سُوْرَةُ الْاَنْعَامِ
Surah Al-An'aam (6) — Ayah 41
بَلْ إِيَّاهُ تَدْعُونَ فَيَكْشِفُ مَا تَدْعُونَ إِلَيْهِ إِن شَآءَ وَتَنسَوْنَ مَا تُشْرِكُونَ ﴿41﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
Nay! To Him Alone you would call, and, if He wills, He would remove that (distress) for which you call upon Him, and you would forget at that time whatever partners you joined (with Him in worship)!
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
بَلْ
bal
Nay
إِيَّاهُ
iyyāhu
Him Alone
تَدْعُونَ
tadʿūna
you call
فَيَكْشِفُ
fayakshifu
and He would remove
مَا
mā
what
تَدْعُونَ
tadʿūna
you call
إِلَيْهِ
ilayhi
upon Him
إِن
in
if
شَآءَ
shāa
He wills
وَتَنسَوْنَ
watansawna
and you will forget
مَا
mā
what
تُشْرِكُونَ
tush'rikūna
you associate (with Him)
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran — Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran (Facilitation of the Quran) is a comprehensive Quran commentary by Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. Known for his eloquent and accessible writing style, Kilani authored this tafsir with a focus on clarity — making Quranic meanings understandable to the common reader. The tafsir provides detailed historical context for verses related to battles and expeditions, and firmly refutes modernist ideologies using strong scriptural evidence. It is widely regarded as an invaluable resource for understanding the Quran and countering deviant interpretations. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
41. Rather, at that time you will call upon Allah alone [46]. Then, if He wills, He removes the distress for which you called upon Him. And at that moment, you forget those whom you associate as partners with Him.
[46]
The Acceptance of Islam by ‘Ikrimah bin Abu Jahl:
It was the habit of the polytheists of Makkah that in times of calamity, especially when their ship was caught in a storm, they would begin to call upon their deities. Then, when the calamity would not subside and death seemed imminent, they would say, “Now call only upon Allah.” This very habit of theirs is mentioned in these verses, and for a person to find the path of guidance, this one thing is sufficient. Thus, after the conquest of Makkah, ‘Ikrimah bin Abu Jahl fled from Makkah out of fear of how the conquerors would treat the defeated. He reached Jeddah and from there boarded a ship heading towards Abyssinia. On the way, the ship was caught in a storm, and the polytheists, according to their habit, began to call upon their gods and goddesses. The storm only intensified. It seemed as if the ship was about to sink at any moment. Does only Allah help in times of calamity? At that moment, the polytheists began to say, “Now call only upon Allah. Only He can save us from this calamity and from death.” Hearing this sentence at such a critical moment, ‘Ikrimah’s eyes were opened. He began to think that if, in the calamity at sea, only Allah helps, then on land as well, only Allah should help. He thought, “For twenty years we fought Muhammad ﷺ over this very matter. He used to say that only Allah helps in times of calamity, and your deities can neither harm nor benefit you.” Thus, he made a vow that if his life was saved today, he would go straight to Muhammad ﷺ and pledge allegiance to him. By Allah’s will, the storm subsided and the lives of those on the ship were saved. ‘Ikrimah returned and accepted Islam, and spent the rest of his life in the service of Islam.
The Spirit of Truthfulness Exists Within Man:
This matter is not limited to ‘Ikrimah alone, but when death appears before one’s eyes, even atheistic people involuntarily utter the name of Allah and begin to call upon Him in supplication. This is clear evidence that, no matter how stubborn and obstinate a person may be, the natural inclination towards truthfulness has been placed within him, and in times of distress, it involuntarily comes forth openly.
[46]
The Acceptance of Islam by ‘Ikrimah bin Abu Jahl:
It was the habit of the polytheists of Makkah that in times of calamity, especially when their ship was caught in a storm, they would begin to call upon their deities. Then, when the calamity would not subside and death seemed imminent, they would say, “Now call only upon Allah.” This very habit of theirs is mentioned in these verses, and for a person to find the path of guidance, this one thing is sufficient. Thus, after the conquest of Makkah, ‘Ikrimah bin Abu Jahl fled from Makkah out of fear of how the conquerors would treat the defeated. He reached Jeddah and from there boarded a ship heading towards Abyssinia. On the way, the ship was caught in a storm, and the polytheists, according to their habit, began to call upon their gods and goddesses. The storm only intensified. It seemed as if the ship was about to sink at any moment. Does only Allah help in times of calamity? At that moment, the polytheists began to say, “Now call only upon Allah. Only He can save us from this calamity and from death.” Hearing this sentence at such a critical moment, ‘Ikrimah’s eyes were opened. He began to think that if, in the calamity at sea, only Allah helps, then on land as well, only Allah should help. He thought, “For twenty years we fought Muhammad ﷺ over this very matter. He used to say that only Allah helps in times of calamity, and your deities can neither harm nor benefit you.” Thus, he made a vow that if his life was saved today, he would go straight to Muhammad ﷺ and pledge allegiance to him. By Allah’s will, the storm subsided and the lives of those on the ship were saved. ‘Ikrimah returned and accepted Islam, and spent the rest of his life in the service of Islam.
The Spirit of Truthfulness Exists Within Man:
This matter is not limited to ‘Ikrimah alone, but when death appears before one’s eyes, even atheistic people involuntarily utter the name of Allah and begin to call upon Him in supplication. This is clear evidence that, no matter how stubborn and obstinate a person may be, the natural inclination towards truthfulness has been placed within him, and in times of distress, it involuntarily comes forth openly.
