Al-A'raf: (203) And when a sign does not come to them...

Know that when the Almighty established in the previous verse that the devils among jinn and men spare no effort in misleading and misguiding, He clarifies in this verse another type of their misguidance: their demand for specific signs and particular miracles out of obstinacy, like His saying: {And they say, "We will never believe you until you cause a spring to gush forth from the earth for us"} (Al-Isra: 90).

Then, He reiterated that the Prophet (peace be upon him) did not bring them what they demanded. At that point, they said: {Why did you not fabricate it?}

Al-Farra' said that the Arabs use the phrase ijtabaytu al-kalām (I fabricated the speech) to mean I invented it, composed it, or uttered it spontaneously from myself. The meaning here is: Why did you not utter it and invent it, bringing it forth from yourself? This is because they used to say: {This is nothing but a fabrication} (Saba: 43).

Alternatively, it could mean: Why did you not propose it to your Lord and your deity, if you are truthful that God accepts your supplication and responds to your requests?

At this juncture, the Messenger was commanded to state the sufficient answer, which is His saying: {Say, "I only follow what is revealed to me from my Lord."} The meaning is: It is not for me to propose matters to my Lord in any affair; rather, I await the revelation. Everything by which I have been honored is from Him; otherwise, the obligation is silence and refraining from proposing.

Then, He clarified that the failure to bring those specific miracles they demanded does not detract from the objective, because the appearance of the Qur'an, consistent with his claim, is an overwhelming, dazzling miracle. If this single miracle appeared, it was sufficient to validate the prophethood, making the demand for more an act of mere obstinacy.

He then mentioned three descriptions for the Qur'an:

1. First: His saying: {This is insight from your Lord}. The root of basīrah (insight/discernment) is sight. Since the Qur'an is the cause for the insight of the intellects regarding the proofs of Tawhid (Oneness of God), prophethood, and the Hereafter, it is called basīrah, naming the cause by the name of the effect.

2. Second: His saying: {and guidance}. The difference between this level and the previous one is that people concerning the knowledge of Tawhid, prophethood, and the Hereafter are of two types:
   • One type has reached such a level in this knowledge that they are as if witnessing it—they are the people of ‘ayn al-yaqīn (certainty of the eye).
   • The second type has not reached that level but has attained the stages of those who use deductive reasoning—they are the people of ‘ilm al-yaqīn (certainty of knowledge).

Thus, the Qur'an serves as insight (basā’ir) for the first group (the foremost), and as guidance (hudā) for the second group (the moderate).

3. Third: For the general body of believers, it is mercy (raḥmah). Since these three categories constitute the believers, it is appropriate that He said: {for a people who believe}.

7 < { And when the Qur'an is recited, then listen to it and pay attention, that you may receive mercy. } > 7