6:7 Al-An'aam (The Cattle)

هذا إخبار من الله لرسوله عن شدة عناد الكافرين، وأنه ليس تكذيبهم لقصور فيما جئتهم به، ولا لجهل منهم بذلك، وإنما ذلك ظلم وبغي، لا حيلة لكم فيه، فقال: { وَلَوْ نَزَّلْنَا عَلَيْكَ كِتَابًا فِي قِرْطَاسٍ فَلَمَسُوهُ بِأَيْدِيهِمْ } وتيقنوه { لَقَالَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا } ظلما وعلوا { إِنْ هَذَا إِلَّا سِحْرٌ مُبِينٌ } فأي بينة أعظم من هذه البينة، وهذا قولهم الشنيع فيها، حيث كابروا المحسوس الذي لا يمكن مَن له أدنى مسكة مِن عقل دفعه؟\"

يقول تعالى مخبرا عن المشركين وعنادهم ومكابرتهم للحق ومباهتتهم ومنازعتهم فيه "ولو نزلنا عليك كتابا في قرطاس فلمسوه بأيديهم" أي عاينوه ورأوا نزوله وباشروا ذلك لقال "الذين كفروا إن هذا إلا سحر مبين" وهذا كما قال تعالى مخبرا عن مكابرتهم للمحسوسات "ولو فتحنا عليهم بابا من السماء فظلوا فيه يعرجون لقالوا إنما سكرت أبصارنا بل نحن قوم مسحورون" وكقوله تعالى "وإن يروا كسفا من السماء ساقطا يقولوا سحاب مركوم" .

Censuring the Rebellious and their Refusal to Accept Human Messengers

Allah describes the rebellion and stubbornness of the idolators in defying the truth and arguing against it,

وَلَوْ نَزَّلْنَا عَلَيْكَ كِتَـباً فِى قِرْطَاسٍ فَلَمَسُوهُ بِأَيْدِيهِمْ

(And even if We had sent down unto you a Message written on paper so that they could touch it with their hands,) meaning, if they saw this Message's descent and were eye- witnesses to that,

لَقَالَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ إِنْ هَـذَآ إِلاَّ سِحْرٌ مُّبِينٌ

(the disbelievers would have said: "This is nothing but obvious magic!") This is similar to Allah's description of the disbelievers' defiance of facts and truth,

وَلَوْ فَتَحْنَا عَلَيْهِم بَاباً مِّنَ السَّمَاءِ فَظَلُّواْ فِيهِ يَعْرُجُونَ - لَقَالُواْ إِنَّمَا سُكِّرَتْ أَبْصَـرُنَا بَلْ نَحْنُ قَوْمٌ مَّسْحُورُونَ

(And even if We opened to them a gate from the heaven and they were to continue ascending thereto. They would surely say: "Our eyes have been (as if) dazzled. Nay, we are a people bewitched.") 15:14-15, and,

وَإِن يَرَوْاْ كِسْفاً مِّنَ السَّمَآءِ سَـقِطاً يَقُولُواْ سَحَـبٌ مَّرْكُومٌ

(And if they were to see a piece of the heaven falling down, they would say, "Clouds gathered in heaps!") 52:44.

وَقَالُواْ لَوْلا أُنزِلَ عَلَيْهِ مَلَكٌ

(And they say: "Why has not an angel been sent down to him") to convey the Message with admonition along with him. Allah replied,

وَلَوْ أَنزَلْنَا مَلَكاً لَّقُضِىَ الاٌّمْرُ ثُمَّ لاَ يُنظَرُونَ

(Had We sent down an angel, the matter would have been judged at once, and no respite would be granted to them.) Consequently, even if the angels descend, while the disbelievers still had the same attitude, then the torment will surely befall them from Allah as a consequence. Allah said in other Ayat,

مَا نُنَزِّلُ الْمَلَـئِكَةَ إِلاَّ بِالحَقِّ وَمَا كَانُواْ إِذًا مُّنظَرِينَ

(We send not the angels down except with the truth (i.e. for torment, etc.), and in that case, they (the disbelievers) would have no respite!) 15:8, and,

يَوْمَ يَرَوْنَ الْمَلَـئِكَةَ لاَ بُشْرَى يَوْمَئِذٍ لِّلْمُجْرِمِينَ

(On the Day they will see the angels, no glad tidings will there be for the criminals that day.) 25:22 Allah's statement,

وَلَوْ جَعَلْنَـهُ مَلَكاً لَّجَعَلْنَـهُ رَجُلاً وَلَلَبَسْنَا عَلَيْهِم مَّا يَلْبِسُونَ

(And had We appointed him an angel, We indeed would have made him a man, and We would have certainly caused them confusion in a matter which they have already covered with confusion.) meaning, if We send an angel along with the human Messenger, or if We send an angel as a Messenger to mankind, he would be in the shape of a man so that they would be able to speak to him and benefit from his teachings. In this case, the angel (in the shape of a human) will also cause confusion for them, just as the confusion they caused themselves over accepting humans as Messengers! Allah said,

قُل لَوْ كَانَ فِى الاٌّرْضِ مَلَـئِكَةٌ يَمْشُونَ مُطْمَئِنِّينَ لَنَزَّلْنَا عَلَيْهِم مِّنَ السَّمَآءِ مَلَكًا رَّسُولاً

(Say: "If there were on the earth, angels walking about in peace and security, We should certainly have sent down for them from the heaven an angel as a Messenger.") 17:95 It is a mercy from Allah to His creation that He sends every type of creation, Messengers from among their kind, so that they are able to call their people to Allah, and their people able to talk to them, ask them and benefit from them. In another Ayah, Allah said;

لَقَدْ مَنَّ اللَّهُ عَلَى الْمُؤمِنِينَ إِذْ بَعَثَ فِيهِمْ رَسُولاً مِّنْ أَنفُسِهِمْ يَتْلُواْ عَلَيْهِمْ ءَايَـتِهِ وَيُزَكِّيهِمْ

(Indeed Allah conferred a great favor on the believers when He sent among them a Messenger from among themselves, reciting unto them His verses (the Qur'an), and purifying them.) 3:164 Ad-Dahhak said that Ibn `Abbas said about the Ayah 6:9 above, "If an angel was sent to them, he would come in the shape of a man. This is because they will not be able to look at the angel due to light."

وَلَلَبَسْنَا عَلَيْهِم مَّا يَلْبِسُونَ

(... and We would have certainly caused them confusion in a matter which they have already covered with confusion. ) meaning, We would confuse them over their confusion. And Al-Walibi reported Ibn `Abbas saying; "We brought doubts around them." Allah's statement,

وَلَقَدِ اسْتُهْزِىءَ بِرُسُلٍ مِّن قَبْلِكَ فَحَاقَ بِالَّذِينَ سَخِرُواْ مِنْهُمْ مَّا كَانُواْ بِهِ يَسْتَهْزِءُونَ

(And indeed Messengers were mocked before you, but their scoffers were surrounded by the very thing that they used to mock at.) comforts the Messenger concerning the denial of him by his people. The Ayah also promises the Messenger , and his believers, of Allah's victory and the good end in this life and the Hereafter. Allah said next,

قُلْ سِيرُواْ فِى الاٌّرْضِ ثُمَّ انْظُرُواْ كَيْفَ كَانَ عَـقِبَةُ الْمُكَذِّبِينَ

(Say: "Travel in the land and see what was the end of those who rejected truth.") meaning, contemplate about yourselves and think about the afflictions Allah struck the previous nations with, those who defied His Messengers and denied them. Allah sent torment, afflictions and punishment on them in this life, as well as the painful torment in the Hereafter, while saving His Messengers and believing servants.

And had We revealed to you a Scripture inscribed on parchment as they requested and had they then touched it with their hands — this is more powerful than saying ‘had they seen it with their eyes’ since it touch is more effective in eliminating doubt; the disbelievers would have said in disobedience and obduracy ‘This is nothing but manifest sorcery’.

The second verse (7) was revealed in the background of a particular event when ` Abdullah ibn Umaiyyah came up with a hostile demand before the Holy Prophet ﷺ by saying: ` I cannot believe in you until such time that I see you climbing all the way to the heavens and bringing a book from there before our eyes, in which it should be written in my name that I should attest to your prophethood.' And, on top of saying all this, he went on to even declare that he would still not be impressed enough by his accomplishing all that for he does not seem to be likely to convert to Islam anyway.

Strange are the ways of fate, for this very gentleman embraced Islam later on, and embraced it with such fervor and class that he became a winning warrior in the cause of Islam and received his Shahadah (martyrdom) in the Battle of Ta'if.

Such were the uncalled-for and hostile demands made and mocking and insulting dialogues inflicted on the Holy Prophet ﷺ especially when he himself was more affectionate for his people, more than their own parents could ever be to them. What effect these caustic bad manners would have made on his heart is something we cannot fathom. It can only be sensed by one who is consumed with the good of his people in the same manner as the blessed Prophet himself was.

Therefore, to comfort him, it was said that such demands from his antagonists were not being put forward for any useful purpose, nor did they want to follow it. They were a kind of people who would not stop at what they were demanding. Even if they were presented with far more clear proofs of their Prophet's veracity, they would still not believe. For example, if Allah were to send down, as they demanded, a written book from the heavens - and not only that they see it for them-selves that there is no sleight of hand or sight or magic, they may even physically touch it with their hands to make sure that they were not day-dreaming and that it was a reality - still, after all that, they would say nothing but: اَن ھٰذآ اِلَّا سِحرُ مُّبِینُ (This is nothing but sheer magic): This is because what they are saying comes from malice and hostility.

(Had we sent down unto thee (Muhammad) (actual) writing upon parchment�) [6:7]. Said al-Kalbi: �The idolaters of Mecca said: �O Muhammad, by Allah we will not believe until you bring us a book from Allah along with four angels with it, bearing witness that it is from Allah and that you are His messenger�, and so this verse was revealed�.