Chapter 30: Some of the objections which the Mushriks of

Makkah raised against the Prophet ﷺ, and their arrogance in persistently asking him ﷺ to provide a number of Signs and miracles, not for seeking guidance and rectitude but out of intransigence This is the reason that many of their demands or the things they were inclined towards were rejected and not fulfilled, because of the Knowledge of Allaah تعاىل about them that even if their wishes were fulfilled, and they were made to see and witness what they had desired, they would have still obstinately persisted in their transgression and misguidance, wandering blindly. Allaah تعاىل said: ﴿و أ ق س م وا ب اللَّـه ج ه د أ ْي اِن م ل ئ ن ج اء تـ ه م آي ة َّلَّيـ ؤ م ن ن ِب ا ۖ ق ل إ َّنَّ ا اْل ي ات ع ند اللَّـه ۖ و م ا ي ش ع ر ك م أ نـَّه ا إ ذ ا ج اء ت ّل يـ ؤ م ن ون * و نـ ق لِّب أ ف ئ د تـ ه م و أ ب ص ار ه م ك م ا ل يـ ؤ م ن وا ب ه أ وَّل م رَّة و ن ذ ر ه م ف ط غ ي اِن م يـ ع م ه ون * و ل و أ نـَّن ا نـ زَّل ن ا إ ل ي ه م ال م ال ئ ك ة و ك لَّم ه م ال م و ت ىى و ح ش ر ن ا ع ل ي ه م َّك ل ش ي ء ًقـ ب ال مَّا ك ان وا ل يـ ؤ م ن وا َّإ ّل أ ن ي ش اء اللَّـه َّو ل ـىك ن أ ك ثـ ر ه م َي ه ل ون﴾ {And they swear their strongest oaths by Allaah, that if there came to them a sign, they would surely believe therein. Say: “Signs are but with Allaah and what will make you (Muslims) perceive that (even) if it (the sign) came, they will not believe?” And We shall turn their hearts and their eyes away (from guidance), as they refused to believe therein for the first time, and We shall leave them in their trespass to wander blindly. 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 Allaah willed, but most of them behave ignorantly.} [Surah al-An`aam (6): 109-111] 204 204 [TN: In his Tafseer, Ibn Katheer رمحه اهلل mentioned a very good point regarding the Companions of the Prophet ﷺ, how they believed in him without asking for a miracle. Allaah تعاىل mentions about some of the favors He did for the Children of Israa’eel but how they still rebelled against Him تعاىل:

And Allaah تعاىل said: ﴿ َّإ ن الَّذ ين ح قَّت ع ل ي ه م ك ل م ت ر بِّك ّل يـ ؤ م ن ون * و ل و ج اء تـ ه م ُّك ل آي ة ح ّتَّى يـ ر و ا ال ع ذ اب اِّل ل يم﴾ {Truly! Those, against whom the Word (Wrath) of your Lord has been justified, will not believe. Even if every sign should come to them, - until they see the painful torment.} [Surah Yunus (10): 96-97] And Allaah تعاىل said: ﴿و م ا م نـ ع ن ا أ ن نـُّر س ل ب اْل ي ات َّإ ّل أ ن ك ذَّب ِب ا اِّل وَّل ون ۖ و آتـ يـ ن ا َث ود النَّاق ة ًم ب ص ر ة ف ظ ل م وا ِب ا ۖ و م ا نـ ر س ل ب اْل ي ات َّإ ّل َت و يفًا﴾ {And nothing stops Us from sending the Aayaat (proofs, signs) but that the people of old denied them. And We sent the she-camel to Thamood as a clear sign, but they did her wrong. And We sent not the signs except to warn, and to make them afraid (of destruction).} [Surah al-Israa’ (17): 59] And Allaah تعاىل said: {And We shaded you (O Children of Israaeel) with clouds and sent down on you al-Manna and al-Salwa, (saying): “Eat of the good lawful things We have provided for you,” (but they rebelled). And they did not wrong Us but they wronged themselves.} [Surah al-Baqarah (2): 57] Imaam Ibn Katheer رمحه اهلل commented in his Tafseer: “Here it is important to point out the virtue of Muhammad’s صلى اهلل عليه وسلم Companions over the companions of the other Prophets عليهم الصالة والسالم. This includes firmness in the religion, patience and the lack of arrogance رضي اهلل عنهم أمجعني. Although the Companions accompanied the Prophet صلى اهلل عليه وسلم in his travels and battles, such as during the battle of Tabook, in intense heat and hardship, they did not ask for a miracle, though this was easy for the Prophet صلى اهلل عليه وسلم by Allaah’s leave. And when the Companions became hungry, they merely asked the Prophet لى ص اهلل عليه وسلم - to invoke Allaah - for an increase in the amount of food. They collected whatever food they had and brought it to the Prophet صلى اهلل عليه وسلم, and he صلى اهلل عليه وسلم asked Allaah to bless it, told each of them to take some food, and they filled every pot they had. Also, when they needed rain, the Prophet صلى اهلل عليه وسلم asked Allaah to send down rain, and a rain cloud came. They drank, gave water to their camels and filled their water skins. When they looked around, they found that the cloud had only rained on their camp. This is the best example of those who were willing to accept Allaah’s decision and follow the Messenger of Allaah صلى اهلل عليه وسلم.”

﴿و ق ال وا ل ن نـُّؤ م ن ل ك ح ّتَّى تـ ف ج ر ل ن ا م ن اِّل ر ض ي نب وعًا * أ و ت ك ون ل ك ج نَّة مِّن َّنَّ يل و ع ن ب فـ تـ ف جِّر اِّل نـ ه ار خ ال َل ا تـ ف ج ريًا * أ و ت س ق ط السَّم اء ك م ا ز ع م ت ع ل يـ ن ا ك س فًا أ و ت أ ت ب اللَّـه و ال م ال ئ ك ة ًق ب يال * أ و ي ك ون ل ك بـ ي ت مِّن ِ ز خ ر أ و تـ ر ق ىى ف السَّم اء و ل ن نـُّؤ م ن ل ر ق يِّك ح ّتَّى تـ نـ زِّل ع ل يـ ن ا ك ت ابًا نـَّق ر ؤ ه ۖ ق ل س ب ح ان ِّر ب ه ل ك نت َّإ ّل ب ش رًا ًرَّس وّل﴾ {And they say: “We shall not believe in you (O Muhammad), until you cause a spring to gush forth from the earth for us; Or you have a garden of date-palms and grapes, and cause rivers to gush forth in their midst abundantly; Or you cause the heaven to fall upon us in pieces, as you have pretended, or you bring Allaah and the angels before (us) face to face; Or you have a house of adornable materials (like silver and pure gold, etc.), or you ascend up into the sky, and even then we will put no faith in your ascension until you bring down for us a Book that we would read.” Say (O Muhammad): “Glorified (and Exalted) be my Lord (Allaah) above all that evil they (the polytheists) associate with Him! Am I anything but a man, sent as a Messenger?”} [Surah al-Israa’ (17): 90-93] And we (Ibn Katheer) have discussed these and other similar Aayaat in their respective places in out Tafseer. And all praise is for Allaah alone. Ibn `Abbaas رضي اهلل عنهما said: “The people of Makkah asked the Prophet ﷺ to turn alSafa turn into gold for them and remove the mountains from around them so that they could cultivate (the land). It was said to him ﷺ, (in another narration, it is: Jibreel عليه السالم came to him ﷺ and said): ❝If you want, you can be patient with them or if you want, you can give them what they asked for, but if they disbelieve, they will be destroyed as those who came before them were destroyed.❞ He ﷺ said: ❝Rather, I shall be patient with them.❞ Then Allaah تبارك و تعاىل revealed this Aayah: ﴿و م ا م نـ ع ن ا أ ن نـُّر س ل ب اْل ي ات َّإ ّل أ ن ك ذَّب ِب ا اِّل وَّل ون ۖ و آتـ يـ ن ا َث ود النَّاق ة ًم ب ص ر ة ف ظ ل م وا ِب ا ۖ و م ا نـ ر س ل ب اْل ي ات َّإ ّل َت و يفًا﴾ {And nothing stops Us from sending the Aayaat (proofs, signs) but that the people of old denied them. And We sent the she-camel to Thamood as a clear sign, but they did

her wrong. And We sent not the signs except to warn, and to make them afraid (of destruction).} [Surah al-Israa’ (17): 59]” 205 In another narration, Ibn `Abbaas رضي اهلل عنهما said: “The Quraish said to the Prophet ﷺ: ‘Pray to your Lord and ask Him to turn al-Safa into gold for us, and we will believe in you.’ He ﷺ said: ❝Will you do that?❞ They said: ‘Yes!’ So he ﷺ prayed and Jibreel عليه السالم came to him and said: ❝Your Lord تبارك و تعالى conveys greetings of Salaam to you and says to you: {If you wish, al-Safa will become gold for them, then whoever among them disbelieves after that, then indeed will I punish him with a punishment by which I have not punished anyone among the worlds. Or if you wish, I will open for them the gate of repentance and mercy.}❞ He ﷺ said: ❝Rather, the gate of repentance and mercy.❞ 206 And this has also been reported in a Mursal form from a group of Taabi`een, like: Sa`eed Ibn Jubair, Qataadah, Ibn Juraij and others. 205 Musnad Ahmad (2333), “al-Mustadrak” al-Haakim (3379), and he said: “It is “sahih””, and al-Dhahabee agreed with him, and Shaikh al-Albaanee also agreed with them. 206 Musnad Ahmad (2166, 3223), “al-Mustadrak” al-Haakim (174, 176, 3225, 7601), and he said: “It is “sahih as per the condition of Muslim”” and al-Dhahabee agreed with him. Shaikh al-Albaanee also said: “It is sahih as per the condition of Muslim.” See “al-Saheehah” (3388)