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Surah Al-A'raf, Ayah 203 (7:203)

ٱلْأَعْرَاف

وَإِذَا لَمْ تَأْتِهِم بَِٔايَةٍ قَالُوا۟ لَوْلَا ٱجْتَبَيْتَهَا ۚ قُلْ إِنَّمَآ أَتَّبِعُ مَا يُوحَىٰٓ …

Quran 7:203 is ayah 203 of Surah Al-A'raf (“The Heights”), a Meccan surah of 206 ayahs. It is in Juz 9, on page 176 of the Madani Mushaf.

7:203
وَإِذَالَمْتَأْتِهِمبَِٔايَةٍقَالُوا۟لَوْلَاٱجْتَبَيْتَهَا ۚقُلْإِنَّمَآأَتَّبِعُمَايُوحَىٰٓإِلَىَّمِنرَّبِّى ۚهَٰذَابَصَآئِرُمِنرَّبِّكُمْوَهُدًىوَرَحْمَةٌلِّقَوْمٍيُؤْمِنُونَ٢٠٣
wa-idhā lam tatihim biāyatin qālū lawlā ij'tabaytahā qul innamā attabiʿu mā yūḥā ilayya min rabbī hādhā baṣāiru min rabbikum wahudan waraḥmatun liqawmin yu'minūna

And when you, [O Muḥammad], do not bring them a sign [i.e., miracle], they say, "Why have you not contrived it?" Say, "I only follow what is revealed to me from my Lord. This [Qur’ān] is enlightenment from your Lord and guidance and mercy for a people who believe."(203)

Word by word

  1. وَإِذَاwa-idhāAnd when
  2. لَمْlamnot
  3. تَأْتِهِمtatihimyou bring them
  4. بَِٔايَةٍbiāyatina Sign
  5. قَالُوا۟qālūthey say
  6. لَوْلَاlawlāWhy (have) not
  7. ٱجْتَبَيْتَهَا ۚij'tabaytahāyou devised it
  8. قُلْqulSay
  9. إِنَّمَآinnamāOnly
  10. أَتَّبِعُattabiʿuI follow
  11. مَاmāwhat
  12. يُوحَىٰٓyūḥāis revealed
  13. إِلَىَّilayyato me
  14. مِنminfrom
  15. رَّبِّى ۚrabbīmy Lord
  16. هَٰذَاhādhāThis (is)
  17. بَصَآئِرُbaṣāiruenlightenment
  18. مِنminfrom
  19. رَّبِّكُمْrabbikumyour Lord
  20. وَهُدًىwahudanand guidance
  21. وَرَحْمَةٌwaraḥmatunand mercy
  22. لِّقَوْمٍliqawminfor a people
  23. يُؤْمِنُونَyu'minūnawho believe

Tafsir (commentary) of 7:203

Available in English, Bengali, Urdu, Arabic, Russian.

English · EnglishTafsir Ibn Kathir (Abridged) — Hafiz Ibn Kathir

Idolators ask to witness Miracles

`Ali bin Abi Talhah reported that Ibn `Abbas commented on Allah's statement,

قَالُواْ لَوْلاَ اجْتَبَيْتَهَا

(they say, "Why have you not brought it") "They say, `Why have you not received a miracle"', or, "Why have you not initiated or made it" Ibn Jarir reported that, `Abdullah bin Kathir said that Mujahid said about Allah's statement,

وَإِذَا لَمْ تَأْتِهِم بِـَايَةٍ قَالُواْ لَوْلاَ اجْتَبَيْتَهَا

(And if you do not bring them a miracle, they say: "Why have you not brought it") "They say, `Produce a miracle of your own."' Qatadah, As-Suddi, `Abdur-Rahman bin Zayd bin Aslam and Ibn Jarir agreed with this. Allah said next,

وَإِذَا لَمْ تَأْتِهِم بِـَايَةٍ

(And if you do not bring them an Ayah) a miracle or a sign. Similarly, Allah said,

إِن نَّشَأْ نُنَزِّلْ عَلَيْهِمْ مِّنَ السَّمَآءِ ءَايَةً فَظَلَّتْ أَعْنَـقُهُمْ لَهَا خَـضِعِينَ

(If We will, We could send down to them from the heaven a sign, to which they would bend their necks in humility.) 26:4 The pagans asked the Prophet, why did you not strive hard to bring us an Ayah (miracle) from Allah so that we witness it and believe in it. Allah said to him,

قُلْ إِنَّمَآ أَتَّبِعُ مَا يِوحَى إِلَىَّ مِن رَّبِّى

(Say: "I but follow what is revealed to me from my Lord.") I do not ask such things of my Lord. I only follow what He reveals and commands me. Therefore, if Allah sends a miracle, I will accept it. Otherwise, I will not ask for it unless He allows me. Certainly, Allah is Most Wise, the All-Knower. Allah next directs the servants to the fact that this Qur'an is the most powerful miracle, clearest evidence and most true proof and explanation, saying,

هَـذَا بَصَآئِرُ مِن رَّبِّكُمْ وَهُدًى وَرَحْمَةً لِّقَوْمٍ يُؤْمِنُونَ

(This (the Qur'an) is nothing but evidences from your Lord, and a guidance and a mercy for a people who believe.)

Read the full Surah Al-A'raf