Transliteration:( Wa in kaana kabura 'alaika i'raaduhum fa inistata'ta an tabtaghiya nafaqan fil ardi aw sullaman fis samaaa'i fata' tiyahum bi Aayah; wa law shaaa'al laahu lajama'ahum 'alal hudaa; falaa takoonanna minal jaahileen )
"And if their turning away is hard on you [68], then if you are able to seek a tunnel in the earth or a ladder to the sky, and bring them a sign, [69] (then do so). And if Allah had willed, He would have gathered them all upon guidance [70]. So, never be among the ignorant ones." [71]
This verse addresses the deep sorrow of the Holy Prophet ﷺ over the disbelievers' rejection of Islam. Though he knew some would die in disbelief, his uncontrolled desire for their guidance flowed naturally from his being the embodiment of mercy. Just like a devoted doctor does his utmost to heal a dying patient, the Prophet ﷺ made every effort to guide people—even knowing the outcome—out of pure mercy and kindness. This verse serves as a solace and comfort from Allah to His Beloved.
The tone of this passage is filled with intense Divine affection. Just as a teacher may show apparent displeasure toward a hardworking student—not out of anger, but to express care—Allah expresses loving concern for the Prophet ﷺ’s tireless efforts. The Prophet ﷺ made no mistake; rather, this verse showcases his noble obedience and the greatness of his mission. The desire for guidance is a virtue, not a flaw.
Though Allah loves belief and guidance, it is not His intention to impose it on all. There is a difference between what Allah loves and what He wills. Even the Prophet ﷺ wished for universal faith, but Allah's Will is based on Divine wisdom. As stated in Surah 28:56: “Undoubtedly, you cannot guide whom you love...”—this shows that guidance lies solely in the hands of Allah.
The phrase “never be among the ignorant” is not a reproach to the Prophet ﷺ. Allah Himself praises his eagerness in Surah 9:128: “He desires your welfare.” This kind of eagerness is commendable, not blameworthy. The true audience of this warning is the believer who might question why some are not guided. The verse reminds us that Divine guidance is not to be objected upon—it is a matter of Allah’s supreme authority.
The tafsir of Surah Al-Anam verse 35 by Ibn Kathir is unavailable here.
Please refer to Surah Anam ayat 33 which provides the complete commentary from verse 33 through 36.
(6:35) Nevertheless, if their turning away grieves you, then seek – if you can – either a way down into the earth or a ladder to the heavens, and try to bring to them some sign.[23] Had Allah so willed, He would have gathered them all to the true guidance. Do not, then, be among the ignorant.[24]
23. The Prophet (peace be on him) saw that even though he had spent a long time admonishing his people, they did not seem inclined to heed his call. As a result he sometimes wished for the appearance of some extraordinary sign of God that would undermine the stubbornness of his people and lead them to accept his guidance. This verse embodies God’s response to the Prophet’s desire. He is told not to be impatient. He must persist in his striving and continue to work. in conformity with God’s directive. Had it been God’s purpose to work miracles, He would have done so. But God did not consider that to be either the appropriate method for bringing to a successful completion the required intellectual and moral revolution or for the evolution of a sound, healthy civilization. Well, then, if the Prophet (peace be on him) could not bear patiently with the attitude of stubbornness and rejection prevalent among his people, and if he thought it necessary to make them witness a tangible sign of God, let him muster all his strength and try to cleave the earth, or climb a ladder to the heaven and bring forth a miracle powerful enough to change the unbelief of the unbelievers into belief. He is told, however, that in this regard he should not expect God to fulfil his wish, for such things have no place in God’s scheme.
24. Had it been required that all people should be driven to the Truth, there would have been no need to send Prophets, to reveal heavenly Books, to direct believers to engage in struggles against unbelievers, and to make the message of Truth pass through the necessary stages until fulfilment is reached. The result could have been achieved by a single sign of God’s creative will. God, however, did not want things to happen that way. He preferred the Truth to be set before people with its supporting arguments so that by a proper exercise of their rational judgement, they should recognize it for what it was and thereafter freely choose to embrace it as their faith. By moulding their lives in conformity with this Truth such people should demonstrate their moral superiority over the devotees of falsehood. They should continually attract men of sound morals by the force of their arguments, by the loftiness of their ideals, by the excellence of their principles and by the purity of their lives. They should thus reach their goal – the establishment of the hegemony of the true faith – by the natural and gradual escalation of strife against falsehood. God will guide them in the performance of this task and will provide them with whatever help they merit during the various stages of their struggle. But if anyone wishes to evade this natural course and wants God to obliterate corrupt ideas and to spread healthy ones in their stead, to root out a corrupt civilization and put a healthy one in its place by exercising His omnipotent will, let him know that this will not come about. The reason is that such is contrary to the scheme according to which God has created man as a responsible being, bestowed upon him a degree of power which he may exercise, granted him the freedom to choose between obedience and disobedience to God, awarded him a certain term of life in order to demonstrate his worth, and determined that at an appointed hour He will judge him for either reward or punishment in the light of his deeds.
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