Tafsir of Hud 11:13

"Or do they say, 'He invented it?'"

This am (or) is for disjunction, shifting from the mention of their neglect of what is revealed and their lack of sufficiency with the clear miracles it contains—which indicate the truthfulness of the claim—to beginning a mention of their committing that which is more severe and greater. It is estimated to mean bal (nay) with the interrogative hamza for denunciation; that is, "Nay, do they say [he invented it]?" Ibn al-Qushayri held that the am is conjunctive, with the implication being: "Are they satisfied with what We revealed to you, or do they say it is not from God?" The first view is more manifest.

Regardless, the apparent pronoun in iftarahu (invented it) refers to what is revealed.

"Say, 'Then bring...'"—you also—"...ten surahs like it..." in eloquence and beauty of composition. Mithlihi (like it) is an adjective for suwar (surahs). While it would be more apparent for it to match the noun in plurality, it is singular because it considers the likeness of each one of them, as that is the intended meaning, not the likeness of the totality. It is also said that mithl (like), even if singular, may or may not match in number; it can be used to describe the singular and the plural, considering that it is originally a noun, like His saying, "Shall we believe in two human beings like us?" Sometimes it does match, such as His saying, "Then they would not be like you." It is also said that it is here an adjective for an implied singular, meaning: "Bring ten surahs [each] like it." Others say it is a description of the totality of the ten because they are one speech and one thing; furthermore, "ten" is not in the form of a plural, so it is given the ruling of the singular, like nakhl munqa‘ir (hollowed-out palm trees).

His saying, "...invented..." is another adjective for the surahs. It is said that it was placed after the description of likeness to what is revealed because that is the adjective intended by the obligation, for it is upon that premise that their incapacity to produce a challenge rests. As for the description of "invention," no purpose in the context of the challenge revolves around it; it was only mentioned by way of concession and yielding. Furthermore, if the order had been reversed, one might have imagined that the intent was a likeness to it in the act of invention. The meaning is: "Bring ten surahs [that are] like it in eloquence, [even if they are] fabricated from yourselves, if it were true that I invented it from my own self." For you are Arabs—eloquent and articulate—and the foundations of this are within you through the practice of oratory and poetry, the engagement with the styles of prose and verse, and the preservation of history and days.

The majority hold that this challenge occurred first, and when they were unable to meet it, He challenged them with "a surah like it," as stated in Surah al-Baqarah and Yunus. This—even if it is late in recitation—is early in revelation, and it is not permissible to reverse this, for there is no meaning in challenging with ten for one who has already failed the challenge of producing one. It is not intended to challenge their incapacity to bring ten surahs identical to ten specific surahs of the Qur'an. It is reported from Ibn Abbas that this is indeed the intended meaning, and he considered the "ten" to be the surahs that had preceded up to that point. Abu Hayyan countered this by noting that most of what was mentioned is Medinan, and this surah, as far as is known, is Meccan. How, then, could a reference be made in Mecca to what had not yet been revealed? He then said: "Perhaps this is not authentic from Ibn Abbas."

Ibn Atiyyah held that this challenge only occurred after the challenge to produce [a single] surah. This is also reported from al-Mubarrad, who denied that this surah was revealed prior to the other two, saying: "Nay, Surah Yunus was revealed first, then Surah Hud." Ibn al-Durays extracted this in Fada'il al-Qur'an from Ibn Abbas. The explanation for this is that what happened first was the challenge to produce a surah like it in eloquence and in containing what it contains of news of the unseen and of rulings and their kin. When they were unable to do that, He commanded them to bring ten surahs like it in composition, even if they did not contain what the [original] contained. [The author of] al-Kashf weakened this, saying it does not hold consistently for every surah of the Qur'an. Granting that the surah was revealed early, since it was revealed gradually, it is possible for that verse [about the ten] to be delayed relative to this one, which does not contradict the early revelation of the surah itself.

Al-Shihab critiqued this, stating that his claim that "it does not hold" is groundless, for al-Mubarrad's intent is that [the Qur'an] contains something from the seven types [of literary miracles], and nothing in the Qur'an is devoid of them. To claim the later revelation of that verse is contrary to the manifest, and such a thing cannot be asserted by mere opinion. He claimed that the truth is what al-Mubarrad said: that the Prophet (peace be upon him) first challenged them with a surah like it in composition and meaning, then [the Qur'an] was revealed further, and He challenged them with ten surahs like it in composition without restriction in meaning. This is supported by its description as "invented."

Some supported al-Mubarrad’s view by noting that the obligation in the verse of al-Baqarah was due to doubt, and only the knowledge that they could not produce a perfect likeness could remove that doubt. In this verse, however, the obligation is only due to their saying, "He invented it," so they were tasked with [producing] something like what they claimed. The critique of this is that the command in Surah Yunus—like the command here—is preceded by an account of their claim of invention (may God fight them), yet they were only tasked with the likes of what they were tasked with in the verse of al-Baqarah. Moreover, the statement that "it does not remove doubt, etc." involves a manifest objection.

Imam [al-Razi] mentioned that this verse is used as evidence that the inimitability of the Qur'an is in its eloquence, not in its inclusion of the unseen or the abundance of sciences; for if it were the latter, His saying "invented" would have no meaning. However, if the aspect of inimitability is eloquence, it is valid, because the eloquence of speech is apparent whether it is truthful or false. Al-Fadil al-Jalabi countered him with an argument based on a lack of attention to the meaning of "invention." Indeed, what was mentioned only indicates that the aspect of inimitability is that [eloquence], but it does not prevent the possibility of it being the unique style and the lack of contradiction, as has been said.

"And call upon whom you are able..."—that is, seek aid from whomever you are able to seek aid from among your gods whom you claim support you in everything you do or leave, and the soothsayers whose opinions you resort to in times of calamity so that they might grant you success in that. "...besides God..."—this is connected to "call upon," meaning: bypassing God, the Exalted. In this, as stated by more than one, is an indication that no one is capable of the like of it except God, the Mighty and Majestic. "If you are truthful" in that I invented it, for that necessitates bringing the like of it, which also necessitates your ability to do so. The response to in (if) is omitted, indicated by what was mentioned before.