إِنْ هُوَ إِلَّا وَحْىٌ يُوحَىٰ 4
Translations
It is not but a revelation revealed,
Transliteration
In hu illa wahy yuha
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah affirms that the Quran revealed to Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is nothing but revelation from Allah, emphasizing the divine origin of the message rather than any human invention or composition. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari stress that this statement directly refutes the Meccan disbelievers' accusations that Muhammad fabricated the Quran or learned it from others. The phrase 'wahy yuha' (revelation being revealed) underscores the continuous, active nature of divine communication throughout the Prophet's mission.
Revelation Context
Surah An-Najm was revealed in Mecca during a period of intense opposition to the Prophet's message. This ayah appears in the opening section where Allah defends the authenticity of the Quranic revelation against the skepticism and false claims of the Quraysh, who attributed the Quran to poetry, sorcery, or human authorship.
Related Hadiths
Sahih Bukhari 4953: The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, 'I have been sent with the most concise words possessing the most comprehensive meanings, and I have been made victorious with awe [cast into the hearts of enemies].' This hadith supports the divine nature and miraculous quality of the revelation. Additionally, Muslim 2277 contains the hadith where the Prophet clarifies that the Quran is divine revelation, not his own speech.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches believers to have unwavering confidence in the Quranic message as divinely ordained, and it reminds us to distinguish between authentic divine guidance and human conjecture in matters of faith and spirituality.