Surah Al-Anfal 8:31

The Quraysh claimed They can produce Something similar to the Qur'an

Allah describes the disbelief, transgression, rebellion, as well as misguided statements that the pagans of Quraysh used to utter when they heard Allah's Ayat being recited to them,

قَدْ سَمِعْنَا لَوْ نَشَآءُ لَقُلْنَا مِثْلَ هَـذَآ

("We have heard (the Qur'an); if we wish we can say the like of this.")

They boasted with their words, but not with their actions. They were challenged several times to bring even one chapter like the Qur'an, and they had no way to meet this challenge. They only boasted in order to deceive themselves and those who followed their falsehood. It was said that An-Nadr bin Al-Harith, may Allah curse him, was the one who said this, according to Sa`id bin Jubayr, As-Suddi, Ibn Jurayj and others. An-Nadr visited Persia and learned the stories of some Persian kings, such as Rustum and Isphandiyar. When he went back to Makkah, He found that the Prophet was sent from Allah and reciting the Qur'an to the people. Whenever the Prophet would leave an audience in which An-Nadr was sitting, An-Nadr began narrating to them the stories that he learned in Persia, proclaiming afterwards, "Who, by Allah, has better tales to narrate, I or Muhammad" When Allah allowed the Muslims to capture An-Nadr in Badr, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ commanded that his head be cut off before him, and that was done, all thanks are due to Allah. The meaning of,

أَسَـطِيرُ الاٌّوَّلِينَ

(. ..tales of the ancients) meaning that the Prophet has plagiarized and learned books of ancient people, and this is what he narrated to people, as they claimed. This is the pure falsehood that Allah mentioned in another Ayah,

وَقَالُواْ أَسَـطِيرُ الاٌّوَّلِينَ اكْتَتَبَهَا فَهِىَ تُمْلَى عَلَيْهِ بُكْرَةً وَأَصِيلاً - قُلْ أَنزَلَهُ الَّذِى يَعْلَمُ السِّرَّ فِى السَّمَـوَتِ وَالاٌّرْضِ إِنَّهُ كَانَ غَفُوراً رَّحِيماً

(And they say: "Tales of the ancients, which he has written down:, and they are dictated to him morning and afternoon." Say: "It (this Qur'an) has been sent down by Him (Allah) Who knows the secret of the heavens and the earth. Truly, He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.") 25:5-6 for those who repent and return to Him, He accepts repentance from them and forgives them.

The Idolators ask for Allah's Judgment and Torment!

Allah said,

وَإِذْ قَالُواْ اللَّهُمَّ إِن كَانَ هَـذَا هُوَ الْحَقَّ مِنْ عِندِكَ فَأَمْطِرْ عَلَيْنَا حِجَارَةً مِّنَ السَّمَآءِ أَوِ ائْتِنَا بِعَذَابٍ أَلِيمٍ

(And (remember) when they said: "O Allah! If this (the Qur'an) is indeed the truth (revealed) from You, then rain down stones on us from the sky or bring on us a painful torment.")

This is indicative of the pagans' enormous ignorance, denial, stubbornness and transgression. They should have said, "O Allah! If this is the truth from You, then guide us to it and help us follow it." However, they brought Allah's judgment on themselves and asked for His punishment. Allah said in other Ayat,

وَيَسْتَعْجِلُونَكَ بِالْعَذَابِ وَلَوْلاَ أَجَلٌ مُّسَمًّى لَّجَآءَهُمُ الْعَذَابُ وَلَيَأْتِيَنَّهُمْ بَغْتَةً وَهُمْ لاَ يَشْعُرُونَ

(And they ask you to hasten on the torment (for them), and had it not been for a term appointed, the torment would certainly have come to them. And surely, it will come upon them suddenly while they perceive not!) 29:53,

وَقَالُواْ رَبَّنَا عَجِّل لَّنَا قِطَّنَا قَبْلَ يَوْمِ الْحِسَابِ

(They say: "Our Lord! Hasten to us Qittana (our record of good and bad deeds so that we may see it) before the Day of Reckoning!") 38:16, and,

سَأَلَ سَآئِلٌ بِعَذَابٍ وَاقِعٍ - لِّلْكَـفِرِينَ لَيْسَ لَهُ دَافِعٌ - مِّنَ اللَّهِ ذِي الْمَعَارِجِ

(A questioner asked concerning a torment about to befall. Upon the disbelievers, which none can avert. From Allah, the Lord of the ways of ascent.) 70:1-3

The ignorant ones in ancient times said similar things. The people of Shu`ayb said to him,

فَأَسْقِطْ عَلَيْنَا كِسَفاً مِّنَ السَّمَآءِ إِن كُنتَ مِنَ الصَّـدِقِينَ

("So cause a piece of the heaven to fall on us, if you are of the truthful!")26:187 while the pagans of Quraysh said,

اللَّهُمَّ إِن كَانَ هَـذَا هُوَ الْحَقَّ مِنْ عِندِكَ فَأَمْطِرْ عَلَيْنَا حِجَارَةً مِّنَ السَّمَآءِ أَوِ ائْتِنَا بِعَذَابٍ أَلِيمٍ

("O Allah! If this (the Qur'an) is indeed the truth (revealed) from You, then rain down stones on us from the sky or bring on us a painful torment.")

Shu`bah said from `Abdul-Hamid that Anas bin Malik said that it was Abu Jahl bin Hisham who uttered this statement,

اللَّهُمَّ إِن كَانَ هَـذَا هُوَ الْحَقَّ مِنْ عِندِكَ فَأَمْطِرْ عَلَيْنَا حِجَارَةً مِّنَ السَّمَآءِ أَوِ ائْتِنَا بِعَذَابٍ أَلِيمٍ

("O Allah! If this (the Qur'an) is indeed the truth (revealed) from You, then rain down stones on us from the sky or bring on us a painful torment.")

So Allah revealed this Ayah,

وَمَا كَانَ اللَّهُ لِيُعَذِّبَهُمْ وَأَنتَ فِيهِمْ وَمَا كَانَ اللَّهُ مُعَذِّبَهُمْ وَهُمْ يَسْتَغْفِرُونَ

(And Allah would not punish them while you are among them, nor will He punish them while they seek (Allah's) forgiveness.)

Al-Bukhari recorded it.

The Presence of the Prophet , and the Idolators' asking For forgiveness, were the Shelters against receiving Allah's immediateTorment

Allah said,

وَمَا كَانَ اللَّهُ لِيُعَذِّبَهُمْ وَأَنتَ فِيهِمْ وَمَا كَانَ اللَّهُ مُعَذِّبَهُمْ وَهُمْ يَسْتَغْفِرُونَ

(And Allah would not punish them while you are among them, nor will He punish them while they seek (Allah's) forgiveness.)

Ibn Abi Hatim recorded that Ibn `Abbas said, "Pagans used to go around the House in Tawaf and proclaim, `We rush to Your obedience, O Allah, there is no partner with You,' and the Prophet would tell them,

«قَدٍ، قَد»

(Enough, enough.) But they would go on, `We rush to Your obedience, O Allah, there is no partner with You except a partner who is with You, You own Him but he does not own! They also used to say, `O Allah, Your forgiveness, Your forgiveness.' Allah revealed this verse;

وَمَا كَانَ اللَّهُ لِيُعَذِّبَهُمْ وَأَنتَ فِيهِمْ

(And Allah would not punish them while you are among them...)"'

Ibn `Abbas commented, "They had two safety shelters: the Prophet , and their seeking forgiveness (from Allah). The Prophet went away, and only seeking forgiveness remained." At-Tirmidhi recorded that Abu Musa said that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said,

«أَنْزَلَ اللهُ عَلَيَّ أَمَانَيْنِ لِأُمَّتِي»

("Allah sent down to me two safe shelters for the benefit of my Ummah)

وَمَا كَانَ اللَّهُ لِيُعَذِّبَهُمْ وَأَنتَ فِيهِمْ وَمَا كَانَ اللَّهُ مُعَذِّبَهُمْ وَهُمْ يَسْتَغْفِرُونَ

(And Allah would not punish them while you are among them, nor will He punish them while they seek (Allah's) forgiveness.)

«فَإِذَا مَضَيْتُ تَرَكْتُ فِيهِمُ الْاسْتِغْفَارَ إِلَى يَومِ الْقِيَامَة»

(When I die, I will leave the seeking of forgiveness with them, until the Day of Resurrection.)

What testifies to this Hadith, is the Hadith that Ahmad recorded in his Musnad and Al-Hakim in his Mustadrak, that Abu Sa`id narrated that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said,

«إِنَّ الشَّيْطَانَ قَالَ: وَعِزَّتِكَ يَا رَبِّ لَا أَبْرَحُ أَغْوِي عِبَادَكَ مَا دَامَتْ أَرْوَاحُهُمْ فِي أَجْسَادِهِمْ. فَقَالَ الرَّبُّ: وَعِزَّتِي وَجَلَالِي لَا أَزَالُ أَغْفِرُ لَهُمْ مَا اسْتَغْفَرُونِي»

(Shaytan said, `By Your might, O Lord! I will go on luring Your servants as long as their souls are still in their bodies.' The Lord said, `By My might and majesty! I will keep forgiving them, as long as they keep invoking Me for forgiveness.')

Al-Hakim, "Its chain is Sahih and they did not record it."

Allah menjelaskan keingkaran orang-orang Quraisy serta kesombongan mereka terhadap seruan Nabi, terutama ketika mendengar ayat-ayat yang dibacakan oleh Nabi. Mereka menanggapinya dengan sikap yang sombong. Mereka menganggap diri mereka dapat membacakan seperti itu. Perkataan ini adalah perkataan yang ditandaskan oleh an-Nadhar bin al-Haris dari Bani Abdid Dar. Ia pulang pergi ke Persia dan mendengar dari mereka tentang Rustam dan Isfandiar dari beberapa orang ajam yang terkemuka. Dia sering bertemu dengan orang-orang Yahudi dan Nasrani, maka dia mendengar dari mereka isi Kitab Taurat dan Injil.

Lalu Allah menerangkan sebab-sebab mengapa orang-orang Quraisy itu mengemukakan anggapan demikian, yaitu lantaran mereka menganggap ayat-ayat Al-Quran yang dibacakan Nabi Muhammad dan pengikut-pengikutnya menyerupai kisah-kisah yang terdapat dalam Kitab Taurat dan Injil. Itulah sebabnya, mengapa mereka merasa sanggup untuk membacakan ayat-ayat yang dibacakan oleh Nabi. Mereka beranggapan bahwa ayat-ayat yang dibaca oleh Muhammad itu bukanlah wahyu, melainkan dongengan-dongengan orang-orang purbakala.

Namun demikian, boleh jadi yang mengeluarkan kata-kata itu ialah an-Nadhar, kemudian diikuti oleh yang lain. Tetapi mereka itu tidak meyakini bahwa ayat-ayat yang dibaca itu adalah dongengan-dongengan orang-orang dahulu, yang bersimpang-siur dan tidak pula beranggapan bahwa Muhammad yang membuat-buatnya, karena mereka tidak pernah menuduh Muhammad seorang pendusta.

Allah berfirman:

Karena sebenarnya mereka bukan mendustakan engkau, tetapi orang yang zalim itu mengingkari ayat-ayat Allah. (al-Anam/6: 33)

Dan firman Allah:

Dan mereka berkata, "(Itu hanya) dongeng-dongeng orang terdahulu, yang diminta agar dituliskan, lalu dibacakanlah dongeng itu kepadanya setiap pagi dan petang." (al-Furqan/25: 5)

Sebenarnya mereka bukan tidak meyakini kebenaran ayat-ayat itu, karena mereka sebenarnya telah mengetahui bahwa Nabi Muhammad itu adalah ummi, tetapi mereka mengatakan demikian itu hanyalah untuk merintangi orang-orang agar tidak mau mendengarkan Al-Quran.

Ada pula yang beranggapan bahwa pemimpin-pemimpin Quraisy seperti an-Nadhar bin al-Haris, Abu Jahal, dan al-Walid bin Mugirah sama-sama bersepakat untuk menyuruh orang agar tidak mendengarkan Al-Quran. Kemudian mereka datang ke rumah Nabi pada waktu malam untuk mendengarkannya dan mereka tertarik kepada Al-Quran itu. Karena begitu berkesannya bacaan Al-Quran pada hati mereka sehingga al-Walid bin Mugirah mengucapkan kata-kata yang terkenal, "Sesungguhnya Al-Quran bernilai tinggi". Itulah sebabnya mereka menghalang-halangi orang-orang Arab mendengarkan ayat-ayat Al-Quran dan menjauhkan orang-orang Arab dari Al-Quran, mereka mengatakan bahwa Al-Quran itu sihir.