Am lahum mulku assamawati wal-ardi wama baynahuma falyartaqoo fee al-asbab (surah Sad: 10)

Tafseer Tafheem-ul-Quran by Syed Abu-al-A'la Maududi

(38:10) Or do they possess the dominion of the heavens and the earth and of all that is in between them? If so, let them ascend the heights of the realm of causation and see! *11

Am lahum mulkus samaawaati wal ardi wa maa bainahumaa falyartaqoo fil asbaab

*11) This is an answer to this saying of the disbelievers "Was he the only (fit) person among us to whom Allah's Admonition should have lien sent down?' Allah says: "it is for Us to decide whom We should choose and appoint as a Prophet and whom We should not. These people do not possess any power and authority to exercise choice in this regard. If they wish to attain such an authority they should try to reach the Divine Throne in order to obtain control over the office of sovereignty of the Universe, so that revelation should come down on him whom they regard as deserving their mercy and not on him whom We regard as fit for it. "This theme has occurred at several places in the Qur'an, because the unbelieving Quraish again and again said, `How did Muhammad (upon whom be Allah' peace) become a Prophet? Did Allah find no better man among the principal leaders of the Quraish worthy of this office?"(See Surah Bani Isra'il: . 00; Az-Zukhruf: 31-32).