| Jonah: (16) Say, "If Allah had willed..."

Issues Discussed:

Know that we have previously established that the people made this request [for a sign or proof] because they accused him [the Prophet, peace be upon him] of fabricating this Book himself, through invention and fabrication, rather than it being a revelation from Allah.

For this reason, the Prophet (PBUH) established proof against the corruption of this suspicion through what Allah Almighty mentioned in this verse.

The argument is as follows:

1. Those disbelievers had witnessed the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) from the beginning of his life until that time.
2. They were fully aware of his condition: he had never studied a book, nor taken a teacher, nor learned from anyone.
3. After forty years passed in this manner, he came to them with this magnificent Book, containing the rarities of the principles of knowledge, the subtleties of the rulings of jurisprudence, the elegance of moral character, and the secrets of the stories of the ancients.
4. Scholars, eloquent speakers, rhetoricians, and everyone possessing sound intellect were incapable of challenging it.
5. Anyone with a sound mind knows that such a thing can only be achieved through divine revelation and inspiration from Allah Almighty.

Therefore, His statement: {If Allah had willed, I would not have recited it to you, nor would Allah have made you know it} is the Prophet's (PBUH) judgment that this Qur'an is a revelation from Allah Almighty, not from my own invention or fabrication.

His statement: {Indeed, I have lived among you a lifetime before it} points to the evidence we have established.

His statement: {Will you not then use reason?} means that when such a great Book comes through the hands of one who has not studied, taken a teacher, reviewed books, or engaged in debate, it is necessarily known that it can only be through revelation and descent (Tanzil). Denying necessary knowledge compromises the soundness of reason. For this reason, He said: {Will you not then use reason?}

This phrase is derived from ad-dirāyah (knowledge).

Sībawayh said: It is said daraytuhu and daraytu bihi, and the usage with the preposition bā' (bi) is more common. The evidence for this is the Almighty's saying: {nor would Allah have made you know it} (wa lā adrākum bihi). If it were according to the other linguistic form, He would have said wa lā adrākumūhu.

Once this is known, we say: The meaning of {nor would Allah have made you know it} is: Nor would Allah have taught you it, nor informed you of it.

The author of Al-Kashshāf said: Al-Hasan recited it as {wa lā udrikum bihi} (using the form af'altu like a'ṭaytuhu - I gave him), which means "I made you know it." This is supported by the narration of Ibn 'Abbās: {nor would I have warned you of it} (wa lā unzirukum bihi).

Al-Farrā' narrated it as {wa lā adrākum bihi} with a hamza, and the rationale for this is that it comes from adra’tuhu meaning "I repelled him," or adra’tuhu meaning "I made him knowledgeable." The meaning then becomes: "Nor would I have made you, by reciting it, adversaries who repel me with argumentation and deny me."

Ibn Kathīr recited it as {wa la’udrikum bihi} with the lām of emphasis (lām al-ibtida’) to affirm the meaning of idra’ (making knowledgeable/repelling).

Regarding His statement: {Indeed, I have lived among you a lifetime before it}, the famous recitation has the mīm with a ḍammah (pronounced ʿumran). It was also recited with a sukūn on the mīm (pronounced ʿumr).

{7} Who is more unjust than one who invents a lie about Allah or denies His signs? Indeed, the criminals will not succeed. {7}