بِسۡمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
Al-Hijr 15:8
The Rocky Tract · Juz 14 · Page 262
مَا نُنَزِّلُ ٱلۡمَلَٰٓئِكَةَ إِلَّا بِٱلۡحَقِّ وَمَا كَانُوٓاْ إِذٗا مُّنظَرِينَ ٨
We do not send down the angels except with truth;1 and they [i.e., the disbelievers] would not then be reprieved.
1 translator’s note
- i.e., with a message or, as the conclusion of the verse suggests, to carry out a promised punishment. ↩
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Commentary on 15:6–9
The Accusation that the Prophet was a Madman and Demands for Him to bring down Angels
Allah tells us about the disbelief, arrogance and stubbornness of the disbelievers as reflected in their words:
يأَيُّهَا الَّذِى نُزِّلَ عَلَيْهِ الذِّكْرُ
(O you (Muhammad) to whom the Dhikr (the Qur'an) has been revealed!) i.e., the one who claims to receive it.
إِنَّكَ لَمَجْنُونٌ
(Verily, you are a mad man!) i.e., by your invitation to us to follow you and leave the way of our forefathers.
لَّوْ مَا تَأْتِينَا بِالْمَلَئِكَةِ
(Why do you not bring angels to us) i.e., to bear witness to the accuracy of what you have brought to us is true, if you are really telling the truth This is similar to what Pharaoh said:
فَلَوْلاَ أُلْقِىَ عَلَيْهِ أَسْوِرَةٌ مِّن ذَهَبٍ أَوْ جَآءَ مَعَهُ الْمَلَئِكَةُ مُقْتَرِنِينَ
(Why then are not golden bracelets bestowed on him, or angels sent along with him)(43:53). And Allah said:
وَقَالَ الَّذِينَ لاَ يَرْجُونَ لِقَآءَنَا لَوْلاَ أُنزِلَ عَلَيْنَا الْمَلَئِكَةُ أَوْ نَرَى رَبَّنَا لَقَدِ اسْتَكْبَرُواْ فِى أَنفُسِهِمْ وَعَتَوْا عُتُوّاً كَبِيراً - يَوْمَ يَرَوْنَ الْمَلَئِكَةَ لاَ بُشْرَى يَوْمَئِذٍ لِّلْمُجْرِمِينَ وَيَقُولُونَ حِجْراً مَّحْجُوراً
(And those who do not expect a meeting with Us (i. e., those who deny the Day of Resurrection and the life of the Hereafter), say: "Why are not the angels sent down to us, or why do we not see our Lord" Indeed they think too highly of themselves, and are scornful with great pride. On the Day that they do see the angels - there will be no good news given on that day to the guilty. And they (angels) will say: "All kinds of glad tidings are forbidden for you.") (25:21-22) For this reason Allah said:
مَا نُنَزِّلُ الْمَلَئِكَةَ إِلاَّ بِالحَقِّ وَمَا كَانُواْ إِذًا مُّنظَرِينَ
(We do not send the angels down except with the truth, and in that case, they (the disbelievers) would have no respite!) Mujahid said in this Ayah:
مَا نُنَزِّلُ الْمَلَئِكَةَ إِلاَّ بِالحَقِّ
(We do not send the angels down except with the truth) "i.e., with the Message and the punishment." Then Allah, may He be exalted, stated that He is the One Who revealed the Dhikr to him, which is the Qur'an, and He is protecting it from being changed or altered.
Page 262
15:1
الٓرۚ تِلۡكَ ءَايَٰتُ ٱلۡكِتَٰبِ وَقُرۡءَانٖ مُّبِينٖ ١
Alif, Lām, Rā.1 These are the verses of the Book and a clear Qur’ān [i.e., recitation].
1 translator’s note
- See footnote to 2:1. ↩
15:2
رُّبَمَا يَوَدُّ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ لَوۡ كَانُواْ مُسۡلِمِينَ ٢
Perhaps those who disbelieve will wish1 that they had been Muslims.
1 translator’s note
- On the Day of Judgement or at the time of death. ↩
15:3
ذَرۡهُمۡ يَأۡكُلُواْ وَيَتَمَتَّعُواْ وَيُلۡهِهِمُ ٱلۡأَمَلُۖ فَسَوۡفَ يَعۡلَمُونَ ٣
Let them eat and enjoy themselves and be diverted by [false] hope, for they are going to know.
15:4
وَمَآ أَهۡلَكۡنَا مِن قَرۡيَةٍ إِلَّا وَلَهَا كِتَابٞ مَّعۡلُومٞ ٤
And We did not destroy any city but that for it was a known decree.
15:5
مَّا تَسۡبِقُ مِنۡ أُمَّةٍ أَجَلَهَا وَمَا يَسۡتَـٔۡخِرُونَ ٥
No nation will precede its term, nor will they remain thereafter.
15:6
وَقَالُواْ يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِي نُزِّلَ عَلَيۡهِ ٱلذِّكۡرُ إِنَّكَ لَمَجۡنُونٞ ٦
And they say, "O you upon whom the message has been sent down, indeed you are mad.1
1 translator’s note
- Literally, "possessed by jinn." ↩
15:7
لَّوۡمَا تَأۡتِينَا بِٱلۡمَلَٰٓئِكَةِ إِن كُنتَ مِنَ ٱلصَّٰدِقِينَ ٧
Why do you not bring us the angels, if you should be among the truthful?"
15:8
مَا نُنَزِّلُ ٱلۡمَلَٰٓئِكَةَ إِلَّا بِٱلۡحَقِّ وَمَا كَانُوٓاْ إِذٗا مُّنظَرِينَ ٨
We do not send down the angels except with truth;1 and they [i.e., the disbelievers] would not then be reprieved.
1 translator’s note
- i.e., with a message or, as the conclusion of the verse suggests, to carry out a promised punishment. ↩
15:9
إِنَّا نَحۡنُ نَزَّلۡنَا ٱلذِّكۡرَ وَإِنَّا لَهُۥ لَحَٰفِظُونَ ٩
Indeed, it is We who sent down the message [i.e., the Qur’ān], and indeed, We will be its guardian.
15:10
وَلَقَدۡ أَرۡسَلۡنَا مِن قَبۡلِكَ فِي شِيَعِ ٱلۡأَوَّلِينَ ١٠
And We had certainly sent [messengers] before you, [O Muḥammad], among the sects of the former peoples.
15:11
وَمَا يَأۡتِيهِم مِّن رَّسُولٍ إِلَّا كَانُواْ بِهِۦ يَسۡتَهۡزِءُونَ ١١
And no messenger would come to them except that they ridiculed him.
15:12
كَذَٰلِكَ نَسۡلُكُهُۥ فِي قُلُوبِ ٱلۡمُجۡرِمِينَ ١٢
Thus do We insert it [i.e., denial] into the hearts of the criminals.
15:13
لَا يُؤۡمِنُونَ بِهِۦ وَقَدۡ خَلَتۡ سُنَّةُ ٱلۡأَوَّلِينَ ١٣
They will not believe in it, while there has already occurred the precedent of the former peoples.
15:14
وَلَوۡ فَتَحۡنَا عَلَيۡهِم بَابٗا مِّنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ فَظَلُّواْ فِيهِ يَعۡرُجُونَ ١٤
And [even] if We opened to them a gate from the heaven and they continued therein to ascend,
15:15
لَقَالُوٓاْ إِنَّمَا سُكِّرَتۡ أَبۡصَٰرُنَا بَلۡ نَحۡنُ قَوۡمٞ مَّسۡحُورُونَ ١٥
They would say, "Our eyes have only been dazzled. Rather, we are a people affected by magic."
Translation: Saheeh International · Text and layout: Quran Foundation · Mushaf fonts: King Fahd Complex, provided by Quran Foundation · Privacy