Surah Al Isra ayat 94 Tafsir Quran 17:94

﴿وَمَا مَنَعَ النَّاسَ أَن يُؤْمِنُوا إِذْ جَاءَهُمُ الْهُدَىٰ إِلَّا أَن قَالُوا أَبَعَثَ اللَّهُ بَشَرًا رَّسُولًا﴾
[ الإسراء: 94]

17:94 And what prevented the people from believing when guidance came to them except that they said, "Has Allah sent a human messenger?"

And nothing prevented mankind from believing when guidance came to them but that they said that is except their saying in denial ‘Has God sent a human as a messenger from Him?’ instead of sending an angel.

In effect nothing holds back the people and hinder them from conforming to Islam as ordained by Allah despite sending Messengers to guide them but their presumption upon Providence. Is it conceivable, they say, That Allah sends to the people a human Messenger

The refusal of the Idolators to believe because the Messenger was a Human -- and its refutation وَمَا مَنَعَ النَّاسَ ( And nothing prevented men ) means, most of them, أَن يُؤْمِنُواْ ( from believing ) and following the Messengers, except the fact that they found it strange that human beings would be sent as Messengers, as Allah says: أَكَانَ لِلنَّاسِ عَجَبًا أَنْ أَوْحَيْنَآ إِلَى رَجُلٍ مِّنْهُمْ أَنْ أَنذِرِ النَّاسَ وَبَشِّرِ الَّذِينَ ءامَنُواْ أَنَّ لَهُمْ قَدَمَ صِدْقٍ عِندَ رَبِّهِمْ ( Is it a wonder for mankind that We have sent Our revelation to a man from among themselves (saying ): "Warn mankind, and give good news to those who believe that they shall have with their Lord the rewards of their good deeds") 10:2 And Allah says: ذَلِكَ بِأَنَّهُ كَانَت تَّأْتِيهِمْ رُسُلُهُم بِالْبَيِّنَـتِ فَقَالُواْ أَبَشَرٌ يَهْدُونَنَا ( That was because there came to them their Messengers with clear proofs, but they said: "Shall mere men guide us" ) 64:6 Fira`wn and his people said: أَنُؤْمِنُ لِبَشَرَيْنِ مِثْلِنَا وَقَوْمُهُمَا لَنَا عَـبِدُونَ ( They said: "Shall we believe in two men like ourselves, and their people are obedient to us with humility!" ) 23: 47 Similarly, the nations said to their Messengers: إِنْ أَنتُمْ إِلاَّ بَشَرٌ مِّثْلُنَا تُرِيدُونَ أَن تَصُدُّونَا عَمَّا كَانَ يَعْبُدُ ءَابَآؤُنَا فَأْتُونَا بِسُلْطَـنٍ مُّبِينٍ ( "You are no more than human beings like us! You wish to turn us away from what our fathers used to worship.
Then bring us a clear authority" ) 14:10 And there are many other similar Ayat.
Then Allah says, pointing out His kindness and mercy towards His servants, that He sends to them Messengers of their own kind so that they will understand what he says and will be able to speak to him directly.
If He sent to mankind a Messenger from among the angels, they would not be able to deal with him face to face and learn from him, as Allah says: لَقَدْ مَنَّ اللَّهُ عَلَى الْمُؤمِنِينَ إِذْ بَعَثَ فِيهِمْ رَسُولاً مِّنْ أَنفُسِهِمْ ( Indeed, Allah conferred a great favor on the believers when He sent among them a Messenger from among themselves ) 3:164 لَقَدْ جَآءَكُمْ رَسُولٌ مِّنْ أَنفُسِكُمْ ( Verily, there has come unto you a Messenger from among yourselves ) 10:128 كَمَآ أَرْسَلْنَا فِيكُمْ رَسُولاً مِّنْكُمْ يَتْلُواْ عَلَيْكُمْ آيَـتِنَا وَيُزَكِّيكُمْ وَيُعَلِّمُكُمُ الْكِتَـبَ وَالْحِكْمَةَ وَيُعَلِّمُكُم مَّا لَمْ تَكُونُواْ تَعْلَمُونَ - فَاذْكُرُونِى أَذْكُرْكُمْ وَاشْكُرُواْ لِي وَلاَ تَكْفُرُونِ ( Similarly, We have sent among you a Messenger of your own, reciting to you Our verses (the Qur'an ) and purifying you, and teaching you the Book and the Hikmah, and teaching you that which you used not to know.
Therefore remember Me.
I will remember you, and be grateful to Me and never be ungrateful to Me.) ( 2:151-152 ) Allah says here: قُل لَوْ كَانَ فِى الاٌّرْضِ مَلَـئِكَةٌ يَمْشُونَ مُطْمَئِنِّينَ ( Say: "If there were on the earth, angels walking about in peace and security, ) meaning, just as you do, لَنَزَّلْنَا عَلَيْهِم مِّنَ السَّمَآءِ مَلَكًا رَّسُولاً ( We should certainly have sent down for them from the heaven an angel as a Messenger ).
meaning, `one of their own kind.
But as you are human, We have sent to you Messengers from yourselves, as a kindness and a mercy.'

(17:94) Whenever Guidance came before the people nothing prevented them from believing in it except this (excuse): they said: "Did Allah send a human being as His Messenger?" *107

And what prevented the people from believing meaning

*107) It implies that this misunderstanding has always been cammon among the ignorant people of every age that a human being could not be a Messenger of Allah: They rejected a Messenger just because he was a human being and took his meals and had wife and children like themselves.
In contrast to this, after the passage of the time the credulous followers of a Messenger began to claim that he was not a human being at all because he was a Messenger.
That is why some people made their Messenger their God, others the son of God and still others the incarnation of God.
In short, the ignorant people had never been able to understand that a human being could be a Messenger of Allah.

 

The refusal of the Idolators to believe because the Messenger was a Human -- and its refutation وَمَا مَنَعَ النَّاسَ ( And nothing prevented men ) means, most of them, أَن يُؤْمِنُواْ ( from believing ) and following the Messengers, except the fact that they found it strange that human beings would be sent as Messengers, as Allah says: أَكَانَ لِلنَّاسِ عَجَبًا أَنْ أَوْحَيْنَآ إِلَى رَجُلٍ مِّنْهُمْ أَنْ أَنذِرِ النَّاسَ وَبَشِّرِ الَّذِينَ ءامَنُواْ أَنَّ لَهُمْ قَدَمَ صِدْقٍ عِندَ رَبِّهِمْ ( Is it a wonder for mankind that We have sent Our revelation to a man from among themselves (saying ): "Warn mankind, and give good news to those who believe that they shall have with their Lord the rewards of their good deeds") 10:2 And Allah says: ذَلِكَ بِأَنَّهُ كَانَت تَّأْتِيهِمْ رُسُلُهُم بِالْبَيِّنَـتِ فَقَالُواْ أَبَشَرٌ يَهْدُونَنَا ( That was because there came to them their Messengers with clear proofs, but they said: "Shall mere men guide us" ) 64:6 Fira`wn and his people said: أَنُؤْمِنُ لِبَشَرَيْنِ مِثْلِنَا وَقَوْمُهُمَا لَنَا عَـبِدُونَ ( They said: "Shall we believe in two men like ourselves, and their people are obedient to us with humility!" ) 23: 47 Similarly, the nations said to their Messengers: إِنْ أَنتُمْ إِلاَّ بَشَرٌ مِّثْلُنَا تُرِيدُونَ أَن تَصُدُّونَا عَمَّا كَانَ يَعْبُدُ ءَابَآؤُنَا فَأْتُونَا بِسُلْطَـنٍ مُّبِينٍ ( "You are no more than human beings like us! You wish to turn us away from what our fathers used to worship.
Then bring us a clear authority" ) 14:10 And there are many other similar Ayat.
Then Allah says, pointing out His kindness and mercy towards His servants, that He sends to them Messengers of their own kind so that they will understand what he says and will be able to speak to him directly.
If He sent to mankind a Messenger from among the angels, they would not be able to deal with him face to face and learn from him, as Allah says: لَقَدْ مَنَّ اللَّهُ عَلَى الْمُؤمِنِينَ إِذْ بَعَثَ فِيهِمْ رَسُولاً مِّنْ أَنفُسِهِمْ ( Indeed, Allah conferred a great favor on the believers when He sent among them a Messenger from among themselves ) 3:164 لَقَدْ جَآءَكُمْ رَسُولٌ مِّنْ أَنفُسِكُمْ ( Verily, there has come unto you a Messenger from among yourselves ) 10:128 كَمَآ أَرْسَلْنَا فِيكُمْ رَسُولاً مِّنْكُمْ يَتْلُواْ عَلَيْكُمْ آيَـتِنَا وَيُزَكِّيكُمْ وَيُعَلِّمُكُمُ الْكِتَـبَ وَالْحِكْمَةَ وَيُعَلِّمُكُم مَّا لَمْ تَكُونُواْ تَعْلَمُونَ - فَاذْكُرُونِى أَذْكُرْكُمْ وَاشْكُرُواْ لِي وَلاَ تَكْفُرُونِ ( Similarly, We have sent among you a Messenger of your own, reciting to you Our verses (the Qur'an ) and purifying you, and teaching you the Book and the Hikmah, and teaching you that which you used not to know.
Therefore remember Me.
I will remember you, and be grateful to Me and never be ungrateful to Me.) ( 2:151-152 ) Allah says here: قُل لَوْ كَانَ فِى الاٌّرْضِ مَلَـئِكَةٌ يَمْشُونَ مُطْمَئِنِّينَ ( Say: "If there were on the earth, angels walking about in peace and security, ) meaning, just as you do, لَنَزَّلْنَا عَلَيْهِم مِّنَ السَّمَآءِ مَلَكًا رَّسُولاً ( We should certainly have sent down for them from the heaven an angel as a Messenger ).
meaning, `one of their own kind.
But as you are human, We have sent to you Messengers from yourselves, as a kindness and a mercy.'

( And naught prevented mankind ) the people of Mecca ( from believing ) in Allah ( when the guidance ) Muhammad ( pbuh ) and the Qur’an ( came unto them save that they said ) these words: ( Hath Allah sent a mortal as (His ) messenger) to us?

And nothing prevented men from believing when the guidance came to them, except that they said: "Has Allah sent a man as (His) Messenger?"

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