Surah 6

Surah 6:149

"Say: ‘To God (belongs) the conclusive argument. If He had (so) pleased, He would indeed have guided you all.’"
A False Notion and its Rebuttal Verses 6:148-150
Show Full Scripture Context (6:148-150) — 3 Verses
Verse 148

سَيَقُولُ ٱلَّذِينَ أَشۡرَكُواْ لَوۡ شَآءَ ٱللَّهُ مَآ أَشۡرَكۡنَا وَلَآ ءَابَآؤُنَا وَلَا حَرَّمۡنَا مِن شَيۡءٖۚ كَذَٰلِكَ كَذَّبَ ٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبۡلِهِمۡ حَتَّىٰ ذَاقُواْ بَأۡسَنَاۗ قُلۡ هَلۡ عِندَكُم مِّنۡ عِلۡمٖ فَتُخۡرِجُوهُ لَنَآۖ إِن تَتَّبِعُونَ إِلَّا ٱلظَّنَّ وَإِنۡ أَنتُمۡ إِلَّا تَخۡرُصُونَ

The idolaters will say, ‘If God had (so) pleased, we would not have been idolaters, nor our fathers, nor would we have forbidden anything.’ In this way the people before them called (it) a lie, until they tasted Our violence. Say: ‘Do you have any knowledge? Bring it forth for us! You only follow conjecture and you only guess.’

Verse 149

قُلۡ فَلِلَّهِ ٱلۡحُجَّةُ ٱلۡبَٰلِغَةُۖ فَلَوۡ شَآءَ لَهَدَىٰكُمۡ أَجۡمَعِينَ

Say: ‘To God (belongs) the conclusive argument. If He had (so) pleased, He would indeed have guided you all.’

Verse 150

قُلۡ هَلُمَّ شُهَدَآءَكُمُ ٱلَّذِينَ يَشۡهَدُونَ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ حَرَّمَ هَٰذَاۖ فَإِن شَهِدُواْ فَلَا تَشۡهَدۡ مَعَهُمۡۚ وَلَا تَتَّبِعۡ أَهۡوَآءَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَذَّبُواْ بِـَٔايَٰتِنَا وَٱلَّذِينَ لَا يُؤۡمِنُونَ بِٱلۡأٓخِرَةِ وَهُم بِرَبِّهِمۡ يَعۡدِلُونَ

Say: ‘Produce your witnesses who (will) bear witness that God has forbidden this.’ If they do bear witness, do not bear witness with them. Do not follow the desires of those who call Our signs a lie, and who do not believe in the Hereafter, and (who) equate (others) with their Lord.

148. Those who committed Shirk say: "If Allah had willed, we would not have commited Shirk, nor would our fathers, and we would not have forbidden anything (against His will)." Likewise belied those who were before them, till they tasted Our wrath. Say: " Have you any knowledge (proof) that you can produce before us? Verily, you follow the Zann and you do nothing but lie."
149. Say: " With Allah is the perfect proof and argument; had He so willed. He would indeed have guided you all."
150. Say: "Bring forward your witnesses, who can testify that Allah has forbidden this." Then if they testify, do not testify with them. And do not follow the vain desires of those who belie Our Ayat, and such as believe not in the Hereafter, and they hold others as equal with their Lord.}

Here Allah mentioned a debate with the idolators, refuting a false notion they have over their Shirk and the things that they prohibited. They said, surely, Allah has full knowledge of the Shirk we indulge in, and that we forbid some kinds of wealth. Allah is able to change this Shirk by directing us to the faith, - they claimed - and prevent us from fallin g into disbelief, but He did not do that. Therefore - they said Allah indicated that He willed, decided and agreed that we do all this. They said,

" If Allah had willed, we would not have taken partners (in worship) with Him, nor would our fathers, and we would not have forbidden any thing. ")>

Allah said in another Ayah,

And they said : "If it had been the will of the Most Gracious (Allah), we should not have worshipped them (false deities)") [ 43 : 20 ],

Similar is mentioned in Surat An-Nahl. Allah said next,

Likewise belied those who were before them,)

for by using and relying on this understanding, the misguided ones before them were led astray. This notion is false and ungrounded, for had it been true, Allah would not have harmed them, destroyed them, aided His honorable Messengers over them, and made them taste His painful punishment.

Say : " Have you any knowledge...") that Allah is pleased with you and with your ways,

that you can produce before us.) and make it plain, apparent and clear for us. However,

Verily, you only folloio the Zann} doubts and wishful thinking,

and you do nothing but lie ^ about Allah in the false claims that you utter. Allah said next,

Sni/ : "With Allah is the perfect proof and argument; had He so willed,' He would indeed have guided you all."}

Allah said to His Prophet

Say} O Muhammad, to them,

“With Allah is the perfect proof and argument..."} the perfect wisdom and unequivocal proof to guide whom He wills and misguide whom He wills.

had He so willed, He would indeed have guided you all.}

All of this happens accordng to His decree. His will, and His choice. So in this way, He is pleased with the believers, and angry with the disbelievers. Allah said in other Ayat,

And had Allah willed, He could have gathered them together (all) on true guidance,} [6:35] and

And had your Lord willed, those on earth would have believed, all of them together.} [10:99] and,

1 / your Lord had so willed. He could surely have made mankind one Ummah, but they will not cease to disagree. Except him on whom your Lord has bestowed His mercy and for that did He create them. And the Word of your Lord has been fulfilled : ", Surely , l shall fill Hell with Jinns and men all together.") [ 11:118-119]

Ad-Dahhfik said, “No one has an excuse if he disobeys Allah. Surely, Allah has the perfect proof established against His servants.” Allah said,

Bring forward your witnesses ,) produce your witnesses,

who can testify that Allah has forbidden this.)

which you have forbidden and lied and invented about Allah in this regard,

Then if they testify, do not testify with them.)
because in this case, their testimony is false and untrue,

And do not follow the vain desires of those who belie Our Aydt, and such as believe not in the Hereafter, and they hold others as equal with their Lord.)

by associating others with Allah in worship and treating them as equals to Him.

— from Tafsir Ibn Kathir (Vol. 4, Page 504)

About this Source & Scholarly Authority (Tafsir Ibn Kathir)

Universal Sunni Consensus: Tafsir al-Qur'an al-Azim by Hafiz Ibn Kathir (701–774 AH / 1301–1373 AD) is universally regarded across all major schools of Sunni Islam (traditional, Salafi, Ash'ari) as the most authoritative classical exegesis. It is prized because it relies on Tafsir bil-Ma'thur—interpreting the Quran using the Quran itself, authentic Hadiths of Prophet Muhammad, and recorded statements of the early Companions (Sahabah).

Standard English Edition: This text is from the standard 10-volume English abridgment published by Dar-us-Salam Publications (supervised by Shaykh Safiur-Rahman Al-Mubarakpuri), which is the official, most widely distributed English Quranic commentary in mosques and Islamic libraries worldwide today.