فَلَعَلَّكَ تَارِكٌۢ بَعْضَ
مَا يُوحَىٰٓ إِلَيْكَ
وَضَآئِقٌۢ بِهِۦ صَدْرُكَ
أَن يَقُولُوا۟ لَوْلَآ
أُنزِلَ عَلَيْهِ كَنزٌ أَوْ
جَآءَ مَعَهُۥ مَلَكٌ ۚ إِنَّمَآ
أَنتَ نَذِيرٌ ۚ وَٱللَّهُ
عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَىْءٍ وَكِيلٌ
أَمْ يَقُولُونَ
ٱفْتَرَىٰهُ ۖ قُلْ فَأْتُوا۟
بِعَشْرِ سُوَرٍ مِّثْلِهِۦ
مُفْتَرَيَـٰتٍ وَٱدْعُوا۟
مَنِ ٱسْتَطَعْتُم مِّن
دُونِ ٱللَّهِ إِن كُنتُمْ
صَـٰدِقِينَ
فَإِلَّمْ يَسْتَجِيبُوا۟
لَكُمْ فَٱعْلَمُوٓا۟ أَنَّمَآ
أُنزِلَ بِعِلْمِ ٱللَّهِ وَأَن
لَّآ إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ ۖ فَهَلْ
أَنتُم مُّسْلِمُونَ
So perchance
you may give
up a part of what
is revealed unto
you, and that
your breast feels
straitened for it
because they say,
“Why has not a
treasure been sent
down unto him,
or an angel come
with him” But you
are only a warner.
And Allah is a
Guardian over all
things. Or they
say, “He forged it.”
Say: “Bring you then
ten forged Surahs
like unto it, and call
whomsoever you can
other than Allah, if
you speak the truth!”
If then they
answer you not,
know then that
it is sent down
with the knowledge
of Allah and that
there is no god
besides Him! Will
you then be Muslims
The Messenger grieving by the Statements of the Polytheists, and His Gratification
This statement of Allah, the Exalted, to His Messenger comforted the worries that the polytheists were causing him due to their statements directed towards him. This is just as Allah says about them,
وَقَالُواْ مَا لِهَـذَا
الرَّسُولِ يَأْكُلُ
الطَّعَامَ وَيَمْشِى
فِى الاٌّسْوَاقِ
لَوْلا أُنزِلَ إِلَيْهِ
مَلَكٌ فَيَكُونَ مَعَهُ
نَذِيراً – أَوْ يُلْقَى إِلَيْهِ
كَنْزٌ أَوْ تَكُونُ لَهُ جَنَّةٌ
يَأْكُلُ مِنْهَا وَقَالَ
الظَّـلِمُونَ إِن تَتَّبِعُونَ
إِلاَّ رَجُلاً مَّسْحُوراً
And they say: “Why does this Messenger eat food, and walk about in the markets. Why is not an angel sent down to him to be a warner with him” Or; “(why) has not a treasure been granted to him, or why has he not a garden whereof he may eat” And the wrongdoers say: “You follow none but a man bewitched.” Al-Furqan 7-8
Thus, Allah commanded His Messenger and guided him to not let these statements of theirs grieve his heart. Allah directed him to not let these statements prevent him, or deter him from calling them to Allah, both day and night. This is as Allah said,
وَلَقَدْ نَعْلَمُ أَنَّكَ
يَضِيقُ صَدْرُكَ
بِمَا يَقُولُونَ
Indeed, We know that your breast is straitened at what they say. Al-Hijr 97
Allah says in this verse,
فَلَعَلَّكَ تَارِكٌ بَعْضَ
مَا يُوحَى إِلَيْكَ وَضَآئِقٌ
بِهِ صَدْرُكَ أَن يَقُولُواْ
So perchance you may give up a part of what is revealed unto you, and that your breast feels straitened for it because they say… The meaning here is that he (the Prophet ) may be compelled to give up the Message due to what they (the polytheists) say about him. However, Allah goes on to explain: “You (Muhammad) are only a warner and you have an example in your brothers of the Messengers who came before you. For verily, the previous Messengers were rejected and harmed, yet they were patient until the help of Allah came to them.”
An Explanation concerning the Miracle of the Qur’an
Then Allah, the Exalted, explains the miracle of the Qur’an, and that no one is able to produce its like, or even bring ten chapters, or one chapter like it. The reason for this is that the Speech of the Lord of all that exists is not like the speech of the created beings, just as His attributes are not like the attributes of the creation. Nothing resembles His existence. Exalted is He, the Most Holy, and the Sublime. There is no deity worthy of worship except He and there is no true Lord other than He. Then Allah goes on to say,
فَإِلَّمْ يَسْتَجِيبُواْ لَكُمْ
If then they answer you not
Meaning, that if they do not come with a reply to that which you have challenged them with (to the reproduction of ten chapters like the Qur’an), then know that it is due to their inability to do so. Know (that this is a proof) that this is the speech revealed from Allah. It contains His knowledge, His commands and His prohibitions. Then Allah continues by saying,
وَأَن لاَّ إِلَـهَ
إِلاَّ هُوَ فَهَلْ
أَنتُمْ مُّسْلِمُونَ
and that there is no God besides Him! Will you then be Muslims