Al-A'raaf 7:203

"And when you, [O Muḥammad], do not bring them a sign [i.e., miracle], they say, "Why have you not contrived it?" Say, "I only follow what is revealed to me from my Lord. This [Qur’ān] is enlightenment from your Lord and guidance and mercy for a people who believe.""

Idolators ask to witness Miracles

`Ali bin Abi Talhah reported that Ibn `Abbas commented on Allah's statement,

قَالُواْ لَوْلاَ اجْتَبَيْتَهَا

(they say, "Why have you not brought it") "They say, `Why have you not received a miracle"', or, "Why have you not initiated or made it" Ibn Jarir reported that, `Abdullah bin Kathir said that Mujahid said about Allah's statement,

وَإِذَا لَمْ تَأْتِهِم بِـَايَةٍ قَالُواْ لَوْلاَ اجْتَبَيْتَهَا

(And if you do not bring them a miracle, they say: "Why have you not brought it") "They say, `Produce a miracle of your own."' Qatadah, As-Suddi, `Abdur-Rahman bin Zayd bin Aslam and Ibn Jarir agreed with this. Allah said next,

وَإِذَا لَمْ تَأْتِهِم بِـَايَةٍ

(And if you do not bring them an Ayah) a miracle or a sign. Similarly, Allah said,

إِن نَّشَأْ نُنَزِّلْ عَلَيْهِمْ مِّنَ السَّمَآءِ ءَايَةً فَظَلَّتْ أَعْنَـقُهُمْ لَهَا خَـضِعِينَ

(If We will, We could send down to them from the heaven a sign, to which they would bend their necks in humility.) 26:4 The pagans asked the Prophet, why did you not strive hard to bring us an Ayah (miracle) from Allah so that we witness it and believe in it. Allah said to him,

قُلْ إِنَّمَآ أَتَّبِعُ مَا يِوحَى إِلَىَّ مِن رَّبِّى

(Say: "I but follow what is revealed to me from my Lord.") I do not ask such things of my Lord. I only follow what He reveals and commands me. Therefore, if Allah sends a miracle, I will accept it. Otherwise, I will not ask for it unless He allows me. Certainly, Allah is Most Wise, the All-Knower. Allah next directs the servants to the fact that this Qur'an is the most powerful miracle, clearest evidence and most true proof and explanation, saying,

هَـذَا بَصَآئِرُ مِن رَّبِّكُمْ وَهُدًى وَرَحْمَةً لِّقَوْمٍ يُؤْمِنُونَ

(This (the Qur'an) is nothing but evidences from your Lord, and a guidance and a mercy for a people who believe.)

О Мухаммад! Неверующие, считающие тебя лжецом, не перестанут упорствовать, даже если увидят удивительные знамения, указывающие на прямой путь и верную стезю. Какие бы знамения ты ни показал им в подтверждение твоей правдивости, они все равно не покорятся тебе. А если ты не покажешь им то, чего они хотят, они станут возмущаться, словно ты самостоятельно творишь чудеса и управляешь творениями. Они не понимают того, что ты не обладаешь властью и не создаешь чудеса самостоятельно. Скажи им: «Я следую лишь за тем, что мой Господь внушает мне. Я - раб, зависимый от своего Господа. Знамения показывает и ниспосылает только Аллах, руководствуясь обстоятельствами и божественной мудростью. Если вы хотите увидеть знамение, которое не исчезает с прошествием времени и во все времена остается убедительным доводом, то взгляните на этот Великий Коран. Это - мудрое назидание, проливающее свет на Божий замысел и самые заветные человеческие желания». Коран является доказательством и сам разъясняет то, что он доказывает. Если человек задумается над ним, то ему станет ясно, что он был ниспослан Мудрым и Достохвальным Аллахом. Ложь не может подступиться к нему ни спереди, ни сзади. Он доводит истину до каждого, кто сталкивается с ним, но большинство людей отказываются уверовать в него. Если же человек уверует, то благодаря кораническим аятам он выберется из заблуждения на прямой путь, обретет милость и избавится от злосчастья. Вот почему верующий, который руководствуется откровениями и выполняет коранические предписания, счастлив как в этом мире, так и в Последней жизни. Что же касается неверующих, то в обоих мирах они являются несчастными и заблудшими людьми.

Commentary

Mentioned in the verses cited above is the proof that the Holy Prophet ﷺ the true Messenger of Allah. Also answered there are doubts raised by his antagonists. Then, as a corollary, some religious injunctions have been taken up.

To prove that they are Messengers of Allah, all prophets, may peace be upon them all, are given miracles. It was in consonance with it that the Holy Prophet ﷺ the foremost among prophets, was blessed with so many miracles which exceed the number of those given to past prophets and which are clear too.

The miracles of the Holy Prophet ﷺ as proved from the Qur'an, and authentic Hadith reports, are fairly numerous. Muslim religious scholars have written separate books about them. ` Allamah Jalalud-Din as-Suyuti's book, al-Khasais a1-Kubra, in two volumes, is a well-known work on this subject.

But, despite the manifestation of so many miracles, his opponents stuck to their unreasonable demands asking for ever-new miracles of their choice. This has also been mentioned earlier in this very Surah.

The first of the two verses cited above provides an answer to their demand as a matter of principle. To put it briefly, the miracle of a prophet is a testimony and proof of his mission as a Messenger of Allah. Take the example of the claim of a plaintiff that stands proved by some trustworthy evidence. The other party has not challenged it in any way. If so, no court in the world would give this party the right to demand from the plaintiff that it would accept the claim only when he produces its evidence from a number of particularly specified people. And that the said party would, without challenging the present evidence, not accept it. Therefore, after having seen so many manifest miracles, the antagonists had no right to say that they would take him to be a Messenger of Allah only if he were to show their custom-ordered miracles. This is nothing but a hostile demand that no court of justice would accept as valid.

So, in the first verse (203), it was said when he does not show them the miracle specified by them, they use it as a pretext to deny that he was a Messenger of Allah. Had he been one, he would have shown them the miracle of their choice! The Holy Prophet ﷺ has been asked to tell them that his mission does not call for the showing of miracles on his own. Instead, his basic mission was to follow the injunctions sent to him by his Lord through the medium of Wahy (revelation) and it included the task of their preaching as well. Therefore, he was busy doing what he was assigned to do. As for the verification of his status as a Messenger of Allah, the miracles already manifested before them were more than enough for that purpose. Now that they have already seen those, the demand for some particular miracle is nothing but an exercise in hostility that is not worth noticing.

Then, out of the miracles shown, the Qur'an by itself is a great miracle. It has challenged the whole world to come up with a small Surah the like of it and it has failed to do so. This, then, is an open sign that the Qur'an is no human word, instead, is the inimitable Word of Allah, the most exalted.

For this reason, it was said: هَـٰذَا بَصَائِرُ‌ مِن رَّ‌بِّكُمْ (This is (a Book of) insights from your Lord). It means that this Qur'an has come from your Lord as a compendium of many proofs and miracles. Whoever deliberates into it, even summarily, could not part with it without believing that it was nothing but the Word of Allah, the most exalted, and that nothing created has anything to do with it. After that, it was said: وَهُدًى وَرَ‌حْمَةٌ لِّقَوْمٍ يُؤْمِنُونَ (and a guidance and mercy for a people who believe). It means that, no doubt, this Qur'an is a proof of what is true for the whole world, but it is an escort to the purpose of life and a medium of deserving the mercy of Allah Ta` ala only for those who believe in it.

Other English translations

Tafsīr · classical commentary

Idolators ask to witness Miracles