Tafseer of The Cattle · Al-An'aam · 6:123
And thus We have placed within every city the greatest of its criminals to conspire therein. But they conspire not except against themselves, and they perceive [it] not.
Important: The Arabic source text is always authoritative. This translation is a study aid and has not been verified by scholars — do not use it as a basis for religious proof or for deriving rulings (ahkam). When in doubt, always consult the Arabic text and a qualified scholar.
The explanation of His word, the Exalted: وَكَذَلِكَ جَعَلْنَا فِي كُلِّ قَرْيَةٍ أَكَابِرَ مُجْرِمِيهَا لِيَمْكُرُوا فِيهَا وَمَا يَمْكُرُونَ إِلا بِأَنْفُسِهِمْ وَمَا يَشْعُرُونَ (123) ("And thus have We placed in every town the greatest of its criminals, that they may scheme therein; but they scheme not except against themselves, and they do not perceive it." (6:123))
Abū Jaʿfar said: The Exalted, praised be His praise, says: And just as We have made fair-seeming to the disbelievers what they used to do, so have We placed in every town its great ones, [namely] its criminals — by this are meant the people who ascribe partners to Allah (shirk) and disobey Him — "that they may scheme therein" by deceitful words or false deeds, against the religion of Allah and His prophets — "but they scheme not", that is to say: their scheme befalls none but themselves, for Allah, exalted be His remembrance, is behind the punishment of them on account of their turning [people] away from His path — "and they do not perceive it", that is to say: they do not perceive what Allah has prepared for them of His painful punishment, and so they continue in their error and their rebellion against Allah.
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And in accordance with what we have said concerning this, the exegetes have spoken.
* Mention of who said that:
13847 — Muḥammad ibn ʿAmr related to me, saying: Abū ʿĀṣim related to us, saying: ʿĪsā related to us, on the authority of Ibn Abī Najīḥ, on the authority of Mujāhid: ("the greatest of its criminals"), he said: its great ones.
13848 — al-Muthannā related to me, saying: Abū Ḥudhayfa related to us, saying: Shibl related to us, on the authority of Ibn Abī Najīḥ, on the authority of Mujāhid, the like of that.
13849 — Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd al-Aʿlā related to us, saying: Muḥammad ibn Thawr related to us, on the authority of Maʿmar, on the authority of Qatāda: ("the greatest of its criminals"), he said: its great ones.
13850 — al-Qāsim related to us, saying: al-Ḥusayn related to us, saying: Ḥajjāj related to me, on the authority of Ibn Jurayj, on the authority of ʿIkrima: it was revealed concerning the mockers. Ibn Jurayj said, on the authority of ʿAmr, on the authority of ʿAṭāʾ, on the authority of ʿIkrima: ("the greatest of its criminals"), up to His word: "because of what they used to plot", [namely scheming] against the religion of Allah, and against His prophet — upon him be blessing and peace — and against His believing servants.
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And "al-akābir" is the plural of "akbar" (greatest), just as "al-afāḍil" is the plural of "afḍal" (most excellent). And if it were said: it is the plural of "kabīr" (great), and it was made plural into "akābir" — for one sometimes also says "akbar", as it is said: "Say: Shall We inform you of those who are the greatest losers in their works?" [Sūra al-Kahf: 103], whose singular is "al-khāsir" (the loser) — then that would be correct. And there has been heard in transmission from the Arabs "al-akābira" and "al-aṣāghira", and "al-akābir" and "al-aṣāghir" without the [final] hāʾ, in view of the adjectival meaning, as one says: "he is more excellent than you". And thus do the Arabs deal with that which comes of the adjectives on the pattern "afʿal", when they transfer them to the [substantive] nouns, as is their pluralizing of "al-aḥmar" (the red) and "al-aswad" (the black): "al-aḥāmir" and "al-aḥāmira", and "al-asāwid" and "al-asāwida". To this belongs the word of the poet:
Indeed, the three red ones have destroyed my wealth, and I was formerly enamored of them:
The wine, and the fat meat as its accompaniment, and saffron; so I shall not depart [again], defiled.
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And as for "al-makr" (the scheme): it is the deception and deceit toward the one against whom the scheme is plotted, through treachery, so that the schemer may cast him into a detested affair.
