Surah Yunus — Verse 16

Word Meanings:

• "Ma talawtuhu" — I did not recite it (the Qur'an).
• "Wa la adrakum bihi" — Nor would He have made you aware of it (through me).
• "Labithtu fikum 'umuran" — I remained among you a lifetime (i.e., forty years before the revelation).
• "Afala ta'qilun" — Do you not then use your reason?

Tafsir (Explanation):

Say, O Messenger, to those who deny and demand miracles or alterations: If Allah had willed that I not recite this Qur'an to you, I would never have recited it, and He would not have conveyed it to you through me. This is not a matter of my personal choice or invention—it is purely by Allah's will and command. He alone decides what to reveal and when, and He is not subject to your preferences or desires.

The most powerful proof of this lies in your own knowledge of my life. You have known me for forty years before this revelation—my entire lifetime among you. You have witnessed my honesty, my trustworthiness, and my conduct. You know well that I never claimed prophethood before this, nor did I ever recite any scripture, nor did I ever speak of such matters. I was not a poet, nor a soothsayer, nor a reader of books. I did not study with any scholar, nor did I sit in any circle of learning. You yourselves can testify that I never sought this affair nor prepared for it in any way.

So where could this Qur'an have come from, if not from Allah? Could an unlettered man who never read or wrote suddenly produce such eloquent, profound, and miraculous speech that challenges the entirety of mankind to produce even a single chapter like it? This alone should be sufficient evidence for any rational mind.

O people, do you not use your intellects? Do you not reflect and ponder? The very fact that I lived among you for so long without any of this—and then suddenly brought this Qur'an—proves that it is not from me, but from the Lord of the worlds. Your own reason should guide you to this truth, if only you would think deeply and sincerely.

This is a call to every human being: use the intellect that Allah has given you. Do not let pride, habit, or blind following of ancestors prevent you from seeing the obvious truth. The Qur'an is a mercy and a guidance, and the Messenger is but a warner who conveys what he has been commanded. The proof is clear, and the path is open—so reflect, and you will find the truth shining before you like the light of day.