Al-An'am (The Cattle): (124) And when a sign comes to them...

Know that the Almighty has recounted the cunning and envy of these disbelievers. Whenever a decisive miracle appears to them indicating the prophethood of Muhammad (peace be upon him), they say: "We will not believe until we are given the like of what the Messengers of Allah have been given." This indicates the height of their envy, showing that their persistence in disbelief is not due to seeking proof and evidence, but rather due to extreme envy.

The exegetes said: Al-Walid ibn al-Mughirah said: "By Allah, if prophethood were true, I would be more deserving of it than Muhammad, for I have more wealth and children than him." Then this verse was revealed.

Al-Dahhak said: Each one of them intended to be singled out for revelation and prophethood, just as Allah the Almighty informed about them in His saying: {Nay, but every one of them desires that he should be given scrolls unfolded} (Al-Muddaththir: 52).

The apparent meaning of the verse we are interpreting also indicates this, because the Almighty said: {And when a sign comes to them, they say, "We will not believe until we are given the like of what the Messengers of Allah have been given."} This suggests that a group among them were saying this. Furthermore, what precedes this verse also indicates this, which is His saying: {And thus have We appointed in every town its greatest criminals to plot therein.} Then, immediately following that verse, He mentioned that they said: {We will not believe until we are given the like of what the Messengers of Allah have been given.} Its apparent meaning suggests that the plotting mentioned in the first verse is this malicious speech.

As for His saying, {We will not believe until we are given the like of what the Messengers of Allah have been given}, there are two opinions:

The First Opinion: This is the famous one. They meant that prophethood and messengership should be attained by them, just as it was attained by Muhammad (peace be upon him), so that they would be followed, not followers, and served, not servants.

The Second Opinion: This is the view of Al-Hasan and is narrated from Ibn Abbas. It means that when a sign from the Qur'an comes to them commanding them to follow the Prophet, they say: {We will not believe until you give us the like of what the Messengers of Allah have been given.} This aligns with the statement of the Arab polytheists: {We will not believe you until you cause a spring to gush forth from the earth for us} up to His saying: {until you send down upon us a book that we can read} from Allah, addressed specifically to Abu Jahl, and to so-and-so, and so-and-so, a separate book. Under this interpretation, the people were not asking for prophethood; rather, they were asking for decisive signs and manifest miracles like those of the former prophets, to prove the truthfulness of Muhammad's prophethood (peace be upon him).

The scholars of verification say: The first opinion is stronger and more appropriate, because His saying: {Allah knows best where to place His message} is only fitting for the first opinion. Those who support the second opinion can argue that when they demanded those decisive signs, if Allah had responded to them and manifested those miracles according to their request, they would have approached the station of messengership. In that case, it would be appropriate for His saying: {Allah knows best where to place His message} to be a response to that speech.

As for His saying, {Allah knows best where to place His message}, the meaning is that messengership has a specific place where it is fit to be placed, and whoever is specified and described with the attributes for which messengership is fit to be placed there becomes a Messenger, and otherwise, he does not. And the Knower of those attributes is none other than Allah the Almighty.

Know that people differed on this issue. Some said: Souls and spirits are equal in the completeness of their essence (māhiyyah). Therefore, the attainment of prophethood and messengership by some of them and not others is an honor, grace, and favor from Allah. Others said: Rather, human souls differ in their very essence and nature. Some are inherently good, pure from the attachments of the body, illuminated by divine lights, and elevated. Others are base, dark, and fond of bodily things. Thus, a soul that is not of the first category is not fit to receive revelation and messengership. Moreover, the first category itself is subject to variation in increase and decrease, strength and weakness, to infinite degrees. Hence, the ranks of the Messengers must differ. Some attained powerful miracles and few followers; others attained one or two miracles and great followership; some were dominated by gentleness, and others by severity. This type of discussion requires exhaustive detail and is not suitable for mention in this context.

His saying, {Allah knows best where to place His message}, contains a subtle indication of another point: The minimum requirement for attaining prophethood and messengership is being free from plotting, treachery, malice, and envy. His saying, {We will not believe until we are given the like of what the Messengers of Allah have been given}, is the very essence of plotting, treachery, and envy. So how can prophethood and messengership be attained with these characteristics?

Then the Almighty clarified that because they are described with these blameworthy characteristics, they will incur humiliation from Allah and severe punishment. The establishment of this is that reward is only complete with two things: veneration and benefit. Punishment is also only complete with two things: humiliation and harm. Allah the Almighty threatened them with the combination of both these things in this verse. As for humiliation, it is His saying: {There will befall those who committed crimes a humiliation from Allah and a severe punishment} (Al-An'am: 124). He mentioned humiliation before harm because these people rebelled against obeying Muhammad (peace be upon him) seeking honor and dignity. So Allah the Almighty clarified that He will confront them with the opposite of what they seek. The first thing that reaches them is humiliation, abasement, and disgrace.

Regarding His saying, {a humiliation from Allah}: There are several interpretations:

1. That this humiliation will only occur in the Hereafter, where no judge enforces His ruling but Him.
2. That humiliation will befall them by the decree and command of Allah in this worldly life. Since this humiliation is of this nature, it is permissible to attribute it to "from Allah."
3. That the meaning is: {There will befall those who committed crimes a humiliation}, and then it is a new clause: {from Allah}, meaning their destination is that, and the purpose is emphasis.
4. That the meaning is humiliation originating from Allah. In this case, the word min (from) must be implied.

As for the explanation of harm and punishment, it is His saying: {and a severe punishment}. Thus, this statement establishes that Allah has prepared for them great disgrace and severe punishment, and then clarified that this will only befall them because of their plotting, lying, and envy.

7 < {So whoever Allah wants to guide, He expands his breast to [receive] Islam; and whoever He wants to send astray, He makes his breast tight and constricted, as if he were climbing up into the sky. Thus does Allah place the impurity upon those who do not believe.} > 7 !