ﱚ ﱛ ﱜ ﱝ ﱞ ﱟ ﱠ ﱡ ﱢ ﱣ ﱤ ﱥ ﱦ ﱧ ﱨ ﱩ ﱪ ﱫ ﱬ ﱭ ﱮ ﱯ ﱰ ﱱ ﱲ ﱳ ﱴ ﱵ ﱶ
Or do they say, "He has invented it?" Say, "If I have invented it, you will not possess for me [the power of protection] from Allah at all. He is most knowing of that in which you are involved. Sufficient is He as Witness between me and you, and He is the Forgiving the Merciful."
Tafsir
Verse range: 46:8
"Or do they say, 'He has invented it?'" – This is an interruption and a transition from recounting their previous heinous behavior to recounting what is even more heinous: intentionally lying against Allah, the Exalted. For lying, especially against Him (Almighty and Majestic is He), is universally agreed upon as ugly; indeed, one sees everyone recoiling from being attributed with it, unlike sorcery. Although sorcery is ugly, it is not of this degree; indeed, its knowledge is almost considered among the desirable matters.
The hamza in the disconnected particle am (or) carries the meaning of reproachful denial, which encompasses amazement that they attribute it to invention, despite their saying, "It is sorcery," because of their inability to produce its like. The object pronoun in "invented it" refers, as Abu Hayyan said, to "the Truth," which is the recited verses. Others said it refers to "the Qur'an," indicated by what preceded it. That is: Nay, do they say he has invented it?
"Say: 'If I have invented it'"—upon that hypothesis—"then you have no power to help me against Allah at all." That is, if Allah, the Exalted, were to hasten a punishment upon me for inventing lies against Him, you would not be able to restrain Him (Almighty and Majestic is He) from dealing with me, nor would you be able to deflect any of His punishment from me. How, then, could I invent it and expose myself to His punishment? The answer to the conditional in (if) is, in reality, omitted; it is: "He would hasten a punishment upon me," and what is mentioned is caused by it, and has been put in its place or used metaphorically for it.
"He is more knowing of what you pour forth into." That is, of that in which you engage—namely, disparaging the revelation of Allah, attacking His verses, calling it sorcery at one time and an invention at another. The use of ifada (pouring forth) to mean engaging in a matter and commencing it, whether by speech or action, is a well-known metaphor. Its origin is the flowing of water; it is said, "He poured forth the water" when he let it flow. What we have indicated—that ma (what) is a relative pronoun and the pronoun in fihi (in it) refers back to it—is the most apparent interpretation. It has also been permitted that ma be an infinitive particle, and the pronoun in fihi refers to the Truth or the Qur'an.
"Sufficient is He as a Witness between me and you." This is where He (the Exalted) bears witness for me regarding truthfulness and the communication [of the message], and against you regarding lying and denial. This is a threat of retribution for their engaging in attacks against the verses. It is an independent sentence, as it is the response to an implied question. Bihi (by Him) is in the place of the subject of "sufficient," according to the most correct opinions, and shahidan (as a Witness) is a state, while "between me and you" is related to it or to "sufficient."
"And He is the Forgiving, the Merciful." This is a promise of forgiveness and mercy for whoever repents and believes, and an indication of the forbearance of Allah, the Exalted, toward them; for He did not hasten the punishment against them, but rather gave them respite (Almighty and Majestic is He) so that they might rectify their affairs.
