Surah Al-Anfal • Ayah 20

The Command to obey Allah and His MessengerAllah commands His believing servants to obey Him and His Messenger and warns them against defying him and imitating the disbelievers who reject him. Allah said, وَلاَ تَوَلَّوْاْ عَنْهُ(and turn not away from him...), neither refrain from obeying him or following his commands nor indulge in what he forbade, وَأَنتُمْ تَسْمَعُونَ(while you are hearing.) after you gained knowledge of his Message, وَلاَ تَكُونُواْ كَالَّذِينَ قَالُواْ سَمِعْنَا وَهُمْ لاَ يَسْمَعُونَ (And be not like those who say: "We have heard," but they hear not.) Ibn Ishaq said that this Ayah refers to the hypocrites, who pretend to hear and obey, while in fact they do neither. Allah declares that these are the most wicked creatures among the Children of Adam, إِنَّ شَرَّ الدَّوَابِّ عِندَ اللَّهِ الصُّمُّ(Verily, the worst of living creatures with Allah are the deaf) who do not hear the truth, الْبُكْمُ(and the dumb) who cannot comprehend it, الَّذِينَ لاَ يَعْقِلُونَ(who understand not. ) These indeed are the most wicked creatures, for every creature except them abide by the way that Allah created in them. These people were created to worship Allah, but instead disbelieved. This is why Allah equated them to animals, when He said, وَمَثَلُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ كَمَثَلِ الَّذِى يَنْعِقُ بِمَا لاَ يَسْمَعُ إِلاَّ دُعَآءً وَنِدَآءً(And the example of those who disbelieve is as that of him who shouts to those that hear nothing but calls and cries.) 2:171, and, أُوْلَـئِكَ كَالأَنْعَـمِ بَلْ هُمْ أَضَلُّ أُوْلَـئِكَ هُمُ الْغَـفِلُونَ(They are like cattle, nay even more astray; those! They are the heedless ones.) 7:179 It was also said that the Ayah (8:22) refers to some of the pagans of Quraysh from the tribe of Bani `Abd Ad-Dar, according to Ibn `Abbas, Mujahid and Ibn Jarir. Muhammad bin Ishaq said that this Ayah refers to hypocrites, as we stated. There is no contradiction here, because both disbelievers and hypocrites are devoid of sound comprehension, in addition to having lost the intention to do good. Allah states here that such are those who neither have sound understanding nor good intentions, even if they have some type of reason, وَلَوْ عَلِمَ اللَّهُ فِيهِمْ خَيْرًا لأَسْمَعَهُمْ(Had Allah known of any good in them, He would indeed have made them listen.) He would have helped them understand. However, this did not happen because there is no goodness in such people, for Allah knows that, وَلَوْ أَسْمَعَهُمْ(even if He had made them listen...) and allowed them to understand, لَتَوَلَّواْ(they would but have turned...), intentionally and out of stubbornness, even after they comprehend, وَهُم مُّعْرِضُونَ(with aversion.), to the truth.

اللہ کی نگاہ میں بدترین مخلوق ٭٭اللہ تعالیٰ اپنے ایماندار بندوں کو اپنی اور اپنے رسول کی فرمانبرداری کا حکم دیتا ہے اور مخالفت سے اور کافروں جیسا ہونے سے منع فرماتا ہے۔ ارشاد ہوتا ہے کہ «لَا تَوَلَّوْا عَنْهُ» ” اطاعت کو نہ چھوڑو، تابع داری سے منہ نہ موڑو۔ جن کاموں سے اللہ اور اس کا رسول روک دے رک جایا کرو۔ “ «وَأَنتُمْ تَسْمَعُونَ» ‏ ” سن کر ان سنی نہ کر دیا کرو، مشرکوں کی طرح نہ بن جاؤ کہ سنا نہیں اور کہدیا کہ سن لیا، نہ منافقوں کی طرح بنو کہ بظاہر ماننے والا ظاہر کر دیا اور درحقیقت یہ بات نہیں۔“ بدترین مخلوق جانوروں، کیڑے مکوڑوں سے بھی برے اللہ کے نزدیک ایسے ہی لوگ ہیں جو حق باتوں سے اپنے کان بہرے کر لیں اور حق کے سمجھنے سے گونگے بن جائیں، بےعقلی سے کام لیں۔ اس لیے کہ تمام جانور بھی اللہ قادر کل کے زیر فرمان ہیں جو جس کام کیلئے بنایا گیا ہے اس میں مشغول ہے مگر یہ ہیں کہ پیدا کئے گئے عبادت کے لیے لیکن کفر کرتے ہیں۔ چنانچہ اور آیت میں انہیں جانوروں سے تشبیہ دی گئی۔ فرمان ہے آیت «وَمَثَلُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا كَمَثَلِ الَّذِي يَنْعِقُ بِمَا لَا يَسْمَعُ إِلَّا دُعَاءً وَنِدَاءً صُمٌّ بُكْمٌ عُمْيٌ فَهُمْ لَا يَعْقِلُونَ» [ 2-البقرة: 171 ] ‏، یعنی ” کافروں کی مثال ایسی ہی ہے جیسے کوئی انہیں آواز دے تو سوائے پکارا اور ندا کے کچھ نہ سنیں۔ “ اور آیت میں ہے کہ «أُولَـٰئِكَ كَالْأَنْعَامِ بَلْ هُمْ أَضَلُّ ۚ أُولَـٰئِكَ هُمُ الْغَافِلُونَ» [ 7-الأعراف: 179 ] ‏، یعنی ” یہ لوگ مثل چوپایوں کے ہیں بلکہ ان سے بھی زیادہ بہکے ہوئے اور غافل۔“ ایک قول یہ بھی ہے کہ مراد اس سے بنا عبدالدار کے قریشی ہیں۔ [صحیح بخاری:4646] ‏ محمد بن اسحاق رحمہ اللہ کہتے ہیں مراد اس سے منافق ہیں۔ بات یہ ہے کہ مشرک منافق دونوں ہی مراد ہیں دونوں ہی مراد ہیں دونوں میں صحیح فہم اور سلامتی والی عقل نہیں ہوتی نہ ہی عمل صالح کی انہیں توفیق ہوتی ہے۔ اگر ان میں بھلائی ہوتی تو اللہ انہیں سنا دیتا لیکن نہ ان میں بھلائی نہ توفیق الہٰ۔ اللہ جل شانہُ کو علم ہے کہ انہیں سنایا بھی سمجھایا بھی تو بھی یہ اپنی سرکشی سے باز نہیں آئیں گے بلکہ اور اکڑ کر بھاگ جائیں گے۔صفحہ نمبر3258

آیت 20 یٰٓاَیُّہَا الَّذِیْنَ اٰمَنُوْٓا اَطِیْعُوا اللّٰہَ وَرَسُوْلَہٗ وَلاَ تَوَلَّوْا عَنْہُ وَاَنْتُمْ تَسْمَعُوْنَ یعنی جب اللہ کے رسول ﷺ نے بدر کی طرف چلنے کا ارادہ کرلیا تو پھر تمہاری طرف سے ردّو قدح اور بحث و استدلال کیوں ہو رہا تھا ؟ تم سب کو تو چاہیے تھا کہ اللہ اور اس کے رسول ﷺ کی مرضی پر فوراً سَمِعْنَا وَاَطَعْنَاکہتے اور آپ ﷺ کے حکم پر سر تسلیم خم کردیتے۔ یہ بات ذہن میں رہے کہ یہاں خاص طور پر ان لوگوں کی طرف اشارہ ہے جنہوں نے اس موقع پر کمزوری دکھائی تھی۔

CommentaryThe event of the battle of Badr which has been described in a somewhat detailed manner in the previous verses contains many lessons in hard advice and wisdom both for those who adhere to Islam and those who stick to disbelief. These appear intermittently during the course of relevant narrations and serve as warning signals.For example, in the previous verses, after having recounted the defeat and disgrace of the disbelievers of Makkah, it was said: ذَٰلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمْ شَاقُّوا اللَّـهَ وَرَ‌سُولَہ (That is because they were hostile to Allah and His Messenger - 13). It means that the disbelievers of Makkah were defeated despite their numerical and logistic strength and the real reason behind it was that they had elected to act hostile to Allah and His Messenger. In this, there lies a chastening lesson for people who bypass the most perfect power of the Creator and Master of the heavens and the earth - the power that is visible and the power that is invisible - and who opt for placing their reliance on material strengths only, or just choose to cheat their own selves by hoping and praying that the help and support of Allah will be by their side despite all their acts of disobedience to Him.In the present verse, the other side of this very problem has been taken up by addressing Muslims. Stated briefly, the truth of the matter is that Muslims were blessed with this great victory despite their low numbers and ill-equipped fighting force only through the help and support of Allah Almighty - and this Divine help and support is the outcome of their obedience to Allah. This obedience is what Muslims have been obligated with and to this they have to adhere firmly: يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا أَطِيعُوا اللَّـهَ وَرَ‌سُولَهُ ( O those who believe, obey Allah and His Messenger). In the sentence which follows, the same subject has been further emphasized by saying: وَلَا تَوَلَّوْا عَنْهُ وَأَنتُمْ تَسْمَعُونَ (and do not turn away from him while you are listening). The sense is that once you have listened to the Qur'an, the true word of Allah, do not go about doing things against the norms of genuine obedience.Listening denotes listening to what is the truth and it has four degrees in terms of effective response. (1) The hearer with ears simply heard some voice but neither tried to understand it, nor understood it, nor believed in or relied upon it, nor did he act accordingly. (2) He heard it through his ears all right, even understood it, but did neither believe in it nor acted accordingly. (3) He heard, he understood, even believed and trusted, but did not act accordingly. (4) He heard, he understood, he believed, he trusted - and acted accordingly as well.It is obvious that the real purpose of listening is fully realized only through the fourth degree - which is the station of perfect believers. As for the earlier three degrees, the act of listening described there is imperfect and incomplete which, in a manner of saying, could be set aside as just not listening - as readily pointed to in the verses appearing next. The third degree mentioned above has the ingredients of hearing the truth, understanding it and believing in it, but lacks corresponding deeds. Here, the real purpose of listening is though not realized as it should be, yet belief has its own importance and cannot be rejected as useless. This degree pertains to sinning Muslims. Then there is the second degree where we find only listening and under-standing but no belief and no corresponding deed. This degree is that of the munafiqin (hypocrites) for they do listen to the Qur'an, understand it too, even have a feigned claim to desired belief and deed, but the reality is that they do not believe and do what is right and due. Finally, the first degree is that of polytheists and disbelievers who listened to the message of truth and the 'ayat of the Qur'an with their own ears but were never motivated enough to understand and think about that.In the verse cited above (20), the address is to Muslims who have been told that they do listen to the message of truth after all, that is, the initial requirement of listening, understanding and believing is present in their attitude as it is, but they have to do more than that. They must act, do what must be done and do it fully and faithfully. They have been asked not to do anything which would take them away from the path of obedience so that the real purpose of listening to the word of truth stands realized fully.