Tafsir of Yunus 10:20

"And they say"—this is a narration of another of their transgressions. In Al-Kashshaf, the present tense is interpreted as the past tense, meaning: "And they said." This phrasing is intended to indicate that the conjunction is not linked to "And they say: These are our intercessors," as the literal appearance of the wording might suggest; rather, it is linked to His saying, the Exalted: "Those who do not expect to meet Us said: Bring a Quran other than this..."—with a parenthetical clause occurring between them. The present tense was preferred over the past to signify the persistence of this statement and that it is their habit and custom, in addition to the evocative imagery of their heinous state. It is also permitted that it be linked to "they worship," which is the view some research scholars have limited themselves to, while others maintained the verb in its literal present sense, for which there is a basis.

The speakers are the disbelievers of Mecca. "Why has a sign not been sent down to him from his Lord"—they intended a sign from among the signs they proposed, such as the miracles of Moses and Jesus, peace be upon them. The meaning of it being "sent down" to him is for God, the Exalted, to manifest it at his hand, may God bless him and grant him peace. They requested this out of recalcitrance and obstinacy, for he, may God bless him and grant him peace, had already brought forth manifest signs and dazzling miracles that surpassed all other signs and excelled all other miracles, especially the Great Quran, the miraculous nature of which remains for all time until the Day of Resurrection. By my life, if they were fair, they would have been satisfied with no other sign besides him, for he is the Greatest Sign; whoever saw him and scrutinized his circumstances would hardly doubt that he is the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace.

"So say"—to them in response—"The Unseen belongs only to God, so wait; I am with you among those who wait." This is a response, as determined by Al-Tibi, delivered in the style of al-uslub al-hakim (the wise style). For when they made this request despite the existence of numerous signs, it demonstrated that their questioning was due to obstinacy, as you have previously learned. Thus, they were answered in this manner to signify that their inquiry is the inquiry of those who propose demands, for which they deserve the wrath of God, the Exalted, and the descent of His punishment. It implies that their destruction is inevitable, but I do not know when it will occur, and neither do you, for that is of the Unseen, which belongs exclusively to Him, the Glorified. Since this is the case, "so wait" for the consequence that your proposals necessitate, for "I am with you among those who wait" for it.

It is said that the meaning is: God, the Exalted, alone possesses the knowledge of the Unseen, and that which prevents the descent of the proposed signs is a matter of the Unseen, which no one knows but He, the Glorified. This was objected to on the grounds that the cause is known, which is their obstinacy, as the Almighty said: "And what makes you perceive that if it came, they would not believe?" It was answered that we do not concede that their obstinacy is the only thing preventing it; an obstinate person may be answered, and the verse, even if it indicates their persistence in obstinacy should the sign come, does not prove that obstinacy is the sole factor preventing it.

Some research scholars chose the view that: "What you have proposed, which you claimed to be among the requirements of prophethood and upon the descent of which you suspended your belief, belongs to the Unseen matters exclusive to Him, the Glorified; I have no access to it. So wait for its descent. I am with you among those who wait" for what God, the Exalted, will do to you for your audacity in committing such a grave offense: rejecting the signs and proposing others. This interpretation was objected to on the grounds that the ordering of the command to "wait" following the mention of the exclusivity of the Unseen to God, the Exalted, refutes it.

What occurs to the mind is that the question of the people—may God slay them—contains the claim that the true benefit lies in sending down a sign from among what they proposed, since they did not consider what had already been sent down and did not pay it any heed. It is as if they said: "There is no benefit in what has been sent down; the benefit lies only in sending down a sign from what we propose; why, then, was it not sent down?" In this, there is an undisputed claim to knowledge of the Unseen. Thus, they were answered that the Unseen belongs exclusively to God; He is the one who knows what holds benefit, not you nor anyone else. Then the Almighty said: "So wait," and so on, meaning: "Since the knowledge of the Unseen belongs exclusively to God, and you have claimed what you claimed and disparaged what you disparaged, then wait for the descent of the torment upon you; I am with you among those who wait for it." This interpretation is not vulnerable to the criticisms leveled at others, nor to what might yet be leveled. Reflect upon this.