Al-Hijr: (14-15) And if We opened for them...

Know that this discourse is mentioned in Surah Al-An'am in the verse: {And even if We sent down to you a Book written on paper, and they touched it with their hands, those who disbelieve would say, "This is nothing but plain magic."} (Al-An'am: 7).

The essence is that when the people demanded the descent of angels to explicitly confirm the Messenger (peace be upon him) as a messenger from God Almighty, God Almighty clarified in this verse that even if this demand were met, the disbelievers would still say it was magic. They would claim that what they perceive is an illusion, and in reality, they do not see it. Thus, since God Almighty knew that the descent of angels would be of no benefit, He did not send them down for this reason.

If it is asked: How is it permissible for a large group of people to become doubtful about something they witness with their sound eyes in broad daylight? If doubt were possible in such a matter, sophistry would be inevitable, and reliance on sense perception and observation would cease.

The Qadi (Judge) answered this by saying that God Almighty did not describe them as doubting what they see; rather, He described them as uttering these words. It is possible for a person to resort to lying out of obstinacy and stubbornness. He then asked himself: Is it sound for a great multitude to express doubt about observable realities? He answered that it is sound if they are united by a valid and considered purpose, such as agreeing to refute an argument or overcome an opponent. Furthermore, this account was narrated concerning a specific group who were refuted; they asked the Messenger (peace be upon him) to send down angels, and this request came only from the leaders of the people, who were few in number. It is permissible for a small number to engage in something that amounts to stubborn denial.

The Second Issue: The Almighty's saying: {Then they would remain ascending therein.} The Arabs say, "So-and-so spent his day doing such-and-such" if he did it during the day. The Arabs do not use ẓalla (ظل) except for an action performed during the day, just as they do not say bāta (بات) except for something done at night. The verbal noun is ẓulūl. And His saying: {ascending therein} (ya'rujūna fīhi). It is said ʿaraja yaʿruju ʿurūjan, from which comes maʿārij (معارج), which are the ascents/ladders by which one ascends.

The commentators have two opinions regarding this verse:

The First Opinion: That His saying {Then they would remain ascending therein} is a description of the polytheists. Ibn Abbas (may God be pleased with him) said: If the polytheists remained ascending in those ladders, looking upon the dominion of God Almighty, His Power, and His Sovereignty, and upon the worship of the angels who are fearful of Him, they would still doubt that vision and remain insistent upon their disbelief and ignorance, just as they denied the other miracles, such as the splitting of the moon and the inimitable nature of the Quran, which neither Jinn nor humans could produce a like of.

The Second Opinion: That this ascent belongs to the angels. The meaning is: If God Almighty had made these disbelievers able to see doors of the heaven opened, from which angels ascend and descend, they would have diverted the meaning and said: "The sorcerers have bewitched us and made us see these falsehoods that have no reality."

And His saying: {they would say, "Our eyes have only been intoxicated"} contains two issues:

The First Issue: Ibn Kathir recited sukkirat (سكرت) with a lightened kāf (سُكِّرَت), while the rest recited it with a stressed kāf (سُكِّرَت). Al-Wāḥidī said: Sukkirat means covered, blocked, or sealed by magic. This is the view of the linguists. They said its origin is from sukr (سُكْر), which is plugging a crack to prevent water from bursting out. Thus, these eyes are prevented from seeing, just as the plug prevents water from flowing. The stress implies increase and intensification. Abu ʿAmr ibn al-ʿAlā’ said: It is derived from the intoxication of drink, meaning the eyes became bewildered, and what happened to the sight was like what happens to a drunk person regarding the corruption of the intellect. If this is the meaning of the lightened form, then sukkirat with stress implies the occurrence of this matter repeatedly. Abu ʿUbaydah said: {Our eyes have been intoxicated} means our eyes were covered, necessitating their stillness and nullification. According to this view, its origin is from stillness (sukūn). It is said, "The wind became still" (sakarat al-rīḥ sakran) if it ceased, and "the heat became still" (sakara al-ḥarr), and a still night (laylah sākirah) is one without wind. Aws said:

I was restless over a sleepless night, It was neither gentle nor still.

And it is said, "His eye became still/dazed" (sakarat ʿaynahu sakran) if it became bewildered and ceased from seeing. According to this view, the meaning of {our eyes have been intoxicated} is that they ceased from seeing. This view is preferred by Al-Zajjāj. Abu ʿAlī al-Fārisī said: Sukkirat means they became such that their light does not penetrate, and they do not perceive things in their true reality. The meaning of sukr is cutting something off from its usual course. Hence, the plugging of water (taskīr al-māʾ) is turning it away from its natural flow. And sukr in drink is when one is cut off from the clarity they had when sober, so their judgment does not penetrate as it does when sober. These are four sayings regarding the interpretation of {intoxicated}, and in reality, they are close to one another. And God knows best.

The Second Issue: Al-Jubbā’ī said: Whoever permits the power of sorcerers to take hold of people's eyes so that they see things contrary to reality, his faith in the Prophets and Messengers is not sound. This is because if they permit that, perhaps this person they see as Muhammad ibn ʿAbdullāh is not that man but a devil, and perhaps these miracles they witness have no reality but are from the category of false perceptions caused by that sorcerer. If this permission is granted, everything collapses. And God knows best.