Yunus 10:20
Jonah · Juz 11 · Page 210
وَيَقُولُونَ لَوۡلَآ أُنزِلَ عَلَيۡهِ ءَايَةٞ مِّن رَّبِّهِۦۖ فَقُلۡ إِنَّمَا ٱلۡغَيۡبُ لِلَّهِ فَٱنتَظِرُوٓاْ إِنِّي مَعَكُم مِّنَ ٱلۡمُنتَظِرِينَ ٢٠
And they say, "Why is a sign not sent down to him from his Lord?" So say, "The unseen is only for Allāh [to administer], so wait; indeed, I am with you among those who wait."
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Ibn Kathir (abridged)
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Commentary on 10:20
The Idolators requested a Miracle
These stubborn, lying disbelievers said, "Why would not a sign be revealed to Muhammad ﷺ from his Lord." They meant a sign such as given to Salih. Allah sent the she-camel to Thamud. They wanted Allah to change the mount of As-Safa into gold or remove the mountains of Makkah and replace them with gardens and rivers. Allah is capable of doing all of that, but He is All-Wise in His actions and statements. Allah said:
تَبَارَكَ الَّذِى إِن شَآءَ جَعَلَ لَكَ خَيْراً مِّن ذلِكَ جَنَّتٍ تَجْرِى مِن تَحْتِهَا الاٌّنْهَرُ وَيَجْعَل لَّكَ قُصُوراً - بَلْ كَذَّبُواْ بِالسَّاعَةِ وَأَعْتَدْنَا لِمَن كَذَّبَ بِالسَّاعَةِ سَعِيراً
(Blessed be He Who, if He wills, will assign you better than (all) that -- Gardens under which rivers flow (Paradise) and will assign you palaces (in Paradise). Nay, they deny the Hour, and for those who deny the Hour, We have prepared a flaming Fire.)25:10-11 He also said:
وَمَا مَنَعَنَآ أَن نُّرْسِلَ بِالاٌّيَتِ إِلاَّ أَن كَذَّبَ بِهَا الاٌّوَّلُونَ
(And nothing stops Us from sending the Ayat but that the people of old denied them.) 17:59 Allah's way of dealing with His creatures is that He would give to them if they asked things from Him. But if they then didn't believe He would expedite punishment for them. When Allah's Messenger ﷺ was given the choice of Allah giving the people what they requested but if they didn't believe they would be punished, or that their request would not be answered immediately, Allah's Messenger ﷺ chose the latter. Allah guided His Prophet to answer their question by saying:
فَقُلْ إِنَّمَا الْغَيْبُ للَّهِ
(Say: "The Unseen belongs only to Allah...") This Ayah means that the matter in its entirety is for Allah. He is well aware of the outcome of all matters.
فَانتَظِرُواْ إِنِّى مَعَكُم مِّنَ الْمُنتَظِرِينَ
("...so wait you, verily, I am with you among those who wait.") If you would not believe unless you witness that which you asked for, then wait for Allah's judgement for me, as well as for yourselves. Nonetheless, they had witnessed some of the signs and miracles of the Prophet , which were even greater than what they had asked for. In their presence, the Prophet pointed to the moon when it was full and it split into two parts, one part behind the mountain and the other before them. If they were seeking the guidance and firm knowledge by asking for signs, Allah would have known that and would have granted them what had been requested. But Allah knew that it was their obstinacy that was behind their request. Therefore Allah left them to suffer in their suspicion and doubt. Allah knew that none of them would believe. This is similar to Allah's statements:
إِنَّ الَّذِينَ حَقَّتْ عَلَيْهِمْ كَلِمَةُ رَبِّكَ لاَ يُؤْمِنُونَ وَلَوْ جَآءَتْهُمْ كُلُّ ءايَةٍ
(Truly, those, against whom the Word (Wrath) of your Lord has been justified, will not believe. Even if every sign should come to them.)10:96-97 and;
وَلَوْ أَنَّنَا نَزَّلْنَآ إِلَيْهِمُ الْمَلَئِكَةَ وَكَلَّمَهُمُ الْمَوْتَى وَحَشَرْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ كُلَّ شَىْءٍ قُبُلاً مَّا كَانُواْ لِيُؤْمِنُواْ إِلاَّ أَن يَشَآءَ اللَّهُ
(And even if We had sent down unto them angels, and the dead had spoken unto them, and We had gathered together all things before their very eyes, they would not have believed, unless Allah willed.)6:111 This was in addition to their arrogance. As Allah said in another Ayah:
وَلَوْ فَتَحْنَا عَلَيْهِم بَاباً مِّنَ السَّمَاءِ
(And even if We opened to them a gate from the heaven.) 15:14 And He said:
وَإِن يَرَوْاْ كِسْفاً مِّنَ السَّمَآءِ سَقِطاً
(And if they were to see a piece of the heaven falling down.)52:44 He also said:
وَلَوْ نَزَّلْنَا عَلَيْكَ كِتَباً فِى قِرْطَاسٍ فَلَمَسُوهُ بِأَيْدِيهِمْ لَقَالَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ إِنْ هَذَآ إِلاَّ سِحْرٌ مُّبِينٌ
(And even if We had sent down unto you (O Muhammad) a Message written on paper so that they could touch it with their hands, the disbelievers would have said: `This is nothing but obvious magic!')6:7 Such people don't deserve to have their requests answered, for there is no benefit in answering them. These people are obstinate and stubborn as a result of their corruption and immorality. Therefore Allah told His Messenger to say:
فَانتَظِرُواْ إِنِّى مَعَكُم مِّنَ الْمُنتَظِرِينَ
(So wait you, verily, I am with you among those who wait.)
Page 210
10:15
وَإِذَا تُتۡلَىٰ عَلَيۡهِمۡ ءَايَاتُنَا بَيِّنَٰتٖ قَالَ ٱلَّذِينَ لَا يَرۡجُونَ لِقَآءَنَا ٱئۡتِ بِقُرۡءَانٍ غَيۡرِ هَٰذَآ أَوۡ بَدِّلۡهُۚ قُلۡ مَا يَكُونُ لِيٓ أَنۡ أُبَدِّلَهُۥ مِن تِلۡقَآيِٕ نَفۡسِيٓۖ إِنۡ أَتَّبِعُ إِلَّا مَا يُوحَىٰٓ إِلَيَّۖ إِنِّيٓ أَخَافُ إِنۡ عَصَيۡتُ رَبِّي عَذَابَ يَوۡمٍ عَظِيمٖ ١٥
And when Our verses are recited to them as clear evidences, those who do not expect the meeting with Us say, "Bring us a Qur’ān other than this or change it." Say, [O Muḥammad], "It is not for me to change it on my own accord. I only follow what is revealed to me. Indeed I fear, if I should disobey my Lord, the punishment of a tremendous Day."
10:16
قُل لَّوۡ شَآءَ ٱللَّهُ مَا تَلَوۡتُهُۥ عَلَيۡكُمۡ وَلَآ أَدۡرَىٰكُم بِهِۦۖ فَقَدۡ لَبِثۡتُ فِيكُمۡ عُمُرٗا مِّن قَبۡلِهِۦٓۚ أَفَلَا تَعۡقِلُونَ ١٦
Say, "If Allāh 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.1 Then will you not reason?"
1 translator’s note
- The Prophet (ﷺ) lived among his people forty years before receiving any revelation. ↩
10:17
فَمَنۡ أَظۡلَمُ مِمَّنِ ٱفۡتَرَىٰ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ كَذِبًا أَوۡ كَذَّبَ بِـَٔايَٰتِهِۦٓۚ إِنَّهُۥ لَا يُفۡلِحُ ٱلۡمُجۡرِمُونَ ١٧
So who is more unjust than he who invents a lie about Allāh or denies His signs? Indeed, the criminals will not succeed.
10:18
وَيَعۡبُدُونَ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ مَا لَا يَضُرُّهُمۡ وَلَا يَنفَعُهُمۡ وَيَقُولُونَ هَٰٓؤُلَآءِ شُفَعَٰٓؤُنَا عِندَ ٱللَّهِۚ قُلۡ أَتُنَبِّـُٔونَ ٱللَّهَ بِمَا لَا يَعۡلَمُ فِي ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَلَا فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِۚ سُبۡحَٰنَهُۥ وَتَعَٰلَىٰ عَمَّا يُشۡرِكُونَ ١٨
And they worship other than Allāh that which neither harms them nor benefits them, and they say, "These are our intercessors with Allāh." Say, "Do you inform Allāh of something He does not know in the heavens or on the earth?" Exalted is He and high above what they associate with Him.
10:19
وَمَا كَانَ ٱلنَّاسُ إِلَّآ أُمَّةٗ وَٰحِدَةٗ فَٱخۡتَلَفُواْۚ وَلَوۡلَا كَلِمَةٞ سَبَقَتۡ مِن رَّبِّكَ لَقُضِيَ بَيۡنَهُمۡ فِيمَا فِيهِ يَخۡتَلِفُونَ ١٩
And mankind was not but one community [united in religion], but [then] they differed. And if not for a word1 that preceded from your Lord, it would have been judged between them [immediately] concerning that over which they differ.
1 translator’s note
- Allāh's decree to allow time on earth for His creation or not to punish anyone before evidence has come to him. ↩
10:20
وَيَقُولُونَ لَوۡلَآ أُنزِلَ عَلَيۡهِ ءَايَةٞ مِّن رَّبِّهِۦۖ فَقُلۡ إِنَّمَا ٱلۡغَيۡبُ لِلَّهِ فَٱنتَظِرُوٓاْ إِنِّي مَعَكُم مِّنَ ٱلۡمُنتَظِرِينَ ٢٠
And they say, "Why is a sign not sent down to him from his Lord?" So say, "The unseen is only for Allāh [to administer], so wait; indeed, I am with you among those who wait."