أَفَتُمَـٰرُونَهُۥ عَلَىٰ مَا يَرَىٰ 12
Translations
So will you dispute with him over what he saw?
Transliteration
Afa-tumarunahu `ala ma yara
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah questions the disbelievers who dispute with Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) regarding what he has witnessed and seen, particularly his vision during the Night Journey (Isra') and the revelation he receives from Allah. Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari explain that the ayah rebukes those who deny the Prophet's direct experience and knowledge, emphasizing that no one is better positioned to testify about what they have personally witnessed than the one who saw it themselves. The rhetorical question implies the absurdity of disputing someone about their own direct perception and experience.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in the context of Surah An-Najm, which details the Prophet's miraculous night journey and his encounter with Jibril near the Lote Tree (Sidrat al-Muntaha). The surah was revealed in Mecca during a period of intense opposition from the Quraysh who rejected the Prophet's claims about supernatural experiences. This specific verse addresses their stubborn denial and argumentation against what the Prophet had directly witnessed.
Related Hadiths
The account of the Isra' and Mi'raj is extensively documented in Sahih Bukhari (Book of Tawheed, Hadith 7517) where the Prophet describes his journey. Additionally, Sunan Ibn Majah contains traditions about the Prophet's night journey and how the disbelievers rejected his testimony despite his credibility as an eyewitness.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches believers to trust in the Prophet's testimony and direct knowledge from Allah, and to recognize that denying someone's personal experience without valid grounds is illogical and arrogant. For modern readers, it emphasizes the importance of accepting credible testimony and the limits of human argumentation against established truth and divine guidance.