ٱلْأَنْعَام : ١٢٤

  • وَإِذَا And when
  • جَآءَتۡهُمۡ comes to them
  • ءَايَةٞ a Sign
  • قَالُواْ they say
  • لَن Never
  • نُّؤۡمِنَ we will believe
  • حَتَّىٰ until
  • نُؤۡتَىٰ we are given
  • مِثۡلَ like
  • مَآ what
  • أُوتِيَ was given
  • رُسُلُ (to the) Messengers
  • ٱللَّهِۘ (of) Allah
  • ٱللَّهُ Allah
  • أَعۡلَمُ knows best
  • حَيۡثُ where
  • يَجۡعَلُ He places
  • رِسَالَتَهُۥۗ His Message
  • سَيُصِيبُ Will afflict
  • ٱلَّذِينَ those who
  • أَجۡرَمُواْ committed crimes
  • صَغَارٌ a humiliation
  • عِندَ from
  • ٱللَّهِ Allah
  • وَعَذَابٞ and a punishment
  • شَدِيدُۢ severe
  • بِمَا for what
  • كَانُواْ they used to
  • يَمۡكُرُونَ plot
And when a sign comes to them, they say, "Never will we believe until we are given like that which was given to the messengers of Allāh." Allāh is most knowing of where [i.e., with whom] He places His message. There will afflict those who committed crimes debasement before Allāh and severe punishment for what they used to conspire.
And when a sign, of the truth of the Prophet may peace and salutation be upon him, comes to them, the people of Mecca, they say, 'We will no believe, in him, until we are given the like of what God's messengers were given', in the way of a message and inspiration to us, because we are wealthier and more senior in years. God, exalted be He, says: God knows best where to place His Message (read plural [risaalaatihi, 'His Messages'] or singular [risaalatahu, 'His Message']; hayth, 'where', constitutes the direct object because of the verb [ya'lam, 'He knows'] implicit i a'lam, 'the best knower') that is to say, He knows the right place for it to be placed in, and He thus places it [there] - these people, however, are not worthy of it. Humiliation from God and a terrible chastisement shall smite those who have sinned, by saying this, for their plotting.