بَلْ قَالُوٓا۟ أَضْغَـٰثُ أَحْلَـٰمٍۭ بَلِ ٱفْتَرَىٰهُ بَلْ هُوَ شَاعِرٌ فَلْيَأْتِنَا بِـَٔايَةٍ كَمَآ أُرْسِلَ ٱلْأَوَّلُونَ 5
Translations
But they say, "[The revelation is but] a mixture of false dreams; rather, he has invented it; rather, he is a poet. So let him bring us a sign just as the previous [messengers] were sent [with miracles]."
Transliteration
Bal qaalū aḍghāth aḥlām, bal iftarāhu, bal huwa shā'ir, falya'tinā bi-āyah kamā ursila al-awwalūn
Tafsir (Explanation)
The Meccan disbelievers responded to the Qur'an with multiple baseless objections: claiming it was merely confused dreams, that Muhammad fabricated it, or that he was merely a poet. They demanded a clear sign similar to those given to previous prophets, revealing their obstinate rejection despite the clarity of the Qur'an itself. Ibn Kathir notes this ayah demonstrates how the disbelievers, lacking substantive counterarguments, resorted to contradictory accusations—a sign of their spiritual blindness rather than intellectual doubt.
Revelation Context
This ayah was revealed in Mecca during the early period of da'wah when the Quraysh actively opposed the Prophet Muhammad. It reflects the actual responses the disbelievers made to the Qur'an, showing their various strategies of denial and their demand for miraculous signs despite witnessing the miracle of the Qur'an itself.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (ṣallallāhu 'alayhi wa sallam) said: 'The greatest miracle given to the prophets before me was what Allah revealed to them, but what has been revealed to me is the Qur'an itself.' (Sahih Muslim 152) - This hadith establishes the Qur'an as the ultimate sign, contrasting with the disbelievers' demand for other miracles.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches us that rejection of divine truth often stems not from lack of evidence but from hardened hearts and spiritual blindness; the Qur'an itself is the greatest sign, and those who demand additional miracles while denying this ultimate miracle reveal their true unwillingness to believe rather than genuine intellectual seeking.