Surah 6

Surah 6:34

"Certainly messengers have been called liars before you, yet they patiently endured being called liars, and suffered harm, until Our help came to them. No one can change the words of God. Certainly some of the story has (already) come to you about the envoys (before you)."
Comforting the Prophet Verses 6:33-36
Show Full Scripture Context (6:33-36) — 4 Verses
Verse 33

قَدۡ نَعۡلَمُ إِنَّهُۥ لَيَحۡزُنُكَ ٱلَّذِي يَقُولُونَۖ فَإِنَّهُمۡ لَا يُكَذِّبُونَكَ وَلَٰكِنَّ ٱلظَّـٰلِمِينَ بِـَٔايَٰتِ ٱللَّهِ يَجۡحَدُونَ

We know that what they say causes you sorrow. Yet surely they do not call you a liar, but the evildoers are denying the signs of God.

Verse 34

وَلَقَدۡ كُذِّبَتۡ رُسُلٞ مِّن قَبۡلِكَ فَصَبَرُواْ عَلَىٰ مَا كُذِّبُواْ وَأُوذُواْ حَتَّىٰٓ أَتَىٰهُمۡ نَصۡرُنَاۚ وَلَا مُبَدِّلَ لِكَلِمَٰتِ ٱللَّهِۚ وَلَقَدۡ جَآءَكَ مِن نَّبَإِيْ ٱلۡمُرۡسَلِينَ

Certainly messengers have been called liars before you, yet they patiently endured being called liars, and suffered harm, until Our help came to them. No one can change the words of God. Certainly some of the story has (already) come to you about the envoys (before you).

Verse 35

وَإِن كَانَ كَبُرَ عَلَيۡكَ إِعۡرَاضُهُمۡ فَإِنِ ٱسۡتَطَعۡتَ أَن تَبۡتَغِيَ نَفَقٗا فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ أَوۡ سُلَّمٗا فِي ٱلسَّمَآءِ فَتَأۡتِيَهُم بِـَٔايَةٖۚ وَلَوۡ شَآءَ ٱللَّهُ لَجَمَعَهُمۡ عَلَى ٱلۡهُدَىٰۚ فَلَا تَكُونَنَّ مِنَ ٱلۡجَٰهِلِينَ

But if their aversion is hard on you, (even) if you were able to seek out an opening in the earth, or a ladder into the sky, to bring them a sign [. . .]. If God had (so) pleased, He would indeed have gathered them to the guidance. Do not be one of the ignorant.

Verse 36

۞إِنَّمَا يَسۡتَجِيبُ ٱلَّذِينَ يَسۡمَعُونَۘ وَٱلۡمَوۡتَىٰ يَبۡعَثُهُمُ ٱللَّهُ ثُمَّ إِلَيۡهِ يُرۡجَعُونَ

Only those who hear respond, but the dead – God will raise them up. Then to Him they will be returned.

Allah comforts the Prophet in his grief over his people’s denial and defiance of him,

Quoted Scripture
"We know indeed the grief which their words cause you ;"

meaning. We know about their denial of you and your sadness and sorrow for them. Allah said in other Ayat,

{So destroy not yourself in sorrow for them}, and

{It may be that you are going to kill yourself with grief, that they do not become believers .}, and.

Quoted Scripture
"[Perhaps, you, would kill yourself in grief, over their footsteps (for their turning away from you), because they believe not in this narration.](quran/18/6)"

Allah’s statement,

Quoted Scripture
"it is not you that they deny, but it is the verses of Allah that the wrongdoers deny."

means, they do not accuse you of being a liar,

Quoted Scripture
"but it is the Verses of Allah that the wrongdoers deny."

It is only the truth that they reject and refuse. Muhammad bin Ishaq mentioned that Az-Zuhri said that Abu Jahl, Abu Sufyan Sakhr bin Harb and Al-Akhnas bin Shurayq once came to listen to the Prophet reciting the Qur’an at night, but these three men were not aware of the presence of each other. So they listened to the Prophet’s recitation until the morning, and then left. They met each other on their way back and each one of them asked the others, “What brought you?” So they mentioned to each other the reason why they came. They vowed not to repeat this incident so that the young men of Quraysh would not hear of what they did and imitate them. On the second night, each one of the three came back thinking that the other two would not come because of the vows they made to each other. In the morning, they again met each other on their way back and criticized each other, vowing not to...

Hereafter is for His believing servants. Allah said in other Ayat,

{And, verily, Our Word has gone forth of old for Our servants, the Messengers. That they verily would be made triumphant. And that Our hosts, they verily would be the victors .}, and,

Quoted Scripture
"[Allah has decreed: " Verily ! It is I and My Messengers who shall be the victorious Verily, Allah is All-Powerful, Almighty](quran/58/21)"

Allah said;

Quoted Scripture
"Surely, there has reached you the information about the Messengers (before you)."

who were given victory and prevailed over the people who rejected them. And you (O Muhammad), have a good example in them. Allah said next,

{If their aversion is hard on you,} and you cannot be patient because of their aversion,

Quoted Scripture
"then if you were able to seek a tunnel in the ground or a ladder to the sky..."

‘Ali bin Abi Talhah reported that Ibn ‘Abbas commented, “If you were able to seek a tunnel and bring them an Ayah, or go up a ladder in the sky and bring a better Ayah than the one I (Allah) gave them, then do that.” Similar was reported from Qatadah, As-Suddi and others. Allah’s statement,

Quoted Scripture
"And had Allah willed. He could have gathered them together upon true guidance, so be not you one of the ignorant"

is similar to His statement,

Quoted Scripture
"[And had your Lord willed, those on earth would have believed, all of them together](quran/10/99)"

‘Ali bin Abi Talhah reported that Ibn ‘Abbas said about Allah’s statement,

Quoted Scripture
"And had Allah willed, He could have gathered them together upon true guidance,"

“The Messenger of Allah was eager that all people believe and be guided to follow him. Allah told him that only those whose happiness Allah has written in the first Dhikr will believe.” Allah’s statement.

Quoted Scripture
"It is only those who listen, that will respond ,"

means, only those who hear the speech, comprehend and understand it, will accept your call, O Muhammad! In another Ayah, Allah said;

Quoted Scripture
"[That it may give warning to him who is living, and that the Word may be justified against the disbelievers .](quran/36/70)},"

Allah’s statement,

Quoted Scripture
"but as for the dead, Allah will raise them up, then to Him they will be returned."

refers to the disbelievers because their hearts are dead. Therefore, Allah resembled them to dead corpses as a way of mocking and belittling them, saying,

Quoted Scripture
"but as for the dead (disbelievers), Allah will raise them up, then to Him they will be returned (for their recompense )."
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.