Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.  (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

"Leave alone those who take their religion for mere play n amusement,and are deceived by the life of this world.But proclaim(to them)this(truth0:that every soul delivers itself to ruin by its own acts.It will find for itself no protector or intercessor except God:if it offered every ransom(or reparation)none will be accepted:such is the end of those who deliver themselves to ruin by their own acts.(surah vi(An-am)70)" Please explain to me this. thank you  

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Answer:

Meaning of Surah Anam verse 70

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His  forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is no one (no idol, no person, no grave, no prophet, no imam, no dai, nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad(saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Allah Subhanah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 6 Surah Anaam verse 68-70When thou seest men engaged in vain discourse about Our Aayahs, turn away from them unless they turn to a different theme. If Satan ever makes thee forget, then after recollection, sit not thou in the company of the ungodly.On their account, no responsibility falls on the righteous, but (their duty) is to remind them that they may (learn to) fear Allah. Leave alone those who take their religion to be mere play and amusement and are deceived by the life of this world. But proclaim (to them) this (truth): that every soul delivers itself to ruin by its own acts: it will find for itself no protector or intercessor except Allah: if it offered every ransom (or reparation) none will be accepted: such is (the end of) those who deliver themselves to ruin by their own acts: they will have for drink (only) boiling water and for punishment one most grievous: for they persisted in rejecting Allah.

If one reads the Aayah 70 with the context of the preceding Aayahs 68 and 69, he will be able to get a full picture of these Revelations of Allah Subhanah.

Ref: Leave alone those who take their religion to be mere play and amusement and are deceived by the life of this world.

Allah Subhanah is reminding the believers that the duty of the believers is only to remind and warn the disbelievers to fear Allah Subhanah and the Last Day. The believers are guided that after reminding and cautioning the disbelievers in the best manner, they are to leave the them alone, who are content with the life of this transitory world, and have taken their religion to be the name of a few self-invented rites and rituals, and are thus treating religion as a mere play and amusement!

Ref: But proclaim (to them) this (truth):

But, before the believers leave the disbelievers alone to follow their evil paths, Allah has commanded and made it a duty unto the believers to declare to them these Truths:

Ref: Truth-1: that every soul delivers itself to ruin by its own acts:

Truth No.1 is that every person will be responsible for his own deeds, and no one else’s!

Ref: Truth-2: it will find for itself no protector or intercessor except Allah:

Truth No. 2 is that these people continue in their denial and disobedience of the Guidance of Allah because they have chosen for themselves some protectors and intercessors to intercede and protect them from the Wrath and Punishment of Allah Subhanah on the Day of Judgment! It is this false belief and delusion which some people have been made to believe, that encourages them to do much evil, and disobey, and deny the Guidance of Allah Subhanah in the life of this world; for they are guaranteed and assured by their self-declared ‘holy men’ and ‘priests’ that they will protect them and intercede for them in the Just Court of Allah Subhanah on the Day of Judgment! Allah cautions and warns these people that there will be no protectors and intercessors on that Inevitable Day, except Allah Subhanah!; for indeed, Intercession and Protection on that Tumultuous Day will be in the Power of Allah Subhanah Alone! It is He Alone Who will decide who deserves protection and intercession, and who will be the intercessors; not these evil and unscrupulous mushriks and disbelievers!

Ref: Truth-3: if it offered every ransom (or reparation) none will be accepted:

Truth No. 3 is that some of these disbelievers, who continue to deny the guidance of Allah and do evil deeds, think that if at all they are ever brought to account for their evil deeds, and if ‘perchance’ they do not get support from their chosen intercessors and protectors, they will be able to get away from the Punishment of Allah Subhanah by paying some sort of a ransom or fine! Allah Subhanah blocks even this window of their hopes; and declares here and in other Aayahs of the Quran, that even if they offered the whole wealth of the earth and more (if they possessed it); it would not be accepted from them! For, the currency of the Hereafter is not wealth, or gold, or cash, etc.; but the currency of the Hereafter is ‘one’s own deeds’!

Ref: such is (the end of) those who deliver themselves to ruin by their own acts: they will have for drink (only) boiling water, and for punishment one most grievous: for they persisted in rejecting Allah.

And finally Allah Subhanah concludes the inevitable fate of their evil deeds: that the end result of those who persist in rejecting the Guidance of Allah Subhanah of their own free will, and because of their own self-invented whims and delusions is that they will have everlasting and unbearable punishment in the Hereafter, where the only drink that will satisfy their intense thirst will be the drink of boiling water!

The message of the above beautiful and comprehensive Aayah of Surah Anaam verse 70 is declared in various ways all over the Quran!

The believers duty is only to convey the Message of their Lord clearly and in the best manner to all mankind; whether they believe in it or not!

If the disbelievers, mushriks and the hypocrites deny the Message after hearing it, leave them alone to their whims, fancies, delusions, plays and amusements!

That every soul will alone be responsible for his own deeds! No bearer of burden will bear the burden of another! In the life of the Hereafter, ever person will himself have to give a full account of what deeds he did in the life of the transitory world. The doers of good will receive Allah’s Mercy, Forgiveness, and Grace; and the doers of evil will deserve Allah’s Wrath, Anger, and Punishment!

The false belief and delusion of choosing and appointing of one’s own protectors and intercessors is condoned! No person, no matter who he is, will have any influence or power to change Allah Subhanah’s Decision on that Tumultuous Day! Protection and Intercession are in the Sole Power, Domain, and Control of Allah Subhanah Alone!

The other false belief and hope that ‘if’ they are called to account for their evil deeds on the Day of Judgment by Allah Subhanah, they will be able to pay some sort of a ransom and get away from the Just Punishment of Allah Subhanah is also completely shattered! No amount of ransom, not even the wealth of the whole world, nor even the barter of lives of their most loved ones; nothing….absolutely nothing, will be accepted from the evil doers and rejecters of the Truth, in lieu of their impending and ever lasting punishment!

The end result of their evil deeds, in spite of their being appropriately cautioned, will only be Displeasure, Wrath, Anger, and the Severe Punishment of the All Mighty Lord of the Worlds!

The Truth is brother, that in the above beautiful Aayah, Allah Subhanah has summarized the character and beliefs of the doers of evil! They have denied and rejected the clear guidance and teachings of Allah Subhanah, because they do not want to amend their deeds! And Shaitaan has made their deeds fair-seeming to them, by giving rise in their hearts of some false beliefs, whims, hopes, and delusions that: ‘do whatever you want, for the Lord is Merciful and somehow or the other, either by intercession of by offering a ransom, etc. you will be saved!!!!’ Allah Subhanah declares time and again in the Quran, that these false hopes and delusions are the works of the accursed enemy of man (The Shaitaan), and none of these false hopes will ever come true!

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 29 Surah Ankaboot verse 38:Shaitaan made their deeds fair-seeming to them and misled them from the right path, although they were sensible people.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your Brother in Islam,

Burhan