Surah Al-Hijr 15:7
سُورَةُ الحِجۡرِ · Meccan · Verse 7 of 99
لَّوْ مَا تَأْتِينَا بِٱلْمَلَٰٓئِكَةِ إِن كُنتَ مِنَ ٱلصَّٰدِقِينَ
Translation
Why do you not bring us the angels, if you are telling the truth?’
English translation: M.A.S. Abdel Haleem.
Meaning and reflection
Wording
Surah Al-Hijr, verse 7 captures a moment of sharp challenge from the disbelievers to Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him. They address him in a derisive tone, asking: "Why don't you bring us the angels, if you are among the truthful?" To truly ponder this, let's look at the precise words they used.
The Challenging Demand
The verse opens with the Arabic phrase «لَّوْ مَا تَأْتِينَا بِٱلْمَلَٰٓئِكَةِ» (law mā ta'tīnā bil-malā'ikati). The particle «لو ما» (law mā) here is not a simple question. Scholars like al-Zamakhshari and Ibn Ashur explain it as a particle of "incitement" or "urging" (tahdeed or takhsees), similar to saying, "Why don't you...?" or "If only you would...!" It carries a tone of challenge and demand, rather than genuine inquiry. The disbelievers were not politely asking for a sign; they were sarcastically daring the Prophet, peace be upon him, to produce angels.
This demand for angels had two potential intentions in their minds, as al-Zamakhshari and al-Razi point out. First, they might have wanted angels to visibly testify to the Prophet's truthfulness and support his message. Second, they might have been impatiently demanding the angels of punishment, which the Prophet, peace be upon him, warned them about if they continued their disbelief. In either case, their request was not for guidance but for a spectacle that would force their hand or bring about swift judgment.
The Stronger Condition
The challenge concludes with «إِن كُنتَ مِنَ ٱلصَّٰدِقِينَ» (in kunta min al-saadiqīn), which means "if you are among the truthful ones." Ibn Ashur highlights the significance of this wording. It is much stronger than merely saying "if you are truthful." By using the phrase "from *among* the truthful," they are demanding that truthfulness be a defining characteristic, an inherent quality of the Prophet, peace be upon him. This makes their challenge more dismissive, implying that if he truly possessed this quality, he would readily produce the requested angels.
This demand for angels as "proof" for his alleged madness (as they called him "madman" in the preceding verse) reveals their arrogant mindset. They were not open to the Quran's message itself as proof; instead, they dictated their own terms, demanding a physical, dramatic manifestation of the unseen world. Their choice of words underscores their deep-seated rejection and mockery, revealing a closed heart that insisted on external, worldly criteria for belief, rather than reflecting on the profound words of Allah.
Sources: al-Zamakhshari (al-Kashshaf), al-Jalalayn, Ibn Ashur (al-Tahrir wa al-Tanwir), al-Jadwal fi I'rab al-Quran (Mahmud Safi), al-Razi (Mafatih al-Ghayb)
Topics that discuss this verse
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