إِنْ هَـٰذَآ إِلَّا قَوْلُ ٱلْبَشَرِ 25
Translations
This is not but the word of a human being."
Transliteration
In hādhā illā qawlu al-bashar
Tafsir (Explanation)
The disbelievers of Mecca dismissed the Qur'an as merely human speech, denying its divine origin. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari note this was the Arabs' attempt to rationalize away the miraculous nature of the Qur'an by attributing it to Muhammad's own composition. This ayah exposes their stubborn rejection despite the clear signs and inimitable eloquence of Allah's word.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in the context of Surah Al-Muddaththir, which addresses the disbelievers' objections to the Qur'an and the Prophet's message. The Meccans frequently attributed the Qur'an to human authorship as a means of refuting the Prophet's claim of prophethood, and Allah responds by highlighting the absurdity and blindness of such accusations.
Related Hadiths
The hadith in Sahih Bukhari (3.97) records that the Qur'an was called a 'magic' and 'poetry' by the disbelievers—related to this theme of attributing human origins to divine revelation. Additionally, the hadith about the challenge of producing a surah like the Qur'an (emphasizing its inimitability) relates to refuting claims of human authorship.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches believers to recognize that those who reject truth often resort to baseless accusations and denial rather than sincere inquiry. For modern readers, it serves as a reminder to examine the Qur'an's linguistic and spiritual excellence objectively, and to maintain faith despite the doubts and criticisms of others.