Al-Isra: (100) Say, "If you possessed..."

There are several issues in this verse:

When the disbelievers said, {We will never believe in you until you cause a spring to gush forth from the earth for us} (Al-Isra: 90), they were asking for rivers and springs to flow in their land so that their wealth might increase and their livelihood expand.

Allah the Almighty clarified to them that even if they possessed the treasuries of God's mercy, they would remain miserly and stingy, and would not extend any benefit to anyone. Therefore, fulfilling the request they sought would be of no use. This is the interpretation regarding the coherence of the passage, and Allah knows best.

The phrase {لو أنتم} (If you possessed) involves a discussion related to grammar and another related to rhetoric (Balagha).

The Grammatical Discussion: The word {لو} (If) is typically restricted to verbs. This is because {لو} implies the negation of one thing due to the negation of another. A noun denotes entities (substances), whereas a verb denotes effects and states. What is negated are the states and effects, not the entities themselves. Thus, it is established that {لو} is specific to verbs. They cite the verse of Al-Mutalammis:

The meaning is: If others than my maternal uncles desired my disgrace...

The Rhetorical Discussion (Balagha): Placing the pronoun {أنتم} (you) first indicates specification (Takhsis). Therefore, the statement {أنتم تملكون} (you possessed) indicates that they alone were characterized by this base state and complete stinginess.

The treasuries of God's grace and mercy are infinite. Thus, the meaning is that even if you possessed endless treasuries of goodness and blessings, you would remain stingy. This is a great exaggeration in describing them.

Then Allah the Almighty said: {وكان الإنسان قتورا} (And man is ever ungrateful/stingy). It is said: qattara, yaqtaru, qatran, and aqtara, iqtaran, and qattara, taqtiran—meaning he was deficient in spending.

If it is argued that generous and noble people are included under the term "man" (al-insan), the response is threefold:

1. The Default State: The origin of human nature is stinginess because man was created needy. A needy person must love what removes his need and hold it for himself, although he might give it away for external reasons. Thus, the origin in man is stinginess.
2. Motive for Spending: When man spends, he does so seeking praise and commendation, or to fulfill an obligation. In reality, he spends only to receive compensation; thus, in essence, he is stingy.
3. Specific Reference: What is meant by "man" here is the previously mentioned specific individual (or group): {And they are those who said, "We will never believe in you until you cause a spring to gush forth from the earth for us"} (Al-Isra: 90).