Yunus: (15) And when it is recited to them...

There are several issues here:

Issue 1: The Third Type of Objection

Know that this discourse represents the third category of their objections and sayings aimed at undermining the Prophethood of the Prophet (peace be upon him), which God recounted in His Book and answered.

Know that whoever grasps this arrangement we mention will realize that the Qur'an is ordered in the most excellent manner.

Issue 2: The Mockers

It is narrated from Ibn Abbas (may God be pleased with him) that five disbelievers used to mock the Messenger (peace be upon him) and the Qur'an: Al-Walid ibn Al-Mughirah Al-Makhzumi, Al-'As ibn Wa'il Al-Sahmi, Al-Aswad ibn Al-Muttalib, Al-Aswad ibn Abd Yaghuth, and Al-Harith ibn Hanzalah. God killed each man in a different way, as He said: {Indeed, We are sufficient against the mockers} (Al-Hijr: 95).

God mentioned that whenever the verses were recited to them, {those who do not expect to meet Us say, "Bring a Qur'an other than this, or change it."}

There are two points of discussion regarding this:

The description of them as "those who do not expect to meet Us" refers to their denial of the Resurrection and the Gathering, rejecting the raising of the dead. There are several ways to appreciate the eloquence of this metaphor:

1. Al-Asamm said: "Do not expect to meet Us" means they do not hope for any good upon meeting Him due to their obedience. Thus, they are far from fearing the evil consequences.
2. Al-Qadi said: Hope (Rajā') is only used concerning benefits. However, it can imply harm in some respects because whoever does not hope for the reward promised by his Lord—which is the purpose of the religious obligations—also does not fear the punishment promised to him. Thus, this phrase becomes a metaphor for their denial of the Resurrection and the Gathering.

Know that the statement of Al-Qadi is close to that of Al-Asamm. However, the most complete explanation is to say: Every believer in the Resurrection must hope for God's reward and fear His punishment. The negation of the necessary consequence implies the negation of the prerequisite. Therefore, the negation of hope necessitates the negation of belief in the Resurrection. This is the reason for the eloquence of this metaphor.

They requested one of two things from the Messenger of God (peace be upon him) as an alternative:

1. To bring a Qur'an other than this Qur'an.
2. To change this Qur'an.

This presents a problem: If he brings a Qur'an other than this one, he has brought a Qur'an other than this one. If that is the case, then each of the two options is the same thing. Furthermore, the fact that the Prophet (PBUH) sufficed in his answer by negating only one of them—His statement: {It is not for me to change it of my own accord}—indicates that both options are identical. If it is established that both requests are the same, then presenting the words as a choice or an alternative is invalid.

The Answer: One of the two matters is different from the other. Bringing a different book, without following the arrangement or style of this Qur'an, is bringing another Qur'an. However, changing this Qur'an means presenting this same Qur'an but replacing the condemnation of certain things with praise, or replacing a verse of mercy with a verse of punishment. Alternatively, bringing a Qur'an other than this one means bringing a book other than this one while this book remains as it is, whereas tabdīl (changing) means altering this book itself.

As for the claim that he sufficed in answering only one of the two categories: We say that the answer given for one category is precisely the answer for the other category. Since this is the case, mentioning one suffices for the other. We state that the answer to one is the same as the answer to the other for two reasons:

1. When he explained that he cannot change it of his own accord because it is revealed from God, and neither he nor the rest of the Arabs can produce its like—which was already established in their minds due to the prior challenge—this demonstrated to them that he is incapable of producing any Qur'an, whether different or altered.
2. Changing it (tabdīl) is closer to possibility than bringing an entirely new Qur'an. Therefore, answering the easier request also answers the more difficult one.

Some scholars say there is no difference between bringing a different Qur'an and changing this Qur'an, and they take His statement, {It is not for me to change it}, as an answer to both requests. However, this view is weak, as we have explained.

Issue 3: The Motives Behind Their Request

The disbelievers' audacity in making this request is open to two interpretations:

1. They said it out of mockery and derision, as if saying, "If you brought us a Qur'an other than this, or changed it, we would believe you." Their goal was sarcasm and ill-omen.
2. They said it seriously, which itself has several possibilities:
   • They said it as a test and trial, so that if he did it, they would know he was a liar in claiming the Qur'an was revealed from God.
   • The purpose of this request was that the Qur'an contained condemnation of their idols and criticism of their ways, which pained them. Thus, they requested a different book that lacked such content.
   • If they conceded that the Qur'an might be from God, they requested that he ask God to abrogate this Qur'an and replace it with another. This interpretation is the most remote.

When they said this, God commanded him to say that this alteration is impermissible for him: {I follow not except what is revealed to me}. Then, God clarified that he is like anyone else in that he is warned of a great punishment if he disobeys.

Several branches derive from this verse:

His statement, {I follow not except what is revealed to me}, means "I follow nothing except what is revealed to me." This indicates that the Prophet (peace be upon him) judged only by revelation, implying he never judged by Ijtihād (independent reasoning).

Those who deny Qiyās (analogical reasoning) used this verse as proof, arguing that since the Prophet (PBUH) judged only by explicit text (Naṣṣ), it must be obligatory for the entire Ummah to judge only by the explicit text, based on God's command: {And follow him}.

It is narrated from Ibn Abbas (may God be pleased with him) that this statement is abrogated by His saying: {That God may forgive you your past and future sins} (Al-Fath: 2). This view is distant because abrogation applies to rulings and acts of worship, not to the decreeing of punishment for disobedience.

The Mu'tazila say that His statement, {Indeed, I fear if I disobey my Lord the punishment of a great Day}, is conditional upon an act that occurs without repentance or a greater act of obedience. We add a third specification: that God does not forgive ab initio (without prior condition), because we hold that it is permissible for God to forgive major sinners.

{ Say, "If Allah had willed, I would not have recited it to you, nor would He have made it known to you. For I have remained among you a lifetime before it. Then will you not use reason?" }