Tafsir of Yunus 10:15

"And when Our verses are recited to them..."

The contents of the Qur’an—the condemnation of idol worship and the warnings issued to the polytheists—enraged them. So they said:

"Bring a Qur’an other than this," one that does not contain what angers us, "or change it," by replacing a verse of punishment with a verse of mercy, and by omitting the mention of the gods and the condemnation of their worship.

He was commanded to respond regarding the "changing," because it falls within human capability—that is, to place a verse of mercy in place of a verse of punishment from what has been revealed, or to omit the mention of the gods. As for bringing a different Qur’an, that is not within human capability.

"It is not for me," meaning: It is not appropriate for me, nor is it permissible for me, just as in His saying: "It is not for me to say what I have no right to say" (Al-Ma'idah: 116).

"To change it on my own accord," meaning: from my own self. It is also read with the ta opened (talaqqā), meaning: without my Lord commanding me to do so.

"I only follow what is revealed to me." I do not bring anything, nor do I abandon anything of that nature, except by following the revelation of Allah and His commands. If a verse is abrogated, I follow the abrogation; if a verse is replaced by another, I follow the replacement. The changing and the abrogating are not up to me.

"Indeed, I fear, if I should disobey my Lord," by changing or abrogating on my own accord, "the punishment of a tremendous Day."

Question: Did their inability to produce the like of the Qur’an not become manifest and clear to them, to the point that they said, "Bring a Qur’an other than this"?

Answer: Yes, but they would not admit their inability. They used to say, "If we wished, we could say the like of this." They would say, "He has fabricated a lie against Allah," attributing it to the Messenger and claiming he was capable of it and its like—despite their knowledge that if the Arabs, with all their eloquent and articulate speakers, were unable to produce it, an individual among them would be even more incapable.

Question: Perhaps they meant: "Bring a Qur’an other than this, or change it, by way of revelation, just as you brought the Qur’an by way of it." And by his saying "It is not for me," he meant: "It is not easy for me, nor is it possible for me to change it."

Answer: His saying, "Indeed, I fear, if I should disobey my Lord," refutes this.

Question: What was their purpose in this proposal, given that they were the most cunning and obstinate of people?

Answer: Deceit and guile. As for the proposal to replace one Qur’an with another, it implies: "It is from you, and you are capable of its like, so replace it with another." As for the proposal to change and alter, it was out of greed and to test the situation. If they found him changing it, either Allah would destroy him—and they would be rid of him—or He would not destroy him, in which case they would mock him and use the change as an argument against him to prove his fabrication against Allah.

"Say, 'If Allah had willed, I would not have recited it to you, nor would He have made it known to you. For I had remained among you a lifetime before it. Then will you not reason?'"