Ayah
Word by Word
وَلَوۡ
And if
أَنَّ
that was
قُرۡءَانٗا
any Quran
سُيِّرَتۡ
could be moved
بِهِ
by it
ٱلۡجِبَالُ
the mountains
أَوۡ
or
قُطِّعَتۡ
could be cloven asunder
بِهِ
by it
ٱلۡأَرۡضُ
the earth
أَوۡ
or
كُلِّمَ
could be made to speak
بِهِ
by it
ٱلۡمَوۡتَىٰۗ
the dead
بَل
Nay
لِّلَّهِ
with Allah
ٱلۡأَمۡرُ
(is) the command
جَمِيعًاۗ
all
أَفَلَمۡ
Then do not
يَاْيۡـَٔسِ
know
ٱلَّذِينَ
those who
ءَامَنُوٓاْ
believe
أَن
that
لَّوۡ
if
يَشَآءُ
had willed
ٱللَّهُ
Allah
لَهَدَى
surely, He would have guided
ٱلنَّاسَ
all
جَمِيعٗاۗ
all of the mankind
وَلَا
And not
يَزَالُ
will cease
ٱلَّذِينَ
those who
كَفَرُواْ
disbelieve
تُصِيبُهُم
to strike them
بِمَا
for what
صَنَعُواْ
they did
قَارِعَةٌ
a disaster
أَوۡ
or
تَحُلُّ
it settles
قَرِيبٗا
close
مِّن
from
دَارِهِمۡ
their homes
حَتَّىٰ
until
يَأۡتِيَ
comes
وَعۡدُ
(the) promise
ٱللَّهِۚ
(of) Allah
إِنَّ
Indeed
ٱللَّهَ
Allah
لَا
(will) not
يُخۡلِفُ
fail
ٱلۡمِيعَادَ
(in) the Promise
وَلَوۡ
And if
أَنَّ
that was
قُرۡءَانٗا
any Quran
سُيِّرَتۡ
could be moved
بِهِ
by it
ٱلۡجِبَالُ
the mountains
أَوۡ
or
قُطِّعَتۡ
could be cloven asunder
بِهِ
by it
ٱلۡأَرۡضُ
the earth
أَوۡ
or
كُلِّمَ
could be made to speak
بِهِ
by it
ٱلۡمَوۡتَىٰۗ
the dead
بَل
Nay
لِّلَّهِ
with Allah
ٱلۡأَمۡرُ
(is) the command
جَمِيعًاۗ
all
أَفَلَمۡ
Then do not
يَاْيۡـَٔسِ
know
ٱلَّذِينَ
those who
ءَامَنُوٓاْ
believe
أَن
that
لَّوۡ
if
يَشَآءُ
had willed
ٱللَّهُ
Allah
لَهَدَى
surely, He would have guided
ٱلنَّاسَ
all
جَمِيعٗاۗ
all of the mankind
وَلَا
And not
يَزَالُ
will cease
ٱلَّذِينَ
those who
كَفَرُواْ
disbelieve
تُصِيبُهُم
to strike them
بِمَا
for what
صَنَعُواْ
they did
قَارِعَةٌ
a disaster
أَوۡ
or
تَحُلُّ
it settles
قَرِيبٗا
close
مِّن
from
دَارِهِمۡ
their homes
حَتَّىٰ
until
يَأۡتِيَ
comes
وَعۡدُ
(the) promise
ٱللَّهِۚ
(of) Allah
إِنَّ
Indeed
ٱللَّهَ
Allah
لَا
(will) not
يُخۡلِفُ
fail
ٱلۡمِيعَادَ
(in) the Promise
Translation
If there were a Qur'an with which mountains were moved, or the earth were cloven asunder, or the dead were made to speak, (this would be the one!) But, truly, the command is with Allah in all things! Do not the Believers know, that, had Allah (so) willed, He could have guided all mankind (to the right)? But the Unbelievers,- never will disaster cease to seize them for their (ill) deeds, or to settle close to their homes, until the promise of Allah come to pass, for, verily, Allah will not fail in His promise.
Tafsir
The following was revealed when they said to him, 'If you are [truly] a prophet, then make these mountains of Mecca drift away before us, and make for us rivers and springs in it, that we may plant and sow seeds, and resurrect for us our dead fathers to speak to us and tell us that you are a prophet': Even if it were a Qur'aan whereby the mountains were set in motion, moved from their places, or the earth were cleft, torn, or the dead were spoken to, such that they would respond, they still would not believe. Nay, but the affair belongs entirely to God, and none other, so that none believes except he whom He wills that he believes, and no other; even if they were given what they request [of signs]. The following was revealed when the Companions were keen that what was requested [of signs] should be manifested, hoping that they [the ones requesting them] might believe: Have they not realised, those who believe, that (an is softened, in other words [understand it as] annahu) had God willed, He could have guided all mankind?, to faith, without [the need for] any sign? And the disbelievers, from among the people of Mecca, continue to be struck by devastation, a catastrophe that devastates them through all manner of hardship, such as being killed, taken captive, and [suffering] war or drought, because of what they wrought, because of their actions, that is, their disbelief; or you alight, O Muhammad may peace and salutation be upon him, together with your army, near their home - Mecca - until God's promise, of victory against them, comes to pass; truly God does not break His promise: and indeed, he alighted at Hudaybiyya until the conquest of Mecca took place;
"Virtues of the Qur'an and the Denial of Disbelievers
Allah praises the Qur'an which He has revealed to Muhammad, peace be upon him, and prefers it to all other divinely revealed Books before it,
وَلَوۡ أَنَّ قُرۡانًا سُيِّرَتۡ بِهِ الۡجِبَالُ أَوۡ قُطِّعَتۡ بِهِ الَارۡضُ
أَوۡ كُلِّمَ بِهِ الۡمَوۡتَى
And if there had been a Qur'an with which mountains could be moved (from their places), or the earth could be cloven asunder, or the dead could be made to speak (it would not have been other than this Qur'an).
Allah says, `If there were a Book among the previous Divine Books with which the mountains could be moved from their places, or the earth could be cleaved asunder, or the dead speak in their graves, it would have been this Qur'an and none else.'
Or, this Qur'an is more worthy to cause all this, because of its marvelous eloquence that defies the ability of mankind and the Jinns, even if all of them gather their forces together to invent something like it or even a Surah like it.
Yet, these idolators disbelieve in the Qur'an and reject it.
Allah said,
بَل لِّلّهِ الَامۡرُ جَمِيعًا
But the decision of all things is certainly with Allah.
The decision over all affairs is with Allah Alone, whatever He wills, occurs and whatever He does not will, never occurs.
Certainly, he whom Allah misguides, will never find enlightenment and he whom Allah guides, will never be misled.
Ibn Abbas commented,
""He will only do what He wills and He decided that He will not do that.""
Ibn Ishaq reported a chain for this, and Ibn Jarir At-Tabari agreed with it.
We should state here that it is possible to call other Divine Books, Qur'an', since this Qur'an is based on all of them.
Imam Ahmad recorded that Abu Hurayrah said that the Messenger of Allah said,
خُفِّفَتۡ عَلَى دَاوُدَ الۡقِرَاءَةُ فَكَانَ يَأۡمُرُ بِدَابَّتِهِ أَنۡ تُسۡرَجَ فَكَانَ يَقۡرَأُ الۡقُرۡانَ مِنۡ قَبۡلِ أَنۡ تُسۡرَجَ دَابَّتُهُ وَكَانَ لَا يَأۡكُلُ إِلاَّ مِنۡ عَمَلِ يَدَيۡه
Reciting was made easy for (Prophet) Dawud (David) in that he used to order that his animal be prepared for him to ride and in the meantime he would read the entire Qur'an. He used to eat only from what his hand made.
Al-Bukhari collected this Hadith.
The Qur'an mentioned here is refers to the Zabur.
Allah said next,
أَفَلَمۡ يَيۡأَسِ الَّذِينَ امَنُواۡ
Have not then those who believed yet known,
that not all people would believe and understand and that,
أَن لَّوۡ يَشَاء اللّهُ لَهَدَى النَّاسَ جَمِيعًا
had Allah willed, He could have guided all mankind,
Surely, there is not a miracle or evidence more eloquent or effective on the heart and mind than this Qur'an. Had Allah revealed it to a mountain, you would see the mountain shake and humbled from fear of Allah.
The Sahih recorded that the Messenger of Allah said,
مَا مِنۡ نَبِيَ إِلاَّ وَقَدۡ أُوتِيَ مَا امَنَ عَلَى مِثۡلِهِ الۡبَشَرُ وَإِنَّمَا كَانَ الَّذِي أُوتِيتُهُ وَحۡيًا أَوۡحَاهُ اللهُ إِلَيَّ فَأَرۡجُو أَنۡ أَكُونَ أَكۡثَرَهُمۡ تَابِعًا يَوۡمَ الۡقِيَامَة
Every Prophet was given (a miracle) the type of which would make (some) people believe. What I was given, however, is a revelation from Allah to me, and I hope that I will have the most following among them (Prophets) on the Day of Resurrection.
This Hadith indicates that every Prophet's miracle disappeared upon his death, but this Qur'an will remain as evidence for all times. Verily, the miracle of the Qur'an will never end, nor will it become old the more it is read, nor will scholars ever have enough of it.
The Qur'an is serious and is not meant for jest; any tyrant that abandons it, Allah will destroy him; he who seeks guidance in other than the Qur'an, then Allah will misguide him.
Allah said next,
وَلَا يَزَالُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواۡ تُصِيبُهُم بِمَا صَنَعُواۡ قَارِعَةٌ
أَوۡ تَحُلُّ قَرِيبًا مِّن دَارِهِمۡ
And a disaster will not cease to strike those who disbelieved because of their (evil) deeds or it settles close to their homes,
because of their denial, disasters will still strike them in this life or strike those all around them, as a lesson and example for them.
Allah said in other Ayat,
وَلَقَدۡ أَهۡلَكۡنَا مَا حَوۡلَكُمۡ مِّنَ الۡقُرَى وَصَرَّفۡنَا الاٌّيَـتِ لَعَلَّهُمۡ يَرۡجِعُونَ
And indeed We have destroyed towns round about you, and We have shown (them) the Ayat in various ways that they might return (to the truth). (46:27)
and,
أَفَلَ يَرَوۡنَ أَنَّا نَأۡتِى الاٌّرۡضَ نَنقُصُهَا مِنۡ أَطۡرَافِهَأ أَفَهُمُ الۡغَـلِبُونَ
See they not that We gradually reduce the land (in their control) from its outlying borders! Is it then they who will overcome! (21:44)
Qatadah narrated that Al-Hasan commented on Allah's statement,
أَوۡ تَحُلُّ قَرِيبًا مِّن دَارِهِمۡ
(or it settles close to their homes),
""It is in reference to the disaster.""
This is the apparent meaning here.
Al-`Awfi reported that bin Abbas said about,
تُصِيبُهُم بِمَا صَنَعُواۡ قَارِعَةٌ
(And a Qari`ah (disaster) strikes them because of their (evil) deeds),
""A torment that descends on them from heaven,
أَوۡ تَحُلُّ قَرِيبًا مِّن دَارِهِمۡ
(or it settles close to their homes),
when the Messenger of Allah camps near their area and fights them.""
Similar was reported from Mujahid and Qatadah.
Ikrimah said in another narration he reported from Ibn Abbas that,
قَارِعَةٌ
(Qari'ah), means affliction.
These scholars also said that,
حَتَّى يَأۡتِيَ وَعۡدُ اللّهِ
until the promise of Allah comes to pass.
refers to the conquering of Makkah.
Al-Hasan Al-Basri said that;
it refers to the Day of Resurrection.
Allah said next,
إِنَّ اللّهَ لَا يُخۡلِفُ الۡمِيعَادَ
Certainly, Allah breaks not His promise.
to His Messengers to aid them and their followers in this life and the Hereafter,
فَلَ تَحۡسَبَنَّ اللَّهَ مُخۡلِفَ وَعۡدِهِ رُسُلَهُ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَزِيزٌ ذُو انتِقَامٍ
So think not that Allah will fail to keep His promise to His Messengers. Certainly, Allah is All-Mighty, All-Able of Retribution. (14:47)"
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