Tafsir for verses: 6:20, 6:21
ٱلَّذِينَ ءَاتَيۡنَٰهُمُ ٱلۡكِتَٰبَ يَعۡرِفُونَهُۥ كَمَا يَعۡرِفُونَ أَبۡنَآءَهُمُۘ ٱلَّذِينَ خَسِرُوٓاْ أَنفُسَهُمۡ فَهُمۡ لَا يُؤۡمِنُونَ ٢٠ ﴿20 وَمَنۡ أَظۡلَمُ مِمَّنِ ٱفۡتَرَىٰ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ كَذِبًا أَوۡ كَذَّبَ بِـَٔايَٰتِهِۦٓۚ إِنَّهُۥ لَا يُفۡلِحُ ٱلظَّٰلِمُونَ ٢١ ﴿21
20Those to whom We have given the Book recognize him (the Messenger) as (certainly as) they would recognize their sons. Those who have brought loss to themselves, they are not going to believe. 21Who is more unjust than one who invents a lie against Allah or rejects His signs? Beware, the unjust shall not prosper.
AI-Assisted Translation: This translation was produced by AI agents carefully trained over several months and thoroughly reviewed. It does NOT replace the scholarship of traditional scholars and is intended as a step in the right direction to make classical tafsir more accessible. There may still be inaccuracies—please report them promptly so we can improve the translation quality.

Commentary

'In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful' His saying - glorified and exalted is He -: ﴿Those to whom We have given the Book know it as they know their own sons. Those who have lost their souls, so they do not believe.﴾ ﴿And who is more unjust than one who invents a lie against Allah or denies His signs? Indeed, the wrongdoers will not succeed.﴾ "Those"; is raised by the beginning; and its news is "they know it"; and "the Book"; its meaning is: the Torah; and the Gospel; and it is a singular term; indicating the genus; and the pronoun in "they know it"; refers - in some sayings - to the Oneness of Allah; due to the proximity of His saying: ﴿Say, 'Indeed, He is a One God.'﴾ [Al-An'am: 19]; and this is evidence in that against the disbelievers of Quraysh; and the Arabs; with the people of the Book. And ﴿

It is narrated that every servant has a place in Paradise and a place in Hell. The believers will be placed in the places of the people of disbelief in Paradise, and the disbelievers will be placed in the places of the people of Paradise in Hell. Herein lies the clear loss, and the profit is for the others.

And His saying, the Exalted, "And who is more unjust"; the verse: "Who"; is an interrogative, implying a pause and affirmation; meaning: "No one is more unjust than he who fabricates"; and "fabricates" means: creates. The one who denies the signs is a fabricator, a liar; but they are both excluded from disbelief; therefore, we have two explained exceptions.

And the signs are the indications and miracles, and similar to that. Then it is established that the wrongdoers will not succeed; and success is the attainment of hope and desire; and achievement. From this is the saying of Ubaid:

"Succeed in whatever you wish, for it may be attained through weakness, and the clever one may be deceived."

Explore Other Scholars on This Verse

Compare different scholarly perspectives on Surah Al-An'am verse 20

Ibn AtiyyahʿAbd al-Ḥaqq ibn Ghālib Ibn ʿAṭiyyah
Learn more about Ibn Atiyyah
377 / 1672