Tafseer of The Cattle · Al-An'aam · 6:69
And those who fear Allah are not held accountable for the disbelievers at all, but [only for] a reminder - that perhaps they will fear Him.
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: وَمَا عَلَى الَّذِينَ يَتَّقُونَ مِنْ حِسَابِهِمْ مِنْ شَيْءٍ وَلَكِنْ ذِكْرَى لَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَّقُونَ (6:69) (And those who are God-fearing bear no responsibility whatsoever for their reckoning, but it is an admonition, so that they may become God-fearing.)
Abū Jaʿfar said: The Exalted, whose praise is proclaimed, says: and whoever fears Allah, thus dreading Him, obeying Him in what He has commanded him and refraining from what He has forbidden him — upon him, by his neglecting to turn away from these who delve into the signs of Allah (while they delve into the signs of Allah), there rests no liability whatsoever in the relationship between him and Allah, provided that his neglecting to turn away from them is not an approval of that in which they are engaged, and provided that he is God-fearing (taqī) toward Allah with respect to His rights. And upon him there likewise rests no sin through their sin thereby, no objection. But let them then at that moment turn away from them as an admonition concerning the command of Allah = "so that they may become God-fearing." He says: so that they may fear.
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And the meaning of "al-dhikrā" (the admonition) is: the reminder. And "al-dhikr" and "al-dhikrā" have the same meaning.
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It is possible that "dhikrā" stands both in the accusative (naṣb) and in the nominative (rafʿ):
As for the accusative: according to what I have described from the explanation: but let them turn away from them as an admonition.
As for the nominative: according to the explanation: and those who are God-fearing bear no responsibility whatsoever for their reckoning by neglecting to turn away, but their turning away is an admonition concerning the command of Allah, so that they may become God-fearing.
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And it has been mentioned that the Prophet ﷺ was only commanded to rise and depart from the polytheists (mushrikīn) when they delved into the signs of Allah, because his rising and departing was something they detested. Therefore Allah said to him: when they delve into the signs of Allah, then rise and depart from them, so that they may guard against delving into that and abandon it.
* Mention of who said that:
13396 — Al-Qāsim related to us, he said: al-Ḥusayn related to us, he said: Ḥajjāj related to me, on the authority of Ibn Jurayj, who said: The polytheists used to sit with the Prophet ﷺ, because they liked to hear from him, but when they heard something, they mocked it. Then was revealed: وَإِذَا رَأَيْتَ الَّذِينَ يَخُوضُونَ فِي آيَاتِنَا فَأَعْرِضْ عَنْهُمْ حَتَّى يَخُوضُوا فِي حَدِيثٍ غَيْرِهِ (And when you see those who delve into Our signs, then turn away from them until they delve into another discourse), the verse. He said: and so, when they mocked, he used to rise, whereupon they were on their guard and said: do not mock, otherwise he will rise! That, then, is His word: "so that they may become God-fearing," namely that they delve into it whereupon he rises. And there was revealed: "and those who are God-fearing bear no responsibility whatsoever for their reckoning," if they remain seated with them, but do not sit with them. Thereafter this was abrogated by His word at Medina: وَقَدْ نَزَّلَ عَلَيْكُمْ فِي الْكِتَابِ أَنْ إِذَا سَمِعْتُمْ آيَاتِ اللَّهِ يُكْفَرُ بِهَا وَيُسْتَهْزَأُ بِهَا فَلَا تَقْعُدُوا مَعَهُمْ حَتَّى يَخُوضُوا فِي حَدِيثٍ غَيْرِهِ إِنَّكُمْ إِذًا مِثْلُهُمْ [sūrat al-Nisāʾ: 140] (And He has already sent down to you in the Book that, when you hear the signs of Allah being denied and mocked, you must not remain seated with them until they delve into another discourse; otherwise you are like them). Thus His word was abrogated: "and those who are God-fearing bear no responsibility whatsoever for their reckoning," the verse.
13397 — Muḥammad ibn al-Ḥusayn related to me, he said: Aḥmad ibn al-Mufaḍḍal related to us, he said: Asbāṭ related to us, on the authority of al-Suddī, concerning His word: "and those who are God-fearing bear no responsibility whatsoever for their reckoning." He says: of the reckoning of the unbelievers, nothing = "but it is an admonition." He says: when you remember, then rise = "so that they may become God-fearing," namely that they guard against grieving you, for when they see that you do not take a seat with them, they are ashamed before you and keep away from you. Thereafter Allah abrogated this afterward and forbade them ever again to take a seat with them. He said: وَقَدْ نَزَّلَ عَلَيْكُمْ فِي الْكِتَابِ أَنْ إِذَا سَمِعْتُمْ آيَاتِ اللَّهِ يُكْفَرُ بِهَا (And He has already sent down to you in the Book that, when you hear the signs of Allah being denied), the verse.
13398 — Muḥammad ibn ʿAmr related to me, he said: Abū ʿĀṣim related to us, he said: ʿĪsā related to us, on the authority of Ibn Abī Najīḥ, on the authority of Mujāhid: "and those who are God-fearing bear no responsibility whatsoever for their reckoning," if they remain seated, but do not sit.
13399 — Al-Muthannā related to me, he said: Abū Ḥudhayfa related to us, he said: Shibl related to us, on the authority of Ibn Abī Najīḥ, on the authority of Mujāhid, something similar.
13400 — Ibn Wakīʿ related to us, he said: ʿUbayd Allāh related to us, on the authority of Isrāʾīl, on the authority of al-Suddī, on the authority of Abū Mālik: "and those who are God-fearing bear no responsibility whatsoever for their reckoning, but it is an admonition." He said: and it is no liability upon you that they delve into the signs of Allah when you do that (namely, depart).
