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Tafsir

Scholarly commentary explaining a verse — its context, its meaning and how the scholars have understood it.

Al-An'am 6:28

Word by word

بَلْ بَدَا لَهُم مَّا كَانُوا۟ يُخْفُونَ مِن قَبْلُ ۖ وَلَوْ رُدُّوا۟ لَعَادُوا۟ لِمَا نُهُوا۟ عَنْهُ وَإِنَّهُمْ لَكَـٰذِبُونَ

But what they concealed before has [now] appeared to them. And even if they were returned, they would return to that which they were forbidden; and indeed, they are liars.

Ibn Kathir (Abridged) English Ma'arif al-Qur'an English Tafsir Muyassar Arabic Tafsir Ibn Kathir Arabic All sources

Ibn Kathir (Abridged)

Hafiz Ibn Kathir

Wishes and Hopes Do Not Help One When He Sees the Torment

Allah mentions the condition of the disbelievers when they are made to stand before the Fire on the Day of Resurrection and witness its chains and restraints, along with seeing the horrible, momentous conditions in the Fire with their own eyes. This is when the disbelievers will say, يلَيْتَنَا نُرَدُّ وَلاَ نُكَذِّبَ بِـَايَـتِ رَبِّنَا وَنَكُونَ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ("Would that we were but sent back (to the world)! Then we would not deny the Ayat of our Lord, and we would be of the believers!") They wish that they would be sent back to the life of the world so that they could perform righteous deeds, refrain from disbelieving in the Ayat of their Lord and be among the believers. Allah said, بَلْ بَدَا لَهُمْ مَّا كَانُواْ يُخْفُونَ مِن قَبْلُ(Nay, what they had been concealing before has become manifest to them.) meaning, the disbelief, denial and rebellion that they used to hide in their hearts will then be uncovered, even though they will try to hide this fact in this life and the Hereafter.

Earlier, Allah said, ثُمَّ لَمْ تَكُنْ فِتْنَتُهُمْ إِلاَّ أَن قَالُواْ وَاللَّهِ رَبِّنَا مَا كُنَّا مُشْرِكِينَ - انظُرْ كَيْفَ كَذَبُواْ عَلَى أَنفُسِهِمْ وَضَلَّ عَنْهُمْ مَّا كَانُواْ يَفْتَرُونَ (There will then be (left) no trial for them but to say: "By Allah, our Lord, we were not those who joined others in worship with Allah." Look! How they lie against themselves! But the (lie) which they invented will disappear from them. ) It is also possible that the meaning here is that the disbelievers will realize the truth that they knew all along in their hearts, that is, that what the Messengers brought them in this life is true, although they used to deny his Message before their followers.

Allah said that Musa said to Fir`awn, لَقَدْ عَلِمْتَ مَآ أَنزَلَ هَـؤُلاءِ إِلاَّ رَبُّ السَّمَـوَتِ وَالاٌّرْضِ بَصَآئِرَ("Verily, you know that these signs have clearly been sent down by none but the Lord of the heavens and the earth as eye-opening evidence.") 17:102 Allah said about Fir`awn and his people, وَجَحَدُواْ بِهَا وَاسْتَيْقَنَتْهَآ أَنفُسُهُمْ ظُلْماً وَعُلُوّاً(And they belied them (those Ayat) wrongfully and arrogantly, though they were themselves convinced thereof.) 27:14 بَلْ بَدَا لَهُمْ مَّا كَانُواْ يُخْفُونَ مِن قَبْلُ(Nay, it has become manifest to them what they had been concealing before.) 6:28 When this occurs, and the disbelievers ask to be returned to this life, they will not do so because they truly wish to embrace the faith. Rather, they ask to be returned to this life for fear of the torment that they are witnessing before them, as punishment for the disbelief they committed, and to try and avoid the Fire that they see before their eyes.

وَلَوْ رُدُّواْ لَعَـدُواْ لِمَا نُهُواْ عَنْهُ وَإِنَّهُمْ لَكَـذِبُونَ(But if they were returned, they would certainly revert to that which they were forbidden. And indeed they are liars.) meaning, they lie when they say they wish to go back to this life so that they can embrace the faith. Allah states that even if they were sent back to the life of this world, they will again commit the disbelief and defiance that they were prohibited. وَإِنَّهُمْ لَكَـذِبُونَ(And indeed they are liars.) in their statement that, وَلَوْ تَرَى إِذْ وُقِفُواْ عَلَى النَّارِ فَقَالُواْ يلَيْتَنَا نُرَدُّ وَلاَ نُكَذِّبَ بِـَايَـتِ رَبِّنَا وَنَكُونَ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ - بَلْ بَدَا لَهُمْ مَّا كَانُواْ يُخْفُونَ مِن قَبْلُ وَلَوْ رُدُّواْ لَعَـدُواْ لِمَا نُهُواْ عَنْهُ وَإِنَّهُمْ لَكَـذِبُونَ - وَقَالُواْ إِنْ هِىَ إِلاَّ حَيَاتُنَا الدُّنْيَا وَمَا نَحْنُ بِمَبْعُوثِينَ ("Would that we were but sent back! Then we would not deny the Ayat of our Lord, and we would be of the believers!" Nay, what they had been concealing before has become manifest to them.

But if they were returned, they would certainly revert to that which they were forbidden. And indeed they are liars. And they said: "There is no (other life) but our (present) life of this world, and never shall we be resurrected.") Therefore, they will revert to their old behavior and say, إِنْ هِىَ إِلاَّ حَيَاتُنَا الدُّنْيَا(There is no life but our life of this world) and there is no Hereafter, وَمَا نَحْنُ بِمَبْعُوثِينَ(and never shall we be resurrected. ) Allah said, وَلَوْ تَرَى إِذْ وُقِفُواْ عَلَى رَبِّهِمْ(If you could but see when they will stand before their Lord!) in front of Him, أَلَيْسَ هَـذَا بِالْحَقِّ("Is not this the truth") meaning, is not Resurrection true, contarary to what you thought, قَالُواْ بَلَى وَرَبِّنَا قَالَ فَذُوقُواْ العَذَابَ بِمَا كُنتُمْ تَكْفُرُونَ(They will say: "Yes, by our Lord!" He will then say: "So taste you the torment because you used not to believe.") and because you today denied Resurrection. Therefore, taste the torment, أَفَسِحْرٌ هَـذَا أَمْ أَنتُمْ لاَ تُبْصِرُونَ ("Is this magic, or do you not see") 52:15

Ma'arif al-Qur'an

Mufti Muhammad Shafi

In the second verse (28), Almighty Allah, who is All-Knowing and All-Aware, exposes the reality of their wish, which would be nothing but the compulsion of circumstances, by making it clear that these people have always been addicted to lying and that they were liars even in their present wish under trial. The root of the problem with them was that they did not relish the realities brought before them by the prophets of Allah. They knew that the prophets were true, yet they raised dust to keep such realities unmanifested either because of their chronic obstinacy or worldly greed. But, in the Hereafter, every-thing came out in the open. They saw the power of Allah with their own eyes. They realized that the prophets had told the truth. Even, the life after death, something they had denied all along was before them, really and physically. Then, they became direct witnesses to reward and punishment and Hell. After that, they were left with no argument to continue their attitude of denial and opposition.

So, when they wished to be returned to the mortal world, that was mere absence of choice.

Then, their All-Knowing, All-Aware Master said that this was what they were saying for now, but if they were to be sent back into the mortal world once again, they would simply forget all about their promises and resolutions and will revert to doing what they have been doing before, and would start getting involved once again with the unlawful from which they were stopped. Therefore, what they were saying now was also a lie and a ploy for deception.

That their present statement has been called a lie could also be based on their ultimate deed, that is, their promising not to lie if returned to the world was not true, for this would never happen because they would still do nothing but keep lying when they go there. This lie could also mean that whatever they were saying at that time was not prompted by true intention. They were doing so simply to buy time and avoid punishment while in the heart of their hearts, they still have no intention of doing it.

Tafsir Muyassar

Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Saudi Arabia

ليس الأمر كذلك، بل ظهر لهم يوم القيامة ما كانوا يعلمونه من أنفسهم من صدق ما جاءت به الرسل في الدنيا، وإن كانوا يظهرون لأتباعه خلافه. ولو فرض أن أعيدوا إلى الدنيا فأمهلوا لرجعوا إلى العناد بالكفر والتكذيب. وإنهم لكاذبون في قولهم: لو رددنا إلى الدنيا لم نكذب بآيات ربنا، وكنا من المؤمنين.

Tafsir Ibn Kathir

Hafiz Ibn Kathir

قال تعالى : ( بل بدا لهم ما كانوا يخفون من قبل ) أي : بل ظهر لهم حينئذ ما كانوا يخفون في أنفسهم من الكفر والتكذيب والمعاندة ، وإن أنكروها ، في الدنيا أو في الآخرة ، كما قال قبل هذا بيسير ( ثم لم تكن فتنتهم إلا أن قالوا والله ربنا ما كنا مشركين انظر كيف كذبوا على أنفسهم )ويحتمل أنهم ظهر لهم ما كانوا يعلمونه من أنفسهم من صدق ما جاءت به الرسل في الدنيا ، وإن كانوا يظهرون لأتباعهم خلافه ، كما قال تعالى مخبرا عن موسى أنه قال لفرعون : ( لقد علمت ما أنزل هؤلاء إلا رب السماوات والأرض بصائر ) الآية [ الإسراء : 102 ] .

قال تعالى مخبرا عن فرعون وقومه : ( وجحدوا بها واستيقنتها أنفسهم ظلما وعلوا ) [ النمل : 14 ] .ويحتمل أن يكون المراد بهؤلاء المنافقين الذين كانوا يظهرون للناس الإيمان ويبطنون الكفر ، ويكون هذا إخبارا عما يكون يوم القيامة من كلام طائفة من الكفار ، ولا ينافي هذا كون هذه [ السورة ] مكية ، والنفاق إنما كان من بعض أهل المدينة ومن حولها من الأعراب ، فقد ذكر الله وقوع النفاق في سورة مكية وهي العنكبوت ، فقال : ( وليعلمن الله الذين آمنوا وليعلمن المنافقين ) [ العنكبوت : 11 ] ; وعلى هذا فيكون إخبارا عن حال المنافقين في الدار الآخرة ، حين يعاينون العذاب يظهر لهم حينئذ غب ما كانوا يبطنون من الكفر والشقاق والنفاق ، والله أعلم .وأما معنى الإضراب في قوله : ( بل بدا لهم ما كانوا يخفون من قبل ) فهم ما طلبوا العود إلى الدنيا رغبة ومحبة في الإيمان ، بل خوفا من العذاب الذي عاينوه جزاء ما كانوا عليه من الكفر ، فسألوا الرجعة إلى الدنيا ليتخلصوا مما شاهدوا من النار ; ولهذا قال : ( ولو ردوا لعادوا لما نهوا عنه وإنهم لكاذبون ) أي : في تمنيهم الرجعة رغبة ومحبة في الإيمان .ثم قال مخبرا عنهم : إنهم لو ردوا إلى الدار الدنيا ، لعادوا لما نهوا عنه [ من الكفر والمخالفة ] ( وإنهم لكاذبون ) أي : في قولهم : ( يا ليتنا نرد ولا نكذب بآيات ربنا ونكون من المؤمنين )

Tafsir is provided for educational reference. Paragraph breaks are added for readability — the wording of each commentary is unchanged. For religious guidance, consult a qualified scholar.