إِذْ قَالَ ٱلْحَوَارِيُّونَ يَـٰعِيسَى ٱبْنَ مَرْيَمَ هَلْ يَسْتَطِيعُ رَبُّكَ أَن يُنَزِّلَ عَلَيْنَا مَآئِدَةً مِّنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ ۖ قَالَ ٱتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ إِن كُنتُم مُّؤْمِنِينَ 112
Translations
[And remember] when the disciples said, "O Jesus, Son of Mary, can your Lord send down to us a table [spread with food] from the heaven?" [Jesus] said, "Fear Allāh, if you should be believers."
Transliteration
Idh qala al-hawariyyun ya 'Isa ibna Maryam hal yastatee'u rabbuka an yunazzila 'alayna ma'idatan mina al-sama'. Qala ittaqū Allah in kuntum mu'minīn.
Tafsir (Explanation)
The disciples of Jesus asked him to request from Allah a table spread with food from heaven as a sign, but Jesus redirected them away from seeking miraculous signs toward cultivating piety and true faith. According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari, Jesus's response emphasizes that requesting miracles out of doubt or testing Allah demonstrates weak faith, and that true belief relies on conviction rather than repeated proofs. Al-Qurtubi notes this ayah illustrates the principle that faith should precede the request for signs, not follow from them.
Revelation Context
This ayah is part of the narrative about Jesus and his disciples in Surah Al-Ma'idah, a Medinan surah revealed to address theological questions the Muslim community had about Jesus and his followers. The context describes the disciples' test of faith and Jesus's correction, reflecting the broader Quranic theme of distinguishing between genuine belief and skepticism masked as inquiry.
Related Hadiths
The Quran itself addresses the nature of faith before signs in 2:118 where Allah explains that those who demand miraculous signs often do not believe anyway. Related to this is the hadith in Sahih Muslim where the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) said: 'Blessed are those who believe without seeing,' emphasizing faith based on conviction rather than perpetual signs.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches that authentic faith is rooted in piety and sincere devotion to Allah rather than constantly seeking miraculous proofs; believers should cultivate consciousness of God (taqwa) first, which naturally leads to conviction. For modern readers, it cautions against using demands for signs as a substitute for genuine spiritual effort and reminds us that strengthening our relationship with Allah comes through obedience and mindfulness, not endless questioning.