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Ayah
Word by Word
أَمۡ
Or
لَهُمۡ
for them
سُلَّمٞ
(is) a stairway
يَسۡتَمِعُونَ
they listen
فِيهِۖ
therewith
فَلۡيَأۡتِ
Then let bring
مُسۡتَمِعُهُم
their listener
بِسُلۡطَٰنٖ
an authority
مُّبِينٍ
clear
أَمۡ
Or
لَهُمۡ
for them
سُلَّمٞ
(is) a stairway
يَسۡتَمِعُونَ
they listen
فِيهِۖ
therewith
فَلۡيَأۡتِ
Then let bring
مُسۡتَمِعُهُم
their listener
بِسُلۡطَٰنٖ
an authority
مُّبِينٍ
clear
Translation
Or have they a stairway [into the heaven] upon which they listen? Then let their listener produce a clear authority [i.e., proof].
Tafsir
Or do they have a ladder, a means of ascension into the sky, whereby they eavesdrop?, that is, at the top of which [they listen in], on the conversations of the angels, so that they are then able to dispute with the Prophet, as they claim. If that is what they assert: Then let their eavesdropper, [let] the one claiming to be able to listen [in on their conversations] on top of this [ladder], produce a manifest warrant, a plain and evident proof. Now, on account of the similarity of this assertion to their assertion that the angels are the daughters of God, He, exalted be He, says:
Absolving the Prophet of the False Accusations the Idolators made against Him
Allah the Exalted commands His Messenger to convey His Message to His servants and remind them of His revelation that has been sent down to him. Next, Allah refutes the false accusations that the liars and sinners accused the Prophet of,
فَذَكِّرْ فَمَا أَنتَ بِنِعْمَتِ رَبِّكَ بِكَاهِنٍ وَلَا مَجْنُونٍ
Therefore, remind. By the grace of Allah, you are neither a Kahin nor a madman.
Allah says, `by the grace of Allah, you, O Muhammad, are not a Kahin, as the ignorant Quraysh idolators claim.'
A Kahin is the soothsayer who receives information from the Jinns that the Jinns are able to eavesdrop on news from heaven,
وَلَا مَجْنُونٍ
(nor a madman) whom Shaytan has possessed with insanity.
Allah the Exalted said, while chastising the pagans for uttering false statements about the Prophet,
أَمْ يَقُولُونَ شَاعِرٌ نَّتَرَبَّصُ بِهِ رَيْبَ الْمَنُونِ
Or do they say:A poet! We await for him some calamity by time!
They said, `We await a disaster to strike him, for example, death. We will be patient with him until death comes to him and we, thus, get rid of his bother and from his Message.'
Allah the Exalted said,
قُلْ تَرَبَّصُوا فَإِنِّي مَعَكُم مِّنَ الْمُتَرَبِّصِينَ
Say:Wait! I am with you among those who wait!
`wait and I too will wait with you, and you will come to know to whom the good end and triumph shall be granted in this life and the Hereafter.'
Muhammad bin Ishaq reported that Abdullah bin Abi Najih said that Mujahid said that Ibn Abbas said,
When the Quraysh gathered in the Dar An-Nadwah (their meeting place) to discuss the matter of the Prophet, one of them said,
`Jail him in chains. Then we will wait and in time, a calamity will strike him; he will die just as the poets before him died, such as Zuhayr and An-Nabighah, for he is a poet just like them.'
Allah the Exalted said in response to their statement,
أَمْ يَقُولُونَ شَاعِرٌ نَّتَرَبَّصُ بِهِ رَيْبَ الْمَنُونِ
(Or do they say:A poet! We await for him some calamity by time!)
Allah the Exalted said
أَمْ تَأْمُرُهُمْ أَحْلَمُهُم بِهَذَا
Or do their minds command them this,
`do their minds command them to tell these lies against you (O Muhammad), even though they know in their hearts that they are untrue and false,'
أَمْ هُمْ قَوْمٌ طَاغُونَ
or are they people transgressing all bounds?
`surely, they are misguided, stubborn and unjust people, and this is why they say what they say about you (O Muhammad). '
Allah the Exalted said
أَمْ يَقُولُونَ تَقَوَّلَهُ
Or do they say:He has forged it?
They said, `he has forged this Qur'an and brought it from his own.'
Allah the Exalted responded to them,
بَل لاَّ يُوْمِنُونَ
Nay! They believe not!,
meaning, their disbelief drives them to utter these statements,
فَلْيَأْتُوا بِحَدِيثٍ مِّثْلِهِ إِن كَانُوا صَادِقِينَ
Let them then produce a recitation like unto it if they are truthful.
meaning, if they are truthful in their statement that Muhammad has forged this Qur'an and brought it of his own, then let them produce something similar to what he has brought forth, as in this Qur'an! And even if they combine their strength to that of the people of the earth, Jinns and mankind alike, they will never produce something like the Qur'an, or ten Surahs like it, or even one Surah.
Affirming Tawhid and annulling the Plots of the Idolators. This is the position where Tawhid of Allah's Lordship and Divinity are affirmed.
Allah the Exalted said,
أَمْ خُلِقُوا مِنْ غَيْرِ شَيْءٍ أَمْ هُمُ الْخَالِقُونَ
Or were they created by nothing? Or were they themselves the creators?
Allah asks them, were they created without a maker or did they create themselves? Neither is true. Allah is the One Who created them and brought them into existence after they were nothing.
Al-Bukhari recorded that Jubayr bin Mut`im said,
I heard the Prophet recite Surah At-Tur in Al-Maghrib prayer and when he reached this Ayah,
أَمْ خُلِقُوا مِنْ غَيْرِ شَيْءٍ أَمْ هُمُ الْخَالِقُونَ
أَمْ خَلَقُوا السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالاَْرْضَ بَل لاَّ يُوقِنُونَ
أَمْ عِندَهُمْ خَزَايِنُ رَبِّكَ أَمْ هُمُ الْمُصَيْطِرُون
Or were they created by nothing? Or were they themselves the creators? Or did they create the heavens and the earth? Nay, but they have no firm belief. Or are with them the treasures of your Lord? Or are they the tyrants with the authority to do as they like?
I felt my heart would fly away.
This Hadith is collected in the Two Sahihs using various chains of narration.
Jubayr bin Mut`im went to the Messenger of Allah after the battle of Badr to ransom the captured idolators. At that time, he was still an idolator. Hearing the Prophet recite this Ayah was one of the reasons that he later embraced Islam.
Allah the Exalted said,
أَمْ خَلَقُوا السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالاَْرْضَ بَل لاَّ يُوقِنُونَ
Or did they create the heavens and the earth? Nay, but they have no firm belief.
meaning, Allah is censuring the idolators for their idolatry, while asking them if they created the heavens and earth. They knew that Allah Alone is the Creator without partners with Him. However, they fell into idolatry because they had no firm belief
أَمْ عِندَهُمْ خَزَايِنُ رَبِّكَ
Or are with them the treasures of your Lord?
meanings, do they have the authority to do whatever they will in His kingdom. Do they hold the keys to His treasures in their hands?
أَمْ هُمُ الْمُصَيْطِرُونَ
or are they the tyrants with the authority to do as they like?
meanings, are they the tyrants who would hold the creation to account Never, Allah the Exalted and Most Honored is the Only King and Owner of the existence and He does what He wills.
Allah the Exalted said
أَمْ لَهُمْ سُلَّمٌ يَسْتَمِعُونَ فِيهِ
Or have they a stairway, by means of which they listen.
meaning, do they have a stairway to heaven (to the place where the angels are),
فَلْيَأْتِ مُسْتَمِعُهُم بِسُلْطَانٍ مُّبِينٍ
Then let their listener produce some manifest proof.
meaning, let their listener produce evidence to the truth of their actions and statements. They will never be able to do so and therefore, they have nothing and have no evidence for their stance.
Allah admonishes them regarding their claim that He has daughters and that the angels are females! The pagans chose for themselves male offspring and preferred them instead of females, and when one of them would be brought the good news of a daughter being born, his face would turn dark on account of his suppressed anger! Yet, they made the angels Allah's daughters and worshipped them besides Allah,
أَمْ لَهُ الْبَنَاتُ وَلَكُمُ الْبَنُونَ
Or has He only daughters and you have sons?
Allah sends a strong warning and stern admonition to them in this Ayah and a sure promise.
Allah said,
أَمْ تَسْأَلُهُمْ أَجْرًا
Or is it that you ask a wage from them?
meaning, `as a remuneration for your preaching Allah's Message to them!
Nay, you, do not ask them for a wage,'
فَهُم مِّن مَّغْرَمٍ مُّثْقَلُونَ
so that they are burdened with a load of debt,
meaning, for in this situation, one will complain of the least bothersome thing and feel it difficult and burdensome for him,
أَمْ عِندَهُمُ الْغَيْبُ فَهُمْ يَكْتُبُونَ
Or that the Unseen is with them, and they write it down?
means, they do not have knowledge of the Unseen, for none in the heavens or earth knows the Unseen except Allah,
أَمْ يُرِيدُونَ كَيْدًا
فَالَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا هُمُ الْمَكِيدُونَ
Or do they intend a plot But those who disbelieve are themselves plotted against!
Allah the Exalted is asking, `Do these people who utter such statements about the Messenger and his religion seek to deceive the people and plot against the Messenger and his Companions If they do, then let them know that their plots will only harm them. Therefore, they are being plotted against rather than being the plotters!'
أَمْ لَهُمْ إِلَهٌ غَيْرُ اللَّهِ
سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ عَمَّا يُشْرِكُونَ
Or have they a god other than Allah? Glorified be Allah from all that they ascribe as partners (to Him).
This Ayah contains harsh refutation directed at the idolators for worshipping the idols and calling upon rivals along with Allah.
Allah next glorifies His Most Honorable Self from what they ascribe to Him, their lies and idolatry,
سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ عَمَّا يُشْرِكُونَ
Glorified be Allah from all that they ascribe as partners (to Him).
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