لَّوْ مَا تَأْتِينَا بِٱلْمَلَـٰٓئِكَةِ إِن كُنتَ مِنَ ٱلصَّـٰدِقِينَ 7
Translations
Why do you not bring us the angels, if you should be among the truthful?"
Transliteration
Llaw mā ta'tīnā bil-malā'ikati in kunta mina aṣ-ṣādiqīn
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah records the objection of the Quraysh who demanded that the Prophet Muhammad bring angels as a sign to prove his prophethood, saying 'Why do you not bring us the angels if you are truthful?' According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari, this reflects the Meccan polytheists' stubborn rejection and their unreasonable demands for miracles beyond what Allah had already provided. The ayah illustrates how disbelievers set impossible conditions and move their goalposts when signs are presented, a characteristic pattern of those who reject divine guidance out of arrogance rather than genuine seeking of truth.
Revelation Context
This ayah is situated in Surah Al-Hijr, a Meccan chapter that addresses the objections and mockery the Prophet faced from the Quraysh. The broader context shows the various excuses and demands the disbelievers made to reject the Prophet's message, establishing a pattern of their willful denial despite clear signs.
Related Hadiths
The theme of unreasonable demands for miracles is echoed in Sahih Muslim where the Prophet explained that previous prophets faced similar demands from their people. Additionally, Surah Al-An'am (6:109) presents a related hadith-supported theme: 'They swear by Allah their strongest oaths that if a sign came to them, they would surely believe in it.'
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches us that those who reject truth often do so not from lack of evidence but from hardness of heart and arrogance, and that we should be cautious of moving our standards for belief as a means of continued denial. For believers, it reminds us to reflect on whether we accept guidance with sincerity or whether we, too, make excuses to avoid accountability.