
ka-annamā
as though
يَصَّعَّدُ
yaṣṣaʿʿadu
he (were) climbing
فِى
fī
into
ٱلسَّمَآءِ ۚ
l-samāi
the sky
كَذَٰلِكَ
kadhālika
Thus
يَجْعَلُ
yajʿalu
places
ٱللَّهُ
l-lahu
Allah
ٱلرِّجْسَ
l-rij'sa
the filth
عَلَى
ʿalā
on
ٱلَّذِينَ
alladhīna
those who
لَا
lā
(do) not
يُؤْمِنُونَ
yu'minūna
believe
Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim — Hafiz Abdus Salam Bin Muhammad Bhutvi
Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim is a 4-volume Quran commentary by Hafiz Abdus Salam bin Muhammad Bhutvi, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar and Sheikh ul-Hadith from Pakistan. Based on over 45 years of teaching and research, this tafsir follows the methodology of Tafsir bil-Ma'thur — interpreting the Quran through authentic Hadith, statements of the Companions, and the understanding of the early generations (Salaf). It is distinguished by its complete avoidance of Israeliyyat (Judeo-Christian narratives) and unverified reports. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
(Ayah 125) ➊ {فَمَنْ يُّرِدِ اللّٰهُ اَنْ يَّهْدِيَهٗ ……:} The literal meaning of "Islam" is to submit, to surrender oneself. {’’ حَرَجًا ‘‘} Extremely narrow, constricted, a cluster of trees into which nothing can enter. {’’ يَصَّعَّدُ ‘‘} This is the present tense of the verb from {’’ صَعِدَ يَصْعَدُ ‘‘} (s) in the form of "tafaʿʿal," meaning {’’ يَصَّعَّدُ ‘‘} was originally {’’يَتَصَعَّدُ‘‘}, and by the addition of extra letters, the meaning has been increased by one word, that is, climbing with difficulty.
➋ In this verse, Allah Almighty has stated that just as prophethood is in His hands, so too are guidance and misguidance. According to His system of justice, whomever He wishes to guide, He opens his chest to accept the truth, makes the paths of guidance easy for him, he faces no difficulty in accepting the truth, and he easily submits himself to Allah and His Messenger. And whomever He does not wish to guide due to his rebellion, He makes his chest tight and extremely constricted for accepting the truth, as if he is climbing upwards with difficulty; the higher he climbs, firstly due to the steepness, and secondly due to the decreasing and then vanishing oxygen, he cannot breathe at all. Those who, understanding the truth, choose the path of denial, impurity of disbelief keeps accumulating upon them due to not attaining the purity of faith. See Surah Al-Baqarah (6, 7), Surah At-Tawbah (125), Surah Al-Lail (5 to 10), and Surah Yunus (100).
➌ Shah Abdul Qadir (may Allah have mercy on him) writes: "Earlier it was stated that the disbelievers swear that if they see a sign (miracle), they will surely believe. Now it is said that if We do not grant faith, how will they believe? In between, the excuses for making the dead lawful were mentioned; now the answer to this matter is given: the one whose intellect inclines towards not abandoning his own stance, and who makes excuses for every proof he sees, that is a sign of misguidance. And the one whose intellect inclines towards justice and obedience, that is a sign of guidance. Among these people are signs of misguidance; no sign will have any effect on them." (Muwadhih)
➋ In this verse, Allah Almighty has stated that just as prophethood is in His hands, so too are guidance and misguidance. According to His system of justice, whomever He wishes to guide, He opens his chest to accept the truth, makes the paths of guidance easy for him, he faces no difficulty in accepting the truth, and he easily submits himself to Allah and His Messenger. And whomever He does not wish to guide due to his rebellion, He makes his chest tight and extremely constricted for accepting the truth, as if he is climbing upwards with difficulty; the higher he climbs, firstly due to the steepness, and secondly due to the decreasing and then vanishing oxygen, he cannot breathe at all. Those who, understanding the truth, choose the path of denial, impurity of disbelief keeps accumulating upon them due to not attaining the purity of faith. See Surah Al-Baqarah (6, 7), Surah At-Tawbah (125), Surah Al-Lail (5 to 10), and Surah Yunus (100).
➌ Shah Abdul Qadir (may Allah have mercy on him) writes: "Earlier it was stated that the disbelievers swear that if they see a sign (miracle), they will surely believe. Now it is said that if We do not grant faith, how will they believe? In between, the excuses for making the dead lawful were mentioned; now the answer to this matter is given: the one whose intellect inclines towards not abandoning his own stance, and who makes excuses for every proof he sees, that is a sign of misguidance. And the one whose intellect inclines towards justice and obedience, that is a sign of guidance. Among these people are signs of misguidance; no sign will have any effect on them." (Muwadhih)
