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Ayah
Word by Word
وَلَوۡلَآ
And if not
أَن
[that]
تُصِيبَهُم
struck them
مُّصِيبَةُۢ
a disaster
بِمَا
for what
قَدَّمَتۡ
had sent forth
أَيۡدِيهِمۡ
their hands
فَيَقُولُواْ
and they would say
رَبَّنَا
Our Lord!
لَوۡلَآ
Why not
أَرۡسَلۡتَ
You sent
إِلَيۡنَا
to us
رَسُولٗا
a Messenger
فَنَتَّبِعَ
so we (could have) followed
ءَايَٰتِكَ
Your Verses
وَنَكُونَ
and we (would) have been
مِنَ
of
ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَ
the believers
وَلَوۡلَآ
And if not
أَن
[that]
تُصِيبَهُم
struck them
مُّصِيبَةُۢ
a disaster
بِمَا
for what
قَدَّمَتۡ
had sent forth
أَيۡدِيهِمۡ
their hands
فَيَقُولُواْ
and they would say
رَبَّنَا
Our Lord!
لَوۡلَآ
Why not
أَرۡسَلۡتَ
You sent
إِلَيۡنَا
to us
رَسُولٗا
a Messenger
فَنَتَّبِعَ
so we (could have) followed
ءَايَٰتِكَ
Your Verses
وَنَكُونَ
and we (would) have been
مِنَ
of
ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَ
the believers
Translation
If (We had) not (sent thee to the Quraish),- in case a calamity should seize them for (the deeds) that their hands have sent forth, they might say: "Our Lord! why didst Thou not sent us a messenger? We should then have followed Thy Signs and been amongst those who believe!"
Tafsir
Otherwise, if an affliction, a punishment, should befall them because of what their own hands have sent before them, in the way of disbelief and otherwise, they might say, 'Our Lord, why did You not send a messenger to us, that we might have followed Your signs, the ones sent with the messengers, and been of the believers?' (the response to [the conditional particle] lawlaa, 'if', has been omitted, and what follows it is a [new] subject; the meaning is: 'were it not for the affliction that is the cause of their saying', or, 'were it not for their saying that is the cause of their affliction, We would have hastened on for them their punishment and We would not have sent you as a messenger to them').
Proof of the Prophethood of Muhammad
Allah says:
وَمَا كُنتَ بِجَانِبِ الۡغَرۡبِيِّ إِذۡ قَضَيۡنَا إِلَى مُوسَى الاَۡمۡرَ وَمَا كُنتَ مِنَ الشَّاهِدِينَ
And you were not on the western side (of the Mount), when We made clear to Musa the commandment, and you were not among the witnesses.
Allah points out the proof of the Prophethood of Muhammad, whereby he told others about matters of the past, and spoke about them as if he were hearing and seeing them for himself. But he was an illiterate man who could not read books, and he grew up among a people who knew nothing of such things. Similarly, Allah told him about Maryam and her story, as Allah said:
وَمَا كُنتَ لَدَيۡهِمۡ إِذۡ يُلۡقُون أَقۡلَـمَهُمۡ أَيُّهُمۡ يَكۡفُلُ مَرۡيَمَ وَمَا كُنتَ لَدَيۡهِمۡ إِذۡ يَخۡتَصِمُونَ
You were not with them, when they cast lots with their pens as to which of them should be charged with the care of Maryam; nor were you with them when they disputed, (3:44),
meaning, `you were not present then, but Allah has revealed this to you.'
Similarly, Allah told him about Nuh and his people, and how He saved Nuh and drowned his people, then He said:
تِلۡكَ مِنۡ أَنۡبَأءِ الۡغَيۡبِ نُوحِيهَأ إِلَيۡكَ مَا كُنتَ تَعۡلَمُهَأ أَنتَ وَلَا قَوۡمُكَ مِن قَبۡلِ هَـذَا فَاصۡبِرۡ إِنَّ الۡعَـقِبَةَ لِلۡمُتَّقِينَ
This is of the news of the Unseen which We reveal unto you; neither you nor your people knew it before this. So, be patient. Surely, the (good) end is for those who have Taqwa. (11:49)
And at the end of the same Surah (Hud) Allah says:
ذَلِكَ مِنۡ أَنۡبَأءِ الۡقُرَى نَقُصُّهُ عَلَيۡكَ
That is some of the news of the towns which We relate unto you. (11:100)
And here, after telling the story of Musa from beginning to end and how Allah began His revelation to him and spoke with him,
Allah says:
وَمَا كُنتَ بِجَانِبِ الۡغَرۡبِيِّ إِذۡ قَضَيۡنَا إِلَى مُوسَى الاَۡمۡرَ
And you were not on the western side (of the Mount), when We made clear to Musa the commandment,
meaning, `you -- O Muhammad -- were not on the western side of the mountain where Allah spoke to Musa from the tree which was to the east of it, in the valley.'
وَمَا كُنتَ مِنَ الشَّاهِدِينَ
and you were not among the witnesses.
`to that event, but Allah has revealed this to you,'
so that it may be evidence and proof of events which happened centuries ago, for people have forgotten the evidence that Allah established against them and what was revealed to the earlier Prophets.
وَلَكِنَّا أَنشَأۡنَا قُرُونًا فَتَطَاوَلَ عَلَيۡهِمُ الۡعُمُرُ
But We created generations, and long were the ages that passed over them.
وَمَا كُنتَ ثَاوِيًا فِي أَهۡلِ مَدۡيَنَ تَتۡلُو عَلَيۡهِمۡ ايَاتِنَا
And you were not a dweller among the people of Madyan, reciting Our Ayat to them.
meaning, `you were not living among the people of Madyan reciting Our Ayat to them, when you started to tell about Our Prophet Shu`ayb and what he said to his people and how they responded.'
وَلَكِنَّا كُنَّا مُرۡسِلِينَ
But it is We Who kept sending.
means, `but We revealed that to you and sent you to mankind as a Messenger.'
وَمَا كُنتَ بِجَانِبِ الطُّورِ إِذۡ نَادَيۡنَا
And you were not at the side of At-Tur when We called.
Qatadah said that:
وَمَا كُنتَ بِجَانِبِ الطُّورِ إِذۡ نَادَيۡنَا
(And you were not at the side of At-Tur when We did call), refers to Musa, and this -- and Allah knows best -- is like the Ayah:
وَمَا كُنتَ بِجَانِبِ الۡغَرۡبِىِّ إِذۡ قَضَيۡنَأ إِلَى مُوسَى الاٌّمۡرَ
And you were not on the western side (of the Mount), when We made clear to Musa the commandment,
Here Allah puts it in a different and more specific way by describing it as a call.
This is like the Ayat:
وَإِذۡ نَادَى رَبُّكَ مُوسَى
And (remember) when your Lord called Musa. (26:10)
إِذۡ نَادَاهُ رَبُّهُ بِالۡوَادِ الۡمُقَدَّسِ طُوًى
When his Lord called him in the sacred valley of Tuwa. (79:16).
وَنَـدَيۡنَـهُ مِن جَانِبِ الطُّورِ الاٌّيۡمَنِ وَقَرَّبۡنَاهُ نَجِيّاً
And We called him from the right side of At-Tur, and made him draw near to Us for a talk with him. (19:52)
وَلَكِن رَّحۡمَةً مِّن رَّبِّكَ
But (you are sent) as a mercy from your Lord,
means, `you were not a witness to any of those things, but Allah has revealed them to you and told you about them as a mercy from Him to you and to His servants, by sending you to them,'
لِتُنذِرَ قَوۡمًا مَّا أَتَاهُم مِّن نَّذِيرٍ مِّن قَبۡلِكَ لَعَلَّهُمۡ يَتَذَكَّرُونَ
to give warning to a people to whom no warner had come before you, in order that they may remember or receive admonition.
means, `so that they may be guided by that which you bring from Allah.'
وَلَوۡلَا أَن تُصِيبَهُم مُّصِيبَةٌ بِمَا قَدَّمَتۡ أَيۡدِيهِمۡ فَيَقُولُوا رَبَّنَا لَوۡلَا أَرۡسَلۡتَ إِلَيۡنَا رَسُولاً
And if (We had) not (sent you to the people of Makkah) -- in case a calamity should seize them for (the deeds) that their hands have sent forth, they would have said:Our Lord! Why did You not send us a Messenger!
meaning:`and We have sent you to them to establish proof against them, and to give them no excuse when the punishment of Allah comes to them because of their disbelief, lest they offer the excuse that no Messenger or warner came to them.'
This is like what Allah says about the situation after He revealed His blessed Book the Qur'an:
أَن تَقُولُواۡ إِنَّمَا أُنزِلَ الۡكِتَابُ عَلَى طَأيِفَتَيۡنِ مِن قَبۡلِنَا وَإِن كُنَّا عَن دِرَاسَتِهِمۡ لَغَافِلِينَ
أَوۡ تَقُولُواۡ لَوۡ أَنَّا أُنزِلَ عَلَيۡنَا الۡكِتَابُ لَكُنَّا أَهۡدَى مِنۡهُمۡ
فَقَدۡ جَاءكُم بَيِّنَةٌ مِّن رَّبِّكُمۡ وَهُدًى وَرَحۡمَةٌ
Lest you should say:The Book was sent down only to two sects before us, and for our part, we were in fact unaware of what they studied.
Or lest you should say:If only the Book had been sent down to us, we would surely have been better guided than they.
So, now has come unto you a clear proof from your Lord, and a guidance and a mercy... (6:156-157)
رُّسُلً مُّبَشِّرِينَ وَمُنذِرِينَ لِيَلَّ يَكُونَ لِلنَّاسِ عَلَى اللَّهِ حُجَّةٌ بَعۡدَ الرُّسُلِ
Messengers as bearers of good news as well as warning in order that mankind should have no plea against Allah after the Messengers. (4:165)
يَـأَهۡلَ الۡكِتَـبِ قَدۡ جَأءَكُمۡ رَسُولُنَا يُبَيِّنُ لَكُمۡ عَلَى فَتۡرَةٍ مَّنَ الرُّسُلِ أَن تَقُولُواۡ مَا جَأءَنَا مِن بَشِيرٍ وَلَا نَذِيرٍ فَقَدۡ جَاءَكُمۡ بَشِيرٌ وَنَذِيرٌ
O People of the Scripture!
Now has come to you Our Messenger making (things) clear unto you, after a break in (the series of) Messengers, lest you say:There came unto us no bringer of glad tidings and no warner. But now has come unto you a bringer of glad tidings and a warner. (5:19)
And there are many similar Ayat.
فَنَتَّبِعَ ايَاتِكَ وَنَكُونَ مِنَ الۡمُوۡمِنِينَ
We would then have followed Your Ayat and would have been among the believers.
The stubborn Response of the Disbelievers
Allah tells:
فَلَمَّا جَاءهُمُ الۡحَقُّ مِنۡ عِندِنَا قَالُوا
But when the truth has come to them from Us, they say:
Allah tells us that if people were to be punished before proof was established against them, they would use the excuse that no Messenger came to them, but when the truth did come to them through Muhammad, in their stubbornness, disbelief, ignorance and misguided thinking, they said:
لَوۡلَا أُوتِيَ مِثۡلَ مَا أُوتِيَ مُوسَى
Why is he not given the like of what was given to Musa,
Meaning -- and Allah knows best -- many signs like the staff, the hand, the flood, the locusts, the lice, the frogs, the blood, the destruction of crops and fruits -- which made things difficult for the enemies of Allah -- and the parting of the sea, the clouds (following the Children of Israel in the wilderness and) shading them, the manna and quails, and other clear signs and definitive proof, miracles which Allah wrought at the hands of Musa as evidence and proof against Fir`awn and his chiefs and the Children of Israel. But all of this had no effect on Fir`awn and his chiefs; on the contrary, they denied Musa and his brother Harun, as Allah tells us:
أَجِيۡتَنَا لِتَلۡفِتَنَا عَمَّا وَجَدۡنَا عَلَيۡهِ ءابَاءَنَا وَتَكُونَ لَكُمَا الۡكِبۡرِيَأءُ فِى الاٌّرۡضِ وَمَا نَحۡنُ لَكُمَا بِمُوۡمِنِينَ
Have you come to us to turn us away from what we found our fathers following, and that you two may have greatness in the land We are not going to believe you two! (10:78)
فَكَذَّبُوهُمَا فَكَانُواۡ مِنَ الۡمُهۡلَكِينَ
So they denied them both and became of those who were destroyed. (23:48)
The Rebellious do not believe in Miracles
Allah says here:
أَوَلَمۡ يَكۡفُرُوا بِمَا أُوتِيَ مُوسَى مِن قَبۡلُ
Did they not disbelieve in that which was given to Musa of old!
Did not mankind disbelieve in those mighty signs which were given to Musa!
قَالُوا سِحۡرَانِ تَظَاهَرَا
They say:Two kinds of magic, each helping the other!
cooperating or working one with the other.
وَقَالُوا إِنَّا بِكُلٍّ كَافِرُونَ
And they say:Verily, in both we are disbelievers.
meaning, `we disbelieve in each of them.' Because of the close relationship between Musa and Harun, mention of one includes the other.
False Accusation that Musa and Harun (peace be upon them both) practiced Magic
Mujahid bin Jabr said,
The Jews told Quraysh to say this to Muhammad, then Allah said:
`Did they not disbelieve in that which was given to Musa of old! They say:Two kinds of magic, each helping the other!'
This refers to Musa and Harun, may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon them both,
تَظَاهَرَا
(each helping the other) i.e., working together and supporting one another.
This was also the view of Sa`id bin Jubayr and Abu Razin that the phrase two kinds of magic referred to Musa and Harun.
This is a good suggestion.
And Allah knows best.
The Response to this False Accusation
About the Ayah
سِحۡرَانِ تَظَاهَرَا
(Two kinds of magic, each helping the other!) Ali bin Abi Talhah and Al-Awfi reported that Ibn Abbas said:
this refers to the Tawrah and the Qur'an, because Allah says next:
قُلۡ فَأۡتُوا بِكِتَابٍ مِّنۡ عِندِ اللَّهِ هُوَ أَهۡدَى مِنۡهُمَا أَتَّبِعۡهُ
.
Then bring a Book from Allah, which is a better guide than these two, that I may follow it...
قُلۡ مَنۡ أَنزَلَ الۡكِتَابَ الَّذِي جَاء بِهِ مُوسَى نُورًا وَهُدًى لِّلنَّاسِ تَجۡعَلُونَهُ قَرَاطِيسَ تُبۡدُونَهَا وَتُخۡفُونَ كَثِيرًا وَعُلِّمۡتُم مَّا لَمۡ تَعۡلَمُواۡ أَنتُمۡ وَلَا ابَاوُكُمۡ قُلِ اللّهُ ثُمَّ ذَرۡهُمۡ فِي خَوۡضِهِمۡ يَلۡعَبُونَ
وَهَـذَا كِتَابٌ أَنزَلۡنَاهُ مُبَارَكٌ
Say :Who then sent down the Book which Musa brought, a light and a guidance to mankind which you (the Jews) have made into (separate) paper sheets, disclosing (some of it) and concealing much. And you were taught that which neither you nor your fathers knew.
Say:Allah (sent it down).
Then leave them to play in their vain discussions.
And this is a blessed Book which We have sent down, (6:91-92)
And at the end of the same Surah, Allah says:
ثُمَّ ءاتَيۡنَا مُوسَى الۡكِتَـبَ تَمَامًا عَلَى الَّذِى أَحۡسَنَ
Then, We gave Musa the Book, to complete (Our favor) upon those who would do right. (6:154)
وَهَـذَا كِتَـبٌ أَنزَلۡنَـهُ مُبَارَكٌ فَاتَّبِعُوهُ وَاتَّقُواۡ لَعَلَّكُمۡ تُرۡحَمُونَ
And this is a blessed Book which We have sent down, so follow it and have Taqwa of Allah, that you may receive mercy. (6:155)
And the Jinn said:
إِنَّا سَمِعۡنَا كِتَـباً أُنزِلَ مِن بَعۡدِ مُوسَى مُصَدِّقاً لِّمَا بَيۡنَ يَدَيۡهِ
Verily, we have heard a Book sent down after Musa, confirming what came before it. (46:30)
Waraqah bin Nawfal said,
This is An-Namus, who came down to Musa.
And those who are possessed of insight know instinctively that among the many Books which He has sent down to His Prophets, there is no Book more perfect, more eloquent or more noble than the Book which He revealed to Muhammad, which is the Qur'an.
Next to it in status and greatness is the Book which Allah revealed to Musa bin Imran, which is the Book concerning which Allah says:
إِنَّأ أَنزَلۡنَا التَّوۡرَاةَ فِيهَا هُدًى وَنُورٌ يَحۡكُمُ بِهَا النَّبِيُّونَ الَّذِينَ أَسۡلَمُواۡ لِلَّذِينَ هَادُواۡ وَالرَّبَّانِيُّونَ وَالاٌّحۡبَارُ بِمَا اسۡتُحۡفِظُواۡ مِن كِتَـبِ اللَّهِ وَكَانُواۡ عَلَيۡهِ شُهَدَاءَ
Verily, We did send down the Tawrah, therein was guidance and light, by which the Prophets, who submitted themselves to Allah's will, judged for the Jews. And the rabbis and the priests, for to them was entrusted the protection of Allah's Book, and they were witnesses thereto. (5:44)
The Injil was revealed as a continuation and complement of the Tawrah and to permit some of the things that had been forbidden to the Children of Israel.
Allah says:
قُلۡ فَأۡتُوا بِكِتَابٍ مِّنۡ عِندِ اللَّهِ هُوَ أَهۡدَى مِنۡهُمَا أَتَّبِعۡهُ إِن كُنتُمۡ صَادِقِينَ
Then bring a Book from Allah, which is a better guide than these two, that I may follow it, if you are truthful.
meaning, `in your efforts to refute the truth with false arguments.
فَإِن لَّمۡ يَسۡتَجِيبُوا لَكَ
But if they answer you not,
means, `if they do not respond to what you tell them, and do not follow the truth,'
فَاعۡلَمۡ أَنَّمَا يَتَّبِعُونَ أَهۡوَاءهُمۡ
then know that they only follow their own lusts.
means, with no basis or evidence.
وَمَنۡ أَضَلُّ مِمَّنِ اتَّبَعَ هَوَاهُ بِغَيۡرِ هُدًى مِّنَ اللَّهِ
And who is more astray than one who follows his own lusts, without guidance from Allah,
means, with no guidance taken from the Book of Allah.
إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يَهۡدِي الۡقَوۡمَ الظَّالِمِينَ
Verily, Allah guides not the people who are wrongdoers
وَلَقَدۡ وَصَّلۡنَا لَهُمُ الۡقَوۡلَ
And indeed now We have conveyed the Word,
Mujahid said:
We have explained the Word to them.
As-Suddi said something similar.
Qatadah said:
Allah is saying, `He has told them what He did in the past and what He will do in the future.'
لَعَلَّهُمۡ يَتَذَكَّرُونَ
in order that they may remember.
Mujahid and others said:
وَصَّلۡنَا لَهُمُ
(We have conveyed the Word) means, to Quraysh.
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