Surah Araf ayat 203 Tafsir Quran 7:203

﴿وَإِذَا لَمْ تَأْتِهِم بِآيَةٍ قَالُوا لَوْلَا اجْتَبَيْتَهَا ۚ قُلْ إِنَّمَا أَتَّبِعُ مَا يُوحَىٰ إِلَيَّ مِن رَّبِّي ۚ هَٰذَا بَصَائِرُ مِن رَّبِّكُمْ وَهُدًى وَرَحْمَةٌ لِّقَوْمٍ يُؤْمِنُونَ﴾
[ الأعراف: 203]

7:203 And when you, [O Muhammad], do not bring them a sign, they say, "Why have you not contrived it?" Say, "I only follow what is revealed to me from my Lord. This [Qur'an] is enlightenment from your Lord and guidance and mercy for a people who believe."

And when you do not bring them that is the people of Mecca a sign from among those which they request they say ‘Why have you not chosen one?’ why have you not produced one all by yourself? Say to them ‘I follow only that which is revealed to me from my Lord and it is not for me to bring anything from myself; this Qur’ān is insight proofs from your Lord and a guidance and a mercy for a people who believe’.

And if you do not present them with a supernatural act to satisfy their desire, they wish you would go in quest of it. Say to them: I only follow what is revealed to me by spiritual influence from Allah, my Creator; this is the Quran, the true illumination and enlightenment. It is revealed by Allah, your Creator, to open your minds eyes and guide those whose hearts have been touched with the divine hand into all truth and to confer on them Allahs mercy and blessings

Idolators ask to witness Miracles `Ali bin Abi Talhah reported that Ibn `Abbas commented on Allah's statement, قَالُواْ لَوْلاَ اجْتَبَيْتَهَا ( they say, "Why have you not brought it" ) "They say, `Why have you not received a miracle"', or, "Why have you not initiated or made it" Ibn Jarir reported that, `Abdullah bin Kathir said that Mujahid said about Allah's statement, وَإِذَا لَمْ تَأْتِهِم بِـَايَةٍ قَالُواْ لَوْلاَ اجْتَبَيْتَهَا ( And if you do not bring them a miracle, they say: "Why have you not brought it" ) "They say, `Produce a miracle of your own."' Qatadah, As-Suddi, `Abdur-Rahman bin Zayd bin Aslam and Ibn Jarir agreed with this.
Allah said next, وَإِذَا لَمْ تَأْتِهِم بِـَايَةٍ ( And if you do not bring them an Ayah ) a miracle or a sign.
Similarly, Allah said, إِن نَّشَأْ نُنَزِّلْ عَلَيْهِمْ مِّنَ السَّمَآءِ ءَايَةً فَظَلَّتْ أَعْنَـقُهُمْ لَهَا خَـضِعِينَ ( If We will, We could send down to them from the heaven a sign, to which they would bend their necks in humility. ) 26:4 The pagans asked the Prophet, why did you not strive hard to bring us an Ayah ( miracle ) from Allah so that we witness it and believe in it.
Allah said to him, قُلْ إِنَّمَآ أَتَّبِعُ مَا يِوحَى إِلَىَّ مِن رَّبِّى ( Say: "I but follow what is revealed to me from my Lord." ) I do not ask such things of my Lord.
I only follow what He reveals and commands me.
Therefore, if Allah sends a miracle, I will accept it.
Otherwise, I will not ask for it unless He allows me.
Certainly, Allah is Most Wise, the All-Knower.
Allah next directs the servants to the fact that this Qur'an is the most powerful miracle, clearest evidence and most true proof and explanation, saying, هَـذَا بَصَآئِرُ مِن رَّبِّكُمْ وَهُدًى وَرَحْمَةً لِّقَوْمٍ يُؤْمِنُونَ ( This (the Qur'an ) is nothing but evidences from your Lord, and a guidance and a mercy for a people who believe.)

(7:203) [O Prophet!] When you do not produce before them any miracle, they say: 'Why do you not choose for yourself a miracle?' *151 Say to them: 'I follow only what is revealed to me by my Lord. This is nothing but a means of insight into the truth, and guidance and mercy from your Lord to the people who believe. *152

And when you, [O Muhammad], do not meaning

*151).
This question is a taunt rather than a simple query.
What the utterance implies is that if the claim to prophethood is genuine, it should have been supported by some miracle.
The next verse contains a fitting rejoinder to the taunt.

*152).
The Prophet ( peace be on him ) is being made to tell his opponents in clear terms that he has no power to get whatever he wants.
Being God's Messenger, he is required to follow the directives of the One Who has sent him and has granted him the Qur'an which has the light of guidance.
The major characteristic of this Book is that those who seek guidance from it do indeed find the right way.
The moral excellence visible in the lives of those people who accept the Qur'an is testimony to the fact that they have been blessed with God's mercy.

 

Idolators ask to witness Miracles `Ali bin Abi Talhah reported that Ibn `Abbas commented on Allah's statement, قَالُواْ لَوْلاَ اجْتَبَيْتَهَا ( they say, "Why have you not brought it" ) "They say, `Why have you not received a miracle"', or, "Why have you not initiated or made it" Ibn Jarir reported that, `Abdullah bin Kathir said that Mujahid said about Allah's statement, وَإِذَا لَمْ تَأْتِهِم بِـَايَةٍ قَالُواْ لَوْلاَ اجْتَبَيْتَهَا ( And if you do not bring them a miracle, they say: "Why have you not brought it" ) "They say, `Produce a miracle of your own."' Qatadah, As-Suddi, `Abdur-Rahman bin Zayd bin Aslam and Ibn Jarir agreed with this.
Allah said next, وَإِذَا لَمْ تَأْتِهِم بِـَايَةٍ ( And if you do not bring them an Ayah ) a miracle or a sign.
Similarly, Allah said, إِن نَّشَأْ نُنَزِّلْ عَلَيْهِمْ مِّنَ السَّمَآءِ ءَايَةً فَظَلَّتْ أَعْنَـقُهُمْ لَهَا خَـضِعِينَ ( If We will, We could send down to them from the heaven a sign, to which they would bend their necks in humility. ) 26:4 The pagans asked the Prophet, why did you not strive hard to bring us an Ayah ( miracle ) from Allah so that we witness it and believe in it.
Allah said to him, قُلْ إِنَّمَآ أَتَّبِعُ مَا يِوحَى إِلَىَّ مِن رَّبِّى ( Say: "I but follow what is revealed to me from my Lord." ) I do not ask such things of my Lord.
I only follow what He reveals and commands me.
Therefore, if Allah sends a miracle, I will accept it.
Otherwise, I will not ask for it unless He allows me.
Certainly, Allah is Most Wise, the All-Knower.
Allah next directs the servants to the fact that this Qur'an is the most powerful miracle, clearest evidence and most true proof and explanation, saying, هَـذَا بَصَآئِرُ مِن رَّبِّكُمْ وَهُدًى وَرَحْمَةً لِّقَوْمٍ يُؤْمِنُونَ ( This (the Qur'an ) is nothing but evidences from your Lord, and a guidance and a mercy for a people who believe.)

( And when thou bringest not a verse for them ) i.e. the people of Mecca, as they request ( they say: Why hast thou not chosen it? ) why not take it upon yourself to bring it from Allah?; It is also said that this means: why do you not invent it yourself? ( Say ) to them, O Muhammad: ( I follow only that which is inspired in me from my Lord ) I do and say only that which is revealed to me from my Lord. ( This ) Qur’an ( is insight ) an exposition ( from your Lord ) detailing commands and prohibitions, ( and a guidance ) and a guidance from error ( and a mercy ) preventing from punishment ( for a people that believe ) in the Qur’an.

And if you do not bring them a miracle [according to their (i.e. Quraish-pagans') proposal], they say: "Why have you not brought it?" Say: "I but follow what is revealed to me from my Lord. This (the Quran) is nothing but evidences from your Lord, and a guidance and a mercy for a people who believe."

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