Al-Furqan: (4-9) And those who disbelieve say...

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Know that the Almighty first spoke about Tawhid (Oneness of God), secondly about refuting the idolaters, and thirdly, in this verse, He speaks about the issue of Prophethood. He recounts their specious arguments for denying the Prophethood of Muhammad (PBUH).

They claim that this (the Qur'an) is a fabrication, and others have helped him in this. This is similar to His saying: {This one is taught by a human} (An-Nahl: 103).

It is possible they mean he is lying about the Qur'an itself, or they mean he is lying in attributing it to God Almighty. Here we have two discussions:

First Discussion: Abu Muslim said: Iftirā’ (fabrication) is derived from faraytu. It is sometimes used for cutting leather (faraytu al-adīm). When the intent is to stop corruption, one says afraytu and iftaraytu, or khalaqtu (created) and ikhtalaqtu (invented). It is also said of one who insults another with something untrue: iftarā ‘alayhi.

Second Discussion: Al-Kalbi and Muqatil said: This was revealed concerning An-Naḍr ibn al-Ḥārith, who was the one who said this. {And those who disbelieve say...} means that ‘Addās, the freed slave of Huwayṭib ibn ‘Abd al-‘Uzzā, and Yasār (the slave of ‘Āmir) al-Ḥaḍramī, and Jabr, the freed slave of ‘Āmir, were the ones who said this. These three were People of the Book who used to read the Torah and narrate stories from it. When they embraced Islam, the Prophet (PBUH) used to visit them, and because of this, An-Naḍr said what he said.

Know that God answered this suspicion with His saying: {They have certainly come with injustice and falsehood} (25:5). There are discussions regarding this:

First Discussion: This statement is sufficient as an answer to the mentioned suspicion. Every rational person knows that the Prophet (PBUH) challenged them with the Qur'an, and they were the pinnacle of eloquence. They reached the utmost limit in their eagerness to invalidate his message, to the extent that it led them to what they described in these verses. If they could have produced a counter-narrative, they would have done so, and that would have been closer to achieving their goal than what they mentioned in this verse and others. If Muhammad (PBUH) sought help from others, they too could have sought help from others, as Muhammad (PBUH) was equal to those deniers in knowledge of the language and the ability to seek assistance. Since they did not do that under these circumstances, it is known that the Qur'an has reached the limit of eloquence and the level of inimitability (I‘jāz). Since this proof has been presented repeatedly in the Qur'an, and the invalidity of this question has become clear because of it, the repetition of this question after these clear proofs can only be due to persistence in ignorance and obstinacy. Therefore, God sufficed the answer with His saying: {They have certainly come with injustice and falsehood}.

Second Discussion: Al-Kisā’ī said: His saying {They have certainly come with injustice and falsehood} means they came with injustice and lies, similar to His saying: {You have certainly come with a grave thing} (Al-Kahf: 49). The accusative case (naṣb) is due to the verb majī’ (coming) acting upon it. Al-Zajjāj said: It is accusative due to the omission of a preposition, meaning they came with injustice and falsehood.

Third Discussion: God Almighty described their speech as both ẓulm (injustice) and zūr (falsehood).

1. As Ẓulm: Because they attributed this ugly act (fabrication) to one who was innocent of it; they placed something in a place other than its proper place, and that is ẓulm.
2. As Zūr: Because they lied in it. Abu Muslim said: Ẓulm is their denial of the Messenger and their rejection of him, and Zūr is their lying against themselves (i.e., their own false claim).

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There are discussions regarding this:

First Discussion: Asāṭīr (legends) are what the predecessors recorded, like the stories of Rustam and Isfandiyār. It is the plural of usṭūrah, like uḥdūthah (a tale). {He has had them written down} (iktutibahā): Meaning Muhammad had them copied from the People of the Book, namely ‘Āmir, Yasār, and Jabr. The meaning of iktutibahā here is ordering someone to write for him, just as one says iḥtajama (he was cupped) or iftasada (he was bled) when ordering that to be done. {so they are dictated to him} (fa-hiya tumlā ‘alayhi): Meaning they are read to him. The meaning is that they were written down for him, and since he was illiterate (ummī), they are recited to him from the book so he can memorize them, because the manner of dictation to a memorizer is like the manner of dictation to a scribe.

Regarding His saying: {morning and evening} (bukratan wa aṣīlan): Al-Ḍaḥḥāk said: What is dictated to him in the morning, he reads to you in the evening, and what is dictated to him in the evening, he reads to you in the morning.

Second Discussion: Al-Ḥasan said that His saying: {so they are dictated to him morning and evening} is God's speech, mentioned as a response to their claim. It is as if God Almighty said: These verses are dictated to him by revelation moment by moment, so how can he be attributed with having legends of the former ones?

The majority of commentators agree that this is part of the people's speech. They meant that the People of the Book dictated these things to him at these times. This view is undoubtedly closer for several reasons:

1. The strong connection of this speech to what precedes it, as if they said: "He had the legends of the former ones copied, so they are dictated to him."
2. This aligns with their statement: {And those who disbelieve say...}.
3. God answered their speech afterward with: {Say, "He has sent it down who knows the secret..."}.

The author of Al-Kashshāf said that Al-Ḥasan's view would only be sound if the Hamza (of anna) were opened for an interrogative meaning implying denial, and Al-Ḥasan should have stopped at {the former ones} (al-awwalīn).

God answered this suspicion with His saying: {Say, "He has sent it down who knows the secret of the heavens and the earth. Indeed, He was ever Forgiving and Merciful"} (25:6). There are discussions regarding this:

First Discussion: Explaining how this serves as an answer to that suspicion: As we established, the Prophet (PBUH) challenged them to produce a counter-narrative, and their inability to do so became clear. If the Prophet (PBUH) had brought the Qur'an by seeking help from someone, it would have been incumbent upon them also to seek help from someone to produce a similar Qur'an. Since they were incapable of doing so, it is established that it is divine revelation and the word of God. Therefore, He said: {Say, "He has sent it down who knows the secret..."}. This is because the one capable of composing the words of the Qur'an must necessarily be the Knower of all knowable things, both manifest and hidden, for several reasons:

1. Such eloquence can only come from the Knower of all knowable things.
2. The Qur'an contains news of the unseen (al-ghayb), which only the Knower of all knowable things can provide.
3. The Qur'an is free from defect, which only comes from the Knower, as He says: {If it had been from other than Allah, they would have found within it much contradiction} (An-Nisā’: 82).
4. It encompasses rulings that necessitate the welfare and order of the world and its inhabitants, which only comes from the Knower of all knowable things.
5. It includes various types of knowledge, which only comes from the Knower of all knowable things. Since the Qur'an demonstrates from these aspects that it is nothing but the speech of the Knower of all knowable things, it was sufficient for God to answer their suspicion by saying: {Say, "He has sent it down who knows the secret..."}.

Second Discussion: They differed on the meaning of al-sirr (the secret). Some said the meaning is: The One who knows every secret in the heavens and the earth is the one capable of sending down such a Book. Abu Muslim said: The meaning is that He sent it down, and He knows the secret, so if he had lied about Him, He would have punished him, as He says: {And if he had fabricated against Us some sayings, We would have seized him by the right hand} (Al-Ḥāqqah: 44-45). Others said: The meaning is that He knows every hidden secret in the heavens and the earth, including what you conceal of plotting against the Messenger while knowing that what he says is true by necessity, as well as the inner state of the Messenger (PBUH) and his innocence from what you accuse him of. He will recompense you and him according to what He knows of you and what He knows of him.

Third Discussion: The mention of Al-Ghafūr (Forgiving) and Ar-Raḥīm (Merciful) in this context is for two reasons:

1. Abu Muslim said: The meaning is that He sent it down only for warning, so He must be Forgiving and Merciful, not hasty in punishment.
2. It is a reminder that their plotting deserved a pouring down of punishment upon them, but this was averted from them because He is Forgiving and Merciful, granting respite and not hastening.

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They attributed five characteristics to him, claiming these characteristics invalidate prophethood:

1. Their saying: {What is this Messenger who eats food} (25:7).
2. Their saying: {and walks in the marketplaces} (25:7). Meaning, since he is like this, how can he have superiority over us when he is like us in these matters?
3. Their saying: {Why was a messenger not sent down to him} (25:8), so that he would be accompanied by an angel to confirm him, testify for him, and refute those who oppose him.
4. Their saying: {or a treasure cast down to him} (25:8), meaning from the sky, so he could spend it and not need to strive for sustenance.
5. Their saying: {or he should have a garden from which he eats} (25:9). Ḥamzah and Al-Kisā’ī read it as na’kulu minhā (that we eat from it), while the rest read it with the yā’ (ya’kulu minhā - that he eats from it). The meaning is: If you do not have a treasure, at least have a garden like one of the landed gentry from which you eat.
6. Their saying: {or he has a garden from which he eats} (25:9). (Wait, this is a repetition of point 5, but the text lists it as the sixth point in the enumeration, though the verse number is 9). Their saying: {You are only following a man bewitched} (25:8). This story was previously mentioned at the end of Sūrat Banī Isrā’īl.

God Almighty answered this suspicion in several ways:

First Way: His saying: {See how they strike for you comparisons, so they have gone astray and cannot find a way} (25:9). There are discussions regarding this:

First Discussion: How this serves as an answer to that suspicion: What distinguishes the Messenger from others is the miracle (al-mu‘jizah). None of these things they mentioned detracts from the miracle, so none of them can invalidate the Prophethood. It is as if God Almighty said: See how the people are preoccupied with striking these useless comparisons, because when they went astray and sought to criticize your Prophethood, they found absolutely no way to criticize it. Criticism should only be directed at what invalidates the miracles he claimed, not this type of talk.

Another View: Since they have gone astray, they no longer have the capacity to accept the truth. This is sound according to our doctrine, and its rational proof is clear: A person is either balanced between the call to truth and falsehood, or his inclination towards one is stronger than his inclination towards the other. If he is balanced, the state of equilibrium prevents preference for one side, thus preventing action. If one inclination is stronger, the realization of the other side becomes impossible. Thus, it is established that when the inclination towards misguidance is dominant in his heart, accepting the truth becomes impossible for him. What is impossible is not within his power. Therefore, when they went astray, they were not capable (of accepting the truth).

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{Blessed is He who, if He willed, could have made for you better than that—gardens beneath which rivers flow—and could have made for you palaces. Nay, they deny the Hour, and We have prepared for those who deny the Hour a fierce Blaze. When they see it from a distant place, they will hear its raging and its roaring. And when they are cast into a narrow place therein, bound together, they will call out there for destruction. “Do not call out today for one destruction, but call out for many destructions!”} (25:10-14)